Mobile Nations Live!

The Mobile Nations Podcast brings together the editors of Android Central, CrackBerry, iMore, WPCentral and webOS Nation.

We get together whenever we feel like it, whenever we're forced to, or whenever there's free beer.

Please do not feed the editors.

The podcast could start momentarily.

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/ou0B9OIz4wE/story01.htm

cate blanchett drew brees drew brees tim tebow jets katy perry part of me video photoshop cs6 beta nfl news

Filmmaker Uses 20-Year-Old VHS Tape to Talk to Himself

Remember the movie Frequency where Jim Caviezel uses a freak atmospheric storm to talk to his dad, Dennis Quaid, in the past? This is kind of like that, except instead of a ham radio, it's a VHS tape, and instead of Caviezel and Quaid it's a single man: Jeremiah McDonald. Okay, so it's not really like Frequency at all. It's better.

When McDonald was 12-years old, he made a VHS tape of himself talking to his future self. Now, 20 years later, he dug out that VHS tape and used it to hold a rather sobering conversation with himself. The result is pretty great stuff.?Even though his isn't your childhood, prepare to get hit with a wave of nostalgia.

But that's not the only vintage gem McDonald has put on YouTube. You can watch one of his early films as well, a Super 8, stop-motion, live-action hybrid?Ghostbusters fan film:

But that's not all! Check out McDonald's 1994, videotaped book report on Lord of the Rings. Coolest kid ever or what?

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1925486/news/1925486/

christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera supreme court health care joe oliver joba chamberlain new york mega millions

Suns have busy 4th in readying for life after Nash

PHOENIX (AP) ? The Phoenix Suns are off and running in their roster makeover to face life after Steve Nash.

On the same night the team sent their two-time MVP point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers for four draft picks in a sign-and-trade deal, they reacquired his former backup, Goran Dragic, and reached an agreement to sign forward Michael Beasley. Dragic's deal is for $30 million over four years and can rise to $34 million with incentives. The fourth year is a player option. Beasley gets $18 million over three years.

The flurry of activity began Tuesday night when the Suns agreed with shooting guard Eric Gordon on a four-year, $58 million offer sheet, although that move may never reach fruition because the New Orleans Hornets have vowed to match the deal.

The remodeling began when Phoenix selected point guard Kendall Hunter of North Carolina with the 13th pick in the draft.

Dragic's return is intriguing, because it was only slightly more than a year ago that the Suns gave up on him, sending him, along with a lottery-protected draft pick, at the trade deadline to the Houston Rockets for point guard Aaron Brooks. But Brooks was erratic, then spent last season in China, although he remains a Phoenix restricted free agent.

The deals for Dragic and Beasley were confirmed by a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because contracts can't be signed until July 11.

Several teams had been courting Dragic, who drew increased interest when he moved in as starter for the Rockets after Kyle Lowry was sidelined with a bacterial infection. Dragic was named Western Conference player of the week on April 8 after compiling 62 points and 25 assists in wins over Chicago, the Lakers and Sacramento.

Dragic has averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 assists in 28 minutes per game in his career, mostly as a backup.

The Slovenian, highly popular with Suns fans, was drafted in the second round in 2008, 45th overall, by San Antonio, then his draft rights were traded to the Suns.

His most famous day with Phoenix came on May 7, 2010, during Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at San Antonio, when he scored 23 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including 5 of 5 3-pointers, in a 110-96 victory.

Beasley was the second pick overall in the draft but has never reached his potential in two seasons with Miami and two with Minnesota, averaging 15.1 points per game in his four NBA seasons. His best season was 2010-2011, when he averaged 19.2 points with the Timberwolves.

The agreement with Beasley came hours after he visited the Suns' headquarters.

The Timberwolves declined an $8 million option to keep Beasley.

Despite his obvious talents, his problems off the court have followed him. Around 3 a.m. one night last June, he was ticketed for possessing marijuana and speeding in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka. While playing for the Heat, Beasley has acknowledged, he twice violated the NBA's drug policy and entered a treatment facility for a time in 2009.

Beasley had vowed to work hard in the offseason to improve his overall game, with former NBA player Norm Nixon as something of a mentor.

At 6-foot-9, Beasley fits the Suns' need for more athleticism and might have been the most purely talented player on the Timberwolves' roster.

Beasley also was bothered by injuries both of his seasons with Minnesota.

