robertneches: June 2012

Saturday 30 June 2012

Riots after police-protesters clash in Mexico City

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Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Riots-after-police-protesters-clash-in-Mexico-City/videoshow/14490930.cms

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Peter Madoff pleads guilty in NYC, blames brother

FILE - In this April 3, 2009 file photo, Peter Madoff, brother of Bernard Madoff, attends his court hearing before judge Stephen Bucaria at Mineola State Supreme Court, in Mineola, N.Y. Madoff will plead guilty on Friday, June 29, 2012, to conspiracy and falsifying records, admitting his role in the multibillion-dollar fraud that destroyed the savings of thousands of investors, prosecutors told a judge on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano, Pool, File)

FILE- In this April 3, 2009 file photo, Peter Madoff exits State Supreme Court in Mineola, N.Y. The brother of Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff will plead guilty on Friday, June 29, 2012, to conspiracy and falsifying records, admitting his role in the multibillion-dollar fraud that destroyed the savings of thousands of investors, prosecutors told a judge on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The younger brother and business partner of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Friday to charges he doctored documents, but insisted he knew nothing about his brother's historic Ponzi scheme and was "in total shock" when he found out about it.

An emotional Peter Madoff, 66, entered the plea in a deal that permits him to remain free on $5 million bail pending his Oct. 4 sentencing. He agreed not to contest a 10-year prison sentence.

"My family was torn apart as a result of my brother's atrocious conduct," he said. "I was reviled by strangers as well as friends who assumed that I knew about the Ponzi scheme."

The plea to charges of conspiracy and falsifying records came in the same Manhattan courthouse where Bernard Madoff was led away in handcuffs in 2009 to serve a 150-year sentence.

Peter Madoff told the judge he was "deeply ashamed and terribly sorry" but that he didn't know about the scam until his brother revealed it in December 2008.

"I was in total shock," he said, adding he had persuaded his wife, daughter, granddaughter and sister to invest millions of dollars that they lost in the fraud. "My world was destroyed. I lost everything I worked for."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa A. Baroni portrayed the younger Madoff as a criminally incompetent chief compliance officer who purposefully deceived the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"He even signed many weeks of compliance reports in one sitting, intentionally changing pens and ink colors to disguise the fact that he had done them at once," she told U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

Madoff became choked up near the end of his statement after he described how he and his brother decided which favored friends, clients and family members should receive the $300 million that remained in the investment company's accounts.

Only weeks before, the clients had been told their roughly $20 billion investment had grown to more than $65 billion.

He said he was "shocked and devastated" by his brother's admission that it was all a fraud, "but nevertheless I did as my brother had said, as I had consistently done for decades. I knew that the conduct was wrong and I am deeply ashamed." The checks never went out.

The plea was consistent with Bernard Madoff's own claims that his brother and two sons were in the dark about his misdeeds.

The FBI nevertheless had been suspicious from the start about the role of Peter Madoff, who had worked side by side with his scheming brother for more than 40 years.

FBI Assistant Director Janice K. Fedarcyk said Peter Madoff played an "essential enabling role" in the scam by certifying fabricated investment results.

"The Madoff investment empire, built on a foundation of deceit, was a house of cards that grew to skyscraper proportions," she said. "As Peter Madoff has admitted today, he was one of the chief architects."

Peter Madoff was released on $5 million bail, secured by $1 million in cash or property, pending sentencing. Prosecutors said Peter Madoff agreed to surrender all his assets.

"Peter Madoff enabled the largest fraud in human history. He will now be jailed well into old age, and he will forfeit virtually every penny he has," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. "We are not yet finished calling to account everyone responsible for the epic fraud of Bernard Madoff and the epic pain of his many victims."

Peter Madoff said he joined his brother's firm after graduating from Fordham Law School in 1970. He was credited with creating a computer trading system for the firm in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was considered groundbreaking at the time.

"I loved my job," he said, adding that his respect and admiration for his brother only grew in subsequent decades as Bernard Madoff became important on Wall Street, eventually becoming chairman of Nasdaq.

A complaint filed in bankruptcy court alleged that the Madoff investment business had transferred more than $77 million to Peter Madoff.

Peter Madoff admitted Friday that he tried to hide millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service.

Baroni said he had engaged in "an enormous tax fraud conspiracy," enabling tens of millions of dollars to be transferred among members of the Madoff family to dodge millions of dollars in taxes, and he arranged for his wife to take a no-show job at the investment firm.

Peter Madoff also said that he withdrew $200,000 from the investment business's accounts even after learning about the fraud so that he could make annual donations to charities.

His plea differed from his brother's appearance three years ago, when numerous investors spoke of their pain after losing their life savings.

On two occasions, Swain asked if any investors wished to speak. None stepped forward.

Since the fraud was revealed, a court-appointed trustee has reached agreements to recover approximately $9.1 billion and has distributed more than $1.1 billion to Madoff's victims.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-29-Madoff%20Plea/id-81ac3f6ef1c243a594634d573df0b4cc

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IRS steps up scrutiny of tax-exempt political groups

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is signaling that it will increase its scrutiny of tax-exempt political organizations, which are becoming a force in elections by raising tens of millions of dollars from undisclosed donors.

