grame.smith: July 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Market Top Is in, Brace for Correction: Jeff Saut ... - Yahoo! Finance

[unable to retrieve full-text content]From the blog Breakout: For months Breakout regular Jeff Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James, told viewers he was looking for a top sometime around the middle of July. Specifically Saut told us on July 1st that ...

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/market-top-brace-correction-jeff-saut-135324129.html

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Campus Travel and Mantic Point Solutions Ltd ... CityBot on Android tablets...

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

Source: http://www.facebook.com/Tnooz/posts/10151742507587988

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Amazon: 8 essential tips to save money online

From taking advantage of Amazon's 'Subscribe and Save' program to watching prices and daily deals online, Hamm offers his advice for readers looking to save money on Amazon.com.?

By Trent Hamm,?Contributor / July 31, 2013

The logo for Amazon.com is displayed. Consumers can save money on anything from Android apps to household goods on Amazon by using a few tricks, Hamm says.

Mark Lennihan/AP/File

Enlarge

Well, ?ultimate? might be a bit of hyperbole, but I thought it would be useful to collect together all of the things I?ve learned about saving money on Amazon.com in one place. If you ever buy items at Amazon, you might find some of these tactics to be useful.

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Monogamy evolved as a mating strategy: New research indicates that social monogamy evolved as a result of competition

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Social monogamy, where one breeding female and one breeding male are closely associated with each other over several breeding seasons, appears to have evolved as a mating strategy, new research reveals. It was previously suspected that social monogamy resulted from a need for extra parental care by the father.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/iP24iiHSiiQ/130729172244.htm

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CBS boss: Racism on 'Big Brother' is 'appalling'

Anna Chan TODAY

6 hours ago

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

President of CBS Les Moonves, with wife and "Big Brother" host Julie Chen.

It's not just viewers who take issue with the racist remarks that have been made on "Big Brother" this season. CBS CEO Les Moonves, speaking publicly for the first time about the issue, said he isn't pleased with the insensitive comments either, made most notably by houseguest Aaryn Gries and a few others.

"I find the behavior absolutely appalling," Moonves told reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour in Beverly Hills. "I've watched every episode of the show. My wife ('Big Brother' host Julie Chen) would kill me if I didn't! We discuss it quite a bit. I think we're handling it properly. We did not comment on things that were (said) until it affected the show."

He added that unfortunately, the show is "reflecting how certain people feel in America."

As for the casting of personalities, Moonves noted that, "Obviously, you don't want wallflowers on reality shows. You want people who are interesting. Obviously that can sometimes lead to controversy."

Most of the bad behavior has been caught by "Big Brother's" ever present 24/7 live-stream cameras, content that is available with a pay subscription. Only a small portion of the derogatory remarks have made it to the air, with the majority of it uttered by Gries. But the live feed has revealed other racist and homophobic comments by GinaMarie Zimmerman and Spencer Clawson, as well as a few others. Most of the remarks have been made about African-American contestant Candice Stewart and Korean-American housemate Helen Kim.

Though the contestants are now aware of Gries' remarks, they're keeping her in the "Big Brother" house because they don't think she can win. But if she does?

"If she wins the whole prize, America should take a look at itself," Moonves told reporters after the session.

Since the controversy first broke earlier this month, none of the network's top brass had addressed the issue. But CBS had issued short statements to the press saying the network was "weighing carefully issues of broadcast standards," and that "Houseguests reveal prejudices and other beliefs that we do not condone."

Gries, Zimmerman and Clawson have all faced real-world repercussions for their in-game behavior, though they don't know it yet due to being sequestered for the show. Gries has been dropped by her modeling agency, Zimmerman has been fired, and Clawson's employer has released a statement distancing themselves from him.

? Additional reporting by Michael Maloneyand Dru Moorhouse.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/cbs-boss-behavior-big-brother-absolutely-appalling-6C10783204

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Review: Sankarea: Undying Love (Volume 1) | Hardcore Gamer Japan

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: contoso --- Sunday, July 28, 2013
Sankarea: Undying Love is what the film Warm Bodies shouldve been a zombie love story about a seemingly normal teen and his undead sweetheart which radiates an enough charm and enchantment to capture the heart of any living reader looking for an alternative to the usual anime suspects. To say it even more plainly, though, the opening volume of Sankarea sets the stage for a tale that is sure to delight zombie fans and romantics alike, beautifully bridging the gap between classic love ballad and grotesque reanimation thriller. ...

Source: http://animeshinbun.com/news/1320585/review-sankarea-undying-love-volume-1-hardcore-gamer-japan

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Family Tree Frog: Sentimental Sunday

This photo is really me clutching at straws.

My family tree software program - Family Tree Maker - has this neat thing where I can see what anniversaries family history wise are coming up or have just been.

Friday was my grand-aunt's 120th birthday.

I had quite a few grand aunts on both sides of the family but I really only knew one - my paternal grandmother's sister Rene.

But this grand aunt - still on my paternal side - was one of my grandfather's sisters - Constance Nellie Morrison (nee Conner).

I don't know much about my father's aunts and we don't seem to have any photos of them - that I can find at any rate. ?

The photo here is of their mother - Mrs Eleanor Conner with Mrs MacDougal (don't know who she was) and my grandparents, Ethel and Edwin Conner and John Morrison - Constance's son. ?

I don't have any certificates for Constance or her sister Lillian. ?The information I have has been gleaned from websites like Ancestry, Trove or the Ryerson Index.?? Constance was the eldest of the three children. ?If I wanted to order her birth certificate I would just have to quote 2b 444 for Quarter 3 in 1893 from the GRO. ?I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know how I've got the date as 26 July. ?Maybe someone in the family knew her birthday. ? Anyway, in the 1901 Census, Constance is living at 32 Connaught Road Portsmouth with her mother, Eleanor Conner aged 26. ?Constance is 7. ?Her younger sister Lilian is 3 and her baby brother Edwin Arthur is 9 months old. ?Edwin Senior is not listed as being there. ?There is a boarder hower, an Irishman called Gerald McCombie - a liuetenant in the Royal Navy. In the 1911 Census, Constance is listed as single, a music teacher aged 17 and is still living at home with her mother, her younger sister and brother who are both still at school. ?Now there are two boarders - a William Lowes, aged 25 - an engine fitter from Newcastle and Thomas Miller - aged 27 - also an engine fitter from Shouth Shields. ?They are living at 140 Chichester Road North End.

