Errington Arts | Entertainment, Concerts | Music, Sports | Recreation ...

add to outlook add to google calendar remind me

Friday, June 14th, 2013
8:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Errington Hall?s final show before the summer is an all ages dance with the Toronto-based reggae collective, House of David Gang led by King Saleh.

Throughout their career, the band has been known for their uplifting roots rock reggae sound, which pays homage to the classic 70's & 80's Jamaican sound mixed with a modern rootsy Canadian feel. They take their name from The House of David, an afterhours spot on Queen Street West in Toronto that was a Rasta hotspot for reasoning, dancing and reggae music from the late 80s until the mid 90s.

House of David Gang has performed in front of enthusiastic crowds at Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, Atlantic Jazz Festival, Evolve Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Rasta Fest, Reggae Muskoka, Word On The Street, Irie Music Festival, Ottawa Reggaefest, Toronto Freedom Festival, Salty Jam Fest, Toronto Beer Festival, Barrie Carib Fest, Sunseekers Fest and more. http://houseofdavidgand.com

"One of the most interesting reggae bands in the country"
- Matt Galloway, CBC Radio Host

"Irie classic reggae sound with uplifting lyrics. Ya mon! It gets my approval!"
- Carl Harvey, Producer/Guitarist for Toots & Maytals

"Canada's #1 Roots Reggae Orchestra"
- Reggae Festival Guide

Friday, June 14. 9pm to midnight. Tickets $20 at Cranky Dog, Errington Store, Heaven on Earth. $5 under 12 at the door, free under 5.

Source: http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/house-of-david-gang-at-the-errington-hall/2013-06-14/

diane lane drew peterson Argo bonnaroo robin roberts Ashley Morrison El Chapo Guzman

In Vietnam, a Cuban rat poison finds new market

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) ? His wares banned in much of the world, the Vietnamese salesman hawking a rat poison laced with salmonella sought to prove the bait was as safe as claimed. He sliced open a packet with a pair of rusty scissors, dipped his finger into the sticky, bad-smelling rice, brought out a few grains and then chewed them gingerly.

"It tastes a little bitter, that's all," said Nong Minh Suu. He chose not to swallow the unhulled grains, instead spitting them out after a few seconds before lighting a cigarette. "When rats eat this, 100 percent of them will be killed. It is absolutely safe to human health."

Rat poisons normally come with warnings against human consumption and medical directions about what to do if accidentally eaten. Not so "Biorat," a bait produced in Vietnam by a Cuban-state owned company that earns foreign exchange for the Castro government.

The company claims the salmonella strain it includes is "harmless" to everything ? humans, the environment, pets and other animal species ? apart from rats. That is disputed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a U.S. federal government agency, and other international health institutions including the World Health Organization.

Biorat's production and sale in Vietnam is a legacy of the cozy ties between Cuba and Vietnam, two nations on opposite sides of the world but whose leaders are bound together by a public embrace of Communism. By operating here, the company, called Labiofam, can import ingredients free of any complications stemming from the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba that has been in force since the early 1960s.

It also gives it a base to try and enter new markets in Southeast Asia. The company is currently installing a new, automated production line at its Vietnam factory in preparation for a push in the region, where demand for rat poison is growing along with its population of rats, which nibble their way through at least 15 percent of the region's annual rice crop.

Labiofam produces an array of products alongside Biorat, from cancer treatments made from the stings of scorpions, larvacides that target mosquitoes, pesticides, even a probiotic range of yoghurt. They are marketed across the developing world, mostly in African and South American countries, where the company leverages government-to-government links forged in the Cold War and by the ongoing deployment of teams of Cuban health workers.

Salmonella, the name given to a group of bacteria, is the most common cause of food poisoning in the United States. In 2011, it was responsible for around 1 million illnesses and at least 29 deaths, according to the CDC. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. It is especially dangerous for young children and the elderly.

A strain of salmonella was used in rat poisons in Europe until the 1960s, but it was linked to several deaths and illnesses in humans, triggering the ban. Labiofam says it has isolated a different strain to that used in those preparations, but the CDC says its research shows it is the same. A 2004 report by the American agency even warned that it could be used in a bioterrorism attack.

"There are too many questions, why would you want to use something that has not been cleared by the CDC," said Grant Singleton, an expert on rodent biology and management at the International Rice Research Institute. "Its efficacy is questionable. I have not seen anything published in mainstream peer-reviewed scientific papers to demonstrate it's effective."

Singleton also pointed to an ingredient in the poison that its makers rarely mention: a small amount of warfarin, a chemical rodenticide in its own right, and suggested that it could be the agent that is killing rats. Company marketing literature refers to the chemical only as a "catalyst" though on the packet it is listed as warfarin.

The company said criticism of its product was a result of American hostility to the country and commercial jealousy. There are no documented deaths or illnesses as a result of using the product in Vietnam or other countries.

"It is quite complicated, but this all comes down to politics," said Gustavo Junco Matos, the head of the company in Vietnam, in an interview at a trade stand in Hanoi where the product was on display next to Cuba's better known exports: rum and cigars. "Ours is a biological product and only causes damages to rats."

The Vietnamese government, which controls all media in the country and doesn't allow for open discussion and criticism of its decisions, acknowledged that the product was banned in some countries, but said there was nothing to worry about. "We use it and find that it's effective and it's good in Vietnamese conditions," said Nguyen Xuan Hong, director of the plant protection department at the agriculture ministry.

Biorat's backers admit it has disadvantages: it is more expensive than most of its chemical competitors and needs to be refrigerated, adding to costs for distributors. But it has captured market share in several regions, something helped by government subsidies toward its purchase when it first hit the market 10 years ago, according to Suu.

There is so far little sign of Biorat getting much traction in Asian markets, even with the backing of the Cuban diplomats who are tasked with promoting it via its embassies in the region. Biorat demonstrations have been held in the Philippines and Indonesia, but so far its sales push has only resulted in one import license, that of Malaysia, according to the company.

Most of the 2,000 tones the factory and 100 workers produce each year is shipped to Angola, Biorat's number one market and a country that the Castro regime gave massive military, humanitarian and development support to from its 1960s independence struggle onwards. The company declined to reveal its global revenues.

At least one other Labiofam product has run into problems. The marketing of its larvacide as a major weapon in the battle against malaria in Africa has been criticized by international health organizations, which says larvacides have only a limited role to play.

"They do a very good job in getting governments to pay a lot of money for products that appear to be deficient," said Maria Werlau, a Cuban-American analyst from the U.S.-based Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy and a critic of President Raul Castro's government. "You don't have the same kind of accountability (in Cuba) that there is in other countries. There is no way to scrutinize what is going on. That's why they market these products in the developing world."

