Sunday, June 30, 2013

Texas actress indicted for mailing ricin-laced letter to Obama

Shannon Richardson
Shannon Richardson is pictured in this booking photo, courtesy of Titus County Sheriff's Office, made available on June 8, 2013. (REUTERS/Titus County Sheriff's Office/Handout)

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AUSTIN - A Texas actress was indicted and charged with sending ricin-laced letters to U.S. President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday.

Shannon Guess Richardson, 35, of New Boston, Texas, was arrested on June 7.

A federal grand jury accused her in a three-count indictment of mailing the letters to Obama, Bloomberg and Mark Glaze, the director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group founded by Bloomberg that lobbies for stricter gun laws.

She faces up to five years in federal prison on each charge if convicted, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney John Bales of the Eastern District of Texas.

The letters read, in part: "You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face," according to court documents.

Richardson, who has played minor roles on television, had tried to blame her husband for sending the letters, prosecutors have said.

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/28/texas-woman-indicted-for-mailing-ricin-laced-letter-to-obama

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Egypt protests set for showdown, violence feared

By Alastair Macdonald and Tom Perry

CAIRO (Reuters) - Mass demonstrations across Egypt on Sunday may determine its future, two and half years after people power toppled a dictator they called Pharaoh and ushered in a democracy crippled by bitter divisions.

The protesters' goal again is to unseat a president, this time their first freely elected leader, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi. Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - have signed a petition calling for change.

But with the long dominant, U.S-funded army waiting in the wings, and world powers fearing violence may unhinge an already troubled Middle East, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood and militant allies pledge to defend what they say is the legitimate order.

Several people have been killed, including an American student, and hundreds were wounded in days of street fighting.

Mursi calls opponents bad losers backed by "thugs" from the rule of Hosni Mubarak. He is banking on the "Tamarud - Rebel!" coalition fizzling out, as other challenges in the streets have done since he took power a year ago on Sunday.

An economic crisis deepened by unrest and political deadlock may spur many less partisan Egyptians to join the rallies, due to start in the afternoon in Cairo. But many, too, are weary of turmoil and are skeptical that the opposition's demand to reset the rules of the new democracy is better than soldiering on.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Egyptians to focus on dialogue. His ambassador to Egypt has angered the opposition by suggesting protests are not helping the economy.

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

"We all feel we're walking on a dead-end road and that the country will collapse," said Mohamed ElBaradei, former U.N. official, Nobel laureate and liberal party leader. "All Egypt must go out tomorrow to say we want to return to the ballot box, and build the foundations of the house we will all live in."

'CIVIL WAR'

Religious authorities have warned of "civil war". The army has said it will step in if violence gets out of control but insists it will respect the "will of the people".

Mursi, who on Saturday met the head of the military he appointed last year, interprets that to mean army support for election results. Opponents believe that the army may heed the popular will as expressed on the streets, as it did in early 2011 when the generals decided Mubarak's time was up.

That would depend on a massive turnout, which is uncertain. Islamists suspect that agents of the old order are intent on shedding blood to trigger a military intervention.

In Cairo, thousands of people gathered on Tahrir Square, the seat of the January 25 uprising of 2011, some saying they will camp out until Mursi goes. Others gathered outside the presidential palace several miles away, which was under heavy guard.

In a nearby suburban neighborhood, the Muslim Brotherhood and allies who include former militant organizations, have set up camp outside a mosque. Guarded by baton-wielding civilians in protective clothing, the Islamists say they will defend Mursi.

Both sides say they want to avoid violence but that has not prevented incidents in which the Brotherhood says several of its offices around the country have been attacked and at least five of its supporters killed in the past week.

"It will be imperative for peaceful protesters to clearly separate themselves from the thugs that use them as cover," an aide to Mursi said. "And it will be more important for the leaders calling for these protests to back away from the language of violence and demonization."

On Saturday evening, Mursi hosted representatives of the Islamist political parties that have been backing him on the streets for a meeting on the "current internal situation," a statement from the presidency said.

Mursi stressed the role of state institutions in protecting citizens and public and private facilities, it said.

Attendees from all of the major Islamist political forces in the country affirmed their adherence to "legitimacy," the statement read, echoing the word used by many Islamists in their recent rallies in support of the elected president.

U.S. CONCERN

The United States has evacuated non-essential diplomatic staff and families and Obama said protecting U.S. missions was a priority. He was criticized at home when the ambassador to Libya was killed last year in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi.

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

Among these is the Suez Canal. Cities along the vital global waterway are bastions of anti-government sentiment. A bomb killed a protester in Port Said on Friday. Beyond the canal, in the Sinai peninsula which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, a police general was gunned down in an ambush on Saturday.

Visiting the other end of Africa, Obama said in Pretoria: "Every party has to denounce violence ... We'd like to see the opposition and President Mursi engage in a more constructive conversation about how they move their country forward because nobody is benefiting from the current stalemate."

Mursi renewed an offer last week to include opponents in a new panel to review a controversial new constitution and has complained of a media campaign of vilification. The authorities have taken legal action against journalists and owners.

Opponents cite that among evidence that the Brotherhood, suppressed for decades under Mubarak, aims to use its organized, vote-winning power to entrench itself and its Islamic agenda deep in the state, in much the same way as the ousted leader.

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

With much of the Arab world in turmoil after the uprisings that also brought sectarian civil war to Syria, the fate of its biggest nation may be determined by events in the coming days.

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Maggie Fick, Alastair Macdonald, Shadia Nasralla, Tom Perry and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo, Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia and Abdelrahman Youssef in Alexandria; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Alison Williams and Xavier Briand)

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

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Real Estate Rebound - Memphis Daily News

VOL. 6 | NO. 27 | Saturday, June 29, 2013

By Michael Waddell

Updated 2:41PM

The residential and commercial real estate markets are slowly coming back, and residential and commercial real estate attorneys are seeing increased activity thanks to the surge.

Michael Hewgley, chief executive manager and attorney of Mid-South Title, and son Taylor Hewgley talk with Pryor Lott while signing closing documents on her Memphis home. Companies like Mid-South Title have seen business improve along with real estate.

(Daily News/Brian Johnson)

Mid-South Title handles both residential and commercial matters, and the company is seeing a spike in activity, especially in residential, over the past 18 months.

?In February 2012 our orders picked up, and they have not dropped off since,? said Taylor Hewgley, owner and chief operations manager of Mid-South Title. ?In fact, 2012 turned out to be one of the best years we?ve had, even when compared to the bonanza of 2004 through 2006.?