A couple of weeks ago I found Edwin Senior on the 1911 Census in China with the Royal Navy!

In 1912 the family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia.

Williamstown Chronicle Saturday 12 September 1914

Poor Eleanor, it seems ,got taken for a ride, as it were, by an enterprising scoundrel from Queensland who was purportedly looking for accommodation. ?We learn from this article that her daughter had had appendicitis - ?hence her empathy for the man who claimed to have recently suffered from the same complaint. ?Which daughter I wonder? ?We also learn that they had a dog. ?She lost three sovereigns - I think that is equivalent to 3 pounds - which in those days was probably worth quite a bit. ??

The following year, we read on 26 August in the Werribee Shire Banner that Miss Constance Conner (piano) and others including her sister Lilian and a certain?Mr C.H. Morrison (mandoline) were to contribute to a programme for a "welcome home" to Sergeant Newland to be held at Laverton. ?An article a couple of months before tells us that Sergeant Newland is "the eldest son of Mr W Newland of Laverton and the second son to receive injuries at the Dardenelles. ?The wounded soldier is considered to be the most enthusiastic volunteer who has left these shores, his enthusiasm knew no bounds He was one of the first to volunteer on the outbreak of hostilities and left with the second contingent. ?and he is the right man to make light of his wounds." ?The paper was also pleased to report the installation of electric light at the Werribee Mechanics Institute which helped dancers trip "the light fantastic" that night.

What does a mandolin look like?

Like this!

Constance and Claude Henry Morrison - the mandoline player - were married in Victoria in 1918. ?Claude lived in Williamstown North at 20 Rennie Street and was a dental mechanic. ?I am guessing that Elizabeth and George Alfred who were living there too, were his parents. ?And yes, when I check the birth records - this is the case. ?Claude was born in Williamstown in 1892. ?George, Claude's father, ?was a striker. ?I think that means Blacksmith's Assistant or harpoon man on a whaler according to this website here.? By the following year, Claude is a dentist and they are living at Lockhart Street, Caulfield.

The Conners and the Morrisons eventually move to Sydney.

The Morrisons live at Vaucluse for many years.

I think they had three children: Joyce, Jackie and John. ?At least that is what my father can remember. ?

At some stage the Morrisons and the Webbs moved to the Blue Mountains, like Edwin Junior and his family. ?I'm thinking that it was probably in the mid 1960s as they are on the electoral roll at Vaucluse up until 1963.

Edwin Junior, Constance and Lilian's younger brother and my grandfather, ?died 30 May 1960 at Springwood aged 59.

According to the Ryerson Index, Claude, Constance's husband departed this mortal coil 16 August 1972 at Valley Heights, aged 80. ?

Then Thomas, Lilian's husband, died 17 October 1974.

Lilian died 15 June 1983 at Springwood aged 86 and then finally Constance on 10 August 1987 at the grand old age of 94. ?

Constance is described as "late of Wahroonga, formerly of Springwood and Vaucluse so she must have moved sometime after 1980 as she was still on the electoral roll in Springwood then.

So - no photos of the two sisters - just their mother and a son. ?But a picture of sorts has been constructed using electoral rolls, newspapers and other indexes.

Source: http://familytreefrog.blogspot.com/2013/07/sentimental-sunday.html

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Mice Harmed by Low Dose of BPA, Not High

Baby mice exposed in the womb to low doses ? but not high doses ? of bisphenol A were fatter and had metabolic changes linked to obesity and diabetes, according to a new study

By Brian Bienkowski and Environmental Health News

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Sleeping mouse. Image: Flickr/Eddy Van 3000

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Baby mice exposed in the womb to low doses ? but not high doses ? of bisphenol A were fatter and had metabolic changes linked to obesity and diabetes, according to a new study published Thursday.

Building on previous studies that link the hormone-altering chemical to changes in body weight and glucose tolerance, the new research fuels an ongoing controversy over whether federal testing of chemicals is adequate to protect people from low doses.

?What?s scary is that we found effects at levels that the government not only says is safe, but that they don?t bother to test,? said Fredrick vom Saal, a University of Missouri, Columbia, professor and senior author of the study published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology.

Many of the effects were reported in the mice fed daily doses ? just during pregnancy ? that were one-tenth of the amount that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for daily exposure throughout life.

Used in polycarbonate plastics, canned food liners and some thermal receipts, BPA is found in almost everyone?s body. Some earlier studies have linked it to obesity and diabetes in people.

Vom Saal said low doses of BPA caused a ?deranged metabolism? in the offspring of the exposed pregnant mice, suggesting that ?a component of the obesity epidemic and other metabolic diseases can be due to chemical exposure during development, when your cells are being programmed.?

In the offspring mice, BPA was associated with weight gain, increased abdominal fat and eating, impaired glucose tolerance and increased hormones that regulate glucose and appetite. Those outcomes, however, only happened when mothers were fed daily doses at or below 5,000 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight. That amount is the EPA?s ?no effects? level ? the daily amount that the agency has concluded would not cause any human effects.

Of the doses fed to the pregnant mice ? 5, 50, 500, 5,000 and 50,000 micrograms per kilogram ? 500 caused the most metabolic changes, vom Saal said. The number of fat cells doubled at that dose. No effects were seen at doses higher than 5,000.

The study adds to the controversy over a phenomenon called ?nonmonotonic dose response,? which means that hormone-like chemicals such as BPA sometimes do not act in a typical way; they can have health effects at low doses but no effects or different effects at high doses.

The EPA frequently evaluates the safety of chemicals with tests that expose lab animals to high doses, then extrapolating to lower doses that people and wildlife encounter.

In a report last year, 12 scientists, including vom Saal, criticized that decades old-strategy, saying it fails to detect health threats from low doses of hormone-like chemicals. Pete Myers, founder of Environmental Health News and chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, was the senior author of that report.

