Weird road signs contest: Which sign is wackiest?

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau

We?ve had a hard time keeping a straight face ever since we asked our readers to submit some of the Wild, Weird and Wacky Street Signs they?ve spotted while driving.?The contest has clearly resonated with readers who?ve filled our email box with hundreds of entries from around the world.

The Wild, Weird and Wacky Street Signs Contest has brought us signs that warn of falling sheep, others that tell us to ?Grinn and Baret? or advise us we?ve reached the German village of Windpassing.? Helpful road crews have posted parking signs that would require a law degree to comprehend. And readers have sent us plenty of inexplicable billboards ? like one that promoted a new brand of bottled water, ?now with H2O?!

Trying to sort through this motley collection hasn?t been easy and it seems that each of our judges ? which include members of TheDetroitBureau.com, and sponsors such as NBC News?? has individual favorites.? But we?ve been able to pare the list down to 14 finalists and now we?re asking your help in selecting the winners.

Remember, there are some great prizes at stake, including a $500 gift certificate from Bridgestone Tires, a great digital camera, a navi system with traffic and weather, and more!

So, check out the pictures and give us a hand by voting?below?for your favorite.?We?ll announce the winners on Sept. 10.?

1) Water Now with H2O
We appreciate truth in advertising, but we really have to wonder what this company was offering in their water before they added H2O.

2) Be Careful
We probably didn?t need the sign to figure out there was a problem ahead. But it?s likely a good idea to find another route.

3) Electricity Drive
We got a real charge out of this pun-y entry from a reader in Windsor, Ontario.

4) Grinn & Barret
This is what we?ve often been told to do, especially after trying to sort through 100s of entries to choose the finalists for the Wacky Street Signs Contest.

5) Danger, Danger, Danger
Believe us if we tell you we?d have also turned around and gone in the other direction.

6) Stop!
Turn left? No. Right? No? Uh, how do we get out of here?

7) Eat Here and Get Gas
Gee, didn?t we eat there just the other day? Again, while we appreciate truth in advertising, we just might go to the diner across the street.

8) City Parking Confusion
This explains why we got that $50 fine last week. Next time we try to park her you might want to call your lawyer first.

9) Windpassing
Does this German town just happen to have an Eat-and-Get-Gas Caf?? We?re hoping this is just a case of lost-in-translation.

10) Falling Sheep
We never knew it was so dangerous driving around Taos, New Mexico.? If a sheep lands on the car, though, do we get to keep the wool?

11) No Hooking
Um? What can we add except, get a hotel room next time?

12) Mine Shafts Ahead
Who?da thought it was so dangerous wandering through the Australian Outback? Apparently you have to watch your step in mine country around Coober Pedy.

13) No doctor, no hospital, one cemetery
Here?s another place ? in New Zealand, it turns out ? we?re planning to just drive through and keep going.

14) Sidewalk Ends
Really? Does that explain what that green stuff is?? We were wondering how they got concrete to look like grass.

Vote for your favorite

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/08/30/13553692-weird-road-signs-contest-which-one-is-wackiest?lite

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Lufthansa cancels flights as cabin crews strike

BERLIN (AP) ? Lufthansa flight attendants walked off the job for eight hours Friday at Frankfurt airport, Germany's biggest, causing the cancelation of more than 200 flights. Their union warned of more stoppages unless the airline gives in to its demands.

Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, said it canceled some 200 short- and medium-haul flights from and to Frankfurt, including routes across Europe and destinations including Tel Aviv, Tripoli and Beirut, after some 1,000 cabin crew went on strike. A small number of long-haul flights were canceled as well, among them services to and from New York, Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle.

The strike had a spill-over effect on other airlines after the airport, Europe's third-busiest, ran short of aircraft parking spots thanks to the grounded Lufthansa planes. It had to halt all Frankfurt-bound departures from other European cities for 40 minutes, airport spokesman Christopher Holschier said.

In total, the strike caused more than 210 flight cancellations at the airport and scores of delays, he said.

Thousands of stranded passengers crowded Frankfurt's main terminal building waiting for word on their flights. Lufthansa workers handed out water and juice to people stuck in long lines.

Airline spokesman Klaus Walther accused the UFO union of putting its demands "on the back of the customers" and urged it to return to the negotiation table.

The flight attendants stopped work at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) and stayed on strike until 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) in what UFO union head Nicoley Baublies said on Bayerischer Rundfunk radio may just be the beginning if Lufthansa does not meet its demands. The union called the strike after 13 months of negotiations for higher pay and guarantees on conditions failed to produce an agreement.

"It depends on how Lufthansa responds now and how much they try to break the strike and put our people under pressure," Baublies said. He said the union would decide Friday whether to stage similar strikes again Saturday and whether to expand them to other airports.

"That's always possible and we will announce it with six hours' notice," he said.

UFO is seeking a 5 percent pay raise for the airline's more than 18,000 cabin crew workers. Lufthansa has said it is offering a 3.5 percent raise.

Other issues include the union's opposition to Lufthansa's demand that flight attendants assigned to Berlin's new airport, whose opening has been delayed, work more hours than elsewhere for the same pay. The two sides are also at odds over the possibility of Lufthansa transferring flight attendants to its partner budget airlines with cheaper contracts as part of a cost-saving program.

Lufthansa is trying to cut some ?1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) from its costs by the end of 2014.

____

Christoph Noelting contributed to this report from Frankfurt

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-08-31-Germany-Lufthansa%20Strike/id-e0164b4545584159800a5249c6bb0976

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Nielsen: Native Travel Apps Trump Mobile Web 95% Of The Time, Google Maps Is The Top Mobile Travel Service

Native app usage has been edging just ahead of mobile web usage among U.S. smartphone owners?in the last few months, but when it comes to the category of travel, mobile web use all but disappears off the map. According to figures out today from Nielsen, 95% of all mobile traffic for travel-related content comes from native mobile apps -- specifically on iOS and Android platforms. Mobile web -- and traffic on operating systems that are not Android and iOS, for that matter -- accounts for only 5% of visits. And just as Google has come to dominate search, it looks to be carving out a similar position in travel, a mobile-friendly category by its nature: Google Maps -- in its combined native app and mobile web forms -- accounted for 78% of all time spent in the travel category in June 2012, with a total of 78 million app users, and another 17 million on mobile web. It will be interesting to see how that transforms as Apple drops Google Maps in favor of its own mapping service in iOS 6.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/r4SxD8nQ3lo/

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The Best Laptop Bag [Battlemodo]

You spent hundreds of dollars on your laptop. You're not going to toss that thing around like a Frisbee. The right bag should keep that precious piece of metal and chips safe, but it should also make the machine mobile. That means portability, comfort, and style. After two weeks hauling four bags, we've found one that's great to look at and easy to lug. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pjbyR4N4rsI/the-best-laptop-bag

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Joe Paterno's FBI file reveals letters, threats

File - In this Oct. 8, 2011, file photo Penn State president Graham Spanier, left, and head football coach Joe Paterno chat before an NCAA college football game against Iowa in State College, Pa. As Penn State tries to move past the scandal after Sandusky?s trial, the devastating Freeh Report and unprecedented NCAA penalties, Title IX remains a potential long-term legal problem. The reason: Not only have Title IX lawsuits produced some of the most expensive judgments against universities in recent years, but the law allows for the possibility, however unlikely, that a university?s access to all federal dollars could be cut off. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar, File)

File - In this Oct. 8, 2011, file photo Penn State president Graham Spanier, left, and head football coach Joe Paterno chat before an NCAA college football game against Iowa in State College, Pa. As Penn State tries to move past the scandal after Sandusky?s trial, the devastating Freeh Report and unprecedented NCAA penalties, Title IX remains a potential long-term legal problem. The reason: Not only have Title IX lawsuits produced some of the most expensive judgments against universities in recent years, but the law allows for the possibility, however unlikely, that a university?s access to all federal dollars could be cut off. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar, File)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? The FBI kept a thick file on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, but it mostly involves threatening letters sent to him and his staff years ago, and there's no mention of his former assistant Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted this year of molesting boys.