The IRS has been corresponding with such groups and is preparing questions to ask them as part of effort to determine whether their fundraising or advertising work runs afoul of tax law. IRS spokesman Terry Lemons said on Thursday the scrutiny will affect a range of tax-exempt groups.

The move comes as such tax-exempt groups - many of which have better-known sister organizations known as "Super PACs," or political action committees - are under criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for using money from anonymous sources to try to influence elections.

Like Super PACs, tax-exempt political groups can raise and spend unlimited funds - in contrast to political campaigns, which may receive only $2,500 per donor each election cycle.

Super PACs, which must disclose their donors, operate independently from campaigns but may release ads that boost or attack specific candidates.

Tax-exempt groups, meanwhile, can qualify under the U.S. tax code as social welfare groups, which allows them to keep their donors private as long as most of their money is spent on so-called "issue ads." Unlike regular political ads, such ads cannot use a candidate's name or likeness and are supposed to be used to educate the public on broad issues or positions.

But some ads released by tax-exempt groups have pushed those boundaries, raising questions about the groups' legal status and calls for them to be forced to disclose their donors, as Super PACs do.

This month, Democratic President Barack Obama's re-election campaign asked the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to force Crossroads GPS, a tax-exempt group founded by former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, to register as a PAC and disclose its donors.

Crossroads - which alongside its Super PAC sister plans to spend up to $300 million on the November elections - has drawn criticism for releasing video ads that Democrats say are more political than educational. One recent Crossroads ad featured an image of Obama and said, "Obama says spend more. We need jobs, not more Washington insider deals."

Such ads seek to avoid being deemed political by the FEC by ending with a call for viewers to take action - such as to write to Obama - rather than call directly for Obama to be ousted from office.

FOLLOWING THE RULES?

A Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday indicated that an IRS probe was under way for large conservative tax-exempt groups such as Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity, which is funded in part by the oil and gas tycoons David and Charles Koch.

"Press reports (Wednesday) are completely misleading and inaccurate," the IRS's Lemons said, adding that the agency's examination of tax-exempt groups is likely to include nonprofits, trade groups and labor unions.

The IRS has the power to revoke the tax-exempt status of such groups, which could trigger a tax bill for them. If the IRS gets its questionnaires to the groups soon, it still would be unlikely to complete any probes until well after the November 6 election.

The IRS declined to comment on specific groups, but some analysts said Crossroads and other Republican-affiliated groups that have been particularly aggressive in fundraising this election season seem likely to be examined.

"Crossroads was formed by people with a long association to the Republican Party. It doesn't seem to advocate for an issue for any other reason other than it has an impact on a political campaign," said Marcus Owens, a former director of the IRS exempt organization division. He estimated that roughly 100 tax-exempt groups could draw scrutiny from the IRS.

Tim Phillips, who runs Americans for Prosperity, said his group has had regular contact with the IRS for several years.

"They occasionally will contact us with a routine question about a disbursement we make," he said. "On occasion there will be a question and we provide an answer to them."

Phillips and leaders of Crossroads and Priorities USA, a Democrat-led nonprofit that supports Obama, have said that they strictly comply with tax laws.

Run by longtime political operatives, the groups are represented by experienced tax lawyers, promising a fire storm of litigation if the IRS decides to investigate any of them.

"Crossroads GPS takes great care to follow all laws governing nonprofit entities," spokesman Jonathan Collegio said. "The IRS has made clear that groups like Crossroads are in the same boat with thousands of nonprofits, labor unions and trade associations across the country."

CONSERVATIVES COMPLAIN

Earlier this year, some smaller, local advocacy groups, many of them affiliated with the conservative Tea Party movement, received IRS questionnaires asking about their qualifications for tax-exempt status.

At the time, some conservatives accused the IRS of playing into liberals' hands by trying to intimidate and silence conservative groups.

Democrats have been increasing pressure on the IRS to step up its oversight.

"(The) IRS has a responsibility to make sure that these groups are not defrauding taxpayers, that they are not abusing the ... charitable organization status pursuing political purposes," U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat who is leading an effort to overhaul campaign finance rules, said at the Reuters Washington Summit this week.

The fuzzy lines surrounding political donations were clear on Wednesday, when New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office is investigating whether the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is complying with rules for tax-exempt groups.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irs-steps-scrutiny-tax-exempt-political-groups-051002109.html

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Shrew Soft VPN

Shrew Soft VPN Client (Free) is a freely available IPSEC client for Windows and Linux machines used to connect to a Virtual Private Network. Organizations are increasingly offering employees remote VPN access to protect their network, data, and applications from outside threats. However, many of the vendor client offerings can be expensive and difficult to install. The Shrew Soft VPN client takes the complexity out of the equation and makes establishing the VPN connection as simple as possible for the end-user.

