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POLITICS - Target: The 'alienated majority' - HollandSentinel.com

2011-11-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

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Alot of people already are frustrated with the prospective choices for president next year. Maybe you are one of them.

You think President Barack Obama has been a pathetic failure, but Mitt Romney strikes you as an unprincipled shape- shifter while the rest of the Republican field has turned so hard to the right they have landed in an alternate universe.

You know there are other parties besides the Democrats and Republicans, but frankly, they are living out on the political fringe.

There is a “party” that is not a party that is looking for you.

It is an organization called Americans Elect, and while it has no platform or positions on the issues it has quietly collected more than 1.9 million signatures and raised $22 million, and it is well on its way to ballot access in all 50 states in 2012.

With the slogan “pick a president not a party,” Americans Elect (americanselect. org) has positioned itself not as a traditional party with a prevailing ideology but as a vehicle for frustrated Americans who feel shut out of a presidential nominating process dominated by the two big parties.

Americans Elect plan to hold an online convention next summer in which all registered voters can take part in nominating a candidate for president.

I find myself more and more convinced of the need for a strong third party to represent the “missing middle” of American politics. I’m not sure Americans Elect fills that role, but it is an intriguing concept.

According to a recent Associated Press report, Americans Elect grew out of a failed 2008 eff ort to provide an alternative choice in the presidential race and is backed by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans who want to open up the political process.

“ The system is broken and the traditional parties are only making a bad situation worse,” Republican strategist Mark McKinnon told the AP in explaining his involvement.

Whether the Americans Elect concept catches on remains to be seen.

I’m old-fashioned enough to worry about the security and integrity of a computer voting system and I fear the process could easily be hijacked by a narrow interest group that concentrated its resources on the online convention.

And with a few exceptions, Americans are historically reluctant to embrace third parties.

One reason is Americans don’t like to “throw away” their vote, which is why they often settle for “electable” candidates rather than someone they really like but who stands little chance of winning. American voters are leery of “spoilers” (Ralph Nader in 2000, Ross Perot in 1992) whose presence on the ballot might tilt the result to a candidate they despise.

Another reason is when third parties do start winning mass support ( like the Progressives of the early 20th century), the two main parties have moved to pre-empt their positions.

However, the two main parties are so beholden to the ideological purity of their activists today that I am not sure they are capable of reaching out and embracing alternative ideas.

With public dissatisfaction with both the Democrats and Republicans growing, with more and more Americans identifying themselves as independents, and even Republicans dissatisfied with the options their party has produced to oppose President Obama, a lot of people are growing extremely frustrated with an election process that doesn’t work for them. It is a group some have called the “alienated major-ity.”

It will be interesting to see what alternatives develop to try to appeal to this huge slice of America.

— Jim Timmermann is The Sentinel’s opinion page editor. Contact him at jim.timmermann@hollandsentinel.com.

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Iowa Politics Insider: Romney perched, Cain returning - DesMoinesRegister.com

2011-11-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at Giese Manufacturing, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Organizers of this weekend’s Family Leader forum talk Thanksgiving attire and moms, Romney hands-off Iowa approach gets more scrutiny, and Cain’s state chairman breaks news that the candidate is returning on Tuesday, a few days ahead of his long-scheduled Family Leader forum appearance.

FORUM TO DRESS DOWN CANDIDATES, PLUCK OUT MOMS

Jennifer Jacobs previews Saturday’s Family Leader candidate forum. Of particular note are details on dress code and moms:

DRESS CODE: Organizer Bob Vander Plaats said the audience attire will be “business casual,” but the candidates were asked “to dress like they’re going to Thanksgiving dinner.”
FOCUS GROUP: Afterward, (pollster Frank) Luntz will pull 25 Iowa moms from the audience to do a focus group on their reactions to the candidates.

For Insiders who’ve long wondered what exactly Ron Paul does wear to Thanksgiving, the event should be a real treat. Luntz’s mom-group segment is set to air on Fox on Nov. 23, he said.