"Both years, and I told Michael this a couple times recently, it is a shame that he got hurt," Minnesota general manager David Kahn said. "His offensive game wasn't there at the start, but I at least thought he was trying defensively and just applying himself with more rigor than he had the year before with the previous staff, and I was at least hopeful that maybe there is something here. And he got hurt again, and again."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suns-busy-4th-readying-life-nash-080501801--spt.html

free shipping day golden globe nominations 2012 war in iraq war in iraq government shutdown iraq war over iraq war over

Didn't send your kid to war? Maybe you can send $$

WASHINGTON (AP) ? If you have military-age children who have not served in this decade's wars, then you owe a debt ? meaning money ? to those who did. That's the premise of a new fundraising effort by three wealthy American families who want to help U.S. veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Every non-military family should give something, they said. The affluent should give large sums. No one should think of it as charity, but rather a moral obligation, an alternative way to serve, perhaps the price of being spared the anxiety that comes with having a loved one in a war zone.

"We have three able-bodied, wonderful, wonderful children, all of whom are devoted to doing very, very good things around social justice; and we could not be more proud of them," said Philip Green, a local businessman who devised the fundraising idea. "We're also delighted that none of them had to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan."

Green says he and his wife came to look at that as unfair: "I realized that there were parents just like me down the street, down the block ... who did not have that luxury" and were suffering sleepless nights and anxiety, "which I was able to avoid."

Green, president of health care consultancy PDG Consulting, and his wife Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs, head of geriatrics at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, teamed with two other couples to start the fund-raising. Together, they donated a total of $1.1 million. Contributing with Green and Cobbs were Glenn Garland, head of Texas-based CLEAResult energy consultancy, and wife, Laurie, and Jim Stimmel, CLEAResult's executive vice president, and wife, Patty.

They hope to raise $30 million for five organizations they say are among the best at providing medical, financial and other help to veterans, active duty troops and their families. With the Fourth of July celebration approaching, they held a news conference with one of the five organizations, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).

"Millions of Americans and their families have sacrificed so much in the conflicts and they have such needs," Stimmel said. "By contrast, so many affluent Americans have not made a commensurate sacrifice; and they should."

The issue of unequal national sacrifice has been a recurring theme during current and past conflicts and it always touches on at least two questions: Who serves in America and who doesn't? What's the responsibility of those who don't?

Most people aren't interested in joining the military. A recent Pentagon survey shows only 18 percent of American youths say they'll definitely or probably join, very low compared to decades ago. The culture surrounding service was transformed in part by the end of conscription and mandatory service.

"Clearly, young people would prefer to be doing other things," said Beth Asch, a senior economist at RAND Corporation who specializes in defense manpower issues.

The military also doesn't want most Americans. It says 75 percent of the target recruit-age population of 17-24 year-olds is unqualified due to health problems (mostly related to obesity), drug or alcohol histories, or too little education (no high school diploma).

In the end, the Pentagon says it has assembled an armed force pretty much mirroring the society it defends. That is, major racial and ethnic groups make up about the same percentage of the military as they do the society at large. The same goes for income, with one exception, Asch says: "The 20 percent (of society) with the lowest income are the least likely to serve." They're generally unqualified due to lower education and aptitude ratings. Recruits from neighborhoods where the average household income is over $100,000 also are rare, making up roughly 3 percent of the total, studies have shown.

Asch believes that not requiring all qualified people to serve makes the system inherently unfair. That today's force is all-volunteer takes some of the edge off of that but doesn't speak to inequity.

The families starting the new fundraising noted their lack of service.

Stimmel and Green didn't go to Vietnam; their sons and daughters didn't join the military during the latest conflicts. Green was disqualified during Vietnam because of health issues. Stimmel never was called because he drew a high number in that era's draft lottery. Garland watched older friends go and come home unappreciated and says he now has enormous appreciation for military families.

"We feel that supporting our troops is more than sticking a yellow sticker on the back of your car that says 'Support the Troops'," Stimmel said.

"Patty and I are challenging at least 1,000 affluent families out there to contribute 1 percent of their net worth to do their part," he said.

Every successful business person in America "has enjoyed that success because of the sacrifice of someone else's sons and daughters" in uniform, Garland said. The argument echoes a concern repeated often over the decade: War efforts have fallen on the shoulders of the few, while the lives of the many went largely unencumbered. Or as some troops have been fond of saying: "We went to war, America went to the mall."

