U.S. charges Chinese wind company with stealing trade secrets

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chinese wind turbine maker Sinovel Wind Group Co and two of its employees were charged with stealing trade secrets from U.S.-based AMSC by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday.

A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin returned an indictment leveling theft charges on Sinovel, two of its employees and a former employee of AMSC, a Devens, Massachusetts-based company that provided wind turbine design, engineering services and power electronics and controls to Sinovel. Authorities said the theft allegedly cost AMSC $800 million. (http://r.reuters.com/jud39t)

Sinovel officials were not immediately available for comment.

In 2011, AMSC, which mainly supplies electrical systems used in wind turbines, filed several lawsuits in China against Sinovel alleging the illegal use of AMSC's intellectual property.

AMSC, which was formerly known as American Superconductor Corp, said at the time it wanted to recover more than $1.2 billion in damages.

"The fact that Sinovel has exported stolen American intellectual property from China back into the United States - less than 40 miles from our global headquarters - shows not only a blatant disrespect for intellectual property but a disregard for international trade law," AMSC Chief Executive Officer Daniel McGahn said.

AMSC called on President Barack Obama's administration and Congress to re-evaluate the U.S. trade relationship with China.

AMSC said that, over the past two years, more than 500 staff worldwide have lost their jobs following Sinovel's "egregious and unlawful behavior."

The defendants indicted include Su Liying, the deputy director of Sinovel's Research and Development Department, Zhao Haichun, a technology manager for Sinovel and Dejan Karabasevic, a former AMSC employee.

Sinovel, once AMSC's largest customer, contracted with an AMSC employee in Austria to get the software designed for Sinovel's turbines.

"The Sinovel case is a classic example of the growing insider threat facing our nation's corporations and their intellectual property," said FBI Executive Assistant Director Richard McFeely.

AMSC shares were up as much as 7 percent in extended trading.

(Reporting by Thyagaraju Adinarayan and Nichola Groom; Editing by David Gregorio and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-charges-chinese-wind-company-stealing-trade-secrets-114343443.html

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'Far more' UK shale gas resources

27 June 2013 Last updated at 08:24 ET

Osborne: "Local communities should get, for example, at least ?100,000 for every fracking well that is created"

UK shale gas resources may be far greater than previously thought, a report for the government says.

The British Geological Survey estimates there may be 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas present in the north of England - double previous estimates.

Meanwhile the government has announced measures to enable shale gas drilling as part of its infrastructure plans.

Energy Minister Michael Fallon described shale gas as "an exciting new energy resource".

The BGS said its estimate for shale gas resources in the Bowland Basin region, which stretches from Cheshire to Yorkshire, represented potential resources, but "not the gas that might be possible to extract".

"Shale gas clearly has potential in Britain but it will require geological and engineering expertise, investment and protection of the environment," it said.

Drilling companies have previously estimated that they may be able to extract around 10% of this gas - equivalent to around 130 trillion cubic feet.

'Early days'

If the estimates are proved correct, that would still suggest recoverable reserves of shale gas far in excess of the three trillion cubic feet of gas currently consumed in the UK each year.

Shale gas is extracted through "fracking" - the controversial process of freeing trapped gas by pumping in a mixture of water, sand and chemicals.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

The truly massive shale gas resource of the north of England may bring tax revenues and possibly - not definitely - lead to lower bills, but it won't help the environment.

This week the government's climate change advisers warned that the UK was failing to keep pace with legally binding cuts in the CO2 emissions that are disrupting the climate.

The Environment Agency warns that if we want to keep burning gas we will have to rely on unproven technology to capture the carbon emissions in order to meet climate change targets.

It also warns that gas escaping from fractured wells may increase climatic disruption.

Meanwhile the International Energy Agency warns that the world can only burn a third of its existing fossil fuel reserves without a serious risk of de-stabilising the climate.

Shale gas plans will meet local environmental opposition too.

The process has helped boost the domestic energy industry in the US in recent years, where oil production has risen and gas prices have plummeted.

In a statement, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "Though it is early days for shale in the UK, it has the potential to contribute to the UK's energy security, increase inward investment and growth."

The government has unveiled a package of reforms to encourage development in the industry.

They include new planning guidelines to make the process of approving new drilling sites more streamlined, and a consultation on tax incentives to encourage exploration.

Communities affected by shale gas drilling are also expected to receive ?100,000 in "community benefits" and 1% of production revenues, should sites start producing gas.

"Shale gas represents an exciting new potential energy resource for the UK, and could play an important part in our energy mix," said Energy Minister Michael Fallon

"Development must be done in partnership with local people. We welcome the commitments from industry on community benefits.

"This will provide a welcome boost for communities who will host shale exploration and production as well as offering strong assurances that operators will engage with them and work to the highest health, safety and environmental standards."

He said communities hosting shale gas drilling could benefit from cheaper bills, regeneration schemes and new community facilities like playgrounds and sports halls.

The incentives are designed to overcome significant scepticism surrounding the process of fracking, which has generated environmental concerns.

Critics argue that it can cause earth tremors and pollute water supplies, and that shale gas wells could blight the countryside and affect house prices.

They also want investment in green energy sources, rather than fossil fuels.

Power warning

The report for the government comes as energy regulator Ofgem warned that the risks of power blackouts has increased because excess capacity in the power industry has fallen in the UK.

The watchdog has twice warned in recent months that the amount of spare power is shrinking, partly due to some gas generators being taken out of service.

Centrica has already withdrawn two of its gas plants from operation. In April, SSE confirmed that it too would mothball gas plants and put off investments in new ones.

Adam Scorer, of the lobby group Consumer Futures, said: "Projections of ever-tighter capacity margins understandably raise fears of higher electricity prices.

"Government and regulator need to agree on the most realistic capacity scenarios, the least-cost ways of reducing demand and, where necessary, of incentivising new generation capacity."

Announcing further details of the government's spending review to parliament, Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander said the government had agreed "strike prices" in an effort to boost investment in renewable forms of energy.

The prices mean the government will guarantee to pay a certain price for energy generated through on-shore and off-shore wind, tidal, wave, bio-mass and solar power.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23069499#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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No, Children of 1990, Computers Are Not the Devil

Computers may be ubiquitous now but in 1990 they were just beginning to enter the mainstream. And like any revolutionary technology, the desktop computer was viewed with more than a little skepticism by the average American. Luckily, David Neil of PBS's Newton's Apple was there to explain to a group of dubious high schoolers that computers are not inherently evil. And he brought a two story exhibit to help illustrate.