Shrew Soft's VPN software is a true VPN client in that it connects to an existing VPN server, whether that's from the big giants such as Cisco or Juniper, or from smaller players such as Cisco's Linksys. If you already have a VPN server, then you should definitely consider Shrew Soft. If you don't have a VPN server handy?either as a stand-alone product or as a feature on a firewall or a router?you would be better served looking at one of the all-in-one VPN software such as our Editors' Choices Logmein Hamachi and Comodo Unite. With these products, you can create a VPN connection between individual endpoints and have secure connection on the fly.

Features
Shrew Soft's VPN client is capable of working with VPN servers from several major commercial vendors, including Cisco, Zyxel, and Juniper Networks. The software's website has instructions on configuring the software to work with Adtran NetVanta, Check Point NGx, Cisco ASA, Cisco IOS, Cisco PIX, DrayTek, Fortigate, Fritz!Box, Juniper SSG (with and without certificates), Lancom, Linksys, NetASQ, Netgear, Sidewinder 6.x, Sidewinder 7.x, Sonicwall, and ZyXEL Zywall. There are instructions on the Juniper Networks knowledgebase on configuring the client to work with SRX Services Gateway and ScreenOS firewalls, as well. It can handle Cisco VPN connections that rely on pre-shared keys or certificates (IPSec) or with AnyConnect (SSL VPN).

The client supports a variety of operating systems, including Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, several Linux distributions, and OpenBSD. For organizations with a heterogeneous network, Shrew Soft's software allows them to standardize on one VPN client, regardless of the operating systems running.?

The fact that Macs aren't supported is disappointing. Considering the increasing numbers of Macs in the workplace, having a single client for all platforms would make the software a much stronger competitor.

Some advanced features are supported, including Split Tunneling, Split DNS, Nat Traversal, IKE Fragmentation, Packet Pre Fragmentation, Dead Peer Detection, Hybrid XAuth and automatic client configuration.

Support
The Shrew Soft Website offers a thorough wiki with detailed setup instructions and screenshots on how to configure products from specific vendors. There are how-tos for open source gateways including OpenSWAN, StrongSWAN, m0n0wal, and pfSense.

One thing I like about Shrew Soft is the fact that it supports multiple VPN servers. In a scenario where a user needs to connect to multiple networks, and if they don't have the same type of server, that user would normally have to install client software for each connection. That can easily get messy and difficult, if the tools wind up conflicting with each other. With Shrew Soft, everything is configured easily under one tool, making it easy to switch back and forth.

Installation and Setup
Getting started is a breeze, as the user downloads the desired version for the operating system directly from the website. No registration required. After downloading and installing the software, users can launch Shrew Soft VPN Access Manager.

If the IT department has a Cisco .pcf VPN configuration file already available, the process is even easier. All the user has to do is save the .pcf file somewhere on the local computer, and then go to the VPN Access Manager's File menu to import the file. Once the file has been imported, an icon with the file name will appear on the screen. Click on it once and hit connect to establish a VPN tunnel.

If the .pcf file has an encrypted password, some versions of Shrew Soft VPN may not be able to access that information. You will then need to obtain the required information from the IT department and replace the encrypted password.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/ytEPAv9Kaik/0,2817,2406561,00.asp

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InBev to buy out Modelo for $20.1 billion

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/inbev-buy-modelo-20-1-billion-105259963--finance.html

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Why The EU Summit Was Significant - Business Insider

Markets are soaring after European leaders decided to use European bailout funds to directly recapitalize troubled banks.

They also enacted two smaller measures?an important alteration to the Spanish bank bailout that will encourage investors not to be scared of it and ?120 billion in funds devoted to growth.

Regardless of whether or not investors feel that EU leaders have done enough to adequately address growing concerns about the sustainability of Europe's economy, they have made one major change to their crisis response tactics with this EU summit: they have finally addressed short-term concerns about the shaky European economy.

At previous summits in the last year, EU leaders have talked about long-term measures that?might?help Europe survive way down the road, at this summit they finally admitted that Europe is on the edge of disaster.

Bank recapitalizations,?nonetheless use the European bailout funds?the European Financial Stability Facility and the coming European Stability Mechanism?as they were meant to be used: for directly recapitalizing banks. That is something that EU leaders?in particular, German Chancellor Angela Merkel?have resisted doing in the past, shying away from further bailouts for Southern Europe.

The plan is already depressing borrowing costs for the troubled Spain and Italy by supporting their governments' primary creditors, and it promises to relieve funding pressure for banks.?Admittedly, such plans are in a way counterproductive?as they don't adequately fix the fundamental problems of the EU financial system. Nonetheless, the imminent establishment of a stronger European bank regulator is an important step towards breaking the feedback loop between banks and sovereigns.

Last but not least, the time frame for implementation of this plan is ambitious by European standards, as EU leaders hope to kick in bank recapitalizations by the end of 2012.

In contrast, the fiscal compact EU leaders enacted late last year was an important step towards creating a financially stable monetary union in the long-term, but in the short term it did little but assure investors that austerity would continue.

