bollywood entertainment news: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Egyptian TV satirist appears before prosecutors

CAIRO (AP) ? A popular television satirist known as Egypt's Jon Stewart has appeared before prosecutors after an arrest warrant was issued against him for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader.

Several dozen supporters gathered outside the public prosecutor's office Sunday as Bassem Youssef, the host of the weekly show "ElBernameg" or "The Program," arrived a day after the warrant was first reported in the media.

Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. It followed warrants for five prominent anti-government activists accused of instigating violence.

Youssef tweeted a series of quips from the prosecutor's office. "They asked me the color of my eyes. Really," one read.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-tv-satirist-appears-prosecutors-101256553.html

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FCC confident in its mobile phone radiation limits, seeks second opinions

Cast your memory back to last summer. Sweep away memories of iPhone 5 leaks galore, and you might remember that the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) asked the FCC to reevaluate its radiation limits for mobile phones. Now a few seasons later, the FCC has finally wrapped up a report that responds to the GAO, and there are no changes to its RF radiation levels in sight because it feels comfortable with its current caps. "We continue to have confidence in the current exposure limits, and note that more recent international standards have a similar basis," reads the report. However, given that its guidelines were adopted in 1996, new research on radiation and the proliferation of mobile devices, the FCC would like some feedback regarding its restrictions. It's put out a call for comments from concerned parties and even federal health and safety bodies.

Though the freshly-released document didn't rock the proverbial boat, it made one change worth noting. The pinna (outer ear) is now classified an extremity, which means the FCC allows devices to hit the tissue with more radiation. Feel like poring through 201 pages of regulatory minutiae? Click the source link below for the commission's full dossier.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/30/fcc-confident-in-mobile-phone-radiation-limits-seeks-comments/

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

The politics of same-sex marriage constitutional adjudication (Powerlineblog)

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Bloomberg celebrates 10 years of smoke-free NYC bars

Michael Bloomberg (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)NEW YORK?Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a victory lap Wednesday, heralding the 10-year anniversary of a ban on smoking at the city?s bars and restaurants as ?one of the best things that ever happened? to New York.

Enacted in 2003, the Smoke-Free Air Act?one of the first major health initiatives Bloomberg pursued as mayor?was at first mired in controversy. Among other things, opponents argued it would kill the city?s bar and restaurant industry, and hurt tourism.

But at a press conference at Old Town Bar, one of Manhattan?s oldest taverns, Bloomberg insisted those critics were wrong. He credited a nearly 50 percent growth in the hospitality industry to the fact that more people are dining out because they can do so without being around smoke.

Bloomberg also touted stats showing at least 500 cities around the country that have adopted similar bans as proof that New York?and his administration?has been a leader in ?innovative? municipal policies.

?People want to come here because we are healthier,? Bloomberg said, describing the results of the bill as ?very gratifying.? He added, ?I think it?s fair to say that nobody wants to go back to the way things were.?

Bloomberg said at least 10,000 smoking-related deaths have been prevented in New York because of the smoking ban. And he directly linked the smoke-free legislation to stats showing the life expectancy of New Yorkers is longer than ever?80.9 years, three years longer than the national average.

?Back then many people opposed the bill, and they tried to stop it. They said it was taking away people?s rights as though nonsmokers didn?t have the right to breathe clean air. They said it would destroy the restaurant and bar business in the city, as well as our tourism industry. There were dire predictions about how the ban would lead to job losses and tax revenue [losses],? Bloomberg said. ?Well, here we are 10 years later, and we can look back now and see how accurate those four claims were. I think it?s safe to say the Smoke-Free Air Act has been one of the best things that has ever happened to [the] restaurant, bar and tourism industries.?

Bloomberg?s claims were backed up by Gerard Meagher, the owner of Old Town Bar, who said he opposed the ban when it went into effect a decade ago. But speaking to reporters, he pointed to the bar's antique light fixtures and old mirrors, which date back to the tavern's opening in 1892. He said the fixtures used to turn yellow from smoke but now need to be cleaned less. And he said he?s getting more business, in part because people have become used to nonsmoking venues.

?It turned out to be great, not this bad thing that I thought it would be,? Meagher said. At his side, Bloomberg beamed.

Bloomberg?s desire to tout the effects of the smoking ban comes as he?s been criticized as a ?nanny? mayor for continuing to pursue sweeping health policies in the final months of his tenure at City Hall, including limits on the sales of large, sugary drinks. A judge earlier this month threw out the so-called soda ban, saying, in part, that the city had overstepped its powers. The Bloomberg administration is now appealing.

Last week, Bloomberg proposed another citywide regulation, this one requiring retailers to physically hide cigarettes behind counters. The bill was introduced before the City Council last week.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/bloomberg-touts-10-anniversary-nyc-smoking-ban-171125343--politics.html

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Arab League summit showcases Qatar's swagger

Emir of Qatar Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, center, attends the opening session of the Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Syrian opposition representatives took the country's seat for the first time at an Arab League summit that opened in Qatar on Tuesday, a significant diplomatic boost for the forces fighting President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Ghiath Mohamad)

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, center, attends the opening session of the Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Syrian opposition representatives took the country's seat for the first time at an Arab League summit that opened in Qatar on Tuesday, a significant diplomatic boost for the forces fighting President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Ghiath Mohamad)

Khaled Saleh, a spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition, speaks during the opening session of the Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Syrian opposition representatives took the country's seat for the first time at an Arab League summit that opened in Qatar on Tuesday, a significant diplomatic boost for the forces fighting President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Ghiath Mohamad)

Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, left, attends the opening session of the Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Syrian opposition representatives took the country's seat for the first time at an Arab League summit that opened in Qatar on Tuesday, a significant diplomatic boost for the forces fighting President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Ghiath Mohamad)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? Qatar's emir looked over an assembly of Arab leaders Tuesday as both cordial host and impatient taskmaster. His welcoming remarks to kings, sheiks and presidents across the Arab world quickly shifted to Qatar's priorities: Rallying greater support for Syrian rebels and helping Palestinians with efforts such as a newly proposed $1 billion fund to protect Jerusalem's Arab heritage.