Paterno's 868-page file shows he received a series of threatening letters sent in the late 1970s and early '80s from someone who signed them A Bitter Father. The author blames Paterno for family problems that apparently surfaced after his son left the university's heralded football program prematurely.

"I feel you are responsible for me loosing (sic) my son," A Bitter Father writes. "He went to Penn State because of you in the first place. He feels he got a bum deal and I agree. He lost interest in everything and went from bad to worse."

Another anonymous letter, to an assistant coach, suggests Paterno was responsible for the assistant's "tragic accident." The file doesn't say what the accident was.

The FBI posted the late coach's file online Wednesday in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from media outlets. The Washington Times first reported on the contents, which also had been mailed to media outlets a day earlier.

Paterno died in January at age 85, two months after losing his job over the Sandusky sexual-abuse scandal.

An FBI memo dated Dec. 16, 1977, said Paterno found the letters troubling.

The FBI withheld 44 pages of Paterno's file, citing privacy issues and the protection of a confidential source.

The FBI spent several years investigating the written threats sent to Paterno, his staff and even a Penn State television commentator, following leads that took agents to a Roman Catholic church and a shipbuilding company in the Pittsburgh area. The leads apparently went nowhere.

Additionally, Penn State basketball coach Dick Harter received a threatening letter in 1980, the file shows.

A Bitter Father later apologized to Paterno, saying he had spoken to his priest and realized he shouldn't blame others for his troubles. But the letters seem to have continued.

Sandusky, Paterno's longtime defensive coordinator, was convicted in June of sexually abusing 10 boys, some on campus. He awaits sentencing and maintains he's innocent.

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh led a recent Penn State internal investigation into the Sandusky matter, faulting Paterno and other university leaders for putting the university's reputation and football program over the safety of children.

Paterno's family strongly denied he protected Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-29-Paterno-FBI%20File/id-e5504f9dc31f41ee935f65df651cbb84

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Overtaxing: The FCC's Broadband Tax | Policy Interns

In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filed a request?for comments on a proposal that would effectively place a tax on broadband Internet service.? This move has largely flown under the radar, but fortunately, people have begun to take notice.? Obviously, a tax on broadband Internet service would have a large impact across the country, including affecting basically every person reading this article.

Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC can require ?every telecommunications carrier that provides interstate telecommunications services? to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF), as well as ?any provider of interstate telecommunications? if the public interest so requires.?? This provision is applied to telephone service providers.? The USF has been used historically to promote the extension of telephone service to rural areas, by requiring larger contributions from urban providers, and paying out to rural providers.?

This, historically, has not applied to Internet providers, although Internet phone and voice communications services have been included within the Act.? Broadband providers could arguably qualify as ?telecommunications providers? under the definitions in the Act, and could be required to pay into the USF if ?public interest so requires.?? This payment would then be passed along to the consumers, effectively, though not technically, taxing them for broadband service.

The FCC would use these funds to extend broadband coverage to a larger number of areas, almost certainly in the same manner they use the USF to extend phone service to rural areas. This would mean higher broadband prices for people living in urban areas.

This would appear to be arguably within the FCC?s authority, but a few recent developments make it a bit more complicated.? In the recent ObamaCare opinion, the Supreme Court has now established a ?if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck? approach to determining whether fees are actually taxes; this may be the new norm.?

If this is the case, the FCC runs into two main problems.? First, they have not been granted the power to tax.? Second, the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments of 2007 have extended the moratorium on Internet taxes until November, 2014.? This applies to both state and federal governments, and shows that not only can the government not tax the way the FCC intends here, but shows a desire by Congress not to do exactly what the FCC proposes.? The FCC exceeds its authority if it acts contrary to the will of Congress, in this case evidenced by Congress passing provisions to ensure that Internet providers are not taxed.?

With so many different angles, this could be decided either way. The Telecommunications Act has not applied to broadband in the past, but broadband could fit in its definitions.? The FCC cannot tax, but can require contributions to a fund.? ?These contributions, if seen as a tax, would be invalid under the ITFA, but if seen as non-tax contributions, could be allowed. The FCC?s actions go against the intent of Congress, but do not violate the letter of the Telecommunications Act.

There are a lot of policy and legal interactions here, but the FCC has the backing of some pretty heavy-hitters arguing for public policy, most notably, Google.? Obviously, it would benefit Google if more people had Internet, and Google would not be the one paying into the UFC, so perhaps this is not too surprising.? Whether the FCC is allowed to take this action remains to be seen, but it is alarming that the FCC intends to take action that is so clearly opposed to the aims of Congress by taxing broadband providers.?

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Source: http://policyinterns.com/2012/08/29/overtaxing-the-fccs-broadband-tax/

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Red Cross halts most Pakistan aid after beheading

Banaras Khan / AFP - Getty Images, file

Pakistani volunteers carry the coffin of British aid worker Khalil Dale, before handing it over to Red Cross officials in Quetta on April 30.

By Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said late Tuesday it was halting most aid programs in Pakistan due to fears over deteriorating security ? a concern underscored early Wednesday when 19 soldiers and militants were killed in a clash at a military checkpoint.

The independent global aid agency, which rarely suspends its operations even in war zones, has worked in the country since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 - but was shaken by the discovery in April of the?beheaded body of British doctor Khalil Rasjed Dale, one of its health workers.

---

It said it would carry on working in the country "but on a reduced scale," having already suspended operations in three of Pakistan's four provinces in May pending a security assessment.

As attacks increase, aid workers say they must keep safety in mind at all times.?? NBC's Amna Nawaz reports.

Paul Castella, head of the ICRC delegation in Islamabad, said in a statement: "We are ready to continue helping people in need, such as the wounded and the physically disabled, provided working conditions for our staff are adequate. In the coming weeks, we will coordinate with the Pakistani authorities the resumption of health services as conditions permit, in particular the re-opening of our surgical hospital in Peshawar, which closed down after the murder of our colleague."

Aid workers become targets as Pakistan faces new humanitarian crisis

The statement said the ICRC's partnership with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and support for physical rehabilitation services, notably in Peshawar and Muzaffarabad, will continue, as will the assistance provided by the ICRC for families seeking to restore and maintain contact with Pakistanis detained abroad.

The killing of an ICRC official in Quetta had seriously worried staff members of the organization about their security in Pakistan, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Dale, who converted to Islam, ran a health program in Quetta when he was kidnapped on January 5 while going home from work.

Muhammed Muheisen / AP

Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.

His body was found on April 29 with a note that said the ICRC?s failure to pay ransom was the reason for his killing.

Red Cross doctor found beheaded in Pakistan

Dale was the third foreigner beheaded in Pakistan, after Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 and Polish geologist Piotr Stanczak in 2009.

The Pakistan Taliban have been fighting a bloody insurgency against the Pakistani state since the group was formed 2007, Reuters reported. It is close to al-Qaida and it claimed credit for a failed car bomb attempt in New York's Times Square in May 2010.?

Ex-ambassador: US, Pakistan should 'divorce'

Meanwhile at least 19 people - nine Pakistan Army soldiers and 10 militants ? were killed and 16 others injured in clashes between the Pakistani security forces and militants at the remote mountainous Ghatsar area of Tiarza, South Waziristan, on Wednesday.

May 24: Pakistan and the U.S. are at odds over the treason conviction of the Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. locate Osama Bin Laden.?

