Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Bela Tarr swaps film making for running unique school

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Revered Hungarian director Bela Tarr's famously uncompromising approach to cinema will now be passed to future generations as he begins a new course for budding filmmakers in Sarajevo.

The 57-year-old retired from directing after the release in 2011 of "The Turin Horse", a bleak, black-and-white portrayal of a peasant and his daughter abandoned by man and God in their remote, windswept cottage.

Its long takes and sparse dialogue and narrative were trademarks of Tarr, who won over critics around the world and is perhaps most famous for his seven-hour epic "Satantango" based on a novel by compatriot Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

It will come as little surprise to hear Tarr speak not of commercial success in cinema, but artistic integrity at a time when independent filmmakers are struggling to raise money to make movies that have limited box office potential.

"Film is different - you cannot teach, you can do only one thing which is to develop young filmmakers -- give them freedom, tell them they can be brave, they can be themselves, do what they really want," Tarr said in an interview.

Last week classes began at his newly launched Film Factory at the Sarajevo University School for Science and Technology, offering a three-year programme which Tarr and his associates said would adopt a fresh approach to filmmaking.

"It started when I decided not to make any more movies," Tarr said of his idea to launch an international PhD-level film programme for mature directors.

"I had the feeling this was the next step in my life because I want to share what I know, and I want to protect young filmmakers, give them the protection to be free," he told Reuters in his offices in the Bosnian capital.

ART BACK INTO FILM

Accommodated in a building located in the old part of Sarajevo, his Film Factory is now home to 17 students who have come from as far as Japan and Mexico to explore the secrets of filmmaking.

"It's a unique attempt to really work artistically in film, and to bring film to the level of art again," said Fred Kelemen, a German cinematographer and director who runs a camera workshop at the school.

"I think it's very important because it's something that many film schools around the world do not do any more," he added before mentoring students in capturing light against a dark backdrop on camera.

Kelemen has worked with Tarr on several films, and has been branded by critics as the "maestro of black and white silence".

The programme includes a theoretical section based on analyzing films as well as practical workshops which will be run by independent cinema stars including Gus Van Sant, Jim Jarmusch and Tilda Swinton.

Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, French director Thierry Garrel, Icelandic producer Fridrik Thor Fridriksson will also be among the lecturers, and possibly Aki Kaurismaki.

Students are expected to produce four films over the first two years and a feature in the final year.

"It looks like a menu," Tarr said of his programme. "In the end you have to cook your own food. The third part, when they are making their own movies, is where the real cooking is done, and that is my responsibility."

Most students said they applied for the school because of its unconventional approach to film and its roster of prominent figures from the film industry.

"After 110 years of cinema we are at the point where everything is undone," said Keja Ho Kramer from France, who has worked in the film business for the past 12 years.

"So to have an opportunity to rethink where the future is with all these amazing people is what interests me most."

Tarr is confident the course will achieve its goal of promoting freedom of art and expression, and produce some "good, strong movies.

"We are here, we have cameras, we have lights, we have fantasy, they have time, they are young, full of energy, full of hope - I do not see a problem. We just have to work, work, work, work."

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bela-tarr-swaps-film-making-running-unique-school-130023576.html

anencephaly tesla model x lou gehrig toby mac

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Caffe Oppio: Prosecco, wifi and one hell of a view. #rome

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://wallofdis.tumblr.com/post/43807740583

camille grammer camille grammer us supreme court breaking dawn part 2 trailer mississippi state chris carpenter chris carpenter

Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche make weight as all UFC 157 fights are official

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- For the first time, women stood on the scales to weigh in for a UFC bout. Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Liz Carmouche both made weight in an uneventful weigh-in on Friday afternoon at the Honda Center.

[Also: Ronda Rousey doesn't want to touch UFC title belt before fighting]

Michael Chiesa came in slightly over weight but the athletic commission let the small overage slide. Nah-Shon Burrell was significantly overweight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to his opponent. Here are complete weigh-in results, thanks to MMA Junkie.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
? Champ Ronda Rousey (134.6) vs. Liz Carmouche (133.6) - for women's bantamweight title
? Dan Henderson (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (202)
? Urijah Faber (136) vs. Ivan Menjivar (135.6)
? Court McGee (170) vs. Josh Neer (171)
? Josh Koscheck (171) vs. Robbie Lawler (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)
? Lavar Johnson (255) vs. Brendan Schaub (243)
? Mike Chiesa (156.2) vs. Anton Kuivanen (156)
? Dennis Bermudez (145) vs. Matt Grice (145)
? Caros Fodor (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:30 p.m. ET)
? Brock Jardine (170) vs. Kenny Robertson (170)
? Neil Magny (171) vs. Jon Manley (171)
? Nah-Shon Burrell (175.8) vs. Yuri Villefort (170)

UFC video on Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Alex Smith on the trading block in Indy
? Tigers ace Justin Verlander willing to test free-agent waters for $200M deal
? Danica Patrick bows out of Nationwide race; ready for Daytona 500
? Wake Forest knocks off No. 2 Miami

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-liz-carmouche-weight-ufc-157-fights-021835462--mma.html

garbage pail kids st bonaventure ncaa tournament 2012 peyton manning 49ers andy pettitte tyler clementi kevin kolb

Italians vote in parliamentary elections

A nuns casts her ballot in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A nuns casts her ballot in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A nun votes in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A nun exits a booth as she votes in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Nuns vote in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A man arrives to vote in a polling station in downtown Rome, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

(AP) ? Will Italy stay the course with painful economic reform? Or fall back into the old habit of profligacy and inertia? These are the stakes as Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies.

Fellow EU countries and investors are watching closely, as the decisions that Italy makes over the next several months promise to have a profound impact on whether Europe can decisively put out the flames of its financial crisis. Greece's troubles in recent years were enough to spark a series of market panics. With an economy almost 10 times the size of Greece's, Italy is simply too big a country for Europe, and the world, to see fail.

Leading the electoral pack is Pier Luigi Bersani, a former communist who has shown a pragmatic streak in supporting tough economic reforms spearheaded by incumbent Mario Monti. On Bersani's heels is Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul seeking an unlikely political comeback after being forced from the premiership by Italy's debt crisis. Monti, while widely credited with saving Italy from financial ruin, is trailing badly as he pays the price for the suffering caused by austerity measures.

Then there's the wild card: comic-turned-politician Beppe Grillo, whose protest movement against the entrenched political class has been drawing tens of thousands to rallies in piazzas across Italy. If his self-styled political "tsunami" sweeps into Parliament with a big chunk of seats, Italy could be in store for a prolonged period of political confusion that would spook the markets.

While a man of the left, Bersani has shown himself to have a surprising amount in common with the center-right Monti ? and the two have hinted at the possibility of teaming up in a coalition. Bersani was Monti's most loyal backer in Parliament during the respected economist's tenure at the head of a technocratic government. And in ministerial posts in previous center-left governments, Bersani fought hard to free up such areas of the economy as energy, insurance and banking services.

But it's uncertain that Monti will be able muster the votes needed to give Bersani's Democratic Party a stable majority in both houses of Parliament.

