Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/252142484?client_source=feed&format=rss
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রবিবার, ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Somalia's al Shabaab rebels pull out of Kismayu bastion
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's al Shabaab rebels retreated from the southern port of Kismayu overnight, the group and residents said, abandoning the last major bastion of their five-year revolt to an offensive by African Union and Somali government troops.
The loss of Kismayu a day after it was attacked by Kenyan and Somali soldiers backed by air strikes will deal a major blow to the al Qaeda-linked rebels, weakening morale and depriving them of revenue from taxing local businesses and shipping.
"We moved out our fighters ... from Kismayu at midnight," al Shabaab spokesman, Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, told Reuters on Saturday, promising to strike back. "The enemies have not yet entered the town. Let them enter Kismayu which will soon turn into a battlefield."
The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) said two regional rebel commanders, Sheikh Hassan Yakub and Sheikh Abdikarim Adow, were killed in air strikes in the city late on Friday and that another five insurgents were killed in combat. Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, told Reuters the rebels had suffered no losses.
Al Shabaab, which formally merged with al Qaeda in February, has pulled out of a number of urban areas including the capital, Mogadishu, in recent months under pressure from African Union (AU)peacekeeping forces and the Somali government.
Kenyan military spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna told Reuters that as of midday on Saturday, his force was in control of the northern half of the city.
Locals confirmed the militants had pulled out under the cover of darkness but said the Kenyan troops, fighting under an African Union peacekeeping force's banner, and Somali soldiers were still camped on the city's outskirts.
Analysts warned against premature celebrations in the wake of the rebels' departure, saying they must have left a few fighters behind.
"This is not an indication of al Shabaab having abandoned armed struggle and there is no evidence they are keen on surrendering. They will continue to be a great nuisance for a very long time," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia expert and an editor with Kenya's Nation Media Group.
The insurgents, who once controlled swathes of the lawless Horn of Africa country, have turned to guerrilla tactics, harrying the weak government of newly-elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with suicide bombings and assassinations.
"NOW WE ARE TERRIFIED"
There were reports of looting in some areas of the city.
"Al Shabaab has not perished, so the worry is what next," said local elder Ali Hussein.
One man who was loudly celebrating the departure of al Shabaab fighters from the city was shot dead, residents said.
"These masked men came from behind him and hit him with several bullets right in the head .... Now we are terrified, everyone in Kismayu is dumb silent. We are afraid to talk on the phone outdoors," said Halima Nur, a mother of three.
Although al Shabaab brought a semblance of law and security in Kismayu, their strict version of Islamic law alienated a huge portion of the population, residents said.
"We hope life will improve if the Somali and AU troops enter the town," said local resident Farah Hussein.
Residents said the fighters who abandoned Kismayu had moved to jungles that lie between Kismayu and Afmadow as well as to other towns north of the port city like Jamame and Kabsuma.
The rebel group, which counts foreign al Qaeda-trained fighters among its ranks, is seen as one of the biggest threats to stability in the Horn of Africa. It has received advice from al Qaeda's leadership, counter-terrorism experts say.
(Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Writing by Richard Lough and Duncan Miriri; Editing by Jason Webb)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/somalias-al-shabaab-pull-last-stronghold-rebels-060649166.html
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শনিবার, ২৯ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
10 companies predicted to disappear in 2013 include NFL Raiders, American Airlines
American institutions such as American Airlines and Avon are destined to "disappear" by 2013, the investment website Wall Street 24/7 predicts.
In its annual feature, the website revealed 10 companies it believes won?t be around anymore after next year.
Included in the list are the airline and makeup manufacturer alongside the Oakland Raiders NFL team.
Here?s their list:
10. Avon: The door-to-door cosmetics company ignores its core market of cosmetics, the website says. It also recently replaced its CEO and its CFO lost his job over a Security and Exchange Commission examination.
Wall Street 24/7 quotes Morningstar analyst Erin Lash: ?Avon is constantly putting out fires rather than proactively moving forward.?
9. Metro PCS: Bigger players T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint-Nextel are pushing the smaller cellular provider from the marketplace. The stock has dropped to $5.86 from a yearly high of $17.84.
8. Oakland Raiders:?OK, the Raiders are going to vanish, they?re just moving back to Los Angeles, the site said.
The NFL team?s stadium contract to play in Oakland expires next year.?Coincidentally, Los Angeles city council just approved plans to pursue a new NFL-ready stadium.
7. Salon.com: The ?pioneering news and commentary? website is swimming in debt, apparently.
It had less than $150,000 cash to end 2011 as it relied on bailouts from Adobe co-founder John Warnock and investment banker Bill Hambrecht.
6. Suzuki:?A bad reputation (not necessarily deserved) and shrinking market share are working against American Suzuki Motor Co.
While Kia and Hyundai take over the low-cost, high-efficiency market, Suzuki chokes on their exhaust.
5. Pacific Sunwear:?Pitching the California lifestyle isn?t paying the bills anymore. The company?s stock price settled at $2.50 on Friday from $23 five years ago.
4. Research in Motion:?A classic example of resting on your laurels caught RIM looking when Apple?s iPhone stormed the market.
But what happened when Google?s Android replaced it as the No. 2 choice?
3. Current TV:?Al Gore?s network is failing fast enough the cable provider Time-Warner is likely to drop it soon.
If you?ve never seen it, Current is ?the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning television and online network? with ?the very best in political commentary, news analysis, and thought provoking programming.?
Now you know.