Senior military officials said dozens of militants had attacked military checkpoints located in the mountains on Tuesday night that led to heavy fighting in the area.

Pakistani Christians live in fear after girl's blasphemy arrest

"The militants attacked our checkpoints with heavy weapons last night,? said a senior Pakistani military official based in Wana, the main administrative city of South Waziristan tribal region.

?The soldiers retaliated and engaged the militants. Fighting is still going on in which nine soldiers lost their lives. The security forces had killed 10 militants and injured several others in the overnight clashes.?

Rachel Maddow shares exclusive, never before seen footage of the site of an alleged U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan, and talks with Amna Nawaz, Islamabad bureau chief for NBC News about the plight of a Pakistani lawyer trying to give voice to victims of U.S. drone strikes.

South Waziristan, which is one of Pakistan's seven autonomous tribal regions, is mostly controlled by Pakistani militants, Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives making it difficult for the government and its armed forces to carry out their responsibilities.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/29/13541819-red-cross-halts-most-pakistan-aid-in-wake-of-doctors-beheading?lite

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Arctic sea ice reaches record low

27 August 2012 Last updated at 16:11 ET By Roger Harrabin Environment analyst

The Arctic has lost more sea ice this year than at any time since satellite records began in 1979, Nasa says.

Scientists involved in the calculations say it is part of a fundamental change.

What is more, sea ice normally reaches its low point in September so it is thought likely that this year's melt will continue to grow.

Nasa says the extent of sea ice was 1.58m sq miles (4.1m sq km) compared with a previous low of 1.61m sq miles (4.17m sq km) on 18 September 2007.

The sea ice cap grows during the cold Arctic winters and shrinks when temperatures climb again, but over the last three decades, satellites have observed a 13% decline per decade in the summertime minimum.

The thickness of the sea ice is also declining, so overall the ice volume has fallen far - although estimates vary about the actual figure.

Joey Comiso, senior research scientist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, said this year's ice retreat was caused by previous warm years reducing the amount of perennial ice - which is more resistant to melting. It's created a self-reinforcing trend.

"Unlike 2007, temperatures were not unusually warm in the Arctic this summer. [But] we are losing the thick component of the ice cover," he said. "And if you lose [that], the ice in the summer becomes very vulnerable."

'Inevitable death'

Walt Meier, from the National Snow and Ice Data Center that collaborates in the measurements, said: "In the context of what's happened in the last several years and throughout the satellite record, it's an indication that the Arctic sea ice cover is fundamentally changing."

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

The summer ice volume is now only 30% of what it was in the 1980s?

End Quote Prof Peter Wadhams Cambridge University

Professor Peter Wadhams, from Cambridge University, told BBC News: "A number of scientists who have actually been working with sea ice measurement had predicted some years ago that the retreat would accelerate and that the summer Arctic would become ice-free by 2015 or 2016.

"I was one of those scientists - and of course bore my share of ridicule for daring to make such an alarmist prediction."

But Prof Wadhams said the prediction was now coming true, and the ice had become so thin that it would inevitably disappear.

"Measurements from submarines have shown that it has lost at least 40% of its thickness since the 1980s, and if you consider the shrinkage as well it means that the summer ice volume is now only 30% of what it was in the 1980s," he added.

"This means an inevitable death for the ice cover, because the summer retreat is now accelerated by the fact that the huge areas of open water already generated allow storms to generate big waves which break up the remaining ice and accelerate its melt.

"Implications are serious: the increased open water lowers the average albedo [reflectivity] of the planet, accelerating global warming; and we are also finding the open water causing seabed permafrost to melt, releasing large amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere."

Threats and opportunities

Opinions vary on the date of the demise of summer sea ice, but the latest announcement will give support to those who err on the pessimistic side.

A recent paper from Reading University used statistical techniques and computers to estimate that between 5-30% of the recent ice loss was due to Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation - a natural climate cycle repeating every 65-80 years. It's been in warm phase since the mid 1970s.

But the rest of the warming, the paper estimates, is caused by human activity - pollution and clearing of forests.

If the ice continues to disappear in summer there will be opportunities as well as threats.

Some ships are already saving time by sailing a previously impassable route north of Russia.

Oil, gas and mining firms are jostling to exploit the Arctic - although they're being strongly opposed by environmentalists. Greenpeace has been protesting at drilling by the Russian giant Gazprom.

Among the many threats, the warming is bad for Arctic wildlife. Thanks to the influence of sea ice on the jet stream the changes could affect weather in the UK.

The changes - if they happen - could unlock frozen deposits of methane which would further overheat the planet.

Warmer seas could lead to more melting of Greenland's ice cap which would contribute to raising sea levels and changing the salinity of the sea, which in turn could alter ocean currents that help govern our climate.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19393075#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Video: Dick Bove Very Optimistic on US Market

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48807680/

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The 2012 ACTE Asia Education Conference | Rice Communications ...

August has been such an eventful month for me so far, from joining Rice Communications to being able to attend the 2012 Asia Education Conference at Marina Bay Sands, a high profile event organized by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), only two weeks into my new job. Together with Donna, I had a chance to experience a two-day education and networking event with a lot of key players in various industries attending including American Airlines, British Airways, or Diners Club International, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts to BNP Baritas, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Accenture, IBM, and HP.

The conference featured a series of educational sessions, networking lunches and cocktails. Around 450 delegates from 27 countries brought different perspectives and expertise to the event. These include corporate executives, human resource professionals, to hotel & travel management company representatives.

One of the sessions that I found very interesting and insightful was ?How mobile apps can enhance traveller experience and influence their behaviour?, which gathered experts from travel management companies and hotel representatives to mobile application developers. They talked about the increasing influence that mobile apps are having on individuals and organizations all around the world, particularly from a corporate travel perspective. Most of the mobile applications have been used by individuals to manage their own travelling, while organizations are still being cautious of integrating these apps into their travel management. As Mr. Bicky Carla, Group President of TraVision Holding pointed out, to some, the mobile applications world is still foreign; and the first experience can be quite uncomfortable and intimidating, just as when you are embracing a new language or a new culture. However, ?mobile apps are here to stay?, he said.

Travellers around the world increasingly influenced by this new platform; and mobile applications are going to completely change their experience in the future. Ms. Cecilia Routledge, Asia Pacific Managing Director of Egencia, concluded the session with an interesting point that in my opinion is not only true in this case but it is also applicable to other industry as well: App developers as well as organizations who want to develop a mobile application for their services need to make sure they understand what the real needs are of the end buyers, what buyers are really looking for, and how these applications can really serve them and address their problems.

As a newbie, I was completely impressed with the whole experience. The team at ACTE did an exceptional job, from booking the venue to inviting outstanding keynote presenters and choosing relevant and interesting topics for the educational sessions. They had even collaborated with QuickMobile to create an ?ACTE Asia ?12? Application that hosted the conference agenda, speakers biography, sponsors and attendees? information, hotels options, and even some tips and hints of where to go and what to do in Singapore ? a perfect example of ?using mobile apps to enhance traveller experience and influence their behaviour?. The conference overall was a success, and as in the words of Mr. Kurt Knackstedt, Global Category Lead ? Travel and Expense Management, Global Sourcing ? Services, Rio Tinto, ?Business travel executives from around the region ? and the world came to this conference looking for new approaches to industry issues, and they did not leave disappointed.?