"Forming a government with a stable parliamentary alliance may prove tricky after elections," said Eoin Ryan, an analyst with IHS Global Insight. "A surge in support for anti-austerity parties is raising chances of an indecisive election result and post-vote political instability."

Another factor is turnout. Usually some 80 percent of the 50 million eligible voters go to the polls but experts are predicting many will stay away in anger, hurting mainstream parties.

When Berlusconi stepped down in November 2011, newspapers were writing his political obituary. At 76, blamed for mismanaging the economy and disgraced by criminal allegations of sex with an underage prostitute, the billionaire media baron appeared finished as a political force.

But Berlusconi has proven time and again ? over 20 years at the center of Italian politics ? that he should never be counted out.

The campaign strategy that has allowed him to become a contender in these elections is a simple one: please the masses by throwing around cash.

Berlusconi has promised to give back an unpopular property tax imposed by Monti as part of austerity measures. Even his purchase of start striker Mario Balotelli for his AC Milan soccer team was widely seen as a ploy to buy votes. Berlusconi has also appealed to Italy's right-wing by praising Italy's former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust victims.

The most recent polls show Bersani in the lead with 33 percent of the vote, against 28 percent for Berlusconi's coalition with the populist Northern League. Grillo's 5 Star movement was in a surprise third place, with 17 percent support, while Monti's centrist coalition was notching 13 percent. The COESIS poll of 6,212 respondents had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percent.

Pollster Renato Mannheimer said among his biggest clients heading into the elections were foreign banks seeking to gauge whether to hold or sell Italian bonds.

"They are worried mostly about the return of Berlusconi," Mannheimer said.

Uncertainty over the outcome of the vote has pushed the Milan stock exchange down in the days running up to the vote and bumped up borrowing costs, as investors express concern that Italy may back down from a reform course to pull the country out of recession.

Mannheimer said many undecided voters ? who comprise around one-third of the total electorate ? identify with the center-right, and that may help Berlusconi. He said that the undecided vote may also tilt heavily toward Grillo's protest movement.

The professorial Monti looked uncomfortable at first as a candidate but has recently warmed to the role. Like the others, he has not shied away from name calling, warning that Berlusconi is a "charlatan" and saying his return would be "horrific."

Bond analyst Nicholas Spiro said the election "will deliver the most important verdict on the eurozone's three-year-old austerity focused policies."

But he is betting on a period of political instability after the vote.

"An upset victory by Mr. Berlusconi may be markets' nightmare scenario," he said, "but the prospects for a stable and harmonious Bersani-Monti coalition government ? still the mostly likely outcome in our view ? are bleak."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-Italy-Elections/id-1a18be077e3243508d9504be8d6e23a0

9/11 Jerry Lawler andy murray Samsung Galaxy S3 bachelor pad bachelor pad Green Coffee Bean Extract

Galaxy S4 modelinin Qualcomm i?lemci kullanaca??na dair dedikodular art?yor

Gelecek ay tan?t?lmas? beklenen Samsung'un amiral gemi modeli Galaxy S4 i?in pek ?ok ?zelli?i hakk?nda bilgiler internete s?zarken, son d?nemde i?lemci konusunda bir kafa kar???kl??? ya?an?yor.

G?ney Koreli baz? kaynaklar, Galaxy S4 modelinde Exynos 5 i?lemcilerde ya?anan ?s?nma ve pil sorunu nedeniyle tamamen Snapdragon 600 i?lemcisine y?nelece?ini iddia etmi?ti. Pipper Jaffray analiz firmas? da bu iddiay? k?smen desteklemi?ti. Firmaya yak?n kaynaklar bunun m?mk?n olmad???n? ve cihaz?n muhtemelen Exynos 5 Quad i?lemci ve Mali-T658 grafik birimi ile gelece?ini belirtiyor.

Ancak bug?n yeni bir iddia daha ortaya at?ld?. Sammobile taraf?ndan firma i?i kaynaklardan yeni nesil Galaxy S4 i?in resmi ?zelliklerin elde edildi?i bilgisi ge?ildi. Buna g?re Galaxy S4 modeli Snapdragon 600 ??z?m? ile geliyor. ??lemcinin h?z? ise 1.9GHz saat h?z?na a??rt?lm?? ve HTC One modelinden 0.2GHz daha y?ksek. 2GB RAM, 13MP ??z?n?rl?kte kamera, 16GB/32GB/64GB depolama se?enekleri, 4.99 in?lik Full HD ekran, 7.7mm kal?nl?k, 138gr a??rl?k di?er ?zellikleri.?

Bunun yan?nda kafa kar??t?ran di?er bir iddia da Super AMOLED yerine SoLux ekrana yer verilece?i y?n?nde.Bunun nedeni ise Super AMOLED ekran ?retiminde s?k?nt?lar ya?anmas?.

?

SoLux ekranlar, renkleri ger?e?e en yak?n g?steren, g?ne? ????? alt?nda yans?may? en aza indiren, daha iyi g?r?? a??lar? sunan bir teknoloji bar?nd?r?yor. ?zellikle m?cevher sergilerinde renk canl?l???n? art?rmak i?in SoLux teknolojisi i?eren ayd?nlatmalara yer verilmekte. Bu ?zelli?i HTC One modelinde de g?rm??t?k. Ancak Galaxy S4'te kullan?lacak ekran Super-LCD3 ?zerine mi entegre edilecek bilinmiyor.?

Ayr?ca Galaxy S2 benzeri bir kasa tasar?m?, ??kar?labilir batarya ve polikarbonat kasa da yine bu modelde yer verilecek ?zelliklerden.

Galaxy S4 ile ilgili iddialar giderek daha ilgin? bir hal almaya ba?l?yor. Bu ?zelliklere sahip Galaxy S4 modelinin kullan?c? kaybedece?i ?ok a??k. Ancak yine de belirtti?imiz gibi bu iddialar sadece LTE versiyonuna y?nelik iddialar olabilir.?

?

Source: http://www.donanimhaber.com/Galaxy_S4_modelinin_Qualcomm_islemci_kullanacagina_dair_dedikodular_artiyor-40222.htm

Angie Everhart tom hardy British Open leaderboard Jessica Ghawi People Water Fred Willard Emmy nominations 2012

Women's Nordic Skiing at NCAA Central Region Championships at Houghton, Mich.

Women's Nordic Skiing at NCAA Central Region Championships Houghton, Mich.

The Gustavus women's nordic skiing team will compete in the NCAA Central Region Championships in Houghton, Michigan on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24.

Source: https://gustavus.edu/calendar/women-s-nordic-skiing-at-ncaa-central-region-championships-2/35692

florida primary full force odd fellows eli whitney blake griffin dunk on kendrick perkins kendrick perkins steve jones

Saturday, February 23, 2013

PrintMatch: Account Executive - Marketing Agency - SW London

Account Executive - Marketing Agency -SW London

This position would suit an Account Executive who is really looking to find thier next step on the ladder, so to speak.