2. Talbots:?This women?s retailer is a victim to the recession and a competitive marketplace.
1. American Airlines:?Wall Street 24/7 says the airline won?t emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite claims to the contrary.?Selling assets to US Airways is likely to satisfy creditors and unions while competing with the Northwest-Delta and United-Continental mergers.
Last year, the site says it successfully predicted the demise of MySpace, Saab, the Ericsson in mobile company Sony-Ericsson and the A&W portion in Yum! Brands.
However, Wall Street 24/7 also admits missteps.
The site is impressed Nokia and American Apparel are still operating (for now, anyway), although it did admit making bad calls on Sears, Sony Pictures, Soap Opera Digest and Kellogg?s Corn Pops.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business/120929/10-companies-predicted-disappear-2013-raiders-american-airlines-avon
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Ben Affleck 'Flattered' By 'Justice League' Rumors
Actor/director also tells MTV News that 'Daredevil' didn't scare him away from comic book movies forever.
By Kara Warner
Ben Affleck
Photo: MTV News
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1694681/ben-affleck-justice-league.jhtml
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শুক্রবার, ২৮ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
US consumers more confident in September
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Higher stock prices and rising home values boosted a measure of consumer confidence in September to its second-highest level in nearly five years.
The University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment rose to 78.3 this month from 74.3 in August. That's just below May's reading of 79.3, which was the highest since January 2008.
Americans were also more optimistic about future jobs prospects, the survey found. And the number of consumers who expect the economy to keep growing is double the number of those who expect a decline.
The report echoes a survey released Tuesday by the Conference Board that also found a jump in confidence.
But the brighter outlook hasn't yet translated into more spending. Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending barely grew in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.
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Green Pup Bowling | Lake Zurich Sports & Recreation, Food & Drink ...
Green Pup Shelter is a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter organization run by a team of volunteers. The shelter strives to protect dogs by providing adoption services and permanent homes. Services include boarding, spaying and neutering, food, vaccinations and more. Donations and volunteers are welcome.
Source: http://lakezurich.patch.com/events/green-pup-bowling
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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৭ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
EXCLUSIVE -- Arne Duncan Would Stay for 2nd Obama Term
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-arne-duncan-stay-2nd-obama-term-153715065--politics.html
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Murdoch paper hacking plot trial set for next year
LONDON (Reuters) - Two former editors of Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers who had close ties to British Prime Minister David Cameron will face trial late next year at the earliest on charges related to alleged phone-hacking, a court heard on Wednesday.
Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson were among 13 suspects who appeared in court, accused either of conspiring to intercept the voicemail messages of more than 600 people or hindering the police investigation into those claims.
The hearing - at London's Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey - only dealt with administrative matters, not the substance of the allegations. All 13 suspects heard the proposed date for their trial had been set for September 9, 2013.
The hacking scandal has damaged the reputation of Murdoch's global media operations, raised questions about Cameron's judgment and exposed the close relations between British politicians, police and journalists.
Brooks and Coulson were both once editors of the News of the World, a Sunday tabloid that Murdoch abruptly shut down in July 2011 because of allegations that some of its journalists had hacked the phones of celebrities, politicians and crime victims.
By that time, Brooks had been promoted to chief executive of News International, Murdoch's British newspaper business, and was a confidante to the media mogul and a close friend to successive British prime ministers including Cameron.
After leaving the News of the World, Coulson was hired by Cameron, then in opposition, to be his communications chief. Cameron took Coulson into government with him but Coulson later resigned.
None of the accused in the hacking case has yet entered a plea though Brooks and Coulson have indicated they will deny the accusations.
PACKED COURT
The dock at the Old Bailey's wood-panelled Court One, where some of Britain's most notorious criminals have gone on trial, was so full that several of the suspects had to sit on adjacent benches.
Eighteen lawyers in wigs and black gowns, including some of the country's top defence counsel, looked on. Brooks, instantly recognisable with her mane of long red curls was wearing a beige jacket and spoke only to confirm her presence, as did the other suspects.
Joining Coulson and Brooks in the dock were some of the most senior former staff from the News of the World who have been charged with conspiracy to intercept voicemails.
Brooks is also charged, with six others, including her husband Charlie, with conspiring to hinder police investigating the alleged phone-hacking by concealing material from them. Charlie Brooks, a wealthy racehorse trainer, is an old friend of Cameron's who went to the same exclusive private school.
Tight restrictions were imposed on the reporting of the hearing which decided on a timetable for evidence to be disclosed. The court was told that the next hearing for the cases would be on December 12 and 13.
(Reporting by Michael Holden and Peter Griffiths; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-murdoch-editor-brooks-due-court-hacking-plot-002629678.html
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বুধবার, ২৬ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
The HSUS and PetSmart Charities? Announce Pets for Life ...
September?25,?2012
$452,500 given to Ten Local Groups to Help Pets in Under-Served Communities
The Humane Society of the United States and PetSmart Charities? announced that ten local animal care organizations from around the country have been selected to receive the groups? Pets for Life Mentorship program grant, totaling $452,500 for the groups to provide direct, hands-on community outreach training tailored to help pets and pet owners in under-served neighborhoods.
?Just as there are food deserts in under-served communities, there are animal care deserts where pet owners don?t have access to veterinary care, pet supplies, and other services,? said Amanda Arrington, director for The HSUS? Pets for Life program. ?The Humane Society of the United States is pleased to partner with these local organizations and with PetSmart Charities to fill these gaps, and bring critical pet care services to under-served people and pets.?
Learn more about Pets for Life ?