Last year the company opened nearly 1,300 files for an increase of 30 percent to 40 percent over two years prior. The increased activity was due in part to refinancing brought on by interest rates falling to historic lows.

?As the rates fell, we actually refinanced some people three times. Typically if you can improve your rate by a point to a point and a quarter, people are encouraged to refinance,? said Hewgley, who expects some of that activity to lessen as rates begin to creep back up.

To accommodate some of the new business, the company opened a new satellite closing office at the renovated Candy Factory building Downtown in January.

?It?s showing some healthy signs and healthy returns,? Hewgley said. ?It?s a minimal investment, and it?s working out well for us so far.?

The company last opened a new office in Fayette County in October 2006 as business was booming. The anticipation was for its builder clients to head into the submarket.

?Unfortunately, October 2006 is the exact time that our orders began to tail off from a really high volume,? he said. Demand began to drop off, and many builders were left holding lots and unable to secure spec loans.

The downturn forced Mid-South Title to be more nimble in its marketing approach.

?During the downturn, the power that the buyer had over the seller was tremendous, almost to an unhealthy stage.?

?Taylor Hewgley, Owner, Mid-South Title

?At the end of 2007, we had 30 to 35 builders and developers as clients and now we only have five to 10,? he said. ?As those orders dwindled, we had to readjust our efforts to attract more Realtors and mortgage origination lenders.?

Over the past five years after the abruptness of the economic downturn, the cyclical nature of the business has been ?off? thanks to falling interest rates and other factors like the first-time homebuyer credit, according to Hewgley. The drastic drop in home values in 2009 and 2010 diminished the value of the falling rates for some sellers.

?People were afraid to jump into the market or they couldn?t put their house onto the market because they did not want to have to bring money to closing,? Hewgley said. ?It was a very strange, herky-jerky environment. For about 36 months, we really had no idea what the next month was going to bring us.?

Now he thinks buyers who have been on the sidelines for the past few years might have a nest egg saved up to put down significant money for the purchase of a new home.

?During the downturn, the power that the buyer had over the seller was tremendous, almost to an unhealthy stage,? he said. ?We are starting to see that pendulum come back to the middle.?

Jim Warner of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC has represented commercial lenders, landlords and tenants over the past several years and throughout his career. He works primarily with national companies that have a presence in Memphis, particularly in retail shopping centers.

?We?ve seen some large expansions continuing to happen,? said Warner, who cites the redevelopment of the space for anchor tenant Kroger in the Poplar Plaza Shopping Center. ?So selectively there have been projects happening that make great economic sense.?

Martin Tate did have to make some adjustment when the economy went in the tank a few years ago.

?The level of real estate activity dropped off, but our business picked up in other areas,? said Warner, who has been with the firm for 51 years and has specialized in commercial real estate for the past 30 years.

To make up for the constriction in the market, Warner supplemented his workload with general corporate work, including some nonprofit cases. He feels his firm was fortunate to not have to reduce staff during the downturn.

?The types of things we were dealing with several years ago were reflective of the recession, including tenants that were having difficulty staying current on their leases and the refinancing of loans,? Warner said. ?While activity has not come back to the levels prior to 2007, it is beginning to turn, and we are very optimistic about the future.?

Source: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/jun/29/real-estate-rebound/

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Asus VG248QE


Ask any hardcore gamer what matters most and nine out of 10 times you'll get a one-word answer?speed. It's no secret that fast frame rates not only give you smoother game play but they can also give you an edge over those unfortunate souls who have to deal with lag and choppy motion. You can spend thousands on a tricked out gaming rig but if your monitor can't display the action smoothly you're not getting the most out of your hardware investment. With the Asus VG248QE , you don't have to worry about ghosting, lag, or choppy action. This 24-inch gaming monitor offers a 1-millisecond (gray-to-gray) pixel response and a 144Hz refresh rate, and it is 3D capable. Its color accuracy is good (not great) and its stand lets you position the panel in any direction for optimal (and comfortable) viewing. Off angle viewing is less than stellar though, and a few more I/O ports would be nice.

Design and Features
The VG248QE uses a design similar to its bigger sibling, the Asus VG278HE. It sports thin glossy black bezels, a glossy black cabinet, and a matching stand that consists of a round base with a Lazy Susan swivel mechanism and a telescoping mounting arm that offers pivot, height, and tilt adjustability. The base has a 3D logo, signifying that the panel is 3D ready, but as with the Asus VG278HE, the monitor does not come with the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 kit needed to view multi-dimensional content, although you can pick one up online for around $130 or so.

There are six clearly labeled function buttons (including the power switch) nestled beneath the lower bezel on the right side. Several of the buttons act as hot keys for things like picture presets and the GamePlus feature, which offers a game timer and an aiming scope to help zero in on your targets. All three video inputs are digital (HDMI, DisplayPort, dual-link DVI) and all are located at the rear of the cabinet facing downward. They are joined by an audio input and a headphone jack. There aren't any USB ports on this model, nor is there an analog video input or a webcam. However, it does include a set of embedded 2-watt speakers that are moderately loud but slightly tinny sounding.

As with every Asus monitor I've reviewed in recent years, the VG248QE offers Splendid Technology, which is really just a fancy name for picture presets. This monitor has six presets, including Scenery, Standard, Theater, Game, sRGB, and Night View modes. Other picture settings include Brightness, Contrast, Color Saturation, Skin Tone, and Color Temperature. There's also a Smart View setting that adds luminance for side angle viewing, but the view from dead center is compromised when this setting is enabled and is best left disabled.

The VG248QE comes with a dual-link DVI cable and an audio cable but you're on your own when it comes to HDMI and DisplayPort cables. The monitor is covered by a three year parts, labor, and backlight warranty.

Performance
For the most part, the VG248QE is a solid performer. Its color accuracy wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal either. As shown in the chromaticity chart below, the 1920 x 1080 TN panel produced oversaturated greens, but blues and reds were much closer to their CIE (International Commission On Illumination) coordinates. Greens did appear to be a bit heavy in my test photos but not heavy enough to cause tinting.

The VG248QE was able to display almost every shade of gray from the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, but darks shades of gray could have been a bit darker. There was a hint of clipping at the light end of the scale, which is not uncommon for a TN panel.

As is the case with most TN monitors, the VG248QE has relatively narrow viewing angles. There was some color shifting at around 50-degrees from center from the side and the view from the bottom was dark. This becomes more of an issue when the panel is rotated and the bottom angle becomes the left side angle.