In 1990, we still had a foot in the stone age. You've got to remember that high school students then lived before the Internet. They used tapes and CDs, tablets were still just very small tables, and the average cell phone looked like this:

And since computers were still primarily "something my mom uses at work," kids didn't have the native experience with electronics that many do now. That's where How Computers Work: A Journey Into The Walk-Through Computer comes in. This educational short produced by The Computer Museum aims to demystify the inner workings of the desktop computer. By explaining it in a way that even their parents could understand.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/no-children-of-1990-computers-are-not-the-devil-597933666

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junkyard charterer: Menopause: What It Is and Ways to Manage It ...

What is menopause? Menopause is the cessation of a woman?s monthly blood flow. If a woman has not experienced menstrual flow for 12 consecutive months, she is menopausal.

Except in the case of surgery, chemotherapy or specific medical conditions that interfere with regular hormonal functions, menopause occurs at the end of a process, which may last from months to years. During the process, periods may become irregular but not stop and a woman may intermittently experience other symptoms of menopause. When a woman is experiencing symptoms but has not yet been without periods for 12 consecutive months, she is peri-menopausal. A woman may become peri-menopausal as early as her thirties or as late as her fifties.

What are symptoms of menopause? Symptoms of menopause fall into five broad categories:

1) Changes in blood vessel dilation and constriction. This blood vessel activity causes hot ?flashes? and sleep irregularities. Hot flashes are not related to the internal temperature of the body but rather to the temperature of the skin. There are various theories about why, during menopause, women?s skin temperatures may rise periodically as much as 7 degrees. One of the most intriguing theories is that women who experience hot flashes have a very narrow comfort zone ? that zone where they are neither sweating nor chilled. Estrogen seems to widen that zone; conversely lower estrogen narrows the zone. (Studies conducted by Dr. Robert R. Freedman and colleagues, Wayne State Univ., Detroit). Hot flashes contribute to sleep irregularities.

2) Urinary/genital tract changes. Women may experience thinning, drying, itching and bleeding in the vaginal area sometimes associated with pain on intercourse. Another issue may be urinary frequency, urgency or incontinence.

3) Bone changes. Changes in the bones may result in osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis), osteoporosis, joint and muscle pain or back pain.

4) Skin and soft tissue changes. Skin may thin as part of menopause or lose elasticity and breasts may become smaller. These changes are associated with the loss in estrogen that accompanies menopause.

5) Psychological/mood changes. Changes in mood may include irritability and depression or be accompanied by fatigue and memory loss.

How can menopausal discomforts be moderated? Not all women experience menopausal discomfort at a level that it requires therapy. How women experience menopause, a natural stage in the lifecycle of a woman, is in part a matter of genetics, in part a matter of general health and nutrition and in part a matter of culture. There has been great interest lately in the fact that Asian women typically do not engage in hormone replacement therapy or consume dairy products and yet have virtually no osteoporosis as they age and progress through menopause.

1) Self-care. Ideally a self-care program begins well in advance of menopause. Preferably it is a lifelong project. It is never too late to begin, however. Self-care includes good nutrition, effective and regular exercise and mood maintenance.

Good nutrition means the appropriate balance of carbohydrate, protein and fats. Carbohydrates and fats should be of the types that promote health, that is, complex carbohydrates low on the glycemic index and mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats with the correct balance of omega 3s and omega 6s. For vitamins and minerals, eat a wide range of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and beans daily. Maintain the proper Ph balance in the body by limiting dairy products except for probiotics like yogurt. Eliminate simple sugars from the diet as much as possible and focus on getting adequate fiber in the diet.

Establish a daily exercise routine that includes weight bearing exercise, stretching and low-impact aerobic activity. Maintain a healthy weight. Maintain mood with proven techniques like focused breathing, meditation, a gratitude journal, meaningful activity and significant, satisfying relationships.

2) Nutritional approaches. There is a wide range of nutritional alternatives to HRT, often combined with a program of supplementation and /or herbal therapies as well as with the self-care techniques mentioned above. While some sources indicate these alternatives are not clinically proven, they have nonetheless been effective for many women.

Nutritional approaches may include plant estrogens, such as those found in soy products as well as oats, cashews, almonds, alfalfa, apples and flaxseeds. Magnesium can also help to reduce hot flashes. Magnesium is found in soy products and in whole grains and beans. Sufficient dietary fiber can help to reduce irritability. Essential fatty acids can alleviate symptoms of aging, including a reduction in skin elasticity and they can help with dryness in the vaginal region. They also act as natural hormone supplements. Multivitamin/mineral supplements should be chosen with particular attention to their magnesium content. In addition, vitamin E can have a significant impact on vaginal dryness and hot flashes. A variety of herbs have been used, among them, wild yam (for hot flashes), alfalfa, sarsaparilla, motherwort (vaginal dryness), valerian root (promotes sleep), ginseng and black cohosh. Dong quai has been used for centuries in China to provide relief for menopausal symptoms.

3) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT has been the most common therapy for the symptoms of menopause in the United States. It is particularly effective for hot flashes, virtually eliminating them shortly after therapy is begun. It has long been considered effective in protecting against osteoporosis because of the effect of estrogen in strengthening bone and enhancing calcification.

Following the Women?s Health Initiative Study (WHI) of the National Institutes of Health, halted in July 2002, HRT has become controversial, however. Although hormone replacement has been proved to offer many benefits, including reduced osteoporosis, there are also greater risks associated with it, including breast cancer. Patients and physicians must make the decision about HRT together, based on individual medical situations. Not only is there a decision about whether or not to use HRT but what kind of HRT: unopposed estrogen (estrogen alone), estrogen and progestin, or one or both of those hormones administered along with testosterone. Among the other things a physician will consider with his/her patient is genetic history and age. There are also differences between women with an intact uterus and women without a uterus. While breast cancer is a greater risk for the first, osteoporosis may be a greater risk for the latter. Recent reports suggest that extended use of unopposed estrogen in women who have had a hysterectomy may even reduce breast cancer, although it poses unacceptably high cancer risks to women who have not had a hysterectomy. In the latter case if used, estrogen will probably be accompanied by progestin. There has been recent interest in bioidentical hormone replacement therapies, that is, estrogen and progestin that duplicate the hormones in a woman?s body (as opposed to equine hormonal products). Studies are promising but not yet advanced enough for certainty.

