akila gujarati news paper: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Fed's Dudley eyeing U.S. jobs, Europe

US News

Page 1 of 2 | Next Page
Show Entire Article

Fed's Dudley eyeing U.S. jobs, Europe

Reuters | June 29, 2012 | 09:03 AM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An influential Federal Reserve official said he modestly lowered his expectations for inflation in coming months, but added more clarity on the U.S. jobs market and the European crisis was need to take a firmer stance on the health of the U.S. economy.

New York Fed President William Dudley, a close ally of Chairman Ben Bernanke, said on Friday U.S. employment growth has "slowed considerably of late" as the economy has lost momentum.

"Although some of the current uncertainties will take time to resolve, I can imagine material data on a number of dimensions could become available in the coming weeks and months that could lead me to adjust my forecast further," Dudley said in prepared remarks he was to deliver to the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce via video link.

"I will be paying particularly close attention to whether domestic momentum and hiring picks up now that the pay-back for the mild winter is over, and whether financial conditions, which are heavily influenced at present by developments in Europe, ease or tighten further."

Three consecutive months of soft U.S. jobs growth and the simmering euro zone debt crisis led the U.S. central bank last week to ramp up its monetary stimulus to the stalled economic recovery.

Page 1 of 2 | Next Page
Show Entire Article

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48011662?__source=RSS*tag*&par=RSS

dakota fanning casey anthony video diary joe johnson lamarcus aldridge jeremy renner justin timberlake engaged bluefin tuna

Porsche: Day 2 at #fosgoodwood. Follow all of the #Porsche action with our Goodwood App for iOS & Android http://t.co/H6oz7ud1 #porschegoodwood

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

Source: http://twitter.com/Porsche/statuses/218976237379534849

pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game al franken al franken mary did you know john carter trans siberian orchestra

Coty plans to raise $700 million in its IPO

NEW YORK (AP) ? Coty Inc. plans to raise $700 million in an initial public offering after dropping a $10.7 billion takeover bid for its much larger rival, Avon.

The New York beauty products maker said in a regulatory filing Friday that its stock will list under the "COTY" ticker symbol, but did not specify yet whether it would be on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

The company did not give an estimated price range for the stock or disclose how many shares selling stockholders would offer. Coty said it won't receive any proceeds from shares sold by selling stockholders.

Last month Coty abandoned its bid for Avon Products Inc. after the struggling makeup company did not immediately accept a revised offer worth 6.5 percent more than its first.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-29-Coty-IPO/id-a09b293926974f76823e5fd0b090cc0e

shirataki noodles john kerry prince fielder state of the union address 2012 obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada

Friday, June 29, 2012

Mark Tercek: Rio+20: Leadership from New Directions

Rio+20 just came to a close. Tens of thousands of leaders from governments, businesses and NGOs gathered to find solutions for supporting the planet's seven billion people and creating a healthy, prosperous world.

Twenty years ago, the first Rio Earth Summit created important momentum around the idea that economic and social development must go hand-in-hand with environmental protection. It resulted in important commitments to protect biodiversity and address issues like water scarcity, climate change and biodiversity loss. It led to the creation of significant aid programs and environmental ministries around the world. A lot has been achieved.

But the challenges ahead are enormous, and only growing. International negotiations at conferences like Rio simply aren't keeping up.

The good news is that now we are seeing leadership from new directions. This week, countries largely on the sidelines at the first Earth Summit made bold -- yet achievable -- commitments to invest in nature. And just as significant, those countries were joined by another player that wasn't even on the invitation list 20 years ago: the private sector.

These leaders aren't waiting for one-size-fits-all global agreements to be hashed out. Instead, they are forging ahead with their own commitments to protect nature in ways that grow jobs, businesses, and better lives for people, especially the poor.

On June 18, TNC was honored to host a gathering of 24 major companies representing over $500 billion in combined revenues -- including Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, Duke Energy, General Motors, Kimberly-Clark, Nike, The Walt Disney Company and Xerox. At this gathering the 24 companies stepped forward to commit to specific actions to make their operations more sustainable. Their commitments go beyond philanthropic motives. These leaders recognize that safeguarding Earth's natural assets is a business imperative.

As part of these commitments, The Nature Conservancy and Dow Chemical were proud to announce a new project in Santa Vit?ria, Brazil. Here, we will help guide the construction of the world's largest integrated facility for the production of bioplastics from renewable sugar cane.

As part of our five-year collaboration announced last year, our work together in Brazil will help Dow make smart decisions that help minimize the impacts of agricultural expansion around the facility. It will also help the company better understand the value of nature's services -- for example, fertile soils for agriculture production and access to fresh, clean water through forest protection and restoration. By keeping these services healthy and functioning for the future, companies like Dow and others that made commitments at Rio better position themselves to manage risks to their supply chains, business assets and license to operate.

Of course collaborations like this do not come without risk. Success is not guaranteed. But change won't come from government or individuals alone. It must come from all sectors of society, including business.

Since the first Rio Summit, a lot has changed on the public policy front, too. Twenty years ago, the process stereotyped the world into poor countries needing to clean up and rich countries needing to pay up and set out to negotiate one-size-fits all, consensus-driven commitments. Now we are in a G20 world, and we are seeing an evolution towards bottom-up commitments that are specific to the needs and challenges individual countries.

New countries are stepping forward to take the lead in creating this new model - setting goals that will work for their people and committing to measures and accountability. TNC was very pleased to organize and participate in the session on June 21, in which heads of state and government of six countries came together in an event co-hosted by Indonesian President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Thomas of Grenada to commit to protect natural resources that provide for food, sustainable livelihoods, protection from natural disasters, and other benefits to people:

Indonesia, alongside island countries of Grenada, Seychelles and Antigua & Barbuda, committed to invest in the health of the oceans because it's a necessary and smart way to address food security and national development objectives.
Colombia announced a nationwide program to compensate for the unavoidable environmental impacts of infrastructure development and natural resource extraction and it committed to an integrated planning process for the whole Magdalena River basin.
Australia committed to establishing the world's largest and most comprehensive network of marine reserves, and significantly increasing its funding for other country's marine and climate change adaptation work in the Pacific.
Seychelles and Antigua & Barbuda both committed to explore the use of "debt for climate adaption swaps" -- innovative financing mechanisms to convert debt into long term funding to address climate change.
TNC committed to help execute those financial transactions and Nippon Foundation committed to provide technical assistance and training as well.

These government and business leaders are going to be the ones to make the ideal of sustainable development real on the ground. They will play a lead role in figuring out how to actually get it done. They've also committed to share lessons learned and take an active role in bringing more leaders on board.

Twenty years ago, who would have thought that these would be the players creating a bold new model for sustainability in the 21st century? But these are the examples that give me hope that we can create a healthier, more sustainable planet by the next Earth Summit -- if we make the right choices and investments now.

Follow Mark Tercek on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@MarkTercek

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

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-tercek/rio20-leadership-new_b_1630677.html

bowl games abc store nate diaz vs donald cerrone ufc 141 lesnar vs overeem appetizer recipes alistair overeem

NYC Nordstrom means a slew of new jobs

It?s official: Seattle?s best clothier is finally opening a big store in the Big Apple.