No one seemed surprised at the paternal tone or the latest big-money initiative. In a matter of just a few years, hyper-wealthy Qatar has increasingly staked out a leadership role once held by Egypt and helped redefine how Arab states measure influence and ambition.

Little more than a spot to sink oil and gas wells a generation ago, Qatar is now a key player in nearly every Middle Eastern shakeout since the Arab Spring, using checkbook diplomacy in settings as diverse as Syria's civil war, Italian artisan workshops struggling with the euro financial crisis, and the soccer pitches in France as owners of the Paris Saint-Germain team.

As hosts of an Arab League summit this week, Qatar gets another chance to showcase its swagger.

With power, however, come tensions. Qatar has been portrayed as an arrogant wunderkind in places such as Iraq and Lebanon where some factions object to its rising stature, and Qatar's growing independent streak in policy-making has raised concerns among its Gulf Arab partners. It also faces questions ? as do other Gulf nations and Western allies ? over support for some Arab Spring uprisings while remaining loyal to the embattled monarchy in neighboring Bahrain.

"The adage that money buys influence could very well be the motto of Qatar," said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of regional politics at Emirates University outside Abu Dhabi. "But it goes beyond that. Qatar also has learned the value of being flexible and, at the same time, thinking big."

It's hard these days to find a point on the Mideast map without some link back to Qatar.

In recent years, Qatar mediated disputes among Lebanese factions and prodded Sudan's government into peace talks with rebels in the Darfur region. Qatar's rulers even broke ranks with Gulf partners and allowed an Israeli trade office ? almost a de facto diplomatic post ? before it was closed in early 2009 in protest of Israeli attacks on Gaza. And Doha has been atop the Arab media pecking order as headquarters of the pan-Arab network Al-Jazeera, which was founded with Qatari government money in 1996 and is now expanding its English-speaking empire into the United States.

But it was the Arab Spring that opened the way for Qatar to stake out an even bigger role in regional affairs, filling the vacuum for regional powerhouse Egypt as that country was mired in turmoil after the revolution that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Qatar was among the few Arab states offering active military assistance to NATO-led attacks against Moammar Gadhafi's regime in Libya and, at the same time, was a key arms-and-money pipeline for Libyan rebels. In Egypt, Mubarak's fall offered Qatar's rapid-reaction outreach a head start over other Gulf states because of its longstanding ties with the now-governing Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who attended the Doha summit, has turned to Qatar to help prop up the country's stumbling economy.

"We expect that financial pledges will be respected," Morsi said in a message to Qatar and other Arab countries that have promised money for Egypt.

Almost nothing happens in the Syrian opposition without a voice from Qatar, which has played matchmaker for a broader political coalition against Syrian President Bashar Assad and leads appeals to provide rebel fighters more heavy weapons in attempts to turn the tide in the 2-year-old civil war. On Tuesday, Qatar led the official transfer of Syria's Arab League seat from the Assad government to the opposition Syrian National Coalition.

The New York Times reported Monday that the CIA has helped Turkey and Arab governments, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to sharply increase military aid to Syria's opposition in recent months with secret airlifts or arms and equipment. The Associated Press also reported, citing American officials and others, that the U.S. is training secular Syrian fighters in Jordan in a bid to stem the influence of Islamist radicals in the splintered Syrian opposition.

To view Qatar's rise as purely a triumph of extreme wealth gives an incomplete picture, analysts say. True, Qatar's pockets are deep. The most recent budget surplus swelled to $26 billion and Qatar has one of the world's most well-heeled sovereign wealth funds whose acquisitions include stakes in luxury brands such as Tiffany and the Valentino fashion house as well as David Beckham's new club, Paris Saint-Germain.

But Qatar represents a shift in Arab clout toward a new style: A country squarely in the Western-leaning camp, but far more willing to embark on policies and plans that could ruffle the U.S.

"Qatar believes it doesn't have to wait for others to try to shape the direction and conversation in the region," said Theodore Karasik, a security and political affairs analyst at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. "That kind of confidence opens up all kinds of new political equations."

A clear example was a centerpiece of the Arab League summit welcoming address by Qatar's ruler, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who pledged $250 million toward a proposed $1 billion fund to defend the Arab identity and history of Jerusalem against an expanding Israeli presence in traditional Arab districts.

"The Palestinian, Arab and Muslim rights in Jerusalem are not negotiable, and Israel must realize this," the emir said after telling other Arab states that it is their responsibility to kick in another $750 million.

Such Qatar-led initiatives are likely to deepen its influence among Palestinians and, indirectly, appear to further challenge Washington as the main outside policy-shaper in Israel-Palestinian disputes. Last year, Qatar's emir traveled to the Gaza Strip with promises for funds and assistance that also sought to undercut Iran as the principal backer for Hamas.

Hamas on Tuesday welcomed the emir's invitation to meet in Cairo with the rival Palestinian Authority for another round of reconciliation talks, which began last year in Qatar.

"Qatar has money to spend and the political will to use it as an extension of its foreign policy," according to Karasik, the analyst. "That's a powerful combination."

The Qatar government guest book is a case in point.

Qatar has offered debt-battered Italy and Greece separate 1 billion euro ($1.29 billion) funds for small businesses and traditional workshops if the countries match the amount. In the past few months, the prime ministers of Italy and Greece have come calling in Doha with words of thanks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-26-Qatar's%20Clout/id-82192abb889a4598a80910d8028a11bc

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Direct Marketing Day @ Your Desk Recap: Mobile Strategy : Target ...

If you didn?t have the chance to attend Direct Marketing Day @ Your Desk, you missed out. Lucky for you, I wanted to quickly recap my session on creating a successful mobile strategy.

When looking at businesses that are truly successful in mobile, you?ll find everything they do is based off of the Mobile Success Pyramid. This is based off of Bruce Hershey?s "4 Pillars of Mobile Marketing" in that with a pyramid, each section can only be supported by the piece beneath it, making the foundational elements more important.

Let?s look at the pyramid from the bottom up:

At the foundation, you have Strategy.