Clearly, EU leaders are nowhere close to fixing the problems of the eurozone, and these measures are at best a temporary fix. That said, EU leaders have finally done something significant in the short term without waiting for help from the European Central Bank. This is something to be thankful for.

NOW READ:?Spanish And Italian Borrowing Costs Plunge In Wake Of New Rescue Plan?>

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-eu-summit-was-significant-2012-6

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Friday 29 June 2012

US consumer spending and wages flat in May

In this May 6, 2012 photo, people hold their purchases outside a Macy's in New York. Americans were more cautious about spending in May while their income increased only slightly, indicating the faltering job market has stoked fears about the economy's health. The Commerce Department says, on Friday, June 29, 2012, consumer spending showed no gain in May, the weakest figure since spending was unchanged in November. (AP Photo/CX Matiash)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. consumers spent no more in May than in April after seeing almost no gain in their pay. The lack of growth in consumer spending and wages suggests that a faltering job market is slowing the economy.

The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending was unchanged in May. Income growth edged up 0.2 percent, but that was mostly because of gains from investments. Wages, the largest component of income, were essentially flat.

Americans cut back spending on cars and other long-lasting manufactured goods, even though they paid less for gas. Consumers did increase how much they spent on services for the second straight month, one of the few positive signs.

The government also said spending after adjusted for inflation was weaker in April and March than first thought.

Consumer spending drives roughly 70 percent of economic activity. The mostly disappointing report suggests growth in the April-June quarter could be weaker than the previous quarter's modest 1.9 percent annual pace.

Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics, said annual growth in the second quarter could be closer to 1.5 percent.

Job growth has tumbled in the past two months. Consumer confidence has fallen. And growth in manufacturing has slowed, in part because Europe's financial crisis has dampened demand for U.S. exports.

Some economists are hopeful that lower gas prices could lead consumers to spend more this summer.

"Looking ahead, the recent fall in gasoline prices will soon boost real consumption," said Dales. "But a sustained and significant acceleration in consumption growth cannot take place without faster jobs growth too."

Consumer spending on autos and other durable goods fell 0.4 percent in May. Spending on non-durable goods dropped 0.8 percent, mostly because of the lower gas prices.

The declines were offset by an increase in spending on services, which include everything from doctor's visits to rent payments. Service spending rose 0.3 percent in May, the second straight increase.

Joel Naroff, chief economist for Naroff Economic Advisors, said the gains in spending on services are notable because services account for two-thirds of spending and nearly 45 percent of economic activity.

Still, unless pay increases, consumers are likely to remain cautious about spending, he said.

"For people to get back into the malls and showrooms incomes will have to rise faster than we are seeing," Naroff said. "The big problem is wages, which are simply flat lining."

Even though wages didn't rise, Americans had more money to spend in May. After deducting taxes and adjusting for inflation, income rose 0.3 percent ? the biggest monthly increase for that category in two years. It largely reflected the sharp drop in gas prices that has lowered inflation.

Prices tied to consumer spending fell 0.2 percent in May, the biggest drop since June 2010. Excluding volatile food and energy, prices were up a slight 0.1 percent in May and have increased 1.8 percent over the past 12 months. That's below the Fed's 2 percent target for inflation, which gives the Fed more leeway to take steps to boost the economy.

The saving rate increased to 3.9 percent of after-tax income in May. That's up from 3.7 percent in April and the highest level since January.

Gas prices have fallen sharply since peaking in early April at a national average near $4 per gallon. The nationwide average for a gallon of regular was $3.37 on Thursday, according to AAA's daily fuel gauge report.

If gas prices stay low, Americans will have more money to spend this summer on other goods, from autos and furniture to electronics and vacations, that fuel economic growth. Gasoline purchases tend to provide less benefit for the U.S. economy because some of the money goes to oil-exporting nations.

Consumer confidence fell in June for the fourth straight month, according to a closely watched survey from the Conference Board. Worries about the job market have outweighed the benefits of cheaper gas and a gradually improving housing market.

Employers added an average of only 73,000 jobs a month in April and May. The followed three months when the economy created an average 226,000 jobs a month.

The weak job market was a key reason the Federal Reserve last week downgraded its outlook for growth this year. It now expects growth of between 1.9 percent and 2.4 percent in 2012 ? half a percentage point lower than its April forecast.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-29-Consumer%20Spending/id-6fe7ee9eeb6f4d37b783210fbf1775b9

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Hornets select Davis with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, poses with the No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis, of Kentucky, who was selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June, 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Kentucky's Anthony Davis talks to reporters after being drafted No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Hornets during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NBA Commissioner David Stern, left, poses with the No. 2 overall draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, of Kentucky, who was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June, 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Kentucky's Anthony Davis listens to a question before the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June, 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

NBA basketball draftees stand on stage before the draft on Thursday, June, 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? Anthony Davis hugged his college teammate, hugged his coach, and climbed on stage as the No. 1 pick.

Turns out, that was just the start of Kentucky's party at the NBA draft.

The Wildcats became the first school to have the top two picks and tied a record with six players taken overall Thursday night.