But it's also true that there's widespread support shown today's troops and vets, especially compared to the vitriol heaped on those in uniform during Vietnam. Thousands of support groups now have sprung up around the nation ? one study estimates there are some 40,000. They provide welcoming parties as troops arrive home at airports, free housing, telephone cards, children's camps, employment help, airline miles, "nights out" for wives caring for their wounded husbands, counseling, cash and more.

Some long-established organizations have added new missions. The United Service Organization (USO), known for decades for sending entertainers to lighten the hearts of troops on the battlefield, focuses more now on care for the wounded. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsors job fairs.

What it all amounts to in giving and spending is not known.

Officials and military families fear that as more troops arrive home from the ongoing drawdown in Afghanistan, Americans will lose interest or consider the problem solved.

"The veteran space (in giving) is kind of similar to the AIDS space 35 years ago," said Paul Rieckhoff, a former infantryman who served in Iraq and founded the IAVA. "You have an explosion of public health need that's impacting a small percentage of the population that most Americans don't feel."

"And in many ways the country kind of thought that AIDS was just a problem for the gay community in the same way many Americans think that veterans (are) just a problem for the military community," he said.

Many also assume the government will handle it ? something experts in the field say isn't possible as needs spiral in a struggling economy.

Rieckhoff said there's a group of donors dedicated to veteran issues, but few who give six- and seven-figure sums. The new fundraising aims not only to attract large donations, but recast the giving as a moral obligation rather than an option.

"It's not a question of, Is there money out there'," Green said. "And it's not a question of whether people should give the money. It's only a question of finding them and convincing them to give it."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-07-04-US-Donating%20for%20Troops/id-62ec868107444213a8c33242ada145eb

sugar bowl mild kidney failure presidential candidates celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates mike martz