The panel's 1-millisecond pixel response and 144Hz refresh rate combined to deliver an outstanding gaming experience. There was no apparent lag or image smearing while playing Burnout Paradise while connected to a PS3 console. Results were similar while playing the PC-based Far Cry 2 and while watching 2012 on blu-ray disc. Panning scenes were crisp and stutter-free.

The VG248QE used 25 watts of power during testing, which is comparable to the BenQ XL2420TX (28 watts). Neither could touch the efficiency of the Viewsonic VG2437mc-LED, which used only 19 watts of power.

The Asus VG248QE is a capable 24-inch gaming monitor that uses 144Hz refresh technology and a speedy 1-ms pixel response to deliver smooth game play. Its viewing angle performance comes up short and it lacks the gear needed for 3D gaming, but if smooth motion handling is a must, this monitor delivers. That said, our current Editors' Choice for mid-sized gaming monitors, the BenQ XL2420TX, also offers very good motion performance and comes with a multitude of I/O ports and a 3D Vision 2 kit, but it'll cost you a couple of hundred dollars more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Uz-H07pq8pw/0,2817,2421205,00.asp

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Obama to Meet With Mandela Family (ABC News)

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China bank regulator says liquidity ample, debt risks manageable


SHANGHAI | Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:16pm EDT

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's chief banking regulator said on Saturday that liquidity in China's banking system is sufficient and pledged to control risks from local government debt, real estate and shadow banking.

Despite a cash squeeze that sent money-market interest rates soaring over the last two weeks, banks have more than enough reserves to meet settlement needs, Shang Fulin, chairman of the Chinese Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), said at a financial forum on Saturday.

"Over the last few days, due to multiple factors, the problem of tight liquidity has appeared in the market. But overall, liquidity in our banking system really isn't scarce," Shang said at a speech to the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai

Shang said total excess reserves in China's banking system totaled 1.5 trillion, which he said was more than double the amount necessary for normal payment and settlement needs.

On the issue of banks' asset quality and, in particular, banks' exposure to local government debt and the real estate market, Shang acknowledged risks but said they were manageable.

"Recently, some international organizations and industry insiders have expressed worry about a slowdown in China's economic growth, local government debt, the real estate market, and related areas," Shang said.

"Currently everyone is fully aware of the risks. As long as we take proper risk control measures, these risks are controllable," Shang said.

On local debt, Shang pledged to closely monitor and control the growth in local borrowing and "alleviate hidden risks".

Outstanding bank loans to local government financing vehicles totaled 9.59 trillion yuan at the end of the first quarter, Shang said.

Amid the cash squeeze earlier this month, CBRC repeated previous orders to banks to report all forms of local government debt exposure to regulators, including funds channeled through wealth management products (WMP).

The central bank, which had let short-term borrowing costs spike to record highs to drive home a message to banks that they could no longer count on cheap cash to fund riskier operations, said it would ensure policy supported a slowing economy. <CN/>

On the topic of WMPs, which have exploded in recent years as households and firms have searched for higher-yielding alternatives to traditional deposits, Shang said the development was positive but also highlighted risks.

"In reality, wealth management products are investment products. Wealth management products are not the same as savings. Investors have to bear investment risk. When banks do these products, are they clearly explaining the risks to investors?" Shang said.

Analysts have said that many WMP investors believe that many products carry an implicit guarantee from state-backed banks, even if no legal guarantee exists.

Bank-issued WMPs totaled 8.2 trillion yuan ($1.34 trillion) by the end of the first quarter, of which 70 percent were invested in the real economy.

Though Shang did not elaborate, the comments implied that the remaining 30 percent was invested in interbank assets, whose explosive growth was a key factor in the recent interbank liquidity squeeze.

On the real estate market, Shang downplayed the risk to the banking system, despite a three-year campaign by the central government to restrain housing prices.

Real estate loans totaled more than 13 trillion yuan by the end of April, of which mortgages comprised about 70 percent, Shang said.

"Chinese people are creditworthy. The non-performing loan ratio on mortgages is extremely low, far below 1 percent," Shang said.

(Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/businessNews/~3/-7o8M5wCjYc/story01.htm

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Pirate3D Printer Exceeds Kickstarter Goal By 14X

pirate3dThe Pirate3D Buccaneer printer has been successfully funded on Kickstarter, reaching $1,418,024 in funds?more than 14 times its original $100,000 goal. The Singaporean startup burst onto the scene in May with news of its relatively inexpensive printer. The Buccaneer cost $347 on Kickstarter, far cheaper than?the?Makerbot Replicator 2.0?at $2,199. For reference, the?Form One, which has just started to ship, set its Kickstarter pledge at $2,299. The printer is pitched as a consumer device, and Pirate3D makes a library of objects available through a drag-and-drop Web-based GUI (graphical user interface), for people unfamiliar with CAD (computer aided design) software to customize objects. You can download its?Android app?to test out the interface. Pirate3D is placing so much emphasis on this interface that it is resting its future survival on its software hopes, said co-founder Roger Chang. “I’m certain you’ll see a fake Buccaneer within the next six months,” he said. Hardware copying is inevitable in this business, and to stem the possibility of being edged out by a fake, the company is planning to outsource the brains of its device, he said. This will allow other hardware makers to produce similar machines, but still plug into Pirate3D’s software library. This will allow it to stay relevant in the industry, and ahead of the copies. The company is working on releasing an SDK (software development kit) for its Smart Objects library as well, to encourage the community to populate the pool of items in it. Over 3,000 machines have been ordered through Kickstarter, and Pirate3D is working with manufacturers in Singapore to get mass production going. The third-party manufacturers are headquartered here, but mass work will be done in China, where their factories are. With any luck, the first prototypes will come out in December, and proper models will start shipping in February next year, said Chang.

