Sunday, June 30, 2013

Remember When The Sony Walkman Was Considered High-Tech?

Original Sony Walkman

Do you remember a time when the Sony Walkman was as high-tech as the iPhone 5? Even though we have the modern advantage of rechargeable batteries, the idea of having a portable cassette or CD player today seems laughable. However, when the transistor radio was invented in the 1950?s, the world suddenly had an idea that music could be handheld. Inventions like the boom box dominated certain decades, but it was the introduction of the Walkman by Sony in 1979 that would shape music listening for the next twenty years.

A Brief History Of The Walkman

Despite the fact that Sony launched the product, the actual inventor of the portable personal stereo audio cassette player was a man named Andreas Pavel. He filed a patent for a device he called a ?Stereobelt? in 1977. Since Pavel?s patent was rejected by the United States, Sony was able to gain a market there with their Walkman model. However, Pavel eventually reclaimed his financial losses from Sony and gained the title of ?Original Inventor of the Personal Stereo.? Nevertheless, it was Sony that made the Walkman popular. For the record, the first Sony Walkman was released in 1979.

The Walkman Takes Over America

Over the course of the 1980?s, the Sony Walkman became a household name. In fact, when other brands picked up the manufacturing of personal stereo products, consumers would still refer to it as their Walkman despite the fact it was not made by Sony. Similar to the way smartphones are regarded today, children in the 1980?s were usually encouraged to avoid using a Walkman because the first models were easy to break. In the mid-1980?s, Sony resolved this issue by producing a line of Walkman toys for children called My First Sony. This was one of many ways that Sony responded to the complaints of their customers. Other examples of improvements to the original design include their slim-line, waterproof and battery-efficient models.

The Walkman Goes Solar

Available in white or yellow, the solar revolution was part of the Walkman history. In 1987 when the Solar Walkman was released on the market, the solar-powered calculator was already prominent. Clearly, the WMF107 Solar Walkman was one of the next steps in getting rid of the need to buy AA batteries every week. Sadly, the Solar Walkman was never perfected, and the unit would not work at full capacity unless the sun was extremely bright. The first run model was also expensive for consumers and the rechargeable battery was difficult to care for.

The Walkman Says Good-Bye

Despite its absence in the modern marketplace, this product did not decline in popularity as early as you think. After decades of being a sought-after piece of technology, Sony finally announced that it would cease production of the device. It made one final batch of Walkmans, and then told the press that these were the final units. By the end of 2011, the days of the Walkman were drawn to a close. There are still many models for sale throughout the world, but you can no longer buy them from the manufacturer. Sony has stated in several reports that the main cause of decline for this product was the invention of the MP3 player.

And with that, the world says good-bye to another great must-have piece of technology.

This piece was written by Pete Salinsky, a freelance writer based in Baton Rouge, LA. Pete enjoys writing about gadgets, gadget accessories, computers, cell phones and other associated topics; those searching for iPad accessories should check out the Kensington iPad cover from kensington.com.

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Tags: Sony Walkman

Source: http://www.guysgab.com/remember-when-the-sony-walkman-was-considered-high-tech/

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Nick Jonas takes part in Dirk Nowitzki's celebrity baseball game in Texas

While in Texas this weekend, Nick Jonas joined the fun at NBA star Dirk Nowitzki's 12th annual celebrity baseball game in Frisco yesterday. The charity game benefits both the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation and the Heroes Foundation, which is a non-profit initiative bringing sports training and competition to children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities in the Dallas Texas area.

Nick was involved in a collision with another player on the last play of the game that left the singer bruised, but Nick assured his fans on Twitter that the incident was "no big deal".


Nick with sports reporter Joe Trahan


Nick with Miss Texas USA 2013 Ali Nugent


Nick and Dirk Nowitzki in the dugout

Nick collides with another player on the last play of the game:

http://youtu.be/epzF3h4N6eI


LOL the height difference between Nick and Dirk is hilarious! Glad he wasn't hurt--people there said he just got up and finished running to home plate, but he was holding an ice pack on his face after the game.

Source1, Source 2, Source 3

Source: http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/79169401.html

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Egyptians stream into streets to demand Mursi quit

By Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians poured onto the streets on Sunday, swelling crowds that opposition leaders hope will number into the millions by evening and persuade Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to resign.

Waving national flags, a crowd of some 200,000 had gathered by late afternoon on Cairo's Tahrir Square, seat of the 2011 uprising against Mursi's predecessor Hosni Mubarak.

"The people want the fall of the regime!" they chanted - this time not against an ageing dictator but against their first ever elected leader, who took office only a year ago to the day.

As the working day ended and the heat of the sun eased, more joined them on the otherwise deserted streets of the capital. Many are angry at Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, saying it has hijacked the revolution through a series of electoral victories to monopolize power and push through Islamic law.

Others are simply frustrated by the economic crisis, deepened by political deadlock, over which Mursi has presided.

In other cities, thousands of protesters also gathered. Over 100,000 were out in the centre of second city Alexandria.

Security sources said three Brotherhood offices were set on fire by demonstrators in towns in the Nile Delta - the latest in over a week of street violence in which hundreds have been hurt and several killed, including an American student.

Over 20,000 Mursi supporters also congregated in the capital, by a mosque not far from the suburban presidential palace. Mursi himself is working elsewhere. But liberal protest organizers plan a sit-in outside the palace from Sunday evening.

Thousands of anti-Mursi protesters were walking to the site.

Interviewed by a British newspaper, Mursi repeated his determination to ride out what he sees as an undemocratic attack on his electoral legitimacy. But he also offered to revise the new, Islamist-inspired constitution, saying clauses on religious authority, which fueled liberal resentment, were not his choice.