Special issues. Among particular issues that may confront women in relation to the significant physical change that menopause represents are fibroids and osteoporosis. Fibroids are primarily associated with peri-menopause, that is, the time before menopause, which is marked by twelve consecutive months in which there is no menstruation. While osteopenia may begin during the peri-menopausal time, osteoporosis is associated more strongly with menopause and aging.

1) Fibroids. Fibroids are (usually benign) tumors, generally located in the uterus or uterine wall. They may range in size from less than an inch to larger than a grapefruit. Size is often explained by relating it to pregnancy, i.e., eight weeks or twelve weeks. No one is certain exactly what causes fibroids, although generally they shrink after menopause, so estrogen levels may be a factor.

Women are most likely to have fibroids if they are of childbearing age, are African-American, are obese and / or have not had children. Fibroids have been linked to an under active thyroid, so thyroid testing, treatment and monitoring should certainly be part of a preventive reproductive health program. Most women do not experience symptoms. If there are symptoms, they are most likely to include heavy bleeding or painful periods, bleeding between periods, frequent urination, pain during sex, lower back pain, reproductive problems, or a feeling of fullness or swelling in the lower abdomen. Treatments include drugs (pain relievers or medications to reduce the size of the fibroids), surgery (myomectomy, hysterectomy, endometrial ablation, myolisis); and uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). Myomectomy removes the fibroid but leaves the healthy uterine tissue. Hysterectomy removes the entire uterus. Endometrial ablation removes the endometrial lining of the uterus, which relieves heavy bleeding. In myolisis, an electrical needle is inserted into the uterus through a small incision in the abdomen to destroy the blood vessels feeding the fibroid. UFE is a treatment that cuts off the blood supply to the uterus and the fibroids so they shrink. It is becoming an alternative to hysterectomy and myomectomy. Which of these treatments is used must be determined in consultation with a physician. The clinical evidence supporting natural treatments for fibroids is scarce. For the most part, natural treatments are preventive or treat the symptoms but do not address the fibroids themselves once they are in place.

There are some reports that eating less red meat and pork reduces fibroids and some women have reported success with becoming vegetarian. Include raw nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables in the diet as well as foods high in germanium, that is, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and onions that help improve tissue oxygenation. Avoid caffeine, which has been implicated in fibrocystitis. Recommended nutritional supplements include vitamins A, B-complex, C, K and bioflavonoids. Recommended botanical herbs include chaste tree, ginger, cranesbill, shepherd?s purse, ragwort, blue cohosh and false unicorn as well as ginseng, rhubarb, cinnamon and sargassum seaweed in various combinations. These treatments and appropriate combinations must be discussed with a naturopath.

2) Osteopenia, Osteoporosis. Bone constantly reforms throughout our lives. Cells called osteoclasts reabsorb bone material while cells called osteoblasts generate new bone material. As people age, the process of reabsorbing bone material outstrips the process of generating new bone material.

Osteopenia and the more advanced osteoporosis represent an imbalance in reabsorbtion / bone generation in which osteoclasts are more active than osteoblasts, a situation caused by a reduction in estrogen. Estrogen has an important role in the strengthening and calcification of bone. A drop in estrogen at the time of menopause may also be associated with a decreased ability of the body to absorb calcium efficiently. One of the problems in how the news of the Women?s Health Initiative was brought to the public was that the increased risk of breast cancer demonstrated in some segments of the study were highlighted and other aspects of the health risks associated with aging and with menopause obscured. There is a feeling among some specialists that as a result, women are being advised to abandon HRT, at great risk to their future health. There are reports indicating that the greater danger is osteoporotic fracture and consequent disability and confinement to nursing homes at a much younger age than might otherwise be required.

Source: http://obesitysurgery.allabout101.com/menopause-what-it-is-and-ways-to-manage-it/

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Source: http://perkinsjacob8.typepad.com/blog/2013/06/menopause-what-it-is-and-ways-to-manage-it-about-obesity-surgery.html

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Source: http://junkyard-charterer.blogspot.com/2013/06/menopause-what-it-is-and-ways-to-manage.html

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The Midas Touch: Surprising Facts in the World of Venture Capital

All Hail King Midas

?

Venture Capitalists turn geeks into billionaires. They are the catalysts of innovation, technological advancement and job creation (originally venture-backed companies accounted for 11.87 million jobs and over $3.1 trillion in revenue in the United States, NVCA 2010). The energy shot behind every sleep deprived genius. The strategic beholders of over $176.7 billion in committed capital (NVCA, 2011). King Midas to over 3500 lucky startups in 2011 (NVCA), venture capitalists are indeed mighty, magical forces to be reckoned with.

After much research, I stumbled upon a few surprising facts:

You don?t have be an engineer

The most common undergraduate degree was in economics (21 percent), followed by business administration (16 percent) and mechanical or electrical engineering (13 percent).?Forty-nine percent of those surveyed had MBAs, making it the most prevalent degree. (NVCA 2011)

Venture Capital is Risky Business (*which you probably know, but it?s nice to see stats)

Success stats: ?It is estimated that 40 percent of venture backed companies fail; 40 percent return moderate amounts of capital; and only 20 percent or less produce high returns. (NVCA)

This is a Man?s World

Women represent less than 10 percent of high-level venture capitalists, and they have been leaving the industry at twice the rate of men, according to Gatekeepers of Venture Growth: The Role and Participation of Women in the Venture Capital Industry.??The study is the latest report of the Diana Project, a multi-year, multi-university study of women business owners and business growth opportunities (Kauffman)

Diversity is a Struggle

According to NVCA research in 2011, 87 percent of venture capitalists were Caucasian, nine percent were Asian, two percent were African American or Latino, and two percent were of mixed race. It?s getting better though! Venture professionals who have been in the industry fewer than five years showed greater diversity: 77 percent were Caucasian, 17 percent were Asian, three percent were African American or Latino and three percent were of mixed race.

(NVCA and Dow Jones VentureSource 2011 Venture Census Data)

Stanford and Harvard Sweep the Board

In 2011, Stanford and Harvard led the pack with 10 percent of the VC industry (each), ?University of Pennsylvania was a close second with 8 percent, University of California ? Berkeley (five percent), MIT (four percent) and Duke, Northwestern, University of Michigan, Yale, and Columbia (each at three percent).

Why Does This Matter?

It?s in a venture capital firm?s best interest to make the greater returns from their investment, but without enough diversity (according to the stats), costly perspectives, high potential entrepreneurs and most importantly, many monster returns, are left unmet. Women receive just 4.2% of venture capital funding (Stanford University The Clayman Institute) even though women are starting new companies at a rate?1.5 times higher?than the national average (whitehouse.gov ?Women in America?), own 40 percent of private businesses in the United States ?(Center for Women?s Business Research) and it?s been shown that having a board of at least 33% of women leads to higher returns. (HBR)

Why Does This Happen?

