Saturday, February 25, 2012

IAEA report on Iran: 'serious concerns' about nuclear program (The Christian Science Monitor)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Christian Science Monitor - In its latest report on Iran's nuclear program, the UN's nuclear watchdog says that it "continues to have serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." 

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20120224/wl_csm/472018

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Maher pledges $1 million to Obama support group

(AP) ? Faux news host Stephen Colbert isn't the only comedian with a super PAC connection. Political satirist Bill Maher got into the act Thursday night, pledging $1 million to a political committee supporting President Barack Obama.

Maher announced during a Yahoo-webcast special, "CrazyStupidPolitics," that he was giving $1 million to Priorities USA Action, a super political action committee backing the president. Even as he made his sizeable pledge, Maher mocked the committee's "tongue-twister name," joking that it was dreamed up by Borat, the English-addled Eastern European comic creation of Sacha Baron Cohen.

A cynic on politics who often takes liberal stands on issues on his HBO talk show "Real Time," Maher joins Dreamworks Animation executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and the Service Employees International Union as the committee's top funders. Katzenberg gave the group $2 million, and the union donated $1 million.

Priorities USA Action officials were not immediately available for comment.

Colbert created and funded his super PAC ? Making a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow ? to satirize the unfettered flow of corporate and union funds into political campaigns.

More than half of the $60 million donated to groups supporting Obama and his GOP presidential rivals since early last year has come in million-dollar-plus donations. With Maher's donation, $4 million of Priorities USA Action's entire $5.5 million in contributions will have come from million-dollar-plus gifts.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-02-24-Comedian's%20Political%20Donation/id-391bd8c0f83f403899adb5d6a2423abb

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Make Your Home Improvement Project Painless With These Great ...

Why should you learn home improvement skills? Learning home improvement skills can be a boon to your wallet. The fact is that handymen are often expensive and you can perform many small jobs at home. Learning how to do small tasks can empower you as a home owner and leave you with more money.

When it comes to home improvement, be sure to consider the best option for exterior lighting. This is important mainly for energy consumption, as motion detectors will ensure that light is provided in the specific areas only when absolutely needed. Otherwise, leaving a light on overnight will add up over the course of a year.

Protect surfaces with a covering during any home improvement projects. Floors should be covered with a tarp or painters plastic if you are painting. For other projects that involve hammering or tearing down walls or cabinets, cover all surfaces to protect them from scratches and damage, including the walls.

When it comes to home improvement, you may decide to not install a swimming pool. While they are desirable, it will cost you considerable amounts of money in upkeep, and it may prove to be a deterrent to future buyers who do not want the hassle. An exception to this would be at a home where a swimming pool is almost expected, such as in Florida or Arizona.

If your home improvement project involves moving appliances or other furniture in your house, make sure to put something down to protect your floors. Particularly if you have hardwood flooring, taking out large items can make a big mess and scratch up your flooring. Taking a few minutes to protect your floors can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Resist the temptation to use fancy bricks with decorative faces in your next home improvement project. Not only is such brickwork an unnecessary expense, it is rarely as strong and durable as ordinary brick. Decorative bricks are easier to deface, spoiling their aesthetic advantages. Finally, decorative brick styles are rarely produced for long, making it incredibly difficult to find matching replacements for repair work later.

Pendant Lighting

Many newer homes feature an open space between the kitchen and adjacent room. While most people are content to simply leave the area untouched, you can easily modify it to resemble a Euro-style breakfast bar, complete with two or three bistro chairs, pendant lighting, and unique decorative napkin holders or accent pieces.

Use new light fixtures to brighten paling kitchens or bathrooms without spending a lot of money. Track lighting with dated canned lights can be swapped out for sharper, more appealing lights by an electrician for under a thousand dollars. Consider installing pendant lighting, which looks great in any modern kitchen.

Home improvement is indeed a thing of great variety with so many strategies and plans and that is both its gift and its curse. It?s a gift because it has many options that are customizable and it?s a curse because, oftentimes, too many options make it difficult to decide. These tips should have made it a bit easier for you.

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Source: http://electrician-denver-co.com/make-your-home-improvement-project-painless-with-these-great-tips/

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Coco Real Estate Magazine ? Safer Traveling Having an SUV ...

