Los Angeles (AFP) - US national parks and monuments including the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon are to reopen despite the federal shutdown, after states agreed to fund them temporarily, officials said.
The National Park Service announced deals with the states of New York, Arizona, Colorado and Utah to reopen tourist sites closed since the US government partial shutdown came into force on October 1.
The New York agreement will allow funding for the Statue of Liberty for six days, beginning Saturday through October 17, with the state donating $369,300 to keep it running.
"This is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some businesses and communities in New York during this shutdown,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in a statement.
“We want to reopen all of our national parks as quickly possible for everyone to enjoy and call on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to open the government," she added.
Arizona has agreed to fund the Grand Canyon, visited by millions of tourists from all over the world every year, for seven days beginning Saturday, at a cost of $651,000, her office said.
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park will be funded for 10 days beginning Friday at a cost of $362,700, and eight national parks and monuments in Utah will reopen also for 10 days beginning Friday at a cost of $1.666 million to the western US state.
It was not immediately clear whether the money would be reimbursed to the states once the federal shutdown ends, or what will happen after the duration of each agreement. Earlier, when only details about Utah had been announced, officials said that states could keep the sites open beyond the end of each deal.
More than 400 federally managed tourist sites ranging from California's Yosemite National Park to the Statue of Liberty have been closed since the shutdown started at the start of October due to a budget impasse.
The stalemate is costing $152 million a day in lost travel-related activity, affecting up to 450,000 American workers, according to the US Travel Association. Alone some 20,000 park services employees were furloughed.
MPAA Recruits ?Internet Analyst? to Spy on Social Networks and Forums
In its ongoing war against online piracy, the MPAA is currently recruiting new soldiers. One of the open positions that caught our eye recently is that of an ?Internet Analyst,? tasked with manipulating media files and monitoring social networks, communities and forums. For those still in school the MPAA also has a job opening for an unpaid summer intern to assist with various ?content protection? projects.
With roughly 200 employees the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a thorn in the side of Internet pirates all over the world.
The group has been credited as the main instigator of the Megaupload shutdown and is on a crusade to do the same to BitTorrent search engine isoHunt and file-hosting service Hotfile.
While the MPAA has scored several successes in the past, the war against online piracy is far from over. Every day new threats arise and keeping an eye on the latest developments is a day job, quite literally.
The movie industry group is currently recruiting fresh blood and has several open positions. The one of ?Internet Analyst? stood out to us the most, as it reveals a bit more about what the MPAA is up to behind the scenes.
The position of Internet Analyst is a crucial one in the MPAA organization. The person hired for the job will work under the supervision of Senior Vice President Content Protection Internet Marc Miller, and will be tasked with spotting and analyzing the latest piracy trends.
This also includes a bit of online spying on social media and other online communities. One of the key responsibilities in this position, according to the job offering, is to ?monitor and report on Internet based social networks, communities and forums.?
In addition the new recruit will have to research how much harm piracy is doing to the movie industry. Or as the job offer puts it, to ?analyze how and at what rate illegal online delivery systems cannibalize legitimate business models.?
To make an accurate assessment of the effects of online piracy, the new recruit will also have to work with major movie studio members, vendors and industry partners to gather and analyze data regarding unauthorized downloads via cyberlockers, BitTorrent and other protocols.
Finally, it is worth noting that the position also requires a particular skill set. Aside from browsing the Internet the analyst should also be able to ?manipulate online media files,? whatever that may entail.
The MPAA stresses that prospective employees should have a bachelor degree in business, economics, computer science or engineering, digital media production, or the equivalent. No details about the expected salary are provided.
The Internet Analyst position is just one of the many open jobs the MPAA has to offer. There are career opportunities for a wide range of people, including those who are still in school.
The MPAA just added the 2013 summer internship, a 30-hour a week job without compensation, but with valuable educational training. A summer internship at the MPAA, who wouldn?t want that?
Should any eligible TorrentFreak readers apply for these exciting positions, please stay in touch afterwards to share your experiences in the world?s most prestigious anti-piracy offices.
With roughly 200 employees the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a thorn in the side of Internet pirates all over the world. The group has been credited as...
JERUSALEM (AP) ? The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday expanded its list of West Bank settlements eligible for government subsidies, a decision that came just days after the resumption of long-frozen peace talks and drew quick Palestinian condemnation.
The Cabinet approved a range of housing subsidies and loans for more than 600 Israeli communities deemed "national priority areas," expanding an earlier list. The list includes poor towns in Israel's outlying areas, but also dozens of settlements.
The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem ? lands Israel captured in 1967 ? and renewed talks are to draw Israel's borders with such a state. Since 1967, Israel has built dozens of settlements on war-won land ? deemed illegal by most of the international community ? that are home to around 560,000 Israelis.
Israel's government hopes to encourage more people to move to the communities on the "national priorities" list. The last version of the list was approved in 2012.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said the list approved Sunday increased the total number of settlements eligible for subsidies from 85 to 91, virtually all in areas Israel would likely have to evacuate to make way for a Palestinian state.
Lior Amihai of Peace Now said three of the settlements added to the list had begun as rogue settlements that were established without formal government consent and then legalized retroactively.
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian negotiating team, said Sunday's vote affirms Palestinian suspicions that Israel seeks the diplomatic shield of negotiations, without being willing to reach an actual partition deal.
"This is exactly what Israel wants, have a process for its own sake, and at the same time have a free hand to destroy the objective of the process," he said. "This will have a destructive impact (on the talks), and it seems to me it's up to the sponsors, the United States and the international community, to make Israel desist immediately."