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

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Same-sex couples line up to marry in California

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey file for a marriage certificate at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Cynthia Wides, right, and Elizabeth Carey exchange wedding vows at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples have lined up outside City Hall in San Francisco as clerks have resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4-year freeze. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Jen Rainin, left, laughs as her wife Frances holds up their dog Punum after they were married at City Hall in San Francisco, Friday, June 28, 2013. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order Friday afternoon dissolving, "effective immediately," a stay it imposed on gay marriages while the lawsuit challenging the ban advanced through the courts. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, center left, and Todd Saunders, of El Cerrito, Calif., are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, as witnesses Bill Hershon, left, and Sean Boileau watch at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Army Capt. Michael Potoczniak, at left, and Todd Saunders, right, of El Cerrito, Calif., exchange rings as they are married by deputy marriage commissioner John Loschmann, center, at City Hall in San Francisco, Saturday, June 29, 2013. Dozens of gay couples waited excitedly Saturday outside of San Francisco's City Hall as clerks resumed issuing same-sex marriage licenses, one day after a federal appeals court cleared the way for the state of California to immediately lift a 4 ? year freeze. Big crowds were expected from across the state as long lines had already stretched down the lobby shortly after 9 a.m. City officials decided to hold weekend hours and let couples tie the knot as San Francisco is also celebrating its annual Pride weekend expected to draw as many as 1 million people. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(AP) ? Dozens of couples in jeans, shorts, white dresses and the occasional military uniform filled San Francisco City Hall on Saturday as clerks resumed issuing marriage licenses one day after a federal appeals court removed the last obstacle to making same-sex matrimony legal again in California.

Although a few clerk's offices around the state stayed open late on Friday, San Francisco was the only jurisdiction to hold weekend hours so same-sex couples could take advantage of their newly restored right, Clerk Karen Hong said.

A sign posted on the door of the office where a long line of couples waited to fill out applications listed the price for a license, a ceremony or both above the words "Equality=Priceless."

"We really wanted to make this happen," Hong said, adding that her whole staff and a group of volunteers came into work without having to be asked. "It's spontaneous, which is great in its own way."

The timing could not have been better for California National Guard Capt. Michael Potoczniak, 38, and his partner of 10 years, Todd Saunders, 47, of El Cerrito.

Potoczniak, who joined the Guard after the military's ban on openly gay service was repealed almost two years ago, is scheduled to fly out Sunday night for a month of basic training in Texas.

"I woke up this morning, shook him awake and said, 'Let's go," said Potoczniak, who chose to get married in his Army uniform. "It's something that people need to see because everyone is so used to uniforms at military weddings."

The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for gay marriage to return to the nation's most populous state by ruling 5-4 on Wednesday that the sponsors of California's voter-approved ban on same-sex unions lacked authority to defend the measure in court.

Also Wednesday, the Supreme Court overturned the federal law that prevented the government from awarding federal benefits to same sex couples, a decision with extra significance for military couples such as Saunders and Potoczniak.

"It scared me, honestly, before this all happened, that something could happen to me," Potoczniak said, "Things like my body, who would take care of him, even just getting the health insurance...It gives me a lot more peace of mind to know that the Army is taking care of us."

Also waiting to wed Saturday were Scott Kehoe, 34, and his fiancee, Aurelien Bricker, 24. After finding out on Facebook that the city was issuing same-sex marriage licenses Friday, the San Francisco couple rushed out to Tiffany's to buy wedding rings.

"We were afraid of further legal challenges in the state," Kehoe said.

Bricker is a French citizen living in the United States on a student visa, and the couple has contemplated moving to France once he completes his studies next year.

Now that the Defense of Marriage Act has been struck down and California's gay marriage ban lifted, Kehoe can sponsor his husband for U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

Hong said 81 same-sex couples wed in San Francisco on Friday just hours after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order saying it has dissolved a stay it imposed on gay marriages while a lawsuit challenging the ban, known as Proposition 8, worked its way through the courts.

Within hours of the appeals court's action Friday, the two lead plaintiffs who in 2009 sued to overturn Proposition 8, Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier of Berkeley, became the first couple to marry in San Francisco in a hastily arranged ceremony.

The city, home to both a federal trial court that struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and the 9th Circuit, has been the epicenter of the state's gay marriage movement since then-Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered his administration in February 2004 to issue licenses to gay couples in defiance of state law.

A little more than four years later, the California Supreme Court, which is also based in San Francisco, struck down the state's one-man, one-woman marriage laws.

City Hall was the scene of many more marriages in the 4 1/2 months before a coalition of religious conservative groups successfully campaigned for the November 2008 passage of Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages.

Standing amid the beaming couples on Saturday, John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney of the advocacy group Marriage Equality USA looked like proud fathers. The men have been together 26 years, got married in February 2004, had their union invalidated six months later and then became one of the 18,000 couples estimated to have tied the knot in California before Proposition 8 was enacted.

"I don't think getting a license means as much to anyone who hasn't worked so long for it and fought so hard for it," Gaffney said. "It's been a very long engagement."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-29-Gay%20Marriage-California/id-42b2c19d316a4652b2f7f26306d4a512

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Same-sex marriage: 'Inevitable' in light of Supreme Court rulings?

US Supreme Court decisions this week on same-sex marriage didn't settle the issue. But some prominent conservatives say the court set the country on a path to universal legalization of gay marriage.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / June 29, 2013

Jeff Zarrillo and Paul Katami are married by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Friday at City Hall in Los Angeles. Zarrillo and Katami were plaintiffs in the Prop. 8 gay marriage case decided this week by the US Supreme Court.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

Enlarge

In knocking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and effectively doing the same to California?s Prop. 8 ban on same-sex marriage, has the US Supreme Court made it inevitable that gay marriage one day will be legal nationwide?

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Read literally, the two decisions don?t go that far. But many analysts and legal experts ?prominent conservatives among them ? believe that to be true, including Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote an angry rebuttal to the 5-4 majority?s decision on DOMA.

Exactly ten years earlier, Justice Scalia had done the same thing in the high court?s landmark ruling striking down an anti-sodomy law in Texas, which affirmed the right of gay couples to have consensual sex.

Following on from the majority?s ruling in that case, he wrote (again in dissent), ?What justification could there possibly be for denying the benefits of marriage to homosexual couples??

Scalia meant that as a fearful warning, but it turns out that his prediction can only be seen as correct, as this week?s rulings show. And again this time, the most strident conservative voice on the Supreme Court is forecasting the same kind of result, in this case as it relates to the 35 states that prohibit same-sex marriage in their constitutions or state laws.?

?By formally declaring anyone opposed to same-sex marriage an enemy of human decency, the majority arms well every challenger to a state law restricting marriage to its traditional definition,? Scalia wrote in his DOMA dissent.

In his majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy did not use the phrase "enemy of human decency." But he wrote that DOMA ?places same-sex couples in an unstable position of being in a second-tier marriage? and ?humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples.?

The law?s ?principal purpose is to impose inequality,? Justice Kennedy wrote, and he said it had been motivated by ?a bare congressional desire to harm a politically unpopular group.?

Such language, writes Dominic Perella, a Washington lawyer who has argued many cases before federal courts, ?draws a detailed road map for courts to hold that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right nationwide.?

