How to make your smartphone's ringtones smarter

10 hrs.

Adam Dachis , Lifehacker

If you have the same ringtone for calls and alert for messages regardless of what they are, you might want to create your?own and assign specific tones to specific contacts. Can you do more with ringtones and alerts so they're actually informative and not just the same annoying sound?

Actually you can do a lot! Ringtone and alert settings, as well as third-party apps and hacks to do even more, have come a long way. Both Android and iOS have plenty of customization options that make your ringtones more useful. Let's take a look at what you do on both mobile operating systems.

Create Custom Ringtones and Alerts
Creating your own custom ringtones and alerts is pretty simple. On Android, all you need is an AAC or MP3 file, which you can create on your computer and transfer over to your phone. If you want to trim an existing song or sound, an app called Ringdroid does that for free. (For detailed usage instructions, read this.) Once you've created your specific ringtone or alert, you can set it as the default in Settings ?> Sound ?> Phone Ringtone.

iOS requires additional work because Apple would prefer you paid extra money for ringtones and alerts through the iTunes Store. To work around this limitation, simply shorten the sound or song you want as your new ringtone or alert (if desired) and convert it to AAC format. There are plenty of apps that offer this functionality for free, such as Adapter, but iTunes can as well. (For detailed instructions, read this.) Take the converted AAC file and change its extension to .m4r. Add that file to iTunes, which will see it as a ringtone, and sync your iPhone.

Note: If you simply want to set a song or other audio file as an alarm, you don't need to go through this process. iOS 6 alarms let you choose almost any ?audio in your music library when setting them up.

Individualize for Specific People
Now that you know how to create your own ringtones and alerts for your phone, you can start setting specific ones for individual contacts. You could add songs that relate to the person calling or texting. You could record the person saying their name and use that as an alert so you'd know exactly who's contacting you. You could also create tones and alerts that escalate in urgency and assign them to contacts based on importance. Personally, I opted to just make my alerts more soothing because I found the defaults loud and annoying.?

When your tones are individualized, there are many ways to make them more useful and informative. While any of those suggested ideas work, figure out what you want to accomplish with your notifications before you move forward. Chances are you have a lot of contacts and so assigning custom settings for many or all of them takes time. Figure out an approach that provides you with the information you want every time someone calls or texts.

Once you have your approach in mind, setting individual alerts is easy. On Android, simply edit any contact on your phone, tap the menu button, and choose Options. From there you can set a ringtone for that specific person. To do the same for text messages, you'll need a third-party SMS app, and Handcent is the popular choice. From Handcent, simply open a contact, tap Settings ?> Icon & Personalization ?> Notification Settings. From there you can set an individual tone for that person. If you don't want an entirely new app for SMS, you can download SMS tone customizers like WhoIsIt Lite (Free) Custom SMS Tones ($1) instead. WhoIsIt ($2) can set custom vibration patterns, too.

On iOS, open up the Phone or Contacts app and choose the person who's going to receive the custom ringtone and/or alert sound. Tap Edit, and your options will expand. Toward the end of the page, you'll find two tab: one starts with ringtone and one starts with text tone. Both are likely set to the default. Simply tap either tab to set a new tone. Along with tone options, you'll also find a vibration tab. If you tap that, you can set a custom vibration pattern for each contact. Apple offers a few preset options you can choose from, but scroll down to the bottom and choose Create New Vibration to make your own. From there you'll just tap on the screen rhythmically until you're satisfied. Save the vibration pattern and that's how your iPhone will vibrate when you receive a call or message from that specific person.

Customize Alerts on a Per-App Basis
Customizing alerts for specific apps requires a bit of extra work, but if you like to know which app is bugging you there are actions you can take. On Android, your options vary by app, by device, and by the version of Android you're running. Certain app settings may allow you to set custom notifications, so check there first. Certain devices provide various notification options, so you may also be able to change some app notifications from your Android's Settings app. Neither of these options can override everything, but previously mentioned WhoIsIt ($2) can offer a crazy amount of customization. It'll even let you set specific notification sounds for email contacts.

UPDATE: Reader ShirinDirce suggested Light Flow, an app that can customize notifications to, perhaps, an excess. It goes beyond tones and handles light and vibration notifications as well.

On iOS, you need to jailbreak and install a hack called PushTone. All it does is add a PushTone option to every app in Notification Center so you can assign it a tone just like any other setting.

If you want to take this a step further, you can customize your notification system using an app called Pushover. It'll give you more control over what shows up on your phone and when.

That's all you really need to do to customize your ringtones and alerts to make them more useful. Ultimately you'll have to decide on a system that works best for you, but the technical side of things is pretty easy if you know where to look.

More from Lifehacker:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/how-make-your-smartphones-ringtones-useful-informative-6174146

focus on the family packers vs giants giants score aaron rodgers 2012 golden globe nominations texans lana del rey snl

Spain crisis fuels Catalan separatist sentiment

FILE - Demonstrators wave Catalan flags during a protest rally in Barcelona , Spain, in this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 file photo. Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona on Tuesday demanding independence for Catalonia, on the Catalonia region's 'National Day". On Thursday, regional lawmakers voted to hold a referendum for Catalonia's seven million citizens to decide whether they want to break away from Spain. The Spanish government says that the referendum would be unconstitutional. And it's unclear if the "Yes" vote would win ? even in these restless times. But it looks more likely than ever that Catalonia may ask to go its own way. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

FILE - Demonstrators wave Catalan flags during a protest rally in Barcelona , Spain, in this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 file photo. Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona on Tuesday demanding independence for Catalonia, on the Catalonia region's 'National Day". On Thursday, regional lawmakers voted to hold a referendum for Catalonia's seven million citizens to decide whether they want to break away from Spain. The Spanish government says that the referendum would be unconstitutional. And it's unclear if the "Yes" vote would win ? even in these restless times. But it looks more likely than ever that Catalonia may ask to go its own way. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Three weeks after a massive Catalan separatist march in Barcelona ? the biggest since the 1970s ? the independence flags still flutter from balconies across Spain's second largest city.

Spain's crushing recession has had this divisive consequence: soaring popular sentiment in Catalonia that the affluent region would be better off as separate nation.

On Thursday, regional lawmakers voted to hold a referendum for Catalonia's seven million citizens to decide whether they want to break away from Spain. The Spanish government says that the referendum would be unconstitutional. And it's unclear if the "Yes" vote would win ? even in these restless times.

But it looks more likely than ever that Catalonia may ask to go its own way.

"I have a big Catalan flag on the balcony. I put it up a week before the demonstration on Sept. 11 and it is still hanging there," said Gemma Mondon, 46, a mother of two. "I think we would be better off if we can manage our money. I think we would do much better."