He made a similar offer last week, after the head of the army issued a strong call for politicians to compromise. But the opposition dismissed it was too little too late. They hope Mursi will resign in the face of large numbers on the streets.

Some also seem to believe the army might force the president's hand. In Cairo, demonstrators stopped to shake hands and take photographs with soldiers guarding key buildings.

While many Egyptians are angry at Mursi over the economy, many others fear that more turmoil will make life worse.

Mursi and the Brotherhood can hope protests fizzle out like previous outbursts. If they do not, some form of compromise, possibly arbitrated by the army, may be on the cards.

VIOLENCE

Both sides insist they plan no violence but accuse the other - and agents provocateurs from the old regime - of planning it.

Helicopter gunships flew over Cairo. The U.S.-equipped army, though showing little sign of wanting power, warns it may step in if deadlocked politicians let violence slip out of control.

U.S. President Barack Obama called for dialogue and warned trouble in the biggest Arab nation could unsettle an already turbulent Middle East. Washington has evacuated non-essential personnel and reinforced security at its diplomatic missions.

In an interview with London's Guardian newspaper, Mursi repeated accusations against what he sees as attempts by entrenched interests from the Mubarak era to foil his attempt to govern. But he dismissed the demands that he give up and resign.

If that became the norm, he said, "well, there will be people or opponents opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later, they will ask him to step down".

Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - has signed a petition calling for new elections, although there is no obvious challenger to Mursi.

The opposition, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mursi to relent and hand over to a technocrat administration that can organize new elections.

"We all feel we're walking on a dead-end road and that the country will collapse," said Mohamed ElBaradei, a former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and now liberal party leader in his homeland.

ARMY ROLE

Religious authorities have warned of "civil war". The army insists it will respect the "will of the people".

Islamists interpret that to mean army support for election results. Opponents believe that the army may heed the popular will as expressed on the streets, as it did in early 2011 when the generals decided Mubarak's time was up.

A military source said the army was using its helicopters to monitor the numbers out on the streets. Its estimate on Tahrir in mid-afternoon was 40-50,000, with a few thousands at similar protest sites in other major cities.

It put the number at the Islamists' Cairo camp at 17,000. Having staged shows of force earlier this month, the Brotherhood has not called on its supporters to go out on Sunday.

Among the Islamists in Cairo, Ahmed Hosny, 37, said: "I came here to say, 'We are with you Mursi, with the legitimate order and against the thugs'.

"This is our revolution and no one will take it from us."

At Tahrir Square, banners ranged from "The Revolution Goes On", "Out, Out Like Mubarak" to "Obama Backs Terrorism" - a reference to liberal anger at perceived U.S. support for Mursi's legitimacy and its criticism of protests as bad for the economy.

"I am here to bring down Mursi and the Brotherhood," said Ahmed Ali al-Badri, a feed merchant in a white robe. "Just look at this country. It's gone backwards for 20 years. There's no diesel, gasoline, electricity. Life is just too expensive."

The Egyptian army, half a million strong and financed by Washington since it backed a peace treaty with Israel three decades ago, says it has deployed to protect key installations.

Among these is the Suez Canal. Cities along the waterway vital to global trade are bastions of anti-government sentiment. A bomb killed a protester in Port Said on Friday. A police general was gunned down in Sinai, close to the Israeli border.

Observers note similarities with protests in Turkey this month, where an Islamist prime minister with a strong electoral mandate has been confronted in the streets by angry secularists.

For many Egyptians, though, all the turmoil that has followed the Arab Spring has just made life harder. Standing by his lonely barrow at an eerily quiet downtown Cairo street market, 23-year-old Zeeka was afraid more violence was coming.

"We're not for one side or the other," he said. "What's happening now in Egypt is shameful. There is no work, thugs are everywhere ... I won't go out to any protest.

"It's nothing to do with me. I'm the tomato guy."

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Maggie Fick, Alastair Macdonald, Shadia Nasralla, Tom Perry, Paul Taylor and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo, Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia and Abdelrahman Youssef in Alexandria; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-protests-set-showdown-violence-feared-003343388.html

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

YourTango Experts Weigh In: DOMA & Gay Marriage | YourTango

YourTango Experts Weigh In: DOMA & Gay Marriage
About 9 million Americans are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Our experts weigh in with their thoughts on the overturning of DOMA and Prop 8.

This week was a milestone in the gay rights movement. The Supreme Court struck down Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California as well as the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), declaring under federal law that same-sex couples who are legally married deserve the equal rights that go to straight married couples.

But what do our experts think? Do we still have a long way to go to ending discrimination of the LGBTQ community? How does this affect our notions about relationships, marriage, gender and love in this country? They shared their thoughts...

More from YourTango: Take Our Challenge: 21 Days To An Even Better Sex Life!

"Since the purpose of marriage has long been evolving ? from an arrangement for acquiring property and offspring to a personal commitment between two people seeking to merge households and finances ? the DOMA decision reflects how marriage is not just for 'church-approved pro-creation' or inheritance issues anymore. Twenty-first century marriages based on love and commitment transcend gender and traditional 'Mommy/Daddy' roles and provide true 'partnerships' for life-long personal and legal support for everyone involved ? and it's about time! ?Barbara Schiffman

"The decision from the Supreme Court in regards to DOMA and Prop 8 is one more step towards receiving full equality. The enormous strain than many same sex couples live under is incredible. It is stressful to live in a country where discrimination based on your sexual orientation is rampant. I've seen so many same sex couples struggle with issues like balancing being in the closet at work and trying to have a healthy relationship at home. Relationships can be difficult enough without the added stress of pretending for eight hours a day that you don't have a partner. It's a toxic environment that contributes to the deterioration of many same sex relationships.