Source: http://www.ricecomms.com/2012/08/27/the-2012-acte-asia-education-conference/

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98% Oslo, August 31st

"Oslo, August 31st" is Joachim Trier's sequel to "Reprise," his explosively inventive but wildly uneven debut film that was released in the US in 2008. It's hard to believe that the two films are made by the same filmmaker. Whereas "Reprise" had style and cinematic inventiveness oozing out of every pore, "Oslo" is flat and nearly devoid of style. It feels more like a TV movie. It also shows that Trier is still suffering from the principal weakness that marred "Reprise": he's not good at developing stories. He's a talented director, but not a great screenwriter. "Oslo" captures a mood of despair supremely well. But once it depicts this mood, it doesn't have much to say about it. It just shows it. It describes the mood but has no analysis of it or even anything compelling to say about it. It is all Act 1, no Act 2. If you remember from "Reprise," one of the young men in the gang becomes a literary sensation with his debut novel and then drifts inexplicably into mental illness. He is the main character of "Oslo." When the film opens, he is at an inpatient rehab center, trying to get off heroin, alcohol, and other drugs. We watch him leave the facility on his first free night out. When the patients seem ready, they are allowed to spend an evening on their own in the city. He goes on several appointments, meeting up with friends and trying to cross paths with his estranged girlfriend. The difficulties he experiences capture exceptionally well his sadness and loneliness. It's not really clear that anyone loves him. But these visits become a bit episodic and repetitious and there are far too many bland sequences of him traveling through the city. He ends up in a nightclub, which is the worst place for an addict in a fragile state to go. Temptations abound. The film ends on a harrowing but fairly predictable note. Bottom line: I'd say that Joachim Trier is showing signs that he's having trouble maturing as an artist. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I think we might end up looking back at "Reprise" as Trier's one stand-out film. He's showing signs of being a one-hit wonder.

June 23, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oslo_august_31st/

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13-inch Mac Book Pro rumored to be going Retina as soon as this fall

Following the introduction of the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro at WWDC 2012, it should come as no surprise that more of Apple's Mac line will be making the @2x transition. The question is when. And the answer, at least for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, could be as early as this fall according to what NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET:

Production has begun of a 2,560-by-1,600 pixel density display that will land on a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET.

"The supply chain indications are that it's for a MacBook Pro 13.3 -- not a MacBook Air," said Shim. Displays are being made by Samsung, LGD, and Sharp, he said.

Larger desktop displays like the iMac and 27-inch Thunderbolt are challenged by cost and yield rate. Smaller laptop displays are challenged by battery life and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) power. 2560x1600 is less than the current 15.4"-inch Retina MacBook Pro's 2880x1800 but not by much, and would clearly look spectacular at 13.3-inches. However, the current Retina MacBook Pro drives its GPU flat out to run that display. And unlike the 15-inch MacBooks, however, the 13-inch line currently only has the built in Intel HD Graphics 4000, and not the additional, discreet NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory. In addition to battery enough to support a 2560x1600, would Apple need to add a discreet GPU as well? How would those twin concerns, along with the thinner, optical drive-free design resolve themselves at 13-inches?

Whether this specific report is accurate or not is hard to say. It is highly detailed, and Apple is absolutely working on more Retina Macs, so it'll be interesting to see how the timeline plays out. The iPhone went Retina at 640x960 in 2010, and the iPod touch only a few months later. It took the iPad until 2012 to go Retina at 1356x2048, and the first Mac a few months more at 2560x1600.

We're still on the first generation, bleeding edge of Retina Macs, though. The 15-inch MacBook Pro is so outstanding, however, that growing pains, if any, are well worth it.

Anyone been waiting on a smaller, likely cheaper point of entry for a Retina MacBook Pro? If -- and it's still an if -- Apple does have a 13-inch MacBook Pro ready to ship this fall, will you be ready to pull the trigger?

Source: CNET

Retina Macs

13 inch macbook pro

Macbook Pro

News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/gQKNpQGs9ZI/story01.htm

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Bus collides with tanker in China, killing 36

BEIJING (AP) ? A double-decker sleeper bus rammed into a tanker loaded with highly-flammable methanol on a northern Chinese highway early Sunday, causing both vehicles to burst into flames and killing 36 people, state media said.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 39 people were on the long distance sleeper bus when it crashed and only three survived. The survivors were hospitalized, it said, but didn't say what condition they were in.

The tanker had just returned to the highway after an early morning rest stop when it was apparently rear-ended by the bus at around 2:40 a.m. close to the city of Yan'an in Shaanxi province, the official China News website said.

The bus had left Hohhot in Inner Mongolia at 5 p.m. Saturday and was headed south to Xi'an city, it said.

Xinhua news photos showed the charred metal skeleton of the bus rammed up against the back of the tanker.

An official with the local Communist Party propaganda bureau in Yan'an confirmed that the crash occurred but was unable to give details and was unsure of the death toll.

Road safety is a serious problem in China. According to Xinhua, poorly maintained roads and bad driving habits result in about 70,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries a year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bus-collides-tanker-china-killing-36-025103116.html

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Pro Wrestling Syndicate 5th Year Anniversary Night Two DVD Review

-Taped from Rahway, New Jersey

-Pinkie Sanchez vs. Mike Dennis

Match in Five Words or Less: Basic

Match Highlights: Not nearly as many fans here on this night. Some stalling from both men as they play to the crowd. Feeling out process. Dennis ends the flurry with a Japanese armdrag and dropkick right to the back. Clothesline off the apron. Sanchez kicks the middle rope and leg whips Dennis. Leg lariat and a springboard double stomp. Blind charge misses. Dennis hits a clothesline and back elbow. Back drop. Sanchez begs off and even kisses Dennis?s boot. Dennis offers his right boot and hits in the face. Another charge misses and his leg gets caught in the middle rope. Sanchez goes to work on the leg. Dennis kicks Sanchez off and hits a dropkick in the corner. Monkey flip. Cover for two. Strike exchange as both men? are kneeling down. Tiger suplex by Sanchez. Running? splash? That was awkward. Double stomp. Springboard moonsault misses. TKO by Dennis gets him the victory. Dennis actually sells his injured leg as he leaves the ring.

Match Analysis: This was an okay opener, nothing offensive or? anything. Good exchange of moves as Dennis got to showcase some of what he can do. Sanchez is always good for a laugh, and it?s always too bad he can?t get his personal life in order to really forge a fine independent wrestling career.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Mike Dennis/7:50/**

-Samuray Del Sol vs. AR Fox vs. Taka Suzuki vs. Star Man

Match in Five Words or Less: I Wanna Go Higher

Match Highlights: Crowd is behind the wacky Star Man as he dances around the ring. The other three aren?t sure what to do. Star Man spin kicks and all three men duck. Suzuki officially starts with Star Man. SHENANIGANS! Hard chop as Suzuki isn?t screwing around. Off the ropes. Suzuki tells him to stop. Star Man points up. Spin kick. Whip and an elbow out of the corner. Strikes by Suzuki. Del Sol and Fox come in next as the pace picks up big time. Headscissors by Del Sol. Exchange of armdrags. Leg sweeps. Both men go for a dropkick. Stand-off. Fox hits a running kick. Whip to the corner. Blind charge misses. Enziguri and an armdrag by Del Sol. Fox goes outside. Suzuki goes after him. Dropkick on Del Sol. Star Man trips Suzuki. Fox with a quick and corkscrew vertical suplex. Choking. Star man sent head first into the turnbuckle. Back elbow and a suplex. Strikes by Star Man. Del Sol tags in and hits a bodyslam. Springboard splash. Battle to the corner. ?Suzuki tags Del Sol and kicks him in the back. Dropkick to the side of the head. Fox tags in and can?t bodyslam Star Man. Star Man is just standing there and he ain?t takin no bodyslam. Suzuki comes in and fails as well. Star Man low bridges them out of the ring. Fox immediately DDTs Star Man. Star Man shoves Fox and hits a one foot dropkick. Series of strikes. Whip in the corner. Fox hits a boot out of the corner. Suzuki hits a sweet running dropkick as Del Sol has to break the count. Strike exchange. Suzuki comes out on top. Del Sol with a whip and running shoulder tackle. Gutbuster. Flying forearm by Star Man on Del Sol. Asai moonsault on Suzuki and Fox. He almost takes out some poor schlub in the front row. Fox hits a 450 to the floor, thus proving he has a death wish. Del Sol hits a gorgeous no hands dive. He brings Fox in the ring. Double underhook into a cross armbreaker. Suzuki has to break the hold. Up and around as Suzuki tosses Del Sol. Star Man breaks the count. Superkick. Star counters a vertical suplex into one of his own. 1-2-NO! Suzuki palm strikes Star Man. Shove. Lo Mein Pain! Del Sol hits a reverse rana! 1-2-3!