Catalonia, a northeastern region that is historically one of Spain's wealthiest and most industrialized, has always harbored a strong nationalist streak. Separatism is especially entrenched in the rural towns and villages outside its more cosmopolitan capital Barcelona, where people switch between speaking Spanish and Catalan with ease and at times without even noticing.

In the peaceful transition from the Franco dictatorship to prosperous democracy, Catalans were content just to recover the freedom to openly speak, teach and publish in their own Catalan language, a right denied under Franco for over 30 years.

But now, generations-old grievances for more self-government and recognition of their culture are rising to the surface as the economic downturn bites.

Many Catalans feel their quest for a sense for nationhood has been frustrated by the intransigence of the central government in Madrid. The most recent of these clashes came in 2010 when Spain's Constitutional Court weakened the Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia, a sweeping package of laws that devolved more power to the region and would have recognized Catalonia as a nation, albeit one within Spain.

Spain's slump, which has led to a spike in unemployment and harsh austerity cuts, has proven to be the tipping point for many Catalans who used to be against or ambivalent about seeking their own state.

Mondon, who works for a family run real estate management firm, said that just over a year ago she voted "No" in a nonbinding referendum organized by pro-independence groups. Now, she says she has changed her mind.

"I always felt Spanish and Catalan and I never had the urge to be independent. A year ago I just wanted to be left alone to speak my language and raise my children in a Catalan school," said Mondon. "My attitude was 'don't bother me,' but now that has changed."

Catalonia will go to the polls on Nov. 25, with regional president Artur Mas' center-right nationalist party Convergencia i Unio expected to increase its hold of the regional parliament. Mas has said he will hold a referendum on Catalonia's self-determination, whether the Spanish government permits it or not. The date has yet to be set.

"If the Spanish government authorizes (the referendum), more the better," said Mas. "If the Spanish government turns its back on us and doesn't authorize a referendum or another type of vote, well, we will do it anyway."

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy insists the country's constitution doesn't allow a region to secede on its own, and experts say it would be virtually impossible for Catalan separatists to get it changed. Spain's Basque region, the other part of the country with a strong separatist movement, tried to get such a move approved in Parliament in 2005 but failed.

"It's not a scenario planned by the constitution," said Francisco Perez-Latre, a communications professor at the University of Navarra who has closely monitored the Catalan independence movement for years.

The new political uncertainty about the economically important region and major tourism destination is unsettling for investors already worried about Rajoy's ability to keep his country's shaky economy afloat, and within the euro currency club.

There are also doubts about how well-equipped Catalonia would be to go it alone.

Catalonia, sitting on its own mountain of debt, has in fact asked Spain for a ?5.9 billion bailout. But many Catalans argue that the region is only heavily indebted because it has to pay more than its fair due in taxes compared to services and funding it gets in return. Spain's other better-off regions also give more than they receive. Rajoy, however, has emboldened Catalan separatists by flatly rejecting demands for more power in levying tax revenues and deciding how it is spent, privileges granted to two other Spanish regions: the Basque Country and Navarra.

Rajoy's stance has combined with Spain's gloomy prospects to push Catalans who never wanted to break away from Spain before to conclude that the country itself is a failure.

"I put the Catalan flag on my balcony for the first time. Normally, I have been very discreet with my political ideas. But I think now I have to go a step further," said architect Albert Estanyol, 48, whose mother came from southern Spain. "Before, when asked about independence, I would say 'Why?' Now, I say, 'Why not?'"

Catalonia has over 800,000 unemployed, almost 22 percent of its population. That's slightly lower than Spain's national jobless rate, but the back-to-back recessions have been particularly hard on young workers in Catalonia. Since 2007, over 100,000 Catalans under 25 have lost their jobs, and the unemployment rate for workers under 25 has skyrocketed to over 50 percent, close to the national level for the same age bracket.

"I have looked for work. Since I was 18 I have had six or seven jobs, they have all been unstable, poorly paid, like filling in for two weeks at IKEA. They have had nothing to do with what I studied," said Roger Cervino, a 23-year-old who holds a degree in history.

"The economic situation is bad and one of the solutions to ending the crisis is secession. It would be complicated, but Catalonia has the capacity to reach full employment," he said. "What stops it is Spain, and above all the Spanish government, which has been a disaster."

___

Alan Clendenning contributed from Madrid.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-30-EU-Spain-Catalan-Independence/id-e130c5f5112e40d5abe4c7bcac712335

jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames bagpipes aspirin

Refresh Roundup: week of September 24th, 2012

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of September 24th, 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Refresh Roundup: week of September 24th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 20:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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

chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest

ESADE Law School professor warns of cloud computing security ...

ESADE Law School professor warns of cloud computing security risks at IP&IT Forum

Experts say the benefits of "getting on the cloud" include reduced costs for businesses, simplifying ICT use and environmental efficiency

Despite the uncertainties surrounding the subject, Professor Ramon Miralles had the following to say, "Cloud computing is both the present and the future; we have to get out there, but not at any price". Professor Miralles is Co-ordinator of Auditing and Computer Security with the Catalan Data Protection Authority, Board member of the Spanish Chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance and Lecturer on ESADE's IP&IT Master Programme. Along similar lines, Daniel Gabarre, Attorney at the J. Isern Patent and Trademark Office added: "The cloud is the new computing paradigm; it's usually explained from the standpoint of the risks involved, but without taking into account that it can also represent a great opportunity for companies." Specific aspects of how this new storage system will be put into practice for businesses were detailed in the first session of the fourth edition of the IP&IT Forum (Intellectual Property and Information Society) held at ESADE Law School.

Loss of control
One issue that has caused most debate and concern among users is related to the security and storage of confidential data. In Professor Miralles' opinion, although the cloud is inherently "neither safe nor unsafe," the same cannot be said of how it is managed. "Cloud computing is synonymous with loss of control." This is how the professor defines the problem regarding security. The problem, as such, stems from the fact that the client contracting the service hands over data storage and management to a third party while remaining responsible for the information.

According to Professor Miralles, this problem is compounded by the lack of information provided by cloud computing suppliers: "We don't have enough information to carry out proper risk analysis so that the person responsible for this data can be sure of its proper management," he explained. This loss of control is amplified by a "lack of transparency from cloud computing service providers in terms of explaining to us the legal conditions under which these services are to be provided".

Responsibility for data
The security risks involved in cloud computing are highly related to the contractual relationship between the client and supplier providing these storage services. That is, the person responsible for handling the data is responsible for its safekeeping, regardless of whether it is in the hands of a third party. In addition, they should also verify that the provider complies with the legislative aspects regarding the protection of personal data. Therefore, Professor Miralles advised, "look for a provider who is will to sit down with you and negotiate the service terms."

Benefits of cloud computing
Despite the important aspects to consider when it comes to "getting on the cloud", there are also great potential benefits. According to Professor Miralles, it will bring greater economic efficiency and simplify the use of ICT, but it will also provide more possibilities in terms of using applications and creating new ways of accessing information. Furthermore, cloud computing is more environmentally friendly given that it "uses shared data processing centres that are more energy efficient," explained the expert.