After the New Orleans Hornets made the long-expected selection of Davis, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Saying he was nervous even though his selection was no surprise, Davis shared an embrace with Kidd-Gilchrist, seated at a nearby table.

"My arm was shaking and my hands were sweaty. Got up and hugged Michael, my best friend, wanted to hug him for a minute," Davis said. "When my name got called, wanted to make sure he stayed close."

He did ? following Davis as the next player to climb up and shake Commissioner David Stern's hand.

"It's crazy," Davis said moments after Kidd-Gilchrist's selection. "Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully, all of them will go in the first round."

They didn't, the only disappointment for the Wildcats. They settled for four in the first round and a tie with North Carolina, which won the race to four picks ? all in the top 17 selections.

Harrison Barnes (No. 7, Golden State), Kendall Marshall (No. 13, Phoenix), John Henson (No. 14, Milwaukee) and Tyler Zeller (No. 17, Dallas and later traded to Cleveland) all went between Kidd-Gilchrist and the next Kentucky player, Terrence Jones at No. 18 to Houston.

Otherwise, it was the Wildcats' night.

Kentucky got its fourth first-round pick at No. 29 with Marquis Teague, another freshman, who is headed to Chicago as a possible replacement for the injured Derrick Rose. Doron Lamb went 42nd to Milwaukee, and Darius Miller was 46th to New Orleans.

Only UNLV in 1977 had six players drafted ? but none in the first round.

Kentucky coach John Calipari has been criticized for recruiting "one-and-done" players, they stay the required one year and leave, but he looked thrilled hugging his two stars at the start of the night.

It's been a long time since a school made such an impact at the top of the draft.

UCLA had the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in 1969, when Milwaukee took Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ? then Lew Alcindor ? and Lucius Allen went third to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Davis will begin his pro career in the same city where he ended it with a national title. College basketball's player of the year as a freshman was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four despite shooting just 1 for 10 from the field in the championship game, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking six shots in the victory over Kansas.

Davis slipped on a blue and purple Hornets hat above a conservative gray suit that took no attention away from basketball's most famous eyebrow. Davis even attempted to capitalize on the attention his unibrow gets, trademarking "Fear The Brow" and "Raise The Brow" earlier this month.

On the floor, Davis has the agility of a guard ? and he was one only a few years ago.

The 6-foot-10 Davis averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks, becoming a dominant defender after growing 7 inches from the start of his junior year of high school.

A season after the Hornets traded longtime star Chris Paul, Davis is ready to be their centerpiece, since playing for the Wildcats means he is already accustomed to plenty of attention.

"Like I said, at Kentucky we had it all the time, especially the six who played, we had the spotlight all the time," Davis said. "I think it really prepared me."

Charlotte, coming off a 7-59 season and the worst winning percentage in NBA history, had been open to moving the No. 2 pick if it found the right deal. Instead, Michael Jordan's team went with Kidd-Gilchrist, whose selection by the Bobcats was loudly cheered, a sharp contrast from the boos Stern received when he came out to announce the picks.

The new Charlotte swingman played in high school at nearby St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, N.J., and fans chanted "MKG! MKG!" as he walked off the stage. Though he and Davis talked before the draft, they didn't discuss the history the Wildcats were about to make.

"No. I was shocked at first," Kidd-Gilchrist said. "I was shocked. But no, we didn't. We didn't at all."

Florida's Bradley Beal went third to Washington, making it three SEC freshman in the first three picks. Cleveland followed with the surprisingly early pick of Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters at No. 4.

Thomas Robinson of Kansas, who hoped to go second, fell to Sacramento at No. 5. Portland took Weber State's Damian Lillard at No. 6 with its first of two lottery picks, and Barnes was taken seventh by Golden State.

After Washington's Terrence Ross went to Toronto and Connecticut's Andre Drummond to Detroit, the Hornets rounded out the top 10 by taking Duke guard Austin Rivers with a pick they acquired in the Paul trade. Rivers hugged his father, Boston coach Doc Rivers, who came to be with his family instead of with the Celtics, who owned two later first-round picks.

Davis was the only clear-cut pick entering the draft, and there were some early surprises. Players such as Waiters and Ross went higher than expected, while Robinson dropped to the Kings.

"I really didn't know where I was going to end up at, but it is a bit of a surprise," he said, tearing up when talking about his difficult journey that included the deaths of multiple family members in college. "I didn't work out for Sacramento at all, I probably talked to them about once. But I'm here, so I'm meant to be here."

Houston took Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut at No. 12 with its first of three top-20 picks. But the Rockets, who also had the Nos. 16 and 18 picks, were hoping not to use all of them, instead packaging them for an established player after their pursuit of the Lakers' Pau Gasol fell through last year.

The Rockets tabbed Iowa State's Royce White at No. 16, and Terrence Jones two picks later.

Jared Sullinger, once considered a top-10 pick, ended up in a draft free-fall over concerns with his back but was finally taken at No. 21 by Boston. The Celtics followed with Fab Melo of Syracuse, giving them two potential replacements if Kevin Garnett doesn't return.