Nordstrom confirmed that it will open a long-awaited Manhattan flagship at Broadway and West 57th Street. The Post first reported the location Tuesday on its website.

At a splashy SoHo press conference yesterday with Mayor Bloomberg at his side, Pete Nordstrom, president of merchandising for the luxe retailer, said the 285,000-square-foot store will stretch seven stories high ? two more than the next-tallest shop in the 231-store chain.

?We fully expect this to be our most productive store,? Nordstrom said.

Officials said it will be located at 225 W. 57th St., anchoring a mixed-use skyscraper that will be erected by New York real-estate mogul Gary Barnett of Extell Development.

Bloomberg called the new Midtown tower, which is slated to open in 2018, ?a smart fashion statement,? gushing that it will create 1,000 new jobs and 5,000 construction jobs.

The news ends more than a decade of speculation about where and when Nordstrom would announce a Manhattan flagship. The retailer had scrutinized sites including the former Drake Hotel site, the World Financial Center and the Hudson Yards.

Nordstrom told The Post that he was seduced by ?the amount of people and the possibilities? in the area surrounding 225 W. 57th, which is just a block south of Columbus Circle.

jcovert@nypost.com

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/nyc_nordstrom_means_slew_of_new_qEFzYdveQnG9QvV7ohhNQL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business

gene hackman pineda john edwards heart condition mena suvari joyful noise one life to live jeff fisher

Nokia CEO voices regret surrounding recent company decisions

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nokia-ceo-voices-regret-surrounding-recent-company-decisions-235008496.html

wikipedia sopa and pipa bills censoring the internet blackout blackout congress censored

NBA Mock Draft: Oklahoma City Thunder Take Evan Fournier In Chad Ford's Last Mock

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Improve Self Esteem With Positive Thinking7135772 - Multiverse

From Multiverse

It is important that you learn how to improve self esteem through positive thinking. If you have been feeling bad about yourself, you need to start changing the way you think. Positive thinking is an excellent approach to construct your self esteem with out to create radical existence adjustments.

You might find that you have a little speech that continues in your face, commenting about everything that you do or about to do. That small speech could be very self essential and unfavorable. You might not understand that you should take control of what the speech states. By changing the way you think, you'll change that small speech along with it. Positive thinking may be the first action to changing your personal view of you. When you have a better opinion about yourself, others will also have better opinion about you.

Begin to improve your self esteem by starting small. It cannot be that you wake up one morning to plenty of self love and singing your personal praises. Having negative thoughts can come as a result of past habits. Remember, too, that unfavorable programming did not happen overnight either. To get rid of unfavorable programming for positive thinking, time is required. You need to educate, dedicate and practice as often as you can.

To improve self esteem, make a list of all your positive attributes. It does not matter if they are real attributes that you like about yourself or advantages you have. Concern yourself to incorporate one positive review about yourself each and every day. Hunt for chances to demonstrate yourself really. Dab oneself on the when you have done anything effectively, in place of considering the issues that you have did not realize. As your number evolves, you improve your self esteem and positive thinking gets control of your intellect.

In addition, you must be conscious of external impacts that can have an impact on your self-esteem and thoughts. If you are surrounded by some unfavorable friends, then try to avoid them until you are confident enough about yourself. When you are attempting your best to improve your self esteem, the furthest thing you want is to be around people with equally low views about themselves.

Think about helping others. When you assist others, you feel better that you could make a difference. This helps to improve self esteem and in turn, helps you to create more positive thinking.

Every once in a while, you may find oneself sliding into negativity. Do not beat oneself over it. It is perfectly normal. Basically return to your list of sense items. Notice to oneself just how much you have enhanced. Block out all negative thoughts immediately. Change the unfavorable self-talk with positive versions. Everybody may fail occasionally it's understanding how to proceed at these times that's crucial.

Continually remind oneself of how specific and crucial you are, to improve your self esteem. Decide to restore unfavorable with positive thinking. You'll shortly realize that existence is quite pleasurable when you begin to see points with another group of contact. If you want to learn more about this subject go to this page!

how to make it in america how to make it in america schweddy balls schweddy balls bill conlin kendall jenner plane crash

Ten quick tips on personal finance reporting | SOMALPOST

Personal finance journalism gives consumers enough independent, unbiased information to make intelligent financial choices, whether it?s purchasing life insurance or saving for retirement.

Personal finance journalism, while it includes a lot of numbers, should also be entertainment to the consumer. It should explain to them the importance of the decisions that they make, whatever they choose. Here are some basic tips for journalists who want to write better stories on these issues.

10 quick tips on personal finance reporting:-

1.Read mainstream personal finance publications or watch personal finance shows and think about how their stories can be adapted to your community.

2.Always try to begin your story with an example of an affected person in your audience.

3.Use numbers to back up your story. Government sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics have lots of data you can use for free.

4.Keep your story balanced. If you are quoting experts on a topic, find those with opposing viewpoints.

5.Ask the dumb questions. These are the ones that your readers or viewers will want to know the answers to.

6.Make sure your writing is technical enough to explain the topic, but simple enough so that anyone can understand what it is you?re writing about.

7.Unless you?re writing a signed column, don?t write about your personal experiences. Let the experts provide the guidance.

8.Give the reader something to take away from the story. Charts and graphics may help.

9.Don?t provide your opinion. If you were a personal finance expert, you wouldn?t be a journalist. And don?t promise results for a certain strategy. That?s dangerous.

10.Have fun, and make sure that fun shows in your story. Personal finance journalism can be one of the most rewarding stories to write.

by ICFJ

Short URL: http://www.somalpost.com/?p=2465

nicollette sheridan apple dividend snow white and the huntsman snow white and the huntsman peyton manning rupaul drag race walking dead comic

Sexual Health Michael Kors and Weight-loss | ApostolicCM.com ...

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

st. nicholas st. nicholas heisman finalists heisman finalists kepler 22 b kepler 22 b st nicholas

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Get Financing by Arvest Bank for Inside Effects Home Improvement ...

Browse >
Home / Before & After, Design Ideas, Featured, Outdoor Living, Stone Care / Get Financing by Arvest Bank for Inside Effects Home Improvement Projects

Inside Effects wants to help you start and finish those summer renovations and home improvements you have your heart set on for this season. That?s why were excited to let you know that?Inside Effects now offers financing for our home improvement services. Through Arvest Bank, we can assist you in receiving affordable financing, which means that home improvements and renovations can be on the timetable that you want.

Currently, rates are as low as 2.99% for 36 months, from now through July 31. Just ask for details.