Source: http://www.esade.edu/web/eng/about-esade/today/news/viewelement/247921/1/esade-law-school-professor-warns-of-cloud-computing-security-risks-at-ipit-forum

giants ok go peyton manning super bowl nsx chad ochocinco roman numerals new england patriots

Amber Rose Shows Off Baby Bump, Readies for All-Natural Birth

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/amber-rose-shows-off-baby-bump-readies-for-all-natural-birth/

steve nash july 4th higgs boson Malware Monday First Row Sports American flag Happy 4th of July

Plays of the Week: High School Sports Final Sept. 28, 2012

September 29, 2012 - 09:35 am

This week's Plays of the Week come from the Edison High School vs. Chantilly High School and the Bell High School vs. Anacostia High School games.

Continue reading

Remember, you can go to the High School Sports Final Facebook page to select your choice for play of the week.

Source: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/09/plays-of-the-week-high-school-sports-final-sept-28-2012-80433.html

grammy nominations lil boosie new edition austerity rihanna and chris brown back together bobbi kristina brown keanu reeves

Regular refs to work Thursday game after agreement

NEW YORK (AP) ? The NFL's regular officiating crews are back. Their return couldn't have come soon enough for many players, coaches and fans.

After two days of marathon negotiations ? and mounting frustration across the league and among its fans ? the NFL and the officials' union announced at midnight Thursday that a tentative eight-year agreement had been reached to end a lockout that began in June.

The deal follows Seattle's chaotic last-second win over Green Bay on Monday night in which the replacement officials struggled. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was at the bargaining table Tuesday and Wednesday, said the regular officials would work the Browns-Ravens game at Baltimore on Thursday night.

The seven-man crew working the game is led by referee Gene Steratore, a 10-year NFL veteran.

"We are glad to be getting back on the field for this week's games," NFL Referees Association President Scott Green said.

The players' union is happy to have them.

"Our workplace is safer with the return of our professional referees," the NFLPA said in a statement Thursday. "We welcome our fellow union members back on our field."

Plenty of players chimed in, too.

"Never thought I would be excited for the refs to come back to work but it's about time it was definitely necessary!" Cleveland return specialist Josh Cribbs tweeted Thursday morning.

Added Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe: "It was a noble experiment, but I think ultimately a failed experiment, from what we've seen. It'll be good not to have to worry about that when we're on the field. It's good that it won't be a distraction anymore."

Shortly after the news broke, Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller tweeted, "Welcome back REFS."

The tentative deal must be ratified by 51 percent of the union's 121 members. They plan to vote Friday and Saturday in Dallas.

For the Packers, Redskins, Lions and other teams who voiced their displeasure with calls that might have swayed games, the agreement doesn't change their records. But after having replacements for the first three weeks, triggering a wave of outrage that threatened to disrupt the rest of the season, Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck probably spoke for his peers by simply echoing Spiller: "Welcome back."

The agreement hinged on working out pension and retirement benefits for the officials, who are part-time employees of the league. The tentative pact calls for their salaries to increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019.

Under the proposed deal, the current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years' service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen.

Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement. The annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per official and increase to more than $23,000 per official in 2019.

Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option to hire a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year round, including on the field. The NFL also will be able to retain additional officials for training and development, and can assign those officials to work games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the league.

"As you know, this has to be ratified and we know very little about it, but we're excited to be back. And ready," referee Ed Hochuli told The Associated Press by telephone. "And I think that's the most important message ? that we're ready."

The longest contract with on-field officials in NFL history was reached with the assistance of two federal mediators.

Replacements have been used both to play and officiate NFL games before. In 1987, the players went on strike and three games were played with replacement players. In 2001, the first week of the regular season was officiated by replacements before a deal was worked out.

One big difference: The replacements 11 years ago generally came from the highest levels of college football. These officials were from lower college divisions or other leagues such as Arena Football.

After Seattle's 14-12 victory against the Packers, their ability to call fast-moving NFL games drew mounting criticism, with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden calling their work "tragic and comical."

The Seahawks beat Green Bay on a desperation pass into the end zone on the final play. Packers safety M.D. Jennings had both hands on the ball in the end zone, and when he fell to the ground in a scrum, both Jennings and Seahawks receiver Golden Tate had their arms on the ball.

The closest official to the play, at the back of the end zone, signaled for the clock to stop, while another official at the sideline ran in and then signaled touchdown.

The NFL said Tuesday that the touchdown pass should not have been overturned ? but acknowledged Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference before the catch. The league also said there was no indisputable evidence to reverse the call made on the field.

That drew even louder howls of disbelief. Some coaches, including Miami's Joe Philbin and Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, tried to restore some calm by instructing players not to speak publicly on the issue.

Fines against two coaches for incidents involving the replacements were handed out Wednesday.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was docked $50,000 for trying to grab an official's arm Sunday to ask for an explanation of a call after his team lost at Baltimore. And Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was tagged for $25,000 for what the league called "abuse of officials" in the Redskins' loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Two other coaches, Denver's John Fox and assistant Jack Del Rio, were fined Monday for their conduct involving the replacements the previous week.

"I accept the discipline and I apologize for the incident," Belichick said.

Players were in no mood for apologies from anyone.

"I'll probably get in trouble for this, but you have to have competent people," Carolina receiver Steve Smith said. "And if you're incompetent, get them out of there."

And now they are out.

___

AP Sports Writers Tim Reynolds in Miami, Tom Withers in Cleveland, Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis, Steve Reed in Charlotte, N.C., and R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis contributed to this story.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/regular-refs-thursday-game-agreement-082137630--nfl.html

wisconsin recall doris day buffalo sabres texas news kim mulkey sarah palin today show dallas tornado video

Romney says Pennsylvania win would be a "shock"

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at American Legion Post 176 in Springfield, Va., Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigns at American Legion Post 176 in Springfield, Va., Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Following his campaign speech at Farm Bureau Live in Virginia Beach, President Barack Obama leans in to listen to a supporter along the rope-line Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, afternoon. (AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot,Stephen M. Katz ) MAGS OUT

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gestures during a campaign event at American Legion Post 176, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Springfield, Va. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at Farm Bureau Live, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Virginia Beach, Va. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a baby after making a campaign stop at American Legion Post 176, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Springfield, Va. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigned Friday on an uphill battle for Pennsylvania, acknowledging it would be a "shock" if he were able to overcome President Barack Obama's lead in the state.

Facing a narrowing path to electoral victory, Romney courted donors at Philadelphia's exclusive Union League Club before a midday rally in suburban Wayne. The state has not supported a Republican presidential candidate in nearly a quarter-century and his campaign is not running any television ads in Pennsylvania.