While women now comprise a growing share of the college-educated workforce, only 14 percent of engineers are women. (U.S. Joint Economic Committee 2012). ?It?s not like people are making an effort to exclude people, but I see very little diversity in the candidate pool,? says Aileen Lee, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers(NYT). She says this could reflect the different educational paths men and women follow in high school and college: men, for a variety of reasons, are more likely to pursue computer science and engineering degrees and subsequently rise through start-up or management ranks.

Given the stats, Mrs. Lee?s (who has an undergraduate degree in engineering and MBA) comment seems misguided, (The most common undergraduate degree was in economics (21 percent), followed by business administration (16 percent) and mechanical or electrical engineering (13 percent).( Women now earn more than 50 percent of all bachelor?s and master?s degrees and nearly half of all doctorate-level degrees) ?However she brings up a valid starting point to this lack of diversity.

The Funnel

While and engineering degree may not be an excuse, 49% of VC?s have an MBA, but women make up only 33%. This discrepancy slices away at a hefty fraction when we consider that a strong majority of startup investments are made in technology, a field lacking female founders (this is where Lee?s argument hits home). Only 3 percent of technology companies are founded by women and outside of legal and marketing positions, women are nearly absent (Kauffman).

The Chicken or the Egg?

Given the bio?s of the Midas list, the common ways to become a VC firm are 1.To become an entrepreneur in residence or 2.Investment Banking/Consulting 3. Start your own fund or become and Angel. ?Venture funds are created when a group of wealthy investors come together to take huge risks with a long term potential to multiply their pot. If women are still only earning 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, then it makes sense that 1. Men are more likely to have more money 2. Men appear to be ?better? with their money 3. Men are more likely to look to other men to join the firm.

Note: I try to speak with data, but please do argue against me if you disagree!

Thoughts?

What do you think about this lack of diversity? (note:? I focused primarily on women). Do you think we need more women in Venture Capital? How should we go about solving this problem?

Sources:

1. http://www.kauffman.org/research-and-policy/gatekeepers-of-venture-growth.aspx
2. http://www.dowjones.com/privatemarkets/.
3. http://www.nvca.org.
4. http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2012/06/07/silicon-valley-venture-capital-firms-say-they-welcome-more-women/4/
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/technology/18women.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&
6. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliebradshaw/2012/01/10/how-women-are-getting-left-out-of-the-venture-capital-game/
7. http://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=6aaa7e1f-9586-47be-82e7-326f47658320

Source: http://www.trueventurestec.com/2013/06/27/the-midas-touch-surprising-facts-in-the-world-of-venture-capital/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-midas-touch-surprising-facts-in-the-world-of-venture-capital

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CNN bringing 'Crossfire' back on the air

FILE - In this March 16, 2013 file photo, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich apears during the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md. CNN is bringing its political show "Crossfire" back on the air this fall with Newt Gingrich as one of the combatants. The original political talk show on cable news aired on CNN from 1982 until 2005. The new version will air on weekdays, although CNN said Wednesday, June 26, that the show has no time slot yet. Gingrich, the former House speaker and presidential candidate, is one of two hosts "from the right" matched against two liberal voices. Conservative commentator S. E. Cupp, who also works at The Blaze, is Gingrich's conservative partner. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file)

FILE - In this March 16, 2013 file photo, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich apears during the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md. CNN is bringing its political show "Crossfire" back on the air this fall with Newt Gingrich as one of the combatants. The original political talk show on cable news aired on CNN from 1982 until 2005. The new version will air on weekdays, although CNN said Wednesday, June 26, that the show has no time slot yet. Gingrich, the former House speaker and presidential candidate, is one of two hosts "from the right" matched against two liberal voices. Conservative commentator S. E. Cupp, who also works at The Blaze, is Gingrich's conservative partner. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? CNN said Wednesday that it is bringing the political debate show "Crossfire" back on the air this fall with Newt Gingrich as one of the combatants.

The former House speaker and Republican presidential candidate will be one of the four regular hosts of the program, taking the conservative side along with commentator S.E. Cupp of The Blaze. Stephanie Cutter, a former campaign spokeswoman for President Barack Obama, and Van Jones, a Yale-educated attorney and advocate for green projects, will speak from the left.

"It just feels like the right time for 'Crossfire' to be coming back," said Sam Feist, CNN's senior vice president and Washington bureau chief. The show will air weekdays but no time slot has been set.

The original aired on CNN from 1982 until 2005, and its alumni list reads like a Washington who's who ? Pat Buchanan, Robert Novak, Geraldine Ferraro, Lynn Cheney, James Carville, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson among them. It was essentially killed by Jon Stewart.

"The Daily Show" host appeared on "Crossfire" in 2004 and got into a bitter fight with Carlson, with Stewart calling the show "partisan hackery" that did little to advance the cause of democracy. When then-CNN U.S. President Jon Klein cancelled it a few months later, he said he was essentially siding with Stewart.

But with Fox News Channel tilting right and MSNBC leaning left, there really isn't a debate program on cable TV now that is a fair fight, Feist said.

"CNN is really the only network that can have a bipartisan debate show with some level of authenticity," he said.

Each show will have a single topic and feature two of the four regular hosts, joined by two guests who are experts on the particular issue being discussed, Feist said. It will be a studio show without the audience that was used in a later incarnation of "Crossfire," he said.

New CNN chief Jeff Zucker began pushing for the show's resurrection almost since taking over this winter, saying he had long been a fan of it, Feist said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-26-TV-CNN-Crossfire/id-45dba2501935457d8bd9dbc3b03cc021

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Santorum: Rubio?s support of immigration bill could hurt presidential prospects

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who is quietly laying the groundwork for another presidential run, said on Wednesday that Republican presidential hopefuls who support the federal immigration overhaul will struggle to find support among the party's primary voters in 2016.

During an interview on the Andrea Tantaros radio show, Santorum said lawmakers like Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a lead author of the Senate bipartisan immigration bill, would suffer "consequences" for supporting the bill if they choose to run for president.

"The issue of immigration and respecting the rule of law in this country is a very important thing for Republican voters across the country. The idea that there are Republicans in Washington, D.C., who are going to say, 'Well, the rule of law isn't that important, the idea of people coming into this country have done so illegally and we're going to basically treat them the same as people who came here legally,' is just not going to go over well in a Republican primary," Santorum said when asked specifically if Rubio's support for an immigration overhaul would hurt his chances in 2016. "I think there's going to be certainly consequences for folks who don't understand the importance of the respect for the rule of law that Republicans have."