Beyond invalidating DOMA, Mr. Perella writes in a column for MSNBC, ?Justice Kennedy?s majority opinion went much further ? it offered passage after passage that reads like it was lifted straight from an opinion holding that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.?

Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution doesn?t go that far, but he sees something very consequential about the court?s decisions in DOMA and California?s Prop. 8 in any case. ?The rulings will have a modest effect on legal doctrine but a major effect on cultural momentum,? he writes.

?As a practical matter, although not doctrinally, the court seems to imply that a law discriminating against gays ? whether by excluding them from marriage or, implicitly, by doing something else ? is presumed guilty of being based on animus until proven innocent, and so its constitutionality is going to be suspect,? Mr. Rauch writes.

?California ? is a big change all by itself,? he writes. ?The state is so big that it takes the percentage of Americans living in gay-marriage states up to 30 percent, from 18 percent. Soon, when Illinois or a few other states come in, more than a third of the country, by population, will allow gay marriage. If that is not mainstream, nothing is.?

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post foresees the same eventual outcome.

In a column this week about DOMA headlined ?Nationalized gay marriage, now inevitable,? Mr. Krauthammer writes: ?If discriminating (regarding federal benefits) between a gay couple and a straight couple is prohibited in New York where gay marriage is legal, by what logic is discrimination permitted in Texas, where a gay couple is prevented from marrying in the first place? Which is exactly where the majority?s second rationale leads ? nationalizing gay marriage?.?

?This is certainly why David Boies, the lead attorney in the?companion Proposition 8 case, was so jubilant when he came out onto the courthouse steps after the ruling,? Krauthammer writes. ?He understood immediately that once the court finds it unconstitutional to discriminate between gay and straight couples, nationalizing gay marriage is just one step away.?

Although it could have waited up to 25 days, the?Ninth?US Circuit Court of?Appeals on Friday lifted its hold on gay marriages in California while the US Supreme Court considered the case. Within minutes officials were performing same-sex marriages in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities and towns around the state.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/gKTxnK6WEz8/Same-sex-marriage-Inevitable-in-light-of-Supreme-Court-rulings

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FDBV Good - Charged Successfully @ Lake Union Building Seattle WA 98109

Saturday Jun 29
FDBV visited in a: Tesla Model S (Good - Charged Successfully)

worked great. no issues.

Source: http://www.recargo.com/site_reports/19751

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Attacks compound C. African Republic aid crisis

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) ? Fighters in Central African Republic have destroyed dozens of villages since February, compounding a humanitarian crisis that affects the country's entire population of 4.6 million people, human rights and aid groups said Friday.

The organizations said the international community has largely turned its back on a country that was plunged into a new round of instability when the Seleka rebel coalition ousted President Francois Bozize in March.

"The world doesn't seem to notice that the Central African Republic is facing a catastrophic situation," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director for Human Rights Watch. "Seleka fighters are killing civilians and burning villages to the ground while some villagers are dying in the bush for lack of assistance."

Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch researchers confirmed attacks on 34 villages and towns believed to have been carried out by Seleka fighters between Feb. 11 and June 2. The attacks led to the deaths of at least 40 civilians and the destruction of more than 1,000 houses.

Witnesses told the rights groups that the attackers were uniformed Seleka fighters sometimes joined by armed nomadic pastoralists, and that civilians were targeted in the attacks.

"When they entered the village, they started chasing at us (and) shot at people inside their homes or running outside toward the bush," one witness said. "Most of the villagers were shot in the back while running."

A Seleka spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

The rights group said that public security minister Noureddine Adam denied that Seleka fighters were responsible. Central African Republic is now run by a transitional government headed by Seleka leader Michel Djotodia.

"These attacks were perpetrated by other armed groups before our arrival," Adam said. "The Seleka is not involved in this destruction of villages nor in the killings."

Human Rights Watch urged the United Nations Security Council to consider sanctions against Seleka leaders responsible for abuses.

Nine aid agencies issued a joint statement Friday saying the rainy season was exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that has led to severe food shortages. In the last six months, more than 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving them dependent on emergency services, the statement said.

The agencies noted that there was no regular United Nations presence outside the capital of Bangui, and that there was an $80 million funding gap for humanitarian assistance.

"Before the coup, the humanitarian situation in C.A.R. was already dire. Now it's even worse," said Jean-Philippe Marcoux, country director for Mercy Corps, one of the agencies that signed onto the statement.

"Nations must donate now to help the country get back on its feet," he said.

He said that while insecurity remained an issue, with attacks directed at the humanitarian community occurring "every other week," the aid agencies were still able to work.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/attacks-compound-c-african-republic-aid-crisis-114532141.html

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Police: Fla. girl, 8, was victim of predator

Rayne Perrywinkle, right, is consoled at the casket of her daughter, 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, at Paxon Revival Center Church on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Jacksonville, Fla. Cherish, who police say was targeted by a registered sex offender, was abducted and killed last Friday. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

Rayne Perrywinkle, right, is consoled at the casket of her daughter, 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, at Paxon Revival Center Church on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Jacksonville, Fla. Cherish, who police say was targeted by a registered sex offender, was abducted and killed last Friday. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

The casket of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle is brought in before a viewing at Paxon Revival Center Church on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Jacksonville, Fla. Cherish, who police say was targeted by a registered sex offender, was abducted and killed last Friday. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

Rayne Perrywinkle, left, is lead away from the casket of her daughter, 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle, at Paxon Revival Center Church on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Jacksonville, Fla. Cherish, who police say was targeted by a registered sex offender, was abducted and killed last Friday. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

Mourners file past the casket of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle during a viewing at Paxon Revival Center Church on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Jacksonville, Fla. Cherish, who police say was targeted by a registered sex offender, was abducted and killed last Friday. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

(AP) ? When a fellow shopper at a dollar store offered to take Rayne Perrywinkle and her three children to Wal-Mart to buy them McDonald's and buy a dress for her 8-year-old daughter, she graciously accepted.

But police say the man was a predator, not a Good Samaritan, who seized the opportunity to snatch the woman's daughter and kill her. The slaying marked a tragic end to Cherish Perrywinkle's short life, most of which she spent with a mother who fought with the girl's father over child support and custody. Cherish's funeral is Friday.

The man accused of killing the 8-year-old, Donald Smith, had a lengthy rap sheet of convictions for sex crimes against children and had gotten out of prison less than a month earlier. And the sheriff in Jacksonville has said hours passed between the time police learned of the girl's abduction and when the first public alerts were sent, which he blamed on a failure in the chain of command.