"We really would shock people if early in the evening of Nov. 6 it looked like Pennsylvania was going to come our way and actually did come our way. That can happen," Romney told about 200 donors who paid as much as $50,000 to attend his morning fundraiser.

He changed to a more optimistic tune later at a speech before a larger crowd at Valley Forge Military Academy and College.

"The Obama campaign thinks Pennsylvania is in their pocket, they don't need to worry about it," Romney said to shouted objections from the crowd. "You're right and they're wrong ? we're going to win Pennsylvania. We're going to take the White House."

Aides privately concede Obama has the advantage in Pennsylvania and suggested Romney's visit ? his first to the state in more than two months ? was largely designed to raise the money needed to narrow Obama's edge in more competitive states. The campaign would not say how much it raised at the event, but he brought in $5 million at a Washington gathering Thursday and is expected to raise another $7 million at a Boston fundraiser later Friday.

"My priority is job creation and growing incomes," Romney told the donors in Philadelphia. "My priority is not trying to punish people who have been successful."

Obama also will focus on raising cash Friday as he campaigns in Washington, where he has three fundraising events scheduled.

He was set to deliver remarks at a finance event at the Capital Hilton, where tickets start at $250 but go as high as $10,000 per couple. Obama planned to attend a smaller fundraiser at a private residence before returning to the Capitol Hilton for a third event.

Romney told the crowd at Valley Forge that he didn't know how any student at the school could support Obama. He said the president was cutting military spending while job opportunities for college graduates have decreased.

"On both fronts this president's policies have not worked for this country's young people," Romney said.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith objected to Romney's criticism, since Republicans in Congress, including Romney running mate Paul Ryan, overwhelmingly backed defense spending reductions when they voted for deficit-cutting legislation last year.

"In next week's debate, facts will matter, and Mitt Romney simply failed to meet the bar of honesty today," Smith said in a statement.

Obama and Romney are scheduled to face off Wednesday in Denver for the first of three debates, which may represent the challenger's best remaining opportunity to change the trajectory of his campaign. Romney has struggled through a series of perceived missteps in recent weeks amid signs that confidence in the nation's economy is on the rise.

Obama was expected to meet with advisers Friday to prepare for the debates before heading Sunday to Nevada to hold practice sessions. His campaign released a political memo on Friday saying it expects Romney "to be a prepared, disciplined and aggressive debater."

However, it said that while the president would be laying out his vision for the coming years, Romney has "signaled that he will come to indict the president for the fact that the economy has not fully recovered from the collapse of 2008."

The Obama memo and an accompanying Web video also aim to debunk claims by Romney that the president has mischaracterized the Republican's positions on the auto industry bailout, abortion and raising taxes on wage earners to cover tax cuts for multimillionaires.

With economic concerns paramount for voters, Obama and Romney continue to jab over who would best protect American manufacturing workers against unfair trade and currency practices by China. In an interview with the Plain Dealer newspaper of Cleveland, Obama said the United States must push hard but "not go out of our way to embarrass" China to get results.

"There's a strong nationalist sentiment inside of China, and they've got their own economic pressures," Obama told the newspaper during a campaign visit earlier in the week. "So we're not interested in triggering an all-out trade war that would damage both economies. What we're interested in is making sure they're treating our workers fairly, and that's what we've delivered on."

___

Obama campaign video: http://tinyurl.com/cllgnau

___

Pickler reported from Washington. AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-09-28-Presidential%20Campaign/id-af50777e9ea04b4b8cd0cb988568ca82

dystonia tourettes gonzaga rosie o donnell soda bread recipe vanderbilt evan mathis

Fifth Circuit upholds Texas Open Meetings Act (Offthekuff)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251404384?client_source=feed&format=rss

minnesota timberwolves jr martinez melasma jimmy rollins jimmy rollins let it snow jason trawick

Why Mitt's Goose May Already Be Half-Cooked (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251162793?client_source=feed&format=rss

sag award winners girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick honor killings

Malawi comedians group formed, premieres Sunday | Malawi news ...

By Maurice Nkawihe, Nyasa Times

September 26, 2012 ????? 4 Comments

?Email This Post

?>

If you don?t laugh, you cry? goes the old adage. Laughter is a beautiful expression. It provides light moments in our lives, relieves us from pain and stress. Laughter has, in many contexts; act as antidote to troubled minds.

It makes us forget our sorrows and, in seconds, realize how beautiful the world is. Laughter is as result of good humor.

A pack of good humorous jokes is better than finest wine the world would offer. In light of such reason, some comedians in the country have teamed up to form a stand-up comedy group, Ajomasiwe, which is comprised of five people.

The name is derived from the names of the members, Andrew Samati, Jokes, Madalitso Nyambo, Charles Simbi and Wales Chigwenembe.

The comedians

?Ajomasiwe with different storytelling techniques and varying sense of humor have teamed up to provide unique family entertainment. Stand-up comedy has always been there in Malawi but usually comics performed as double acts. But now Ajomasiwe has endeavored to do it the internationally popular way,? one of the members, Wales Chigwenembe explained in an interview .

Chigwenembe added: ?Stand-up, as an art form that is openly devoted to getting immediate laughs from an audience, sees Individual comics performing in turns risking more than anyone else as they figure out the psychology of audiences and what amuses them.

?Just as successful brands, comedians cannot repeat the same routine for very long, no matter how successful it is. Stand-up comedy is a messy, counter-intuitive business. This is why Ajomasiwe will engage in an interactive loop of creation, feedback, revision, rejection, and creation again.?

According to Chigwenembe the grouping, which has been curtain-raising various shows since it was formed two months ago, will be officially launched on Sunday at Fro Motel in Blantyre.

The stand-up comedy show-to be first of its kind hosted by local comedians- will feature poets in the likes of Evelyn Pangani, Joseph Madzedze, Sylvester Kalidzang?oma, Hudson Chasowa, Micheal Benjala, Nyamalikiti-Nthiwatiwa and Kadzako Singano among others.

?We will use the show to also launch a poetry CD album, Kalasi B by Mada Nyambo who is also our member. It is the moment families come out and enjoy pack of jokes that at tailor-made for their pleasure,? he added.

Another member, Charles Simbi described the formation of the group as one way of unearthing hidden talent, saying through the group?s show various comedians will be given opportunity to expose themselves.

?Ajomasiwe is the act; Stand up Malawi is the project. The act will provide unique opportunity to laugh off various human absurdities and look at life from a funny and humorous view point. The project will unearth various standup acts across the country and promote Stand Up comedy as a standalone genre to expose local comics internationally,? Simbi explained.

Ajomasiwe has experienced local Comedian Mr. Jokes currently making it big in MBC TV Comedy corner, drama scriptwriter, Charles Simbi, , actor and celebrated poet of the Zavuta M?kalasi B fame, Madalitso Nyambo, Andrew Samati a stage performer and a notable theatre for development practitioner as well as versatile artist, Wales Chigwenembe also theatre for development practitioner and a theatre-director.