Rats have been feasting in Asia paddy fields since famers began cultivating it around 12,000 years ago, but an increase in the number of yearly harvests in many regions has meant more for them to feed on. As rat numbers increase, so does the economic cost: a loss of just 7 percent of Asia's rice crop is enough rice to feed 245 million people for 12 months.

Farmers in Vietnam often build plastic fences around their plots, which can protect them but only shifts the problem to neighbors. Trapping and electrocution, supposedly banned because of the risks posed to farmers of accidental electrocution, are common, but for many farmers poison is the weapon of choice, either routinely or when an infestation strikes.

Cao Thi Huong has been using Biorat for more than 10 years, spending around $30 on treating her small plot two times a year. She lives close to Suu's house, where boxes of Biorat are kept in large refrigerators at the back of the garden close to a chicken coop. "Personally speaking, I think it's better than the chemical," she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-cuban-rat-poison-finds-market-065102161.html

Samantha Steele Dec 21 2012 doomsday Is The World Going To End Mayans camilla belle instagram

Elite athletes often shine sooner or later -- but not both

May 31, 2013 ? An Indiana University study that compared the performance of elite track and field athletes younger than 20 and those 20 and older found that only a minority of the star junior athletes saw similar success as senior athletes.

The researchers think physical maturation is behind the disparity, with athletes who mature early reaping the benefits early, seeing their best times, jumps and throws at a younger age than Olympians, many of whom mature later.

"You see it in a lot of sports," said Robert Chapman, assistant professor in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington and a former cross country coach at IU. "Elite performers in senior sports tend to be the ones who mature later. But it's hard to measure, particularly in men, the rate at which they mature. I had a very successful runner grow 4 inches in college while he ran for me."

The study, led by Joshua Foss, a graduate student in exercise physiology, and co-authored by Chapman, will be discussed on Friday during the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in Indianapolis. It examined the career performance of 65 male finalists and 64 female finalists of the 2000 Junior World Championships and a comparable number of finalists at the 2000 Olympics. They analyzed competition data for the junior athletes from the 12 years after the 2000 Junior World Championships and at least 12 years of data for the senior athletes from before and after the 2000 Olympics. The athletes were finalists in the 100-, 200-, 1,500- and 5,000-meter races, long jump, high jump, discus throw and shot put.

Here are some of the findings:

• Senior athletes performed best at a significantly later age than their junior counterparts in all four men's event groups and three of four women's event groups.
• Compared to the star junior athletes, the senior athletes showed a significantly greater percentage of improvement in lifetime best performance compared to their best performances as junior athletes in six of eight groups.
• 23.6 percent of the junior athletes studied went on to medal in the Olympics.
• 29.9 percent of the Olympians studied won medals earlier in their career while competing in the Junior World Championships.

Variability in maturation rates and potential differences in performance as athletes age can pose a challenge for recruiting coaches. Coaches anecdotally have known this was an issue, Chapman said, but the IU study bolsters it with data. He said the findings also are relevant in light of how sports organizations and national sport governing bodies budget their limited funds. Focusing their spending on junior athletes will not necessarily result in Olympic champions as the juniors age.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/k2zbXqc7Lqw/130531105413.htm

ron white ron white buckyballs buckyballs awake mario batali lone ranger

Inside Look At 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Including New Vocabulary Test (PHOTOS)

Katharine Wang

Katharine Wang, 11, of Beijing, China spells her word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Daniel Hsin-Chuan Chi

Daniel Hsin-Chuan Chi, 13, of Berrien Springs, Mich. spells his word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Cassandra Clowe-Coish, Audrey Bantug, Mollie Symons

Cassandra Clowe-Coish, 12, of St. John's, Canada, center, Audrey Bantug, 13, from San Ramon, Ca., left, and Mollie Symons, 14, of Kingston, Canada, wait to spell their words during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Dr. Ed Low, professor emeritus of English, Metropolitan State University of Denver, takes photos during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Amber Born, 14, of Marblehead, Mass., center, celebrates with a friend after learning that she will advance to the semifinal round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y, left, and Pranav Sivakumar, 13, of Tower Lakes, Ill., celebrate after learning that they will advance to the semifinal round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Richelle Zampella

Richelle Zampella, 12, of Muskogee, Ok., who is sight impaired, right, is escorted to the microphone to spell her word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Marguerite Arbogast

Marguerite Arbogast, 13, of Ludington Mich., spells her word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Katharine Wang, Mollie Symons

Katharine Wang, 11, of Beijing, China, right, celebrates correctly spelling her word with Mollie Symons, 14, of Kingston, Canada, during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Samuel Yeager

Samuel Yeager, 14, of Chinle, Ariz., uses his nameplate as a fan while he waits to spell a word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Matthew Donohue

Matthew Donohue, 14, of Kingston, Mass., spells his word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Shobha Dasari

Shobha Dasari, 12, of Pearland, Texas spells her word with her finger during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)a

Vanya Shivashankar

Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant Vanya Shivashankar, 11, of Olathe, Kansas talks about her experience taking the Preliminaries Test during the first round of the contest in Oxon Hill, Md., Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Shivashankar's older sister Kavya Shivashankar won the Bee in 2009. The 86th edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee took on new meaning Tuesday _ or rather, lots of meanings _ with organizers having decreed that the precocious youngsters need to prove they know the definitions of some of those tough words. The 281 competitors took a 45-minute computer test that probed their knowledge of spelling and vocabulary, with the results to be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Rebecca Baron, Hannah Silvestro, Jillian Fusi

Rebecca Baron of Los Angeles, center, flanked by Jillian Fusi of El Centro, Calif., left, and Hannah Silvestro of Pomona, Calif., rubs her eyes during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Soleil Roselinda Jones

Soleil Roselinda Jones, 13 of Oxnard, Calif. waves to the word announcer as she spells her word during the second round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

The Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy sits in wait for a winner at the start of the second round of competition in Oxon Hill, Md., Wednesday, May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee take the preliminary test, which includes a vocabulary section this year, Tuesday, May 28,2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with 281 youngsters taking the first vocabulary test in the history of the competition. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee take the preliminary test, which includes a vocabulary section this year, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with 281 youngsters taking the first vocabulary test in the history of the competition. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Arvind Mahankali, Srinath Mahankali

Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y., left, departs with his younger brother Srinath, 9, after completing the Preliminaries Test phase of the Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Arvind finished 3rd in the Bee last year. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Scripps National Spelling Bee contestant Mary Elizabeth Horton, 12, of West Melbourne, Fla, speaks with a reporter following her completion of the Preliminaries Test in Oxon Hill, Md., Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Horton said of the addition of a vocabulary section to the test, "I think everybody wasn't expecting it ? it definitely changes everything." Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Workers prepare the Gaylord National Hotel's ballroom in Oxon Hill, Md., Tuesday, May 28, 2013, for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee take the preliminary test, which includes a vocabulary section this year, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with 281 youngsters taking the first vocabulary test in the history of the competition. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee take the preliminary test, which includes a vocabulary section this year, Tuesday, May 28,2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with 281 youngsters taking the first vocabulary test in the history of the competition. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee take the preliminary test, which includes a vocabulary section this year, Tuesday, May 28,2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with 281 youngsters taking the first vocabulary test in the history of the competition. Spellers arrived Tuesday morning to take a 45-minute computer test that probes their knowledge of both spelling and vocabulary. The results will be combined with Wednesday's on-stage round to determine which spellers will advance to the semifinals Thursday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Alotus Nguyen Wei, Alexis Wei, HueAnh Nguyen, Victor Wei

Alotus Nguyen Wei, 11, from Lima, Ohio, right, is hugged by her sister Alexis Wei, accompanied by their parents HueAnh Nguyen center, and Victor Wei, center left, as she prepares to take the National Spelling Bee's Vocabulary Test in Oxon Hill, Md., Tuesday, May 28, 2013. The Spelling Bee takes on new meaning Tuesday. Or rather, a bunch of new meanings. The 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway with a vocabulary test, the first in the competition's history, a recently added wrinkle that had spellers changing their study plans on the fly. The results will be used to help determine who advances to the semifinals. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/vocabulary-test-scripps-spelling-bee-2013_n_3356866.html

McKayla Maroney gronkowski jeremy renner best buy black friday deals breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 Jennifer Lacy

Movie Review: Futuristic After Earth Offers Evidence of the ...

Location

Wide Release

Dates

Opens May 31

Not all is lost in the semi-dystopian future of M. Night Shyamalan?s After Earth. Sure, Earth has been rendered uninhabitable long ago, and humanity has been forced to flee via spacecraft to a new planet in a distant solar system. And yet that new planet was inhabited by nasty, drooling wretches, Star Wars-inspired over-sized, teeth and claw-wielding beasties ? cockroach-y dinosaurs ? that are instinctively disposed to hunting down humans. Significant to the story, the beasts can only ?see? people by smelling their fear (or at least the secretions we let off when we are afraid). But what?s not lost is the technology or a movieland futuristic sense of product design.

Perhaps After Earth?s two most compelling characters are the digital screens that seem to appear from almost everywhere (they can diagnosis illness, monitor space debris, and watch reality like a virtual, omnipresent YouTube channel); and the buildings ? crisp, clean and Calatrava-like structures that provide?After Earth with that most universal sci-fi motif: the future is as neat and tidy as an Apple store.

There are, of course, human characters too, primarily a father and son duo played by real life father and son Will and Jaden Smith. Shyamalan indulges his Spielbergian pretensions here to full effect. The entire dramatic thrust, in fact, is a riff on a familiar Spielberg trope: hardened (or vacant) fathers and their scorned and affection-seeking sons. Will Smith is plays Cypher Raige, a general in the Rangers corps, an elite military division that hunts down those nasty beasties (called Ursas ? or should it be Ursi? Not clear). Jaden Smith plays Kitai Raige, a young cadet, speedy and skilled, but na?ve and enthusiastic to a fault. We first meet him amidst the trauma of some hard-breathing catastrophe which leaves Kitai passed out in some leafy ground cover (we know its Earth, it?s got to be Earth).

We flash back to the real beginning a few days earlier when Kitai finishes cadet school with top marks, and yet his commanding officer still doesn?t believe the boy is ready for full Ranger status. The news is extra disappointing in light of his father?s pending return that night. Kitai fears disappointing (or is disappointed for not living up the expectations of) his Great Santini. When Cypher returns home, there?s the standard paternal riding of the son at the dinner table before Kitai?s stepmother intervenes and states the obvious: ?Kitai doesn?t need a commanding officer, he needs a father.? So Cypher capitulates by inviting his son on what should be a routine flight to another planet to deliver a pacified Ursa to a Ranger training camp. Suddenly we?re back in the film?s opening moments: the heavy breathing into a facemask, the tearing open of the spacecraft?s hull, father and son marooned on strange planet, which we find out is, as we suspected, Earth.

The best way to get to what Shymalan is up to here is to break After Earth up into its constituent parts. The element that ties the narrative together is this father-son melodrama. After the duo land on Earth, the film travels to the likely dramatic terrain: a coming-of-age journey on behalf of son who grows in strength and confidence and wins pride in the eyes of FATHER FIGURE. Slightly more interesting, though, is picking through After Hour?s allegoric and metaphoric implications. The central theme here is fear. Since the Ursas literally smell fear, humans have learned to cloak themselves ? ?ghosting,? it?s called in the film ? by learning to completely control their sense of fear and the resulting microscopic biological functions that attract the beasts. It?s a metaphor with a capital ?M,? a thematic core that might be distilled down to the simple phrase, ?chill out already.?

The fear element is also a less-than-dissolved mixture of Karate Kid-deep Asian philosophy and pop-Darwinism. There?s a gloss on evolutionary potentiality threaded throughout Shyamalan?s world. Earth has evolved to be nearly uninhabitable to humans. The air is hard to breath (ostensibly because we?ve let it spoil like milk), and the animals have apparently all evolved into ?natural? human predators. It?s not hard to detect the righteous, judicial strain: we have ruined nature, and Earth is now a manifestation of nature?s vicious payback. Yet considering the amount of unnamed fuel the space ships and digital gadgetry must burn in After Earth, we?re left wondering just what the consequences of letting Earth?s light burn out really are (it?s the Ursas that are the real threat, and in Shyamalan?s fanciful future world history, we just got unlucky and stumbled on them). And curiously, while humanity has maintained its technological wit the weapon of choice for the Rangers is a shape morphing update of a samurai sword. It?s more than a little distracting that Cypher can watch Kitai?s every move, and yet the boy would be better off with a simple Colt 45. Shamalan expects us to ignore this for the payoff of cultivating pseudo-Zen, warrior shtick. It?s one of a string of plot holes and logical inconsistencies we can?t quite shake.