?We?re proud to work with The Humane Society of the United States and these ten very deserving animal welfare organizations to help make a difference in their communities,? said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director, PetSmart Charities, Inc. ?The Pets for Life Mentorship program is a perfect example of our dedication to end pet homelessness by building awareness, engaging communities, and creating and funding lifesaving programs for pets.?
The trainings will be based on The Humane Society of the United States? Pets for Life outreach program and Community Outreach Toolkit, an interactive resource designed to guide animal care service providers and other social welfare advocates to develop and implement strategies to effectively deliver critical information and resources to under-served neighborhoods. The toolkit, which was funded by PetSmart Charities, focuses on outreach to areas where affordable and accessible general pet wellness care, including vaccinations, spay/neuter, dog training, as well as many other services, has not been made readily available.
The toolkit is free and available for any organization to use.
Download the Pets for Life Toolkit ?
The following animal care organizations received the grant from The HSUS and PetSmart Charities:
Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, Wash.???
Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Mo.???
All About Animals Rescue ? Warren, Mich.???
Friends of Animal Care and Control ? Phoenix, Ariz.???
Providence Animal Rescue League, R.I.???
Jefferson Parish SPCA, La.???
Humane Society of Charlotte, N.C.???
Animal Welfare Association ? Camden, N.J.???
Wisconsin Humane Society ? Milwaukee, Wisc.???
Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc. - Des Moines, Iowa???
The grant includes $25,000 for spay/neuter services, $10,000 for community outreach events, $5,000 for microchips and a training visit from The HSUS staff to plan an initial community outreach event. Additionally, Stray Rescue of St. Louis, Friends of Animal Care and Control, Providence Animal Rescue League, Jefferson Parish SPCA, and the Wisconsin Humane Society will receive $10,000 to cover pet care supplies (such as crates and flea/tick medication), and $1,500 for travel to an HSUS Pets for Life city for training. HSUS Pets for Life programs are currently in place in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Through its Pets for Life program, The HSUS extends the reach of animal welfare services, resources and information to people and pets in underserved communities. For more information on the program, click here. To support the program, consider donating your used vehicle to The HSUS, which directs all proceeds from those donations to The HSUS? Pets for Life program. For more information click here ? or call 877-836-6674.
-30-
Media Contacts:
HSUS: Raul Arce-Contreras, 301.721.6440, rcontreras@humanesociety.org
PetSmart Charities: Steve Pawlowski, 623-516-3920, spawlowski@petsmartcharities.org
Source: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/09/pets_for_life_mentorhip_grant_092512.html
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Oil falls as growth worries outweigh positive news
FILE-In this Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, file photo, a man changes fuel prices at a ConocoPhillips gas station in Little Rock, Ark. The price of oil fell to its lowest point in nearly two months Tuesday as persistent worries about the global economy overshadowed encouraging reports about U.S. consumer confidence and housing prices. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
FILE-In this Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, file photo, a man changes fuel prices at a ConocoPhillips gas station in Little Rock, Ark. The price of oil fell to its lowest point in nearly two months Tuesday as persistent worries about the global economy overshadowed encouraging reports about U.S. consumer confidence and housing prices. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
The price of oil fell to its lowest point in nearly two months Tuesday as persistent worries about the global economy overshadowed encouraging reports about U.S. consumer confidence and housing prices.
Benchmark oil dropped 56 cents to end at $91.37 per barrel in New York. That's the lowest price since Aug. 2.
The Confidence Board's latest survey showed consumer confidence was at the highest level since February. That's significant because consumer spending drives about 70 percent of economic activity. But the reading of 70.3 for the Consumer Confidence Index remains well below the 90 that signals a healthy economy.
Separately, the Standard & Poor's/Case Schiller index showed national home prices rose 1.2 percent in July from July 2011.
Oil rose as high as $93.20 in the morning. But the doubts about global and U.S. economic growth ? and oil demand ? that have hung over the market for the past week eventually prevailed. The price of oil has now dropped in six of the past seven trading sessions.
"I don't think that these two reports really suggest that we've seen, you know, any kind of like significant turnaround," said Gene McGillian, a broker and oil analyst at Tradition Energy. "When I saw the consumer confidence level, I was kind of surprised...I'd like to know who these confident consumers are."
The U.S. economy is growing slowly. There also are concerns that Europe's debt crisis will continue to weigh on the global economy. China's export-driven economy has cooled off, largely due to Europe's problems.
At the pump, AAA says the national average price for gasoline increased less than a penny Tuesday to $3.81 per gallon. That's up about 6 cents from a month ago and nearly 31 cents from a year ago.
In other trading, Brent crude, which is used to price international varieties of oil, rose 64 cents to finish at $110.45 per barrel in London.
Other futures prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange:
? Heating oil rose rose 1 cent to end at $3.109 per gallon.
? Wholesale gasoline increased 4.95 cents to end at $2.9671 per gallon.
? Natural gas gained 8.7 cents to end at $2.9240 per 1,000 cubic feet.
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মঙ্গলবার, ২৫ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
RBS to cut further 300 jobs at investment bank
LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland
RBS has abandoned ambitions to be a top global investment bank, bowing to government pressure to exit riskier operations and prepare for tougher international regulations.
The bank, 82-percent owned by the British government after being rescued during the 2008 credit crisis, said in January it would cut 3,500 jobs in its investment banking division.
Of that total, 3,000 will go by the end of this year. Chief Executive Stephen Hester had already axed 34,000 jobs since arriving at RBS in 2008.