This opportunity will be working on site with a major Events company based in SW London client, so you will need to have print buying skills, a friendly and commercial way with you and above all the willing to learn and develop your own skills

Responsibilities -

* Media buying including negotiating prices
* Briefing creative and trafficking artwork to ensure it is supplied on time
* Writing and proofing copy
* Evaluating campaigns and producing client reports

Skills -

* Experience working in a print/marketing position

* Demonstrable campaign management skills

* First class client handling skills and a high level of attention to detail.

* Excellent communication skills

* Ability to work within a small company, think on feet and work autonomously

* Good understanding of print processes including buying
?

Source: http://jobs.printweek.com/job/338190/account-executive-marketing-agency-sw-london-/?TrackID=3

day 26 new hunger games trailer sasquatch david choe national wear red day gunner kiel gunner kiel

Wiz Khalifa Is Ready For 'Daddy Time'

New Instagram photo suggests that Wiz and Amber's baby might be on the way.
By Nadeska Alexis


Wiz Khalifa
Photo: Wiz Khalifa/Instagram

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702364/wiz-khalifa-amber-rose-baby-hospital.jhtml

Michael Clarke Duncan Nazanin Boniadi Deval Patrick Dedication 4 labor day college football scores khan academy

APNewsBreak: National park cuts detailed in memo

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? The towering giant sequoias at Yosemite National Park would go unprotected from visitors who might trample their shallow roots. At Cape Cod National Seashore, large sections of the Great Beach would close to keep eggs from being destroyed if natural resource managers are cut.

Gettysburg would decrease by one-fifth the number of school children who learn about the historic battle that was a turning point in the Civil War.

As America's financial clock ticks toward a so-called sequester that would cut funding to countless government agencies, The Associated Press has obtained a National Park Service memo that compiles a list of potential effects at the country's most beautiful and historic places.

"We're planning for this to happen and hoping that it doesn't," said National Park spokesman Jeffrey Olson, who confirmed that the list is authentic and represents cuts the department is considering.

Most of the Park Service's $2.9 billion budget is for permanent spending such as staff salaries, fuel, utilities and rent payments. Superintendents have about 10 percent of their budgets for discretionary spending for things ranging from interpretive programs to historic-artifact maintenance to trail repair, and would lose half of that to the 5 percent cuts.

Employees would be furloughed for more than a month.

Park Service Director John Jarvis last month asked superintendents to show by Feb. 11 how they would absorb the funding cuts. The memo includes some of those decisions.

"We remain hopeful that Congress is able to avoid these cuts," said Olson.

One in five international tourists visits one of America's 398 national parks, research shows, and the parks are one-third of the top 25 domestic travel destinations. If the cuts go though, the memo shows national parks will notice fewer services, shorter hours and the placing of some sensitive areas completely off-limits to visitors when there isn't enough staff to protect resources.

Programs on the chopping block include invasive species eradication in Yosemite, student education at Gettysburg, and comfort stations on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-22-National%20Parks-Sequestration/id-34a3bfcbb12c4b6196136f9f24fcdb5b

james neal virginia tech emancipation proclamation april 16 tornadoes mitch hedberg secret service scandal

Online Business Radio Grills DubLi's Reverse Auctions Expert ...

www.BusinessBuilding411.com. 313-971-8294 Steve Dahl interviews business veteran Amanda Keller about how DubLi is changing lives. Listen to this online marketing expert share her insights on the success traits of online marketing professionals in this inspiring interview. Amanda shares her non-profit and charitable objectives that blend easily with DubLi?s Partner program. Nonprofit fund raising just got easier thanks to the DubLi Partner program. Is DubLi right for you? Ask Amanda! You don?t need Internet marketing experience to make extra money online. Amanda shows you how reverse auctions are shaking up the online auction world. Want a way to make money online without the hassles of ebay? Call Amanda at 313-971-8294.

Source: http://www.cmdcompany.com/online-business-radio-grills-dublis-reverse-auctions-expert-amanda-keller/

Kevin Clash Walmart Black Friday 2012 Paula Broadwell Tilted Kilt Barbara Palvin Yahoo Fantasy Football Nick Foles

Sunday, February 17, 2013

China at risk with Venezuela oil bet

Asia Times Saturday 16th February, 2013

China at risk with Venezuela oil bet By Matt Ferchen Referring to the evolving political crisis in Venezuela, a Shanghai Academy of Social Science scholar, Zhang Jiazhe, recently remarked, if Hugo Chavez dies, "the diplomatic effect on China won't be large because China-US competition is in Asia not Latin America. Economically, China-Venezuela relations are based on oil and weapons sales". Back in 2006, Beijing University Professor Ha Daojiong, however, sounded a more skeptical note when he wrote, "The search for overseas oil supplies has led Beijing to pursue close diplomatic tie...

Read more

Source: http://www.chinanationalnews.com/index.php/sid/212615219/scat/9366300fc9319e9b

there will be blood there will be blood nigel barker 420 secret service fenway park philadelphia flyers

Streptococcus pneumonia shields foreign DNA derived from other bacteria to promote genetic diversity and vaccine evasion

Streptococcus pneumonia shields foreign DNA derived from other bacteria to promote genetic diversity and vaccine evasion

Friday, February 15, 2013

A new report demonstrates that the human pathogen Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae (one of the known causes of bacterial pneumonia) possesses an unusual enzyme that protects foreign DNA taken up during transformation, allowing exchange of pathogenicity islands donated from other pathogenic bacteria. This study, published February 14 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by researchers from the Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (CNRS-Universit? Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France), establishes a role for this enzyme in protecting internalized DNA from restriction, and simultaneously shows that S. pneumoniaeuses transformation, for example by DNA picked up from other bacterial strains, specifically to promote genome diversification.

Exchange of pathogenicity islands is crucial for pneumococcal virulence, as illustrated by the impressive variability in the polysaccharide capsule, which is usually targeted by current vaccines. Acquisition of different capsule loci, by relying on this genetic transformation, thus allows for vaccine evasion. Natural genetic transformation is thought of as the bacterial equivalent of sexual reproduction, allowing intra- and inter-species genetic exchange. This process, involving uptake of foreign DNA as single-strands (ss) that leads to chromosomal integration, is transient in S. pneumoniae.

Restriction-modification (R-M) systems classically include a restrictase, which protects the host bacteria from attack by bacteriophage via the degradation of only the foreign double-stranded (ds) DNA, and a dsDNA methylase that methylates the host genome, providing self-immunity against this restrictase. Since they degrade only foreign DNA, R-M systems are proposed to antagonize transformation by DNA from other bacteria. The DpnII R-M system investigated in this study is present in around half of pneumococcal isolates tested and also possesses an unusual methylase of ssDNA, DpnA, which is specifically induced during the brief genetic transformation time window.

This study shows that DpnA gene is crucial for the exchange of pathogenicity islands when the foreign DNA is unmethylated (i.e., from a non-DpnII modified DNA donor). By methylating the internalized foreign ssDNA, DpnA protects the chromosome of those transformants that incorporate the foreign pathogenicity islands, such as the capsule locus. In the absence of this unique methylation, the novel transformant chromosomes would be degraded by the DpnII restrictase, thus forbidding the acceptance of the foreign DNA sequences.