Conservatives have criticized Rubio for his work on the immigration bill, which offers a pathway to legality for immigrants living in the country unlawfully. Rubio said on Tuesday that he plans to announce a decision on a presidential run in 2014.

When Santorum first ran for president in 2012, he won the popular vote in 11 primary and caucus elections. Although he conceded the race to Mitt Romney in April 2012, Santorum has continued to advocate for his ideas through a nonprofit group and give speeches in Iowa regularly. Santorum announced last week that he has joined EchoLight Studios, an entertainment company that produces faith-based films, as CEO.

In the interview with Tantaros, Santorum said he was "very open" to running for president again.

"The position I've taken here at this movie studio, EchoLight, has not in any way changed my thinking on running again in 2016. I'm very open to that. I think that, in fact, that some of the work that I'm doing at the movie studio is actually in concert with that," he said. "I think this is probably a good way to spend my time and energy potentially between two runs."

Santorum even took an early jab at possible Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton when asked about her handling of the attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya, while she was secretary of state.

"I don't think she's the right candidate for the country, and I'm hopeful that if you look at her entire record, that it precludes her," Santorum said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/santorum-says-rubio-support-immigration-bill-hurt-him-203058010.html

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Simple two-drug combination proves effective in reducing risk of stroke

June 26, 2013 ? Results of a Phase III clinical trial showed that a simple drug regimen of two anti-clotting drugs -- clopidogrel and aspirin -- lowered the risk of stroke by almost one-third, compared to the standard therapy of aspirin alone, when given to patients who had minor or transient stroke symptoms to prevent subsequent attacks.

Described this week in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 4, 2013 print issue), the clinical trial was conducted at multiple sites in China and designed in partnership with a physician at UC San Francisco.

The trial involved 5,170 people who were hospitalized after suffering minor ischemic strokes or stroke-like events known as transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs, in which blood flow to the brain is briefly blocked. All patients were randomized into two groups and treated for three months with either aspirin alone or aspirin plus clopidogrel, which is marketed as Plavix. The three-month period following stroke is considered the most critical for medical intervention.

Overall, 8.2 percent of patients taking both drugs suffered subsequent strokes in the three months of follow-up compared to 11.7 percent of patients taking aspirin alone.

"The results were striking," said S. Claiborne Johnston, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology and associate vice chancellor of research at UCSF who was a senior author on the study.

The Chinese trial, called CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events), is nearly identical to a National Institutes of Health-sponsored trial that is already enrolling patients in the United States, including at UCSF, called POINT (Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke).

"If POINT confirms CHANCE, then we're done -- the two-drug combination becomes the standard of care," said Johnston. "Anybody with a transient ischemic attack or minor stroke will get clopidogrel plus aspirin."

The POINT trial is important, said Johnston, because genetics, risk factors, and medical practice differences could all lead to differences in trial results in China compared to other countries. Johnston is the principal investigator of the POINT trial.

Stroke in China and the United States

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

More than 795,000 people in the United States have strokes every year, and, in 2008 alone, some 133,000 cases were fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 300,000 people in the United States have TIAs each year.

Many strokes are minor -- shorter in duration than a full-blown stroke and usually have no lingering health impacts. In China, for instance, about 3 million new strokes occur every year, and about 30 percent of them are minor.

The protocol for the CHANCE trial was developed by Johnston and colleagues at Tiantan Hospital in China. The lead author of the study was Yongjun Wang, MD, of Beijing Tiantan Hospital.

China has many times more people who have strokes every year than the United States because of the size of the population and higher stroke rates, which allowed investigators to screen 41,561 patients in just three years at the 114 clinical sites, and enroll 5,170 patients in the trial.

Increased Risk of Subsequent Stroke

The reason for minor attacks is much the same as a full-blown stroke: a blood clot causes a blockage in the blood vessels that feed oxygen-rich blood to the brain. But in patients with TIAs and many minor strokes, the clot quickly goes away, usually in a few minutes, due to the natural mechanisms in the human body that are designed to deal with such clots.

However, in the weeks following a TIA or minor stroke, there is great risk that another clot will form, causing additional strokes -- potentially major ones. About 10 to 20 percent of people who have a TIA or minor stroke go on to have a subsequent stroke within three months.

Because of this risk, the first 90 days after a stroke or TIA is the most critical window for medical intervention. Currently, people who have minor strokes or TIAs are initially treated with aspirin alone. The purpose of the CHANCE trial was to determine whether clopidogrel with aspirin was more effective than aspirin alone in this intervention.

The drugs basically work the same way. They are "antiplatelet" agents, which target clotting agents found in the bloodstream know as platelets, preventing their aggregation. The combination is used commonly in patients who have heart attacks, but there has been no adequate clinical data to suggest it would work in stroke.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/df9E4AC9RSc/130626184021.htm

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Microsoft's Windows 8.1 Preview Introduces A Smarter Virtual Keyboard For Touchscreens

The Windows 8.1 Preview, which is launching today, includes a number of small improvements, and one of the cooler ones is the new touchscreen keyboard that's now significantly smarter and allows you to type much faster than before. While it doesn't adopt a Swype-like mode, the keyboard now supports a number of gestures that will make your life a bit easier. Type-ahead suggestions now appear right underneath the word and by default, Windows 8.1 Preview will always show you three options.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/zVfaZ3NSy9Y/

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Sony SmartWatch 2 unveiled: a water-resistant 'second screen' for Android devices

Sony's taking a second stab at the fledgling wearable category it helped pioneer with today's announcement of the SmartWatch 2. The Android-powered wristwatch retains the familiar remote functionality of its predecessor (i.e., allowing users to answer calls, read email and texts, snap photos, etc.), albeit now from a larger, 1.6-inch (220 x 176) touch display. Sony's packed all of this "second screen" functionality into a handsome, aluminum body design that's crafted to be dust- and water-resistant (IP57), much like the Xperia Z line before it. And for users that want a little variety, the company's also offering a pack-in stainless steel wristband that can be swapped out for any other 24mm strap (Sony plans to offer alternative straps sometime soon).