In a presentation to investors later on Monday, John Hourican, the head of RBS's markets and international banking business, will tell investors the bank's plans to exit its loss-making cash equities, corporate broking, equity capital markets and mergers and acquisitions businesses are on track.
A recent study said up to 15 percent of the 500,000 jobs in investment banking around the world could disappear in the next five years due to the euro zone crisis and stiffer regulation.
Shares in RBS were trading down 2.25 percent to 269.6 pence at 1155 GMT, meaning Britain is still sitting on a loss of about 21 billion pounds on its stake.
The bank is under investigation by U.S. and UK authorities into its role in an interest rate-rigging scandal and faces punishment over possible breaches of sanctions against Iran.
(Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Steve Slater and David Cowell)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rbs-cut-further-300-jobs-investment-bank-112330981--finance.html
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Common-law, lone-parent families on the rise, census finds | The ...
For the first time, Statistics Canada says there are more people living alone in Canada than there are couples with children. One-person households now make up 27.6 per cent of all homes, a three-fold increase since 1961 that is especially notable in Quebec.
Fewer married couples
Despite a growing population overall, the number of married couples declined outright by 132,715 over the past decade.
Lone-parent families and multiple-family households, on the other hand, were on the rise. Single parents increased by 8.0 per cent from 2006, and more of those parents were fathers ? although eight out of 10 lone parents were still mothers.
Same-sex couples were also on a steep incline, up 42.4 per cent from 2006. About half of these couples were married, while the rest were common-law. Still, same-sex couples only made up 0.8 per cent of all couples in 2011.
And for the first time, Statistics Canada zeroed in on children living in untraditional arrangements.
In Canada?s first-ever national count of foster children, the agency revealed that there were 29,590 of them under the age of 14 in 2011, with the highest predominance in Manitoba, where there is a high First Nations population. Overall, 29 per cent of the country?s foster children were younger than 5, and 30 per cent were between 5 and 9 years old.
More than 17,000 households are involved in taking care of foster children, and more than half of those households had taken in at least two kids.
The pure numbers are only a start in figuring out how best to support some of the most vulnerable children in Canada, researchers say. But now that they are armed with better data, social scientists will be better able to determine the needs of foster children.
?For 10 years, I?ve wanted to track this,? said John Dunn, a former foster child who now advocates on their behalf.
What he needs to get a full picture is more data on how much money is flowing into the household ? information that won?t come until next August.
The census-takers also found that about one in 10 children under the age of 14 lived in some sort of stepfamily.
But such families are so complex that Statistics Canada had to include several diagrams with its census documents in order to better explain where those children came from.
The nuclear family is no longer the norm in Canada. The mom-pop-and-three-kids-under-one-roof model that typified Canadian households of 50 years ago has morphed into a complex and diverse web of family ties involving living alone, re-marriage, stepchildren, empty-nesters and multiple generations sharing a home.
Statistics Canada has released the third tranche of new data from its 2011 census, this time portraying the changes in Canadian families and living arrangements over five decades.
Married couples are in a long-term decline, single parenting has risen persistently, and families have gradually shrunk. The average family was 3.9 people in 1961, when the baby boom was in full swing. Now, it?s 2.9.
?We do see more complexity and definitely more diversity in families,? said Statistics Canada demographer Anne Milan.
Living alone: For the first time, Statistics Canada says there are more people living alone in Canada than there are couples with children. One-person households now make up 27.6 per cent of all homes, a three-fold increase since 1961 that is especially notable in Quebec. Meanwhile, couples with children have continued their decline, down to 26.5 per cent of all households, from 28.5 per cent in 2006.
Just 10 years ago, couples with children under 24 years old made up 43.6 per cent of all families (not including one-person households) ? by far the most typical kind of family.? Now, parents with children make up just 39.2 per cent of families, and a rising proportion of those parents are not officially married. The number of common-law couples surged almost 14 per cent between 2006 and 2011.
For the first time in 2011, Statistics Canada also measured the number of stepfamilies in the country, showing that now one in 10 children lives in some sort of reconstituted arrangement.
?The modern family is changing, and I think it?s a wonderful thing,? said Shannon Kennedy, an Ottawa-based wedding planner who finds herself on the front lines of fluctuating living arrangements on a daily basis. ?The rules of a nuclear family just don?t apply any more.?
In 2011, the most typical family was a couple with no children, continuing a pattern spotted in 2006. Statistics Canada found that 44.5 per cent of families have no kids at home, partly reflecting the aging of the baby-boomer bulge, the leading edge of which has started turning 65.
Overall, there were 9.4 million families in Canada in 2011, a 5.5 per cent increase from 2006.
Special to Asian Connections Newspaper with permission from CBC/Radio -Canada
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সোমবার, ২৪ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Poll: NJ Residents Oppose Expanding Casinos Beyond Atlantic City ...
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) ? A new poll finds New Jerseyans oppose expanding casino gambling beyond Atlantic City. They also don?t want the state to extend tax credits to help the gambling halls.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll shows 56 percent of voters surveyed are opposed to casinos anywhere else but in Atlantic City. Thirty-five percent say casinos should be added elsewhere in the state.
When it comes to tax breaks like those received by the new $2.4 billion Revel casino to help it open, 49 percent oppose such state aid, while 41 percent approve.