Strategy is made up of a handful of things:

Who is your customer? If you haven?t already created customer avatars, you should do so in order to have a target marketing message.
What are you trying to accomplish? This is where you identify your business objectives and goals and assess your current marketing strategy.
Why are you in business? What is your mission, unique selling proposition or value proposition?
When do you need to reach the goal? All good strategies have a time associated with them. Give yourself a deadline to reach your goal and create a roadmap to get there.

As you define your objectives, make sure:

They are measurable and quantifiable. Example: Increase sales by 15 percent.
A timeframe is associated to the goal. Example: Increase sales by 15 percent in six months vs. the same six months last year.
Your goal is realistic. Can you really increase sales by 15 percent? If your goal doesn?t mesh with your historical performance or competition, then adjust.

When you put these three together you may have a goal such as: ?Increase sales by 5 percent in six months vs. the same 6-month period last year.?

The next piece of they pyramid is Tactics.

Because you?ve already defined your customer persona, you want to understand how they use their mobile devices. Knowing how each persona uses their mobile devices will lead you to your tactics.

These new mobile personas will offer you the right mix of tactics to generate the most reach and engagement with your customers.

Making our way up the pyramid, we have Integration.

Ultimately, you need to promote your mobile initiatives via other marketing channels. Mobile is the most dependent channel that exists.

Review your media channels and promotional calendars and make sure you have mobile call to actions throughout your media.

Lastly, you need to consider CRM.

This is the most difficult part for marketers today, as most use separate systems. But your goal is to combine all your data from all media channels and create highly targeted messaging campaigns.

Collecting this data throughout the customer journey means you can learn what areas convert the best for each and every customer.

This ends up with you being able to send the right message to the right customer at the right time.

Now it?s on you.

If you are just getting started with mobile, you should complete the pyramid for your own business. Don?t jump right into the tactics as, although it may work in the short-term, you will likely fail in the long run.

So how are you getting started?

Source: http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/blog/direct-marketing-day-your-desk-recap-mobile-strategy

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Meet the 112th | Claire McCaskill Backs Gay Marriage

WASHINGTON ? Support for gay marriage is snowballing among Democrats, as even the more conservative members of the party are coming out in favor of marriage equality. The latest on the list is Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who announced her backing without fanfare in Tumblr post Sunday night.

The full post is below:

The question of marriage equality is a great American debate. Many people, some with strong religious faith, believe that marriage can only exist between a man and a woman. Other people, many of whom also have strong religious faith, believe that our country should not limit the commitment of marriage to some, but rather all Americans, gay and straight should be allowed to fully participate in the most basic of family values.

I have come to the conclusion that our government should not limit the right to marry based on who you love. While churches should never be required to conduct marriages outside of their religious beliefs, neither should the government tell people who they have a right to marry.

My views on this subject have changed over time, but as many of my gay and lesbian friends, colleagues and staff embrace long term committed relationships, I find myself unable to look them in the eye without honestly confronting this uncomfortable inequality. Supporting marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples is simply the right thing to do for our country, a country founded on the principals of liberty and equality.

Good people disagree with me. On the other hand, my children have a hard time understanding why this is even controversial. I think history will agree with my children.

This is the first time McCaskill has publicly supported gay marriage, a Democratic aide confirmed. While it may seem par for the course for a Democrat to be on this side of the debate ? after it played such a prominent role during the party?s 2012 convention ? the fact that even Red State members like McCaskill now feel comfortable coming out in favor of marriage rights for gays and lesbians is significant. At the very least it???s a reflection of how far the conversation has come.

The issue of gay marriage, after all, dogged McCaskill during her 2012 campaign in Missouri, where President Obama?s endorsement of marriage equality was met with silence among some moderate Democrats.

Source: http://www.meetthe112th.com/latest-news/claire-mccaskill-backs-gay-marriage/

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Police: No hazardous material at Berezovsky site

LONDON (AP) ? Chemical and radiation experts found no hazardous materials in their search of the property where Boris Berezovsky's body was found, as British police on Sunday investigated the unexplained death of the self-exiled Russian tycoon who went from Kremlin kingmaker to fiery critic.

Berezovsky, who fled to Britain in the early 2000s after a bitter falling out with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was found dead Saturday at the property in Ascot, a town 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of London. He was 67, and Thames Valley police say his death is being treated as "unexplained."

Police said Sunday that officers specially trained in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials have given the scene the "all clear."

"Officers found nothing of concern in the property and we are now progressing the investigation as normal," a statement from police said, adding that the majority of the cordon put in place around the property has now been lifted.

Berezovsky ? who had survived a number of assassination attempts ? amassed a fortune through oil and automobiles during Russia's chaotic privatization of state assets following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

Once a member of Russian President Boris Yeltsin's inner circle, Berezovsky fell out with Yeltsin's successor, Putin, and fled Britain in the early 2000s to escape fraud charges that he said were politically motivated.

He became a strident and frequent critic of Putin, accusing the leader of ushering in a dictatorship, and accused the security services of organizing the 1999 apartment house bombings in Moscow and two other Russian cities that became a pretext for Russian troops to sweep into Chechnya for the second war there in half a decade.

Putin's spokesman acknowledged Sunday that the Russian president considered Berezovsky an enemy with clearly stated intentions to fight.

"We know for certain that he spared no expense in support of processes, within Russia and beyond, that could be said to have been directed against Russia and Putin," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on the independent cable television channel Rain. "He definitely was Putin's opponent, and unfortunately not only his political opponent, but most likely in other dimensions as well."

In recent years, Berezovsky fended off legal attacks that often bore political undertones ? and others that bit into his fortune.

Russia repeatedly sought to extradite on Berezovksy on a wide variety of criminal charges, and the tycoon vehemently rejected allegations over the years that he was linked to several deaths, including that of slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya and ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Berezovsky won a libel case in 2010 against a Kremlin-owned broadcaster that aired a show in which it was suggested he was behind the poisoning of Litvinenko, who had fled Russia with Berezovsky's help after accusing officials there of plotting to assassinate political opponents.