ROMNEY AND IOWA: DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIP

The Des Moines Register looked at how Iowa evangelicals are starting to shift their stance toward Mitt Romney yesterday. The AP underscores the state’s role in his nomination bid:

(Winning Iowa) could further his chances of scoring a one-two punch with a win there and in the New Hampshire primaries January 10, for which he is already tipped to secure a significant advantage, and pave the way to score the nomination that eluded him last time around.

And while Romney’s presence thus far in the Hawkeye State has been scant, the Iowa Republican’s Craig Robinson can’t argue with the strategy:

While Romney’s hands off approach to Iowa is frustrating to some Iowans and may have damaged the credibility of the caucuses, it’s hard to argue with Romney’s strategy. Despite his light Iowa itinerary, Romney has either led or finished a close second in every credible poll of Iowa Republicans this cycle. The media’s notion that the lack of activity in Iowa by Romney somehow automatically lowers his expectations is ridiculous. Just because he is out of sight, doesn’t mean he is out of mind. His position in the polls bears that out.

NO CAIN, NO GAIN: THE HERMANATOR RETURNS

Herman Cain’s Iowa chairman scooped his own campaign on Twitter last night:

Details are, as of yet, unannounced. The visit to will be Cain’s first since news of his sexual harassment accusations in the 1990s broke.

IOWA TEA PARTY GROUP LEADER STEPS DOWN

Ken Crow, the chairman of Tea Party for America, has stepped down, the Iowa Republican reports. Crow briefly burst into the national spotlight over the summer as he led the fumbling organization of Sarah Palin’s September appearance in Indianola. Crow’s statement:

It wasn’t a break up. I’m the founder of it and I decided it wasn’t best that I hang around anymore, so I resigned as chairman of the board and founder and walked away.

Crow’s wife, Sonya Jean, wrote on Facebook: “I think his dream was stolen by less than honorable people, who then lied and cheated their way into a take over would be more honest.”

Board members said Crow wasn’t forced out.

Bachmann hosts a town hall at Family Table Restaurant (511 Hawkeye Ave. SW) in Le Mars at 2:00 p.m before another town hall at the Pizza Ranch (104 North Runger Ave.) in Sheldon at 5:30 p.m.

Gingrich hosts a 6:00 p.m. showing of his film, “A City Upon a Hill,” at Santa Maria Winery (218 West 6th St.) in Carroll.

Perry speaks at the Scott County GOP Ronald Reagan Dinner at 2021 State St., in Bettendorf at 6:30 p.m.

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The Imaginative Power of 99% Politics: Occupy Wall Street Spreads Uptown - Huffington Post

2011-11-16T04:19:00.000-08:00

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Sujatha Fernandes: The Imaginative Power of 99% Politics: Occupy Wall Street Spreads Uptown HPFB.init();
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"I work at the airport," says a well dressed Dominican woman as she stops by our West Harlem Halloween solidarity with Occupy Wall Street event. "I've been working there for twenty-six years and I make $14,000 a year. People think that because I wear a fancy uniform I make a lot of money. But after twenty-six years I still make $7.50 an hour. And I don't have any sick pay, health insurance, vacation time, or benefits. I am the 99%."

This was one of the many stories that we were to hear over the course of the two-hour event, organized by my neighbor Ely together with the West Harlem 99% group. "We shouldn't be protesting the bankers," said an African-American man, who was probably younger than his wizened features suggested. "We should be protesting the landlords. They suck every penny from you and you have nothing left to pay for food, clothes, medical bills, school fees. And that's to live in a rundown apartment infested with mice. They never fix anything. We don't care about bankers, we don't even have money in the bank. But we're being screwed every day by the landlords."

A Puerto Rican mother of two said that when she was growing up there were decent public schools in the area. Now the public schools are overcrowded, underfunded, and squeezed into spaces with charter schools.

The predominantly African-American and Latino communities of the West Harlem area have long been struggling to fight unemployment, predatory lenders, gentrification, police brutality, and poor access to education and health services. These issues are now being highlighted more broadly as OWS moves into cities and neighborhoods across the globe. And slogans such as the 99% are producing new lines of solidarity that might bring together these different issues and help build connections between existing groups.