While the Supreme Court decision gives much needed rights and protections, it's also a public validation of same sex relationships. In a number of ways, public acceptance on a broader scale helps reduce stress for same sex couples, ultimately creating healthier, stronger long term relationships. Full marriage equality will help create more stability within same sex couples and? families, and the surrounding community." ?Christine Dunn-Cunningham

More from YourTango: Motherhood: 17 Expert Tips For Creating 'Me' Time

Keep reading...

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Want more advice? Find an expert near you!

Source: http://www.yourtango.com/experts/yourtango/what-does-overturning-doma-mean-marriage

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Obama tells leaders to follow Mandela's example

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses during a news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma at the Union Building on Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Pretoria, South Africa. The president is in South Africa, embarking on the second leg of his three-country African journey. The visit comes at a poignant time, with former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela ailing in a Johannesburg hospital. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Barack Obama pauses during a news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma at the Union Building on Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Pretoria, South Africa. The president is in South Africa, embarking on the second leg of his three-country African journey. The visit comes at a poignant time, with former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela ailing in a Johannesburg hospital. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks and takes questions at a town hall meeting with young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus, South Africa, Saturday June 29, 2013.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

United States President Barack Obama , left, waves to crowd while departing from the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johanesburg, South Africa,Saturday, June, 29, 2013. Mandela whose condition has improved according to the Presidency,remains in a critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks and takes questions at a town hall meeting with young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus, South Africa, Saturday June 29, 2013.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

U.S. President Barack Obama gestures during a news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma, not pictured, at the Union Building on Saturday, June 29, 2013, in Pretoria, South Africa. The president is in South Africa, embarking on the second leg of his three-country African journey. The visit comes at a poignant time, with former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela ailing in a Johannesburg hospital. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama paid personal respects Saturday to relatives of ailing anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and encouraged leaders in Africa and around the world to follow the former South African president's example of country before self.

"We as leaders occupy these spaces temporarily and we don't get so deluded that we think the fate of our country doesn't depend on how long we stay in office," Obama told reporters shortly before a private, half-hour meeting with Mandela's family.

Obama spoke at a news conference with South African President Jacob Zuma in the midst of a weeklong tour of the continent that also included stops in Senegal and Tanzania, two nations where there has been progress toward democratic governance. But many other nations on the African continent are embroiled in religious, sectarian and other conflicts.

Obama decided to avoid stopping in his father's home nation of Kenya because of international disputes there. The International Criminal Court is prosecuting Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta for crimes against humanity, including murder, deportation, rape, persecution and inhumane acts allegedly committed by his supporters in the violent aftermath of Kenya's 2007 elections.

"The timing was not right for me as the president of the United States to be visiting Kenya when those issues are still being worked on, and hopefully at some point resolved," Obama said. He noted he's visited Kenya several times previously and expects he will in the future as well.

Obama and Zuma appeared at the Union Buildings that house government offices and were the site of Mandela's 1994 inauguration as the country's first black president after 27 years behind bars for his activism.

The 94-year-old Mandela has been in a nearby hospital for three weeks after being admitted with a lung infection. Zuma told reporters that Mandela is in critical but stable condition. The White House said that in accordance with the family's wishes, Obama was not planning to see the man he has called a personal hero and revered Saturday as "one of the greatest people in history."

But Obama did meet with two of Mandela's daughters and eight of his grandchildren at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, part of the former president's foundation. Obama said he told the family he hopes Mandela draws comfort from the time he's spending with loved ones.

"I also reaffirmed the profound impact that his legacy has had in building a free South Africa, and in inspiring people around the world ? including me," Obama said in a statement after the visit. "That's a legacy that we must all honor in our own lives."

Obama also spoke by telephone with Graca Machel, Mandela's wife, while she stayed at his bedside in the hospital. Machel said she drew strength from the call and that Obama added a characteristic "touch of personal warmth."

"I am humbled by their comfort and messages of strength and inspiration, which I have already conveyed" to Mandela, she said.

Zuma told Obama he and Mandela are "bound by history as the first black presidents of your respective countries."

"Thus, you both carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa and in the diaspora who were previously oppressed," Zuma said at their news conference, reading from a prepared statement.

On other topics, Obama declined to commit to supporting South Africa's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He said the U.N.'s structure needs to be updated and it would be "odd" for an expanded Security Council not to have African representation.

"How we do that and what fashion is complicated, it's difficult and it involves all kinds of politics," Obama said.

"Everybody wants a seat at the table, but when it comes time to step up and show responsibility, sometimes people want to be free-riders," Obama said, adding he wasn't referring to South Africa specifically.

Obama also said he wants to boost trade with Africa and plans to renegotiate an African trade pact to improve it for American businesses. He said he welcomes competition from other nations who have been aggressive in pursuing commercial opportunities in Africa, including China.

"I don't feel threatened by it. I think it's a good thing," he said. He added: "Our only advice is make sure it's a good deal for Africa." He said that includes making sure foreign investment employs Africans and doesn't tolerate corruption or take its natural resources without compensation for Africans.

Obama also paid tribute to South Africa's fight against apartheid by visiting the Soweto area Saturday afternoon for a town hall with students at the University of Johannesburg. At least 176 young people were killed in Soweto township 27 years ago this month during a youth protest against the apartheid regime's ban against teaching local Bantu languages. The Soweto Uprising catalyzed international support against apartheid, and June is now recognized as Youth Month in South Africa.