Match Analysis: By the incredibly low standards established by this weekend, this was fairly good. Fun action throughout as there was a little bit of high-flying, a little bit of comedy, and a great flurry of action to ultimately end the contest. Hopefully, we don?t fall off a cliff again.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Samuray Del Sol/12:22/***

-Scott Steiner vs. Dan Maff

Match in Five Words or Less: Dream?Match

Match Highlights: Scott Steiner comes out in a motorcycle. Sure, let?s give the maniac a vehicle to ride around. This sounds like a brilliant move. Maff wants Steiner to BRING IT. Knees in the corner and a chop from Steiner. Straight right hand followed by another chop. Ref gets yelled at. Series of stomps in the corner. More strikes. Hip toss. Two running kicks and another chop. Shoulder tackle. Maff counters a bodyslam, gets a boot, and punches him. Double axehandle but Steiner catches him and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Maff tossed to the outside. Maff tosses about five rows deep. Chair shot to the back. Referee warns Steiner. Steiner declines to listen. Big clothesline and an elbow drop. Right into the push-ups. Maff low blows Steiner. Stomp and a knee drop. Big clothesline. Clothesline off the middle rope leads to? a nearfall. Middle rope splash misses badly. Back to the right hands goes Steiner. Back drop. More clotheslines and into the buckle goes Maff. Chop. Boot out of the corner. Another belly-to-belly suplex gets two. Chop and whip. Maff gets his boot up. Charging back splash. Cannonball. Side suplex. Maff climbs to the top but misses a headbutt.? Belly-to-belly suplex off the top rope. Maff may have been dropped on his head. Steiner Recliner and Maff submits quickly.

Match Analysis: This was a bit slowly paced but not a terrible match by any means. These two knew how to deliver a solid if unspectacular power type match. The finish did come off poorly, and that certainly didn?t help matters, but both guys at looked professional, which is more than I can say for most of the matches that happened the previous night. While we?re not off to a great start, this show is on a decidedly better paced than the previous night.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Scott Steiner/9:17/**1/4

-Phantasio vs. Simon Dean

Match in Five Words or Less: Make This Match Disappear!

Match Highlights: I have no idea who Phantastio is, but he has a rather slutty escort with him. As in she?s a girl. Not judging what she might do professionally. Phantasio has a mask and face paint. Dean makes fun of Phantasio for being a magician and makes a crack about being able to make himself disappear. Dean is probably best known for being a commentator on Resistance Pro television and DVDs. Feeling out process as Dean heels it up for the purposes of getting Phantasio over. Somehow, Dean gets hit with streamers before heading outside. Dean plays with Phantastio?s wand. We go into a slow motion sequence. Where?s Darin Corbin? The fans don?t seem to play along with the slow motion aspect of this. This goes on for a while, as we even get a nearfall out of it. Dean breaks out of it and hits a double sledge. Running double sledge and into the chinlock. Elbows to the midsection and a clothesline By Phantasio. Clothesline takes the referee out. Dean nails Phantasio with his bag and covers. No ref. Dean goes to wake him up. Phantasio pulls out a baton. Shot on Dean. Referee counts three.

Match Analysis: Let?s not kid ourselves. Phantastio is extremely green and limited in his moveset. That much is clear after watching him for eight minutes. Dean is not in a good enough shape to be carrying guys to even good matches, but they used smoke and mirrors to at least try and get something productive. Not something I would ever care to watch again, but at least it was relatively short. Also, babyfaces using foreign objects to win matches should not be considered a good idea.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Phantasio/7:47/*

-PWS Tri-State Championship: Tony Nese (champion) vs. KAI

Match in Five Words or Less: Wrestling! Yay!

Match Highlights: Basic to start. Feeling out process. Shoulder tackle by KAI. Leg lariat from Nese. Dropkick misses. Nese sent outside. Dive prevented by a clothesline from Nese. Tope suicida scatters fans. KAI stalls for a bit on the outside. Boots from Nese back in the ring. Strikes by KAI. Leg trip by Nese. Springboard moonsault misses. Shoulder tackle. Sunset flip blocked. Nese hits the springboard moonsault this time. Forearm in the corner. Whip across. Elbow by Nese. He falls off the top rope. Springboard but KAI lifts his knees up and gets a gutbuster. Running knee strike to the midsection. A second running knee strike. Boston crab. Nese grabs the bottom rope. Punches by Nese. Slap by KAI and a gordbuster into the top rope. Double stomp off the middle rope. Powerbomb countered into a roll-up. Nese ducks a clothesline and hits a mid level superkick. Another kick and enziguri. German suplex gets two. Blind charge misses. Enziguri by Nese. Running knee to the face. Out of the corner for two. Chops by Nese. Springboard enziguri from KAI. 1-2-NO! 2K1 bomb countered. KAI hits a modified German suplex. 2K1 bomb hits. 1-2-NO! Double stomp misses and Nese appears to get his knees up late. Bodyslam and 450. 1-2-NO! Nese is visibly frustrated. Strike exchange from their knees. Superkick exchange and both men are down. Another strike exchange. Bell rings and I guess the 15 minute time limit is up. This despite the match went about 14 minutes. Right hand exchange continues. Why not just go the extra minute?

Match Analysis: As good as Nese was on the previous night, he was definitely off a bit on this night with his timing. With KAI holding All-Japan?s junior heavyweight title and not really being able to come back to defend the PWS tri-state title, a draw was really the only way to go. This match felt like it should have had more intensity to it than what was presented. I?d call this a minor disappointment despite still being a solid contest.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Time limit draw/15:00 officially/***

-Brittney Savage vs. Alexxis Naveah

Match in Five Words or Less: Bad

Match Highlights: Immediate knee by Savage. Drop toehold by Naveah. Running senton. Charging forearm in the corner and a bulldog. Savage counters a whip. Terrible looking backcracker. Stomp and kick to the back. Choking on the middle rope. Dropkick to the back. Shot to the midsection and a forearm by Naveah. Savage stifles the comeback and drives her head into the mat. Boston crab. Into the corner and a running knee. Clothesline misses. Series of forearms by Naveah. Running clothesline. Flatliner gets two. Savage hits a back kick and cutter. I?m just glad this is the finish.