There are also some hackneyed literary allusions. Kitai is reading Moby Dick because his father just read the book, and halfway through his journey young Kitai strings together a Huck Finn raft and drifts down a river. These little riffs, like most of this visually and narratively unimaginative story, are clumsy and muddled. Like Shalayman?s Spielberg riffs, his adroit and endlessly quoting camera work, his trumped-up Darwinian speculations, and his half-hearted, threading-through of the fear element, the literary references are just evidence that Shalayman is a filmmaker devolving, who proves he has style, but little depth. It?s not a good thing that during the movie?s supposed climax, as Kitai scurries up a rock face while a growling Ursa is fast pursuit, so that the boy can waive a rescue beacon in the air like cell phone that can?t find a signal (?Do you hear me now? Do you hear me now??), all I could think of was Franklin Delano Roosevelt?s voice pounding on over and over: ?The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.? Well fear, and sitting through After Hours.

?

Source: http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2013/05/movie-review-futurist-after-earth-offers-evidence-of-the-devolution-of-m-night-shymalan/

adam levine French Open 2013 Blue Is the Warmest Color johnny cash smash pacers ufc

U.S. senator McCain pictured with Syrian rebel kidnapper: paper

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain was photographed during a trip to Syria with a man implicated in the kidnapping by Syrian rebels of 11 Lebanese Shi'ite pilgrims a year ago, a Lebanese newspaper said on Thursday.

McCain, a Republican, has been an outspoken advocate for U.S. military aid to the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad and made a short, highly publicised trip to meet rebel commanders in Syria three days ago.

He has insisted that the United States could locate the "right people" to help among rebel ranks infiltrated with radicalised Islamists.

However, he may have crossed paths with men linked to a group notorious in the region for kidnapping the pilgrims, the Daily Star said.

The paper said that as well as McCain's photographs with rebel commanders, one image showed the face of Mohammad Nour - identified by two freed hostages as the chief spokesman and photographer for the Northern Storm brigade that kidnapped them.

The image demonstrates the difficulty of identifying who the West might want to deal with and could possibly further inflame the delicate sectarian balance in a conflict that is spilling over Lebanon's borders.

A spokesman for McCain said none of the people he met identified themselves as Nour and it had not been his intention to meet anyone of that name.

"A number of the Syrians who greeted Senator McCain upon his arrival in Syria asked to take pictures with him, and as always, the senator complied. If the individual photographed with Senator McCain is in fact Mohammad Nour, that is regrettable," spokesman Brian Rogers said.

"But it would be ludicrous to suggest that the senator in any way condones the kidnapping of Lebanese Shia pilgrims or has any communication with those responsible. Senator McCain condemns such heinous actions in the strongest possible terms."

The hostages were seized in northern Syria as they returned from a pilgrimage in Iran. Lebanese officials flew to Turkey on Thursday in the latest effort to secure the release of the remaining nine hostages.

McCain has denounced Democratic President Barack Obama for shying away from deeper involvement in the conflict. The uprising-turned-civil war has become increasingly bloody and has claimed more than 80,000 in over two years of conflict.

"The senator believes his visit to Syria was critical to supporting the many brave Syrians who are fighting for their lives and the freedom of their country against a brutal regime and its foreign allies that are massacring Syrian citizens on Syrian territory," the spokesman said.

(Reporting by Erika Solomon; Additional reporting by Alistair Bell; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-senator-mccain-pictured-syrian-rebel-kidnapper-paper-172141362.html

Miss America 2013 Aaron Swartz Gangster Squad school shooting oscar nominations C7 Corvette tom brady

VW's German workers win raises in pay deal

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Volkswagen's German factory workers will get a two-stage raise under a new wage deal reached as the automaker grapples with slipping sales and profit.

The company said Tuesday it agreed with the IG Metall union on increases of 3.4 percent from Sept. 1 and 2.2 percent from July 1 of next year through February 2015. The agreement covers 102,000 workers in six west German auto plants.

Volkswagen AG personnel head Horst Neumann said the deal went "to the limit" of what a tough auto market would allow.

Volkswagen, whose brands also include Audi, Porsche, SEAT and Skoda, saw profit fall 38 percent in the first quarter as European car sales slumped in a recession. Sales of VW brand vehicles fell 7.9 percent in the first four months of the year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vws-german-workers-win-raises-pay-deal-102230225.html

whitney houston cause of death marquette city creek center hilary duff michigan state michigan state andrew luck pro day

Fashion writer Suzy Menkes to sell her own clothes online

LONDON (Reuters) - Suzy Menkes, doyenne of the fashion press, says she plans to auction off part of her own label-strewn wardrobe at a two-week online sale in July.

The International Herald Tribune fashion editor, a regular on the front row at catwalk shows of the world's top designers from Giorgio Armani to Diane von Furstenberg, will open bids for 80 lots of clothes on July 11 in the Christie's sale.

"I have never thrown anything out of my wardrobe since 1964," she said in a statement on Tuesday.

Menkes will sell coats, dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and accessories that she has laid in a "tomb of trunks" from designers such as Ossie Clark and Emilio Pucci, to Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix.

"They need to live again and this auction provides the opportunity for them to walk out in the sunshine, to dance the night away and to give someone else the joy that they gave to me," she said.

Estimates for individual lots start at 200 pounds ($300), with the majority on offer for under 1,000 pounds. The star lot of the sale is an Yves Saint Laurent cocktail jacket from his 1980 collection 'le soleil' estimated at up to 2,000 pounds.

Menkes follows in the footsteps of British designer Vivienne Westwood, fashion trendsetter Daphne Guinness, English model Erin O'Connor and Italian fashion writer Anna Piaggi by selling much of her collection via a single-owner auction at Christie's.

The New York Times Co, which owns the Herald Tribune said earlier this year that it would be rebranding the paper as the International New York Times.

($1 = 0.6651 British pounds)

(Reporting by Paul Casciato; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fashion-writer-suzy-menkes-sell-her-own-clothes-195300833.html

jetblue captain los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera supreme court health care joe oliver

YouTube Lets You Create Slow-Motion Videos Now

YouTube has added a feature that lets you make any video into a slow-mo video. Because everything is more awesome in slow-mo, obviously.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CNLRUFisN6U/youtube-lets-you-create-slow-motion-videos-now-510174520

ubaldo jimenez ncaa final country music awards autism awareness angelman syndrome total recall troy tulowitzki

Fairly funding California's schools

Probably the most important school debate in decades is unfolding in Sacramento, and for once it has nothing to do with fill-in-the-bubble tests or the phonics versus whole language reading battle. It's about the money: How much cash goes to which public schools and for what reasons? Gov. Jerry Brown is cutting through years of legislative torpor with his proposal to simplify the unwieldy and often unfair formula that determines how schools get funded and to provide extra funds to those students who need it most. The concept is spot on, but in this case the details matter too. Rather than simply defending his formula, which has its weak spots, Brown should be listening to those with valid criticisms and modifying his proposal accordingly.