The NBA champion Miami Heat took forward Arnett Moultrie of Mississippi State at No. 27 with their first-round pick, but traded his rights to Philadelphia for the rights to LSU center Justin Hamilton and a future first-round pick.

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-06-29-NBA%20Draft/id-faf92eaab23f42bebf8d8d0bc54388bc

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Five things to watch right after the health care decision

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-things-watch-health-care-decision-152011480.html

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Thoughts Towards a Better World ? Blog Archive ? #587 ? Dick ...

Dick and Barbara Bernard as Godparents, March, 1965, four months before Barbara's death.

I?m publishing this a few hours before the Big Release of the Supreme Court decision on what has come to be known as ?Obamacare?.

I have no prediction.

All I know is the reality, learned at too young an age, about what it means to be desperately ill and uninsured.

Perhaps someone will read this, and get the message and maybe even change their mind about ?Obamacare? (which I deliberately choose to label ?Obama cares? in the headline.)

Forty-nine years ago, in mid-October of 1963, fresh out of the U.S. Army, I began teaching school in a small school district in northern Minnesota. Medical Insurance, then, was strictly an elective affair. You wanted it, you got it on your own, and you paid for it.

I was 23 years old. I signed up for doctor but not hospital insurance.

My new wife was even younger than I, also a first year teacher in another school district.

Two weeks after I started teaching, Barbara, already feeling ill, went to see the doctor (a few miles north, in Canada), found out that her kidneys were not working right. She had to resign from teaching two months into her contract. She was pregnant. We began a new unplanned-for life.

Three weeks later, President Kennedy was assassinated.

Those years you couldn?t say ?Time out. I think I?ll take some of that hospital insurance now.? Besides, her kidney condition was ?pre-existing?.

We struggled on through almost two years of hell.

There is no heroic way to describe it. We just plodded on through it. At the end of May, 1965, she collapsed in a coma at home. She left our town in an ambulance to Bismarck ND; then, in a few days, on to Minneapolis.

At University Hospital they admitted a non-resident patient with no insurance and no ability to pay.

And on July 24, 1965, in Minneapolis, far away from our North Dakota home, Barbara died at University Hospital, not living long enough to receive a kidney transplant, a procedure then in its infancy.

July 29, 1965, on a blustery hilltop in Valley City ND, Barbara was laid to rest. Son Tom, one, was there, as were friends and family.

I came back to the Twin Cities to start the new job I?d received three days before she died. In the fall, as I was preparing to file for bankruptcy, North Dakota Public Welfare came through and paid most of the major medical expense we had incurred. Our bills, while equivalent to over two years of my then-salary, were minuscule compared to today.

My son and I lived with a kind family who provided babysitting for my son, and a room for me, and I worked much of that first year at two jobs. And ultimately survived.

It wasn?t until many years later that I learned that the day after my wife was buried, July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare Act into Law. Now, 47 years later, I have a certain amount of seniority in the wonderful Medicare program.

And we wait for a ruling, momentarily, where some people are hoping that ?Obamacare? will be tossed on the trash heap, and the health safety net, complicated enough as it is, will be made even more fragile.

For years I?ve heard all the arguments about why there shouldn?t be some significant version of National Health. Lately I?ve had to endure a TV ad of some supposed family physician lamenting the evil of Obamacare: that some of her patients might not be able to have their appointments with her anymore; and further asserting, without any supportive data, that Obamacare will drive up health care costs even more.

And I think back to those years of 1963-65, when I was in my twenties, and my wife was dying without insurance, and we were broke.

Whatever happens with the Supreme Court today, the reality will remain, for me, that everybody in this wealthy nation of ours deserves the best in education and health care, regardless of their means.

I?ll be interested in the ruling today?.

BERNARD Barbara and Dick Wedding Jun 63001

Dick Bernard and Barbara Sunde, wedding day, June, 1963

Relevant and related to this post: here.

Source: http://www.outsidethewalls.org/blog/?p=7811

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Energy & Space Exploration

Aerospace and defense systems developer Sir Charles Shults will discuss his work with alternative energy sources, the discovery of new extrasolar planets, the new rover which will land soon on Mars, and the concept of mind uploading into virtual worlds which could lead to a form of immortality.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/C2C-UpcomingShows/~3/XCVBPb5hNH0/02

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List Building Traffic Secrets ? The 3 Best Traffic Tactics to Force ...

There is only one deciding factor which will determine the success of your online business, which is your capability to create targeted web traffic. You simply have to have traffic visit your websites and look at your promotions if you want to make any money online and keep your business alive. It is also vital as to where you get this traffic from, be it from Google, forums etc. Ad copy does make a difference, but it will be dead in the water if it is placed in a web traffic source that is not designed to provide you with qualified traffic.

When you are building your list, remember to keep in mind what type of subscribers would you like to attract to your mailing list. It would be safe to say teenagers are out of the question if you are targeting the make money niche, because teenagers do not have a lot of disposable income. If you want a list which will pay you, you will have to concentrate on markets which have a lot of disposable income to spend.