The SmartWatch 2 also features support for NFC and Bluetooth 3.0, so you can easily pair it with compatible devices running Android 4.0 or higher -- something like the Xperia Z Ultra, perhaps. As for battery life, Sony claims the SmartWatch 2's rated for a maximum of four days with moderate use. But those with a lighter touch, or a penchant for digital wristwatches, may be able to eke out a full week's worth of juice. There's no pricing information to share at the moment, only a semi-concrete global release date for this September. Which is just about enough time for you (or, more likely, your Dad) to dust off that Dick Tracy impersonation.

Gallery: Sony SmartWatch 2

Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Sony, Google

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CP3SXqGmXvc/

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Lawmaker apologizes for ?Uncle Thomas? tweet

(Twitter via City Pages)

A Minnesota state representative has apologized for a tweet in which he referred to black Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as "Uncle Thomas."

Shortly after the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision striking down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act was announced Tuesday, Ryan Winkler, a Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota's 46th district, tweeted:

#SCOTUS VRA majority is four accomplices to race discrimination and one Uncle Thomas.

The tweet was subsequently deleted, and Winkler issued several apologies on Twitter, claiming he wasn't aware he had used a racial epithet.

"I did not understand 'Uncle Tom' as a racist term, and there seems to be some debate about it," Winkler wrote in response to a tweet linking to a blog post about his offensive message.

But there appear to be much debate. "Uncle Tom" refers to the faithful slave in Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites." Winkler's tweet suggested Thomas voted to gain the approval of his Caucasian counterparts.

"I didn't think it was offensive to suggest that Justice Thomas should be even more concerned about racial discrimination than colleagues," Winkler wrote on Twitter. "But if such a suggestion is offensive, I apologize."

According to Winkler's biography on the state House website, he earned a bachelor's degree in history at Harvard. He was elected in 2006.

In a statement posted to the site, Winkler added:

I was very disappointed today in the Supreme Court decision to roll back key provisions of the Voting Rights Act because I believe the Voting Rights Act is one of the most important steps our nation has taken to eliminate racial discrimination.

In expressing that disappointment on twitter, I hastily used a loaded term that is offensive to many. My words were inappropriate and I apologize. The implications of this Supreme Court decision are serious for our state and country and I regret that my comments have distracted from the serious dialogue we must have going forward to ensure racial discrimination has no place in our election system.

Winkler told the Star Tribune he simply thought the epithet meant "turncoat."

"I intended to point out the fact that Justice Thomas had turned his back on African-American civil rights," Winkler said. "I did not intend it as a racially derogatory term and I probably reacted too hastily in using a word that is very loaded."

[Hat tip: Daily Intelligencer/City Pages]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/clarence-thomas-uncle-tom-tweet-202207921.html

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Saints Row IV banned in Australia due to 'unjustified' evil

For every tearful accountant at Saints Row HQ, there must be a gleeful marketing person punching the air, playing mini golf and doing whatever else marketing people do when they're full of glee. Conflicted emotions aside, however, game publisher Deep Silver can now claim the notorious distinction of having its latest title, Saints Row IV, rejected outright by the Australian Classification Board (ACB). It's the first such refusal since the ACB implemented a new R18+ rating, which is meant to allow for adult themes within games but which evidently couldn't cope with Saints Row's peculiar depictions of sexual violence (which were "not justified by context") or its drug-themed reward system (which is "prohibited by the computer games guidelines"). According to The Guardian, this effectively means Saints Row IV is banned from sale in retail stores in Australia, but Joystiq has received word from Deep Silver saying it intends to create a "reworked" version of its open world game specifically for that country. Meanwhile, the regular version has been given PEGI 18 and ESRB M ratings elsewhere, and it looks to be on track for an August release date.

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: Joystiq, The Guardian

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/25/saints-row-iv-refused-rating-in-australia/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Exit Strategies Key For Small Businesses | Stuff.co.nz

When you start up your business, know how you're going to get out of it. Exit strategies are a key part of planning and growing any small business, experts say.

It might seem strange to open a new business and immediately think about how you will leave it, but a succession plan was an important part of ensuring a business succeeds, said MYOB New Zealand executive director Scott Gardiner.

''Planning how you want your business to grow and develop means having an end goal in mind and knowing exactly what it is that you are working towards, '' Gardiner said. ''Is this something you could look to sell on down the line for a significant profit? Or is it something you see yourself doing for years? Is the business something you want to pass on to family? Or are you likely to find yourself interested in a new challenge in a few years time?''

David Allison, business strategist from business incubator Creative HQ said that even if you intended staying in your business and growing it indefinitely, having some form of exit plan means everyone who is important in your business, as well as incoming investors, are all on the same page as to where the business is moving.

''And even if you intend on staying in the business it is likely most of your investors will want to exit at some point,'' Allison said. Having a plan helps manage that process.

Having a plan in place also meant a small business could respond quickly if they were approached unexpectedly by a potential buyer or investor, he said.

Gardiner said while it was never too late to start thinking about an exit strategy, the way a business was shaped from the beginning would have an major impact on what a business owner had to sell or pass on.

''For this reason, it pays to start thinking as early as possible about how you will be able to step away from what you've created and where the value will lie for someone else to take it over. Think about the structures you can put in place to enable them to be just as successful as you are as the business's owner.''

Any business could be built to provide some value for the owner as they exited. The key to doing so was good planning and advice, Gardiner said. ''Consider everything from identifying a potential lucrative long-term market for your business to maximising factors that will help you realise its full potential, like branding, IP, staff experience, product set, systems, processes, strategic partnerships, book keeping, customer base and customer service.''

A good source of that advice will be your accountant or financial advisor, who could highlight a business' strengths and help take emotion out of the decision, giving a dispassionate, independent view of the business' true value, Gardiner said.

Establishing good systems and having sound financial records are also a vital part of an exit strategy, he said. ''To be able to demonstrate the true value of your business, you will need to be able to show a complete record of your performance over the life of the operation.''

But the form of any exit strategy will always be determined by the type of business owner, he said.

''Business owners tend to fit into one of three camps: the 'passionate professional' who runs their business for the sheer love of it; the 'business builder' who is focussed on building the great company of tomorrow or making a profitable exit to take on their next challenge; and the 'lifestyle seeker' for whom being their own boss offers freedom to enjoy more of life.

''Each of these different types of business owners will have their own set of requirements and considerations when formulating an exit strategy.

''Business owners who invest a great deal of themselves in the operation find it the hardest to exit,'' Gardiner said. ''Often, they are the whole business - they have built the reputation of the organisation on their own talents. To exit the business, they'll need to think very carefully about how to create something of value that doesn't depend on their involvement.''