Arvest Bank is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. To get started, simply complete an online application today. And if you have any questions, we?d love to help you find out what you need to know. Just give us a call at Inside Effects, and we?ll happily help you in any way we can:?866-629-4789

Get Financing for Your Inside Effects Home Improvement Projects

Photo via?Arvest Bank?

daylight saving time 2012 grapes of wrath silent house nfl mock draft project m rubio colts

Remarkable Creatures: ?Nature?s Masons? Do Double Duty as Earth?s Storytellers

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Tiny creatures called foraminifera helped to create the materials necessary for making some of the world?s spectacular monuments, and are also valuable in telling Earth?s history.

west side story final four 2012 bridesmaids winning lottery numbers megamillions winner kansas jayhawks mega millions results

Vehicle Insurance - Car insurance - Motor Insurance | Loans ...

';

function load() {
geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
//directionsDisplay = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer();
var newyork = new google.maps.LatLng(28.635157471966515, 77.22770690917969);
// var newyork = new google.maps.LatLng(40.69847032728747, -73.9514422416687);
var myOptions = {
zoom: 14,
center: newyork,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP,
mapTypeControlOptions: {
style: google.maps.MapTypeControlStyle.DROPDOWN_MENU
}
}
map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), myOptions);
//directionsDisplay.setMap(map);
}

function codeAddress() {
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address }, function(results, status) {
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
map.setCenter();

var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
icon: redFlag,
shadow: shadow,
//title: title,
animation: google.maps.Animation.DROP,
position: results[0].geometry.location
});

var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
maxWidth: 270,
content: contentString,
disableAutoPan: false
});

infowindow.open(map, marker);

google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
infowindow.open(map,marker);
});

} else {
(function($) {
$('#map').append('

Sorry, the address could not be found.

'); return false; })(jQuery); } }); } function showAddress(fromAddress, toAddress) { calcRoute(); calcRoute1(); } function calcRoute() { var start = document.getElementById("fromAdd").value; var end = document.getElementById("toAdd").value; var request = { origin: start, destination: end, travelMode: google.maps.DirectionsTravelMode.DRIVING }; directionsService.route(request, function(response, status) { if (status == google.maps.DirectionsStatus.OK) { directionsDisplay.setDirections(response); } }); } //]]>

slim dunkin slim dunkin will rogers ohio university ohio university keystone xl pipeline idaho potato bowl

Reading Rainbow (for iPad)

Reading Rainbow (free to download, $9.99 per month) is an updated, interactive version of the beloved children's television show, with kids engaging with books directly on their iPad. Kids can tap through a library of books and either read the story themselves or have the app read the story aloud. The illustrations have been enhanced with cute little animations and each book comes with a game. Kids are also rewarded with "stickers" each time they finish a new book. The Reading Rainbow app for the iPad does what the television show did successfully for 26 years: grab the kids' attention with beautiful illustrations and get them reading.

Parents who grew up watching the show on PBS until its abrupt cancellation in 2009 would recognize the familiar rainbow logo and the host, LeVar Burton. Burton is back as the host and the main narrator in the app. The TV show interspersed clips of Burton going on "field trips" and talking about an unusual location, such as the ship's cargo area, in between stories. The iPad version brings clips from the original show back, as kids can choose between books and Burton's videos.

Reading Rainbow is listed under the Education category in the iTunes App Store and the app is free to download. Kids get access to one book for free after installing the app. Additional books require a subscription, at $9.99 a month or $29.99 for six months. The subscription is for unlimited access, so kids can grab as many books as they want for that same price. There didn't seem to be any such restriction on the video clips.

The brand name is not going to mean much to younger kids, but it will strike a chord with the parents (I plead guilty!) who will be the ones paying for the monthly subscription. Reading Rainbow is an easy pick as an Editors' Choice as an educational app.

How We Reviewed the App
The app targets kids aged four to nine so I decided to include my sons in the review. I downloaded and installed the app and handed the iPad2 over to my six year old, who already knew how to read. After he went through the app, I uninstalled and re-installed again (with another Apple ID) to give his younger brother, almost four, a chance to play. The four year old knows his letters and the sounds letters make but is not yet reading. They were both absorbed with the beautiful illustrations and easy controls, and complained loudly when I reclaimed the tablet to check out the app myself.

The first time it runs, the app plays a video of Burton describing the app's goals and how kids can use it. The video is clearly aimed for the parents, but there's no way to skip the clip other than fast-forwarding through it. Right after that infomercial, kids are encouraged to "register" by creating their profiles. After creating a profile, the kids go through a quick interactive tutorial to learn how to use the interface. The Reading Child was a little frustrated at how long he had to wait before he could really get started with a book. I learned my lesson and ran the app once to get past that initial video when it was Pre-Reading Child's turn.

The Book Islands
The books are categorized by theme, such as "Action Adventures & Magical Tales," "Genius Academy," "Animal Kingdom," and "My Friends Family." Visually, they are represented as floating islands in the sky. The boys swiped through the sky to browse through the various islands before tapping on one to select the category. It was easy for non-readers to figure out some of the categories by just looking at the pictures. For example, the Animal Kingdom island was an island overflowing with giraffes, lions, a zebra, and an elephant.

Once the boys selected the island, the interface opened up as a book shelf, filled with books. The same books can appear across multiple categories. After the boys selected a title, the interface changed to look like a page in an old book (with yellowed pages?a nice visual touch) displaying a short description of the book and a prompt to confirm the selection. Reading Child had no problem selecting "yes" or "no" after reading the description, but Pre-Reading Child wanted to know why we had to confirm again when we'd already picked out the book.

The theme song on the show may have been, "Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high," but the app uses hot air balloons for its theme, as they are all over the place.

The Personalized Companion
When the boys started the app, they registered with their names, ages, and gender, and then picked out three topics they liked (wizards & fairies, sports, ocean adventures, things that go, princes and princesses, space & beyond, travel & adventure, animals, and pirates). The registration process also asked for the parents' email address, which I didn't let the kids enter. If I'd entered the email address, the app would have automatically opted me into receiving updates and other information by email. I dislike apps and sites that assume opt-in; I would have preferred the box to be unchecked. I had the option to subscribe, or start the free trial.

I couldn't figure out a way to have multiple profiles, so that Reading Child and Pre-Reading Child could enter their own names and category preferences. For the review, they entered their own names and put in their own interests for each instance that I installed. In a real situation, I would have probably combined their names during the profile selection, and had them agree on which topics to pre-select, to "share" the profile. Considering the effort the app made to "customize" the experience for the child, the one-size-for-all-siblings felt a little odd. It would be an issue if there was an age gap between siblings, as well, since the book recommendations are age-based.

rondo suspended bay bridge raul ibanez downton abbey season 3 presidents day band of brothers presidents

Could One Man End A Hall of Fame Career? - Global Recreation ...

Roger Clemens was found not guilty this week of lying to Congress.? Clemens was charged with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress.? He had testified in front of Congress (and on national television) and repeatedly denied using steroids and human growth hormone during his long, and potentially Hall of Fame career.? He was found not guilty in court, but in the baseball world and in the eyes of the Hall of Fame voters, he is still a steroid user.? My question is, could this happen to anyone?? Let me explain and this is completely a hypothetical scenario.

Let?s assume that I am a personal trainer.? I have a license, I have a degree and I have gotten so good at my job that a few major leaguers have hired me for their off-season training and in-season training as well in coordination with their organizations.? Although major league clubs never officially hired me, I am given access to my clients in the stadiums and in the weight rooms only.? I know own a business and I have offices where other clients can train.? I have a staff.? However, my major league clients come in during hours the office is closed for their privacy.? I have full access to these players.