Last month, reacting to that report, the EPA defended its testing, concluding that current testing of hormone-altering chemicals is adequate for detecting low-dose effects that may jeopardize health.

In response to vom Saal?s new study, a spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical companies, said the findings had not been replicated and it ?presents conclusions that are not supported by the findings of EPA?s recent extensive review of the state of the science on low dose exposures.?
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/ScientificAmerican-News/~3/o5ZuscGVs2I/article.cfm
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Thursday, July 25, 2013

tips to advertising your business online - Nissanhelp.com Forums

The invention of cyberspace is always considered as a blessing to any kind of business. this is because of the fact internet currently holds the key to advertising which is just what all the businesses out there are craving for to gain exposure and revenue. Internet is always considered as a sea of opportunities. You have several niches that still remain unexplored or a as a mystery. When you are planning to advertise your business via internet there are certain factors that you need to take into account.
In the present scenario, you have several online personals classifieds websites that offers to highlight the ads that you would like to post on the internet. Always make sure to choose one of the reputed websites to post your ad. Such a strategy would ensure that the word around your business will spread among the maximum number of potential customers. Advertising using internet can be done in different ways like pop up ads, classified ads, banner ads etc. however the type of strategy that would be most effective depends upon the type of business that you own. When you are planning to hire an internet marketing agency for the process of promoting your business, you just have to worry about finding a renowned one and you can sit back and relax afterwards. Finding an internet advertising agency can be easy as there are thousands of such agencies on the web.
Different advertising strategies with respect to internet is being unveiled each and every day, therefore, make it a point to keep yourself updated with such strategies.
Source: http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/general-chat/25743-tips-advertising-your-business-online.html
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Factbox: Companies that avoid creating tax bases in major markets

(Reuters) - Leading countries vowed last week to crack down on tax avoidance by multinationals, asking the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to draw up new guidelines.

The OECD, which advises its mainly rich members on economic policy, said one area where companies might most effectively avoid tax is by not declaring a tax residence in countries where they have major sales and operations.

It identified the digital sector as an area where this was a particular risk and said it needed to make a detailed analysis of the business models of technology companies.

A Reuters examination of accounts for hundreds of subsidiaries of the biggest U.S. technology companies shows most do not declare a tax residence for their main business in the biggest European markets.

Historically, tax residence has been determined by where companies make sales. By basing themselves in countries like Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland - which offer low tax rates or the ability to send money tax-free to tax havens - these companies legally save tens of billions of dollars in tax each year.

The Irish Connection

Many of the firms examined by Reuters declare Irish subsidiaries as their sole or primary tax bases in Europe, even though they operate others in countries like Britain, France or Germany where most of their sales or marketing staff are based. This helped them to pay an average effective tax rate on overseas income of 5.7 percent, less than half Ireland's 12.5 percent headline rate of corporate income tax.

Companies which do business across Europe from Ireland include Microsoft, VMware, Oracle Corp, Adobe, Symantec Corp Red Hat Inc., Synopsys, Inc., Cadence Design Systems, Google Inc, Facebook, LinkedIn, Apple Inc, EMC Corp, Dell Inc, SanDisk Corp, Analog Devices Inc, Xilinx Inc, Altera Corp and Juniper Networks Inc.

Most of those companies contacted by Reuters defended their set up.

Adobe said it "pays the lawful amount of tax owed in the countries where we do business."

Microsoft said its Irish operation was "established largely in response to customer demand to consolidate shipments" and that it pays all the taxes it should.

Symantec said that its "investment in R&D, M&A and its employee base impacts its pretax profits and tax credits in the countries in which it does business... Symantec works in accordance with tax laws in all markets in which it is present."

Google said it chose to base itself in Ireland for of a variety of reasons including its educated workforce, good communication and low taxes. It said it followed the tax rules in all the countries where it operates.

A Facebook spokesman said the firm "takes its tax obligations seriously, and works closely with national tax authorities to ensure we comply with the law."

A LinkedIn spokesman said Dublin was the hub of its European operation, employing around half of its European staff. "LinkedIn abides by all tax laws as determined by the authorities in all the markets in which we operate," he said.

Apple has said it pays all the taxes it is supposed to.

EMC said that it "complies with the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Our profits are taxed in the countries in which they are generated."

Altera said it "pays all the taxes we are required to pay" and a spokeswoman for Juniper Networks said it "takes compliance matters very seriously. We look to government bodies to set tax policies, and comply with applicable tax laws and regulations."

Oracle, VMware Red Hat, Synopsys, Cadence, Dell, SanDisk, Analog Devices and Xilinx declined to comment.

Dutch domicile

A range of companies choose to sell equipment, services or online downloads to customers across Europe from the Netherlands, while also often having affiliated companies across the continent that perform sales or marketing roles. This contributed to an average effective tax rate on overseas income of 5.5 percent in 2012. These companies include Activision Blizzard, BMC Software Inc, NetApp Inc, Applied Materials and Seagate Technology. All declined comment.

Alpine base camp

Switzerland is a popular choice for firms looking for a European tax base because effective corporate tax rates can drop as low as zero; companies that do business in countries like France, Germany and the UK can be designated as service providers to the Swiss units.

Companies which supply clients direct from Switzerland include Autodesk, Salesforce.com, CA Inc, Citrix Systems Inc, Yahoo! Inc, eBay Inc, Electronic Arts Inc and Expedia.

An Autodesk spokesman said it "centralizes operations where it makes business sense, focusing on locations offering a multi-lingual and well-educated workforce, with Switzerland being one example. Autodesk ... fully complies with the tax laws of the many jurisdictions where we operate around the world."

Salesforce.com said it "complies with all applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which the company operates."

A Citrix spokesman said: "Citrix companies fully comply with all tax laws, rules and regulations and we cooperate with the relevant tax authorities to ensure we continue to do so."

A Yahoo spokeswoman said: "Yahoo! pays all applicable taxes and closely follows the tax laws of every jurisdiction in which we operate."

eBay said its Bern-based unit eBay International AG was "structured in a manner that best supports our global commerce marketplace business model."

Expedia, Electronic Arts and CA declined to comment.