Chanel, an unemployed 28-year-old Puerto Rican woman who is an organizer with the West Harlem group, describes how the idea of the 99% appealed to the group over the idea of occupation. "We decided not to take on the Occupy name because people had negative feelings about it," said Chanel. "These neighborhoods are already occupied through gentrification. But the vast majority of us are being affected by the economy and the 99% is a way of uniting us and bringing us together."

It was through Facebook that Chanel first started hearing about the occupation at Zuccotti Park. After looking up information, she went down to Zuccotti Park to see what was going on. She was intrigued by what she saw: "I never thought that a group of five hundred people could get together and listen to each other and mold things, proposals that they decide on collectively. It's messy and can be exhausting and you have to wait your turn. But when it happens, it's so powerful, because you were a part of that. Even if you don't agree with the final decision, you still feel good because the process is fair."

Democratic procedure is at the core of the vision of the diverse West Harlem organizing collective, who have been inspired by the horizontal democracy techniques they are learning at OWS. Colby Hopkins, an unemployed 32-year-old community worker attended several of the facilitation trainings downtown and helped bring those to the group. "The principles of horizontal democracy are so fundamental to the movement," he said. "It's important to spread the concepts and processes and let people figure out how best to use them and adapt them." The group is very committed to the idea that they are not applying a model from downtown, but rather they are sharing ideas and finding the strategies and issues that will resonate with people in their community.

The West Harlem group held its first general assembly on November 3, attended by about sixty people. The assembly formed working groups around education, economic justice, police, and housing issues, and those groups now plan to meet on a regular basis.

West Harlem has caught the OWS fever. On November 7, I walk across Broadway to visit Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely who is occupying her community-managed housing cooperative in defiance of the predatory lenders who want to foreclose on it. As I approach 142nd St, I am stopped by a vibrant march of hundreds of people coming along the footpath. It is the "End to End for 99% march" that had begun in Washington Heights and is continuing on all the way to Zuccotti Park in solidarity with OWS.

The Queen Mother's house is in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of West Harlem. The number of the house has become the identifying name of the movement that has developed around it: Occupy 477-Sugar Hill.

I enter into her first floor apartment, and am greeted by her several supporters, including OWS activist Tony Cochran. The Queen Mother is waiting inside, dressed in a purple head wrap and brightly colored gown with thick socks and sweaters layered over the top.
It's cold in there. In August, the lender closed off access to the boiler room so that the residents cannot fix the broken heat. As winter months approach, the lack of heat and hot water is an issue for the senior residents. One activist was arrested when he helped the Queen Mother enter the boiler room to investigate the problem. As I speak with the Queen Mother, one supporter enters with a box full of space heaters that have been donated to Occupy-477.

A former Roman Catholic nun, the Queen Mother explains that she came to Sugar Hill in 1978 with her handicapped daughter, and she came across the building, which was then abandoned. At the time, the toilet wasn't working and there were homeless people staying there on mattresses. She worked with City College engineering students to rehabilitate the place and she went to trainings to learn how to self-manage a building. She discovered that under Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) guidelines, the apartments could be purchased from the city for $250. "When I put out a flyer to say that you could own your own apartment for $250, everybody thought that I had lost my mind," the Queen Mother told me. The majority of people who answered her call were young women with children, and these women then became part of her unique experiment in community-managed cooperative housing.

Although the group of women closed on the property and officially purchased their apartments in 1982, the banks started trying to foreclose on the property back in 1991, citing unpaid loans taken out for the building by people who were not even residents but had claimed to act on the building's behalf. The women -- now senior citizens who are themselves grandmothers -- have been fighting to maintain their housing through the help of non-profit organizations and pro bono attorneys. In the most recent turn of events, as lenders have tried to sabotage the building heat, the Queen Mother reached out to OWS activists. On day two of the occupation, she joined the movement in Zuccotti Park. She marched in the November 5 "Move your Money" Day against banks, reminding the gathered crowd that they stood on an African burial ground, as the first commodities traded on Wall street were her African ancestors and banks should pay reparations.