For four decades, California has used a school funding formula that could justifiably be called lunatic. It gives differing amounts of money per student to each school district, based not on need or real costs but on such anachronistic factors as whether the district was located in a largely agricultural area in the early 1970s, when the formula was devised. These days, its quirks mean that one district might get as much as $800 less per student than its neighbor, even if the student demographics are virtually identical.

On top of that, numerous "categorical" programs provide extra money but dictate how it may be spent ? on anti-tobacco lessons, for instance, or smaller class sizes for the youngest students.

With the dramatic cutbacks over the last five years, and the passage of Proposition 30 last year ? which brings some money back into the system ? Brown sees an opportunity to press the restart button on school funding. He proposes to simplify the formula and to eliminate many of the categorical programs, handing many spending decisions back to the districts. At the same time, he wants to give a big boost to districts with poor students.

Brown's formula would give all districts in the state an equal per-student base grant. It would then give districts an additional 35% for each "high need" student, defined as poor enough to qualify for federally subsidized school lunches or not fluent in English. In districts where more than half the students are disadvantaged, it would also provide an additional "concentration" grant. Districts would be required to use the extra money primarily for the benefit of the disadvantaged students.

This is the way to fund schools: simple, transparent and cognizant of the fact that disadvantaged students ? who make up 60% of the public school population ? are more expensive to educate, through no fault of their own. Every student in the state must have a safe place to attend school, and the schools of low-income students are more likely to be located in dangerous neighborhoods. Preschool, summer school, after-school programs and extra tutoring can help make up for a lack of parental education and enrichment opportunities at home. Few would deny that schools with large numbers of low-income children need more money.

But here's the problem: Whereas districts with large numbers of disadvantaged students would see their funding rise steeply year by year, others would see only small increases. By 2018, when the new plan would be fully rolled out, many working-class and middle-class school districts would receive about $2,000 less per student than districts next door with large numbers of students who are impoverished or not yet fluent in English.

That would be no problem if all schools had adequate funding to carry out programs that should be seen as basic, but they don't. California is 49th in the nation in per-pupil education funding when adjusted for the cost of living. Starting in the fall of 2008, when education funding dropped abruptly, an estimated half of the state's school districts cut their instructional years by as much as 10 days; in fact, the state had to pass a special law to allow the shortened school year. Teachers were furloughed without pay, arts education shrank and class sizes increased.

Although no school district would be worse off next year under Brown's plan than it was last year, those that don't receive the large supplemental grants for their high-needs students won't be appreciably better off either, at least for many years, and might fall further and further behind.

Yet even among students who don't fit the federal definition of disadvantaged, many are far from financially secure or comfortable. The income cutoff for receiving subsidized lunches is about $42,000 for a family of four. A district filled with families earning above $42,000 but below $75,000 would probably face a lot of the same problems as a district with more families earning under $42,000, but it would receive no extra money as it struggled to catch up to former funding levels. Even by the 2019-20 school year, hundreds of these moderate- to middle-income school districts would still be far short of where they were in 2007-08, according to Ron Bennett, chief executive of School Services of California, a school consulting firm that opposes the plan.

So what's the solution? Giving money to those districts that need it most is both fair and necessary. But providing a basic, adequate education to all students is also nonnegotiable.

Bennett and some legislators have suggested that it makes more sense to let all school districts catch back up to the 2007-08 funding levels ? when the state was still only 46th in per-pupil spending when adjusted for the cost of living ? before implementing the governor's proposals. Bennett says that would take two to three years. That's not an unreasonable compromise, although maybe the delay doesn't have to be quite that long.

We stand behind Brown's commitment to a saner, simpler school funding plan that gives a serious boost to disadvantaged students, but he should be working with the Legislature on refining his plan and making it more flexible so that all students are assured of the basics they need for a decent education for years to come.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/opinion/~3/Ij5YzVAZud8/la-ed-school-funding-jerry-brown-20130528,0,3078029.story

pro bowl victoria azarenka Royal Rumble 2013 senior bowl norovirus Eclampsia Kendrick Lamar

20,000 Classic Arcade Games Deserve a Beautiful Wooden Console System

Swedish designer Love Hult?n is freaking obsessed with classic arcade games. You'd have to be, to craft a beautiful wooden console with matching controllers just to house a massive collection of them. Awesome.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IhSOcOr6ViA/classic-arcade-games-deserve-a-beautifully-crafted-wood-510140399

Richie Havens Allan Arbus Jaguars new uniforms aapl jenelle evans jenelle evans glenn beck

Report: Disney guests stole golf cart for joyride

Two beer-toting tourists from the Northeast stole a golf cart at Disney's Boardwalk entertainment area early Sunday and went on a dangerous joyride, deputies said.

Micheal Kulesza, 38, of Massachusetts, and Donald Rossi, 33, of New York were charged with grand theft and have since bonded out of jail.

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office were patroling at Disney's Boardwalk near Epcot when they spotted two men speeding in a golf cart while making a ruckus and forcing people to jump out the way.

"They were yelling, shouting, and laughing as they drove past where we were standing. They were obviously not Disney Cast Members,'' a deputy wrote in a report.

The deputies were standing near the Dance Hall and Jellyroll bars when they saw the car driving in "a reckless manner" toward a bridge leading to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.

"They rounded the corner fast enough to cause the extended golf cart to almost tip over,'' the report said.

"I gave immediate pursuit and caught the subjects at the back entrance to the Swan Resort."

The men apologized after the deputy told them to get off the golf cart.

"The driver, holding one beer, was identified as Defendant Donald Michael Rossi Jr. The passenger, holding two beers, was identified as Defendant Michael Kulesza,'' the report said.

A restaurant employee told deputies he parked the golf cart and left it while removing trash from the eatery. He saw two men drive off with the $6,000 vehicle.

The men continued to apologize as they were taken to jail.

Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-disney-epcot-golf-cart-arrests-20130528,0,6636510.story?track=rss

Sikh Sanya Richards Ross decathlon Honey Boo Boo Child marilyn monroe Nathan Adrian London 2012 Synchronized Swimming

Curiosity sated: Peter Molyneux reveals winner of gaming ...

Curiosity: well, it hasn't killed the cat, but has it impressed the internet?

Curiosity is over. The bizarre multiplayer gaming experiment, which required players to tap away at billions of tiles on a vast online cube, finished on Sunday evening, six months after its much-hyped launch. And as promised by veteran game designer Peter Molyneux ? the brains behind this Willy Wonka-esque, endeavour ? the person who tapped the final tile was sent a video informing them of their 'life-changing' prize. They will become a god in Godus, the next game from Molyneux's company 22Cans, as well as taking a cut of the revenue.