The researchers found that the role of DpnA is to protect foreign DNA, allowing pathogenicity island exchange between bacteria. Jean-Pierre Claverys, Principal Investigator and senior author of the paper concludes that "this finding is the first evidence for a mechanism that actively promotes genetic diversity of S. pneumoniae through programmed protection and incorporation of foreign DNA."

###

Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 10 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126846/Streptococcus_pneumonia_shields_foreign_DNA_derived_from_other_bacteria_to_promote_genetic_diversity_and_vaccine_evasion_

us open tennis Empire State Building shooting Republican National Convention Karlie Redd guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Texas Gov. Rick Perry tries to woo California businesses

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is on a hunting trip in California. And the prey is Golden State businesses ? and jobs.

Perry kicked off his in-your-face campaign to woo companies to the Lone Star State this month with radio ads declaring that "building a business in California is next to impossible." Now the governor is on a whirlwind trip through the state courting companies in person.

"You fish where the fish are," Perry said Tuesday during an interview in Beverly Hills, his slow drawl emphasizing each point. "You're at a tipping point in California from the standpoint of high-wealth innovators. Many are looking for somewhere else to go, and we'd like them to consider Texas."

Perry's not the only one who has come knocking.

The Arizona Commerce Authority recently opened offices in California staffed with employees to pitch businesses full-time. Nevada has hired recruiters as well. And Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said last year that he was making calls to California companies looking to move.

Although interstate job poaching is nothing new, many states and cities have gotten downright aggressive about recruiting California businesses ready to bolt with promises of low taxes, loose regulations and a hard stance on organized labor. They're betting that myriad new policies will push more corporations to look for a new home.

California voters in November approved Proposition 30, which hiked income taxes for the state's wealthiest residents and nudged up the sales tax. They also voted yes on closing a corporate tax loophole for out-of-state businesses. And California's cap-and-trade program requires businesses to pay for emitting carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases above a certain threshold.

Gov. Jerry Brown has publicly dismissed both Perry and the idea of firms fleeing California. In a statement, his Office of Business and Economic Development noted that 257,000 private-sector jobs were added last year and that firms such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Amazon.com Inc. were expanding in the state.

"No state has ever poached their way to long-term prosperity," the statement said. "This is something so many governors have done before and with the same ineffective results."

Successful or not, poaching "does seem to have surged in the last few years," said Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, a group that tracks government subsidies. "More public officials want to appear aggressive on the economy."

But are California companies really susceptible to the siren call to flee?

Many economists say companies griping over higher taxes or new regulations is nothing new, but relatively few of California's lost jobs can be blamed on businesses moving out of state.

From 1992 to 2006, for example, only 2% of job losses in the Golden State were because of firm relocations, according to a study from the Public Policy Institute of California. Fewer than 1% of the state's jobs leave annually, and that has remained consistent through times of boom or bust.

"It's a tiny percentage of the economy overall," said Jed Kolko, coauthor of the study. "But when a business does actually move, it does get a lot of attention and the public debate about businesses moving is very visible."

After 15 years of being based in Northern California, trash and recycling firm Waste Connections Inc. moved its headquarters to Texas last year. Chief Executive Ron Mittelstaedt said the board also considered Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. But he said one thing was clear: California's high taxes, pricey real estate and budget shortfalls meant that it was imperative to move.

"The overall cost of living and working in California just became too burdensome relative to other options out there," Mittelstaedt said, pointing to the company's top three rivals, which are headquartered in the low-tax states of Florida, Arizona and Texas.

"We didn't make the decision to save dollars and cents, though," he added. "We did it so over time we could retain and recruit the best level talent at a lower price point. Over time we believe it will save several million [dollars] a year."

Such tales don't surprise Joseph Vranich, a business relocation specialist from Irvine. Vranich scoffs at economists who insist that few companies are exiting California, and points out the extreme difficulty of tracking all businesses that flow in and out of the state. He said the number of local firms seeking his advice for relocation has doubled since November.

"The number of calls is literally unprecedented," Vranich said.

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council has already flown out four CEOs from the Golden State this year who were interested in seeing what the region had to offer for companies.

Implemented after the November elections, the tours are a big departure from the council's normal strategy of pitching businesses on expanding in Arizona rather than leaving California altogether, spokeswoman Melissa DeLaney said

"Prop. 30 was the turning point," she said. "It's kind of changed how we are marketing ourselves to California. We used to go with a softer approach, positioning Arizona as a partner. But if companies are leaving, which they definitely are, we want to show them Arizona has a great value."

As for Perry, the governor makes no apologies for making the big sell to California. On Tuesday, he rattled off a list of companies ? Apple Inc. and EBay Inc. among them ? that recently announced expansions in Texas.

"I'm not going to apologize when a major business or a small business says, 'We are going to relocate from California to Texas,'" he said. "I didn't hear anyone from the Giants apologizing for winning the World Series. And I don't think the 49ers would have apologized for winning the Super Bowl."

Perry sees it all as healthy competition. And it's a game Californians are welcome to try down south.

"Come to Texas and try to lure companies ? you're welcome to do it," he said. "But you better come with a good story."

shan.li@latimes.com

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-perry-jobs-20130213,0,5747334.story?track=rss

andy cohen mozambique oosthuizen great expectations jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle

Regina King Opens Up On New Season Of 'Southland'

  • Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Tracee Ellis Ross (L) and Regina King attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Tracee Ellis Ross

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Tracee Ellis Ross attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Tracee Ellis Ross

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Tracee Ellis Ross attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Regina King

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Regina King attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Beverly Bond

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Beverly Bond attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Gabrielle Union

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Gabrielle Union attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Gabrielle Union

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Gabrielle Union attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Keyshia Cole

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Keyshia Cole attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Keyshia Cole

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Keyshia Cole attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Alicia Keys

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Alicia Keys attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Alicia Keys

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Alicia Keys poses at BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Kerry Washington in Marchesa

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Kerry Washington attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington in Marchesa

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actors Eva Longoria (L) and Kerry Washington attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • La La Anthony

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: La La Anthony attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for BET)

  • La La Anthony

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: La La Anthony attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Janelle Monae

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Janelle Monae attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

  • Janelle Monae

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Janelle Monae attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

  • Susan L. Taylor

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Susan L. Taylor attends Black Girls Rock! 2012 at the Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/FilmMagic)

  • Dionne Warwick

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Dionne Warwick attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Taraji P. Henson

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Taraji P. Henson attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Taraji P. Henson

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Taraji P. Henson attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Cheryl 'Salt' James and daughter Corin Wray

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Cheryl 'Salt' James (L) and daughter Corin Wray attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Jeanette Jenkins

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Jeanette Jenkins attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Bridget Kelly

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Bridget Kelly attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Ciara

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Ciara attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Ciara

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Ciara attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Eva Longoria

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actress Eva Longoria attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Mona Scott-Young

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Mona Scott-Young attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Marsha Ambrosius

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Marsha Ambrosius attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Marsha Ambrosius

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Marsha Ambrosius attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Shorty Da Prince