Below are the 3 greatest traffic building systems to drive your list crazy with subscribers:

1. Article marketing

Article marketing is my favourite free web traffic generation system which is not dependent on others for it to succeed. With article marketing, you choose how much you make and how much potential traffic you attract. Put it like this, the more high class content you create and put out there, the more traffic you will drive to your website.

2. Ezine marketing

Finding targeted ezines which are associated to your particular subject matter and promoting to them is a superb method to obtain laser targeted web traffic. Remember that testing is very important. A number of ezines will only yield average results; some will generate superb amounts of traffic.

3. Joint ventures

Joint ventures ? this is a win-win deal for you, you simply partner up with someone within your particular niche or subject matter. You could do cross-promotions with other online businesses within your marketplace and benefit from each other?s list, leads and customers. Either way JVs are brilliant, but when first starting out beware JVs will be hard to come by.

Source: http://inboxmoneyin.com/blog/list-building-traffic-secrets-the-3-best-traffic-tactics-to-force-leads-into-your-mailing-list/

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Thursday 28 June 2012

First private space telescope may hunt asteroids

Citizens, defend thyselves. A private, non-profit organisation plans to launch a space telescope dedicated to finding deadly asteroids before they find us - a project that governments have been slow to take up.

The B612 Foundation - named for the asteroid that was home to The Little Prince - today announced their plan to build, fly and operate the first private space telescope: an asteroid hunter called Sentinel. The telescope will cost several hundred million dollars, which the foundation hopes to raise through philanthropic donations in the next six years.

"We think this is eminently doable," says Ed Lu, a former NASA astronaut and chief executive officer of B612, who compared the project to funding museums or concert halls. "Their donor base is local. Ours is global. This telescope will be owned by the people of the world."

A little nudge

The inner solar system is teeming with asteroids, millions of which cross Earth's path and are large enough to do serious damage on impact. Astronomers estimate that we have seen just 1 per cent of the asteroids larger than the one that leveled the forests of Tunguska, Siberia in 1908 - half a million are still out there, unseen.

The good news is, there are ways to nudge them out of our path - if we have enough warning. In 2005, Congress directed NASA to find 90 per cent of near-Earth asteroids 140 metres across and larger by 2020 - but a 2010 panel found that existing surveys weren't up to the job.

"Asteroids were being found, but no one was doing anything about what happens if we find one with our address on it," says Rusty Schweickart, emeritus chair of B612 and an Apollo 9 astronaut. "NASA is sort of falling off the edge of a fiscal cliff. We've got 99 per cent of the objects left to go, and unfortunately NASA is not going to be able to do it."

With the success of the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which recently became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station, and suggestions to mine near-Earth asteroids for minerals, privately funded space missions are becoming more realistic.

Looking out for us

Sentinel will conduct its mission to protect humans from meeting the same fate as the dinosaurs from a solar orbit about the same distance from the Sun as Venus. The 50 centimetre wide telescope will look outward towards the Earth and beyond, so that dangerous asteroids will always be fully lit. It will look in infrared wavelengths, where small asteroids that don't reflect much light can be detected by their heat.

The team hopes to launch Sentinel on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2017 or 2018, and keep the telescope in operation for 5.5 years, taking four images of the night sky every 26 days. Lu predicts that it will find more asteroids in its first month than all previous telescopes combined.

"I think that's important, and it's something that we need," says Jose Luis Galache of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Any telescope that's looking for asteroids is a good telescope."

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Pros and Cons of Online Marketing Absolute Web Services Blog ...

New and old businesses are turning to Internet marketing to improve sales, brand awareness and online presence. Still, as with anything, online marketing has some downsides to consider. Here?s a closer look at the pros and cons of online marketing for your business.

Advantages of Internet Marketing

Low-cost promotion strategy. There?s no doubt that Internet marketing requires no large capital investment and there is no physical capital to worry about, as everything is online.

Each a global market. Online marketing also lets your business reach customers around the world. Because your business isn?t limited to a particular geographic location, you can reach a much wider target audience and have a higher chance of success.

Reach your target market easily. Online marketing can also help you reach your target market immediately and potential customers will be able to find you with a quick search.

Convenient payment collections. With e-commerce enabled on your website, you?ll also be able to collect payment easily and conveniently.

24/7 advertising. Your online marketing will be available and visible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Affiliate marketing. You can earn passive income from affiliate marketing combined with your Internet marketing.

Disadvantages of Online Marketing

No instant trust. Because online advertising is everywhere, there is no way for potential customers to tell if the marketing is good or bad. It can take some time for a business marketing online to gain the trust of users.

Competition. One of the biggest downsides to online marketing is the stiff competition. It can be very difficult to make your business and information stand out with companies around the world competing.

Skill and knowledge required. Online marketing today also requires a great deal of knowledge and skill to be successful.

Many businesses find it helpful to consult with or hire an advertising firm or design company to help them with their marketing strategy.