The Grand Duchy

A number of well-known companies establish a single tax base for their principal business in Luxembourg and then do most of their selling or other work through service providers to the unit in the Grand Duchy. The enables them to minimize their profit in major markets. Amazon.com Inc is one such a company. It says it obeys the tax rules in every country where it operates.

Uncertain sales base

Reuters was unable to determine the location of the European tax residences - and therefore what if any tax was paid - by a number of companies that do business in countries like France, Germany and the UK. These include Linear Technology Corp, Netsuite, Broadcom Corp and Qualcomm.

A Linear Technology Corp spokesman said: "Many factors influence tax rates, which vary by country and over time," but declined to answer questions about the company's structure or tax affairs.

The others declined to comment.

The case of Cisco

Cisco Systems Inc sells to customers across Europe through a UK unit, Cisco International Ltd, while units in France, Germany and Ireland are designated providers of "sales and marketing support" to the UK operation. However, the company's UK tax residence doesn't translate into a big tax bill because Cisco International Ltd is designated a "Buy Sell entity", which effectively acts as an agent for affiliates elsewhere.

A spokeswoman said "Cisco's operational structure is determined by a variety of factors including the location of sales partners, access to customers, local infrastructure, availability of a skilled workforce, and corporate taxes, among other considerations."

Selling the old way

Companies that sell in the traditional way and do not use PE structures to shift the bulk of their revenues include: IBM Corp, Cognizant, Teradata, Priceline.com Inc, TripAdvisor Inc, Intel Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co, Texas Instruments Inc, Motorola Solutions Inc, Western Digital Corp, Micron Technology Inc and Intuit Inc. All declined to comment except TripAdvisor, which said it complies with rules within each EU country where it operates.

(Reporting by Tom Bergin with additional reporting by Himanshu Ojha; Edited by Will Waterman and Sara Ledwith)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-companies-avoid-creating-tax-bases-major-markets-091932907.html
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Jewish baseball star suspended for banned substance

Ryan Braun stood on a spring training field and proclaimed he was innocent of using banned testosterone.
?I would bet my life,? he said back then, ?that this substance never entered my body at any point.?

Seventeen months later, he accepted a 65-game suspension from baseball and admitted, ?I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions.?

The 2011 National League MVP was suspended without pay for the rest of the season and the postseason Monday, the start of sanctions involving players reportedly tied to a Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun, known as the Hebrew Hammer, is proud of his Jewish identity. His father was born in Israel and his grandparents escaped the Holocaust. Braun?s mother is Catholic, meaning he is not Jewish according to Jewish law, and he never had a bar mitzvah, but both he and the American Jewish community consider him Jewish.

?I am Jewish,? Braun told USA Today. ?It?s something I?m really proud of. But I don?t want to make it into something more than what it is. I didn?t have a Bar Mitzvah. I don?t want to pretend that I did. I didn?t celebrate the holidays.

?It?s a touchy subject because I don?t want to offend anybody, and I don?t want groups claiming me now because I?m having success. But I do consider myself definitely Jewish. And I?m extremely proud to be a role model for young Jewish kids.?

The Huffington Post reported that some Twitter users have reacted to Braun?s suspension with anti-Semitic tweets.

Attention quickly turned to the question ? who?s next? Will Alex Rodriguez or any of the other players tied in media reports to the Biogenesis of America clinic get disciplined and, if so, when?

?I?m pretty sure Braunie won?t be the last,? Detroit All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter said. ?It?s going to be for the next 100 years, somebody?s going to try to beat the system, and as long as they keep catching guys, the system works.?

Braun, a five-time All-Star, accepted a penalty 15 games longer than the one he avoided last year when an arbitrator overturned his positive test for elevated testosterone because the urine sample had been improperly handled.

More than a dozen players were targeted by MLB following a report by Miami New Times in January revealing relationships between Biogenesis and major leaguers. When Yahoo Sports reported in February that Braun?s name was listed in Biogenesis? record, Braun said his lawyer had retained clinic owner Anthony Bosch as a consultant. Braun issued a statement that said ?I have nothing to hide.?

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced Braun?s penalty, citing the outfielder for unspecified ?violations? of both baseball?s drug program and labor contract. Braun?s ban will cost him about $3 million of his $8.5 million salary. With the Brewers in last place in the NL Central, they aren?t likely to have any playoff games for him to miss.

?I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed,? Braun said. ?I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love.?

Under the agreement reached by MLB and the players? association the specifics of Braun?sadmission were not made public.

A person familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized, said 50 games of the penalty were connected to Biogenesis. The additional 15 games stemmed from Braun?s actions during the grievance that overturned his positive test from October 2011. The suspension will count as a first violation of the drug program, the person said.

?I?m shocked, but people make mistakes every day,? Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said. ?He?ll serve his time but, hopefully, he?ll be able to continue his career.?

Union head Michael Weiner said last week that arbitration hearings for players contesting suspensions likely would not start until September, which would delay any penalty until next season. But he also indicated the union would urge players to make a deal and get a suspension over with if there was strong evidence of guilt.

?I am deeply gratified to see Ryan taking this bold step,? Weiner said in a statement. ?It vindicates the rights of all players under the joint drug program. It is good for the game that Ryan will return soon to continue his great work both on and off the field.?

Braun?s acceptance of the suspension marks a 180-degree turnaround from his defiant spring training news conference in Phoenix last year, after his 50-game ban was overturned.

?We won,? he said then, ?because the truth is on my side. The truth is always relevant, and at the end of the day, the truth prevailed.?

The 29-year-old Braun was hitting .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs this year, slowed by a thumb injury that limited him to one game between June 9 and Friday. He was at Miller Park before Monday?s game against San Diego and addressed the Brewers, then left without speaking to reporters.

?He apologized,? pitcher John Axford said. ?Whatever else was said beyond that, I don?t think we need to carry outside of the clubhouse.?

Braun met with MLB investigators in late June. Baseball?s probe was boosted when Bosch, who ran Biogenesis, agreed last month to cooperate with the sport?s investigators.

The suspension is the latest in a string of high-profile drug cases across sports. Cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, ended years of denials in January, admitting he doped to win. Positive tests were disclosed this month involving sprinters Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.