He took a hit with his divorce from Galina Besharova in 2010, paying what was at the time Britain's largest divorce settlement. The figure beat a previous record of 48 million pounds ($73.1 million) and was estimated as high as 100 million pounds, though the exact figure was never confirmed.

Last year, Berezovsky lost a multibillion-pound High Court case against fellow Russian Roman Abramovich and was ordered to pay 35 million pounds ($53.3 million) in legal costs.

Berezovsky had claimed that Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea Football Club, cheated him out of his stakes in the oil group Sibneft, arguing that he blackmailed him into selling the stakes vastly beneath their true worth after he lost Putin's good graces.

But a judge threw out the case in August, ruling that Berezovsky was a dishonest and unreliable witness, and rejected Berezovsky's claims that he was threatened by Putin and Alexander Voloshin, a Putin ally, to coerce him to sell his Sibneft stake.

It also recently emerged that Berezovsky ran up legal bills totaling more than 250,000 pounds in just two months of a case against his former partner, Elena Gorbunova, with whom he had two children and who claimed the businessman owed her millions.

Earlier this week, The Times of London newspaper reported that Berezovsky was selling property ? including an Andy Warhol portrait of the former Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin ? to settle his debts and pay expenses owed to lawyers.

News of Berezovsky's death has prompted conspiracy theories along with speculation as to his state of mind, given his recent financial setbacks.

Ilya Zhegulev, a journalist with the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, said he spoke with Berezovsky the day before he died and discussed the tycoon's decision to flee Russia in 2000.

The journalist quoted Berezovsky as saying that during his years in London he had lost the meaning of life.

"I no longer want to be involved in politics," Zhegulev quoted Berezovsky as saying in a story published Saturday on the Forbes.ru website.

He said Berezovsky told him that he wanted nothing more than to return to Russia. The former oligarch said he had changed his views on Russia, saying he now understood that it should not look to Europe as a model.

"I had absolutely, idealistically imagined that it was possible to build a democratic Russia. And idealistically imagined what democracy was in the center of Europe. I underestimated the inertia of Russia and greatly overestimated the West. This took place gradually. I changed my understanding of Russia's path," he quoted Berezovsky as having said.

___

AP writer Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report. Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-no-hazardous-material-berezovsky-111027399--finance.html

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Is the Samsung Galaxy S4 racist? Processor variants listed by country

The Galaxy S4?s processor power is racist.

Okay, not really racist, but it will vary by country, in that some countries will get the advanced Samsung 1.6Hz octa-core Exynos 5 CPU while others will have to do with a Galaxy S4 powered by the 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, instead.

For an understanding of the difference between the quad-core and octa-core, think of it as the number of cylinders in a car ? the more the number of cylinders in a car engine, the better (read: faster) the performance.

In the case of processor cores too, an octa-core processor implements multiprocessing in a single physical package, i.e., multiple cores can run multiple instructions at the same time, increasing overall speed for programs being run on the device, in this case the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone.

In a nutshell, more cores translate into the ability to run more programs at the same time, faster response time for programs, and (this one is up for debate) longer battery life. It is understood that the battery gets saved if/when the device switches to lower numbers of cores when running less power-hungry apps and programs while during running intensive and/or multiple programs, it powers up all the available cores, if necessary.

Back to the Galaxy 4. During the launch of the Galaxy S4 [http://www.emirates247.com/news/galaxy-s4-takes-the-smartphone-battle-to-iphone-s-home-turf-2013-03-17-1.498652], Samsung had revealed that its new spearhead will come in two avatars, one powered by a Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and the other with its proprietary octa-core Oxynos 5, but did not say who would be getting what.

It has now emerged that the selection of application processor varies by markets, or countries. SamMobile has compiled a list that shows which country gets which model.

The I9500 is the non-LTE Exynos model while the I9505 is the 4G-enabled Snapdragon model. A handful of lucky countries are getting both, including Samsung?s home market South Korea and the UAE.

So, Exynos or Snapdragon in your country? Here?s the list, courtesy SamMobile ? not Samsung, so take it with a pinch of salt until Samsung officially confirms or denies this.

Africa

Afghanistan: GT-I9500

Algeria: GT-I9500

Egypt: GT-I9500

Kenya: GT-I9500

Libya: GT-I9500

Morocco: GT-I9500

Nigeria: GT-I9500

Asia / Middle East

Bangladesh: GT-I9500

China: GT-I9500

Hong Kong: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

India: GT-I9500

Indonesia: GT-I9500

Iran: GT-I9500

Iraq: GT-I9500

Kazakhstan: GT-I9500

Korea: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Malaysia: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Nepal: GT-I9500

Pakistan: GT-I9500

Philippines: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Russia: GT-I9500

Saudi Arabia: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Singapore: GT-I9505

Sri Lanka: GT-I9500

Taiwan: GT-I9500

Thailand: GT-I9500

Turkey: GT-I9500

United Arab Emirates: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Uzbekistan: GT-I9500

Vietnam: GT-I9500

Australia

?Australia: GT-I9505

Europe

Austria: GT-I9505

Baltic: GT-I9505

Belgium / Luxemburg: GT-I9505

Bosnia and Herzegovina: GT-I9505

Bulgaria: GT-I9505

Croatia: Not disclosed yet

Cyprus: GT-I9505

Czech Republic: GT-I9505

France: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Germany: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Greece: GT-I9505

Italy: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Macedonia: GT-I9505

Nordic Countries: GT-I9505

Poland: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Romania: GT-I9505

Russia: GT-I9500

Portugal: GT-I9505

Serbia: Not disclosed yet

Slovakia: GT-I9505

Slovenia: GT-I9505

Spain: GT-I9505

Switzerland: GT-I9505

The Netherlands: GT-I9505

United Kingdom: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Ukraine: GT-I9500
?

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Source: http://www.emirates247.com/business/technology/is-the-samsung-galaxy-s4-racist-processor-variants-listed-by-country-2013-03-24-1.499619

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Monday, March 25, 2013

US to Continue Support of Syrian Opposition

Secretary of State John Kerry says he was sorry to learn that the leader of the Western-backed Syrian opposition coalition has resigned, but that it won't affect the U.S. effort to try to force Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

Mouaz al-Khatib (moo-AZ' al-khah-TEEB'), the leader of the Syrian National Coalition, announced his plans Sunday, citing what he called insufficient international support.