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The Expedition is usually a heavy van; curb weight is finished five a multitude pounds and consequently gas miles isn?t far too great; 13 mpg inside the city in addition to 18 mpg over the freeway. The crossover in addition sets lower in the ground and has now a reduced roof line rather than a regular VEHICLE. They feature SUV-like-traits, but provide you car-like coping with and level of comfort. The Lincoln subsequently MKT might be another potent yet best small SUV adequate midsize SUV that may be gaining attraction among many car couples.

The Chevy Suburban is ideal if one drive around on a normal schedule and need the opportunity to tow. But it makes for that compelling fight. But you can also find some cons to proudly owning an VEHICLE. The OHYDRATES Hybrid model is ideal for those trying to find fuel financial system, power in addition to luxury a single. Yes both of these have four-doors, but a Cruiser?s backside doors are simply half how large is what a Xterra?s. They come from upgraded pouches. Also, there are plenty of blind spots over the FJ?s doorways which truly affects a drivers? awareness. The driver?s cinema seat is electrically diverse eight method.

The Jonga awarded excellent service in the Indian Affiliate internet marketing. The ride to operate, the weather as well as other harsh substances all bring their toll on your own car. You will not ever left without having to be touched because of the mesmerizing interior from the vehicle. These types of taller cars and trucks, typically using their weight exorbitant, as its centered in the the surface of the vehicle, are much simpler to use. This is observed mainly if the vehicle must swerve and avoid an item, such while another van.

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Source: http://cocma.com/safer-traveling-having-an-suv-animal-barrier/

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Microsoft hits Motorola, Google with EU complaint

(AP) ? Microsoft on Wednesday lodged a formal complaint with the European Union's competition regulator against Motorola Mobility and its soon-to-be owner Google, saying Motorola's aggressive enforcement of patent rights against rivals breaks competition rules.

The complaint follows a similar step by Apple against Motorola last week.

Motorola is in the process of being taken over by Google for $12.5 billion, the biggest acquisition in the Californian company's history. Microsoft fears that Google will continue Motorola's tight hold on key patents.

Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have been hit by legal cases in Europe and the United States, with Motorola claiming that the companies' products are using key patents it owns without permission.

Apple and Microsoft, meanwhile, argue that Motorola is overcharging for the use of these patents, which cover technologies necessary to connect wirelessly to the Internet or stream video online.

"We have taken this step because Motorola is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products," Dave Heiner, Microsoft's deputy general counsel, wrote in a blog post.

"Motorola is on a path to use standard essential patents to kill video on the Web, and Google as its new owner doesn't seem to be willing to change course," Heiner added.

A spokesman for Google Inc. declined to comment on the complaint against Motorola. He couldn't immediately be reached after Microsoft announced its complaint also targeted Google directly.

A spokeswoman for Motorola didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The complaints are the latest development in increasingly acrimonious disputes between global technology giants over patents on standardized technologies.

Industrywide standards play an important role not only in the technology sector. They allow products from different companies to function seamlessly together ? different mobile phones or tablet computers connecting to the Internet and each other via 3-G or Wi-Fi networks, for example. Under EU competition rules, holders of patents necessary for industry standards are required to let other companies use them for a fair price.

But regulators and companies complain that holders of standard-essential patents have tried to gain an edge in the market by suing rivals over the use of their patented technologies.

When the European Commission, the EU's competition watchdog, cleared Google's takeover of Motorola earlier this month, it indicated concern over Motorola's aggressive patent enforcement. The Justice Department in its clearance of the merger made similar comments.

Separately, the Commission has already launched a formal investigation into Samsung's similar approach to patent protection and has warned that other probes may follow.

Microsoft says Motorola is demanding an unreasonable fee for using its patents, amounting to 2.25 percent of the products' total price. For a $1,000 laptop that would mean a royalty of $22.50 for using 50 patents related to a video standard. Microsoft says a group of 29 companies that hold the other 2,300 patents related to this standard charge a total of 2 cents for using them.