Obama announced the formation of the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, which beginning next year will bring more than 500 25- to 35-year-olds to the United States to train them for civic and business leadership. The fellows will spend six weeks on U.S. campuses for instruction, mentoring and internships, as well as attend a summit with Obama.

The White House says fellowship partners will provide career options when they return home, and the fellows will become part of an alumni network that will offer future opportunities. Obama told his audience ? including people from Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda participating by videoconference ? that the continent has a brighter future. Invoking a refrain from his own presidential campaign, Obama praised young Africans for having a "yes we can attitude."

About 150 protesters from a range of trade unions and civil society groups demonstrated outside the university ahead of Obama's arrival, but police fired warning shots and cleared the streets by the time of the town hall. Some had dressed in orange coveralls to protest the Guantanamo Bay prison and other held signs depicting Obama with an Adolf Hitler moustache.

"People died in Libya. People are still dying in Syria," said 54-year-old Ramasimong Tsokolibane. "In Egypt, in Afghanistan in Pakistan drones are still killing people. So that's why we are calling him a Hitler. He's a killer."

Obama wraps up his South Africa stay Sunday, when he plans to give a sweeping speech on U.S.-Africa policy at the University of Cape Town and take his family to Robben Island to tour the prison where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars.

Obama has visited the island before, but said it's a particular privilege to bring his daughters back to learn its lessons.

___

AP Video Journalist Bram Janssen contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler and Julie Pace at https://twitter.com/jpacedc

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-29-Obama/id-5895df1fe7be4cf69ceee960e88ce4d8

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Living Large in 140 Square Feet

Chris Tack made seven unloading trips to Goodwill before moving into the tiny home he and his wife Malissa designed and built. Constructed on a trailer bed and parked in Snohomish, Washington, the house is more than enough space for them, the couple says. And one advantage of an abode on wheels is that you can always move, says Malissa.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/06/28/196594976/living-large-in-140-square-feet?ft=1&f=1007

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'Dexter' exclusive pic: Are Deb, Dex in danger?

TV

6 hours ago

"Dexter" finally returns Sunday! Its eighth and final season is guaranteed to be a wild ride, but the final destination -- for Dex and everyone he cares about -- is anyone's guess.

Quick refresher from last year's finale: Deb killed Captain LaGuerta rather than let their boss arrest Dexter for the Bay Harbor Butcher (etc.) killings.

Fast-forward six months, and -- spoiler alert! -- Deb has quit the force and is trying to anesthetize her tortured conscience with booze, drugs and sex. The last person in the world she wants to see is the brother who led her to this very dark and desperate place.

Of course the Morgan siblings must reunite sometime. And by the looks of this picture from the premiere, exclusive to TODAY.com, it's not a cause for celebration.

Image: Dexter

Randy Tepper / Showtime

Looks like Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) are in for an unpleasant surprise in the season premiere.

What could possibly be provoking Deb's shock and her brother's consternation? Did Harrison spill his milk, or are they in more danger than ever?

To find out, tune in to "Dexter" Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/dexter-exclusive-photo-are-deb-dex-even-more-danger-6C10480521

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

10 things you need to know today: June 26, 2013

The Supreme Court invalidates a key part of the Voting Rights Act, Obama spells out his plan to fight climate change, and more

1. SUPREME COURT INVALIDATES A LINCHPIN OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In a 5-4 ruling, the court's conservative majority said Congress must update the section of the law that requires states with a history of discrimination to get Justice Department approval before changing their voting laws. Proponents of the provision, which recently blocked voter ID laws in Texas and South Carolina, said a bitterly divided Congress will never agree on how to restore it. [Washington Post]
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2. TEXAS ABORTION RESTRICTIONS FAIL AFTER FILIBUSTER
A Texas abortion bill, one of the toughest in the nation, failed late Tuesday after a confusing stand-off. Republicans managed to bring the bill to a vote after an epic, 10-hour filibuster by Democrat Wendy Davis. It appeared to have passed 19 to 10, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the presiding officer of the Senate, said "an unruly mob using Occupy Wall Street tactics" had made it impossible for authorities to make the vote official before midnight, when the legislative session ended. [New York Times]
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SEE ALSO: Wendy Davis' stunning filibuster of a Texas abortion bill

3. OBAMA UNVEILS HIS STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
President Obama unveiled his new plan to fight climate change in a speech at Georgetown University on Tuesday. The president, looking to revive his climate agenda by side-stepping Congress, promised to use his own authority and the EPA's regulatory powers to impose new rules to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants and increase support for renewable energy. "This is a challenge that doesn't pause for partisan gridlock," Obama said. "It demands our attention now." [Reuters]
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4. DEMOCRAT MARKEY WINS MASSACHUSETTS SENATE SEAT
Rep. Ed Markey, a Democrat, won a special election Tuesday to fill the Senate seat of John Kerry, who became secretary of State in February. Markey defeated Gabriel Gomez, who was hoping for an upset like the one his fellow Republican Scott Brown pulled off in 2010 by winning a special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat. Markey, however, wasn't just a popular Democrat in a heavily Democratic state ? he also out-spent Gomez, $8.6 million to $2.3 million. [USA Today]
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SEE ALSO: An everyman's guide for going invisible on the internet