The case has saddened and angered folks in Jacksonville, leaving some to wonder: How could this have happened?

"Yeah, it hit us hard," said 26-year-old Katie Weaver, who wiped away tears on a recent day as her two children, ages 6 and 4, left stuffed animals at a roadside memorial for Cherish.

Cherish was born after her mother, an exotic dancer, and her father, a sailor, had a one-night stand in 2004. Perrywinkle, 45, sued the father, Billy Jarreau, 43, for child support three years later, and the two fought for custody of the girl for the rest of her life. They traded accusations over how the girl got head lice and how she was dressed, as well as money.

In April 2010, a court-appointed evaluator recommended that Cherish live with her father ? who, by that time, had moved to California with his new wife. The evaluator wrote that "neither parent was perfect" and acknowledged that it was the hardest case he had ever tackled.

The evaluator said that Jarreau "hasn't shown himself to be a real enthusiastic player in terms of parental involvement," and noted that it might be difficult for Cherish to move across the country away from her mother. But Perrywinkle had some troubling issues, the report noted, including eviction, a lack of money and some admitted mental health issues that led her to make poor choices.

"I fear for the child's future living with Ms. Perrywinkle," wrote evaluator Robert Wood. "I do not make my recommendation lightly. I have given many, many hours of thought to the case."

Despite that recommendation, a Jacksonville judge ruled Cherish should live with her mother.

That same year, down the halls of the very same courthouse, another man's case snaked through the legal system. Donald James Smith, charged with impersonating a state child welfare officer and making an obscene call to a young girl in 2009, attended hearings for years and was eventually found guilty ? but with time served he was ordered to spend only a year in jail.

Smith had been arrested 19 times since 1977. He had been found guilty on lewd and lascivious charges, charges of trying to lure girls in a van and charges of showing pornography to minors.

Richard Kuritz, a Jacksonville defense attorney who is not connected to this case, said that Smith's light treatment on the 2009 charge underscores how difficult it is to prosecute some sex crimes. Jacksonville prosecutors, he said, are not known for seeking light sentences.

"Often times the state's hands are tied and the state will resolve a case for less than what they want because the victim doesn't want to go through the process," he said. And with cases such as the one in 2009 ? where Smith was accused of posing as a state worker and then making an obscene phone call to a girl ? there is little physical evidence.

"The fact that this guy got a decent deal, speaks volumes," Kuritz said. "There must have been a problem with the state's case."

Smith was released May 31 but was still being monitored by authorities as a condition of parole. Officers even checked in on Smith the morning of June 21 in the home he shared with his mother. That same evening, he met Perrywinkle and her children.

According to court records and police reports, Perrywinkle didn't have a car. Police said Smith saw she seemed like she needed money. So he offered to buy the dress for Cherish, who was supposed to fly to California the next day to visit her father, and the family climbed into his van and headed to Wal-Mart.

Surveillance video shows they spent a couple of hours in the store, and Smith then took Cherish with him to buy McDonald's for the family. But they never got the hamburgers ? Smith took Cherish outside, got into his van with her and left, said Jacksonville Police Director Mike Williams.

Perrywinkle called authorities, and an all-night search ensued. Officers compiled a list of nearby sex offenders, and Perrywinkle identified Smith as a suspect.

Nine hours later, Cherish's body was found a few miles away, near a church.

Smith is in jail without bail, awaiting his next court hearing. His public defender did not return a call for comment, and his mother was not home when an Associated Press reporter visited.

Gerald Wilkerson, the attorney for Cherish's father in the custody case, said his client is devastated. Jarreau himself posted about the tragedy on his Facebook page, blaming failures in the "system" for his daughter's death.

On a recent day at Rayne Perrywinkle's home, her boyfriend and the father of her two youngest children, Aharon Pearson, walked outside and asked a reporter, "Do you have the number for Child Protective Services?" He initially thought the state's child welfare agency had taken their children, but later explained he misunderstood Perrywinkle and that the children had been taken only for an interview.

Pearson said things had been hectic because of the need to plan Cherish's funeral. He said his girlfriend wasn't doing well and could not talk at the green home, where three faded, plastic children's tricycles were lined up on the porch.

"She won't eat," he said. "She hasn't eaten for four days."

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-28-Florida-Girl%20Abducted/id-4c2a0b07d5b449089ddb149c853e08cc

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Judge stays on Wash. gay wedding flowers case

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) ? A judge refused to recuse himself Friday in a dispute over a Washington state florist who declined to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding.

Attorneys representing the owner of Arlene's Flowers requested the recusal because of the judge's recent service as a board member for Columbia Basin College, where one of the plaintiffs works.

But Benton County Superior Court Judge Salvador Mendoza rejected the request, saying he interacted with plaintiff Curt Freed during board meetings but does not know him socially and sees no reason to recuse himself.

Mendoza said his wife also has bought flowers from Arlene's Flowers on several occasions.

"That's what happens in small communities," he said.

The Tri-City Herald reported (http://is.gd/aCKveZ ) that two other judges have recused themselves from the case in the past week.

The Washington state attorney general's office sued the shop owner, Baronelle Stutzman, saying she violated consumer protection law by refusing service in March to longtime customers Freed and Robert Ingersoll.

Under state law, it's illegal for businesses to refuse to sell goods, merchandise and services to any person because of their sexual orientation.

Stutzman says she has no problem with homosexual customers but won't support gay weddings because of her religious beliefs.

In addition to the state, the ACLU sued Stutzman on behalf of the Kennewick, Wash., couple.

In other action Friday, Mendoza consolidated the attorney general's lawsuit and the private lawsuit into a single case for purposes of discovery.

A religious freedom group, Alliance Defending Freedom, countersued the state on behalf of Stutzman.

The judge told lawyers representing all sides that he needs time to consider several other motions, including whether the attorney general has jurisdiction in the case.

Janelle Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general, said the judge would rule on the motions during the week of July 8.

Washington voters legalized gay marriage in November. However, protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation were codified in 2006 in one of the first pushes to expand civil rights to the gay community.

___

Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-stays-wash-gay-wedding-flowers-case-234245194.html

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34 sent to hospitals in Las Vegas as record heat parks over West, Southwest

In Los Angeles, heat-related power failures snarled traffic, and in Death Valley, where temperatures hit triple digits, the forecast is could bring a record 129 degrees. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

More than thirty people were taken to hospitals for heat-related injuries and illnesses Friday at a music festival in Las Vegas, authorities said, as a wave of life-threatening blistering temperatures blazed across the West.