Kerry, who made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday, says the U.S. will continue to work with opposition leadership on the delivery of aid. Kerry told reporters that such a transition in such an opposition group inevitable and that Khatib's departure doesn't change U.S. policy. Kerry said the fight is about, quote, "an opposition that is bigger than one person and that opposition will continue."

Friday, March 22, 2013

Charges unlikely for man who shot at Okla. teens

This photo provided by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Department shows Kenneth Chaffin. Oklahoma authorities say they've issued an alert to national law enforcement to be on the lookout for a 17-year-old boy who left home with guns, up to 2,000 rounds of ammunition and prescription drugs. (AP Photo/Pottawatomie County Sheriif's Department)

MAYPEARL, Texas (AP) ? A Texas sheriff said Thursday that he does not expect any charges will be filed against a man who opened fire on two heavily armed Oklahoma teenagers during an attempted home invasion on his ranch.

Kenneth Chaffin, 17, and Dillon King, 18 ? both of Bethel Acres, Okla. ? died Wednesday afternoon in Maypearl, Texas, authorities said. Their bodies have been sent for autopsies.

Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown said that officials think both teens died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, but said that the homeowner fired two deer rifles and struck one of the teens.

"I'm thoroughly convinced that had they not had a way to defend themselves, it would have turned out a different direction," Brown said.

Early Wednesday, Oklahoma sheriff's officials issued an alert for national law enforcement to be on the lookout for Chaffin, who they said ran away Monday from his home, which is about 35 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The alert said he had stolen his parents' red 1991 Ford Ranger pickup truck, a stash of prescription medication, 17 guns and 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

On Wednesday afternoon, a homeowner in Maypearl ? 35 miles south of Dallas and some 240 miles south of Bethel Acres ? noticed someone was trying to open her back door. She looked out the window and saw an armed man in a camouflage vest. Brown said that the woman called her husband, who was elsewhere but returned home shortly thereafter.

As the two suspects fled toward a field, they fired at the home, which is located in the middle of a fenced-off ranch with donkeys grazing outside.

"The house is full of holes," Brown said.

The husband returned fire and the woman called 911. Sheriff's deputies found one suspect dead in the field and the other inside the stolen pickup truck. No one else was hurt.

Much of the roads leading up to the home are dirt or gravel. Brown said authorities do not know why the teens came to that house.

"Unfortunately, the answers to those questions died when they did, because we don't have a clue why they were out there in that area," Brown said. "It's beyond me why they would be that far out other than they were looking to take something, or do harm."

Pottawatomie County, Okla., Undersheriff J.T. Palmer said Chaffin and King were identified through photographs and because King had distinctive tattoos on the webbing of his fingers.

The teens lived about a mile apart in Bethel Acres but authorities had no idea the two were together when Chaffin was reported missing, Palmer said, adding that King was not reported missing.

"We didn't actually know there was a second one until we got the call from Ellis County, Texas, that two suspects were killed," Palmer said.

Chaffin's father, Roland Chaffin, told The Oklahoman that his son had never been in trouble with the law and had no family problems before he ran away.

"Kenneth was a follower, not a leader. That's what we figure. He followed someone and got in over his head," Roland Chaffin said.

Palmer said Wednesday that Kenneth Chaffin had taken nine handguns, six rifles and two shotguns from his parents' home.

"My son's not an angel. I'm not saying that he is," Roland Chaffin told the newspaper. "But the Kenneth we know was not capable of this."

___

Associated Press writers Justin Juozapavicius in Tulsa, Okla., Ken Miller in Oklahoma City, Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Ark., and Terry Wallace in Dallas contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-21-US-Oklahoma-Teen-Stolen-Guns/id-cfe8887161ac4286b17a8424756fa308

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IKEA meatballs return, minus the horsemeat

Anna Ringstrom , Reuters ? ? ? 10 hrs.

STOCKHOLM - Furniture retailer IKEA's trademark meatballs are returning to the menu after last month's horsemeat scare, with new supply chain controls "from farm to fork," the company's head of foods said on Thursday.

IKEA in February stopped selling meatballs from its main supplier, Familjen Dafgard in Sweden, after tests showed a batch contained horsemeat. The discovery widened a Europe-wide horsemeat scandal that has damaged confidence in the continent's vast and complex food industry.

IKEA Foods Chief Executive Edward Mohr told Reuters in an interview its in-store cafeterias in Sweden, Denmark and Finland started selling meatballs again on Thursday. Meatballs from Familjen Dafgard, which supplies nearly all IKEA stores in Europe, would be back in all stores by mid-April.

"We want to have a traceability standard in place, tracing meat from farm to fork," he said.

"That means we are establishing an auditing scheme for the suppliers and we are taking out certain elements in the supply chain, such as traders. We are also, for example, looking at having slaughtering and deboning together."

Mohr said IKEA had made Familjen Dafgard drop eight of its 15 suppliers, including the importer of the meat that contained horse, and would cut the number of purchasing countries.

The horsemeat found in IKEA's meatballs originated from a Polish abattoir.

Mohr said IKEA would shorten the supply chain to be able to trace all meat back to its origins, and external consultants would inspect all abattoirs in the chain of supply to IKEA.

In the meantime, IKEA has introduced a temporary extensive DNA test scheme to ensure no minced meat products sold at IKEA contain horsemeat, he said. "Each batch is tested."

Europe's horsemeat scandal erupted in January, when testing in Ireland revealed that some beef products also contained equine DNA.

It has since spread across the continent, ensnaring numerous well-known brands, prompting product withdrawals, consumer concerns and government investigations into the region's complex food-processing chains.

Mohr said he did not know which abattoir in Poland had provided IKEA with the horsemeat.