Match Analysis: Ms. Savage might be one of the worst wrestlers I?ve seen in 2012 male or female. She?s just not very good and a borderline danger to herself and whomever she?s in the ring with. Naveah looked alright, but considering how bad Savage is, it?s tough to provide a definitive statement on Naveah. This women?s division? Could use some classing up.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Brittney Savage/3:08/1/2*

-Tommy Dreamer vs. The Sheik

Match in Five Words or Less: UGHHHHHHHHH

Match Highlights: Remember when I said Mike Mondo and Mike Bennett was a match that took place in my nightmares? Well, that was actually an undercard match BECAUSE THIS IS THE MAIN EVENT OF MY NIGHTMARES! Incredibly, they start out with some wrestling. I know folks. I?m as shocked as you. Sheik tossed to the outside. Dreamer hits a clothesline. Time for another tour of the Rahway Rec Center as they brawl. Dreamer even rings the bell across Sheik?s groinal area. Guillotine by Sheik. Forearm sends Dreamer on the timekeeper?s table. Chair to the back and the brawl continues. Choking back in the ring. Strikes in the corner. Dreamer comes out of the corner with chops of his own. Whip across. Shoulder first into the post goes Dreamer. Crossface along the post. Sheik bites Dreamer?s hand. Series of right hands and stomps. Sheik sends Dreamer back first out of the corner. Choking on the middle rope. Dreamer send head first into the buckle. Bodyslam and elbow drop. Whip across. Another whip. Bodyslam and he threatens with an elbow drop. Of course it misses. Boot out of the corner and a series of clotheslines by Dreamer. Punches in the corner. Whip. Sheik gets his boots up. Neckbreaker by Dreamer. Chair brought in the ring. Sheik of course drop toeholds him into it. OH THE IRONY! Camel clutch cause Sheik hasn?t ripped enough stuff from previous incarnations. Dreamer grabs the bottom rope. Dreamer boots the chair into Sheik?s face. Dreamer puts him in the tree of woe. Chair to the lower stomach and a dropkick. Sheik out of a TKO attempt. Clothesline gets two. Whip into the chair and TKO by Dreamer. Done.

Match Analysis: Another generic brawl. The fans were of course into this because Dreamer is basically an icon in this part of the country. I?m not a fan of either guy so my enjoyment of his contest was adversely affected by my dislike for their talents. Plus, whoever thought this going 15 minutes was a good idea should likely have their head examined and booking acumen questioned.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Tommy Dreamer/15:19/*1/2

-Vader and 2 Cold Scorpio? vs. Devon Moore and Jay Lethal

Match in Five Words or Less:?Legends Dominate

Match Highlights: On the plus side, at least Scorpio doesn?t have to get his butt handed to him again by Vader. Teaming with him is probably the right call in this case. ?Vader again gets on the microphone and asks what time it is. Scorpio and Vader clothesline each other for fun before chasing their opponents out of the ring. That was certainly a unique way to start. Poor Jay Lethal gets to start with Vader. Vader shows off his power with a shove to the outside. Lethal comes back in the ring and locks up with him stupidly. Scorpio walks toward him. Lethal goes back to his corner. I give he and Moore credit for really heeling it up. Chop by Lethal does literally nothing. Boot out of the corner and a chop. Vader says to hit him. Moore tags in. Splash and Moore tags Lethal back in. Duck and a splash by Vader. Series of clubbering blows. Moore says ?You can do it.? Vader pummels poor Lethal. Scorpio with an elbow to the back. Chop. Turns into an exchange. Headlock from Scorpio. Shoulder tackle and cartwheel. Nice leg lariat from Lethal. Knee to the head. Handspring elbow by Lethal. Tag to Moore and they work Scorpio over. Scorpio with a version of the pele kick. Vader hits an elbow drop and applies a Key lock. Short clothesline. Off the ropes with another clothesline. Again to the armbar. Bodyslam by Vader. Springboard splash by Scorpio. Chinlock. Straight dropkick and standing moonsault. Chinbreaker and swinging neckbreaker by Moore. Lethal comes in and covers for two. Backbreaker. Strikes by Lethal. Scorpio no sells. Right hand no sold. Combo kick by Scorpio. Vader slams Lethal hard. To the middle rope ?and a Vader bomb. Moore has no choice but to break the count. He goes up again and hits a second Vader bomb. Moore again breaks the count. Mask comes off as Vader is angry. He gives chase to Moore. Lethal is dead in the ring. Scorpio comes in and slams him. Splash but there?s no ref. Moore dropkicks Scorpio. Lethal hits an STO. ?Moore hits a dropkick off the top rope. Shooting star press but Vader breaks the count. Lethal goes after him. Vader chokeslams him. Moore sent out so Vader can splash him again. Vertical suplex. Scorpio hits a moonsault double stomp to get the victory

Match Analysis: You wanna talk about a match falling apart? I have no idea what these guys were doing in the second half of this match as the heels looked impotent next to the legends. There was no reason for this to go 15 minutes if it was going to turn into a squash anyway.? Not that anyone in this match looked terrible but this felt like it needed? a better structure and likely needed to be a bit shorter. Big props to Lethal and Moore for bumping around like mad men for the legends. Moore actually showed a lot, and I feel like he?s someone who doesn?t get a lot of credit because of where he works.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Vader and 2 Cold Scorpio/15:43/**1/2

-Five Dollar Wrestling Championship:? Freight Train (champion) vs. Dynomite

Match in Five Words or Less: Why?

Match Highlights: I have no idea why this is happening again. Freight Train gets disqualified for accidentally ?spearing? Jake Manning. Dynomite clearly put Manning in front of him. So in addition to the bad match, we get a terrible finish. Seriously, how is this the semi-main event? Shouldn?t a card be building to the main event? Yeesh.

Match Analysis: I didn?t rate the first match, and I see no reason to rate this one. I said my peace about including five dollar wrestling matches in my night one review.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL Five Dollar Wrestling Champion-Freight Train/2:56/N/R

-Dynomite and Freight Train dance.

-PWS Heavyweight Championship: Sami Calihan (champion) vs. Kevin Matthews

Match in Five Words or Less: Thank God It?s Over

Match Highlights: Calihan wrestles this entire match in his jean vest. He starts off quickly and takes him? in the corner with a series of stomps. Clubbering blow across the chest as Matthews is bleeding already. Chop across the face. Headbutt back in the ring. Running face wash. A second face wash. Calihan takes Matthews?s shirt off and delivers a strong chop. Another chop sends him in the corner. Into some sort of odd submission as he splashes him while mounting his back. Calihan finally introduces the ladder into the proceedings. Choking. Calihan climbs the ladder while it?s choking Matthews. Devin Moore runs out and gets hit with an acecrusher. Calihan says he will kill every member of Matthews?s group. Ladder shot by Matthews. Series of stomps by Matthews. Ladder set up. Low superkick to the knee as Matthews tries climbing up. Running boot. Chop sends Matthews sprawled across the ladder. Running elbow. Swinging DDT countered by Matthews into an exploder on the ladder. Moore is still at ringside and kicks Calihan in the face. Matthews brings out a giant ladder and tosses it in the ring. Calihan rolls outside and Matthews sort of hits him with it. They go to the entranceway. Matthews hits a vertical suplex that sends Calihan hard onto a table. He begins tossing various tables onto the champion. Matthews begins climbing, but Calihan nails him with the giant ladder. Low blow by Matthews. Powerbomb? no he drives him into his knees ala Tommaso Ciampa. Unlike Ciampa, his version of the move looked like garbage. Matthews climbs once again. Calihan joins him and nails him hard in the upper body. Back and forth they battle. Chop sends Matthews hard into the giant ladder. What a stupid bump. Calihan also got knocked down in the madness. Calihan climbs. Moore nails him from behind and hits a powerbomb. Moore then tapes Calihan?s leg to the middle rope. He does the same to Calihan?s arm. Matthews is of course easily able to climb the ladder and win the championship.

Match Analysis: The ending was perfectly representative of this entire weekend. To be frank, I could care less. PWS doesn?t seem to know what it wants to be and giving the belt to someone like Matthews just proves it. Having a finish like this to cap off the weekend is like a slap in the face and pretty much renders a gimmick like this worthless. Matthews was nothing special, but Calihan did his very best to carry him. This wasn?t completely devoid of merit but again this did not meet the expectations of what a main event on a wrestling show should be.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Sami Calihan/15:04/**3/4

The Verdict: Hey, at least my thumb isn?t pointed as down as it was for night one. There were at least a couple of solid matches peppered throughout this card. I only counted one atrocious match, but even that was kept short. Still can?t recommend night two because of some inconsistent booking and some pretty bad finishes. I seriously doubt I will ever review this promotion again.