The statewide telephone poll of 901 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
(? Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Zimbabwe city residents synchronize toilet flush
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-city-residents-synchronize-toilet-flush-122626519.html
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রবিবার, ২৩ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
The World of Lesbian Drama - DarkQ's gay blog
As homosexuality becomes more accepted by society, many people are interested in homosexual relationships. In fact, shows such as the "L-Word" and the open declaration of same-sex preferences by many public figures has made homosexuality, particularly lesbianism, appealing to those that would not have considered the thought of being with someone of the same sex fifty, twenty or even ten years ago.
It seems, that women are granted less discrimination when it comes to sexual fluidity. Thus, many women who previously dated men exclusively are know interested in sapphic love.
The reasons for this interest vary. However, no matter the sex of the individual, a relationship is a relationship which is why the grass is not always greener on the other side. As with all relationships, there are issues which is why lesbian drama is not merely a tale of jilted former girlfriends. Lesbian drama is real...proving all too well that relationships are the same no matter the sex of the partner.
Lesbian drama is no different than any other type of relationship issues that occur with couples of other sexual orientations. It is simply labeled this to describe the often highly emotional exchange between two women in a relationship that is not functioning at a high level.
Given the stereotype that women are highly emotional beings, it is believed that the joining of two women in romance can produce a relationship of unique understanding, kindness and love or it can create a relationship that can only be compared to a highly charged emotional landmine.
Many lesbians can share a story or two of the world of lesbian drama. The jilted ex-girlfriends that won't go away. The manipulation that only a woman can do so well. The push and pull of wanting to be with her, but also hating her guts. Emotions run high in many lesbian relationships.
For those couples with maturity on their side, communication is enough to prevent the dreaded lesbian drama. However, there are many lesbians that fail to communicate with their partners which in turn creates the perfect breeding ground for mixed signals and relationship problems.
Also, infidelity does not have a male stamp. There are many women that believe a swim on the sapphic side will end all their troubles with cheating. These women should think again. Lesbians are women, and they cheat too!
In fact, some would argue that they are better at cheating than men because they are more cunning and clever. A woman has the same capacity to inflict emotional pain as a man. Speaking of pain, a woman also has the capacity to inflict physical harm to her partner as well. Although domestic violence is often depicted as a heterosexual relationship dilemma, it is also a major issue in the lesbian community. Thus, relationship problems supersede the sex of the individuals.
Overall, the success of a relationship has more to with the individuals than their sex. No matter the sexual orientation, problems can arise if the two parties are not able to find a happy medium. Lesbian drama is real... for those that have doubts just as any lesbian. Either she or a friend has experienced it first-hand.
Related posts:
- What a lesbian relationship actually supposes...
- How to Spice Things up in a Gay or Lesbian Relationship!
Source: http://en.darkq.net/everyday-life/the-world-of-lesbian-drama/
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শনিবার, ২২ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Hands-On With Real Racing 3 And Clumsy Ninja On iPhone 5 ...
A writer focused on covering early-stage startups, especially those with a technology focus. ? Learn More
Apple?s iPhone 5 hit store shelves and consumer hands today, and I got a chance to score some hands-on time with a couple of the games that were announced at the event where Apple?s smartphone was announced. EA?s Real Racing 3 and Natural Motion?s Clumsy Ninja. Neither game is available yet, but both are very playable in their current forms, and excellent examples of what Apple?s hardware updates make possible for gaming.
Real Racing 3?s gaming mechanics are simple, and will be familiar to anyone who?s played the others in the series. But where it shines is in the huge improvement in graphics performance. The intro video is on par with some current gen home console experiences, and gameplay is as well. The fact that gas control is automatic is a little bit different than what console gamers are used to, but the physics, the textures and the backgrounds all really do live up to the hype.
The game really shows off the power of the new A6 processor and improved graphics processing, and it doesn?t seem like it?s breaking a sweat. Apple provided EA with only enough access for them to come up with a tech demo that was playable at the show, too, owing to their love of secrecy, so what I got hands-on time is likely just a taste of what?s possible when developers have full access to the platform, without quick turnaround requirements and other restraints. That?s very good news for gamers.
As for Clumsy Ninja, while I didn?t have the chance to see much, what I did see was equally impressive, albeit in a different way. The experience feels unique, and uniquely suited to a touch-based interface. It?s the kind of product that?s clearly designed to be at home on the iPhone, and one that couldn?t really live anywhere else (despite being fairly similar to Microsoft?s Kinectimals series of virtual pets). Even with just a brief play period, you can tell that the use of AI at work here puts this above your average pocket pet application. And again, the graphics and animation really show off the iPhone 5?s improvements over previous generations, and it feels very close to being a shipping product. This one seriously could be the iPhone 5?s Angry Birds.
The iPhone has long been a pretty good gaming device, but it?s starting to cross over into new territory where it?s easy to see it competing with dedicated offerings from other companies. In particular, they leave even the 3DS and Sony Vita feeling a little out-dated, if only because the iPhone 5 provides so much else besides. I can?t wait to see what developers like Infinity Blade?s ChAIR, along with innovative indie dream teams like Sword & Sworcery?s Capybara can do with this new hardware.
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Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple?s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook Air) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod, the...
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শুক্রবার, ২১ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Syrian air strike kills at least 54: activists
BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 54 people were killed when a Syrian air strike hit a fuel station in the northern province of al-Raqqa on Thursday, an area of heavy fighting between government and rebel forces, a British-based monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists across Syria reporting on government violence during the 18-month-old revolt, cited an activist in the region saying that more than 110 people were dead or wounded.
A video published by activists, said to be from al-Raqqa, showed black clouds of smoke rising from the wreckage of the petrol station as bewildered residents examined the scene following the attack by a Syrian air force jet.