Clark County fire personnel treated close to 200 people for heat-related nausea, vomiting and fatigue Friday afternoon and evening at the Vans Warped Tour, an eclectic outdoor music festival at the Silverton Casino off the famous Strip.


Most were given water and taken to shaded areas, but 34 had to be taken to hospitals for further treatment, the fire department said.

"It's pretty intense," said Clark County spokesman Eric Pappa. "We're used to summer temperatures of 100, 105. But we're beyond 100. It's a scorcher."

The high temperature officially hit 117 degrees at Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport ? equaling the airport's record ? Friday as thousands of people streamed to the casino site for the festival. The thermostat fell slightly Saturday, leveling at a still-steamy 105 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.

Records are similarly expected to be broken across the West and the Southwest through the weekend and into next week, the National Weather Service said, thanks to a high pressure "dome" parked over the sprawling region.

Death Valley, Calif., could even top 130 degrees Saturday through Monday, just below the world record high of 134 recorded there on July 10, 1913, The Weather Channel said.

Temperatures in Phoenix are expected to soar between 115 and 120 degrees. In western parts of Arizona, temperatures could reach 125.

Officials in Arizona warned residents to take precautions.

"If you get dizzy or lightheaded, those are some signs of dehydration. If you become confused, that's a real warning sign," Dr. Kevin Reilly of the University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine told NBC station KVOA of Tucson.

In Las Vegas, meanwhile, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for a "life-threatening heat event." Temperatures were expected to match those of a July 2005 heat wave when 17 people died in the Las Vegas Valley.

The extreme weather is expected to reach Reno, Nev., reach across Utah and stretch into Wyoming and Idaho, where forecasters are predicting potentially lethal hot spells. Triple-digit temperatures were forecast during Idaho's Special Olympics in Boise.

Matt York / AP

Runners take advantage of lower temperatures at sunrise Thursday in Mesa, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Organizers urged coaches to prepare their athletes.

"The basic stuff, wearing breathable, appropriate clothes, staying in the shade as much as possible, staying hydrated is obviously a big thing," Matt Caropino, director of sports and training for Special Olympics Idaho, told NBC station KTVB. "We've put in place some misters that we're going to have at our outdoor venues."

The National Weather Service advised people to keep tabs on signs of potentially lethal heat stroke.

"Heat stroke symptoms include an increase in body temperature, which leads to deliriousness, unconsciousness and red, dry skin," it said in a report. "Death can occur when body temperatures reach or exceed 106-107 degrees."

Los Angeles was forecast to peak between the upper 80s and the lower 90s Saturday as inland communities like Burbank edge toward the low 100s. Palm Springs, Calif., no stranger to steamy summers, may peak at 120 degrees, NBC station KMIR reported. Sweltering heat also is expected for the state's Central Valley, according to The Weather Channel.

While the west remains hot and dry, the east is getting lots of rain that has resulted in flash flooding. Some of the worst flooding was in upstate New York where whole neighborhoods remain under water. ?The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.

Commercial airlines were also monitoring conditions because excessive heat can throw flights off course. The atmosphere becomes less dense in extremely high heat humidity, meaning there's less lift for airplanes ? calculations that have to be made individually for every type of aircraft.

Triple-digit heat forced several airlines to bring operations to a halt after Phoenix climbed to 122 degrees in June 1990.

Daniel Arkin of NBC News contributed to this report.

Related:

'It's brutal out there': Weekend heat wave to bake western US

Alaska sweating through brutal blast of heat

Oppressive heat hits West as storms soak East

This story was originally published on

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Ibizious Energy Drink Video to Promote Amnesia Disco Club

This video has been produced to promote Amnesia(probably the most popular disco in Ibiza) and Ibizious, a new brand of energy drink.This spot has come to our attention as it employs every 80?s icon.It gathers all the details a geek would love:Zombies,retro gaming,long hair,pink?everything,you name it and it?s there!

ibizious

Produced by: Lim?n Estudios
Direction by: Ernest Desumbila
Executive producers: Alejandro L?pez, Albert Montero
Edit & postproduction: Lim?n Estudios
Original music and Sound desing: hue-studios.com
Line producer: Alejandro L?pez
Production manager: Jorge Llama
Postproduction coordinator: Albert Montero
DOP: Felipe Contreras Soto
Art director: Iv?n Trivi?o
Stylist: Jess Monterde
Make up: Rub?n M?rmol
Choreography: Les filles f?llen
Production coordinator: Luna Llad?s

Ibizious Energy Drink Video to Promote Amnesia Disco Club

Source: http://en.paperblog.com/ibizious-energy-drink-video-to-promote-amnesia-disco-club-574039/

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'Heat' breaks barriers as female buddy-cop film

Movies

5 hours ago

You have seen movies like ?The Heat.? But you?ve never seen a movie quite like ?The Heat.?

IMAGE: The Heat

Gemma La Mana / AP

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy star in "The Heat," which is perhaps the first-ever buddy cop movie starring two women.

The buddy cop comedy, opening Friday and starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, features a familiar plot, but a new twist. The buddies are both women.

These are not women who brunch and talk about their guy troubles or dream of getting married, or are planning pregnancy. These are tough single women who live for their law enforcement jobs and curse. Well, one does. McCarthy?s Det. Mullins is vulgar and wild and relishes making others uncomfortable. Bullock?s FBI Agent Ashburn is arrogant, uptight and doesn?t have much of a sense of humor. If they remind you of the guys in ?Lethal Weapon? or ?48 Hours,? you?re not alone.

?It?s just a fun comedy that you can swap two men for the women, and in that way it?s remarkable,? said Yael Kohen, author of ?We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy.? ?It really is a very risky movie and exciting in a way. It?s not high-brow like ?Bridesmaids,? which also had an undercurrent of how women behave and relate. This movie doesn?t have any of that.?

When ?Bridesmaids? became a box-office smash in 2011, earning $300 million worldwide, critics declared it the beginning of a new era for women in leading roles. But two years later, most of the comedic roles for women are still of the romantic variety, with a sweet actress paired up with a leading man. ?The Heat,? which was directed by "Bridesmaids" Paul Feig, has now inherited the pressure. Even before the film hit theaters, screenwriter Katie Dippold (?Parks and Recreation?) was put to work on a sequel.