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that in the case of settlements, any housing or infrastructure subsidies require additional government approval.
Four Israeli ministers abstained from the Cabinet vote, citing the potential harm to negotiations.
"To include settlements that until recently were illegal, when it's doubtful that they will remain a part of Israel, and to disproportionately invest in them ? I think it is not the time, politically speaking and socioeconomically speaking," Environment Minister Amir Peretz told Israel Radio.
Peace negotiations began in Washington last week, and will continue in Jerusalem next week. The U.S. wants a deal on the terms of a Palestinian state within nine months.
As part of the talks, Israel is to free 26 long-held Palestinian prisoners on Aug. 13, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. It would be the first of four groups of a total of 104 veteran prisoners to be freed over the next few months.
The release is part of a U.S.-brokered deal that cleared the way for the resumption of talks.
____
Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed reporting.
HOUSTON ? As three of WWE?s top Superstars battled it out for the right to face World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio at SummerSlam, CM Punk dazzled Fandango with the power of Straight Edge, a stunning turn of events helped decide the Divas Title Match and Damien Sandow showed Cody Rhodes the true value of ?Money.?
Several weeks ago, newly crowned Raw General Manager Brad Maddox gave WWE Champion John Cena the opportunity to choose his No. 1 contender at SummerSlam, paving the way for The Champ to create a highly anticipated clash between himself and Daniel Bryan.
Photos: Guerrero laid down the law?
After SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero offered the World Heavyweight Champion the same chance, Alberto Del Rio tried to name Ricardo Rodriguez as his No. 1 contender. But, The Queen Diva swiftly rejected the titleholder?s feeble attempt at a summer siesta ? instead creating an explosive blue brand Triple Threat Match to determine his SummerSlam opponent: RVD vs. Randy Orton vs. Christian for later in the night!
Source: www.washingtonpost.com --- Thursday, August 01, 2013 ?We have learned that the sequestration already has cut 1.6 million Jobs. So we need job creation. We need to help the middle class by creating Jobs.? ? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), floor speech, July 31, 2013 Read full article >> ? ? ? ? ...
Thanks to his role as the drug-dealing Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul is one of the most critically acclaimed actors on television. But before the Emmy-winner became famous, he made what is arguably an even more memorable appearance on TV -- as a contestant on The Price Is Right. Check out his appearance on the game show below!
Michael Snyder The American Dream July 31st, 2013 Reader Views: 805
Something very strange is happening to Detroit.? Once upon a time, it was the center of American manufacturing and it had?the highest per capita income?in the United States.? But now the city is dying and the Chinese are moving in to pick up the pieces.? Lured by news stories that proclaim that you can buy homes in Detroit?for as little as one dollar, Chinese investors are eagerly gobbling up properties.? In some cases, this is happening dozens of properties at a time.? Not only that, according to the New York Times ?dozes of companies from China? are investing in businesses and establishing a presence in the Detroit area.? If this continues, will Detroit eventually become a city that is heavily dominated by China?
At this point, not too many others appear interested in saving Detroit.? Right now, there are approximately?78,000 abandoned buildings?in Detroit and about one-third of the entire city is either vacant or derelict.? People have been moving out in droves and there are only about 700,000 residents left.
For many Americans, Detroit is about the last place that they would want to live.? But to many Chinese, this sounds like a perfect buying opportunity.? According to a recent?Fox News report, real estate agents in Detroit are being overwhelmed with inquiries from China?
Downtown Detroit is home to one of the worst housing markets in the country, as prices of homes have collapsed and foreclosures have soared in the city?s depressed economy.
But some Chinese investors hungry for real estate are hoping Detroit?s losses will be their gain.?After Detroit filed for bankruptcy July 18, Motor City property has been a hot topic on China?s social media platform, Weibo, according to a Quartz.com report.
News of the bankruptcy, coupled with a Chinese TV report in March that claimed you could buy two houses in Detroit for the same price as a pair of leather shoes, has piqued investors? interest.
And these buyers appear to be quite serious.? One buyer reportedly?bought 30 properties recently, and other buyers say that they want to purchase even more homes than that?
And it appears to be translating into real interest; Caroline Chen, a real estate broker in Troy, Michigan, says she?s received ?tons of calls? from people in mainland China.
?I have people calling and saying, ?I?m serious?I wanna buy 100, 200 properties,?? she tells Quartz, noting that one of her colleagues recently sold 30 properties to a Chinese buyer. ?They say ?We don?t need to see them. Just pick the good ones.??
Meanwhile, according to?the New York Times, dozens of Chinese companies are moving into the city?
Dozens of companies from China are putting down roots in Detroit, part of the country?s steady push into the American auto industry.
Chinese-owned companies are investing in American businesses and new vehicle technology, selling everything from seat belts to shock absorbers in retail stores, and hiring experienced engineers and designers in an effort to soak up the talent and expertise of domestic automakers and their suppliers.
While starting with batteries and auto parts, the spread of Chinese business is expected to result eventually in the sale of Chinese cars in the United States.
Of course this is not just happening in Detroit.? The truth is that the Chinese are buying up real estate, businesses and natural resources?all over the country.
But they seem to have a particular interest in Detroit.
Perhaps someone should tell them that Detroit is not actually a very safe place these days.? The violent crime rate is?five times higher?than the national average, and the murder rate in Detroit is?11 times higher?than it is in New York City.
If you call the police, it takes them an average of?58 minutes?to respond.? And sometimes the people that are committing the crimes are actually Detroit police officers.? In fact, one Detroit police officer was involved in robbing a gas station?just last week?