Government forces shelled rebels near a border crossing with Turkey some 30 km (18 miles) away on the northern fringes of al-Raqqa, a day after it was seized by the insurgents.
A Reuters witness on the Turkish side of the border heard heavy gunfire and explosions close to the Tel Abyad border post, where an opposition flag still fluttered. Residents rushed towards the border as the gunfire intensified.
It was impossible to verify the authenticity of the activists' video, and most foreign journalists are barred entry into Syria, making varying accounts of events difficult to confirm.
President Bashar al-Assad has used helicopters and fighter jets to fire at and bomb parts of the country where insurgents have been operating, including residential districts of the capital and Syria's main cities.
Assad's forces have targeted petrol stations in rural towns and villages and along main roads to deprive rebels of fuel. Civilians have set up smaller, discreet fuel outlets.
Activists say more than 27,000 people have been killed in a conflict that began with peaceful street protests and mushroomed into civil war after Assad tried military force to stamp out the unrest. Last month was the bloodiest yet.
Earlier on Thursday, Syria's information ministry said that a Syrian military helicopter that crashed near the capital had clipped the tail of a Syrian Arab Airlines passenger plane, but the 200 people on board escaped unharmed.
"The helicopter struck the tail of the plane ... The control tower at Damascus airport confirmed that the plane landed safely at Damascus airport and all 200 passengers are in good health," a statement published on the state news channel Syria TV said.
REBELLIOUS DAMASCUS DISTRICT RAIDED
On the ground, security forces surrounded and raided a rebellious southern district of Damascus, arresting more than 100 people, and activists said several others were shot dead.
An opposition activist called Abu Salam, who lives in the Yarmouk district where rebels have been hiding out in recent days, told Reuters that many residents were trapped.
He said tanks and soldiers had sealed all the entrances and hundreds of soldiers were searching the area on foot and on trucks mounted with heavy machineguns.
"We are hiding in our homes. I am afraid to leave the house so I am sitting here waiting to see if they reach my street, if I will be arrested or shot dead," he said, adding that at least three people, two men and a young women, were shot dead when soldiers saw them running out of a park on Thursday morning.
He said another five rebels found hiding were executed.
A resident who toured Yarmouk a day earlier said rebel fighters, who have been flushed out of many surrounding districts, had moved into a southern section of the district and come under intense army bombardment overnight.
Assad has long maintained that foreign-backed militants have been leading the revolt, which started with peaceful protests but turned violent as the army fired on demonstrations and rounded up thousands.
State media said on Thursday that soldiers had killed 100 Afghan "terrorists" in the northern city of Aleppo. Rebels in the area said that report was government propaganda, saying that the district of Bustan al-Qasr - where the attack supposedly took place - has not been entered by Assad's troops.
DIVIDED WORLD CANNOT HALT VIOLENCE
Global and regional powers have failed to halt the violence. Iran and Russia have backed Assad while the United States and European allies want him toppled but shrunk from intervening in a conflict steeped in ethnic and sectarian rivalries that could spill over Syria's borders and inflame the wider Middle East.
Iraq denied on Thursday a Western intelligence report that said Iranian aircraft and trucks had transported weapons and military personnel through Iraq to Syria to help Assad corral the uprising and Belarus denied trying to sell weapons to Syria.
"Iraq has confirmed that it will never be involved or helping or allowing any shipment via its air space or land to Syria," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters.
The allegation, reported by Reuters on Wednesday, said arms transfers were organized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Syria's upheaval is a political headache for Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim-led government. Close to Assad's ally, Shi'ite Iran, Baghdad has resisted joining Western and Gulf Arab calls for the authoritarian leader, whose family has ruled for 42 years, to bow out while also calling for a reform process in Syria.
Baghdad's core concern is that a precipitous fall of Assad would fracture Syria along sectarian lines and yield a hostile, hardline Sunni Muslim regime that could stir up Iraq's combustible Sunni-Shi'ite communal mix.
Belarus denied trying to sell weapons to Syria and violating a U.N. Security Council resolution after the United States imposed sanctions on a Belarusian state-owned firm.
"All the accusations of the American side... have no basis and are untrue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh said after the United States imposed sanctions on a Belarusian state-owned firm.
The Syrian rebels are being armed by Sunni Muslim states like Saudi Arabia and receive other supplies and diplomatic support from the Western powers and Turkey.
(Additional reporting by Mehmet Caliskan in Akcakale, Ayat Basma and Dominic Evans in Beirut, Aseel Kami in Baghdad and Andrei Makhovsky in Minsk; Writing by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-air-strike-kills-least-54-activists-161122060.html
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Mars rover eclipse photos to shed light on planet's composition (+video)
Scientists will use these photos to nail down the orbits of Phobos and Deimos precisely, and to determine how much they have changed over the last few years, researchers said. This information, in turn, could yield key insights about the interior of Mars, which remains largely mysterious.
As part of a multi-mission campaign, NASA's Curiosity rover is observing Martian moon transits, the first of which involved the moon Phobos grazing the sun's disk. The event was observed on Martian day, or sol, 37 (Sept. 13) using Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, equipped with special filters for directly observing the sun
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
EnlargePhotos of several partial solar eclipses on Mars snapped recently by NASA's Curiosity rover may help scientists better understand the Red Planet's interior structure and composition, researchers say.