Through Occupy-477, the Queen Mother is hoping to highlight the housing problems faced by low-income residents in the neighborhood. "You do things out of a need, not because you're an expert in building codes," she told me. "I'm not an expert, I'm not a lawyer, but I've got to save this building." The Queen Mother poses for a photographer with her handmade sign, "We are the 99%, united by 1, divided by 0."

That same evening of November 7, the Movement for Justice in El Barrio -- a northeastern neighborhood of Harlem -- held an evening of dialogue with OWS. Building alliances between OWS and organizations such as this with its strong membership of Mexican immigrants is crucial, particularly given the low presence in OWS of immigrants who had mobilized in large numbers in recent years. Speakers at the event focused on the commonalities between their organization and OWS, most notably the fight against the 1%, which they referred to as "capitalism."

The Movement has close ties to the Zapatista liberation movement in southern Mexico, and works with the tools of horizontal democracy key to both movements. The centrality of direct democracy techniques in the everyday work of the Movement for Justice in El Barrio should caution us against thinking that democratic methods are simply being brought from downtown to uptown. Rather, it reminds us that horizontal democracy as being practiced in OWS is influenced by the techniques forged in Zapatista village assemblies and neighborhood meetings in places like Argentina.

These activities are being mirrored across other parts of Harlem. Central Harlem held a large General Assembly a few weeks ago. On October 21, thirty-three demonstrators -- including author Cornel West and OWS activists -- were arrested during a civil disobedience act outside Harlem's 28th precinct to protest the Stop & Frisk policies of the NYPD, which disproportionately target young black and Latino men. Local students are holding meetings on their campuses. The Coalition of Black Trade Unions (CBTU) and the NAACP held a rally in Harlem in support of OWS. And many other groups are organizing community speak outs, rallies and marches.

Yet even if all of these local activists and residents identify with the message of OWS, the 99% is a heterogeneous construct. Factors of race, ethnicity, age, and privilege constitute real obstacles to collaboration, a problem compounded by the tendency of groups to work within enclaves. What might be the practical articulation between these movements? How to overcome differences in a productive and democratic way? How to reach out to the broader population of the neighborhood who may not have the time or energy to become involved? It may take time and practical democratic working through of the issues, but if there is a slogan that can bring people together, the slogan of the 99% seems to have extraordinary imaginative power to do so.

On the day of the Halloween solidarity event, across the street from our table was a group of Dominican men, engaged in their usual Sunday afternoon street corner discussion. One man was sharing a letter from his building union with the others. "They're telling me my pension is at risk," he told the gathered group. "I've been working the same job for fourteen years, paying into my pension fund for fourteen years, and they tell me that it's at risk because the financial markets are in collapse. It's signed 'Sally Lowe.' I'm gonna call up Sally Lowe and ask her how much money she makes. Is her pension at risk because of financial markets? No! I bet that Sally Lowe gave herself a raise and a bonus. It's robbery. The 1% is robbing us 99% blind."