A Good Samaritan snapped photos of what appeared to be two men impersonating police officers involved in a pistol-whipping and robbery outside a Citgo gas station on Detroit?s east side on July 21.
Once Fox 2 aired those photos, an even more disturbing picture developed.
?Several unidentified police officers were working this particular robbery case, recognized one of the suspects in the photographs as being a member of the Detroit Police Department,? Chief James Craig said Monday.
Now under arrest are two police sergeants, a 47-year-old officer and 20-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department and his 42-year-old buddy from the police academy, who is a former DPD cop and 17-year veteran of the St. Clair Shores Police Department. The later recently received a distinguished service award.
?In fact, they were police officers, just not working on-duty at the time,? Craig said.
Detroit is a dying, bankrupt city.? There does not seem to be much hope of a turnaround for Detroit any time soon.
So why are the Chinese gobbling up so much real estate and so many businesses in Detroit?
That is a very good question.
Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
Contributed by Michael Snyder of The American Dream.
Michael Snyder is a writer, speaker and activist who writes and edits his own blogs The American Dream , The Truth and Economic Collapse Blog.
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In a recent interview, singing sensation Chaka Khan (pictured) said she will not perform in Florida, after George Zimmerman?s acquittal in Trayvon Martin?s murder, according to the Huffington Post.
Khan, who recorded a tribute song for Martin in March, decided to take her disdain for the not-guilty verdict a step further, ?Well I am boycotting Florida. I had a booking there last week, and I cancelled it. But if any tribute comes up I?ll do it. Absolutely.?
Kahn believes the trial was indicative of the racism that is still alive in America, ?Well, the trial, No. 1, was a travesty. Racism is still very much alive and well in this country. It has gone to more of a cerebral state, but it?s alive and well. The new slavery is keeping Black men in jail.?
Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapiesPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu 336-716-4453 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. July 31, 2013 Could harvesting stem cells for therapy one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample? Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine and colleagues have identified stem cells in urine that can be directed to become multiple cell types.
"These cells can be obtained through a simple, non-invasive low-cost approach that avoids surgical procedures," said Yuanyuan Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of regenerative medicine and senior researcher on the project.
Reporting online in the journal Stem Cells, the team successfully directed stem cells from urine to become bladder-type cells, such as smooth muscle and urothelial, the cells that line the bladder. But the urine-derived cells could also form bone, cartilage, fat, skeletal muscle, nerve, and endothelial cells, which line blood vessels. The multipotency of the cells suggests their use in a variety of therapies.
"These stem cells represent virtually a limitless supply of autologous cells for treating not only urology-related conditions such as kidney disease, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, but could be used in other fields as well," said Zhang. "They could also potentially be used to engineer replacement bladders, urine tubes and other urologic organs."
Being able to use a patient's own stem cells for therapy is considered advantageous because they do not induce immune responses or rejection. However, because tissue-specific cells are a very small subpopulation of cells, they can be difficult to isolate from organs and tissues.
Zhang's team first identified the cells, which are a small subset of the many cells found in urine, in 2006. The current research builds on earlier studies by confirming the multipotency of the cells. In addition, the research found that unlike iPS cells or embryonic stem cells, the urine derived-stem cells do not form tumors when implanted in the body, indicating they may be safe for use in patients.
The research involved obtaining urine samples from 17 healthy individuals ranging in age from five to 75 years. Isolating the cells from urine involves minimal processing, according to the authors. Next, they evaluated the cells' ability to become multiple cell types.
Importantly, the cells differentiated into the three tissue layers (endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm) that are a hallmark of true stem cells and also differentiated into the specific cell types mentioned earlier.
Next, the researchers placed cells that had been differentiated into smooth muscle and urothelial cells onto scaffolds made of pig intestine. When implanted in mice for one month, the cells formed multi-layer, tissue-like structures.
The urine-derived stem cells have markers of mesenchymal cells, which are adult stem cells from connective tissue such as bone marrow. They also have markers for pericytes, a subset of mesenchymal cells found in small blood vessels.
Where do the cells come from? Researchers suspect that the cells originate from the upper urinary tract, including the kidney. Female study participants who had received kidney transplants from male donors were found to have the y chromosome in their urine-derived stem cells, suggesting the kidney as the source of the cells.
"Identifying the origins of the cells will lead to a better understanding of the biology of this multipotent population of mesenchymal cells within the urinary tract system," said Zhang.
###
Co-researchers were Shantaram Bharadwaj, Ph.D., Guihua Liu, M.D., Ph.D., Yingai Shi, M.D., Ph.D., Rongpei Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Bin Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Anthony Atala, M.D., and Jan Rohozinski, Ph.D ., Wake Forest Baptist; Tong-chan He, M.D., Ph.D., the University of Chicago Medical Center; Yuxin Fan, M.D., Ph.D., and Xinyan Lu, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Xiaobo Zhou, Ph.D., the Methodist Hospital Research Institute; and Hong Liu, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma.
Media contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-4453; Media Relations Office, 336-716-4587.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a fully integrated academic medical center located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The institution comprises Wake Forest School of Medicine, a leading center for medical education and research; Wake Forest Baptist Health, the integrated clinical structure that includes nationally ranked Brenner Children's Hospital; Wake Forest Innovations, which promotes the commercialization of research discoveries and operates Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an urban research and technology park; plus a network of affiliated community hospitals, physician practices, outpatient services and other medical facilities. Wake Forest Baptist clinical programs and the School of Medicine are regularly ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapiesPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Karen Richardson krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu 336-716-4453 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. July 31, 2013 Could harvesting stem cells for therapy one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample? Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine and colleagues have identified stem cells in urine that can be directed to become multiple cell types.