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An eclipse is always special -- and this one is captured by Curiosity, as the Martian moon Phobos sails between the Red Planet and the sun...The 1-ton Curiosity rover?captured Mars' tiny moon Phobos?taking a nibble out of the sun's disk last Thursday (Sept. 13). Several days later, it watched additional partial eclipses caused by Phobos and Deimos, the Red Planet's other minuscule satellite (though images from these last two celestial events are not available yet).
Scientists will use these photos to nail down the orbits of Phobos and Deimos precisely, and to determine how much they have changed over the last few years, researchers said. This information, in turn, could yield key insights about the?interior of Mars, which remains largely mysterious.
"We can't go inside Mars, but we can use these to tell how much Mars is deformed when the moons go by," Curiosity science team co-investigator Mark Lemmon, of Texas A&M University, told reporters today (Sept. 19). "So we measure the transits very precisely, we get information on Mars' interior structure." [7 Biggest Mysteries of Mars]
Phobos is just 14 miles (22 kilometers) wide on average, and Deimos is even smaller. Many scientists think both satellites are?asteroids?that were captured by the Red Planet's gravity long ago.
Neither moon will be in its current orbit forever. Deimos, which whips around Mars every 30 hours or so, is speeding up, while Phobos is slowing down in its eight-hour orbit. Scientists think Mars' gravity will probably destroy Phobos, perhaps in the next 10 to 15 million years or so.
"It will work its way in at some point and get so close that tidal forces from Mars will very likely break it up before it does start grazing the atmosphere and come down," Lemmon said. "So Mars may briefly have a?ring system."
The Curiosity team has been doing more than just skywatching since landing the $2.5 billion robot inside Mars' huge?Gale Crater?on Aug. 5. Researchers have thoroughly vetted Curiosity and its 10 science instruments, which are designed to help the rover determine if the Gale area could ever have supported microbial life.
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Chick-fil-A waffles on gay marriage, fries brand image
Brandon Dill / AP
Sheila Smith wears a sign showing support for Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy outside the fast food chain's store on Union Avenue in Memphis, Tenn. Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012.
By Martha C. White, NBC News contributor
Chick-fil-A is playing?a high-stakes game of chicken, as both fans and foes of the food chain question what its new stance on gay rights really means.
Corporate reputation experts warned that Chick-fil-A was quickly alienating potential customers across the political spectrum.?
"These issues are ... very difficult for brands to navigate through," said?Tim Calkins, marketing professor at the?Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.?"They could've stuck to their positions and backed it up. The fact they haven't done that says clearly this whole issue has become a problem for them."
The Atlanta-based chain became embroiled in the gay marriage debate over the summer when?president Dan Cathy's spoke about his belief in "traditional" marriage in an interview with a Baptist publication.?Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee called for a "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," which drew droves of supporters to the company's stores. In response, gay-rights groups organized a "Same-Sex Kiss-In" later that week.
This week, Chicago-based advocacy group The Civil Rights Agenda announced that city Alderman Proco Joe Moreno, who had voiced objections to the proposed opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in his ward, had reversed his opinion after the fast-food operator had a change of heart.?
Chick-fil-A said it would "treat every person with honor, dignity and respect -- regardless of their beliefs, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender." Although this was characterized by TCRA and Moreno as the first time Chick-fil-A put this in writing, the company used almost identical wording in a statement it issued back in July.?
The company also pledged that its nonprofit arm, the?WinShape Foundation, would "not support[ing] organizations with political agendas," and said, "our intent is not to engage in political or social debates."
Through WinShape, "Chick-Fil-A has donated more than $5 million since 2003 to anti-gay groups,?including those that have been designated 'hate groups' by the Southern Poverty Law Center," according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Initially, company spokespeople would not comment, referring only to the statement issued by the company following the furor that erupted over the summer.
Chick-fil-A says it will stop funding anti-gay groups
Chick-fil-A tried to keep the agreement under wraps, said Rick Garcia, TCRA senior policy advisor. "My perspective is they want to have it both ways," he said.??They?re getting opposition all over major metropolitan areas particularly in the north... The dilemma for them is will this hurt them with the right wingers?"
The answer is probably yes. "In my last meeting with company executives, I corroborated what they told me back in January: that donations to anti-gay groups, which most concerned the LGBT community, have ceased," Moreno's statement said. Since the news broke, Chick-fil-A's Facebook page has been inundated with angry messages from people who say they are now-former supporters of the chain.
Moreno said he got verbal assurances from company executives, and he said the verbiage in the release and similar wording validated his claim, although gay rights were never specifically mentioned. He said Chick-fil-A executives also let him look at an internal accounting document from the foundation that showed no donations to groups that oppose gay marriage during this calendar year.
It's unlikely that the majority of Chick-fil-A supporters who stood on line, some for hours, in the heat to buy food as part of "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" last month knew that the company had quietly stopped funding the anti-gay marriage cause some eight months earlier. Chick-fil-A did not release sales figures but said that the event was a "record" day for sales; one independent analyst estimated that the company could have seen a 50 percent increase in sales that day.
Moreno said he was satisfied that the references to political and social issues, along with the pledge to respect all sexual orientations in Chick-fil-A's statements, reflected a commitment to stop funding anti-gay groups. He said the somewhat vague verbiage ? same-sex marriage, for instance, is never specifically mentioned as an issue ? was actually better in that it implied a more inclusive brand of tolerance on Chick-fil-A's part.
He admitted, though, that relying on the company's own assertions about its donation practices was a bit of a gamble. "I'm not naive," he said, adding that the company could still "try to find a way around" keeping its word.