By serving the entire penalty this year, Braun gains a slight monetary advantage. His salary increases to $10 million next year, when a 65-game suspension would cost him about $500,000 more.

?We commend Ryan Braun for taking responsibility for his past actions,? Rob Manfred, MLB?s executive vice president for economics and league affairs, said in a statement. ?We all agree that it is in the best interests of the game to resolve this matter. When Ryan returns, we look forward to him making positive contributions to Major League Baseball, both on and off the field.?

Negotiations over penalties for other players haven?t begun, according to a second person familiar with the probe, also speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Rodriguez acknowledged using PEDs while with Texas from 2001-03, but has denied taking them since.

A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez has been sidelined all season following January hip surgery and was hoping to be activated this week. A quadriceps injury developed while he played at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and caused him to remain on the disabled list. He is not expected at the Yankees? minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., until Wednesday.

Braun became the latest star tripped up by baseball?s drug rules.

The sport was criticized for allowing bulked-up sluggers to set power records in the 1990s and only started testing in 2003. Since then, testing and penalties have become more stringent and last year San?Francisco?s Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games, just weeks after he was voted MVP of the All-Star game.

Four All-Stars this year have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis: Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon and Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

?I guess it is what it is,? Cruz said of Braun?s suspension. ?I don?t have any comment.?

Other players tied to Biogenesis in media reports include Melky Cabrera, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and Seattle catcher Jesus Montero.

?It?s frustrating to know that there are people who have played on performance-enhancing substances against us,? Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson said. ?Whether it was this year, last year, couple years ago ? even the guys who got caught, it?s not like they got tested the day that they started doing it, so I feel like this is the first domino to fall.?

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-baseball-star-suspended-for-banned-substance/
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Re-Drafting 2013 NBA Draft Based on Summer League Revelations

6. Philadelphia 76ers: Nerlens Noel
7. Sacramento Kings: Ben McLemore
8. Detroit Pistons: C.J. McCollum
9. Utah Jazz: Dennis Schroeder
10. Portland Trail Blazers: Michael Carter-Williams

Our first changes!

The New Orleans Pelicans still pull off their huge trade with the Philadelphia 76ers and take Nerlens Noel for them here. Noel's stock is right where it was.

Ben McLemore had a very up-and-down summer league. He scored over 25 points twice, but he also registered 18 turnovers and zero assists. Still, the Sacramento Kings like his potential as a pure scorer and are willing to deal with the games where he puts the blinders on and ignores everyone else on the floor.?

The Detroit Pistons welcome the point guard help and the scoring C.J. McCollum brings to the table and pass on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. No one looked more dangerous in isolation than McCollum, and the elite ball-handling skills win out over Caldwell-Pope's shaky shooting performance in Orlando.

The Utah Jazz still trade up for a point guard, but this time, it's for Dennis Schroeder. Trey Burke's brutal shooting performance and complete inability to score at the rim in Orlando greased the wheels for the choice, but give credit to Schroeder as well.

Drawing comparisons to Rajon Rondo, Schroeder defended his position very effectively and showed natural point guard instincts. Utah hopes the team can make up for the dip in scoring elsewhere.

The Portland Trail Blazers are bummed that McCollum is no longer there, but they get to team up Damian Lillard with some size and take Michael Carter-Williams. MCW struggled mightily as a scorer in Orlando, but he gamely distributed and rebounded, providing an interesting backcourt mate for last season's rookie of the year.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1712991-re-drafting-2013-nba-draft-based-on-summer-league-revelations
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SNP cabinet visit: housing debt and constitution top of SIC?s agenda

Alex Salmond? during his last visit to Shetland.

SIC convener Malcolm Bell says the local authority hopes to use this week?s visit of senior Scottish Government figures to make the case for its historic housing debt to be dropped ? and for the isles to be handed more autonomy.

SNP ministers are due to arrive at Sumburgh on Wednesday ahead of its monthly cabinet meeting, to be held at Mareel on Thursday.

The council recently teamed up with its counterparts in Orkney and the Western Isles to launch ?Our Islands, Our Future?. The document is designed to seek further powers for the three island groups regardless of which way next year?s referendum on Scottish independence goes.

Mr Bell said he was delighted Shetland had been included in the cabinet?s summer itinerary. Visiting politicians will include First Minister Alex Salmond, finance secretary John Swinney and education minister Mike Russell.

?It provides a valuable opportunity for the council, and indeed the wider community, to liaise with the First Minister and his cabinet secretaries,? Mr Bell said.

?As well as promoting what?s good about Shetland, we plan to use the visit to raise a number of issues including Shetland?s historic housing debt, homelessness and constitutional future. I have specifically asked for a meeting with the First Minister over the housing debt.?

This newspaper launched a campaign in late May aimed at persuading the UK and Scottish governments to take action on the ?40 million housing debt. If nothing is done, council house tenants face a rent rise of 10 per cent or more from April 2014. ?

A petition directed at both governments has garnered 2,233 signatures to date. It is aimed at Holyrood housing minister Margaret Burgess and Westminster chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

Council convener Malcolm Bell.

Mr Bell said: ?Both governments are trying to pass the buck on this saying it is an issue for the other government. What we are saying is ?no, you both have a locus in it?, and we have to come to a joint solution.

?I feel we have a very strong and unique case to have this issue dealt with once and for all, so that we can avoid having to raise council house rents to unacceptably high levels and build desperately needed new housing.?

It is understood Scottish civil servants have grown ?very concerned? about the housing debt issue after the new council brought it back onto the political agenda.

This newspaper has been seeking, without success, an interview with Mr Alexander ? who campaigned to have Highland Council?s housing debt dropped before taking office ? for the past two months.

In late June a Treasury spokeswoman acknowledged that Mr Alexander had met an SIC delegation at Downing Street in December to ?better understand their concerns?. But he believes it is down to Holyrood and Lerwick Town Hall to sort it out.

The spokeswoman said: ?He hopes that the Scottish Government and Shetland council can find an appropriate solution.?

Contrary to Mr Alexander?s stance, several councillors ? including political leader Gary Robinson ? are clear that it is primarily the UK government?s responsibility because the debt was incurred in the 1970s and 1980s when housing was a Westminster matter.