5. PUTIN SAYS SNOWDEN REMAINS 'A FREE MAN'
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Tuesday that fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden was hanging out in the international transit section of a Moscow airport after leaving Hong Kong. Putin dismissed as "drivel" American demands that Russia send Snowden to the U.S. to face espionage charges, saying Russia had no grounds to extradite him. Snowden "is a free man," Putin said, "and the sooner he selects his final destination, the better it will be both for us and for him." [Bloomberg]
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6. RUDD OUSTS GILLARD AS AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER
Kevin Rudd won back his old job as prime minister of Australia on Wednesday. Rudd handily defeated outgoing leader Julia Gillard. Gillard led a 2010 revolt to oust Rudd, but her leadership had come under fire recently. Gillard called a leadership vote among lawmakers of the ruling Labor party to settle a long-running debate over whether she or Rudd was better suited to lead Labor into September elections, in which polls suggest the party faces a landslide defeat. [Wall Street Journal]
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SEE ALSO: 4 secret societies you probably don't know about

7. VIGIL CONTINUES AS MANDELA REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
A leading South African cleric, Cape Town Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, joined Nelson Mandela's family members in a Pretoria hospital Tuesday and prayed for the ailing, 94-year-old anti-Apartheid icon, who slipped into critical condition recently with a recurring lung infection. In a prayer that echoed the nation's resignation that the revered former president is near death, the archbishop posted a prayer on Facebook asking for Mandela to have "a peaceful, perfect, end." [Telegraph]
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8. SUPREME COURT PREPARES TO UNVEIL RULINGS ON GAY MARRIAGE
Supporters and opponents of gay marriage braced for potentially game-changing rulings from the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The court heard arguments on two same-sex marriage cases ? one a challenge to California's gay-marriage ban, Prop. 8. The ruling in that case has several potential outcomes. The court could establish gay marriage as a constitutionally protected right or uphold the ban, setting back the gay marriage movement. It could also punt, and dismiss the case. [CBS News]
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SEE ALSO: Why most Americans hate their jobs (or are just 'checked out')

9. BRAZILIAN PROTESTERS WIN TWO MORE DEMANDS
Brazil's Congress handed two significant victories to protesters who have filled the streets of the South American nation's biggest cities recently, demanding more public services and less corruption. Lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have limited the power of prosecutors, potentially increasing corruption. Congress also agreed to dedicate all royalties from vast newly discovered undersea oil fields for education and health. [BBC News]
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10. ARMY PREPARES FOR DRAMATIC REDUCTIONS
The Army's chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, said Tuesday that the Army would reduce active-duty troops by 80,000 ? to 490,000 ? over the next five years. The scaling down, following withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan and $487 billion in military spending cuts over a decade, will amount to the military's biggest organizational change since World War II. [New York Times]

SEE ALSO: How typeface influences the way we read and think

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-today-june-26-2013-082600877.html

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We Heart It, The Social Photo Phenom That's Quietly Amassed 20M Monthly Users, Nabs $8M Funding

weheartitWe Heart It, a photo-based social network that is reminiscent of Pinterest in functionality with a dash of Tumblr's youthful appeal, has raised $8 million from a group of investors including White Oak and IDG Ventures. This may be one of the first times you're hearing about We Heart It, but the company is actually huge -- the site currently has 20 million monthly users, with more than 1 million new users registering every month, CEO Ranah Edelin told me in an interview alongside founder Fabio Giolito this week. And the people who use We Heart It really use it: Members on average spend more than 16.5 minutes on the site at a time, and the average mobile app user opens the app more than 25 times per month.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/z41eE0IrqBM/

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Low self-control promotes selfless behavior in close relationships

June 27, 2013 ? When faced with the choice of sacrificing time and energy for a loved one or taking the self-centered route, people's first impulse is to think of others, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

"For decades psychologists have assumed that the first impulse is selfish and that it takes self-control to behave in a pro-social manner," says lead researcher Francesca Righetti of VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands. "We did not believe that this was true in every context, and especially not in close relationships."

Righetti and colleagues sought to examine whether impulsivity, in close relationships, might actually benefit others.

They found that participants whose self-control was taxed (and were thus more impulsive) were more willing to sacrifice time and energy for their romantic partner or best friend than participants whose self-control wasn't taxed.

In one study, to find out whether they would sacrifice in actual practice, the researchers told couples they would have to talk to 12 strangers and ask them embarrassing questions. The participants didn't know that they wouldn't actually have to follow through with the task.

Participants with high self-control opted to split the burden right down the middle -- assigning six strangers to themselves and six strangers to their partner. But participants with low self-control opted to take on more of the burden, sacrificing their own comfort to spare their partners.

A final experiment revealed that married individuals low in trait self-control sacrificed more for their partners, yet were also less forgiving of their transgressions -- presumably because self-control is required to override the focus on the wrongdoing and think instead about the relationship as a whole.

While sacrificing for a partner may help to build the relationship on a day-to-day basis, Righetti and colleagues note that it could backfire over the long-term, compromising individuals' ability to maintain a balance between personal and relationship-related concerns.

This balance is a perennial issue for anyone in a close relationship:

"Whether it's about which activities to engage in during free time, whose friends to go out with, or which city to live in, relationship partners often face a divergence of interests -- what is most preferred by one partner is not preferred by the other," notes Righetti.

The field of research is relatively new, so the jury is still out on what effects sacrifice has on relationship well-being, but Righetti is hopeful that research over the next few years will shed more light on the link.

Co-authors on this research include Catrin Finkenauer, also of VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and Eli Finkel of Northwestern University.

This research was supported by grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/vEB9BGp7PWA/130627142553.htm

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Get Some Fantastic Information On How To Manage A Child's Video ...