For several minutes before the announcement, however, the gaming community was kept in considerable suspense, madly refreshing the Twitter hashtag, #whatsinsidethecube. Staff as 22Cans had to verify that the winner wasn't a bot, and that he or she was prepared to reveal what they had won. It was always an option for the final clicker to keep their prize a secret. However at 5pm, Molyneux tweeted, "He has said he will share!!!!!!!!!" and the victor was revealed as one Bryan Henderson From Edinburgh.

In the video sent to Henderson and later shared online, Molyeneux is seen in a cube-like interior, explaining the genesis of the Curiosity project before revealing the prize: "We are making a game named Godus, the whole game is about being a god to your followers, but YOU, the person who reached the centre, will be the god of all people who are playing Godus. You will decide on the rules that the game is played by. And you will share in the success of the product. Every time people spend money on Godus, you will get a small piece of that pie."

It is not yet clear how Henderson will take up his role, or what the ramifications will be for the design and development of the title. Godus is a strategy sim in the style of previous Molyneux games Dungeon Keeper, Populous and Black & White, with the player becoming a powerful deity, guiding a population of followers. The title was successfully crowd-funded on Kickstarter last year.

Reactions on Twitter ranged from grudging satisfaction to wry disappointment; and many claimed to have predicted the outcome. Journalist Matt Lees tweeted, "I actually called it. Winner of Curiosity gets to be the God in Godus. Actually called it, months ago!" Better still, game developer Dan Marshall linked to one of his own tweets, written on December 14: "Calling it now: middle of #Curiosity cube wins a leading role in #Godus."

Some reactions, though, were rather more downbeat. Games critic and academic Ian Bogost simply tweeted, "Turns out the thing inside the cube was Peter Molyneux's ego."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2013/may/26/curiosity-prize-revealed-peter-molyneux

Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders penn state Ernie Els Teen Choice Awards 2012

Blissful Vacation While Exploring Best of North India Tours | Travel + ...

The variations in the topographies of India, the country is divided into regions like north, south, east west and central. This division has helped in exploring the regions and marking different attractions for the tourists to explore and therefore, helped the Indian Tour & Travel Industry. If we particularly talk about the northern region, a tourist will ne mesmerized to see the unending number of attractions. The charm, tranquility,couture, heritage, tradition, art, architecture and cuisines are the specialties of the region that could be explored and enjoyed.With North India Tours, one can travel around the following destinations:

Kashmir ? known as the Heaven on Earth

The incredible beauty, flora & fauna, rolling mountains, shikaras and lakes, collectively make this place a true heaven on earth. For a bliss experience, it is advised to include Kashmir in the destinations to be explored while being on excursion to North India. The coziness in the ambiance of the place has attracted the honeymooners to spend quality time in strengthening their bond of love.

Uttarakhand ? Land of the God?s

The incredible beauty, flora & fauna, rolling mountains, shikaras and lakes, collectively make this place a true heaven on earth. For a bliss experience, it is advised to include Kashmir in the destinations to be explored while being on excursion to North India. The coziness in the ambiance of the place has attracted the honeymooners to spend quality time in strengthening their bond of love.

Uttarakhand ? Land of the God?s

Coming down is Uttaranchal, the land known to be of Gods. For pilgrimage tours this destination is perfect as there are different pilgrim centers. Apart from this, the place also attracts tourist from all parts of the world to travel around destinations like Nainital, Dhanaulti, Ranikhet, Mussoorie, Almora, and various other places with delightful ambiance.

Delhi ? National Capital Territory

Here comes the capital city of India that North India to be considered as the crown of India. With the fascinating historic past, the place is full of historical monuments to be explored. The art and architecture of these monuments is simply beyond excellence. Apart from monuments, like India Gate, Humayun?s Tomb, Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, etc., you also have the choices of exploring some bustling areas like Connaught Place and Chandani Chowk.

Uttar Pradesh ? known as United Province

It would be unjustified if you miss to visit the symbol of love while being on trip to northern regions of India. Taj Mahal, counted amidst the Seven Wonders of the World, is located in the city of Agra (Uttar Pradesh). The mesmerizing art and architecture of the monument is amazing and the ambiance is ideal for some perfect pictures with the Taj Mahal in the background. Apart from this, Varanasi for Ghats of the river Ganges and the city of Nawabs ? Lucknow could also be explored.

Rajasthan ? The land of kings

The tour to North India is so incomplete if you do not experience the Royal facets. It is hub of all tour themes as in the list of attractions it includes temples, forts, lakes, deserts, elephant safari, wildlife, camel safari, traditional dance and music, delectable cuisines, and lot more.You can also explore some major cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mandawa, Bikaner, Udaipurand Jaisalmer.

The variations in the topographies of India, the country is divided into regions like north, south, east west and central. This division has helped in exploring the regions and marking different attractions for the tourists to explore and therefore, helped the Indian Tour & Travel Industry. If we particularly talk about the northern region, a tourist will ne mesmerized to see the unending number of attractions. The charm, tranquility,couture, heritage, tradition, art, architecture and cuisines are the specialties of the region that could be explored and enjoyed.With North India Tours, one can travel around the following destinations:

Kashmir ? known as the Heaven on Earth

The incredible beauty, flora & fauna, rolling mountains, shikaras and lakes, collectively make this place a true heaven on earth. For a bliss experience, it is advised to include Kashmir in the destinations to be explored while being on excursion to North India. The coziness in the ambiance of the place has attracted the honeymooners to spend quality time in strengthening their bond of love.

Uttarakhand ? Land of the God?s

Coming down is Uttaranchal, the land known to be of Gods. For pilgrimage tours this destination is perfect as there are different pilgrim centers. Apart from this, the place also attracts tourist from all parts of the world to travel around destinations like Nainital, Dhanaulti, Ranikhet, Mussoorie, Almora, and various other places with delightful ambiance.

Delhi ? National Capital Territory

Here comes the capital city of India that North India to be considered as the crown of India. With the fascinating historic past, the place is full of historical monuments to be explored. The art and architecture of these monuments is simply beyond excellence. Apart from monuments, like India Gate, Humayun?s Tomb, Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, Qutub Minar, etc., you also have the choices of exploring some bustling areas like Connaught Place and Chandani Chowk.

Uttar Pradesh ? known as United Province

It would be unjustified if you miss to visit the symbol of love while being on trip to northern regions of India. Taj Mahal, counted amidst the Seven Wonders of the World, is located in the city of Agra (Uttar Pradesh). The mesmerizing art and architecture of the monument is amazing and the ambiance is ideal for some perfect pictures with the Taj Mahal in the background. Apart from this, Varanasi for Ghats of the river Ganges and the city of Nawabs ? Lucknow could also be explored.