"These cells can be obtained through a simple, non-invasive low-cost approach that avoids surgical procedures," said Yuanyuan Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of regenerative medicine and senior researcher on the project.
Reporting online in the journal Stem Cells, the team successfully directed stem cells from urine to become bladder-type cells, such as smooth muscle and urothelial, the cells that line the bladder. But the urine-derived cells could also form bone, cartilage, fat, skeletal muscle, nerve, and endothelial cells, which line blood vessels. The multipotency of the cells suggests their use in a variety of therapies.
"These stem cells represent virtually a limitless supply of autologous cells for treating not only urology-related conditions such as kidney disease, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, but could be used in other fields as well," said Zhang. "They could also potentially be used to engineer replacement bladders, urine tubes and other urologic organs."
Being able to use a patient's own stem cells for therapy is considered advantageous because they do not induce immune responses or rejection. However, because tissue-specific cells are a very small subpopulation of cells, they can be difficult to isolate from organs and tissues.
Zhang's team first identified the cells, which are a small subset of the many cells found in urine, in 2006. The current research builds on earlier studies by confirming the multipotency of the cells. In addition, the research found that unlike iPS cells or embryonic stem cells, the urine derived-stem cells do not form tumors when implanted in the body, indicating they may be safe for use in patients.
The research involved obtaining urine samples from 17 healthy individuals ranging in age from five to 75 years. Isolating the cells from urine involves minimal processing, according to the authors. Next, they evaluated the cells' ability to become multiple cell types.
Importantly, the cells differentiated into the three tissue layers (endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm) that are a hallmark of true stem cells and also differentiated into the specific cell types mentioned earlier.
Next, the researchers placed cells that had been differentiated into smooth muscle and urothelial cells onto scaffolds made of pig intestine. When implanted in mice for one month, the cells formed multi-layer, tissue-like structures.
The urine-derived stem cells have markers of mesenchymal cells, which are adult stem cells from connective tissue such as bone marrow. They also have markers for pericytes, a subset of mesenchymal cells found in small blood vessels.
Where do the cells come from? Researchers suspect that the cells originate from the upper urinary tract, including the kidney. Female study participants who had received kidney transplants from male donors were found to have the y chromosome in their urine-derived stem cells, suggesting the kidney as the source of the cells.
"Identifying the origins of the cells will lead to a better understanding of the biology of this multipotent population of mesenchymal cells within the urinary tract system," said Zhang.
###
Co-researchers were Shantaram Bharadwaj, Ph.D., Guihua Liu, M.D., Ph.D., Yingai Shi, M.D., Ph.D., Rongpei Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Bin Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Anthony Atala, M.D., and Jan Rohozinski, Ph.D ., Wake Forest Baptist; Tong-chan He, M.D., Ph.D., the University of Chicago Medical Center; Yuxin Fan, M.D., Ph.D., and Xinyan Lu, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Xiaobo Zhou, Ph.D., the Methodist Hospital Research Institute; and Hong Liu, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma.
Media contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-4453; Media Relations Office, 336-716-4587.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a fully integrated academic medical center located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The institution comprises Wake Forest School of Medicine, a leading center for medical education and research; Wake Forest Baptist Health, the integrated clinical structure that includes nationally ranked Brenner Children's Hospital; Wake Forest Innovations, which promotes the commercialization of research discoveries and operates Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an urban research and technology park; plus a network of affiliated community hospitals, physician practices, outpatient services and other medical facilities. Wake Forest Baptist clinical programs and the School of Medicine are regularly ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Just when you thought the scale of the NSA's surveillance programs couldn't get more superlative, new details about a special software suite show that analysts can access "nearly everything a typical user does on the internet." If it uses HTTP, the NSA can get it.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? A star of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and her husband were each released on $500,000 bond after making initial court appearances Tuesday on federal fraud charges.
Teresa Giudice and her husband, Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice, were ordered to surrender their passports and restrict their travels to New Jersey and New York. Joe Giudice, an Italian citizen, could be deported if convicted.
The Giudices, who rose to celebrity status by showcasing their lavish lifestyle on the Bravo reality TV show, were indicted Monday on bank and bankruptcy fraud charges, among other counts.
Joe Giudice is also charged with failing to file tax returns from 2004 to 2008, when he is alleged to have earned nearly $1 million.
The couple is accused of exaggerating their income while applying for loans before their show debuted in 2009, then hiding their fortunes in a bankruptcy filing after their first season aired.
The couple did not enter pleas during the brief appearance in a courtroom packed with media and spectators. Their arraignment was set for Aug. 14. Their attorneys said both will plead not guilty.
"The investigation went on for a pretty long time and we are confident we have enough evidence to convict the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said after the proceeding.
Both face hundreds of years in prison and millions of dollars in fines if convicted, but federal sentencing guidelines would greatly reduce the penalties, Fishman said.
Teresa Giudice's attorney, Henry Klingeman, said he believes the government is prosecuting the couple because of their celebrity.
The couple filed for bankruptcy in 2009, claiming they owed $11 million, including $2.2 million in mortgages, $13,000 to Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, and nearly $12,000 to a fertility clinic.
Joe Giudice also is facing charges in Passaic County that he used his brother's identity to obtain a driver's license, presenting his marriage and birth certificates. He rejected a plea deal in April through his lawyer, Miles Feinstein.