He didn't have to wait long. On the same day that his press release was dated, Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy Tweeted a photo of a WinShape fundraiser called Ride for the Family, which ends Friday. The event's registration page instructed participants to make the $3,500 registration fee?payable to the Marriage and Family Foundation, Inc., an organization founded by Dan Cathy's brother. Its headquarters have the same mailing address as Chick-fil-A's.
This prompted a response from TCRA. "Although The Civil Rights Agenda is pleased with the initial outcome of Chick-fil-A?s agreement... more work needs to be done in holding Chick-fil-A accountable to their promises," it said in a statement Thursday evening.
"I?m discouraged by that behavior," Moreno said about Cathy's Tweet. "He has the right to have bigoted beliefs," he added.
Supporters and detractors alike can only continue to wonder where the brand's allegiances lie. Chick-fil-A issued a statement Thursday, saying "We want to provide some context and clarity in around who we are, what we believe and our priorities in relation?to?corporate giving." It went onto say, "Our intent is not to support political or social agendas," but it didn't mention gay rights or gay-marriage causes specifically.
"It seems to me that their change in position is half-hearted and does not seem either genuine or trustworthy," said Marcia Horowitz, senior executive vice president at public relations firm?Rubenstein Associates, Inc. "As a result, it may well further inflame the issue, with both sides now dissatisfied with their response."
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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২০ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Celeb chefs team with Matt Damon for cancer cause
This Sept. 18, 2012 photo released by the Family Reach Foundation shows actor Matt Damon, right, and Chef Ming Tsai participating in "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. (AP Photo/Family Reach Foundation)
This Sept. 18, 2012 photo released by the Family Reach Foundation shows actor Matt Damon, right, and Chef Ming Tsai participating in "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. (AP Photo/Family Reach Foundation)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, from left, Chefs Marc Forgione, Ming Tsai, Masaharu Morimoto and actor Matt Damon, participate in "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, actor Matt Damon, right, and Chef Ming Tsai participate in "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, and released by the Family Reach Foundation, chefs Ming Tsai, left, and Mario Battali participate in "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. (AP Photo/Family Reach Foundation)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012, actor Matt Damon speaks at a press conference before "Cooking Live With Chef Ming Tsai and Friends" to benefit the Family Reach Foundation and it's mission to help families fighting pediatric cancer in New York. Damon is the sous-chef to celebrity chef Ming Tsai at the all-star live cooking event held at the Ritz Battery Park. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Ming Tsai, Mario Batali, Marc Forgione, Masaharu Morimoto and ... Matt Damon?
It's an unlikely culinary cast that teamed Tuesday night to raise money for families struggling to pay their bills as they care for children fighting cancer.
Damon donned a white chef's coat for sous chef duties under Ming in the center of a hotel ballroom to prepare hors d'oeuvres ahead of a sit-down meal hosted by the Family Reach Foundation, a nonprofit the actor learned of through his brother, Kyle.
Cancer is close to their hearts. Since 2010, their dad has been battling multiple myeloma, a cancer that begins in plasma cells of bone barrow.
"My dad did very well in his life," the Academy Award winner said. "He's retired and he doesn't have to worry about any of this, but you know, it's enough to worry about the cancer without actually thinking about taking on all these other ancillary issues. It's really a lot to handle."
In addition to the "M'' chefs, Floyd Cardoz also pitched in. The Top Chef Masters winner last year pledged his $100,000 in winnings to cancer causes.
Ming and Damon joked before cooking commenced on the actor's skill level in the kitchen, with chef promising no food poisoning and Damon confessing he's no Bourne supreme.
"Oh no, I suck," he said, flashing a smile.
On the menu: waffle seafood pizzas with a dollop of caviar from Morimoto, poached salmon with a black garlic tapenade from Tsai and orecchiette with rapini pesto and sausage from Batali.
The Damon brothers recalled lots of chicken dishes growing up, and their mom asking them to pitch in on meal duty. Matt's specialty? Beef stroganoff, with onion soup out of the bag. The father of four said he and his wife keep it simple food wise at home.
"It's not rocket science," he said. "You try and sneak in something green and say don't worry, there's going to be another meal in three hours, so don't make it too complicated."
Chefs, Ming said, are prone to helping out. The restaurateur and TV personality in Damon's hometown of Boston is one of the foundation's ambassadors and convinced his chef pals to join him after he fulfilled the dying wish of a young girl to eat at his Blue Ginger with loved ones.
"The best part of our job is we get instant gratification," said Ming, who has shown families touched by cancer how to cook healthy, inexpensive meals.
The small, 15-year-old foundation works with 16 hospitals around the country to identify families in need of help with rent, utility bills, even paying tolls to and from treatments, said Rick Morello, a board member and founder.
"But the great thing about a foundation like this is it doesn't matter where you come down on health care," Damon said. "Nobody's against families who get put in a situation that is not of their own doing."
Raquel Rohlfing, a single mom in Boston, was on hand with her 7-year-old son Mikalo, who was diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months. She quit her job to care for him full-time, landing in a homeless shelter before a hospital connected her with Family Reach.
"They said, 'Don't worry, we'll take care of it.' They relieved a lot of the burden that I could not do. My role was to hold his hand and get him through it, and just take care of him."
After a relapse, Mikalo required a bone marrow transplant and a year of home isolation, something that couldn't happen in a shelter.
Of the debate over health care reform, Damon said, it would be difficult for anyone to ignore the needs of families struggling with a sick child after meeting just one.
"You would have to be enormously hardhearted in the face of something that personal," he said.
___
Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
Family Reach Foundation website: http://familyreach.org
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