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/small-business/8834598/Exit-strategies-key-for-small-businesses

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Man Walks Across Grand Canyon on Tightrope (Voice Of America)

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Ohio air show resumes after stuntwoman, pilot die

CINCINNATI (AP) ? Spectators have returned to an air show in southwestern Ohio a day after a pilot and wing walker were killed in a horrifying crash that was captured on video.

Gates at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton opened Sunday morning, with the day's events set to begin with a moment of silence to honor pilot Charlie Schwenker and wing walker Jane Wicker.

The two were killed Saturday when the plane crashed suddenly in front of spectators who screamed in shock as the aircraft quickly was engulfed in flames. No one else was hurt.

The show was canceled for the rest of the day but reopened Sunday.

The cause of the crash is unclear and the conclusion of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board likely will take months.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-air-show-resumes-stuntwoman-pilot-die-131204772.html

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UCLA beats N. Carolina 4-1, advances to CWS finals

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) ? UCLA's route to the College World Series finals has been nothing if not adventurous.

The Bruins, who have been winning in Omaha despite a scuffling offense, got a two-run double from Pat Valaika to build a cushion, and then record-setting closer David Berg survived a rocky ninth inning to finish a 4-1 victory over top-seeded North Carolina on Friday night.

The Bruins (47-17) will begin the best-of-three finals Monday against Mississippi State, which eliminated Oregon State with a 4-1 win in the afternoon.

"I'm proud of our team, but we still haven't accomplished what we came to do," UCLA coach John Savage said. "On to the next round."

Savage, no doubt, is relieved to advance.

The Tar Heels (59-12) twice loaded the bases in the ninth against Berg but came away with only one run, with the game ending on Landon Lassiter's flyout to center.

Berg wasn't his usual dominant self in the Bruins' first two wins, and he really struggled against the Tar Heels.

"I would say he's been pushed," Savage said. "But come on, you get run out there as much as he does, I mean, you're not going to go 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Things are going to happen.

"He's one of the major reasons why we're here. He can screw up every now and then, it's OK."

The elimination of North Carolina, which set a school record for wins, means the Atlantic Coast Conference will go without a national title in baseball again. The last ACC team to win the championship was Wake Forest in 1955. And the top seed hasn't won the College World Series since Miami in 1999.

"The end of the year, it always stinks," Carolina coach Mike Fox said. "What we did in the ninth inning is just indicative of our kids and how we played all year. Just fighting until the very end."

Both starters went six innings, with the Bruins' Grant Watson (9-3) allowing four hits and Kent Emanuel (11-5) giving up five singles and striking out seven.

UCLA opened the CWS with 2-1 victories over LSU and North Carolina State. The Bruins, with eight total runs, matched 1976 Eastern Michigan for fewest by a team in the metal-bat era that won its first three CWS games.

The Bruins scored single runs in the second and sixth innings and made it 4-0 in the seventh on Valaika's double.

North Carolina threatened in the fourth and seventh innings but couldn't push across any runs until Berg, the National Stopper of the Year, came on to start the ninth.

Cody Stubbs and Sky Bolte singled, and Berg walked Michael Russell to load the bases. Savage made a mound visit after Berg went 1-0 to Mike Zolk, whose groundout scored Stubbs.

Berg struck out Parks Jordan, and the bases were loaded again when he walked Chaz Frank. When Lassiter's fly landed in Brian Carroll's glove, the Bruins' dugout emptied in celebration.

"I have the same approach every game ? go there and try to get a pitch you can hit and see what happens," Lassiter said, "and we just fell short."

UCLA has held its opponents to two runs or fewer in 31 of 64 games and is 30-1 in those games.

Watson followed strong starts by Adam Plutko and Nick Vander Tuig with one of his own to help send the Bruins to the finals for the second time, and first since they were swept by South Carolina in 2010.

"I was trying to go pitch-to-pitch," Watson said, "and concentrate on hitting location since I know North Carolina has a bunch of great hitters. I knew I wasn't going to throw it by them at all. So I worried about locating."

Savage decided to go with Watson, who hadn't pitched in 19 days, instead of bringing back No. 1 starter Adam Plutko on four days of rest.

"I thought about it for less than five seconds," Savage said. "We know how good Grant is. He's been a big reason why we're here, and he was ready to pitch. I think he showed the whole country that he could pitch on a big stage."

Emanuel, the ACC player of the year and third-round pick of the Houston Astros, came into the game scuffling in the NCAA tournament. He had a 11.40 ERA over his last five appearances and didn't make it out of the third inning in the Tar Heels' CWS opener against North Carolina State.

The junior left-hander was solid in his 112-pitch outing. One of the two runs against him was unearned.

"Hopefully people feel like we played hard every game and represented college athletics and college baseball the right way," Fox said. "The winning is part of it certainly, but so many other special things went on throughout our season."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ucla-beats-n-carolina-4-1-advances-cws-035353511.html

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ECB's Asmussen calls for stronger European institutions

BERLIN (Reuters) - European Central Bank policymaker Joerg Asmussen said on Sunday that closer integration within Europe called for European Union institutions - in particular its parliament - to be strengthened to ensure democratic control and accountability.

"The increasing level of integration within Europe calls for a new institutional design to ensure legitimization, accountability and democratic control," the German ECB Executive Board member said at an event organized by the Kiel institute for the World Economy.

Asmussen said governments should ensure national parliaments were appropriately informed and involved in European decision procedures. But often, decisions with the European Union's common interest could only be made at a supranational level.

"Therefore European institutions should be strengthened, in particular the European Parliament which could maybe also convene in a euro area format," he said.

Germany's weekly Der Spiegel wrote on Sunday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was sounding increasingly skeptical about more power being accrued in Brussels.

In an article entitled "The Turnaround", Der Spiegel wrote that, at a summit of the European People's Party in Vienna this week, Merkel gave the impression that she felt there was already too much Europe. In the past, she has said that there is a need for "more Europe, not less".

Der Spiegel wrote that while Merkel's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble would like to see the head of the European Commission directly elected, Merkel was not so sure.

"I am hesitant about this," she was quoted as saying. The magazine said Merkel felt it would be good for balance within the institutions for state and government heads to also be involved in this decision.

Asmussen said in his speech on Sunday that Europe needed to "complete with great urgency the banking union".

According to a copy of his speech, Asmussen said Europe needed to make a strong commitment towards a single resolution mechanism, to enable a smooth winding down of banks, especially those with large cross-border activities.