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Shorty Da Prince attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • India Arie

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer India Arie attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • SWV: Leanne 'Lelee' Lyon, Cheryl 'Coko' Clemons, and Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Leanne 'Lelee' Lyon, Cheryl 'Coko' Clemons, and Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George of SWV attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • SWV: Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George, Cheryl 'Coko' Clemons, and Leanne 'Lelee' Lyons

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George, Cheryl 'Coko' Clemons, and Leanne 'Lelee' Lyons of SWV attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Dr. Hawa Abdi

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Dr. Hawa Abdi attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CREST Style And Smile Booth at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Anthony Hamilton

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Singer Anthony Hamilton attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Shorty Da Prince, Debra Lee, Paigion, Bow Wow and Miss Mykie

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Shorty Da Prince, BET CEO Debra Lee, Paigion, Bow Wow and Miss Mykie attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Sway

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: TV personality/ radio host Sway Calloway attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

  • Eric Benet

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Eric Benet attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • La La Anthony and Meagan Good

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: La La Anthony (L) and Meagan Good attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Steven Hill

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Steven Hill attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Laura Govan

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Laura Govan attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Brooke Ellis and Tia Hardeman

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Brooke Ellis (R) and Tia Hardeman attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Debra Lee

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: BET CEO Debra Lee attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Miss Mykie, Meagan Good and Paigion Walker

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Miss Mykie, Meagan Good and Paigion Walker attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for BET)

  • Tony Rock

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor/ comedian Tony Rock attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

  • Tracee Ellis Ross, Keyshia Cole, and Regina King

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: (L-R) Tracee Ellis Ross, Keyshia Cole, and Regina King attend BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)

  • Idris Elba

    NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Actor Idris Elba attends BET's Black Girls Rock 2012 After Party at Millesime - The Carlton Hotel on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BET)

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/regina-king-new-season-of-southland_n_2678737.html

    no child left behind no child left behind neurofibromatosis steve jobs fbi file suge knight obama birth control mortgage settlement

    Why is Canada's inflation rate lower than in the U.S.?

    February 13, 2013

    Why is Canada?s inflation rate lower than in the U.S.?

    ALEX CARRICK

    Chief Economist, CanaData

    The year-over-year change in Canada?s All Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) in December was the same as in November, +0.8%, according to Statistics Canada.

    The latest inflation rate (+0.8%) was the lowest since October 2009 (+0.1%). At that time, the recession was taking a bite out of all economic activity. The general price level even declined for four months, from June 2009 through September 2009.

    The ?core? inflation rate, which omits eight sub-items (mainly in food and energy) that usually display highly volatile price changes, was also restrained at only +1.1%. That was its lowest increase since February 2011.

    The most recent change in overall prices was a far cry from the +3.7% that was recorded in May 2011. Since that most recent peak, the inflation rate has been mostly moderating.

    For both the overall inflation rate and the ?core?, Canada?s December figures were almost a full percentage point below what the U.S. experienced. The all-items inflation rate south of the border in the latest month was +1.7% and excluding food and energy (i.e., the U.S. definition of ?core?), it was +1.9%.

    Neither food nor energy is exerting much of an influence on prices at this time. Canada?s food sub-index was +1.5% year-over-year in December, while energy was -0.5%. The critical petrol price at the pump in Canada was +1.0%.

    In the U.S., the comparable figures were +1.8% for food, +0.5% for energy and +1.7% for gasoline.

    The lower rate of inflation in Canada versus the U.S. is a little surprising on several counts. For starters, Canada is closer to full capacity than the U.S. Our total industry utilization rate in the third quarter of last year was 80.9%.

    For America, the Federal Reserve has calculated that total industry was operating at 78.8% of capacity in December.

    (In Canada, Statistics Canada publishes capacity utilization rates quarterly. The U.S. figure is estimated monthly by the Federal Reserve. By the way, Canada?s manufacturing usage rate in Q3 2012 was 81.7%. In the U.S., it was 77.4% in December.)

    With respect to labour availability ? which has an effect on wages and salaries and therefore prices over the longer-term ? Canada?s unemployment rate in December was 7.1% compared with the U.S. figure of 7.8%.

    The U.S. unemployment rate is set for further rapid improvement, however. The latest weekly initial jobless claims level (330,000) south of the border was the lowest in five years. During the recession, the number of first-time U.S. unemployment insurance seekers was routinely over 500,000.

    Working in the opposite direction ? i.e., to make U.S. inflation higher than in Canada ? has been monetary policy. While both the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada (BOC) have been deploying stimulatory monetary tools, the former has been more aggressive than the latter.

    The Fed?s interest rate policy is contributing more to inflation. The current federal funds rate stands at nearly zero per cent (between 0.00% and 0.25%), while the BOC?s ?overnight rate? is 1.00%.

    Plus the Fed has adopted several sessions of quantitative easing, otherwise known as printing money, including its most recent strategy of purchasing $40 billion per month in mortgage-backed securities

    What?s the longer-term outlook for the inflation rate? Aggressive interest rate policies at this time, combined with low inflation are yielding interesting results.

    It?s possible to derive long-term expectations about price movements based the difference between inflation-indexed bonds and ?normal? bonds. For each product to be competitive in investment markets, the difference in yields must be the consensus assessment of the inflation outlook.

    For inflation-indexed bonds, the principal is automatically adjusted for the actual inflation rate each year. U.S. inflation-indexed Treasury Bills with maturities of 10 years are carrying negative interest rates. The current 10-year yield is -0.65%.

    Since the rate on ?nominal? interest-bearing 10-year bonds is 1.87%, the forecast for average annual inflation over the next decade is 2.52% (i.e., the result from subtracting the two yields).

    The 1.87% return for ?nominal? 10-year treasury yields is itself quite low. Consider that in Europe, the countries that have descended into the most financial trouble have been those with long-term bond yields approaching or exceeding 7.00% per year.

    The U.S. has maintained such a low financing charge even in the face of one debt downgrade. In a welcome move, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to temporarily allow the Treasury Department to spend beyond its debt ceiling of $16.4 trillion.

    A three-month reprieve is in effect, moving the financing ?cap? debate from mid-February to mid-May.

    Hopefully, by that time, there will be progress on other budgetary measures, such as spending cuts, that will forestall a new crisis and the possibility of a second debt downgrade.

    For more articles by Alex Carrick on the Canadian and U.S. economies, please see his market insights. Mr. Carrick also has an economics blog. His lifestyle blog is at www.alexcarrick.com

    Print | Comment

    Source: http://www.dcnonl.com/article/id53997

    new black panther party lost in space elizabeth banks battle royale key largo arnold palmer invitational ryan madson

    Charles Barkley Sees Three, Maybe Five Teams that Can Win the NBA Championship this Season

    February 12, 2013 ? 9:40 am by Chris Fedor

    It has been a wild first half of the season in the NBA with no shortage of storylines. The Memphis Grizzlies ? yes the Grizzlies ? looked like a legitimate NBA Championship contender out West but then they decided to trade their leading scorer, Rudy Gay, to Toronto to free up some cap space.