Because online marketing comes with so much competition, it?s worth a second thought before you jump in and try to market your own business online.

Internet marketing offers so many benefits when done properly and helps you connect with a broader customer base.

Avoid wasting your time and money and consider a web design and marketing company to help you stand out and see better sales.

If you would like to learn how Absolute Web can help you in your online marketing strategy or you?re looking for a miami web design company then give us a call today.

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Sharapova, Serena Williams win at Wimbledon

Serena Williams of the United States reacts during a second round women's singles match against Melinda Czink of Hungary at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Thursday, June 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Mardy Fish of the United States returns a shot against James Ward of Britain during a second round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Thursday, June 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Andy Roddick of the United States returns a shot to Jamie Baker of Britain during a first round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during a second round women's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ? On the verge of victory, Maria Sharapova briefly lost her bearings.

Sharapova's old serving problems resurfaced Thursday at Wimbledon, costing her the second set before she recovered to beat dangerous Tsvetana Pironkova, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-0.

The Court 1 match took two days and ended three minutes after Serena Williams concluded her second-round victory on Centre Court, beating qualifier Melinda Czink 6-1, 6-4.

It was a good day for Americans ? Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and No. 126-ranked Brian Baker also advanced, as did No. 28-seeded Christina McHale and Varvara Lepchenko.

The No. 1-ranked Sharapova saved five set points in the first set and led the second set 3-1 when play was halted Wednesday because of darkness. She lost the first two games when the match resumed, and double-faulted on her first three service points in the tiebreaker.

"It felt like two matches in a way," Sharapova said. "Today I wanted to start off really well because I knew I was up a break. Didn't go according to plan. Really served sloppy."

Sharapova underwent shoulder surgery in 2008 and has been prone to double-faults, but in the final set she had no trouble with her serve ? or anything else. She won 21 of the last 27 points and finished with just 11 unforced errors.

Sharapova said she didn't make any major changes down the stretch.

"We were playing with the same balls; I played with the same racket," she said. "I just started doing things a little bit better."

Pironkova, ranked 38th, beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon each of the past two years,

"If she played on grass 365 days a year, she'd be top five probably," Sharapova said. "She has the perfect game for it."

But Sharapova's at her best in winner-take-all sets. She improved her record in three-set matches to 9-0 this year and 21-1 since the beginning of 2011.

She has won 14 consecutive matches, including the French Open this month to complete a career Grand Slam.

While Sharapova battled an erratic serve, with eight aces and 10 double-faults, four-time champion Serena Williams had no such trouble. She won 27 of 28 points on her first serve, including 10 aces, and never faced a break point. Czink twice whiffed on returns.

"I love my serve," Williams said, "and I love feeling good when I serve."

The sixth-seeded Williams could meet Sharapova in the final next week. A 17-year-old Sharapova defeated Williams for the Wimbledon title in 2004.

Roddick advanced to the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 2012 when he beat Bjorn Phau 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-3. Roddick is seeded only 30th and fended off questions in recent months about retirement before he won his fifth grass-court title last week as a wild card at Eastbourne.

"The good patches and the bad patches are all between the ears," Roddick said. "I'm still enjoying myself on the tennis courts, so it's not for anybody else to say whether I can or can't play."

Fish, seeded 10th, needed more than four hours to beat British wild card James Ward, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3. Fish is playing in his first tournament since undergoing a medical procedure in May for an accelerated heartbeat.

Baker, a qualifier whose career was derailed for 6? years by injuries, is into the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. He beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-0, 6-2, 6-4.

"I was definitely not expecting to get through so easily," Baker said.

The 20-year-old McHale advanced to the third round at her fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament when she beat Mathilde Johansson 7-5, 7-5. McHale next plays No. 8-seeded Kerber with a chance to reach the fourth round at a major for the first time.

"I am still not finding my best tennis consistently over the two matches I have played," McHale said. "I still feel I can be a lot more offensive."

Lepchenko, ranked 53rd, advanced to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time by beating No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (4), 6-4.

No. 2-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Romina Oprandi 6-2, 6-0.

British hopeful Andy Murray faced only one break point and beat big-serving Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (4). Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man in 17 years to reach the third round at Wimbledon by beating Florent Serra 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.

Sara Errani committed only five unforced errors and beat Anne Keothavong of Britain 6-1, 6-1. The 25-year-old Errani, an Italian who has blossomed in Grand Slam competition this year, matched her best Wimbledon showing by advancing to the third round.

She was the French Open runner-up this month to Sharapova, and she's 12-2 in major tournaments in 2012. She began this year with a career record of 15-17 at majors.

Playing the day's first match on Court 2, the 10th-seeded Errani erased all three break points she faced and won in 61 minutes. That was a grueling effort compared with Wednesday, when she played only one point to complete a victory suspended overnight because of rain.

No. 7 David Ferrer defeated Kenny de Schepper 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-4 and will next play Roddick. No. 13 Gilles Simon, who stirred debate this week when he said men should be paid more than women at tennis tournaments, lost to Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

Kerber beat Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-3.

Associated Press

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