"In Passaic County, where I represent him, I feel that because of his celebrity status he's being treated differently than others are for the same offense," said Feinstein, who did not comment on the federal case.
Teresa Giudice has parlayed her fame into cookbooks, a line of ready-made bellinis and "Skinny Italian," a specialty food line.
On the show, she is known for her expensive tastes and combative relationship with her brother and sister-in-law. But Klingeman noted that the show helps support the couple and their four children.
"While it's called reality TV," Klingeman said, "I'm not sure everything you see on the show is real."
Jaap and I spent the first two weeks of May visiting family and friends in NY. It's always good to come home and this time we got to celebrate the pregnancy (complete with a surprise baby shower!) with family and friends.?
No trip to NY would be complete without an evening with Shannon, my best friend, and our NY buddies. After a night out on the Lower East Side we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Floridita. If you want the best coffee in NYC, go to Floridita and order a cafe con leche. It's up on the West side on 125th St and Riverside Drive.?
What was planned as a casual lunch with my aunts turned out to be a surprise baby shower complete with Muppets! Thanks to my amazing sister and mother for organizing the day. It was such a great surprise to see our closest famiy and friends there. What a day. We got so much great stuff for the baby and Jaap was able to celebrate in Muppet style. We felt very loved. Now we just wait for the little Jansen-Pardo to arrive!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Daniel Loeb's hedge fund Third Point initiated a new position in nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer CF industries during the second quarter, according to a quarterly investor note.
"CF currently trades at an unwarranted discount to fertilizer and commodity chemical peers," Loeb said in the letter, dated July 29. "We believe its structural cash flow generation strength is misunderstood and that management should deliver a much larger dividend to its shareholders."
Loeb said that CF's "access to low-cost North American natural gas - the primary input in nitrogen fertilizer production - gives the company a structural, sustainable margin capture relative to global peers with higher input costs."
(Reporting by Katya Wachtel; Editing by Gary Hill)
Have you been suffering from poor credit for years? Many people have credit scores that are getting worse. Fortunately, a number of methods for improving such ratings do exist, and you can begin using them right away by reading these helpful hints.
Try to keep a balance of less than 50% of your available credit on all of your cards. When balances are over 50%, your credit rating goes down significantly, so try to either spread out your debt or, ideally, pay off your credit cards.
Work with the companies to whom you owe money to get your debt back under control. This will help you stabilize your situation and start working towards a better financial situation. Contact your credit card company and request to change your scheduled due date or interest rate.
Credit Counseling
Consumers should carefully research credit counseling agencies before choosing one with which to work. You will find some counselors that truly want to help you fix your credit situation, while others may have different motives. Some are not legitimate. Intelligent customers will make sure to determine the legitimacy of a credit counseling agency before acquiring their services.
Stay cautious and aware of scams online that can lead you to even bigger problems. A common scam involves teaching you how to make a completely new, albeit fraudulent, credit file. This is illegal and you will eventually be caught. The end result of getting caught during the crime could be expensive legal fees and a possibility of time behind bars.
Call and request lower limits on your cards from the credit card companies. Doing this keeps you from overtaxing yourself. It also shows the lending company that you are responsible.
You should look over all negative reports thoroughly when attempting to fix your credit. Errors are not infrequent in credit reports. If you can prove the credit bureau is in the wrong, they should correct the reported error or remove it entirely.
Find and challenge errors on your credit report using the dispute process offered by each credit reporting agency. Draft a letter to reporting agencies disputing negative entries and also submit any available documentation. Send your dispute package with a return receipt request so that you have proof that it was received by the agency.
It is crucial that you review credit card bills on a monthly basis to check for errors. If this is the case, you need to call the company right away to avoid them from reporting it to credit reporting agencies.
Any time you establish any payment plan with any creditor, make sure you get it in writing. This is a great way to have documentation of the plan if the creditor changes their mind or the company ownership gets changed. As soon as you get it paid off, have that in writing so you are able to inform the credit reporting agencies.
You may want to argue against the reports, but potential lenders will not take your statements into consideration. The action of making a statement about your negative history will work against you as it highlight your mistakes rather than downplaying them.
Collection Agencies
Some of the worst stress you experience with bad credit is caused by debt collection agencies. A consumer has the legal option of using cease and desist letters to dissuade collection agencies, but it is vital to keep in mind that C&D letters only stop harassment. This doesn?t let the customer off the hook for the debt, it merely stops the threatening calls.
Be careful of paying for a service or a lawyer that advertises quick or instant credit score improvement, many of them are dishonest. A lot of people are having difficulty with their credit, and there are lawyers that try to exploit these people with illegal and ineffective credit restoration services. Do your homework and check out any attorney before you hire one to help with credit improvement.
Part of a nasty credit crunch is having multiple debts that you do not have the money to pay. Try to make sure that you find a little bit of money in your budget for all the creditors you owe payments to. Making the minimum payments will, at least, avoid ending up with collection agencies.
You need a plan and schedule when it comes to paying off your debt. These accounts will still appear on a credit report, but they will be earmarked as paid.
If a poor credit rating has left you feeling discouraged, turn your situation around by applying the guidelines you have just read. They can stop your credit from falling any further, and get you back on the road to recovery.
Author Lindsey Mooomsy is interested to reveal and ask you all man to learn more about exciting topics on Ultrasound Technician Salary Range with more guide and revealing info on small black coffee table? http://www.datarecoveryservices-online.com/
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Google's Hugo Barra admits Android tablets have been lacking. Will the next iteration make a dent in the iPad's hegemony?
Vote for the results in the left column below or go straight to the results here.