Part of my therapy, which is approved by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) are injections of vitamins, minerals and supplements that are all allowed by Major League Baseball on their drug plan.

For the players protection, my ledger has multiple columns for each injection that I give them that includes; Date, Location of Injection, Place on Body of Injection, Type of Injection, Amount of Injection and then the ledger is signed by the player and myself.? The players are happy.? They are getting good training and are having productive careers, some are All-Stars and one is a future Hall of Famer.? I have a great business and I am considered one of the best in my profession.

Within the past year, I realized that I have a issue with one my clients. ?It is the potential Hall of Famer.? He has had a twelve year career and has a career batting average of .325, 472 home runs, a career on-base plus slugging percentage that is over 1.000 and is considered at the top of his game (yes, these are Albert Pujols? statistics, I used these because he is a potential Hall of Famer).

Before going on, I still have great working relationships with every other player I work with and my business has expanded.? I work with many players and now, I only work with referrals now.? Basically, I am at the top of the game, no issues with any players ever being considered to have taken any banned substance.? To make my business even better, I am in continual communication with Major League Baseball to determine if any substances are added or removed from the banned substance list.

Where is this going?

The reason why the player and I had the falling out is because he had an affair with my girlfriend.? I knew that the affair lasted about a year and for a year; I played as if I did not know.? During this year, I trained the player the same way I had for the past dozen years, in fact I increased the training because the player was getting older and he needed to stay in peak physical form.? The injections continued and the ledger was kept to date.? However, the player trusted me.? He just ?signed the ledger? as he had for all the years before.? What this one player did not know, as ?payback? one of the injections that he signed was not his usual vitamin and supplement injection.? It was a detectable steroid.? However, my records indicated that I injected him with all legal substances.? My company had received shipments of a variety of substances that were banned by Major League Baseball and everything is accounted for, locked in our pharmacy, and every injection has been placed in ledgers, signed by clients and filed.

Therefore, as of now I have a variety of Major League clients.? I have a foolproof system indicating each distribution of vitamins, minerals or supplements.? The system has been around for over a dozen of years, and none of my clients have ever had issues with the Major League Drug Program.? In fact, I am respected in baseball and have a good relationship with Major League Baseball and I work only on referrals.? One of my clients, that I know has had a year-long affair with my girlfriend, was injected by me with a detectable steroid unbeknownst to him.? My records are clean.? My ledger is detailed and my logs have all been filed.? Basically. What I did cannot be traced.

My Hall of Fame client fails a drug test.? It becomes public and he is shamed.? Of course, he immediately blames me for this.? I defend myself stating that I have never given, injected or suggested that any of my clients ever take anything that was banned by Major League Baseball.? I meet with Major League Baseball and produce my ledger, with over a dozen years of entries signed by the client and myself. ?I produced documents indicating that I do have a variety of substances banned by Major League Baseball in my pharmacy and the proof that it has all been dispensed to other people and I have had inspectors come to my office and verify that I have all the quantities that I claim to have, no more and no less.? Everything is documented.

So, my numerous players come to my defense.? They all indicate that I have never even mentioned the word steroids or HGH.? They all state in various interviews that I am beyond reproach because of how I have treated them.? Each one of them have good careers and have made millions of dollars and all feel that I had a good part in keeping them healthy.? I offer my records (hiding names, of course to protect my clients) for people to investigate.? In the end, I am found to have been telling the truth and the potential Hall of Fame player is suspended for 50 games and his career is tarnished.? Immediately there are headlines from baseball writers that he will never get into the Hall of Fame now.? At the same time, my relationship with my girlfriend ends and I have decided to move forward with my life.

So, one man with a vendetta against another has been able to cover his tracks and end a Hall of Fame career.? The player was actually innocent.? He never did willingly or knowingly take any banned substance.? However, because there was no way to discredit me or prove that he did not take these substances, he is now the most hated man in baseball.

The scenario I just played out before you was all in my head as soon as the Roger Clemens verdict was announced.? What if he is telling the truth?? What if Clemens went to Congress because he never willingly or knowingly ever took steroids?? What if his trainer set him up?? What if he defended himself vigorously and spent millions of his own money because in his heart be is telling the truth.?? In the end, it would not matter.? Public perception is out there and people have made their own verdicts on Roger Clemens.? In fact, many writers have already decided they will never vote Clemens into the Hall of Fame and went public with their comments.

So, I propose the question?Can one man be solely responsible for the tarnishing of another man?s Hall of Fame career?

mythbusters hanley ramirez blago mumia abu jamal mumia abu jamal pearl harbor erin andrews

Ideas Why You Want A Self improvement Strategy | terrificscience.net

Ideas Why You Want A Self improvement Strategy

Have you heard around a self-improvement Strategy ? Know something intriguing around it? This topic is a lot more or much less crucial to a portion of the population. Couple of completely Enjoy and realize it. Most of the folks that do hear something around this just take into account it for a moment, then move on. They normally do not care due to the fact as far as they can see it really is of no concern. It really is someone else?s dilemma, not theirs.

So just what specifically is the real truth right here? Specifically what is a self-improvement Strategy ?? Why really should anyone care?

Let?s evaluate the 7 Guidelines. Why you would perhaps Require to find out additional around a self-improvement Strategy.

Very first, know your objective. Fine, I comprehend your objection that you do not Want a Program. And you really feel you are a cost-free sprit devoid of necessary direction. And I agree, you have a extremely valid point. But, from this perspective, you are wandering about with out your personal one of a kind compass. In addition, have you believed around this? A Program and a mission statement will lead you to wellness, wealth and prosperity just about every time.

Second, know your values The purpose for that may well well be you Will need to check your targets along side your values. You Need your objectives and values to align. If they do not recheck your values..

Third, Know your requires. Unmet requirements can preserve you from living authentically. Make a list of them. Men and women seldom acknowledge what they quite Require and consequently don?t reach their possible?

Fourth, Know your passions. Express your self with enthusiasm. Honor men and women who have inspired you and helped you turn out to be the person you know you Need to have to grow to be..

Fifth, Reside from the inside out. Know your inner self and listen for that voice. You know the voice that whispers in your ear. Breathe deeply, and quiet your thoughts. Appreciate nature and listen for the peace and quiet that will be all about you as you drink in the serenity from inside you..

Sixth, Honor your strengths. Your strengths express the real you. Oneself-self-confidence and self-esteem improve when you can express your authentic self to other people..

Seventh, Serve other individuals. When you are living your objective, operating with your passions, showing other people your strengths and talents you are seriously giving back to other individuals. You are giving not only your sprit, but also your essence.!

As soon as you have looked at and evaluated all of the factors, you will be in a position to understand for oneself regardless of whether or not a convincing case may well be produced in favor of your realizing significantly additional around a self-improvement Strategy.