The group will be first one to be formed in the country and help putting the struggling local arts industry in shape.

Stand-up comedy is one of the most powerful tools and venues to educate, heal, incite, and make people ponder about ideas and things beyond themselves.

Tags: Andrew Samati, Madalitso Nyambo

Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/09/26/malawi-comedians-group-formed-premieres-sunday/

selection sunday corned beef recipe time change daylight savings rpi dst friends with kids

Prairie Village resident grills his way to glory with Mission barbeque ...

Robert Magee usually plies his trade at the airport Hilton, where he says barbeque dishes are the most popular on the menu. (Photo via airport Hilton website).

Prairie Village resident Robert Magee and his Munchin? Hogs at the Hilton barbecue team keep smokin? up success.

The Hogs were named Grand Champions at the sixth annual ?Battle of the Brisket? competition at the Mission Arts and Eats Festival.

By scoring the highest combined total in judges? marks for their brisket, ribs, pork and chicken, the Hogs won a commemorative plaque, a ribbon, and ? oh, yeah ??a $1,500 cash prize. The honor also qualifies them to compete in the American Royal Barbecue Contest.

Magee is no stranger to accolades on the competitive barbecue circuit. A chef at the airport Hilton, he led the Hogs to the 2011KC Barbecue Society championship.

Source: http://pvpost.com/2012/09/26/prairie-village-resident-grills-his-way-to-glory-with-mission-barbeque-title-12529

joseph kony joseph kony ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer

Crucial Secrets To Successful Self Improvement Ideas - Wpdev

Posted by admin

Producing your individual advancement plan meet your needs is simple when you know which kind of tactics perform best for your person design. Strategies that work well in the end are not difficult to get. Give several of the practical tips inside the report under a shot and also be moving toward a brand new you.

Imagine good results. Whenever you can see yourself thriving within a reasonable collection, you happen to be far more likely to do well. Provided you can imagine oneself doing a job properly, then imagine yourself commemorating your prosperity, you will get a lot less overall performance stress and anxiety and yes it optimistic considering will allow you to attain your desired goals.

If you realise your self dealing with exhaustion and weakness on a daily basis, look for your daily diet for feasible hints. A few sq . food with wholesome treats in-involving supplies your body and mind using the vitality and sustenance that means it is less difficult to really make it via an day without the need of sensing just like you are running on empty.

A private advancement plan should be a regular strategy. Divide your plan for achievement into stuff that should be handled on a daily basis, in order that every night when you visit rest you might be within a stronger position than whenever you awoke that early morning.

Discover how to put a stop to harsh and unfounded negative opinions about other folks. If you find an especially horrible sentiment soaring, cease it right there and pressure your self to make at the very least two ideal or complementary reasons for having the individual or folks under consideration. After a while, regularly practicing this physical exercise shapes your feelings by instantly phoning to mind one of the most positive facets of each individuals and conditions.

The pursuit to greater oneself is just as old as time, and various philosophers, religions, and industries have presented their points of views and commentaries on how to very best achieve this aim. Long lasting transform can be done, but it should take power, perseverance and persistence on your part. We want you success on the trip

Source: http://wpdev.org/crucial-secrets-to-successful-self-improvement-ideas

norfolk island michael brockers lisa marie presley florida panthers tannehill joel ward mock draft

What you Should Know Before Starting your Business Online ...

All in good time: Before you invest money in the purchase of office equipment and supplies to start your business online, from home, make sure there is a market for your product or service. There are several stories of entrepreneurs motivated to start an online business, but have a very competitive product (all offer the same product, and then the sale of one of them is difficult for others). Then, spend some time researching the products or services you would like to represent or sell. Remember that an online business will be successful whether or not someone who wants to buy what you are selling.

Dedicate space and time: The idea of working from home, ?in your bathrobe?, is what motivates many idealists to start an online business. Actually, no matter what you can use for your office, but rather, where and when. To succeed, it is important to set aside the common distractions of home, children yelling, etc. Customers do not want to know his personal life but rather want enter into a business relationship. You must show your professionalism protecting the perception the customer has of the company.

Marketing 101: Unlike the screenplay for the movie by Kevin Costner: ?If you build it, they will come?, the customers do not appear. One of the main reasons why online businesses fail is because the owner wants to sell. Before going too far, ask yourself a question: Am I ready to spend my time looking for customers? If your answer is yes, you are ready to move to the next level, otherwise, I would suggest that you review the reasons why he decided to start an Internet business. In addition to the sale, it is important that owners know other ways to sell their products or services. Take time to understand how to use online marketing tools such as social media, email and search engines like Google to help sell their products.

Prepare for the worst: Any new business or enterprise requires a great deal of optimism, but experience teaches us to be prepared in case things do not go as expected. Starting a business online is much cheaper than a traditional business, but also requires an initial investment. Be realistic about the amount of money you have to invest in your business, properly plan and control their marketing costs and thus get better results.

Expect the best: Unlike the above, it is very important to the positive energy and passion that you put into your online business. Another reason why the Internet business from home, can fail is because its founder loses strength. How many of us know someone who started their online business and stayed on the road? You should look for a product or service that you are passionate about. Keep learning new ways to sell and market your product.

Possibly Related Articles:

• Business Management of Inventory or Stock
  Inventory control is one aspect of the administration in the micro and small business is rarely addressed. The businessman hardly finds time to perform all the functions that it has been assigned: pu...
• How to Submit a Business Proposal to a Large Company?
  One of the happiest and most frightening symptoms of growing a small business is when large companies are beginning to require our services. Many times we feel that we are not at the level of events,...
• Management and Performance Assessment
  Management and performance assessment As we know that almost all companies conduct performance assessment which would mean evaluating current employees and or in the past relative to the standards of...
• MAINTENANCE and RELIABILITY in Business
  MAINTENANCE? and RELIABILITY (RELIABILITY) Maintenance (maintenance) are all activities related to maintain the equipment system in conditions of decent work. A maintenance system that will both elim...
• The STRUCTURE of capital and LEVERAGE
  The STRUCTURE of capital and LEVERAGE Target Capital Structure is a combination of debt, preferred stock, and stock equity used the company to plan for the capital gain. Capital structure policy in...
• The Benefits of the Activity Maintenance
  The benefits of the activity maintenance (maintenance) include: Continuous improvement. These activities became important studies in operations management, both manufacturing and services, especia...

Source: http://www.hakeshet.org/business-plan/what-you-should-know-before-starting-your-business-online-749.html

joe arpaio cat in the hat green eggs and ham wiz khalifa and amber rose oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday

'Moon River' crooner Andy Williams dies at age 84

ST. LOUIS (AP) ? With a string of gold albums, a hit TV series and the signature "Moon River," Andy Williams was a voice of the 1960s, although not the '60s we usually hear about.