Weekend Highlights: At Fortune, Philip Elmer-Dewitt notes yesterday's AppleInsider piece on Samsung and notes all the tech journalists who mis-reported the story; AppleInsider and iMore report on photos of iPhone 4C boxes which have surfaced in China; Brett Terpstra analyzes some of the implications of tagging in OS X Mavericks; at eXtensions, Graham K. Rogers reviews Layrs, an interesting free iPhone App for editing laters in images; Daniel Eran Dilger at AppleInsider completes his series of three articles on the importance of iOS in the car with today's Editorial on the strategic importance of iOS in the Car; ...And Daniel E.D. is back for a second time Saturday on AppleInsider, this time questioning the notion that Samsung has dethroned Apple as smartphone profit leader; The Macalope takes three pundits to task for believing rumors, ignoring facts, and misconstruing Apple's business model; Fortune follows up on smart phone growth in China; at the Guardian, Charles Arthur casts doubt on the veracity of developer email addresses shown in documentation of the Apple Developer 'supposed' site hack; 9 to 5 Mac offers up help on the complications possible dealing with an Apple ID; Hot off the heels of Apple's Q3 earnings comes word iPhone market share has dopped to a three-year low; Samsung reaping the victory, overtaking Apple's four-year reign as most profitable phone maker in the world; reports aplenty in our Apple/Macintosh, and General Interest sections; meanwhile Daniel Eran Dilger at AppleInsider continues with the second part in his investigation into Apple's aggressive iOS in the Car future; phishing scam attempting to fool Apple developers in light of recent outage.
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Welcome to MacSurfer's Headline News! Is this the headline you are looking for?
Sun Jul 28
"Packaging labeled 'iPhone 5C' shows up in China, leads to more color iPhone speculation" iMore
9:02 AM
News
"Apple Developer Portal Back Online, Partially"?PC Magazine?7/27
"Apple's developer site stirs back to life after downtime: After more than a week of downtime, Apple's bringing back some major parts of its developer site and connected services."?CNET News?7/27
"Apple restores key parts of dev site after attack: Eight days after taking site offline, resurrects important sections, including dev centers and downloads"?Computerworld?7/27
"Apple Re-Opens Developer Center After Security-Related Outage"?HotHardware?7/27
"Apple Developer site hack: doubts cast on Turkish hacker's claims/Guardian investigation raises questions over claims by Turkish researcher that he hacked into Apple's Developer portal"?The Guardian?7/27
"Apple Developer Center comes back online (partially) after massive outage"?ZDNet?7/26
"Access to Apple developer site partially restored"?Reuters?7/26
"Apple's developer site stirs back to life after downtime"?CNET News?7/26
"Apple's Developer Center is back after over a week offline"?9 to 5 Mac?7/26
"Apple's Dev Center back online after 8-day downtime"?AppleInsider?7/26
"Apple Relaunches Developer Software Downloads, Dev Centers for iOS and Mac, More"?The Mac Observer?7/26
"Apple Developer Website, Certificates, Identifiers, Profiles, Downloads Back Online"?FairerPlatform?7/26
"Apple Developer Center outage exploited with new phishing scam"?TechnologyTell?7/26
"OS X Mavericks Developer Preview: Safari Power Saver Saves Your Battery by Pausing Flash"?MacTrast?7/26
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"Q&A: MacFixIt Answers/Questions answered in this week's Q&A include OS X not prompting for how to handle home folders when an account is removed, and more."?CNET Reviews?7/26
"Can FileVault be bypassed with OS X password reset routines? Given Apple-supplied password reset tools, you may have concerns about the possibility of these being used to override a FileVault-protected volume."?CNET Reviews?7/26
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"Review: SushiReader a simple app for RSS feeds"?Macworld?9:38 AM
"Suitcase Fusion 5, a new version of font management"?IT.Enquirer?7:30 AM
"Logic Pro X review: Powerful new features & a simplified UI with no compromises for pros"?9 to 5 Mac?7/26
"Softpress Freeway Pro 6 review - Comprehensive web design solution for OS X"?Macworld UK?7/26
"Mac Gems: Properly tag your videos with IDentify"?Macworld?7/26
"MacMost Now 896: Quickly Locking Your Mac"?MacMost?7/26
"Delete Files And Folders Selectively, Without Sending Them To The Trash [OS X Tips]?Cult of Mac?7/26
"A Free Password Manager App And Secure Wallet For Macs That's Not Quite A Bargain"?Mac 360?7/26
"How To Protect Your Mac's Online Privacy With A Cookie"?TeraTalks?7/26
"How To Make Your Mac More Secure And Private"?Mac 360?7/26
"Bored With iPhoto's Photo Enhancement Options? Add Fotor To Your Mac For Free"?NoodleMac?7/26
"The Easiest Way To Be A Mac Power User"?Mac 360?7/26
Op/Ed
Press Releases
"The Best iDVD Alternative DVD Photo Slideshow for Mac Released"?prMac?7/27
"Apple creates academic advisory board to oversee its Supplier Responsibility program"?TUAW?7/27