Don't Sabotage Your Retirement to Pay for College

That more families are conducting a cost-benefit analysis of college is long overdue, and it could help to put some downward pressure on skyrocketing tuition rates. At the same time, few can dispute the value of a college degree. The economic downturn has put downward pressure on salaries, but even recent data point to college grads earning about $600,000 more over their lifetimes than those who graduated from high school only. Given that differential, it's no wonder that sending kids to school is a key priority in so many families. But by multitasking as so many parents do--saving for college and their own retirement at the same time--they run the risk of coming up light on the retirement front with no way to make up for the shortfall, except for working longer. The old saying about this topic is dead-on: Your child can get a loan to pay for his or her college education, but no one will give you a loan to pay for retirement if it turns out you haven't saved enough. Given increasing rates of longevity, rising health-care costs, and what many expect will be only so-so returns from the stock and bond markets in the decades ahead, can anyone ever really be sure they'll have enough money on which to retire? Parents can undermine their retirements in favor of college in several different ways. The most benign is to steer a disproportionate share of their savings to college that they should have earmarked for their retirement accounts instead. Pulling money from 401(k)s and IRAs is an even more direct way of giving short shrift to retirement. Yet one method of paying for school stands out as especially unhealthy: parental loans. With college costs rising and other sources of college funding, such as investment accounts and home equity, at a low ebb, it's easy to see why the loans have jumped in popularity. Many parents probably reckon that if their kids are also taking out loans, a parental loan is a way to share the burden, or to make up the difference if student loans, scholarship, and financial aid fall short. Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, or PLUS, have generous limits, allowing parents to borrow enough to pay for any college costs not covered by the student's financial aid package. The interest rate on Parent PLUS loans, at 7.9%, also beats the rates available on many private student loans; it's also lower than the previous rate of 8.5% that was available for parent loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program. And at first blush, taking out a loan to pay for your child's college costs might seem less taboo than raiding your own retirement account or tapping home equity. But it's next to impossible to think of a situation when a parental loan will trump other alternatives. And if a parent loan is the only option left, it's probably wise to investigate a more affordable college plan. Here are some of the key reasons why parents should be practically allergic to taking out loans to pay for school. Federal Student Loans Are Cheaper
Although many parents are rightfully unhappy with the idea of hobbling their children with debt, families who can demonstrate financial need and qualify for a subsidized Stafford or Perkins loan will almost always be better off going that route than opting for a Parent PLUS loan. As a result of recent Congressional action, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans will stay at 3.4% for one more year; the rates on Perkins loans are capped at 5.0%. Both are lower than the rate on Parent PLUS loans. And the fact that both loan types are subsidized means that interest won't begin accruing as long as the student is in school at least half-time or can demonstrate financial hardship, such as being unemployed for up to three years. Because PLUS loans are unsubsidized, interest begins racking up from the time the money is disbursed, adding to overall borrowing costs. Even families who cannot qualify for subsidized loans will be better with unsubsidized Stafford loans than Parent PLUS loans. The rate on unsubsidized Stafford loans is 6.8% or less, rather than 7.9% for the Parent PLUS loans. Despite the advantages of federal student loans over parent loans, however, college-funding guru Mark Kantrowitz notes on his website finaid.org that roughly one third of the families with Parent PLUS loans have borrowed less than the maximum from the Stafford program. Kantrowitz points out that even if student loan debt is in the child's name, there's nothing stopping parents from paying it down if they choose to do so. More Costly Than Other Forms of Borrowing
Even if a family has taken full advantage of federal student loans in the child's own name, Parent PLUS loans fall behind other forms of borrowing in the desirability queue, too. Borrowing from a 401(k) or home equity line of credit, while not necessarily advisable, will still make more sense than parental loans in most instances. With 401(k) loans, the big drawbacks include: they must be paid back on an abbreviated schedule, often ranging from one to five years; they must be paid off in full if you leave your employer; and your loan amount is limited to the lesser of $50,000 or one half of your plan balance. The big positives, however, are more favorable interest rates--usually the prime rate (currently 3.25%) plus 1 percentage point--and the fact that you're paying interest to yourself rather than to a third party. Borrowing from home equity also trumps parent loans on most fronts. Although they're variable, interest rates on home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, are substantially lower than the Parent PLUS loan rate of 7.9%; plus, HELOC holders who are using the money for expenses other than home improvements--as is the case with college funders--can deduct up to $100,000 in interest. (HELOC interest is not deductible for filers who are subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax.) Of course, borrowing against the equity in a home, as with borrowing against a 401(k), isn't to be taken lightly. Variable HELOC rates could pop up, and borrowers could lose their homes if they fall behind on their payments. But for those with substantial equity in their homes, a HELOC will be cheaper than a parental loan. Servicing Debt Costs More Than Invested Assets Can Earn
Some parents might rationalize borrowing to pay for college because it seems better than pulling money from retirement accounts. But that might not be the case. For starters, any investments in your retirement account will have trouble to generate earnings that can match the 7.9% rate you're paying on the parent loan. Pulling money from a Roth IRA is especially easy to recommend as an alternative to parental borrowing, as contributions can be withdrawn free of tax and penalty for any reason. Early withdrawals from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s are less advisable because the distributed amounts will be taxed, but it's possible to at least circumvent the 10% early-withdrawal penalty if the money is used to pay college tuition. Questionable Job Market
Last but not least, some parents might rationalize taking out loans to pay for college with the expectation--or even the promise--that their kids will pay them back. That could work out just fine, but even children with the best of intentions might have trouble finding a job after college. And when their children do find gainful employment, parents might be hesitant to accept payment given that their kids are just getting their sea legs in adulthood by setting up their own homes, pursuing advanced degrees, or starting families. See More Articles by Christine Benz

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Morningstar-Articles/~3/00dfaGa2QlY/article.aspx

apple tv update new ipad release pregnant jessica simpson international womens day joe the plumber lra lra

Report: Countrywide won influence with discounts

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The former Countrywide Financial Corp., whose subprime loans helped start the nation's foreclosure crisis, made hundreds of discount loans to buy influence with members of Congress, congressional staff, top government officials and executives of troubled mortgage giant Fannie Mae, according to a House report.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press, said that the discounts ? from January 1996 to June 2008, were not only aimed at gaining influence for the company but to help mortgage giant Fannie Mae. Countrywide's business depended largely on Fannie, which at the time was trying to fend off more government regulation but eventually had to come under government control.

Fannie was responsible for purchasing a large volume of Countrywide's subprime mortgages. Countrywide was taken over by Bank of America in January 2008, relieving the financial services industry and regulators from the messy task of cleaning up the bankruptcy of a company that was servicing 9 million U.S. home loans worth $1.5 trillion at a time when the nation faced a widening credit crisis, massive foreclosures and an economic downturn.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee also named six current and former members of Congress who received discount loans, but all of their names had surfaced previously. Other previously mentioned names included former top executive branch officials and three chief executives of Fannie Mae.