"If every firm priced its standard essential patents like Motorola, the cost of the patents would be greater than all the other costs combined in making PCs, tablets, smartphones and other devices," Heiner wrote. "Obviously, this would greatly increase the prices of these devices for consumers."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-02-22-EU-EU-Microsoft/id-84440d1114994019bbb3c8bb4c99f250

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Howard's health key for Phillies

February 22, 2012, 3:21 pm

? ? ?
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- As low, dark-gray clouds moved in and settled over Bright House Field, a new group of Phillies began batting practice. Jim Thome was part of that particular collection of hitters. He took his usual Paul-Bunyan sized swings, big and powerful, but he was not the first baseman who drew the most attention.

Shortly before 11 a.m., a familiar face stepped to the plate. He was dressed in a full uniform for the first time since the Phillies season ended last October with an unexpected and disappointing defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Howard took his first live batting practice swings of spring training on Wednesday. He eased into it, slapping a few hits to different parts of the outfield. Then he mashed a ball over the right-field wall and crushed another onto the grassy incline just beyond the power-alley in left-center.

?It felt good,? Howard said during a press conference on Wednesday. ?The swing feels good.?

It was only spring training batting practice, a brief moment in a long season, and yet it was a startling thing to witness. It made for a stark contrast to the last time Howard appeared on a baseball field. That was an unfortunate scene -- Howard crumpled on the ground, clutching his ruptured right Achilles tendon, while the Cardinals celebrated their NLDS win over the stunned Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. As symbolism goes, it?s hard to imagine something uglier and more powerful. Howard was asked whether he?s seen the footage of that moment, or whether it remains too painful to watch.

?It was painful when it happened,? Howard quipped, ?I can tell you that.??????????? ?

Even before the injury, Howard had his detractors -- those who think he?s overvalued and overpaid (his five-year, $125 million extension kicks in this year). Last year, Howard hit .253 with 33 homers, 116 RBIs and an OPS of .835. He?s 32 years old. Albert Pujols is also 32. He hit .299 with 37 homers, 99 RBIs and a .906 OPS a year ago. Prince Fielder, 27, hit .282 with 38 homers, 120 RBIs and a .981 OPS. You can see where this is going.

During the off-season, Ruben Amaro defended Howard and his contract against those who think he?s not nearly as good as Pujols or even Fielder. And on Tuesday Charlie Manuel said he thinks Howard?s ?best years are still ahead of him.?

Maybe Amaro and Manuel are right, or maybe they?re just putting a happy face on a sad situation that has to concern the organization even if no one wants to say so publicly. Whatever you may think of Howard -- whether you believe he?s one of the game?s best sluggers or you?re an intractable WAR advocate who yammers incessantly about him being overrated -- it?s hard to deny what he means to the Phillies and their lineup.

Last year, he accounted for 16.3 percent of the team?s RBIs and 21.5 percent of its home runs. That?s a significant chunk of the offense. And if you?re among the naysayers, you should also consider that 19 of his 34 homers (which includes the playoffs) in 2011 either tied a game or helped give the Phillies the lead. It?s hard to imagine any combination of Thome, Ty Wigginton, John Mayberry and Jimmy Unnamed Fill-in Player replacing that kind of production while Howard is out of the lineup.

Even more worrisome: What if Howard isn?t himself when he finally returns? What then? The Phillies, as everyone knows, weren?t the same unstoppable hitting machine in 2011 that they were in years past -- and that was when Howard was healthy. You have to wonder what the offense might look like if Howard can?t put up the numbers the Phils have always counted on him to produce. (He?s had six straight seasons with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.)

Howard said he isn?t concerned about his hitting and added that he feels fine swinging a bat. That?s an encouraging thing to hear. But he also said that healing his Achilles has been a complicated process, and it isn?t over yet. That is decidedly less encouraging.

?It?s kind of like learning how to run all over again,? Howard said. ?I?ve been walking with a limp for the most part after being in the boot for two months. You kind of have to get rid of that gimp, that little limp that you have going. Right now, strength-wise it?s starting to come. But I?m taking it slow.?

His words -- that he?s getting stronger, but that he has to re-teach himself how to run -- said so much. In addition to the oral report about his health, Howard provided a strong visual clue concerning the status of his rehabilitation. At the press conference, Howard wore a light gray shirt. On the chest, there was a message stamped in black block letters: ?Wounded Warrior Project.?

E-mail John Gonzalez at jgonzalez@comcastsportsnet.com

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/phillies-talk/post/Gonzo-Howards-health-paramount-for-Phill?blockID=655918&feedID=704

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