"Apple Scores Harris Poll Hat Trick"?AllThingsD?7/26
"We (Still) Love Apple! Americans Vote Tech Giant 'Brand Of The Year' Across Three Categories"?Digital Trends?7/26
"Apple is America's computer, tablet, and smartphone brand of the year"?VentureBeat?7/26
"Apple Named 'Brand of the Year' for PCs, Mobile"?PC Magazine?7/26
"Why consumers love Apple: Harris Interactive's annual poll names Apple computer, tablet and mobile 'Brand of the Year'"?Macworld UK?7/26
"Apple Dominates Consumer Brands Poll: Apple wins brand of the year from U.S. consumers in Harris Interactive poll's smartphone, tablet and PC categories."?InformationWeek?7/26
"Apple wins Harris Interactive Brand of the Year in three categories"?TUAW?7/26
"Apple wins top spots for 'Brand of the Year' in Harris poll"?CNET News?7/26
"Apple Pulls Hat Trick, Taking Computer, Tablet, and Mobile Phone 'Brand of the Year' Harris Poll EquiTrend Categories"?MacPrices?7/26
"LA Unified School District will give each of its 640,000 kids iPads by the end of next year"?9 to 5 Mac?7/26
"All of LA's 640,000 schoolkids will get free iPads by the end of 2014"?The Verge?7/26
"L.A. Unified School District Wants iPads for All 640,000 Students"?AllThingsD?7/26
"640,000 LA Students Will Get Free iPads by 2014: $30 million deal with Apple will get 31,000 iPads in classrooms this year, all students covered by 2014"?NBC South Florida?7/26
"Los Angeles Schoolkids Get Free iPads by Late 2014"?LAPTOP Magazine?7/26
"Apple taps academics to advise Supplier Responsibility program"?AppleInsider?7/26
"Galaxy S4 success helps Samsung to ?4.5bn profits, surpasses Apple in smartphone market"?V3?7/26
"Samsung and Apple Successfully Fend Off Low-Cost Smartphone Vendors for Another Quarter Declares ABI Research"?Business Wire?7/26
"Samsung and Apple successfully fend off low-cost smartphone vendors for another quarter, declares ABI Research"?DigiTimes?7/26
"Samsung Overtakes Apple But A Third Way Is Coming"?Forbes?7/26
"Samsung overtakes Apple in phone profits but others grow sales even more"?GigaOM?7/26
"App Puts the Bible in 100 Million Palms"?New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required]?7/26
"How Samsung Pipped Apple In Chinese Mkt"?RTRS?7/26
"Apple IPhone Share Shrinks as China's Huawei to ZTE Lure Users"?Bloomberg?7/26
"Are cheap, unofficial non-Apple iPhone chargers safe? Following two electrocutions, Apple updates Chinese site with detailed advice on use of official iPad, iPhone chargers"?Macworld UK?7/26
"Apple's shock treatment: An authentic charger-spotting guide"?The Register?7/26
"Steve Jobs' Wife Has Invested In New Media Startup Called Ozy Media"?Business Insider?7/26
"Steve Jobs' Widow Invests in Former MSNBC Anchor's Media Site"?Mashable?7/26
"Laurene Powell Jobs Invests in Media Company Focused on Change"?The Mac Observer?7/26
"iPhone app catches would-be rapist in less than an hour"?Mirror Online UK?7/26
"Japanese Tourist Spots Now Have Camera Stands For iPhones"?Cult of Mac?7/26
Non-Apple News
"Twitter comes under fire for what critics say is a lack of response to rape threats"?GigaOM?7/27
"Pinterest Adds New Features, Support For Do Not Track"?redOrbit?7/27
"Instagram users complain after being struck by mysterious 'smoothie hack'"?The Verge?7/27
"How 'Sword and Sworcery' became a global, cross-platform hit"?The Verge?7/27
"New Google Glass Patent Illustrates Customization Options"?Patent Bolt?7/26
"T-Mobile Eliminates Smartphone Down Payments In New Summer Deal"?Cult of Android?7/26
"Best back to school iPad accessories for kids"?Phones Review?7/27
"Apple TV vs. Roku vs. Chromecast content options"?iDownload Blog?7/27
"Gadgets galore: Droid Maxx vs. Galaxy S4; Nexus 7 vs. iPad Mini"?CNET News?7/26
"iRig HD and Amplitube for iPad Review: IK Multimedia exceeds expectations yet again with a higher-resolution analog to digital audio converter for guitar, and a fantastic guitar-centric digital audio workstation and effects processor for iOS."?148Apps?7/26
"Sensu: Old World Art Brush for New World Touch Pads"?Bare Feats?7/26
"Aud 5 is a fine speaker/dock ? if you have a Lightning-equipped iDevice"?AppleDailyReport?7/26
iPad/iPhone/iPod touch Apps
"Layrs: An Interesting Free iPhone App for Editing Layers in Images"?eXtensions?9:38 AM
"Mac Gems: Noted a nicely-organized note-taking app"?Macworld?7/27
"iOS 7 preview: iOS in the Car hints at the future of iOS everywhere"?iMore?7/26
"Hands-on: Loom makes it increasingly tempting to ditch iPhoto and Photo Stream"?Macworld?7/26
"Getting fit with iOS: How your iPad and iPhone can help you shed pounds"?Macworld?7/26
"'Futuridium EP' Review - An Inventive Arcade SHMUP for the Hardcore"?Touch Arcade?7/26
"Chillaxian Review: Prepare for chillaxing while busting aliens in Chillaxian."?148Apps?7/26
"A Ride into the Mountains Review: As understated as just about every aspect of A Ride into the Mountains might be, everything comes together to craft a truly impressive experience."?148Apps?7/26