Responding to the petition last month, Scottish housing minister Margaret Burgess said Shetland was ?fortunate to have access to financial reserves and I?d encourage the council to continue to review how these could play a part in their financial plans.?

Ms Burgess did say she looked forward to meeting with the SIC ?over the coming months? to discuss the situation. She is due to visit the isles in early August.

Shetland MSP Tavish Scott said he wanted Mr Salmond to ?respond positively? on two key issues ? addressing the housing debt and ending ?centralisation?.

He called for ?commitment after commitment? from the SNP administration ? not ?photo opportunity after photo opportunity?.

?The first action should be to cancel the housing debt hitting Shetland?s housing tenants and the second is to stop the removal of power from island councils which is resulting in the centralisation of public services,? Mr Scott said.

Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

He wants to ensure ?all areas of Shetland get a fair crack of the whip? when it comes to benefiting from the current of frenzy oil and gas activity in and around the isles. ?

Mr Scott believes Unst would benefit greatly should the oil companies explore the use of Baltasound Airport for the new Rosebank oil and gas field to the west of Shetland.

?Baltasound was used by the oil industry for offshore flights in the past,? he said. ?Now with so much expansion I am asking that Chevron fully explore that potential again.??

www.dropshetlandsdebt.org

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Source: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2013/07/23/snp-cabinet-visit-housing-debt-and-constitution-top-of-sics-agenda
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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

UK seeks automatic blocks on online porn

Internet
The Associated Press

6 hours ago

Getty Images
Internet service providers in Britain will be asked to automatically block access to pornography sites unless customers opt in, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday.
Cameron announced the move as part of measures to stop extreme sexual images he said were "corroding childhood." Critics, however, said the measures were at best hard to implement and at worst a form of censorship.
In a speech to a children's charity, Cameron said that "family-friendly" filters would become the default setting for new customers by the end of the year, and only account-holders would be able to change them.
He also announced a proposal to make it a crime to possess violent pornography containing simulated rape scenes, and said Google and other search engines would be asked to block searches based on certain phrases.
Anti-pornography activists welcomed the announcement,
"This isn't about censorship or restricting freedom, it's simply about protecting children whilst allowing adults to do as they choose within the law," said Peter Wanless, chief executive officer of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Cameron said it was not entirely clear how the measures would work, but service providers should be able to come up with solutions.
"If there are technical obstacles to acting on this, don't just stand by and say nothing can be done; use your great brains to overcome them," he said.
"You're the people who have worked out how to map almost every inch of the earth from space, who have algorithms that make sense of vast quantities of information. You're the people who take pride in doing what they say can't be done."
But Padraig Reidy of free-speech group Index on Censorship said the proposals amounted to "a kind of default censorship."
"If a filter is set up as a default then it can really restrict what people can see legitimately," he told BBC radio. "Sites about sexual health, about sexuality and so on, will get caught up in the same filters as pornography. It will really restrict people's experience on the web, including children's."
Columnist Nick Cohen, of the Spectator magazine, said recent disclosures about government snooping should make people wary of giving companies and authorities personal information ? such as a desire to view pornography.
"The expansion of legislation prohibiting pornographic images may sound equally reasonable until you remember it gives more powers to police and prosecutors," he wrote. "The record shows they cannot be trusted to use them justly."

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2f038aba/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cuk0Eseeks0Eautomatic0Eblocks0Eonline0Eporn0E6C10A70A7624/story01.htm
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Q&A With Ford Motor Company CFO Robert Shanks

ChicagoSean

July 22nd, 2013

?

?

StockTwits is pleased to announce that Ford Motor Company will once again be taking questions from the StockTwits community to be answered by CFO Robert Shanks.

Ford ($F) releases their latest quarterly earnings results and guidance at 7am ET on Wednesday, July 24th. The @Ford stream maintained by the Ford Investor Relations team will publish all key bullet points from their report on StockTwits in tandem with Wednesday mornings? release.

To follow up their conference call, CFO Robert Shanks encourages the StockTwits community to send their questions for him to answer. ?Please get your questions in before the markets close on Wednesday afternoon (4pm ET). ?When crafting your message, be sure to address it to @Ford and include the ticker symbol $F. Mr. Shanks will publish his answers to some of the best questions received on Thursday (July 25th).

Click here for a?Transcript from latest quarter?s Q&A.

The StockTwits Enterprise offering for Investor Relations gives public companies that ability to publish to the largest investor audience on the web in a fully compliant manner. If you?d like to learn how to get your company participating, please visit http://stocktwits.com/ir/enterprise or contact smclaughlin@stocktwits.com for more information.

The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.
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Sex chromosome shocker: The 'female' X a key contributor to sperm production

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Painstaking new analysis of the genetic sequence of the X chromosome -? long perceived as the ?female? counterpart to the male-associated Y chromosome -? reveals that large portions of the X have evolved to play a specialized role in sperm production.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/QIvNuFqRO8Q/130721161358.htm
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Summer Baseball: Hudson Legion on verge of state playoffs

Hudson starter John Rumney allowed four hits and one earned run for the victory as Post 100 kept its state playoff hopes alive by beating host Reading, 13-1, in a Zone 5 Legion game on Monday night mercy ruled after five innings.
A win for Hudson (14-5) over Lowell Tuesday in the regular season finale would clinch an Intrastate playoff spot for Post 100, which could still get in with a loss but would need help from other teams. The top four teams in Zone 5 qualify for the state playoffs.
Rumney struck out four and walked just two. Ben Palatino went 3-for-3 with a walk and scored four runs, while Ran Wardwell went 2-for-2 with a walk and four RBIs, and Steve Rivela went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Post 100.
SUDBURY 4, CHELMSFORD 0: Joe Euele struck out three in a four-hit shutout as Subdury Post 191 (18-1) won at Chelmsford in a Zone 5 game.
After scoring two unearned runs in the second inning, Post 191 got two more in the fourth on a double by Robbie Oliphant and a sacrifice fly by Alex McLaughlin.