Children and adults equally adore games. They are an easy way to discharge a number of your stress.How can we use video games to higher game? You only will need a little bit of know-how in game playing to ensure the games tend to be more enjoyable. This article is full of tips a greater person.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Willy Wonka wows, but critics less impressed by Mendes musical

LONDON (Reuters) - Director Sam Mendes earned grudging critical acclaim for a stage musical of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but was always going to struggle in comparison to much-loved past productions of Roald Dahl's work.

The glitzy new staging of Dahl's children's novel, which opened in London on Tuesday, battles universal acclaim for an earlier production of his "Matilda", Gene Wilder's whimsical Willy Wonka in the 1971 film and Johnny Depp's turn in 2005 - not to mention the audience's memories of the book.

Acquiring the rights was a two-decade personal quest by the 47-year-old Mendes, best known for directing the hugely successful 2012 James Bond film "Skyfall" and winning a Best Director Oscar for "American Beauty".

"I spent 25 years trying to get the rights for 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to do on stage," Mendes told Reuters from the red carpet at the play's premiere on Tuesday.

Critics praised Mendes for the sleek technical wizardry of the lavish show, which zips along in the second half using intricate sets, puppetry and ingenious costumes.

However, Act One drags in its telling of how impoverished Charlie Bucket wins the golden ticket that will allow him to tour Wonka's chocolate factory alongside the greedy Augustus Gloop, gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde, spoiled brat Veruca Salt and the terrifying videogame addict Mike Teavee.

Musically, critics had little time for the songs of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

"Marc Shaiman's music is mainly unmemorable and the lyrics are hard to make out in the ensemble numbers," wrote Libby Purves in a three-star Times review on Wednesday.

"TWITCHY HINT OF THE PSYCHO"

However, the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka - played by Douglas Hodge in electric green trousers, purple frock coat, spats and a top hat - won cheers for originality.

"Douglas Hodge is a splendidly charismatic and disconcerting Willy Wonka, brilliantly combining jokes with a twitchy hint of the psycho," wrote the Telegraph's Charles Spencer in a three-star review.

Critics also enjoyed the efforts of the child actors, with Jack Costello's performance as Charlie singled out.

"Jack Costello's adorable portrayal of Charlie suffused the proceedings with a lovely sense of the boy's pining purity," wrote the Independent's Paul Taylor in a four-star review.

The Guardian called Mark Thompson's sets, including Charlie's home and the brilliant chocolate room - complete with chocolate waterfall - a "sumptuous feast".

Noted highlights were the special effects and costumes that allowed adults to play the diminutive Ooompah-Loompah factory workers, turned Veruca into a Blueberry and shrunk Mike Teavee.

"On the positive side we can enter clever special effects (a good gag with a shrunken child) and a much better second half," wrote the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts in a three star review headlined: "Choc horror!"

Most reviewers compared the Mendes production unfavorably with Tim Minchin's Tony award-winning musical version of Dahl's "Matilda" for the Royal Shakespeare Company which won a host of awards in 2012. But Financial Times reviewer Ian Shuttleworth gave Mendes four stars for creating warmth and beauty.

"It is flavorsome yet familiar, and above all it won't rot your teeth."

(Reporting by Paul Casciato, additional reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/willy-wonka-wows-critics-less-impressed-mendes-musical-164949152.html

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Supreme Court guts key part of landmark Voting Rights Act

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday gutted a key part of the landmark Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965 to end a century of attempts by former slaveholding states to block blacks from voting.

In a 5-4 ruling with the court's conservatives in the majority, the justices ruled that Congress had used obsolete reasoning in continuing to force nine states, mainly in the South, to get federal approval for voting rule changes affecting blacks and other minorities.

The court ruled in favor of officials from Shelby County, Alabama, by declaring invalid a section of the law that set a formula that determines which states need federal approval to change voting laws.

President Barack Obama quickly called on Congress to pass a new law to ensure equal access to voting polls for all.

"I am deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision today," Obama, the first black U.S. president, said in a statement, adding that the court's action "upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent."

The ruling upended important legal protections for minority voters that were a key achievement of the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s led by Martin Luther King Jr. The decision also placed the burden on Congress - sharply divided along party lines to the point of virtual gridlock - to pass any new voting rights law like the one sought by Obama.

Writing for the majority, conservative Chief Justice John Roberts said the coverage formula that Congress used when it most recently re-authorized the law in 2006 should have been updated.

"Congress did not use the record it compiled to shape a coverage formula grounded in current conditions," he wrote. "It instead re-enacted a formula based on 40-year-old facts having no logical relationship to the present day."

The coverage formula therefore violates the sovereignty of the affected states under the U.S. Constitution, Roberts said.

One of the most closely watched disputes of the court's current term, the case centers on the civil rights-era law that broadly prohibited poll taxes, literacy tests and other measures that prevented blacks from voting. In the 1960s, such laws existed throughout the country but were more prevalent in the South with its legacy of slavery.

The Shelby County challengers said the kind of systematic obstruction that once warranted treating the South differently is over and the screening provision should be struck down.

The Obama administration, backed by civil rights advocates, had argued that the provision was still needed to deter voter discrimination.

The ruling is a heavy blow for civil rights advocates, who believe the loss of that section of the law could lead to an increase in attempts to deter minorities from voting. They said 31 proposals made by covered jurisdictions to modify election laws had been blocked by the Justice Department under Section 5 of the law since the measure was re-enacted in 2006.

Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, accused the Supreme Court of leaving "millions of minority voters without the mechanism that has allowed them to stop voting discrimination before it occurs."

SENATE ACTION

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, on Tuesday pledged to move quickly to try to restore voting rights protections after the ruling.

"I intend to take immediate action to ensure that we will have a strong and reconstituted Voting Rights Act that protects against racial discrimination in voting," Leahy said.