    Then there?s the Boston Celtics, who looked like they were going to be left behind this season when Rajon Rondo went down with a knee injury. Yet somehow, Boston has played better since the injury, winning seven of their first eight games without their engine on offense.

    Of course, the Heat are looking primed for a repeat, especially given the way LeBron James has played all season. Right when it looked like LeBron peaked, he took his game to the next level and should win another MVP Award this season for all he does in Miami.

    However, as the All-Star Game approaches this weekend and the trade deadline is right around the corner, the story that won?t end is what has become of the Los Angeles Lakers. It started early with firing head coach Mike Brown and the drama hasn?t stopped nor have the injuries. Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol have all missed time this season and there is no doubt that has been a contributing factor to the team?s struggles, but it would be hard to picture a postseason without Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Yet, right when it looks like the team is about to turn the corner, they have a setback and will enter the break with a record under .500.

    Charles Barkley joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about any possible trades before the trade deadline, if he thinks the Heat are just going through the motions or if they just have weaknesses contributing to losses, the way LeBron James has been playing lately, how he thinks the Lakers season will end and what he makes of Jay Williams? comments about former Bulls smoking pot before games.

    What players he expects to be traded before the trade deadline:

    ?I think there?s going to be some trades, to be honest with you, because I think there?s five teams that can probably win the championship. Well, I don?t even know if there?s five that can win it. I think one team could get in that mix if they make a trade. It has a lot to do with?contracts?and guys that are going to be free agents, but there?s about three or four teams that can win the championship, but probably two more if they made a trade. Only really five teams can win the?championship?and the rest are out there playing for fun right now.?

    Who are those five?:

    ?The Heat in the East and the Spurs and Oklahoma City in the West. Those are the three teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the?championship. I don?t want to count Memphis out. I think we have to give Memphis a chance, so there?s three teams in the West and one team in the East and the second team (in the East), it depends on if Derrick Rose comes back. Those are the five.?

    Whether he believes the Heat are going through the motions because they understand they just have to get to the playoffs:

    ?I don?t agree with that. I think that team is just very small and I just think LeBron James is so great and he?s playing at such a high level that he covers up a lot of their flaws. They are so small. They would struggle more if they were playing in the West because there are much better teams in the West. You take away Chicago and Indiana and there?s really not any good teams in the East so that gives them an advantage, but LeBron is just playing at such a high level. He?s their best playmaker, he?s their best rebounder, their best defender, so he just covers up all their flaws. They?re not going through the motions, they just have some flaws that he covers up. They struggle against good teams.?

    On LeBron?s peak right now against some of the greats of all-time:

    ?I?ve already said I think LeBron is one of the 10 greatest players ever and he?s in full bloom. I think when you?re a great player from 25-32 is when you?re at your peak. Those early years, you?re trying to get physically stronger and you?re learning how to play, but I?ve always believed between 25 and 32 is when you have all of your superpowers before the age starts kicking in a little bit, but he?s in that range. I never thought I would compare somebody to Michael Jordan but this guy, he?s scary to watch and it?s an honor to watch him play night-in and night-out. He plays with maximum effort. Think about it, they went out and got Birdman (Chris Andersen) because they can?t rebound the ball but he?s able to go out there and dominate on the boards. He?s their best defender, their best scorer, their best assist guy and it?s pretty special to watch.?

    On the end game for the Lakers:

    ?They ain?t going to make the playoffs and if they do make the playoffs, they?re going to be the eighth seed and they?re going to get spanked by Oklahoma City in the first round. (Host: Well what about the bigger picture for next year? Is Dwight Howard in L.A. next year?) I don?t know that. I?m a firm believer that your dad, your mom, your sisters should shut the hell up. Family members have to be smart enough. First of all, a reporter doesn?t care about you, they don?t care about your?opinion?unless you?re going to say something controversial, so any family members should shut the hell up and never say anything. Nobody cares about your?opinion?unless it?s controversial and Dwight Howard?s dad should not have said that. I think it?s going to be very interesting what?s going to happen with Dwight Howard. I?ve always been a big Dwight Howard fan, a big Dwight Howard fan, but this year he?s disappointed me and not from the fact that he hasn?t played well but just his mental toughness. I?ve always thought he was a franchise player but I?m starting to wonder though, because the one thing you have to do as a franchise player is you have to be tough. It?s an enormous amount of responsibility ? you have to take all the good with the bad, you don?t get to?whine?and complain, you just have to go out there and take it. If they?re beating you down you just have to take it. This is the first year that I?ve seen a kink in Superman?s aura. The first thing I would do, he should?ve already told Kobe Bryant to shut the hell up or I?m going to kick his ass. He should?ve did that, because as a man there?s only so many times you can call me out?publicly. If you call me out privately, OK, I can live with it, but as a man if you keep calling me out?publicly?I have got to come back at you at some point. Kobe Bryant is one of the 10 greatest players ever but I think he?s crossed a line?somewhat?lately. When you start questioning somebody?s toughness,?talking?about they should play hurt and things like that, you?re crossing the line. At some point Dwight has to say, ?Hey man, you need to shut the hell up and get off my back! I?m out here trying to bust my butt, I?m in pain and it?s not up to you. You?re not my coach.? That?s probably the one thing that has disappointed me the most about this whole?scenario.?

    On Jay Williams saying players were getting high before games when he was with the Bulls:

    ?There?s no reason for him to be telling that. You don?t have to tell everything. (Host: I was surprised that he said it.) I just read it?yesterday?and I was disappointed in him because it?s one of those situations where you have to come out and tell who was doing it, because he has put the whole team under the spotlight. (Host: Were you ever around someone who was high during a game?) Not?during?a game, but I played with guys. I?m not a big pot-smoker myself. I think I smoked pot probably five times in my life and it didn?t do anything but make me want to eat potato chips. Remember that commercial about potato chips where you can?t eat just one? I think anytime you smoke pot all it does is make you want to eat a bunch of potato chips. (Host: You never smoked before a game?) Never, never. Once I got to the NBA, I probably smoked pot twice. It was early in my career. I think I did it two times in high school and it didn?t do anything for me. I?m not a big drug guy.?

    Listen to Charles Barkley on The Dan Patrick Show here

    Tags: Charles Barkley, Chicago Bulls, Dwight Howard, Jay Williams, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, The Dan Patrick Show

    Source: http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2013/02/12/nba-charles-barkley-nba-championship-chicago-bulls-lakers/

    chronicle george lopez bedtime stories micron susan g komen kenyon martin kenyon martin

    Apple Doesn?t Care, That?s Why It?s Winning

    honey badgerApple doesn't care if competitors have cheaper products. It doesn't care if its next big thing cannibalizes its last big thing. Not about buying big money-makers, and certainly not about how you think it should deal out stock. Today at Goldman Sach's conference, Tim Cook played the defiant king of an empire too powerful to be distracted by the present or the past. All he sees is Apple's future.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/_8KxBNB25Ek/

    miranda kerr lindsay lohan Ronda Rousey BCS Bowls palestine powerball winner powerball winner

    Tuesday, February 12, 2013

    Glendale 11 goes HD for local news, sports

    Glendale 11, the city-owned local cable TV station in Glendale, AZ, will use a full complement of Thomson Grass Valley HD video production equipment to produce local news, sports and information for residents.