Just take into account that. It is prospective, just maybe you extremely, genuinely, need to find out a lot more around a self-improvement Strategy. You can formulate a self-improvement Strategy with these 7 Guidelines to self-improvement. .

Most visitors also read :

little big town little big town bennett bennett daniel day lewis patti stanger pasadena

Friday, June 22, 2012

New Louisiana?law forces sex offenders to identify themselves on social networks

2 hrs.

Rosa Golijan

"Now that we are in the digital age, people get access to us not just by living near us,"?Louisiana State Representative Jeff Thompson explained when I asked him about a law he'd authored recently. The law forces registered sex offenders to identify themselves ? and explain the nature of their crimes???on social networks. ?A $1,000 fine and at least two years of prison (with hard labor) await those who fail to comply.

Thompson's law will be effective Aug. 1, and is basically an addition to existing sex offender notification laws.?Under current law, Thompson pointed out, sex offenders are required to give notice to certain individuals and organizations based on their geographic proximity. (For example, they have to notify those who reside near them, the local school district, local parks, and other places where there may be children.)

The new law?additions stipulate that any registered sex offender, "who is otherwise not prohibited from using a networking website, and who creates a profile or uses the functionality of a networking website to contact or attempt to contact other networking website users shall include in his profile for the networking website an indication that he is a sex offender or child predator and shall include notice of the crime for which he was convicted, the jurisdiction of confiction, a description of his physical characteristics as required by [the relevant laws], and his residential address."?This information must be made visible to users and visitors of the site.

The definition of a "networking website," in this context, is reasonably broad. Any site which focuses on social interaction and includes profile pages, photos, and the ability to send messages or leave comments appears to be included. This would suggest that Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and many other popular websites are covered by it. (Though the law is moot when it comes to Facebook, as?its terms of use prohibit convicted sex offenders from using the social network.)

While discussing the law with me, Thompson emphasized that it is simply a way of bringing existing laws up to date with current technology. The information sex offenders will have to provide on social networks matches the details which are printed in local papers upon conviction.

For that reason, the penalties are equal.?Failure to comply with the law leads to a $1,000 fine and at least two ??but no more than ten ??years of inprisonment (with hard labor). A second violation would bring a?$3,000 fine and at least five ??but no more than twenty ??years of inprisonment (with hard labor).

"It may not be the perfect solution," Thompson acknowledges, but says?he has a responsibility to his constituents. And this is theoretically?more reasonable than attempting to ban some folks from the Internet entirely.

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

ground hog donald trump staten island chuck dr jekyll and mr hyde edwin jackson punksatony phil trump

Thursday, June 21, 2012

World's most amazing fountains

Sylvia Trifonova

With 6,600 lights, 25 projectors and nearly 1,500 individual fountains, the Dubai Fountain on the 30-acre Burj Dubai Lake amounts to the largest synchronized music and light show in the world.

By Kristin Conard, Travel + Leisure

You don?t need to be a high roller to enjoy one of Las Vegas? most sought-after shows: the dancing waters of the Fountains of Bellagio. Thousands are drawn here daily by the same free spectacle of music and light that made the gang from "Ocean?s Eleven"?pause.?

Slideshow: See where to find the world's amazing fountains

Creating something to make travelers reflect amid the neon flash of the Vegas strip was in fact the goal: ?You have to continue to challenge people?s minds and emotions with the unexpected and with something that?s new,? says Mark Fuller, CEO of WET Design. The company debuted the Bellagio Fountains in 1998, and they?ve since become a benchmark for innovative fountains worldwide.

From function to fantasy, fountains have evolved from sources of drinking water to works of art that manipulate the most basic of life forces ? water and gravity ? to emotionally moving results. Fountains are often found in public spaces that travelers naturally seek out; they make beautiful photo-ops and, with a coin?s toss, may even improve your luck.

Not only do fountains put on a show, but they also encourage others to perform, such as street musicians or that guy proposing by Rome?s 18th-century Trevi Fountain. A pope commissioned the Trevi Fountain as a statement of power and artistic and engineering know-how ? motivations for many of the most amazing fountains, from the Grand Cascade built for Peter the Great at his summer palace to newcomer Dubai Fountain, which broke records when it opened with 6,000 lights in 2008.

In Chicago, which counts Buckingham Fountain as one of its most famous landmarks, Millennium Park?s Crown Fountain brought the concept into the 21st century. Two 50-foot black glass towers on either side of a reflecting pool project images from a thousand Chicago citizens, creating the illusion of water pouring from their mouths ? a modern take on the spouting gargoyles and other creatures of traditional fountains.

The possibilities of playing with water are nearly endless. Yet even when fountains employ high-tech features like the cascade of water that forms words and pictures in a South Korean department store, their allure remains fundamental.

?They motivate people to connect with their inner selves,? says Fuller. ?It?s not like standing in front of a big video screen. It?s very rudimentary: we?re born from water; it?s the beauty of that natural element.?

More from Travel + Leisure

noaa mike brown jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie morosini death kenny rogers

Wall Street lower after disappointing data

underwood buffalo wings superbowl kick off time 2012 new york giants hot wings recipe 7 layer dip recipe chris carter

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Eventbrite Expands In Europe, With Localized Online Ticket Sales For Germany And The Netherlands

Eventbrite has been on a roll lately, doubling the number of events and tickets sold in 2011. Part of that growth has come through increased international usage, but most users around the world can only access the service through the English-language Eventbrite.com site. Well, it's changing that with localized sites throughout Europe, including the latest two markets, Germany and the Netherlands. Earlier this week, Eventbrite announced that it surpassed $1 billion in total sales, with events in more than 170 countries worldwide. And while nearly 20 percent of its business comes from the U.S., English-speaking countries still rule: The top five countries that it operates in includes the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.

macys stratfor bears vs packers after christmas sales 2011 best ipad apps chris paul gift card exchange

Union woes ?related to their own management issues,? not labor laws

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker?s recall election victory was as much as a defeat for labor unions as it was for his?opponent,?Milwaukee?Mayor Tom Barrett. Since then, the signs that unions are in trouble have been mounting rapidly.

?Many labor unions are going through a real struggle,? Michael Eastman, executive director of labor policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce told The Daily Caller. ?But it?s not related to labor laws like the unions are trying to say; it?s related to their own management issues.?

One of America?s largest public employees? unions, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), is a prime example of this struggle.

Last year, after failing to block Walker?s budget repair law, which included the elimination of automatic dues collection and limited union bargaining power, AFSCME watched its membership drop by 55 percent in the state. When federal workers in Wisconsin were given the choice of having membership dues withdrawn from their paychecks, 34,000 of them used their newfound freedom of choice to say ?No.? Determined to exact revenge, public-sector unions underwent a mission to unseat Walker.

Still reeling from this defeat, AFSCME?is now embroiled in a heated leadership battle following the retirement of former union President Gerald McEntee.

McEntee?s right-hand man, hand-picked successor and the union?s secretary-treasurer, Lee Saunders, is facing a tough challenge by Danny Donohue ? the union?s leader in New York.

The pair will face off in a debate at the union?s 40^th?international convention that began on Monday in Los Angeles.