The court, split on ideological lines, did not go so far as to strike down the core Section 5 of the law, known as the preclearance provision, which requires certain states to get approval from the Justice Department or a federal court before making election-law changes.

But the majority did invalidate Section 4b of the act, which set the formula for states covered by Section 5 and was based on historic patterns of discrimination against minority voters.

Although Section 5 is technically left intact, it is effectively nullified, at least for the near future, as Congress would now need to pass new legislation setting a new formula before it can be applied again.

In her dissenting opinion on behalf of the liberal wing of the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Section 5 is now "immobilized."

Ginsburg read a summary of her dissent from the bench, quoting the late civil rights leader King. In her written opinion, she accused Roberts of downplaying the authority Congress has under amendments to the Constitution that were enacted after the U.S. Civil War when slavery was first prohibited but concerns remained about how former Confederate states would treat black people.

Congress approached the 2006 re-authorization "with great care and seriousness," she added. "The same cannot be said of the court's opinion today."

Section 5 of the law required certain states, mainly in the South, to show that any proposed election-law change does not discriminate against black, Latino or other minority voters.

The nine fully covered states were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said of the ruling: "Make no mistake about it, this is a back door way to gut the Voting Rights Act. As long as Republicans have a majority in the House and Democrats don't have 60 votes in the Senate, there will be no preclearance."

"It is confounding that after decades of progress on voting rights, which have become part of the American fabric, the Supreme Court would tear it asunder," Schumer added.

Tuesday's ruling leaves intact Section 2 of the act, which broadly prohibits intentional discrimination in the voting arena. The Justice Department will still be able to intervene to enforce the law in that respect.

ISSUE STILL PROMINENT

The issue of voting rights remains prominent in the United States. During the 2012 presidential election campaign, judges nationwide heard challenges to new voter identification laws and redrawn voting districts. The most restrictive moves ended up being blocked before the November elections.

Just last week, the Supreme Court struck down an Arizona state law that required people registering to vote in federal elections to show proof of citizenship, a victory for activists who said it discouraged Native Americans and Latinos from voting.

Democrats say that and similar measures, championed by Republicans at the state level, were intended to make it more difficult for certain voters who tend to vote Democratic to cast ballots.

In February, Obama, a Democrat, decried barriers to voting in America and announced a commission to address voting issues.

The case is Shelby County v. Holder, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 12-96.

(Additional reporting by Joan Biskupic and Richard Cowan; Editing by Howard Goller and Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-strikes-down-key-part-voting-rights-141933323.html

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Vicious Babies: Tough, Deadly and Adorable.


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Image via: http://www.animals-zone.com/birth-baby-crocodiles

I started my Monday by watching a new video produced by BBC Planet Wild. The short film is part of the ?Tiny Beasts? series, and it?s intriguing title grabbed my attention immediately. ?Vicious Babies? provides a look at some of the most ferocious, poisonous and otherwise lethal newborns around. I love this idea because it?s quite the opposite of the massive volume of material that is dedicated to ?cute? babies. Ok, so the baby crocodile may look rather adorable and unassuming ? but watch it snatch and drown its prey and the adorable-factor declines quite a bit. A fun video, and an interesting series!

Carin Bondar About the Author: Carin Bondar is a biologist, writer and film-maker with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. Find Dr. Bondar online at www.carinbondar.com, on twitter @drbondar or on her facebook page: Dr. Carin Bondar ? Biologist With a Twist. Follow on Twitter @drbondar.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=vicious-babies-tough-deadly-and-adorable

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White House urges Moscow to expel Snowden to US

Light shines through a cabin window on seat 17A, the empty seat that an Aeroflot official said was booked in the name of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, shortly before Aeroflot flight SU150 takes off from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Snowden, who has admitted to leaking National Security Agency secrets, was expected to fly from Russia to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador, but AP reporters on the flight never saw him get on board. (AP Photo/Max Seddon)

Light shines through a cabin window on seat 17A, the empty seat that an Aeroflot official said was booked in the name of former CIA technician Edward Snowden, shortly before Aeroflot flight SU150 takes off from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, 2013. Snowden, who has admitted to leaking National Security Agency secrets, was expected to fly from Russia to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador, but AP reporters on the flight never saw him get on board. (AP Photo/Max Seddon)

President Barack Obama, right, sit across from Steve Case, right, Chairman and CEO, Revolution LLc, and other CEOs, business owners and entrepreneurs during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013, to discuss immigration reform. Obama hosted the meeting to discuss the importance of commonsense immigration reform including the Congressional Budget Office analysis that concludes immigration reform would promote economic growth and reduce the deficit. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

White House press secretary Jay Carney gestures during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, June 24, 2013. Carney said the U.S. assumes that Edward Snowden is now in Russia and that the White House now expects Russian authorities to look at all the options available to them to expel Snowden to face charges in the U.S. for releasing secret surveillance information . (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Graphic shows key locations in the life and career of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden; 3c x 5 inches; 146 mm x 127 mm;

(AP) ? The U.S. assumes National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden remains in Russia, and officials are working with Moscow in hopes he will be expelled and returned to America to face criminal charges, President Barack Obama's spokesman said Monday. He declared that a decision by Hong Kong not to detain Snowden has "unquestionably" hurt relations between the United States and China.

Snowden left Hong Kong, where he has been in hiding, and flew to Moscow but then apparently did not board a plane bound for Cuba as had been expected. His whereabouts were a mystery. The founder of the WikiLeaks secret-spilling organization, Julian Assange, said he wouldn't go into details about where Snowden was but said he was safe.