Post 191 has already clinched the top seed from Zone 5 in the playoffs, and will host a first-round opener Sunday, opponent to be determined.
Senior Babe Ruth
MEDWAY 4, HOLLISTON 3 (8 INN.): Drew Harris hit a walk-off RBI single with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as second-seeded Medway (10-10) rallied to edge visiting third-seeded Holliston (6-13-1) in the opener of a Central Mass. Senior Babe Ruth South Division playoff series.
Medway starter Andrew Henry threw a four-hitter for the win and Harris finished with two hits.
Trailing 3-1, Medway scored two runs in the bottom seventh to tie it and send the game into extra innings. Tyler Monahan brought in Mike Barry with the tying run on a fielder?s choice with one out. Jordan Krozy?s ground out scored Medway?s second run.
In the bottom of the eight, Kevin Bergeron walked, and bunt singles by Connor Quinn and Ethan Mick loaded the bases. Harris followed with his game-winning line single to left.
Holliston scored all of its runs in the third inning. Michael Sancomb?s two-run double plated Doug Flynn and Derek DeCastro. Chris White scored on a ground out by Tyler Perry.
Holliston starter Andrew Salant pitched a complete game too, allowing six hits, including four bunt singles.
Holliston hosts Medway in the second game in the best 2-of-3 series on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
BELLINGHAM 2, MILFORD 1 (8 INN.): James Perro led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a triple and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch with two outs, and Jeff Dunn threw a four-hitter with 16 strikeouts as top-seeded Bellingham (15-4-1) came from behind to top visiting fourth seed Milford (5-15) in the opener of a CMSBR South playoff series.
Dunn, who walked one and allowed one earned run, also went 2-for-2 at the plate. Milford starter Dylan Moretti also pitched four-hit complete game.
Trailing 1-0, Bellingham tied the game in the sixth. Michael Ryan hit a one-out single and Dunn doubled to put runners on second and third. Taylor Sutherland?s sac fly tied it.
Milford scored its run in the fourth when Jeff Besozzi?s two-out RBI single plated Mike Cafarella.
Milford hosts Bellingham in the second game of the series Tuesday at Fino Field starting at 7 p.m.
ASHLAND 7, SUDBURY 2: Starter Nick Cunningham and reliever Mike Lichtenstein combined on a four-hitter and nine strikeouts, and John Ciampaglia went 3-for-3 with a bases-clearing triple in the third inning, and finished with four RBIs as second-seeded Ashland (15-5) rolled past visiting No, 3 Sudbury (14-6) in a the opening game of CMSBR North playoff series.
Cunningham pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk allowed, and Lichtenstein worked the last three allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Thomas Schelling went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Cunningham were 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored for Ashland, which scored three runs in the first inning amd four in the third to build a 7-0 lead.
Sudbury scored in the sixth when Larry Salvucci (1-3 with a triple) walked, stole second and scored on a throwing error. Sudbury added its other run in the seventh when Adam Franks scored on Kieran Pathak?s RBI single.
Sudbury hosts Ashland Tuesday in the second game of the best 2-of-3 series starting at 7 p.m.
MEDFIELD 10, FRAMINGHAM 1: Bobby Tella allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out four in a complete-game victory for top-seeded Medfield in the opener of a best-of-three CMSBR North series with visiting fourth seed Framingham.
Sam Chapin went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs for Medfield, while Matt Pembroke went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Framingham got an RBI single from Michael Rotchford to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
?

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/framingham/sports/x853693031/Summer-Baseball-Hudson-Legion-on-verge-of-state-playoffs?rssfeed=true
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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Xbox One pre-orders 'trending ahead of Xbox 360' - Microsoft

The Xbox One may have received a lot of negative press since its reveal back in May, but it doesn't appear to have damaged consumer interest in the platform.
Xbox One pre-orders are "trending ahead of Xbox 360 pre-orders" during the same time period, Microsoft said in a post addressing June sales figures.
"Xbox One, which will launch this fall, has already seen impressive pre-order sales as consumers have signed up to be the first to receive the new system," said Microsoft. "In fact, Xbox One pre-orders are trending ahead of Xbox 360 pre-orders during the same time period."
The platform holder added that the Xbox One had already sold out at most major US retailers.
VideoGamer.com Analysis
Launch sales of the Xbox 360 totalled 326,000 units in North America according to the NDP Group, with the console reported to have sold out of its 300,000 launch units across Europe.
Microsoft has yet to indicate how many Xbox One units it will make available for the system's launch in November.
Source: Xbox Wire
Source: http://www.videogamer.com/news/xbox_one_pre-orders_trending_ahead_of_xbox_360_microsoft.html
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Friday, July 19, 2013

AP sources: Deal on student loans would set cap

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A day after huddling with President Barack Obama at the White House, a bipartisan group of senators inched closer Wednesday to a compromise that would reduce interest rates on student loans before classes resume.

The emerging deal would offer students lower interest rates through the 2015 academic year but then rates were expected to soar. Undergraduates could face rates as high as 8.25 percent, while graduate students would see rates as high as 9.5 percent and parents' rates would top out at 10.5 percent.

The outlines of the deal were described by Republican and Democratic aides who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing negotiations by name.

The bipartisan proposal is the latest to emerge from near constant work to undo a rate hike that took hold for subsidized Stafford loans on July 1. Rates for new subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, adding roughly $2,600 to students' education costs.

Lawmakers and their top aides have been tinkering with various proposal ? nudging here, trimming there ? trying to find a deal that avoids added red ink for students and the government alike.

The rate hike did not affect interest rates on existing student loans for undergraduate students, graduate students or parents.

Lawmakers from both parties have tried to restore subsidized Stafford loan interest rates without adding to the deficit. To accomplish that, they have been tinkering with rates on all federal direct lending programs. In most cases, they have linked rates to the financial markets; the result has been lower rates in the short-term but larger bills for future classes.

Undergraduates last year borrowed at 3.4 percent or 6.8 percent, depending on their financial need. Graduate students had access to federal loans at 6.8 percent and parents borrowed at 7.9 percent.

Under the deal being considered, all undergraduates this fall would borrow at 3.85 percent interest rates. Graduate students would have access to loans at 5.4 percent and parents would be able to borrow at 6.4 percent.