"Documents and testimony obtained by the committee show the VIP loan program was a tool used by Countrywide to build goodwill with lawmakers and other individuals positioned to benefit the company," the report said. "In the years that led up to the 2007 housing market decline, Countrywide VIPs were positioned to affect dozens of pieces of legislation that would have reformed Fannie" and its rival Freddie Mac, the committee said.

Some of the discounts were ordered personally by former Countrywide chief executive Angelo Mozilo. Those recipients were known as "Friends of Angelo."

The Justice Department has not prosecuted any Countrywide official, but the House committee's report said documents and testimony show that Mozilo and company lobbyists "may have skirted the federal bribery statute by keeping conversations about discounts and other forms of preferential treatment internal. Rather than making quid pro quo arrangements with lawmakers and staff, Countrywide used the VIP loan program to cast a wide net of influence."

The Securities and Exchange Commission in October 2010 slapped Mozilo with a $22.5 million penalty to settle charges that he and two other former Countrywide executives misled investors as the subprime mortgage crisis began. Mozilo also was banned from ever again serving as an officer or director of a publicly traded company.

He also agreed to pay another $45 million to settle other violations for a total settlement of $67.5 million that was to be returned to investors who were harmed.

The report said that until the housing market became swamped with foreclosures, "Countrywide's effort to build goodwill on Capitol Hill worked."

The company became a trusted adviser in Congress and was consulted when the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee considered reform of Fannie and Freddie and unfair lending practices.

"If Countrywide's lobbyists, and Mozilo himself, were more strictly prohibited from arranging preferential treatment for members of Congress and congressional staff, it is possible that efforts to reform (Fannie and Freddie) would have been met with less resistance," the report said.

The report said Fannie assigned as many as 70 lobbyists to the Financial Services Committee while it considered legislation to reform the company from 2000 to 2005. Four reform bills were introduced in the House during the period, and none made it out of the committee.

Hit with staggering losses, Fannie and Freddie came under government control in September 2008. As of Dec. 31, 2011, the Treasury Department had committed over $183 billion to support the two companies ? and there's no end in sight.

Among those who received loan discounts from Countrywide, the report said, were:

?Former Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.

?Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

?Mary Jane Collipriest, who was communications director for former Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, then a member of the Banking Committee. The report said Dodd referred Collipriest to Countrywide's VIP unit. Dodd, when commenting on his own loans, said that he was unaware of receiving preferential treatment but knew his loans were handled by the VIP unit.

The Senate's ethics committee investigated Dodd and Conrad but did not charge them with any ethical wrongdoing.

?Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

?Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., former chairman of the Oversight Committee. Towns issued the first subpoena to Bank of America for Countrywide documents, and current Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., subpoenaed more documents. The committee said that in responding to the Towns subpoena, Bank of America left out documents related to Towns' loan.

?Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.

?Top staff members of the House Financial Services Committee.

?A staff member of Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, a member of the Financial Services Committee.

?Former Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Calif.

?Former Housing and Urban Development Secretaries Alphonso Jackson and Henry Cisneros; former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. The VIP unit processed Cisneros's loan after he joined Fannie's board of directors.

?Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, was an exception. He told the VIP unit not to give him a discount, and he did not receive one.

?Former heads of Fannie Mae James Johnson, Daniel Mudd and Franklin Raines. Countrywide took a loss on Mudd's loan. Fannie employees were the most frequent recipients of VIP loans. Johnson received a discount after Mozilo waived problems with his credit rating.

The report said Mozilo "ordered the loan approved, and gave Johnson a break. He instructed the VIP unit: 'Charge him ? under prime. Don't worry about (the credit score). He is constantly on the road and therefore pays his bills on an irregular basis but he ultimately pays them."

Johnson in 2008 resigned as a leader of then-candidate Barack Obama's vice presidential search committee after The Wall Street Journal reported he had received $7 million in Countrywide discounted loans.

The report said those who received the discounts knew the loans were handled by a special VIP unit.

"The documents produced by the bank show that VIP borrowers received paperwork from Countrywide that clearly identified the VIP unit as the point of contact," the committee said.