Snowden has applied for asylum in Ecuador, Iceland and possibly other countries, Assange said.

Obama, asked if he was confident that Russia would expel Snowden, told reporters: "What we know is that we're following all the appropriate legal channels and working with various other countries to make sure that the rule of law is observed."

Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, earlier Monday said the U.S. was expecting the Russians "to look at the options available to them to expel Mr. Snowden back to the United States to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged."

"The Chinese have emphasized the importance of building mutual trust," Carney added. "And we think that they have dealt that effort a serious setback. If we cannot count on them to honor their legal extradition obligations, then there is a problem. And that is a point we are making to them very directly."

Snowden has given highly classified documents to The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, often sweeping up information on American citizens. He also told the South China Morning Post that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data."

Snowden still has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said over the weekend.

He had been in hiding in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition but was rebuffed by Hong Kong officials who said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws. The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.

Said Carney: "We are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Hong Kong immigration official. This was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the U.S.-China relationship."

The dual lines of diplomacy ? harsh with China, hopeful with the Russians ? came just days after Obama met separately with leaders of both countries in an effort to close gaps on some of the major disputes facing them.

Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday, but his whereabouts were thrown into question Monday when a plane took off from Moscow for Cuba with an empty seat booked in his name. The U.S. has revoked his passport.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said it would be "deeply troubling" if Russia or Hong Kong had adequate notice about Snowden's plans to flee to a country that would grant him asylum and still allowed him leave.

"We don't know, specifically, where he may head, or what his intended destination may be," Kerry said, responding to a question during a news conference in New Delhi where he was discussing bilateral issues between the U.S. and India.

U.S. officials pointed to improved cooperation with the Russians in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing and to assistance the U.S. has given Russia on law enforcement cases.

"We continue to hope that the Russians will do the right thing," Kerry told NBC News. "We think it's very important in terms of our relationship. We think it's very important in terms of rule of law. These are important standards. We have returned seven criminals that they requested for extradition from the United States over the last two years. So we really hope that the right choice will be made here."

"We don't know, specifically, where he may head, or what his intended destination may be," Kerry said during a news conference in New Delhi.

Carney said the U.S. was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries through which Snowden might travel or where he might end up.

"The U.S. is advising these governments that Mr. Snowden is wanted on felony charges and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him here to the United States," Carney said.

An Aeroflot representative who wouldn't give her name told The Associated Press that Snowden wasn't on flight SU150 to Havana, which was filled with journalists trying to track him down.

In Moscow, security around the aircraft was heavy prior to boarding and guards tried to prevent the scrum of photographers and cameramen from taking pictures of the plane, heightening the speculation that Snowden might have been secretly escorted on board.

After spending a night in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, Snowden had been expected to fly to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador.

Some analysts said it was likely that the Russians were questioning Snowden, interested in what he knew about U.S. electronic espionage against Moscow.

"If Russian special services hadn't shown interest in Snowden, they would have been utterly unprofessional," Igor Korotchenko, a former colonel in Russia's top military command turned security analyst, said on state Rossiya 24 television.

The White House's tough response to Hong Kong's decision to let Snowden leave came just two weeks after Obama met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for two days of personal diplomacy in a desert retreat in California.

Carney said that after the U.S. sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong, authorities there requested additional information from the U.S.

"The U.S. had been in communication with Hong Kong about these inquiries and we were in the process of responding to the request when we learned that Hong Kong authorities had allowed the fugitive to leave Hong Kong," Carney said.

Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, said his government had received an asylum request, adding Monday that the decision "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world."

Ecuador has rejected some previous U.S. efforts at cooperation and has been helping Assange avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

But Assange's comments that Snowden had applied in multiple places opened other possibilities of where he might try to go.

WikiLeaks has said it is providing legal help to Snowden at his request and that he was being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers from the group.

Icelandic officials have confirmed receiving an informal request for asylum conveyed by WikiLeaks, which has strong links to the tiny North Atlantic nation. But authorities there have insisted that Snowden must be on Icelandic soil before making a formal request.

___

Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Philip Elliott, Matthew Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry and Vladimir Isachenkov and Max Seddon in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-24-NSA-Surveillance/id-fce41962552541308a8d5ac1a35b915a

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Humanities on the chopping block (CNN)

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Destin: Top 10 Favorite Things to Do | Kiss My Gumbo

by Greta on June 24, 2013

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My family and I have been bigs fans of vacationing in Destin, even before we had to travel farther than 4.5 hours. We have made many memories there and will continue to go back at least once or twice a year. Over the past 10 years, we have enjoyed the beaches and surrounding areas of Destin and even thought the kids are older, tend to flock to the same things. We tend to not eat out very much and spend a lot of quality family time together.

1. Enjoy the beach as much as humanly possible! If others get bored or burnt ? too bad (LOL).
2. Hanging with family and friends at a rented house or condo, playing board games and barbecuing.
3. Getting a Margarita at the Crab Trap beach bar. Yum!
4. The inflatable slides and trampolines near the Whale?s Tail. (they give military discounts)
5. Stopping by theoutlets on a rainy day or after the last day checkout.
6. Renting a boat, or better yet, getting invited on a boat and hanging at Crab Island.
7. Getting Red Velvet and Key Lime donuts from The Donut Hole.
8. Making a trip to Candymaker at Destin Commons.
9. Go Karts at The Track.
10. Hit up the swimming pool on the property for a break (kids not me).

And FYI ? I?m not getting paid to list any of these places.

As far as rental properties, most the time we stick with Resortquest.

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Source: http://www.kissmygumbo.com/2013/06/24/destin-top-10-favorite-things-to-do/

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