The Donohue campaign has accused Saunders of mismanaging the union?s finances, including sanctioning McEntee travelling by private planes.

Since the beginning of 2010, the former president traveled by chartered aircraft 18 times, racking up a hefty bill of $325,000, the Wall Street Journal?reported.

?We think that the secretary-treasurer should have stood up to the president and said that this was inappropriate and in violation of policy,? a representative for the Donohue campaign told TheDC.

Donohue?s campaign is also raising questions about the legality of some of this travel under the tax code, especially for flights between McEntee?s primary residence and AFSCME?s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Accusations that Saunders has been irresponsible with the union?s money extend as far as much of AFSCME?s political spending.

?There?s a sense that AFSCME?s a sort of cash register for favored Democratic causes, but that?s not necessarily in the best interests of members,? Donohue?s campaign said.

In 2009, AFSCME donated over $500,000 to Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic primary of Virginia?s gubernatorial election. According to the Donohue campaign, there are less than 1,000 AFSCME members in Virginia but McAuliffe is a friend McEntee.

?I don?t believe that AFSCME has one member in the city of San Francisco but they were contributing money to the Democratic primary for the mayor of San Francisco,??Donohue?s campaign representative said.

?A lot of members would have objected to this if they knew about it,? the representative added. ?But AFSCME tends to hide a lot of their finances on political spending and otherwise.?

These internal struggles and political failures are leading to speculations that the end of organized labor is in sight.

Glenn Spencer, executive director of the Workforce Freedom Initiative at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that unions are still too big to collapse, though their future is unclear.

?AFSCME members and the leadership have more to worry about than how they might spend their union treasury,? Spencer told TheDC. ?If you look at the trend across the country right now, it?s not an encouraging one for public sector unions.?

Spencer, whose expertise is in union activity, believes that AFSCME?s focus is misdirected away from the major challenges they currently face. Unless unions find away to halt dramatically declining membership, their lack of private sector unionization and the financial trouble of their pension funds, they should continue to worry.

Follow Eshe on Twitter

unemployment rate unemployment rate jesse ventura keri russell drew barrymore bill o brien portland trailblazers

Acid Reflux Remedies and Causes | health article

Acid reflux disease occurs when the sphincter muscle at the base of the esophagus does not close like it should. The result is the contents of the stomach and the acids in it go back up to the esophagus. Acid reflux usually feels like a burning pain in the chest that can move up to the throat. It often feels as if food is coming back into the mouth and leaving an acidic taste.

When the mixture of stomach acid and enzymes are refluxed into the oesophagus more frequently than they should, or for an extended period of time, acid reflux occurs. The most common acid reflux cause is triggered from the physical inability of the lower oesophageal sphincter to prevent the stomach acid from traveling up the oesophagus.

Doctors are really not sure what the real acid reflux causes are. There are a few things that have been found to irritate the problem more. Smoking, stress, being overweight and bad diet of high fats and salt contribute to irritating the condition more. Even if you have never had acid reflux nor the signs or symptoms of this condition, being pregnant alone can be an acid reflux cause.

The main symptoms include frequent heartburn, a burning type of pain in the lower part of the mid chest, behind the breastbone, and sometimes in the mid abdomen. One acid reflux cause that is most common among acid reflux sufferers is the wrong kind of diet. This includes what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat.

Many people discover that the main reflux cause that they are dealing with is a full stomach. It is a much better idea for you to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day than to try to stuff yourself whenever you have a regular meal.

Searching for acid reflux remedy and relief from this most-uncomfortable form of heartburn becomes a mission for sufferers. Most patients, desperate for a quick solution, turn to medical treatment.Searching for acid reflux remedy and relief from this most-uncomfortable form of heartburn becomes a mission for sufferers. Most patients, desperate for a quick solution, turn to medical treatment. You will be happy to know there are several natural, safe and effective acid reflux remedies which do not produce undesirable side effects.

Whist drugs obtained at the pharmacy can be effective for some people, they won?t cure acid reflux but they will lessen or stop the symptoms by working on the acid. Antacids, sold under various brand names, are the most popular.

exercise is proven to help with hundreds of prevention and treating ailments Make a fist and take a look. That is how big your meals should be and you should eat 5 meals/snacks per day. Eating bigger meals increases the likelihood of an attack.

You should also try to limit the caffeine and carbonated drinks you drink ideally, you should only be drinking water. The best herbal acid reflux home remedies are drinking apple cider, taking papaya enzymes, fennel tea, eating almonds, bananas, clove oil, using turmeric in cooking, licking the juice of ginger with honey, using garlic in food, etc..

The Tags:

juan pablo montoya free pancakes at ihop martina navratilova high school shooting daytona 500 national pancake day ohio school shooting

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

California tobacco tax trails by razor-thin margin

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? Two weeks after the California primary, a closely-watched effort to impose a new tax on tobacco in the nation's most populous state remains too close to call.

The secretary of state reports that with 400,000 ballots outstanding, the measure that would add a $1-a-pack cigarette tax is trailing by 17,500 votes.

Since June 5, the measure known as Prop 29 has trailed in vote counts by less than a percentage point.

Through a barrage of campaign ads, tobacco companies were able to cut support for the plan from a two-thirds majority in March to a dead heat on Election Day.

Opponents of the measure raised $47 million to fight it, dramatically outspending supporters, who raised $12 million.

Election officials have until July 6 to report final results.

Associated Press

2012 dunk contest edgar vs henderson berkshire hathaway ufc 144 james jones james jones aladdin

July 4th Parade Entries Due June 27

Entries for Vail?s Fourth of July parade are currently being accepted through June 27 by organizers of the Vail America Days celebration. The parade will begin in Golden Peak at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4 and will end in Lionshead. The theme for parade entries is ?Team America? in honor of the athletes representing the United States during the Summer Olympic Games in London.

Vail?s parade is one of the most popular events during the Independence Day holiday, attracting thousands of spectators from throughout the region. Application forms are available at the Town of Vail Municipal Building or at www.Vail4th.com. Entries are available in seven categories: youth, marching, equestrian, motorized, merchant/business, float and most original. Fees vary from $50 for a non-profit to $200 for a business entry.

The parade will begin at Golden Peak and continue west to Hanson Ranch Road, north on Bridge Street, west on Gore Creek Drive, north across the International Bridge, west along Meadow Drive and finally through the Lionshead Mall to the finish. Volunteers are needed to help organizers keep the parade moving. Duties include holding balloons, carrying banners and assisting with traffic. Contact Lindsey Miller at 970-315-2813 for details.

New this year to Vail America Days is the addition of the Sam Adams Beer Garden and Volvo Concert Stage at Solaris Plaza in Vail Village. Music will begin at 1 p.m. and continue all day until the fireworks display at dusk. Live music from 101st Army Rock Band, Better than Bacon, The Drunken Hearts and The Congress will be featured.