Banking union would also need to entail a strong Single Resolution Authority as well as a Single Resolution Fund.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecbs-asmussen-calls-stronger-european-institutions-114712586.html

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91% Gimme The Loot

All Critics (57) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (5)

'Gimme the Loot' is ... meandering and a little shallow. And even at 79 minutes it feels a little too long for what's essentially the film equivalent of a short story.

A thousand-watt jolt of mischief, a spunky, funky, ebullient indie that packs its 81 minutes with cinematic exhilaration.

It may be a slight movie, but it has its sunny charms.

A movie about teenage taggers in the Bronx should be fast and raw, scruffy and loose, and Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot is just that.

As it lopes along, the movie offers a warm but very sharp portrait of New York's have-nots and their uneasy relationship with the haves.

"Gimme the Loot" shouldn't be as appealing and exuberant as it is, it really shouldn't.

First-time feature director Adam Leon's shots are precise and full of detail.

The film's strong suit is its use of locations.

The film is episodic and determinedly offbeat, funny at its best, boring at its worst.

Shot on the streets of New York in a loose, freeform style, this lively comedy-drama feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving us doubtful about its realism.

It's a great deal of fun, emotionally touching, and even surprisingly old-fashioned.

Some of the movie doesn't exactly convince, and some of the scenes have an actors-improv feel to them, but there's always plenty of humour and energy.

Endlessly entertaining, refreshingly light-hearted and bursting with summer soul, Gimme The Loot joins the pantheon of great New York movies.

It's a shaggy dog story with a certain amount of charm but not nearly enough drama.

The movie is unpolished, and it matters not a jot, because Leon has written super roles for these kids and invests their relationship with such sly feeling.

Hickson walks the line between bravado and vulnerability, while Washington has a charisma, spark and beauty that should ensure this won't be the last we see of her.

Bolstered by a low-key but assured aesthetic and a soundtrack of vintage soul and doo-wop, the film is infectiously enjoyable, with frequently amusing insights and an affable shagginess.

Out of nowhere, Adam Leon might just have delivered the first great New York film of the decade.

Charming and engaging low-budget indie with a witty script, likeable characters, a strong sense of time and place and a pair of terrific performances from its two young leads.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

A slim, low-budget coming-of-age tale whose richness lies entirely in its interstices. A keenly observed work that celebrates the unfettered joys of youth, and rewards by reminding of the power of a simple tale told well.

Simultaneously real and hopeful, "Loot" has almost no plot, but when the setting is so fresh and the characters feel so raw and alive, who needs one?

Ghetto laughs with a sophisticated point of view.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gimme_the_loot_2012/

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Social media spreads and splinters Brazil protests

Social media

Caroline Stauffer Reuters

6 hours ago

UESLEI MARCELINO / REUTERS

A demonstrator holds a sign next to street structures set on fire during a protest against the Confederations Cup and President Dilma Rousseff's government, in front of the National Congress in Brasilia June 20, 2013.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's biggest protests in decades are a confusing, conflicting mix of people and messages. Blame Facebook.

Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter enabled mass protests of the sort that have not happened in Latin America's biggest country in more than two decades.

As a result of the speed, efficiency and anonymity of online activism, though, an amorphous, unwieldy movement has emerged that is beyond the control of any of those who first began pushing for change.

"Social media has helped us organize without having leaders," said Victor Damaso, 22, demonstrating on Sao Paulo's main Paulista Avenue on Thursday night. "Our ideas, our demands are discussed on Facebook. There are no meetings, no rules."

The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful, but as more than a million Brazilians took to the streets on Thursday, vandals and looters cast a violent pall over some of the protests. Police and security forces have responded with teargas, rubber bullets and pepper spray.

Facebook pages set up for logistical coordination and Twitter hash tags have cropped up for protests in hundreds of cities across Brazil. Rival groups appear to be vying for control of one of the most-viewed organizing pages on Facebook and an associated Twitter feed.

"Any movement risks attracting unaffiliated groups and individuals," said Angela Alonso, a sociologist at the University of Sao Paulo. "It's a price of growth. In this case there is no centralized leadership, administration is more difficult and it is even becoming uncontrollable."

The Free Fare movement, a group of 40 activists who marched for - and got - lower transportation rates, said on Friday it was suspending any further marches for now because of mounting tension and violence.

Sparked by Free Fare's protests, the nationwide call for reform quickly evolved into what is now known online as Anonymous Brazil.

The group appears to use encrypted Web browsers that make it difficult to identify page administrators and has adopted the Guy Fawkes mask, the symbol for the global cyber group of hackers known as Anonymous, as its mascot, although it is not clear if the two have a formal link.

While that opens the door to all sorts of fringe groups, the people at the core of the protests generally share a commitment to better public services. Their rallying cries, found on Twitter and Facebook and on traditional signs at the protests, range from ending political corruption to lambasting more than $12 billion being poured into soccer stadiums and other preparations for the 2014 World Cup.

The demonstrators, mostly educated, middle class and under age 30, want nothing to do with established groups that were behind the causes of their parents' generation.

Online organizing
Unlike Brazil's movement for redemocratization in the 1970s and 1980s and protests for the impeachment of President Fernando Collor de Mello in the early 1990s, today's demonstrations have no clear leadership or political affinity.

"The recent protests are not partisan, and they do not have centralized leadership," said Alonso, the sociologist. "This has to do with new technologies that allow for organization without centralization, and also with the fact that the activists are from a new generation that is no longer guided by ideals like socialism, and doesn't want state power."

Indeed, Brazil's protests do not target any specific leader or political party. That makes them different from the Arab Spring, a series of uprisings against autocratic leaders in the past few years, or even this year's demonstrations in Turkey against the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

While some of the Arab governments blocked access to the Internet to disrupt the planning of protests, Brazil's intelligence agency, Abin, has beefed up efforts to monitor calls for demonstrations online and on popular smart phone chat tool WhatsApp.

President Dilma Rousseff, a leftist guerrilla in the 1970s, has praised the protests as democratic.

Anonymous Brazil's Facebook page, which has nearly 1 million followers, briefly disappeared from the Web on Friday. The group later said via Facebook that its Twitter account had been "robbed" by one of its own members, generating conflicts on its linked Facebook platform.

The group says competing Twitter accounts like @AnonymousBr4sil and #AnonymousFuel are run by "usurpers."

Of the 53.5 million Brazilians online, almost a third of the population, 86 percent use some kind of micro blog or social media tool, according to polling firm Ibope.

(Additional reporting by Silvio Cascione; Editing by Paulo Prada and Mohammad Zargham)

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

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