#ad_bottom_article_text {margin-bottom: 15px} Occupy Wall StreetMove Your Money shannynmoore More JOURNALIST have been arrested than bankers. #OWS #OccupyWallStreet 23 minutes ago from TweetDeck NewYorkObserver We saw two arrests as police pushed protesters from intersection at Broadway and Pine. #occupywallstreet 25 minutes ago from Twitter for Android nydailynews NYPD clears out Zuccotti Park of #OccupyWallStreet protesters - 70 to 100 arrested http://t.co/I61bL6pM 28 minutes ago from TweetMeme justin_hart Breaking: police evict #OccupyWallStreet and cleared Zuccotti park. 29 minutes ago from HootSuite EANewsFeed #OccupyWallStreet LiveStream/LiveBlog: The Police Move on Liberty Park in New York http://t.co/ygma1dXn #p2 #tcot #OWS #Activism 30 minutes ago from HootSuite guardian Follow @AdamGabbatt for latest updates from #OccupyWallStreet evictions. Live blog here: http://t.co/VhIGFThQ #OWS 32 minutes ago from TweetDeck EANewsFeed #OccupyWallStreet: Report - "Teenagers" chained to poles wr last protesters removed fm Liberty Park http://t.co/MFje6pk5 #p2 #tcot #OWS 57 minutes ago from TweetDeck Newyorkist From earlier: RT @NewYorkObserver: Here w credentialed photogs from NYT, WSJ and Reuters they're also being barred from #occupywallstreet 58 minutes ago from web CNNMoney For full coverage on NYC #OccupyWallStreet, follow CNNMoney.com's @PoppyHarlowCNN or watch @cnnAM now #OWS 1 hour ago from TweetDeck NYTMetro Police say 70 #OccupyWallStreet protesters arrested in operation to clear Zuccotti Park in NYC. 1 hour ago from TweetDeck NYTMetro Breaking: Zuccotti Park in NYC, birthplace of #OccupyWallStreet, cleared of protesters after two months, officials say. #ows 1 hour ago from TweetDeck CNNMoney RT @CNN: Police clear Zuccotti Park of #OccupyWallStreet protesters. http://t.co/IOsYLnaB #OWS 2 hours ago from TweetDeck Gothamist The NYPD has cleared #OccupyWallStreet from Zuccotti Park, about 70 arrests made. http://t.co/2tcU6XtS 2 hours ago from Brizzly ajgoldberg Crowd chanting: "We are the 99%!" #Zuccotti #OccupyWallStreet 2 hours ago from Twitter for iPhone AJELive View images of evictions and arrests of #OWS #OccupyWallStreet protesters when they cleared #ZuccottiPark. http://t.co/IBuNTdPX 2 hours ago from Seesmic ajgoldberg Crowd chanting: "No surrender! No retreat! Occupy Wall Street!" #Zuccotti #OccupyWallStreet 2 hours ago from Twitter for iPhone CBSNews At least 70 people arrested as #NYPD moves in to clear #OccupyWallStreet camp from #ZuccottiPark: http://t.co/fLestxAV #ows 2 hours ago from Seesmic twhirl EANewsFeed #OccupyWallStreet Video: Protesters re-group on Broadway after dispersal of Liberty Park camp http://t.co/YcWRiInN #p2 #tcot #OWS #Activism 2 hours ago from TweetDeck marc_cooper RT @Merton_G3: NYT http://t.co/jpoq1HoU puts link to #OccupyWallStreet livestream on front page. Times are a changing #OccupyLA #ows #ascj 2 hours ago from TweetDeck activecultures Sad. RT @marikodrew: RT @tigerbeat: RT @JoshHarkinson: Photo of park now, totally cleared http://t.co/s8NRo2y3 #ows #occupywallstreet #fb 2 hours ago from UberSocial for BlackBerry Show more results TOP INFLUENCERS ON THIS TOPIC 86 83 77 77 76 TOP LINKS ON THIS TOPIC 1 of 5

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I am #OccupyWallStreet to deliver 100% of my royalties from tonite's big event. Day 13!

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As primas que a Rainha esqueceu - O Globo

2011-11-15T23:46:00.000-08:00

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O Globo

As primas que a Rainha esqueceu
O Globo
Mas essa coisa de analisar o NHS (National Health Service), o SUS inglês, é unânime. Nem sempre fazendo jus à realidade, as críticas superam os elogios. De tão popular que é, o exercício de falar sobre problemas de saúde às vezes ganha status de fofoca ...

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Suu Kyi braces for return to politics - Hindustan Times

2011-11-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

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Aung San Suu Kyi appears on the verge of leading her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in a groundbreaking return to parliamentary politics in Myanmar a year after she was freed from house arrest. The potential move comes after the government signed an amendment to the electoral law on Friday that seemed to remove legal and ideological barriers to the party's participation, making the NLD "very likely to register", according to its spokesperson, U Nyan Win.

A series of byelections are believed to be due to take place at the end of December, involving around 50 parliamentary seats. They could see Aung San Suu Kyi take her first official role since she emerged as a leading voice in the democracy more than 20 years ago.

Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to an election win in 1990, but the party was barred from taking office by the military junta. Since then, the 66-year-old Nobel prize-winning campaigner has spent 15 of the past 22 years under house arrest. She was released last November, a few days after a controversial general election, boycotted by the NLD.