"The old cliche says that if you can remember the 1960s, you weren't there," the singer once recalled. "Well, I was there all right, but my memory of them is blurred ? not by any drugs I took but by the relentless pace of the schedule I set myself."

Williams' plaintive tenor, boyish features and wholesome, middle-America appeal helped him outlast many of the rock stars who had displaced him and such fellow crooners as Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. He remained on the charts into the 1970s, hosting hugely popular Christmas TV specials, and continued to perform in his 80s at the Moon River Theatre he built in Branson, Mo.

In November 2011, when Williams announced that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, he vowed to return to performing the following year: His 75th in show business.

Williams died Tuesday night at his home in Branson following a yearlong battle with the disease, his Los Angeles-based publicist, Paul Shefrin, said Wednesday. He was 84.

He became a major star the same year as Elvis Presley, 1956, with the Sinatra-like swing "Canadian Sunset," and for a time he was pushed into such Presley imitations as "Lips of Wine" and the No. 1 smash "Butterfly."

But he mostly stuck to what he called his "natural style," and kept it up throughout his career. In 1970, when even Sinatra had given up and (temporarily) retired, Williams was in the top 10 with the theme from "Love Story," the Oscar-winning tearjerker. He had 18 gold records and three platinum, was nominated for five Grammy awards and hosted the Grammy ceremonies for several years.

Movie songs became a specialty, from "Love Story" and "Days of Wine and Roses" to "Moon River." The longing Johnny Mercer-Henry Mancini ballad was his most famous song, even though he never released it as a single because his record company feared such lines as "my huckleberry friend" were too confusing and old-fashioned for teens.

The song was first performed by Audrey Hepburn in the beloved 1961 film "Breakfast at Tiffany's," but Mancini thought "Moon River" ideal for Williams, who recorded it in "pretty much one take" and also sang it at the 1962 Academy Awards. Although "Moon River" was covered by countless artists and became a hit single for Jerry Butler, Williams made the song his personal brand. In fact, he insisted on it.

"When I hear anybody else sing it, it's all I can to do stop myself from shouting at the television screen, 'No! That's my song!'" Williams wrote in his 2009 memoir, titled, fittingly, "Moon River and Me."

"The Andy Williams Show," which lasted in various formats through the 1960s and into 1971, won three Emmys and featured Williams alternately performing his stable of hits and bantering casually with his guest stars.

It was on that show that Williams ? who launched his own career as part of an all-brother quartet ? introduced the world to another clean-cut act ? the original four singing Osmond Brothers of Utah. Their younger sibling Donny also made his debut on Williams' show, in 1963 when he was 6 years old. Four decades later, the Osmonds and Williams would find themselves in close proximity again, sharing Williams' theater in Branson.

Williams did book some rock and soul acts, including the Beach Boys, the Temptations and Smokey Robinson. On one show, in 1970, Williams sang "Heaven Help Us All" with Ray Charles, Mama Cass and a then-little known Elton John, a vision to Williams in his rhinestone glasses and black cape. But Williams liked him and his breakthrough hit "Your Song" enough to record it himself.

Williams' act was, apparently, not an act. The singer's unflappable manner on television and in concert was mirrored offstage.

"I guess I've never really been aggressive, although almost everybody else in show business fights and gouges and knees to get where they want to be," he once said. "My trouble is, I'm not constructed temperamentally along those lines

His wholesome image endured one jarring interlude. In 1976, his ex-wife, former Las Vegas showgirl Claudine Longet, shot and killed her lover, skiing champion Spider Sabich. The Rolling Stones mocked the tragedy in "Claudine," a song so pitiless that it wasn't released until decades later. Longet, who said it was an accident, spent only a week in jail. Williams stood by her. He escorted her to the courthouse, testified on her behalf and provided support for her and their children, Noelle, Christian and Robert.

Also in the 1970s, Williams was seen frequently in the company of Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow. The singer denied any romantic involvement.

He was born Howard Andrew Williams in Wall Lake, Iowa, on Dec. 3, 1927. In his memoir, Williams remembered himself as a shy boy who concealed his insecurity "behind a veneer of cheek and self-confidence." Of Wall Lake, Williams joked that it was so small, and had so little to do, that crowds would gather just to watch someone get a haircut.

Williams began performing with his older brothers Dick, Bob and Don in the local Presbyterian church choir. Their father, postal worker and insurance man Jay Emerson Williams, was the choirmaster and the force behind his children's career.

When Andy was 8, Williams' father brought the kids for an audition on Des Moines radio station WHO's Iowa Barn Dance. They were initially turned down, but Jay Emerson Williams and the young quartet kept returning and they were finally accepted, their show bringing them attention from Chicago, Cincinnati and Hollywood. Another star at WHO was a young sportscaster named Ronald Reagan, who would later praise Williams as a "national treasure."

The brothers joined Bing Crosby in recording the hit "Swinging on a Star" in 1944 for Crosby's film "Going My Way," and Andy, barely a teenager, was picked to dub Lauren Bacall's voice on a song for the film "To Have and Have Not." His voice stayed in the film until the preview, when it was cut because it didn't sound like Bacall's.

Later the brothers worked with Kay Thompson of eventual "Eloise" fame, then a singer who had taken a position as vocal coach at MGM studios, working with Judy Garland, June Allyson and others. After three months of training, Thompson and the Williams Brothers broke in their show at the El Rancho Room in Las Vegas to a huge ovation. They drew rave reviews in New York, Los Angeles and across the nation, earning a peak of $25,000 a week.

Williams, analyzing their success, once said: "Somehow we managed to work up and sustain an almost unbearable pitch of speed and rhythm."

After five years, the three older brothers, who were starting their own families, had tired of the constant travel and left to pursue other careers.

Williams initially struggled as a solo act and was so broke at one point that he resorted to eating food intended for his two dogs.

"I had no money for food, so I ate it," he recalled in 2001, "and it actually was damned good."

A two-year TV stint on Steve Allen's "Tonight Show" and a contract with Cadence Records turned things around. Williams later formed his own label, Barnaby Records, which released music by the Everly Brothers, Ray Stevens and Jimmy Buffett.

Williams was a lifelong Republican who once accused President Obama of "following Marxist theory." But he acknowledged experimenting with LSD, opposed the Nixon administration's efforts in the 1970s to deport John Lennon, and, in 1968, was an energetic supporter of Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign. When Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles in June 1968, just after winning the California Democratic primary, Williams sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" at his funeral.

"We chose that song because he used it on the campaign trail," Williams later said of Kennedy, who had been a close friend. "He had a terrible voice but he loved to sing that song. The only way I got through singing in church that day was by saying, 'This is my job. I can't let emotion get in the way of the song.' I really concentrated on not thinking about him."