IKEA's meatballs are a popular dish among customers visiting the shops to buy flat-pack furniture and other household goods.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/29d6c9f8/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cikea0Emeatballs0Ereturn0Eminus0Ehorsemeat0E1C8998532/story01.htm

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Why Toothpaste Make Everything Else Taste Bad (and How to Fix It)

Why Toothpaste Makes Everything Else Taste Bad (and How to Fix It) Ever brush your teeth, then take a swig of orange juice only to curse yourself for drinking such a vile combination? Magazine and weblog Mental_Floss explains why this happens, and how to avoid it.

The strong minty flavor is probably part of the problem, as you'd expect, but Mental_Floss notes that it goes deeper than that. Most toothpastes contain sodium laureth sulfate (and its counterparts, sodium lauryl ether sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate), which is responsible for making the toothpaste foam up in your mouth. Its also responsible for everything tasting bad afterward:

While surfactants make brushing our teeth a lot easier, they do more than make foam. Both SLES and SLS mess with our taste buds in two ways. One, they suppress the receptors on our taste buds that perceive sweetness, inhibiting our ability to pick up the sweet notes of food and drink. And, as if that wasn't enough, they break up the phospholipids on our tongue. These fatty molecules inhibit our receptors for bitterness and keep bitter tastes from overwhelming us, but when they're broken down by the surfactants in toothpaste, bitter tastes get enhanced.

Basically, they enhance bitter tastes and inhibit sweet ones, making everything taste bad. There are lots of theories out there, but this is currently the most widely accepted one.

The solution? You could brush your teeth after breakfast, but many dental professionals say it's better to brush beforehand. So, the better option is to search for an SLS-free toothpaste the next time you're shopping. Speaking from experience, an SLS-free toothpaste changes everything?I used one for a little while and never had the "disgusting orange juice" debacle in the morning. Generally it doesn't matter what kind of toothpaste you buy, but if you must brush your teeth before breakfast, buying one without SLS is a good idea. Of course, you could always brush your teeth in the shower, too. Hit the link to read more.

Why Does Everything Taste Bad After You Brush Your Teeth? | Mental_Floss via The Kitchn

Photo by Wagner Cesar Munhoz.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/nht7YH6nL4k/why-toothpaste-make-everything-else-taste-bad-and-how-to-fix-it

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Top teams could be forced to play on the road

FILE - In this March 4, 2013, file photo, Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins (4) celebrates a steal and the subsequent Connecticut foul during the third overtime of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, March 4, 2013, in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame was announced Monday, March 18, to join Connecticut, Stanford and Baylor as a No. 1 seed in the women's tournament, marking the second straight season those four schools were the top seeds. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond, File)

Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw wasn't thrilled when the NCAA women's tournament bracket was released Monday.

Her No. 1-seeded Irish were the latest among the nation's top teams to be put on course for an early round game on an opponent's home court. It's something that's been happening frequently since tournament switched to predetermined sites a decade ago.

"I'm very disappointed that a No. 1 seed wasn't protected," McGraw said. "It makes the regular season seem like it doesn't matter. We earned the right to be a No. 1 seed. The way they had the designated sites is not a fair way to do it ... the top 16 teams need to host. We need to go back to the way that it was done before. But we've got to be able to win, no matter where we're playing."

This year five of the top 12 seeds could potentially play a true road game in the second round. There isn't much that can be done to fix it for now, as women's basketball attendance isn't strong enough to support a move to neutral courts.

That means the Irish, Kentucky, California, Penn State and North Carolina could face home teams with a berth in the regional semifinals on the line.

Notre Dame was hoping to be sent to Columbus, Ohio ? the only one of the 16 sites that doesn't have a host team playing. Instead they will have to travel to Iowa City where a tough second round matchup with host Iowa could be looming.

"We tried to avoid it several different times by putting them on a neutral court, but we just couldn't get the bracket to work," said St. John's associate vice president for athletics Kathy Meehan, who is on the selection committee. "You want to protect the No. 1 seed as much as you can."

The Irish are the only No. 1 seed that isn't hosting the first two rounds. They had played at home in three of the previous four NCAA tournaments. They wanted to host this year but, due to circumstances outside the women's basketball office, they missed the deadline to apply.

All top 16 teams hosted the first couple of rounds in the past, but that was ditched in 2003 and there are no plans to go back to it.

"It's completely our fault that we're not hosting," McGraw said. "We could have. You have to play good teams and so we'll start out with a neutral game and see where we go from there."

If the NCAA tournament somehow did go back to that system they would lose some really good sites. Gonzaga has been one of the most exciting places the past few seasons drawing huge crowds. Sixth-seeded Delaware is hosting for the first time this year and both sessions have been sold out for weeks.

"I've been in every situation, they'll be a lot of pressure on the host team playing on their home court to advance," said North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, who could face Delaware in the second round. "I tell my team the ball's the same size, rim's the same size, the court's similar. You just have to go out and win."

Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb didn't seem to mind having to travel to Lubbock to potentially face Texas Tech in the second round. The Red Raiders are 14-3 at home this season, including wins against tournament teams Kansas, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

"I'm pretty cognizant of the issues that face women's basketball," she said. "We're in a position now where we need to play at home sites in the first two rounds.

"That's part of the reason we played a tough non-conference road schedule to prepare us for this."

Over the past decade, one of the top 12 teams has been forced to play an opponent on their home court 21 times according to STATS. The higher seed has prevailed in 13 of those matchups, including going 3-1 last season. In comparison, over the same span higher seeds that didn't have to play true road games were 80-19, STATS said.

Third-seeded Penn State will travel to LSU for the second straight year and could meet the host team in the second round. Last year the Nittany Lions were a four seed and beat the No. 5 Tigers by 10. They also as a six-seed lost to No. 3 DePaul at home in 2011.

"Being a higher seed playing on a lower seeds home court is one of the inevitable realities of the women's NCAA tournament," Penn State coach Coquese Washington said. "Our program has been on both sides of it. We have hosted higher seeds on our home court and we have had to travel and play on a lower seed's home court. Until our sport grows to the point where playing on truly neutral courts is a reality, we will be stuck with these kinds of situations every year."

Kentucky, which could face host St. John's in the second round, was actually happy to be headed to New York. The second-seeded Wildcats have two players from the area.