?At the end of the day, it?s a money question,? Kohen said. ?If ?The Heat,? does well, you?re more likely to see more (female buddie comedies) and you?re more likely to see the sequel.?

Comedies with two leading ladies were more popular in the 1980s than they are now, Kohen points out. Bette Midler starred in ?Outrageous Fortune" with Shelley Long in 1987 and in ?Big Business? with Lily Tomlin in 1988. That same year, Rebecca De Mornay and Mary Gross starred in what could have gone down in history as the first female buddy comedy but ?Feds? was a flop so no one remembers it. ?Thelma and Louise? in 1991 broke ground for women in film and had comedic elements though it was essentially a drama.

But, recently, Hollywood has been more apt to pair someone like Kate Hudson with Gael Garcia Bernal than with a female protagonist. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler stood out in 2008 when they starred in ?Baby Mama,? which won its opening weekend and grossed $60 million worldwide. But there hasn?t been a lead comedy female duo since.

?Hollywood thinks that men aren?t going to be interested in seeing the two women on the big screen,? Kohen said. ?They always want a leading man to help the woman open a movie. If ?The Heat,? doesn?t do well, I don?t think it?s necessarily that two women can?t open a movie. It could just be that people are not interested in that particular movie. But we know that?s not how it?s going to be viewed.?

"Heat" screenwriter Dippold, 33, told Kohen in an interview in Marie Claire that she wasn?t thinking about gender barriers or Hollywood tropes when she wrote the script. Growing up, she loved ?Running Scared? and ?Lethal Weapon,? and says, ?I always felt like those guys, the buddy cops, were so cool and badass and funny, and I always wanted to see two women like that.?

In that same vein, Bullock told Marie Claire that she was attracted to the script because Dippold did not restrict her character?s behavior according to gender expectations. "Katie wrote a story that required two human beings to be uncensored and not mind looking like idiots, something both women and men do on a daily basis,? Bullock said.

Bullock must have really liked what she read. Both she and McCarthy signed on to star in the movie just 10 days after Chernin Entertainment bought the script for $600,000. The movie is opening at record speed, only 20 months after Dippold completed the script. But even with such positive buzz, there?s still plenty of doubt among studio executives about whether two women can open an action buddy comedy, Kohen said.

?It?s hard enough to prove that one woman can open a movie let alone a duo,? Kohen said. ?It?s very ballsy for a movie to do and for a studio to make that decision. Executives are usually concerned with whether the audience will be overly estrogenized with two women in the lead. Well, ?The Heat? certainly is not that.?

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/heat-sandra-bullock-melissa-mccarthy-star-first-female-buddy-comedy-6C10472867

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Supreme Court DOMA and Proposition 8 rulings may good for kids, by accident?

The Supreme Court struck down DOMA ? the Defense of Marriage Act ? and handed Proposition 8 back to a lower court ? which both legitimizegay marriage. But, the routes the court took don't suggest a high court pro-gay marriage or pro-child crusade ? yet.

By James Norton,?Guest Blogger / June 28, 2013

William, Knott, 7, son of Kelly Bryson and her wife Erika Knott, right, participates in a celebration rally in Jackson Square in New Orleans after the Supreme Court's decision on the Defense of Marriage Act was published.

AP

Enlarge

If you?ve followed the news over the past week, you've probably noticed a shift in the very definition of the American family. As public opinion and state laws have evolved increasingly to tolerate and embrace gay marriage, so has the legal system ? the Supreme Court this week invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act and effectively ended California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8.

Skip to next paragraph James Norton

Contributing blogger

James Norton got his professional start at the Monitor as an online news producer, before moving over to edit international news during the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Since leaving the Monitor in 2004, he has worked as a radio producer, author, and food blogger.?He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Becca, his son Josiah, and three pleasantly sassy cats: Bartlett, Braeburn, and Nola.

Recent posts

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Gays and lesbians who want to marry and receive recognition under the law are the obvious winners. But that the Court has been expanding marriage recognition, rights, and protection to same-sex couples is a part of a bigger trend ? an expansion of marriage that has positive effects for children specifically, says Adam Pertman, executive director of the Donaldson Adoption Institute in New York.
?
?"The fact is, there's lots of research indicating that the biggest beneficiaries of marriage are children," Mr. Pertman says. "They get social benefits, economic benefits ? they get a big range of benefits from marriage. The list goes on and on."
?
?Pertman, whose organization researches policies that affect adoption and works to improve adoption laws, doesn't think that the court has been swept up in a pro-gay marriage, pro-children crusade. He points to the different ways that justices arrived at their two important decisions this week.
?
?"If you look at it ruling by ruling, the California [Prop 8] ruling, for instance, it has a very different rationale than the DOMA ruling," Pertman says. "Both seem to be saying: 'All families are created equal, and all children should be protected' ? but [the] California [decision] didn't really say that, [it] said the litigants didn't have standing." (The court ruled that proponents of a ban on gay marriage passed by California voters did not have the right to defend that law in federal courts).

The court also ruled that the backers of California's Proposition 8 didn't have standing to challenge lower-court rulings about the 2008 ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in the state.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/How_this_weeks_Supreme_Court_decisions_affect_Pa_NJ.html#Ktv31eVBwAR5XHEP.99 Pertman's stance is that the positive impact on children's lives is a good thing, but one that has come about haphazardly and not through any beneficent design on the part of the country's top court.

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?"The powers that be ? the courts, and the legislatures ? I rarely think they put their money where their mouth is," Pertman says. "What they say is, 'The children are the future, children are our more valuable resource, children are this, children are that,' but the truth is when push comes to shove, it's the adults and adult concerns that take priority."
?
?The story, Pertman suggests, leads back to the ancient currency of Washington: clout.
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?"I wrote an op-ed?saying children don't lobby and children don't vote, and they pay the price for that," he says.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/CeaZXs0TFoc/Supreme-Court-DOMA-and-Proposition-8-rulings-may-good-for-kids-by-accident

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Reader recommendations: One Man Great Enough

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.

By Martha Barkley, Belgrade Lakes, Me. / June 27, 2013

What a joy to find One Man Great Enough by journalist John C. Waugh, a very readable history about Lincoln's road to the Civil War. Reading this book I found out about Albion, Me., martyr Elijah Parish Lovejoy who died in Illinois due to his abolitionist press. I also learned about Vermont legislator Dan Stone who, early on, cowrote with Lincoln early on resolutions opposing slavery. There is so much readable, interesting history in this scholarly book about Lincoln.

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/C500PmalAMM/Reader-recommendations-One-Man-Great-Enough

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