After leaving TV, Williams headed back on the road, where his many Christmas shows and albums made him a huge draw during the holidays. One year in Des Moines, however, a snowstorm kept the customers away, and the band's equipment failed to reach Chicago in time for the next night's show, forcing the musicians to borrow instruments from a high school band.

"No more tours," Williams decreed.

He decided to settle in Branson, the self-proclaimed "live entertainment capital of the country," with its dozens of theaters featuring live music, comedy and magic acts.

When he arrived in 1992, the town was dominated by country music performers, but Williams changed that, building the classy, $13 million Andy Williams Moon River Theater in the heart of the city's entertainment district and performing two shows a night, six days a week, nine months of the year. Only in recent years did he begin to cut back to one show a night.

Not surprisingly, his most popular time of the year was Christmas, although he acknowledged that not everyone in Hollywood accepted his move to the Midwest.

"The fact is most of my friends in L.A. still think I'm nuts for coming here," he told The Associated Press in 1998.

He and his second wife, the former Debbie Haas, divided their time between homes in Branson and Palm Springs, where he spent his leisure hours on the golf course when Branson's theaters were dark during the winter months following Christmas.

Retirement was not on his schedule. As he told the AP in 2001: "I'll keep going until I get to the point where I can't get out on stage."

Williams is survived by his wife, Debbie, and his three children, Robert, Noelle and Christian.

___

Thomas reported from Los Angeles. AP Entertainment Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody contributed to this report from Nashville, Tenn.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/moon-river-crooner-andy-williams-dies-age-84-142235804.html

khloe and lamar oklahoma city thunder rajon rondo sunoco titanic ii babe ruth new jersey nets

We Are All Politicians Now: Science Communication and the Romney 47% Video

'); } else { $('#'+formID+' > .error').fadeOut('slow'); $('#'+formID+' > .error').html(json.MESSAGE); } $('#'+formID+' > .error').fadeIn('slow'); } else { $('#'+formID).hide(); $('#'+formID).after('

' + json.MESSAGE + '

'); $('#'+formParentID+' > .result').fadeIn('slow'); $('#'+formID+' > .error').fadeOut('slow'); if (formID == "gigyaConnect") { var regParams = { timestamp: Number(json.TIMESTAMP), siteUID: json.UID, signature: json.SIG, callback: function reload_giga_blogs() {gigya.services.socialize.getUserInfo({callback:authenticateThroughGigya, context:"firstLogin"});} }; gigya.services.socialize.notifyRegistration(regParams); $('.gHideThisAfterSuccess').hide(); } } }, "json"); }); });

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=f6a3ea0fcfc5d02ada1e4d01bd32601f

spring forward day light savings day light savings daylight saving time 2012 grapes of wrath silent house nfl mock draft

Events in the life of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi's life has been marked by family tragedy, world travel and a political mission that prompted her to choose Myanmar's democracy struggle over her children, whom she left behind in England.

Here are the key events in Suu Kyi's life that aides and biographers say shaped the stoic, pragmatic, eloquent woman whose sacrifices and struggles have earned her a Nobel prize and international acclaim.

? FAMILY LIFE

? June 19, 1945: Born in Yangon, then called Rangoon. She is the third child and only daughter of national independence hero Gen. Aung San and Daw Khin Kyi, also a prominent public figure.

? July 1947: Aung San and six members of his interim government are assassinated by rivals. Suu Kyi is 2.

? 1952: Suu Kyi's favorite brother, Aung San Lin, drowns in a pond inside the family's compound.

? 1960: After finishing high school, Suu Kyi leaves for further study in New Delhi, where her mother is Burma's ambassador.

? 1964-1967. Suu Kyi studies philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University's St. Hugh's College, where she meets future husband and Himalayan scholar Michael Aris.

? 1969-1971: Suu Kyi moves to New York for postgraduate studies at New York University but postpones academic career when a family friend helps get her a job at the United Nations.

? 1970: Aris visits Suu Kyi in New York, after three years of exchanging letters, and they get engaged.

? 1972: Suu Kyi and Michael Aris are married in London and move to Bhutan, where Aris is doing academic research.

? April 12, 1973: Son Alexander born in London. Family soon moves to Nepal for a year for Aris' work.

? Sept. 24, 1977: Second son Kim is born. The family keeps Oxford as a base but relocates regularly for work and academic research, spending time in Bhutan, Japan, India and back to England.

? POLITICAL LIFE

? April 1988: Suu Kyi returns home to attend to her ailing mother just as pro-democracy protests erupt against the military junta. Her mother dies later that year.

? September 1988: Suu Kyi helps found opposition party, the National League for Democracy.

? July 1989: Suu Kyi, an increasingly outspoken critic of the junta, is put under house arrest, which continues on-and-off for 15 of the next 22 years. The junta says she can leave the country anytime but she refuses, fearing she won't be allowed to return, and chooses to live apart from her husband and sons. Aris is allowed to visit her five times, the last visit during Christmas 1995.

? October 1991: Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful struggle against the regime. Son Alexander, then 18, gives Oslo acceptance speech on her behalf.

? March 1999: Aris dies of cancer in England at age 53. The junta repeatedly denied him visas to see his wife during the three years leading up to his death.

?May 30, 2003: Suu Kyi's motorcade comes under attack by pro-government thugs in northern Myanmar, killing a number of her supporters and bringing to an end a brief calming in tensions between her party and the junta. Suu Kyi spends four months in Yangon's Insein Prison before being returned to house arrest.

? Nov. 7, 2010: Myanmar's first elections in 20 years. Pro-junta party wins landslide victory in polls critics say were rigged and rampant with fraud.

? Nov. 13, 2010: The last of various periods in Suu Kyi's detention expires, and she is freed.

? Nov. 23, 2010: Suu Kyi is reunited with son Kim Aris, now 33, for first time in 10 years. He was repeatedly denied visas since his last visit in December 2000.

? April 1, 2012: Suu Kyi wins seat in Parliament, marking her first elected office after two decades as a symbolic opposition leader.

? May 29-June 3, 2012. Suu Kyi makes her first trip abroad since she returned to Myanmar from London in April 1988 to nurse her dying mother. She visits neighboring Thailand, Myanmar's second largest trade partner after China.

? June 13-29, 2012: Suu Kyi takes first trip to Europe in 24 years, with stops in Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, England and France.

? Sept. 17, 2012: Suu Kyi begins landmark visit to the U.S., taking in Washington D.C., and Fort Wayne, Ind., where thousands of Burmese refugees have settled since the '88 uprising.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/events-life-myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-124903666.html

timothy leary jonathan frid pujols watchmen hitch justin beiber lamar odom

iPhone 5 Beats Samsung Galaxy S III and Motorola Droid RAZR M in Benchmarks

The iPhone 5 launched in stores on Friday and this weekend millions of people got to own one, play with it and compare it to their neighbor?s Android handset. One of the tests involves a comparison with the Motorola Droid RAZR M and the Samsung Galaxy S III, done by PC Mag. They?re saying that the iPhone 4S with iOS 6.0 on the dual core 800 MHz A5 CPU is still pretty much on par with modern Android 4.0 phones, while the iPhone 5 surpasses them.