"When Queens looked like someplace we could go, clearly with Jennifer (O'Neill) and Jelleah (Sidney) that was the most exciting and attractive place for us outside of going to Columbus where our fans could travel," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said.

___

Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-19-BKW-NCAA-Top-Seeds-Rough-Road/id-985dddddf10c4cbbba64c09eadb99693

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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Living in a sunny climate does not improve vitamin D levels in hip fracture patients

Mar. 19, 2013 ? While it is well known that a majority of hip fracture patients of all ages and both sexes have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D, a new study presented today at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) looks at whether or not living in a warm, sunny climate improves patient vitamin D levels.

Researchers retrospectively reviewed the vitamin D levels of 1,539 patients, including 448 acute hip fracture patients and 1,091 total hip (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) patients, from December 2010 to December 2011 at a major medical center in southern California.

Patients were categorized based on their vitamin D levels -- deficient, insufficient or sufficient -- and according to age and sex. The mean vitamin D levels for the hip fracture and the THR and TKR patients were 26.38 ng/mL and 29.92 ng/mL, respectively. More patients in the hip fracture group were deficient or insufficient (65.8 percent versus 54 percent), and patients age 71 years and older were more deficient or insufficient in the hip fracture group than the joint replacement group (66.7 percent versus 47.13 percent).

Overall, the majority of patients age 18 and older of both sexes with hip fractures had insufficient levels of vitamin D, and those age 71 or older had significantly lower levels than the control group of THA and TKA patients.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/zLkEn698Xms/130319091432.htm

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Saddam's specter lives on in Iraqi landmarks

BAGHDAD (AP) ? The soaring half domes of the Martyr Monument stand out against the drabness of eastern Baghdad, not far from where Saddam Hussein's feared eldest son was said to torture underperforming athletes.

Saddam built the split teardrop-shaped sculpture in the middle of a manmade lake in the early 1980s to commemorate Iraqis killed in the Iran-Iraq War. The names of hundreds of thousands of fallen Iraqi soldiers are inscribed in simple Arabic script around the base.

Today the monument stands as a memorial to a different sort of martyr. In recent years, the Shiite-led government has begun turning it into a museum honoring the overwhelmingly Shiite and Kurdish victims of Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime.

The transformation of the Martyr Monument and other Saddam-era sites highlights Iraq's effort to memorialize those persecuted by the former dictator and purge many symbols of his rule. Yet a decade on from the U.S.-led invasion, Iraqis still grapple with the country's postwar identity and how much should be done to cleanse Iraq of traces of the strongman.

It is a tricky balancing act that risks exacerbating Iraq's already strained sectarian tensions. Many Iraqi Sunnis today feel their sect has been marginalized and unfairly persecuted by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government. For Baghdad, the historical clean-up effort has the added benefit of ridding Iraq of many uncomfortable references to war with Shiite heavyweight Iran, an increasingly important ally.

The Martyr Monument now features mannequins striking gruesome, if not particularly convincing, poses to display firing-squad executions and the unearthing of mass graves. Also depicted here are the poison-gas killings of some 5,000 Kurds by Saddam's forces in the northern town of Halabja 25 years ago this month.

Kifah Haider, spokesman for the government-backed Establishment of Martyrs, which oversees the site, denied that the museum gives preference to certain victims over others.

"We wanted to document the crimes of the former regime," he said. "It's so this generation learns about the crimes they didn't have to live through."

The site plays up the majority Shiites' role in opposing Saddam's rule. Images of turbaned Shiite clerics, including many family members and political allies of Iraq's postwar political elite, gaze down upon visitors. One banner depicts al-Maliki signing Saddam's execution order. Posters show hellish fires superimposed on photos of the ousted leader.

The Martyr Monument is located some 2.5 miles (four kilometers) from Firdous Square, where 10 years ago on live television U.S. Marines memorably hauled down a Soviet-style statue of Saddam, symbolically ending his rule.

Today, that pedestal in central Baghdad stands empty. Bent iron beams sprout from the top, and posters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in military fatigues are pasted on the sides.

But Saddam's grandiose creations live on elsewhere.

The crossed-sword archways he commissioned during Iraq's nearly eight-year war with Iran stand defiantly on a little-used parade ground inside the Green Zone, the fortified district that houses the sprawling U.S. Embassy and several government offices.

Iraqi officials began tearing down the archways in 2007 but quickly halted those plans and then started restoring the monument two years ago. Nevertheless, the hundreds of Iranian soldiers' helmets that once spilled from the base of the sculptures, suggesting an Iranian defeat that never actually happened, were removed.

Other insults to neighboring Iran, with which the postwar Iraqi government has increasingly close ties, have been scrapped too. A statue of a pilot who once stood atop the wreckage of an Iranian fighter jet recently disappeared from downtown Baghdad.

Some Shiites say more needs to be done to exorcise Saddam's specter and that of the now-outlawed Baath party he once led.

"The removal campaign should go on until we get rid of everything that reminds us of this criminal and his party," Shiite lawmaker Ali al-Alaq said.

But other Iraqis fear that too much of Saddam's larger-than-life legacy has already been lost.

Sinan al-Obeidi, a history professor at al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, argues that some Saddam statues and other works should have been kept so future generations can learn what his rule was like.

"If every ruler ... destroyed remnants of the previous era or civilization, then we would not have any antiquities or archaeological sites left to see," he said.

Baghdad-based artist Nassir al-Rubaie understands the desire to rid Iraq of Saddam's statues, but he fears things have gone too far.

"Unfortunately, some of the people who are handling the removal issue have no understanding of the meaning of art," he said.

It was easy to wipe away some traces of the dictator's legacy, like renaming Saddam International Airport ? now Baghdad International ? or Baghdad's double-decker Leader Bridge, now known as Hassanain Bridge in commemoration of two of the holiest Shiite saints. New banknotes without Saddam's portrait began circulating within months of the invasion.

Other relics from Saddam's cult of personality have proved trickier to address.

Religious officials from Saddam's Sunni sect are reluctant to discuss the fate of a Quran allegedly written in blood donated by the leader during the 1990s. The book was once held in a Baghdad mosque previously named "The Mother of All Battles" that has minarets said to resemble Kalashnikov barrels and Scud missiles.