    Acquisition of the multiformat HD equipment represents a substantial commitment for the local cable production department. The purchase includes five new Grass Valley LDK 8000 HD cameras, a Kayak HD production switcher and Concerto HD routing system. The equipment will be installed in a new HD control room and production studio.

    The City of Glendale operates and programs Glendale 11 24/7. The channel is seen by local subscribers to Cox Cable and Qwest Cable.

    With a production staff that includes broadcast veterans and video production experts with decades of broadcast experience, Glendale 11 has claimed a number of national TV awards, including several Telly Awards, in recognition of its broadcast achievements.

    Source: http://broadcastengineering.com/eng/glendale-11-hd-local-news-sports-0518/index.html?imw=Y

    Rick Majerus Cotto vs Trout Robin Givens Gus Malzahn hyperemesis gravidarum miranda kerr lindsay lohan

    Maine gas prices jump more than 4 cents

    AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- Maine gas prices continue to rise, but the good news is they are not rising as fast as they are nationally.

    Price-monitoring website MaineGasPrices.com reports Monday that the average retail cost of a gallon of gas rose more than four cents in the past week to $3.76.

    Meanwhile, the national average jumped almost six cents per gallon, to an average of $3.55.

    The Maine price is based on a survey of more than 1,200 gas stations in the state.

    Maine prices are now almost 12 cents per gallon higher than the same day a year ago and nearly 22 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maine-gas-prices-jump-more-154938191.html

    Sasquatch 2013 super bowl commercials wheres my refund Fast And Furious 6 superbowl ads Super Bowl Ads 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings

    These Ladies Aren't Shy! Celebrity Sex Quotes

    Valentine's Day is just around the corner -- and that means it's time for candy hearts, champagne and getting busy in the bedroom! If you need a little inspiration to get in the right frame of mind, take a cue from these famous ladies who aren't afraid to talk dirty.

    Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-sex-quotes/1-a-521327?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-sex-quotes-521327

    lyrid meteor shower hippocrates andrew breitbart red wings penguins the band colton dixon

    Tuesday, February 5, 2013

    Cornish company offers free HR clinic | Business Cornwall

    10:25 am, February 5, 2013

    Local human resources company Sapience HR is offering a free clinic next week on managing human?resources?and staffing in small to medium businesses.

    Topics covered will include the?handling of?disciplinary?situations?, staff performance, employing new staff, problems with staff sickness, employment law and handling redundancy situations.

    The event takes place on Wednesday?February?13th at Tremough Innovation Centre in the Trebah room from 10am ? 12pm.

    For more details, please call :?0845 6021453

    ?

    Source: http://www.businesscornwall.co.uk/news-by-location/cornish-company-offers-free-hr-clinic-123

    my fair lady conversion disorder the chronicle spinal stenosis the forgotten man mike jones just friends

    Intel ????????? ???????? ??????????? ??? ?????????? ?? ????? ...

    ?????????? ?????, 23:10

    ))))) ? ???? ??????? ???????? ? (? ?????? - ???????) ??????? ?????????-????????

    ??????????? ? ??????????? ????????????? ???????? ? ?????????, ?????????? ? ???????? ??????????? ?? ??????? (W)

    ?????????????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????????????? (W)

    Source: http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?showtopic=54349

    veterans day When Is Veterans Day 2012 brooke burke Alexa Vega Bram Stoker books Paula Broadwell Photos Veterans Day 2012

    Sunday, February 3, 2013

    Boat HPS, Hull Positioning System, Needed For Privately Owned ...

    Ship and boat hull inspection by way of robotics turns out to be a very hard thing to do. The algorithms needed, programming required, sensors attached, and the underwater 3-D environment turns out to be a tough combination to get right. Still, maybe there is an easier way. Well, we know there is one easier way, the way we've always done it with human divers. Yes, of course, I get that, but human divers aren't always available in faraway ports, or the water is too cold, too murky, or bio-fouled. In other words, it's not exactly, how should we say; hospitable.

    Click here to read the full article at Travel-and-Leisure:Sailing Articles from EzineArticles.com -->

    Source: http://south-florida-yacht-charters.com/2013/boat-hps-hull-positioning-system-needed-for-privately-owned-cleaning-robots/

    Mayim Bialik

    Scott Brown Not Running For Senate: Reports

    WASHINGTON -- Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) will not run in the Massachusetts special election to replace John Kerry, multiple outlets reported Friday. The Senate confirmed Kerry as secretary of state Wednesday.

    The conservative-leaning Boston Herald was the first to know that Scott wasn't running. "U are the first to know," he sent in a text message.

    After losing to Elizabeth Warren in 2012, many speculated that Brown would run for the seat vacated by Kerry. Republicans made an all-out push to get him to run, because he easily would have been the strongest candidate against a Democrat. However, Brown would have had to run for reelection again in 2014 for a full term, meaning that he would have had four elections in four years.

    Brown unleashed a flurry of incoherent text messages early Saturday morning aimed at his Twitter critics. "Your brilliant Matt," "Whatever," "Bqhatevwr," he tweeted.

    The speculation for Brown goes to the 2014 gubernatorial race. Massachusetts voters have been more receptive to elect Republicans to state office than federal office, and Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has said that he will retire at the end of his term.

    Brown's exit leaves the Republican bench for Senate wide open. Former Gov. Bill Weld (R) moved back to the state from New York, but the once-popular governor suffered a seven-point defeat to Kerry, then a senator, in 1996. Former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R) hasn't ruled out a run, but she served with former Gov. Mitt Romney (R), who is tremendously unpopular in the state.

    On the Democratic side, Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ed Markey are battling for the nomination. Markey has the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and top Democrats in the state including Kerry, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Victoria Kennedy. Lynch is banking on support from organized labor to propel him to victory, despite being against abortion rights and voting against President Barack Obama's health care law.

    The primary is April 30 and the general election is June 25.

    This is a developing story.

    "; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/scott-brown-senate_n_2599612.html

    deadmau5 phoebe snow jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston nicki minaj grammy jason whitlock beach boys tony bennett

    Saturday, February 2, 2013

    wise self improvement | self improvement made easy: Most Leaders ...

    There is an example of leadership here which should make us be willing now and again to take risks. In this scenario the risk worked and the risk was worth any criticism which might have been forthcoming from certain section of the community. Most leaders who take risks run the risk of being criticised!

    Following a lengthy teaching session on these slopes at the north west corner of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus Christ comes down, and is approached by a man full of leprosy.

    Leprosy in the Bible is frequently regarded as a sign of sin, and not many see themselves as covered in sin. It is a most interesting concept and it is a matter which many leaders are unaware of in these present days, but it harms businesses and relationships and friendships.

    This man would experience isolation and ostracism, as well as pain and a lack of physical feelings.

    Sin separates us from God and from one another.

    Leprosy is not easy to diagnose at first, and that too is similar to sin which works away silently and destructively.