The first hurdle to the party's reintegration into mainstream political life was the now reformed electoral law that stated that parties had to "abide by and protect" the 2008 constitution, which is the basis for the country's nominally democratic political system, but which effectively places the military beyond civilian rule.

"We couldn't accept a military constitution," party founder U Win Tin said. The law has now been changed to say that the NLD must "abide by and respect" the constitution. But concerns remain: the constitution gives the military the ability to arbitrarily cancel civilian rule.

"They can seize power without even firing a gun," he said.

It also guarantees 25% of parliamentary seats for serving members of the military and that the institution is immune from prosecution in civilian courts. This led the NLD to boycott last year's election, which saw a military proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP), win an implausible landslide.

NLD members are expected to vote on 18 November on whether or not they support registration. Nyan Win said: "It will be good to participate. There are so many issues with the constitution that must be amended... but we must be in parliament to change them."

But there are differences of opinion within the party. Win Tin, who spent 19 years in solitary confinement after being jailed in the wake of the party's founding, is against registration. "I don't think we should go into parliament," he said. "If we go into parliament, we go under the rule of this constitution.

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Jonkanoo politics - Jamaica Observer

2011-11-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

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"And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

- William Butler Yeats (1920)
The general election period in Jamaica is most appropriately dubbed the "silly season", but it goes beyond that. It is also a time when "Santa Claus" makes an unscheduled visit to the ghetto long before Christmas comes. In old-time Jamaica, the Jonkanoo Band was a regular spectacle in the streets, providing entertainment for many passers-by and even some amount of fear.

The party platforms have taken on a festive face with much time spent in spewing invectives on opponents, dancing and prancing, while speaker after speaker hams it up saying little or nothing of any importance. In the meantime, mingling in the crowd and on the hustings are the rolling calves, the three-foot horses, pitchy-patchy and Actor Boys. Needless to say, there are freebies, blaring music, food and drinks aplenty plus various colourful paraphernalia to help to whip the crowds into a frenzy.

And as Bob Marley has sung, "Forget your troubles and dance..."

I am very disappointed so far with the level of discourse and pronouncements that pass for election campaigning. It is well known that this country's political landscape is rife with tribalism. Every five years or so, the boxing ring comprises the Jamaica Labour Party in green and the People's National Party in orange as they square off with the Electoral Office of Jamaica in the middle. It is a fight to the finish even as their supporters cheer from the stands in what sometimes can turn out to be a bloody brawl, a verbal slugfest which often sees many hits below the belt.

The harsh reality, though, is that there is reason to believe that this champion bout is at most times a sell-out in that he who pays the piper calls the tune. Hence, the strident calls for specific rules and regulations governing campaign financing.

In the meantime, the "same old, same old" politics of using handouts to bribe voters continues. A "Nanny", a "Manley" or a "Shearer" is surreptitiously slipped into the hands of supporters with T-shirts or is taped on to a plate of curried goat. Whatever happened to issues? Must such a crucial election as this one be just about who is old and who is young, as well as about personalities involving character assassination?

Let's face it, in the final analysis, election time in Jamaica is WAR. War of words. Turf war. Physical wars. But, unfortunately, no war of ideas. Come Sunday, November 20, 2011, when newly installed Jamaica Labour Party Leader and Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, flies the gate, must it only be a case of letting the pirates in? Lest we forget, in war the first casualty is always the truth.

From all indications, so far, no one wants to face the truth about the economy and Jamaica's relationship with the International Monetary Fund. Will there be massive layoffs in the public sector? Will the IMF agreement be renegotiated or will it be business as usual which could mean that the country is sliding down a slippery slope towards the abyss of persistent poverty and ultimately social instability?

In the meantime, candidates are being parachuted into constituencies while morals take an extended holiday, and from all indications the people do not really matter in the scheme of things. It is all about power and more power. And we know what happens when power is in the hands of self-serving individuals. "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton.