If nothing else, the fact that this promotion is running a sister promotion with the acronym of B.L.O.W is very fitting based on what I saw this weekend.

In addition to wrestling podcasts, I am also a proud co-host of a show specifically geared toward Mad Men. Please check out all of our?previous podcasts here.?You can also?download them off of iTunes.

Contact Pro Wrestling Ponderings!

E-mail:?prowrestlingponderings@gmail.com

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Contact ME!

E-mail:?jcusson07@gmail.com

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Source: http://nationalsportsreview.com/2012/08/25/pro-wrestling-syndicate-5th-year-anniversary-night-two-dvd-review/

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On Original Pilipino Music | The Marocharim Experiment

Don Jaucian is disheartened,?pointing us to the grave of Original Pilipino Music. ?On the other hand, Carlo Casas is pissed, telling us that OPM is alive and well (nevermind that Don?s ?an idiot?). ?Three or four tweets later, I find that whatever my thoughts here are better off blogged? at least kicking off from where Rain Contreras started.

Picking up from a conversation I had with Nan Santamaria: without going through a long laundry list of bands and performers, I think Don?s argument should be taken from the position he takes at the very beginning of the article. ?OPM is not defined as anything proudly Philippine made, as with the logos found in everything from tubs of Star margarine to bottles of Silver Swan soy sauce. ??Original Pilipino Music? was a tag used by the Philippine recording industry to promote their products. ?When the ?Manila Sound? faded into the background in the 1970s, record labels used the OPM tag to create that commercial category of tapes and vinyls and CDs of everything from ASIN to APO to Jessa Zaragoza to Nonoy Zuniga. ?That?was OPM.

Yet the debate is not about that?definition. ?Definitions change with time, and ?OPM? ? as a definition ? is no exception. ?To not acknowledge that this trademark or brand has changed over the years to encompass a wide breadth of artists, styles, genres, and niches: everything from the ASF Dancers to Wolfgang. ?Thanks to indie records and digital downloads, OPM is no longer dependent on whether or not someone signs on to STAR Records. ?OPM is no longer dependent on the whims and demands of record executives. ?What we hear on the radio and see at the shelves of Odyssey, maybe. ?What we enjoy in Saguijo or download on Bandcamp, no.

A key point that we can take away from all of this is that the nuances of OPM are too broad and too far-reaching for us to ignore in favor only of our tastes. ?Whether we like it or not, people like Daniel Padilla and P-Pop acts (whatever the heck that is), the ?fossilized? roster of ASAP mainstays like Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano, and talent contest winners like Jovit Baldivino and Marcelito Pomoy breathe life for record producers and labels. ?They are a slice of that big pie called ?Original Pilipino Music? that happens to be more well-funded than indie labels, the slice that has more mall tours, TV shows, and concerts abroad. ?And I don?t know if this is a fault or an advantage or both, but they breathe the necessary sales needed for our record industry to survive.

And then we have the ?indie? bands and performers where ? I think ? so much of this friction is coming from. ?They don?t have many mall tours, TV shows are very rare blessings, and concerts abroad are dreams: what they ?lack? in laminated plaques presented by Kuya Germs, they have in fans who flock to their gigs in everywhere from multi-purpose halls to bars. ?Everything from RomCom to Ang Bandang Shirley to Cambio to Imago is a slice ? probably smaller ? of that bigger pie called ?Original Pilipino Music.? ?The ones who fuel this industry with the necessary creativity and passion that our musical history needs to thrive.

And even the music of the?masa is part of OPM. ?Oh sure, we can thumb our noses down on the next compositions of Lito Camo and Joey de Leon, but they have the songs that the vast majority of our people enjoy. ?They?re the ones who, unlike many of us here, do not have the privilege of listening to OPM beyond tigli-limang piso?videoke and Willie Revillame CDs. ?Those who don?t have the means for the fare and the round of beers at Freedom Bar or Route 196, who would probably like the things we listen to if they have more access to it. ? Do we exclude Fliptop and Bagtikan battle rap sessions and novelty songs from the big OPM playlist? ?I don?t think so. ?(This is for another blog entry altogether, but for anyone who says that Filipino poetry is dead and relegated to a workshop setting: I give you Gloc-9, I give you Roberto Boy Paoz, I give you Mike Kosa.)

Is OPM dead? ?No, it?s not: OPM ? that all-encompassing term for music played by and from the Filipino people ? is here to stay. ?But let this not be a recommendation for stagnation or complacency. ?Just because our definition for OPM has widened doesn?t mean that things should remain as they are. ?If our tastes do not appeal for the same crooning on TV every Sunday afternoon, then we should support the music we like. ?Creativity and passion needs money to thrive, and a well-funded machine needs all the creativity it can get to churn out more products worthy of what we think is OPM.

Some two years ago, I wrote this piece as a reaction to President Aquino?s call to implement Executive Order 255:

I am an avid listener of Pilipino music; if need be, I am here to spread the message and to spread the word about the beauty of our music, and the skill of our artists and the Pilipino music industry in general.? However, our personal tastes and preferences to music are mere suggestions to others who also have their preferences and are willing to listen.? I believe that revitalizing OPM could only happen when it has a strong foundation; if the government would invest in its own radio stations and play OPM.? Especially if it?s the first patron of the industry.? With quality radio stations, with state-of-the-art equipment and experts in operations, we can effectively share to the public the beauty of our songs, and talent of our singers, composers, and lyricists in the music industry; whether they?re just starting out or are legends in the field.

I think it rings true?(so to speak) today. ?And if anything,?that is what we should be debating on.

Source: http://marocharim.com/2012/08/26/on-original-pilipino-music/

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Sony VAIO Z13 (SVZ13114GXX)

The Sony VAIO Z13 (SVZ13114GXX) is Sony's premium ultaportable laptop, bringing all of the thinness and performance you'd expect from an ultrabook, but also offering top-of-the-line construction and several extras for a premium price. In direct contrast to $600 ultrabooks, most ultraportables tend to cost a lot more , and the Sony VAIO Z13 is an extreme example of that, selling for $1,949.99 (direct). And while it has the slim dimensions of an ultrabook, the Sony VAIO Z13 comes with a standard-voltage processor?a subtle, but important distinction. The VAIO Z13 certainly delivers a premium experience, but a few elements fall short of what we expect, given its price.

Design
The VAIO Z13 features premium carbon fiber construction for a chassis that is exceptionally lightweight yet strong. Measuring 0.66 by 13.0 by 8.27 inches (HWD), the ultraportable weighs only 2.58 pounds, closer in design to the slim Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 ultrabook than the thicker, heavier Toshiba Portege R835-P88 , our Editors' Choice among ultraportables. The thinness doesn't stem entirely from the materials, however, as Sony uses a special drop-hinge design which actually places the rear feet of the laptop on the hinge-edge of the lid, so the open laptop is propped up slightly. This makes for a more comfortable typing experience while also keeping everything extremely compact when the system is closed. On the downside, however, this makes for a slightly less comfortable experience when you're actually using the laptop on your lap?the hinge and feet aren't very comfortable on the thighs.