Rajasthan ? The land of kings

The tour to North India is so incomplete if you do not experience the Royal facets. It is hub of all tour themes as in the list of attractions it includes temples, forts, lakes, deserts, elephant safari, wildlife, camel safari, traditional dance and music, delectable cuisines, and lot more.You can also explore some major cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mandawa, Bikaner, Udaipurand Jaisalmer.

Source: http://blog.travelandleisureasia.com/destination/2013/05/27/blissful-vacation-while-exploring-best-of-north-india-tours/

brave Stephanie Rice Meet the Pyro Karen Klein Colorado fires supreme court summer solstice

High-tech industry big immigration bill winner (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308394595?client_source=feed&format=rss

powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton roland martin whitney houston dead at 48 whitney houston dead 2012 whitney houston passed away

Female suicide bomber injures 11 in Russian region

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) ? Police in the southern Russian region of Dagestan say a female suicide bomber has injured at least 11 police officers and civilians.

Dagestan's police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said the bomber blew herself up Saturday on the central square in the provincial capital, Makhachkala.

Since 2000, at least two dozen female suicide bombers, most of them from the Caucasus, have carried out terrorist attacks in Russian cities and aboard trains and planes. All were linked to an Islamic insurgency that that spread throughout Dagestan and the predominantly Muslim Caucasus region after two separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya.

The bombers are often called "black widows" in Russia because many of them are the wives, or other relatives, of militants killed by security forces.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/female-suicide-bomber-injures-11-russian-region-093917646.html

michael bush the host trailer whitney houston cause of death marquette city creek center hilary duff michigan state

10 things to know for the Champions League final

LONDON (AP) ? It's time for the biggest game in club soccer ? brought to you by Germany.

This year's Champions League final will be an all-German affair played out before a global TV audience, as Bayern Munich takes on Borussia Dortmund at London's Wembley Stadium.

Here are 10 things to know about Saturday's game:

1. WHY IS IT A BIG DEAL?

Well, this is the Super Bowl of club soccer and the highlight of the season for European fans. The Champions League pits the best teams from Europe's major leagues against each other every season, starting with a 32-team group stage before the top 16 clubs advance to the knockout rounds. The tournament began in 1955, originally known as the European Cup, before changing name in 1992 when it was expanded to include more teams. With no World Cup or European Championship on this summer, this is the biggest soccer game of the year.

2. GERMAN DOMINATION

Many had expected Spain to have two teams in the final after Barcelona and Real Madrid both made the semis. Instead, Bayern and Dortmund showed that this is the year of German domination, beating the Spanish powers convincingly over two legs. Bayern dismantled Lionel Messi's Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate, while Dortmund beat Madrid 4-1 at home before hanging on for a 4-3 aggregate victory.

3. KEEPING IT DOMESTIC IS RARE

While Germany has always been one of soccer's biggest powers, this is the first time the country has put two teams into the final of the Europe's top club competition. In fact, it's only the fourth time that two teams from the same country clash for the trophy. The last time it happened, Manchester United defeated English rival Chelsea on penalties in 2008. Milan got the better of Italian rival Juventus in 2003, and Madrid defeated Valencia in 2000 in what was the first final between teams from the same country.

4. BUT BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

In fact, Bayern is playing in its third Champions League final in four years, but is looking for its first title since 2001. The German team lost last year's final to Chelsea on penalties in its home stadium in Munich, and fell to Inter Milan in the 2010 title game. Dortmund has not made the final since 1997, when it won its only title in the competition.

5. WHICH TEAM IS THE FAVORITE?

Most people, including bookmakers, say Bayern. The Bavarian side desperately wants to erase the painful memories of losing last year's final in its own stadium, and has arguably been the best team in Europe all season. It obliterated the competition in the German league, where it finished a record 25 points ahead of second-place Dortmund, and its demolition of Barcelona was hugely impressive. But Dortmund certainly has a decent chance. The team won the previous two Bundesliga titles and is one of the few sides that can get under Bayern's skin. Both league games between the teams this season ended 1-1, and the last time they met in a final, Dortmund routed Bayern 5-2 to win last year's German Cup.

6. WHO ARE THE PLAYERS TO WATCH?

Both sides have a slew of star players capable of being the deciding factor. Bayern has the biggest wealth of talent, including the backbone of Germany's national team with players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller. But the two biggest stars are French winger Franck Ribery and Dutch counterpart Arjen Robben. Either can decide the game in an instant.

Dortmund has decisive players too, like Germany international Marco Reus and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored all four goals in the 4-1 win over Madrid in the semifinals. But rising star Mario Goetze, who is joining Bayern next season, is out with a hamstring injury.

7. WHO ARE THE COACHES?

Bayern is led by the experienced Jupp Heynckes, a former Germany striker who now prides himself on the team's staunch defensive ability. This will be his last chance to lead Bayern to the title, as Heynckes is leaving the club at the end of the season and has given strong hints he will retire. The 68-year-old coach already won the Champions League in 1998 with Real Madrid.

Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, meanwhile, has drawn wide praise for leading his team to back-to-back domestic league titles with a young team that plays an exciting and attack-minded style of soccer. Should Dortmund win on Saturday, the 45-year-old "Kloppo" will be one of the most in-demand coaches in Europe.

8. WILL THIS BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE BORING NIL-NIL GAMES?

Chances of that are slim to none. These are two teams that both want to attack from the start of any game, and neither is likely to change its style for the big occasion. In contrast to Chelsea's defensive-minded tactics in last year's final, don't expect Dortmund to sit back and be content with protecting its own net. You're more likely to see end-to-end attacking play ? and probably plenty of goals.

9. WHY ARE RELATIONS STRAINED BETWEEN THE CLUBS?

These teams were already big rivals after regularly dueling it out for domestic titles over the last few seasons, but tempers have been frayed even further following Goetze's decision to join Bayern, which is paying 37 million euros for the star midfielder. Dortmund also faces the prospect of losing Lewandowski to its biggest rival.

10. SO WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

Judging by statistics, the team that scores the first goal. In this year's competition, 82 games have been won by the team that scores first, with only 15 come-from-behind victories.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-champions-league-final-114743998.html

knicks coach encyclopedia britannica white lion mike d antoni resigns holes ncaa brackets 2012 odd

Week in review: iOS 7 rumors, the Xbox One, Yahoo! gets busy and more!