"Riptide GP2 Review: Riptide GP 2 improves on the fast-paced hydro jet racing action of its predecessor, adding new tracks, vehicles, and tricks for players to splash around with."?148Apps?7/26
"Vintage 80s Apple Ads Resurfacing on YouTube"?MacRumors?7/26
How-To/Tutorial
"Watch TV on your Mac: the definitive guide/IN DEPTH The proper Apple TV isn't quite here yet, so why not watch TV on your existing Apple kit?"?TechRadar UK?7:54 AM
"How to transfer photos from your iPhone to Mac/iOS/Mac OS X tips: Import photos from your iPhone or iPad to Mac with free software"?Macworld UK?7/26
"How to change the wallpaper on your iPad: Plus, where to find cool new wallpapers for your iPad"?Macworld UK?7/26
"How to get Flash on iPad: Best Flash apps to help you play Flash videos and games on your iPad"?Macworld UK?7/26
"How to finetune your mobile Safari browsing settings"?iDownload Blog?7/26
Tips
"How to be an iOS ninja: Top 5 secret shortcuts for Siri, Mail, Safari, Calendar, keyboard, and more!"?iMore?7/27
"Games developer Kameleon Games announces Shark Attack 2 for iOS"?prMac?9:38 AM
"Hipstamatic Oggl Updated With Photo Browsing And Sharing Enhancements"?AppAdvice?8:29 AM
"HopStop Transit App Receives First Update Following Its Acquisition By Apple"?AppAdvice?7:37 AM
"Amazon Mobile For iPad Gains Wish List Management, Product Sharing And More"?AppAdvice?7:48 AM
"Squaregram 1.6.0 for iOS - Layouter for Instagram"?prMac?7:46 AM
"ICON Releases Most Charming Dress Up App on Apple's App Store"?prMac?7:39 AM
"inStatus 2.0 - A creative photo editing app bringing your photos to life"?prMac?7:44 AM
"Sett Is A New Blogging Platform That Has Community At Its Heart"?TechCrunch?7/27
"New Grammar Game for iPad/iPhone for Kids to Learn Parts of Speech"?prMac?7/27
"SwagWarz 1.0 for iOS - Defeat Enemies Using Bling and Swag in 3D Shooter"?prMac?7/27
"Biber and Red Boots HD released for iOS - Interactive Children's App"?prMac?7/27
"Canon adds Apple AirPrint compatibility to newest Pixma Wireless All-in-One Printer"?AppleDailyReport?7/27
"Sensopia - Capture the Floor Plan of your House with MagicPlan"?Sensopia?7/27
"Mailbox Developer Orchestra To Shut Down Namesake To-Do App 2 Years After Launch"?AppAdvice?7/26
"iPhone Charging Connector Fits on Your Keychain: If you have easy access to a computer all day but don't want to carry your iPhone's charging cable around with you, the Kii might do the trick."?Techland?7/26
"Coming July 27: Gene Steinberg meets Peter Cohen, from The Loop and iMore, Kirk McElhearn, author of 'Take Control of Launchbar,' and Russell Chozick, of Flashback Data, this week on The Tech Night Owl LIVE!"?The Tech Night Owl LIVE?7/26
"'Cut the Rope' Gets 25 New Levels in Latest 'Cheese Box' Update"?Touch Arcade?7/26
"Shutterfly 2.0 Released for iPad"?iClarified?7/26
"Starbucks Selects Cyto's Puzzle Adventure For Its Pick of the Week, Offers Free Codes At 15,000 Locations"?148Apps?7/26
"Distro Issue 100: A look at our all-time favorite gadgets"?Engadget?7/26
"Steve Wozniak and Trip Hawkins Announced as Keynote Speakers at Apps World"?Business Wire?7/26
"Hot off the Press: Tekserve Releases Its First iOS FAQ, Alongside the 12th Edition of Their Mac FAQ"?Business Wire?7/26
"'Vjay' Goes FREE On iPhone (and iPad)"?RazorianFly?7/26
"Shutterfly For iPad 2.0 Features Product Ordering And Photo Filtering"?AppAdvice?7/26
"Sky takes on Apple and Netflix with super-cheap Now TV streaming box"?The Verge?7/26
"Channel 4 brings offline viewing to 4oD for Android and iOS"?Engadget?7/26
"Google Kills Google+ Local For iOS, App Now Pulled From iTunes App Store"?TechCrunch?7/26
"Google+ Local for iOS will be pulled on August 7th after being integrated into Google Maps"?The Next Web?7/26
"Google+ Local for iOS has one foot in the grave, will rest in peace August 7th"?Engadget?7/26
"4OD for iOS and Android gets offline viewing"?The Inquirer?7/26
"Gravity Evolved iOS App Release"?prMac?7/26
"Biber and Red Boots HD released for iOS - Interactive Children's App"?prMac?7/26
"BA Financial Calculator Pro 3.0 Emulates TI BA II Plus Professional Now"?prMac?7/26
"Awem launches Golden Trails 2 HD for iPad"?prMac?7/26
"Information of iPhone/iPad app Backyard - Release Info"?prMac?7/26
"Blast Virus - An Exciting Mobile Gaming App"?prMac?7/26
"Western Bar - Retro Classic LCD Game is now out"?prMac?7/26
"Mr Tiger the House Spider - Animoolz Interactive Children's Book"?prMac?7/26
"Memorability - Visual Storytelling App for iPad Released on App Store"?prMac?7/26
"Free Bible Trivia Word Game Now Available for iPad"?prMac?7/26
"Famous Movies for iPad: 20 Pixel-Art Puzzles for Every Cinema Fan"?prMac?7/26
"Dragons Rage 2 Hits The China App Store With A Fiery Chinese Edition"?prMac?7/26
"Available Now - Update your Facebook status with a PicUpdate picture"?prMac?7/26
With roughly 200 employees the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a thorn in the side of Internet pirates all over the world. 
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Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
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