The VAIO Z13 features a 13.1-inch backlit display panel with 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. This resolution is well higher than those of the displays seen on most ultraportables and ultrabooks, including the 1,600-by-900 display on the Samsung Series 9 15-inch (NP900X4C-A02US) , but it's matched by the 1080p displays seen on the Editors' Choice Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 and its Zenbook Prime siblings, some of which can be bought for under $1,000. Sony pairs the VAIO Z13's display with built-in stereo speakers and Dolby Home Theater v4 software, which offers clear sound at most volumes. The audio provides enough sound for one or two people to listen to and understand dialogue in a Netflix or Hulu video, but not enough to share music with a room.

The VAIO Z13 is equipped with a full-size chiclet keyboard, and the keys have a slight sheen to them despite their matte appearance. Though the keyboard isn't as comfortable to type on as the one on the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 , it's more than passable. The accompanying touchpad is accurate and responsive, but it has a strange glossy, fingerprint-collecting surface on the buttons and a textured hexagonal snakeskin pattern. I didn't particularly care for either. Between the two mouse buttons is a fingerprint reader for easy secure logins.

Features
The VAIO Z13 fits two USB 3.0 ports (one with power for charging devices while the system is asleep), an HDMI-output, and a compact Ethernet port that opens to full-size when needed, but closes up when not in use to maintain the laptop's slim lines. On the right is a full-size VGA port, and on the front edge of the palm rest are two card reader slots?one for Sony's proprietary memory formats (MagicGate/HG Duo) and another for the more common SD formats. Between the right and left mouse buttons is the aforementioned fingerprint reader, with a TPM chip inside for further security. Above the display is a 1.3-megapixel webcam, equipped with an Exmor sensor from Sony's camera and imaging department. Wireless connectivity comes by way of 802.11n Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, which lets you wirelessly stream HD content to TVs through an Netgear Push2TV adapter.

As is often the case with ultrabooks, there is no optical drive, but the 256GB solid-state-drive (SSD) should provide a workable amount of storage space while also helping the VAIO Z13 to zip right along. Installed on the drive are the usual bits of trialware and bloatware, like a 30-day trial of Kaspersky Internet Security, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter, Microsoft PowerPoint Reader, and a few free programs like Evernote and Skype. Sony piles on with proprietary utilities, like VAIO Media Gallery, VAIO Care, VAIO Messenger, VAIO Gate, Sony PlayMemories, and Sony Music Unlimited. But Sony also includes a few extra premium offerings as well, namely full versions of Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum, ACID Music Studio, and Sound Forge Audio Studio. These premium multimedia tools are bundled with the laptop, along with Sony's one-year warranty.

Performance
While the VAIO 13 may be slim, there was no skimping on the processor; it's equipped with the same 2.1GHz Intel i7-3612QM quad-core processor seen in the Dell XPS 15 (Summer 2012) ?a full-size laptop. This almost-ultrabook packs a processor more commonly seen in larger laptops, offering a step up in processing power from the low-voltage CPUs used in ultrabooks.

Paired with 8GB of RAM and given a healthy speed boost from the aforementioned SSD, the VAIO Z13 scored an impressive 7,096 points in PCMark 7, well ahead of the Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 (5,053 points) and Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 (2,523 points), both of which have a low-voltage quad-core processor, and ahead of the Toshiba Portege R835-P88 (2,313 points) which used an older second-gen Core i5. With four cores running a total of eight logic threads, the VAIO Z13 also rocketed ahead of competitors in Cinebech R11.5, scoring 5.64 points. The nearest competitor, the Asus UX32VD-DB71, scored 3.58 points. With that sort of processing power, it's no surprise that the VAIO Z13 also led the category in our multimedia tests as well, zipping through Handbrake in 1 minute 22 seconds and Photoshop CS5 in 3:31.

Unlike premium ultrabooks, however, the VAIO Z13 doesn't have a discrete graphics processor, relying instead on Intel's integrated graphics processing. In 3DMark 06, therefore, the VAIO Z13 scored a respectable 7,462 points at medium detail and 1,366-by-768 resolution, but was challenged by the Nvidia-equipped Dell XPS 14 (Summer 2012) and the Asus UX32VD-DB71, which scored 7,047 points and 8,627 points, respectively. Even with its healthy graphics capability, the VAIO Z13 wasn't able to produce playable results in either of our gaming tests.

While the full-voltage processor made for some impressive results in our performance tests, it chewed through battery-life pretty quickly, as the VAIO Z13's battery lasted only 4 hours 51 minutes when tested it in MobileMark. In a category defined by convenience and portability, the failure to hit the five-hour mark is a pretty big disappointment, especially considering that the Toshiba Portege R835-P88 stretches well past it (8:40) and the Dell XPS 14 (Summer 2012) nearly doubles it (9:37).

The Sony VAIO Z13 (SVZ13114GXX) sets out to dominate the pricier end of the ultraportable category, and in some respects it does, with unbeaten processing power, featherweight carbon fiber construction, and great multimedia performance, along with the software tools to take advantage of it. If you want the best ultraportable available, this may well be it, but with the highest price in the category, you'd expect a discrete graphics processor and the long battery life seen in other ultraportables and ultrabooks. It can't match the value-per-dollar offered by the ultraportable Editors' Choice Toshiba Portege R835-P88, and the leading ultrabook Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 offers an equally gorgeous display, crisp audio, and strong multimedia performance, and for considerably less. Nevertheless, if money is no object, the Sony VAIO Z13 is a top-tier ultraportable, if not the best value for the price.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Sony VAIO Z13 (SVZ13114GXX) with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Acer Aspire TimelineX 4830TG-6808
??? Sony VAIO Z13 (SVZ13114GXX)
??? Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (Mid 2012)
??? Samsung 17-inch Series 7 Chronos (NP700Z7C-S01US)
??? Vizio 15.6-inch Thin + Light (CT15-A1)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/wcopXSR1sAQ/0,2817,2408845,00.asp

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CookeonCUs: RT @CandiceRReed: Washington: Evergreen State Credit Unions? ROAA Lives Up to Nickname http://t.co/GTThv0Ck (via @CookeonCUs)

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Why Atomic PR Win Awards - World Business News

Atomic PR has been recognized and awarded for the immense contribution in the in the public relations and technological invention sector. In the year 2010 for instance, the company was awarded for being a finalist in two categories in the PR week. The first category is the product branding campaign of the year. In this category, Atomic public relation was celebrated for the way it launched the Polaroid brand at Ces. The second achievement made by this public relation company is the in the Non profit campaign of the year. Here again, Atomic used it tools to implement an impressive campaign to save the parcels of land around the Hollywood.

Among the features that made Atomic to make massive campaigns with impacts across different sector is its use of a tool called Comcontext. This facility is used to not only gain insights to the customer?s activity but also put in place plans for the public relations campaigns using the real time data.

This analytic method is a major improvement on the traditional public relations exercise that has depended on the experience and professional opinion of the analyst. As a result, most decisions on adopting a PR strategy have always been made on the intuition not real data.? The hard facts provided by comcontext have provided 100% result to the clients of the Atomic Company. The other advantage of relying on data is that the performance is measurable. This ensures that the analysts working at Atomic are able to isolate non performing strategy and therefore change it appropriately.

Among the strategy used to rebrand Polaroid included both the conventional public relations media and the social media. The success of this program was so evident because Polaroid as a company had just been declared bankrupt. This brought a lot of issues which made the company to be out of touch with its customers. The strategy employed by Atomic to engage the public through press conferences and the social media was persuasive and managed to change the opinion of the customers.

What makes the Atomic PR even more attractive to clients is the fact that it is affordable. For example additional fees are not required to measure the performance of a campaign. When compared to other agencies which take a lot of money. The comcontext, though more complex and accurate, does not need client to pay additional fees to Atomic Public relations. The use of search accurate data informed the strategies used to rebrand and hence give Polaroid and new lifeline.

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Source: http://www.tv5newsusa.com/why-atomic-pr-win-awards-539.html

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