It's been another busy week here on iMore, and as we get closer and closer to WWDC 2013 we're starting to see more iOS 7 rumors surface. Also making headlines this week was Yahoo!, who had a pretty busy Monday, Microsoft's future of the Xbox event, oh, and we were treated to an all-new iMore Show! Read on for the recap!

We'll start with Yahoo!, who came out swinging this past Monday. Rumors had been rife that they were preparing a bid to acquire blogging platform Tumblr, and those rumors turned into truth on Monday morning. Yahoo! and Tumblr announced the deal was to take place, and would be worth $1.1 billion in cash. Yahoo! CEO, Marissa Meyer, posted her first blog post on Tumblr that very same morning, proclaiming that "we promise we won't screw it up." Nice touch.

• Yahoo! buys Tumblr, CEO promises not to screw it up

Then, at a press event in New York on Monday evening, Meyer herself took to the stage at the Flickr press event and presented a major overhaul to the popular photography service. The headline items were an all-new, and pretty awesome looking interface, along with a new pricing strategy that sees every single user on a free account receive a full terabyte of storage for their photos. An insane amount of free storage for your photos.

• Flickr gets overhauled with a new UI and 1TB free storage. For everyone!

Next it was over to Microsoft to impress, with their Xbox event up at the company's Richmond headquarters. Our buddies from Windows Phone Central provided excellent coverage of the event, but while there was no specific mention of iOS related items, it's hard to deny that we were all pretty impressed. With gestures and speech recognition galore, did Microsoft beat Apple to making the killer Apple TV? Both Derek Kessler and Peter Cohan have written excellent pieces on the Xbox One and how it may fit into our world, so be sure to check them out if you missed them first time around.

• The Xbox One hears all, sees all, and steals Google's dreams
• Is the Xbox One the Apple TV we've been waiting for?
• Xbox One reveal day roundup from WPCentral

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that excitement is building as we get ever closer to WWDC 2013. We all have things we'd like to see come out of the annual developer conference, but likewise there's things we're pretty sure we will be seeing. One such thing is iOS 7, and this week a couple of rumors surfaced on what to expect. Firstly we heard that Flickr and Vimeo may well be integrated into iOS 7, much the same as Twitter and Facebook currently are. Then we were treated to the latest rumor around Jony Ive's all-new, flatter UI and that it is set to be "black, white and flat all over." Rumors are still just that, rumors, but it does still build up our anticipation ahead of WWDC.

• Flickr and Vimeo integration rumored for iOS 7
• Latest rumors suggest iOS 7 to be "black, white and flat all over"

Apple CEO Tim Cook made the trip cross-country this week to appear at a Senate hearing regarding the company's approach to taxes. Chris Umiastowski posted an excellent editorial on the subject that really got the iMore readers engaged, so if you happened to miss that one be sure to give it a read.

• Apple already pays $1 out of every $40 tax dollars the U.S. collects. How much more does the Senate want?

Elsewhere this week, Peter Cohan gave us some excellent tips on how to breathe new life into your ageing Mac Pro, well worth reading if, like many, you're clinging onto your Mac Pro until the bitter end. Leanna continued her round up of photography related apps, this week moving onto a great selection for the professional photographer. And, speaking of photography, I just so happened to come across a piece of vintage Apple in the QuickTake 150 digital camera, so I had to share it with you guys. Ally also posted an excellent piece on where to find the best pre-paid deal for your iPhone in the U.S. All well worth a read.

• How to breathe new life into a dying Mac Pro
• Best iPhone and iPad apps for professional photographers: Take your shooting and your business to the next level!
• Blast from the past: The Apple QuickTake 150 digital camera
• Strapped for cash? Here are the best prepaid iPhone plans in the U.S.!

Next week we'll be telling you all about #TM13, but this week we told you about the launch party in New York City! If that's not enough, we're offering a trip for two to NYC and the launch party where you'll get to meet all the editors from Mobile Nations. If you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for?!

• Next week we'll tell you all about #TM13, today we'll give you a chance to win a trip for two to NYC for the launch party!

And last, but by no means least, this week saw the first edition of our revamped iMore Show. Rene and Peter were joined by Derek Kessler, our Mobile Nations EiC-at-large, along with Michael Simmons of Flexibits to talk Apple Taxes, the Xbox One, the Mac Pro, apps, accessories and more!

• iMore Show 350: All New!

There you have it, the best of iMore for the week. What stood out for you in everything that went on in the last 7 days? What do you still want to comment about? Have at it below!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/CibU4M41uEo/story01.htm

winter solstice Jabari Parker 2012 australia Brothers Grimm Tate Stevens Miss Universe 2012

Facial-recognition technology proves its mettle

May 24, 2013 ? In a study that evaluated some of the latest in automatic facial recognition technology, researchers at Michigan State University were able to quickly identify one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects from law enforcement video, an experiment that demonstrated the value of such technology.

In the Pattern Recognition and Image Processing laboratory, Anil Jain, MSU Distinguished Professor of computer science and engineering, and Josh Klontz, a research scientist, tested three different facial-recognition systems.

By using actual law-enforcement video from the bombing, they found that one of the three systems could provide a "rank one" identification -- a match -- of suspect Dzokhar Tsarnaev.

"The other suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the one ultimately killed in the shootout with police, could not be matched at a sufficiently high rank, partly because he was wearing sunglasses," Jain said. "The younger brother could be identified.

"This study was revealing in that facial recognition technology can successfully handle some cases in which facial images extracted from a video were captured under favorable conditions," he said.

Under controlled conditions, when the face is angled toward the camera and if the lighting is good, this technology can be up to 99 percent accurate.

Automatic face recognition can quickly attach a name to a face by searching a large database of face images and finding the closest match. This is what law enforcement agencies typically do for mug shot databases.

It is unknown, Jain said, what automatic facial recognition technologies were used by investigators in Boston. Some algorithms are better suited than others for face recognition in uncontrolled video.

While the technology has made great strides in recent years, it doesn't mean that improvements aren't needed. Also, more police agencies have to put the technology to use.

"If you use an automatic system, it speeds up the process," Jain said. "Sometimes police get bad tips so innocent people are questioned. Such situations can be avoided with a robust and accurate face-recognition system."

Jain and his team are internationally recognized in the field of identification technology. His team has developed methods to match forensic facial sketches with mug shots, as well as technology that allows police to identify criminal suspects by tattoo matching.

Klontz and Jain's technical paper on evaluating automatic facial recognition technology can be viewed here.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/apzIEPfMq6I/130524142549.htm

Texas Bombing breaking news new york post Sean Collier Kyrgyzstan Suspects in Boston Bombing Kerry Rhodes