Due to drought conditions this year, the fireworks display will be staged from a new location at the west end of the Vail Village parking structure to address potential dangers associated with the dry conditions. Vail America Days organizers will be using a type of low profile fireworks often used in stadiums and arenas. The show will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. and the best viewing areas will be found along Meadow Drive from Slifer Square to Vail Road. Musical accompaniment will be provided from the stage at Solaris Plaza. The decision to relocate the fireworks launch away from Vail Mountain this year ensures guests will have a fireworks experience this season and eliminates the potential for last-minute cancellation. Funding for the fireworks has been increased significantly to extend the show to 20-minutes.

In addition to the parade and fireworks, Vail America Days will include activities throughout the holiday week.? For details, visit www.vail.com.

michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary trayvon martin 911 call kiribati vernal equinox mr rogers

Katy Perry's 'Wide Awake' Video: Through The Looking Glass

Perry's fairy-tale clip closes the book on her Teenage Dream story and finds her living happily ever after.
By James Montgomery

Katy Perry in "Wide Awake"
Photo:

Katy Perry certainly isn't the first artist to get all Lewis Carroll-ian with a video — Tom Petty's iconic "Don't Come Around Here No More" certainly springs to mind — though, in some ways, her brand-new "Wide Awake" clip (which borrows from Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" book) does manage to cover new territory — namely by transforming the fantasy trope into a bit of an autobiography.

It makes sense. After all, it's not exactly a stretch to call the past two years of her life — which began with the release of her Teenage Dream album in summer 2010 and concludes with her upcoming "Part of Me" 3-D film — surreal. She's one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, gone through a very public divorce, and become the rather unwilling target of the tabloids — and in some way, you get the feeling she'd like nothing more than to return to simpler times (singles sales intact, obvs). And all those things show up, in one form or another, in "Wide Awake," which begins at the very end of her "California Gurls" music video shoot and takes her literally through the looking glass to a world that is basically as fantastical as her actual existence.

She is trapped inside a labyrinth. She discovers her lost innocence in the form of a young girl. She is hounded by hellish paparazzi. She finds her Prince Charming, who tellingly crosses his fingers behind his back before going in for a kiss. And even more tellingly, Perry reaches back and decks him. In short, you don't exactly need an advanced degree in film theory to realize that the video is one long symbolic ride through her voyage to superstardom (except for the two hospital attendants/minotaurs; I'm not sure what they represent). The squeeze of fame, the rose-colored nostalgia, the invasions of privacy and the betrayals of trust: It's all here and all ready for the armchair analysts.

Of course, Perry has made it very clear that this new video is the final chapter of the fairy tale that was her Teenage Dream years. That she doesn't seem to be entirely happy with all of it is about as telling as her socking Prince Charming — after all, no one ever said fame was easy, or the ride to the top wouldn't be a bumpy one. And, at their very core, most fairy tales are actually pretty terrifying things. But with "Wide Awake," Perry lets it be known that she's made it through unscathed and on top of the world. And if that's not a happy ending, well, then I don't know what is.

What did you think of Katy's latest video? Let us know in the comments!

Related Videos

MTV First: Katy Perry's 'Wide Awake'

Related Artists

Katy Perry

katie couric good morning america the rock vs john cena acm awards 2012 january jones ncaa final game

Happy Birthday, Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert has a lot to celebrate when he turns 70 on June 18. Despite the horrible ailments of the last decade that have taken away his ability to eat, drink, or speak, he's still America's leading movie critic, a distinction he's held for more than 30 years. (Of course, he shared the honor for much of that time with his TV frenemy Gene Siskel, until the latter's death in 1999.) An avid adapter to social media, he's used the Internet to make his reviews more widely read than ever. (You can read some of his most memorable critiques in the gallery at the bottom.)

But what does it mean, at a time when film criticism as a profession is all but dead, to be the top critic? And what role has Ebert's own career played in making criticism what it is today? By bringing criticism to TV, did he (however inadvertently) dumb it down to the point where it became disposable? Or did he, through his own personal example and high standards, manage to keep film criticism alive for another generation?

Ebert is unique among film reviewers, both for what he is and for what he isn't. Unlike others in his profession, he actually has a scholarly background; he can analyze a movie frame-by-frame and teach others how to do the same. He curates his own film festival, making sure people get to see unsung movies instead of merely championing them on the page. He's also made a movie, having written the screenplay for Russ Meyer's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls"; that means he can write from experience, but it also means he's no film snob.

However, he is not the leader of a school of critical thought, like the writers who shaped criticism when he was coming of age (Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, Manny Farber, etc.). Ebert simply likes what he likes, and doesn't like what he doesn't like. Not only does he analyze each movie on its own terms (he doesn't just reflexively praise indie movies or condemn expensive blockbusters, but determines whether each film does what it sets out to do), he also analyzes each movie on its own audience's terms (he knows a horror movie isn't necessarily going to please Woody Allen fans, and vice versa). In short, he's a great consumer-oriented critic. No wonder he was the first movie reviewer to win a Pulitzer Prize for criticism -- though, of course, he won it for reviewing.

There's a lot of confusion over the difference between reviewing and criticism, and what each ought to be, or that there even is a difference. It's a distinction that confuses even many critics and reviewers. One way to look at it is this: reviewing is a consumer service, directed toward people who haven't seen the film yet, telling them whether or not it's worth their money. Criticism is an analysis of a movie for people who've already seen it, part of the never-ending conversation that exists about each film. Reviewing is based on the (perceived) taste of your audience or readership; criticism is based on your own taste.

What Siskel and Ebert did was to reduce reviewing down to its essence: Should you pay to see this movie, yes or no? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Remarkably, they also found time, in many of their brief reviews, to throw in some critical context -- about where the film fit in terms of genre, film history, the director or star's career -- along with what in the movie worked and didn't work. The show packed a surprising amount of worthwhile information about each film into its format before rendering Roger's and Gene's summary judgments at the end of the episode.

For a generation of movie lovers, the show offered a broad education, exposing viewers to independent and foreign films they might not otherwise have heard about (or whose reviews they might have passed over in a newspaper) alongside mainstream Hollywood releases. Moreover, the duo's sometimes passionate debates taught would-be critics how to argue about films with intelligence and civility.

Unfortunately, what the inevitable copycats took away were the elements that made for good spectacle on TV: the pithy verdict and the heated rhetoric. Pretty soon, movie reviewing on television -- and in print -- was something anyone with an opposable thumb could do. Audiences became lazy, demanding no more of their reviewers than thumbs-up or thumbs-down. So newspaper editors and TV news producers filled reviewer jobs with people who lacked Siskel and Ebert's qualifications or love of movies. (You can't imagine news bosses hiring political pundits or sports commentators just on the basis of gushing fandom or snark, but that's often how they hire movie reviewers.) Even in magazines that prided themselves on the literary quality of their prose, reviewing and criticism became acts of performance, meant to show off the writer's erudition and wit rather than to engage the movie on its own terms.