Mahmoud al-Sumaidaie, the deputy head of Iraq's Sunni Endowment, which oversees the sect's holy sites, said it's no longer there. But he was cagey about its current location. He would confirm only that the book is in Iraq and declined a request by The Associated Press to see it.

"We are working hard not to provoke anyone," he said. "A day might come when the country is totally stable and we can show it."

Modern bricks stamped with Saddam's name that were used in heavy-handed reconstruction efforts during his rule still mar the ancient site of Babylon, long associated with the legendary hanging gardens and the Tower of Babel.

One of the few remaining public images of Saddam, in bas relief, stands inside the rarely visited archaeological site ? defaced with graffiti and bullet holes.

Elsewhere in Iraq, some parts of Saddam's legacy have been literally painted over.

In the central square of Baghdad's Sadr City, the sprawling Shiite stronghold once named Saddam City, a large outdoor image of the ousted leader commanding his troops has been replaced with a painting of al-Sadr's father and father-in-law, both ayatollahs.

Iraq is of course not the only country that has had to figure out how to deal with an uncomfortable political past.

Germany outlaws displays of Nazi symbols such as the swastika and SS runic insignia. In post-Soviet Russia and Hungary, officials turned old Communist relics into tourist attractions by gathering them into statue parks. Still, Russians remain divided on whether Vladimir Lenin's mummified corpse, on display in Moscow's Red Square, should be finally laid to rest.

Back at the turquoise-tiled Martyr Monument in Baghdad, visitors said they were moved by the exhibits, which include a graphic film depicting Saddam's crimes. Many were just happy to have a chance to take cell-phone snapshots of themselves with the towering sculpture.

"It's a big contradiction here. He built this monument, and now it's being used to show his crimes," said Abeer Ali, a student at Baghdad's Institute of Applied Arts. But, she added, perhaps the monument's new use is fitting. "Saddam is now giving his victims immortality," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad contributed reporting.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saddams-specter-lives-iraqi-landmarks-064543402.html

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WSON 860 AM / 96.5 FM ? Blog Archive ? Water damage to homes ...

Posted by Bill Stephens, Web Editor | Posted on 03-18-2013

Category : Breaking News, News

Louisville, KY (March 18, 2013) ? As the region begins to shed its winter weather conditions and move steadily toward traditional springtime rains, Kentuckians are reminded that strong storms ? and the potential for floods ? may soon also be on the way. According to the National Weather Service, flooding causes more damage in the United States than any other severe weather related event. Nationally, nearly 100 lives and an average of $5 billion in property losses are lost annually due to flooding. As such, Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) urges homeowners to evaluate the risk for storm damage on their property and take precautionary steps to lessen or eliminate the destructive effects of flooding.

KFB Insurance provides flood coverage through?Southern Farm Bureau?Insurance and the Federal Government?s flood insurance plan.?This coverage protects those in flood plains ? areas prone to flooding that are often near rivers and creeks that rise. During the past five years more than 720 Kentucky home- and farm-owners were protected by flood coverage and, as a result, received approximately $11.25 million in claims payouts to repair their property damages. While many of these claims were the result of several storms occurring in different years, occasionally a single, strong storm powers through the state and causes significant damage to a targeted area. Such was the case in south central Kentucky in May 2010. More than 285 claims and $6.25 million were tallied in that year alone, most of which were caused by a single storm.

KFB knows, however, that homes and farms are not the only sources of claims and property loss when it comes to water damage. During the past five years, KFB Insurance also paid out more than $5.5 million on nearly 700 automobile flood-related claims. Approximately $1.3 million and 215 auto claims were handled by KFB Insurance when widespread flooding hit Jefferson County in August 2009 after a single storm.

While KFB is proud to help so many Kentuckians recover after suffering through storm damage, restoring and replacing property is a hefty venture for those without flood insurance. Most home and farm policies do not automatically include coverage for flooding, so property owners must be aware of flood plains in relation to their homes. Home and farm owners should ask their agent about specifically adding flood coverage to their policies to avoid an expensive disaster when storm waters surge.

Even residents living in areas that are not prone to flooding can make small improvements around the home and farm to help prevent surface water damage, which is typically not covered under a standard insurance policy. Listed below are some helpful tips for making a property more water resistant:

Redirect downspouts away from the foundation of the home and extend the tubing to carry the water further away than the typical gutter system allows.
Keep all gutters and downspouts clear of debris that will cause the roof-lining troughs to fill with excess water, overflow and fall instead onto areas close to the foundation.
Reshape landscaping around the foundations to slope downward, directing water away from the house.
Caulk any cracks seen around the foundation that might allow seepage into a basement or crawlspace.
Unfinished basements walls can be sealed internally with specialty applications found at most home improvement stores, but may require continual review and maintenance over time.
Install a sump pump and foundation drain system to force water out of the area in and directly under a house.

Despite their best efforts, though, homeowners cannot always prevent water damage. For times like those, it is also wise to have copies of important documents and photos of your home, farm and other possessions on file somewhere off site, like a bank safety deposit box, for reference and insurance purposes if personal property is destroyed or washed away.

Of course, flooding can do much more than just damage property ? floods occasionally claim lives, too. The National Weather Service points out that just six inches of water can sweep a person off of his or her feet, and that two feet of water is enough to lift and move a car, even an SUV. More people drown in their cars than anywhere else during a flood. If the water covering the road is more than a few inches deep, it is best to find an alternate route ? even if it takes longer to reach the destination. What appears to be a short drive through rising waters could end up preventing more than just a person reaching the other side of the road ? it could cost a life.

When storms hit Kentucky, it is important to follow news updates on the television or radio and pay attention to the warnings that are issued. As organizations like KFB support Flood Awareness Week (March 18-22) and Severe Weather Awareness Month (March), Kentuckians are also advised to create emergency plans and kits for situations like floods and other natural disasters. To learn more about how to start a plan and what to include in an emergency kit, visit ready.gov.

# # #

Source: http://wsonradio.com/?p=5445

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