The standard discount was .5 waived points. Countrywide also waived junk fees that usually ranged from $350 to $400.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-07-05-Countrywide-VIP%20Loans/id-f98ece8c43944997bc2f1dcc265b73b3

wargames blake griffin dunk florida primary full force odd fellows eli whitney blake griffin dunk on kendrick perkins

Samsung Electronics Adopts Windows Azure for Smart TV Infrastructure in the Cloud

REDMOND, Wash. -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is announcing its decision to adopt Windows Azure to manage its Smart TV infrastructure. By choosing Windows Azure cloud technology, Samsung achieved significant reduction in costs, and an increased capacity to meet its growing customer base and higher productivity.

Samsung provides Smart TV service in 120 countries around the world, and more growth is planned. Samsung needed a solution that could support ongoing, reliable service and its continual increase in traffic. In addition, Samsung did not want to be dependent on specific suppliers. The company tested other products but ultimately chose the Windows Azure as the service infrastructure because it offered the required reliability to meet its mission-critical needs and its planned expansion of service.

"After extensive testing, Windows Azure is the only cloud offering that met our exacting conditions," said an official at Samsung Electronics' Visual Display Business Division.

Compared with the cost of expanding its in-house IT services, Samsung achieved a tenfold cost reduction by choosing to manage its infrastructure in the cloud. In addition, Windows Azure gives Samsung the ability to help secure the server and storage resources it needs quickly, giving Samsung the time to focus on providing high-quality software and services to its customers.

Samsung attributes this success to the scalability of its IT infrastructure, including Windows Azure, which consistently provides smooth, fast service. The company also observed greater speed of service in?Asia, where it sees most of its Smart TV traffic.

"Samsung Electronics' Smart TV is taking advantage of the unique capabilities of Windows Azure," said?Bob Kelly, corporate vice president of Windows Azure at Microsoft. "Windows Azure gives Samsung the ability to focus on its business rather than having its technical team deal with problem-solving and troubleshooting issues."

?

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

Source: http://news.taume.com/Technology/Tech-Deals/samsung-electronics-adopts-windows-azure-for-smart-tv-infrastructure-in-the-cloud-23637

space shuttle enterprise ryan leaf ryan leaf luke kuechly brad miller chandler jones peyton hillis

AP PHOTOS: Americans celebrate the Fourth of July

Fireworks light up the sky during the Freedom Over Texas annual Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool)

Fireworks light up the sky during the Freedom Over Texas annual Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool)

The Empire State Building, illuminated with red, white and blue lights, is seen from the Queens borough of New York, backlit by fireworks over the Hudson River, during the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Amateur fireworks explode over Hoboken, N.J., in front of the Empire State Building seen from Riverview Park in Jersey City, N.J., Wednesday, July 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Christ Natale enjoys a hot dog at Miller Playground after the Port Carbon Citizens Committee's annual Fourth of July Parade nicknamed the "Baby Parade" in Port Carbon, Pa. Wednesday, July 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Republican-Herald, Jacqueline Dormer)

Spectators watch the Valley Fourth fireworks show from the Turner Pavilion lawn in Harrisonburg, Va., Wednesday, July 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Daily News-Record, Justin Falls)

Across the United States, Americans celebrated 236 years of independence with backyard barbeques, family gatherings and, of course, fireworks.

Many celebrations were scaled-down or canceled due to weather-related power outages and concerns of spreading wildfires amid dry, hot weather. But many more went on as planned.

Hundreds of thousands from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic were spending the Fourth of July like America's founders did in 1776: Without the conveniences of electricity and air conditioning.

In the nation's capital, thousands of visitors from across the country took part in Independence Day celebrations despite high temperatures and the threat of thunderstorms.

_____

Here's a photo gallery from Fourth of July celebrations across the U.S.

_____

Read more about the Fourth of July: http://apne.ws/O4NrL9

AP Essay: In divided era, what does July 4th mean? http://apne.ws/O4NGG3

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-07-05-AP-Photo-Gallery-Fourth-of-July/id-33807ee04a0d43a29ef0b773b8177448

white house correspondents dinner phoenix coyotes bruce irvin charlie st cloud celtics josh hamilton nba playoffs

Three children dead after yacht capsizes off NY

Three children died and 24 people were rescued after a yacht bringing passengers out to view a Fourth of July fireworks display capsized in the waters off Long Island, N.Y.