    Leprosy can paralyse feelings and remove any sensitivity. So does sin. There is behaviour in certain areas of business life which, if discovered and found out, many would be embarrassed and ashamed. But, is this not happening as the actions of various business leaders are exposed and brought out into the open.

    He is desperate, and comes asking Jesus for help. Jesus loves when desperate people come to him.

    He fell at Jesus' feet. How undignified! There are situations in which we find ourselves when we might have to be willing to appear undignified. Going through a court battle because of specific sin with all the media attention holds very little dignity as integrity hit a new low.

    "If you are willing, you can make me clean" was his sincere pleading request. This man believed that Jesus could deal with his problem.

    Jesus reached out his hand and touched what was not supposed to be touched. He could not overlook such an impassioned plea.

    When necessary, Jesus would sweep aside religiousy regulations which might hinder any real help being given.

    He asked to be cleansed. 'Healed' is not used.

    Jesus cleansed him of this appalling disease.

    What a thrill must have gone through that man's heart when he saw his predicament had been dealt with.

    We read that following this miracle Jesus withdrew to pray. He did not want to become simply a 'healer'.

    He could have healed bodies on a superficial level, but he had come to rescue people from their sins.

    Similarly, the early Church refused to become a humanitarian agency, as her prime purpose.

    Wise leadership made prayer and the Word of God their priority. The leadership were prepared to make such a decision because they were aware of the consequences if this crucial decision were to be sidestepped or compromised. This applies in virtually every walk of life, and wise leaders will learn these simple but profound lessons, before it is too late.

    Source: http://wiseselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2013/02/most-leaders-who-take-risks-run-risk-of.html

    st. patrick s day brandon lloyd brandon lloyd celtic thunder fabrice muamba collapse prometheus trailer patrice oneal

    Friday, February 1, 2013

    Kevin Spacey on ?diabolical? new role as devious congressman

    Top Line

    Washington got a taste of Hollywood at the premiere of the new Netflix political drama series "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey. Spacey plays the role of conniving Majority Whip Francis Underwood, who uses the leverages of Washington to take revenge and get his way after the new president-elect passes him over for Secretary of State.

    Spacey says that although his character may be described as "diabolical," he is also effective.

    "I look at a figure like Lyndon Johnson who I think while he like was one of these people that I am talking about, you know, the way he negotiated was incredibly tough," Spacey says. "People talk about what a difficult person he was but he also was remarkably effective. He got three civil rights bills passed in a very brief presidency."

    Spacey says the series comes at an "extraordinary time" when audiences are examining the world of politics and discovering that even some of the nation's most revered political figures have made a backdoor deal or two, referring to the recent film "Lincoln."

    "Even a politician who is probably deemed by most people in this country as the most saintly president in terms of how we look at his presidency and the kind of person he was and to realize at, at the end of the day he was making as many backdoor deals, and trying to get the votes," Spacey says of President Lincoln.

    For more red carpet access and to find out what Spacey thinks of the many political characters he has played over the course of his career, check out this week's Top Line.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/kevin-spacey-diabolical-role-devious-congressman-122649918.html

    Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps

    Gamers vs. bullies: 'We won. You can win too'

    Featured

    Video

    2012 was a great year for video games, but one game stood out from all of the rest. NBCNews.com's Todd Kenreck reports. Play video

    When Mark Kilborn was a kid, bullies mocked him because of his weight and picked on him because he was a ?nerd? who enjoyed playing video games. Girls pretended to like him, only to embarrass him for the amusement of their friends if he dared respond.

    For Magnus Hollmo, a thin and fragile kid who preferred drawing or working on his computer, the abuse was not only verbal, but physical. And there was no escape: The bullies persecuted him during school and then hunted him down after.

    Racist bullies tormented?Shahid Kamal Ahmad?throughout much of his childhood, so much so that it ?made me dread every waking and sleeping moment,? he told NBC News in a recent interview. ??Life was unbearably dark and hopeless for a long time.?

    But that was then, and this is now. Years later, Kilborn, Hollmo and Ahmad are part of Beyond the Final Boss???a project started by video game professionals in an effort to show young victims of bullying that, no matter how miserable life might seem, it does get better. Much better. And they are living proof.

    After all, these days Kilborn has a wife and children he adores not to mention a dream job as an audio director for best-selling games like ?Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? and ?Borderlands." Hollmo is an art director at Electronic Arts who has worked on ?The Sims? ?and says that,??"Every day I am surrounded by things that I only dreamt about as a young boy."

    As?for?Ahmad,?he's not?only?a senior business development manager at Sony Computer Entertainment, helping to?shepherd games onto the company?s machines,?he?started?the?Beyond the Final Boss?project?along?with respected indie game developers Mike Bithell and Byron Atkinson-Jones.

    After a conversation on Twitter revealed that they?all?shared something in common???a young life marred by bullying???the?trio?created?a?website?and?Facebook?page?where?game?professionals?could?tell their stories about being bullied ... and about going on to live happy, successful lives.

    Like the It Gets Better project,?which?reaches?out?to bullied?LGBT youth,?Beyond the Final Boss' goal?is?to give kids hope,?Ahmad?says.?To that end, they?named the project after the final, toughest enemy?that?players encounter in a video game?and gave?it?the?motto:?"We were bullied, but then we won. You can win too."?

    "When you're being bullied, practically your whole existence is dark and saturated with pain,"?Ahmad said.??"We want youngsters to know that the path they're on doesn't end at the feet of the final?boss???that there is life and?fulfillment?and light and happiness?beyond?the final?boss."?

    And he says?the?response?has?been?stunning.?As?word?has?spread,?game makers of ?all kinds and?from?around?the?world?have?begun?submitting their stories. (Go here if you have a story to tell).?

    "In a way, you can say that bullying got me to where I am today,??Hollmo?writes on the website. "It made me more introverted and instead of being able to be social, I focused a lot on my art and computer knowledge. I learnt skills that helped me get my first job in the games industry.?

    And now, he says,??My life today is so completely different in all ways possible.?I get to work with something I love every day, and I even get paid for doing so!??I am surrounded by amazing and creative people."

    Kilborn believes that game makers are in a unique position to reach the victims of bullying. ?

    ?Often people are bullied for being smarter, more creative, or just different from their peers.?These traits are what we in the industry often seek in our team mates,"?he told NBC News.??We're also the creators of a form of escapism often used by victims of bullying, so that might draw more victims to our message. I hope so at least.?

    And Kilborn's message to kids who are?suffering?is this: "I want them to know that outcasts often are victims of bullying, but?they're also some of the most successful people in the world.?What makes you different, what makes you a target, is often what?will make you successful in the world."

    Winda Benedetti?writes about video?games for NBC?News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things?on Twitter?here?@WindaBenedetti??and you can?follow her?on?Google+.?Meanwhile, be sure to check?out the?IN-GAME?FACEBOOK PAGE?to discuss the day's?gaming news and reviews.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ingame/gamers-vs-bullies-we-won-you-can-win-too-1B8189698

    saving face academy award winners best picture 2012 oscar winners channel 3 news j lo j lo