But if the economy improves as congressional economists predict, rates would climb in coming years.

The details were still subject to change and aides on Wednesday said previous agreements on student loans have fallen apart after the Congressional Budget Office has returned estimates on how much the system would cost over the next decade.

Lawmakers from both parties met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden a day earlier at the White House. An outline of an agreement seemed to be taking shape Tuesday, with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee guiding the talks.

Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who chairs the Senate's education panel, said the caps on interest rates were still too high. That seemed to again derail the talks.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, were also part of the negotiations on Thursday.

Senators returned to talks on Thursday in Durbin's office although Harkin continued to object to the high rate on caps.

The House has already passed student loan legislation that also links interest rates to the 10-year Treasury note. If the Senate can reach a deal, the differences between its version and the House version could be resolved before students return to campus this fall.

So far, few students have borrowed for fall classes. Students typically do not take out loans until just before they return to campus and Congress still has time to restore the lower rates.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-deal-student-loans-213958265.html
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Monday, July 1, 2013

SF Bay Area braces for first day of transit strike

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ? Commuters braced for traffic snarls Monday morning as two of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit's largest unions went on strike, halting train service for the first time in 16 years.

The walkout promised to derail the more than 400,000 riders who use the nation's fifth-largest rail system and affect every mode of transportation. Transportation officials say another 60,000 vehicles could be on the road, clogging highways and bridges throughout the Bay Area.

The strike was called after an 11th-hour effort to resume negotiation failed to produce a new contract by the deadline of midnight Sunday. Both the unions and management said they were far apart on key sticking points including salary, pensions, health care and safety.

"A strike is always the last resort and we have done everything in our power to avoid it," said Josie Mooney, a negotiator for Service Employees International Union Local 1021.

"Our members aren't interested in disrupting the Bay Area, but management has put us in a position where we have no choice," said Antonette Bryant, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555.

Negotiations fell apart Saturday and the unions walked away from the table. California Gov. Jerry Brown's office had urged both sides to resume discussions Sunday with rush hour on the horizon.

But talks between the two sides came to an end Sunday night with BART accusing negotiators of walking away from the bargaining table, while the SEIU countered in a statement that management "threw in the towel."

The unions, which represent nearly 2,400 train operators, station agents, mechanics, maintenance workers and professional staff, were asking for a 5 percent raise each year over the next three years. BART said that train operators and station agents in the unions average about $71,000 in base salary and $11,000 in overtime annually. The workers also pay a flat $92 monthly fee for health insurance.

BART spokesman Rick Rice said the agency had up its original offer of a 4 percent pay rise over the next four years to 8 percent. The proposed salary increase is on top of a 1 percent raise employees were scheduled to receive Monday, Rice added.

The transit agency also said it offered to reduce the contribution employees would have to make to their pensions, and lower the costs of health care premiums they would have to pay.

Bryant said Sunday that BART's latest proposal is not an actual pay increase, calling it "surface bargaining."

BART's last strike lasted six days in 1997. The transit agency handles more than 40 percent of commuters coming from the East Bay to San Francisco with the Bay Bridge handling another 50 percent said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Other transit agencies in the region urged commuters to consider carpooling, taking buses or ferries, working from home and, if they must drive to work, to leave earlier or even later than usual.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said the city will offer increased transportation options, including at the airport, and increase staff for traffic management. BART said it will let commuters use parking lots at their 33 stations free of charge for the purpose of carpooling.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sf-bay-area-braces-first-day-transit-strike-091906793.html
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New Permanent Representative of Mexico Presents Credentials

For information only - not an official document

UNIS/BIO/1019
28 June 2013

?

?(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

VIENNA, 28 June (UN Information Service) - The new Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations (Vienna), Luis Alfonso de Alba G?ngora, presented his credentials today to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), Yury Fedotov (Vienna).

Mr. de Alba currently serves as Ambassador to Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia. He also serves as Mexico's Permanent Representative to the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

During his career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Mr. de Alba has served in various capacities, among them:

Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2011-2013); Mexico's Special Representative for Climate Change (2009-2011); Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva (2004-2009); Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2002-2004); Director-General for the United Nations, Foreign Ministry (1998-2001); Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. (1994-98) Director for Humanitarian Affairs, Foreign Ministry (1991-1993); Adviser to the Foreign Minister (1988); and Third Secretary at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (1983-1986).

He was elected to serve in the following positions: President of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (2004-2005);? Chairman of the Disarmament and Security Committee (First Committee) 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly (2004-2005); and President of the Human Rights Council (2006).

Mr. de Alba studied at the Institut d'Etudes des Relations Internationales in France.

* *** *
Source: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2013/unisbio1019.html
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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Market Top Is in, Brace for Correction: Jeff Saut ... - Yahoo! Finance

Campus Travel and Mantic Point Solutions Ltd ... CityBot on Android tablets...

Amazon: 8 essential tips to save money online

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Monogamy evolved as a mating strategy: New research indicates that social monogamy evolved as a result of competition

CBS boss: Racism on 'Big Brother' is 'appalling'

Review: Sankarea: Undying Love (Volume 1) | Hardcore Gamer Japan

Monday, July 29, 2013

Family Tree Frog: Sentimental Sunday

Friday, July 26, 2013

Mice Harmed by Low Dose of BPA, Not High

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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Thursday, July 25, 2013

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Re-Drafting 2013 NBA Draft Based on Summer League Revelations

SNP cabinet visit: housing debt and constitution top of SIC?s agenda

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

UK seeks automatic blocks on online porn

Q&A With Ford Motor Company CFO Robert Shanks

Sex chromosome shocker: The 'female' X a key contributor to sperm production

Summer Baseball: Hudson Legion on verge of state playoffs

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Xbox One pre-orders 'trending ahead of Xbox 360' - Microsoft

VideoGamer.com Analysis

Friday, July 19, 2013

AP sources: Deal on student loans would set cap

Monday, July 1, 2013

SF Bay Area braces for first day of transit strike

New Permanent Representative of Mexico Presents Credentials

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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

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Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...Read More??

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VideoGamer.com Analysis

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Followers

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Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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