The boat capsized late Wednesday night as a result of weather and a wake from another vessel on the water, Nassau County Police Insp. Kenneth Lack said. The 24 passengers were rescued from the Long Island Sound after the boat capsized around 11 p.m. in the vicinity of Oyster Bay.

The first person to be found dead in the water was discovered shortly after the distress call came in. Two others were located in the vessel hours after it sank by divers, Lack said early this morning. The identities and ages of the victims have not been released.

"It was a lot of people in the water," Lack said. "It was a tremendous response by multiple agencies. Most of the people were taken into other crafts very quickly. Tragically, three people did not make it out of the Silverton vessel."

Two 25-foot rescue boat crews from Coast Guard Station Eaton's Neck, along with rescue teams from the Nassau County Police Department, Oyster Bay Constable, Tow Boat U.S., and several local fire departments aided in the rescue efforts, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Owners of private boats dragged people into their vessels until crews from law enforcement agencies and fire departments arrived, The Associated Press reported. Witnesses say they saw adults and children in the water and did what they could to help, including throwing life jackets and life preservers in the water.

A total of 27 people were originally aboard the 34-foot Silverton vessel, according to authorities.

Police are now investigating whether the vessel sank because of overcrowding. Some of the passengers aboard the boat had life jackets, while others did not, Lack said.

Sammy Balasso, an area boater who says he saw the boat sink, told Newsday that he saw the yacht turn right and then tip over after it was hit by a wake.

"It was like in slow motion. ... All of a sudden, a lot of bodies were in the water," Balasso said.

Insp. Lack said there were a tremendous amount of boats in the water to celebrate the holiday.

Also Read

Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/boat-capsizes-off-long-island-3-children-dead-095828936--abc-news-topstories.html

autism awareness angelman syndrome total recall troy tulowitzki katie couric good morning america the rock vs john cena acm awards 2012

Ants farm root aphid clones in subterranean rooms

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus, farms root aphids for sugar (honeydew) and nitrogen (protein). In turn these species of aphids have developed distinctive traits never found in free living species such as the 'trophobiotic organ' to hold honey dew for the ants. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology shows that over half of ant mounds contained only one of the three most common species of aphid, and two thirds of these has a single aphid clone. Even in mounds which contained more than one species of aphid 95% of the aphid chambers contained individuals of a single clone.

Aphid farming by ants is considered to be mutualistic. The ants cultivate and protect the aphids which in turn provide food for the ants. In farming mutualism, monocultures may reduce competition and are perhaps the result of husbandry (caused by the ants selecting the best aphids for their needs).

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, University of Groningen and Rockefeller University used DNA microsatellite analysis to look at the genetic similarity of the three most common species of root aphids (Geoica utricularia, Tetraneura ulmi, and Forda marginata) within L. flavus nests, soil samples within nests, and single aphid chambers.

Results indicated that while there was considerable aphid diversity within the 7 km test site at all sampling levels (ant mound, soil sample and chamber), monocultures occurred more frequently than expected. 52% of mounds and 99% of aphid chambers contained a single species and 60% of these contained a single clone. When multiple species or clones existed in the same mound they were kept separated.

Aniek Ivens, who led this research, explained, "Although two years later most ant mounds seemed to contain the same clones, two mounds had gained new clones of their species. It is possible that either these aphids have been brought in or that they were previously at a very low level in the mound and missed during an earlier survey."

The combination of underground nesting, aphid clones, and very low gene flow between aphid populations has allowed L. flavus to evolve an unusual form of symbiosis. Miss Ivens continued, "In a parallel with human farming methods this most likely gives colonies the possibility to actively manage the diversity and abundance of their livestock - allowing maximal honeydew yield from mature aphids that are kept under optimal conditions of phloem feeding and ant care. Ants also secure dietary protein by eating the excess of young aphids, and replacement of their honeydew-producing livestock when adult aphids become less productive."

###

Ants farm subterranean aphids mostly in clone groups: an example of prudent husbandry for carbohydrates and proteins?
Aniek BF Ivens, Daniel JC Kronauer, Ido Pen, Franz J Weissing and Jacobus J Boomsma
BMC Evolutionary Biology (in press)

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 16 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/121397/Ants_farm_root_aphid_clones_in_subterranean_rooms

jason varitek andrew breitbart dead sheriff joe arpaio limbaugh aaron smith wilt chamberlain joe arpaio