The Galaxy S III and Droid RAZR M used for this test are both powered by the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, that goes against the fresh Apple A6 dual core CPU. On the graphics based test, the iPhone 5 beats the Galaxy S III and RAZR M by a factor of 3, so a very impressive graphical performance. The new iPhone wins by a narrower margin in the GeekBench benchmark, as shown in the table above. The memory and stream scores are still pretty impressive, both testing the loading data in and out of RAM, so the RAM is also better.

A phone?s hardware performance can?t only be measured like that, so day to day use must also be taken into account. For now the iPhone 5 respects the promise of offering ?twice the performance of the iPhone 4S? and believe it or not it managed to score the record of being the ?fastest handheld computer sold in the US?. Did you get one?

Related posts:

1. Motorola Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx Android 4.0 Updates Get Approved by Verizon, Coming Soon (Video)
2. Motorola Officially Announces Droid RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD and Almost Edge to Edge Display Packing RAZR M
3. Motorola RAZR M 4G LTE Gets Pictured and Specced; Like a Droid RAZR With Better CPU & Front Camera

Source: http://www.blogthisphone.com/mobile-phones/158933

grapes of wrath silent house nfl mock draft project m rubio colts colts

The McGill Daily ? ABCs to HTML

COMP 202 is designed to be an introductory-level course at McGill, just like BIOL 112 or PHIL 210. However, instead of focusing on evolution or history, its content revolves around the foundations of programming. Alas, when students are entering university without a set direction, computer science isn?t as popular as the aforementioned courses to dabble in. I shied away, looking toward the familiar courses of math and psychology. Why did COMP 202 fail to catch my eye? I had a few preconceptions of computer science: not only did I think it wouldn?t be applicable to my field of interest, but it also seemed to me to be largely directed toward males. Most of all, it was terrifyingly far out of my realm of understanding.

The thing to realize about computer science is that it teaches not just the fundamentals of programming, but perhaps more importantly, the fundamentals of understanding problems and how to solve them. By learning foundations such as logical thinking, abstraction mechanisms, and algorithms, the skills one gains from a computer science course are becoming increasingly applicable in our society. Educators and students alike are catching on to the benefits of studying computer science and improving technological literacy.

In Estonia, a program is being introduced to teach web and mobile application development to students, including writing code and producing software, as early as first grade. Estonia?s society is already moving towards complete technological integration, with many activities such as banking being solely online. This program plans to shift Estonia?s population from ?being consumers of technology to developers of technology,? according to the program?s manager, Ave Lauringson, in a statement published on the tech blog Ubuntu Life. The hope is that this will advance the country as a technological hotspot.

However idealistic this plan may seem, there could also be negative results. Laurie Hendren, Associate Dean in the Faculty of Science and a professor in the McGill School of Computer Science, pointed out that there will be challenges for the proper implementation of such a program. In an interview with The Daily, she expressed her views that a program of this type could be beneficial or detrimental, based on how it is executed. The main problem she sees with a program of this type is who will teach it. ?My guess is that the current teaching cohort does not understand [the subject matter] well, because they were educated in a different era where this was not part of what they learned,? she stated. In order for kids to find programming fun and to not be deterred from continuing education in computer science, Hendren suggested that ?[the program] might require more than just training the [current teachers], but even integrating in some people who have been educated in computer science.?

Along with the importance of the method of educating children in the field comes the visible gender inequality within computer science. Hendren estimates that while she was studying computer science in university, 40 per cent of the program was female, which is roughly double of what it is now. ?When I went to university, there was no computer science in high school, so everyone arrived to university equal and considered if they wanted to be a computer science major or not,? stated Hendren. ?There wasn?t this bias that computer science is only a guy thing.? When earlier education in computer science focuses on applications that appeal to the interests typically associated with males, such as video game development, it can deter female students from studying computer science courses at a higher level. This, again, draws upon the importance of the specific methods of how computer science is taught to youth.

Although there is a gender gap, there has been an increasing trend of people entering into computer science over the past five years ? according to Hendren, the number of people who have taken COMP 202 in that period has doubled. Though the proportion of males to females is far from ideal, there is a more recent trend toward equality in numbers. Joseph Vybihal, a faculty lecturer in the McGill School of Computer Science, organizes a summer camp at McGill, ?Be A Computer Scientist for a Week,? which focuses on teaching computer science to students in grades 10 and 11. In the past few years, he has seen more young women gaining an interest in the field. The camp is composed of three streams ? one involves developing games, one focuses on programming robots, and one deals with applications in medical computing. When asked about the division between genders, Vybihal commented, ?it depends on the stream ? gaming has more boys, robots are equal, and the medical stream has more girls.? This emphasizes implementation methods and the type of content necessary to spark interest in computer science, regardless of gender.

Even at the undergraduate level, there are benefits to exposing students to possible applications of computer science, even for those whose focus is outside the field. Tara Sullivan, an Economics and International Development Studies major at McGill, interned at a mobile technology company this summer. ?I was an Arts student surrounded by technology-science people. Whenever they had spare time, they would be trying to develop new apps or programs,? Sullivan stated in an interview with The Daily. ?It sparked my interest into the field because I could see there was an end goal to learning the trade.?

On a broader level than educating students in computer science, Jonathan Sterne, an associate professor in the Art History and Communications department, emphasized the need for technological literacy and education within society as a whole. In an email to The Daily, Sterne argued, ?what makes a country [fall] behind in terms of technological literacy isn?t the number of programmers per capita it produces.? Canada produces fewer programmers per capita than some other countries, yet Sterne doesn?t believe this is the real issue. To him, technological literacy extends beyond how many people in the population can write software. ?If it?s a basic understanding of how your information is being used online, and how the services you use actually work and make money off your activity, then pretty much everyone is ?behind.?? In order to correct this, computer science and technological literacy need to be taught to both the young and the old ? the young should learn fundamentals, while those more senior should be exposed to what already exists so that they can remain integrated in a society that is technologically ever evolving.

In light of the increasing number of programs being created to improve technological literacy in youth, one must realize how essential it is to also improve technological literacy for all members of society. Not everyone is going to go on to become a computer scientist ? I know I won?t ? however, with technology permeating every aspect of our lives, having a fundamental knowledge of technology is becoming necessary for anyone, in any field, at any age.

Source: http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2012/09/abcs-to-html/

lindsay lohan’s playboy cover leaked online lindsay lohan’s playboy cover leaked online va tech shooting 2011 coriolanus coriolanus v tech top model all stars