It's easy to pin the demise of film criticism on the Internet, which has made it possible for anyone to be a critic, making opinion plentiful and cheap to the point of worthlessness. But the trend was in place long before the user reviews pages at IMDb went up. Moviegoers had already decided that reviewers and critics (not that they made a distinction) were elitist snobs who hated anything populist or mainstream. (This was the opposite of the truth, since many reviewers had no more credentials than the average moviegoer, and many reflexively shilled for popcorn movies while ignoring art-house fare altogether.) If they trusted professional opinionators at all, it was only in the aggregate, with the average score on Rotten Tomatoes replacing the old Ebert-style thumb rating. (Of course, the Rotten Tomatoes score is an accurate gauge of consensus opinion only if there's a broad sample of reviewers to number-crunch. If all the critics lose their jobs -- well, you can't divide by zero.) These sentiments, plus pressure from advertisers (that is, the studios, who don't like negative reviews, or who've dropped newspaper advertising altogether, forcing movie review pages to fold) has led editors to lay off movie reviewers by the dozens over the past few years.

The only critic who seems immune is Ebert, who's an institution. He's been a selling point for Chicago Sun-Times subscribers for 45 years, and you can assume that he'll get to keep his job for as long as he wants it. You may not be able to blame Ebert for the current dire situation wrought by his inferior imitators and others who learned the wrong lessons from his show -- he surely never intended to cause the avalanche that wiped out his profession -- but he and Siskel are the ones who started the snowball rolling. And even Ebert has suffered from the collapse of criticism, in that he is no longer as influential as he once was. His thumb will never again have the Roman imperial power that it could wield 30 years ago to make or break a movie.

Not that I think Ebert ever wanted that kind of power or influence over the fate of individual movies. Like all critics, he wanted to influence cinema as a whole. He's done that, not just by spending a lifetime championing good work and discouraging bad work, but also by advocating for or against other aspects of filmmaking and film distribution. He's long been ardent about the failures of the current movie ratings system (he's called for an adult rating that protects the viability of grown-up but non-pornographic movies, something that the R and NC-17 ratings have failed to do), presentation issues (decrying, for example, how overly dim many screenings are because theater owners think they'll save money on projector bulbs if they don't run them at full intensity), and 3D (he thinks it's more a liability than an asset). Plus, there's his educational outreach, in his lectures, seminars, and Ebertfest programming, all of which help cultivate a populace of informed moviegoers -- not so that they'll see movies the way he does, but so that they'll approach them with critical and independent minds the way he does.

Most of all, there's his blogging and tweeting. It's a bitter paradox that the man who first gave criticism an audible voice should lose his own, but now that typing is the only way he can express himself, he's been on fire as a writer. Ebert was always a solid writer, one whose reviews gave him space to discuss in detail what he could only hint at on TV, but his prose was spare and direct; now it's both more emotional and more elegant. He's also been freed up to write with cool, rational eloquence about other topics, like politics, creationism, and his own horrific health woes. If he's no longer the most powerful thumb in showbiz, he's still happy to be king of the film bloggers.

And film blogging, he suggests, will keep film criticism alive. Despite the attrition rate of professional reviewers, Ebert has written that we live in "a golden age for film criticism." Sure, the Internet has flooded the zone with cheap and uninformed opinion, but it has also given voice to inspired and fiercely knowledgeable amateurs. Plus, it's enabled us to read -- and interact with -- those smart film lovers, even if they live halfway around the world, and to see cinema from all sorts of perspectives, not just the fairly homogenous one that has comprised American film criticism for decades. Ebert hasn't just read these voices, he's curated them and enlisted them as his "far-flung correspondents."

No one, including Ebert, can predict what film criticism will look like in 20 years (or even in two years), but he's surely correct in recognizing that it'll be shaped primarily by the Internet. He's also optimistic and brave in trying to play a role in shaping it by setting an example of informed discourse and by elevating the most resonant voices that engage with his. Most of all, he's wise to recognize that criticism, from now on, won't be a single Olympian voice -- or thumb -- but an ongoing conversation.

'Star Wars'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19770101/REVIEWS/701010315/1023" target="_hplink">The journey from one end of the galaxy to another is out of countless thousands of space operas</a>. The hardware is from "Flash Gordon" out of "2001: A Space Odyssey," the chivalry is from Robin Hood, the heroes are from Westerns and the villains are a cross between Nazis and sorcerers."
'The Godfather'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19720101/REVIEWS/201010312/1023" target="_hplink">Coppola has found a style and a visual look for all this material</a> so "The Godfather" becomes something of a rarity: a really good movie squeezed from a bestseller."
'Toy Story'

"For the kids in the audience, <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19951122/REVIEWS/50208001/1023" target="_hplink">a movie like this will work because it tells a fun story</a>, contains a lot of humor, and is exciting to watch. Older viewers may be even more absorbed, because "Toy Story," the first feature made entirely by computer, achieves a three-dimensional reality and freedom of movement that is liberating and new. The more you know about how the movie was made, the more you respect it."
'Platoon'

"After seeing "Platoon," <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19861230/REVIEWS/612300301/1023" target="_hplink">I fell to wondering why Stone was able to make such an effective movie without falling into the trap Truffaut spoke about</a> -- how he made the movie riveting without making it exhilarating. Here's how I think he did it. He abandoned the choreography that is standard in almost all war movies. He abandoned any attempt to make it clear where the various forces were in relation to each other, so that we never know where "our" side stands and where "they" are."
'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19750101/REVIEWS/501010348" target="_hplink">That sort of observation, when it's allowed to happen, is what's best about "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."</a> We meet a classic outsider -- R.P. McMurphy, a quintessentially sane convict sent to the institution as a punishment for troublemaking -- whose charisma and gall allow him to break through to a group of patients who've mostly fallen into a drugged lethargy."
'2001: A Space Odyssey'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19680412/REVIEWS/804120301/1023" target="_hplink">There is hardly any character development in the plot, then, as a result little suspense</a>. What remains fascinating is the fanatic care with which Kubrick has built his machines and achieved his special effects. There is not a single moment, in this long film, when the audience can see through the props. The stars look like stars and outer space is bold and bleak."
'Gone With the Wind'

"'<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980621/REVIEWS08/401010323/1023" target="_hplink">Gone With the Wind'' presents a sentimental view of the Civil War</a>, in which the ``Old South'' takes the place of Camelot and the war was fought not so much to defeat the Confederacy and free the slaves as to give Miss Scarlett O'Hara her comeuppance."
'E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20020322/reviews/203220304/1023" target="_hplink">This movie made my heart glad</a>. It is filled with innocence, hope, and good cheer. It is also wickedly funny and exciting as hell."
'Raging Bull'

"<a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19800101/REVIEWS/1010328" target="_hplink">Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" is a movie about brute force</a>, anger, and grief. It is also, like several of Scorsese's other movies, about a man's inability to understand a woman except in terms of the only two roles he knows how to assign her: virgin or whore."

Earlier on Moviefone:

mars rover apple cup jewelry stores sleep no more cyber monday deals war eagle war eagle

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012

From Multiverse

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Ideas Why You Want A Self improvement Strategy

Most visitors also read :

Friday, June 22, 2012

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

'Star Wars'

'The Godfather'

'Toy Story'

'Platoon'

'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'

'2001: A Space Odyssey'

'Gone With the Wind'

'E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial'

'Raging Bull'