What amazes me is how one's political persuasion can so influence one's perception of matters pertaining to governance as well as engender unbridled hatred and intolerance. In my own case, people with whom I always enjoyed a cordial relationship now see me as an enemy because I am a PNP candidate and they are supporters of the JLP. And it is on both sides of the fence. I recently visited what was dubbed "a PNP yard" and its occupants stoutly declared that even the dog there is a Comrade. One man declared vociferously that even when he reaches the stoplight and the green comes on, he does not feel like going forward. That's how much he hates green! Jamaicans refer to each other as "dutty Labourite" and "dutty PNP" among other unsavoury remarks. Indeed, when I do my walks I am urged not to speak to the Labourites which I refuse to do because I believe that what is most important is for all of us to see one another as Jamaicans first. Unfortunately, too many of our politicians have chosen to encourage the nastiness and the irreverent behaviour which only help to divide us further rather than unite us.

My major concern is that after the dust will have settled when the general election is over, there will be many harsh truths that will emerge which will need national consensus on the way forward. One sociologist has already predicted that we may be heading towards a scenario in which a military coup may well be the only solution, given the possibility that neither the JLP nor the PNP by themselves can effectively solve the nation's problems. After the hype that accompanies the election campaign, then enters the real McCoy when one party is first past the post. One truth that will not go away is that Jamaica is in serious financial problems. Another truth is that too many young Jamaicans (many of them skilled and academically qualified) are unemployed.

Since 1962, it has been a case of "room for rent apply within" and now that we are on the eve of celebrating 50 years of political independence the stark reality is that the country is yet to attain economic independence. The ideological war is no more, capitalism is the order of the day, a capitalism that must be infused with compassion.

For now, the Jonkanoo bands are out and many are gyrating, immediate gratification being the order of the day. What can I tell you, "fire deh a mus-mus tail 'im think a cool breeze!"

lloydbsmith@hotmail.com

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Supreme Court Wades Into Presidential Politics Once Again - NPR (blog)

2011-11-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

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Enlarge J. Scott Applewhite/AP

U.S. Supreme Court building, Sept. 2011.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP U.S. Supreme Court building, Sept. 2011.

The U.S. Supreme Court may get another chance to choose a president.

Ten years after Bush v. Gore when the court put an end to the Florida recount to end the disputed 2000 election in favor of President George W. Bush, the Supreme Court could prove to be a factor again in another White House contest.

With the high court's announcement Monday that it would decide on the constitutionality of the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act, we are assured of a decision coming smack dab in the middle of the 2012 general election campaign.

If the court upholds the law, especially with something larger than a 5-4 majority, that would obviously provide President Obama with a critical victory that would deflate his political opponents' main argument against the law, that it is unconstitutional.

And there's a chance that the court, even with its present conservative tilt, could decide just that. Two conservative federal jurists, U.S. judges Laurence Silberman and Jeffrey Sutton, have already ruled that the individual mandate is indeed constitutional.

Many legal experts believe that the two judges have provided the justices with a constitutionally sound path to upholding the law.

Of course, Tea Party activists and other conservatives could just accuse a Supreme Court majority that upholds the law of not understanding the Constitution as well as Tea Party activists do.

If the court strikes down the individual mandate, however, that would obviously be a boon for the eventual GOP presidential nominee and congressional Republicans.

The high court's imprimatur on the GOP's position would only enhance Republican attacks and his fellow Democrats against Obama as a usurper of states' rights. In a close race, as many expect the 2012 election could be, a decision for or against the law could prove decisive.

True, the fact that two conservative judges have already sided with the Obama administration could give the president some political cover during the campaign.

But the Supreme Court has the largest megaphone on questions of constitutionality and would likely drown out any argument by Obama that pointed to the disagreement among conservatives.

Whatever it ultimately decides, the Supreme Court's justices find themselves in a familiar position, having to decide a question of law that has vast political implications.

While the justices like to be seen as being above partisan politics, a 5-4 decision against the law that falls along strict partisan lines will certainly be viewed by many Americans as a politically motivated, just like Bush v. Gore.

That could hurt the court's reputation as the most trusted of the federal branches of government.

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How technology is reorganizing political protest movements - CNN

2011-11-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

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Police attempt to disperse a crowd at Occupy Portland on Sunday.Author: Protests are modeling themselves after networked, personal technologyThese movements have lots of leaders instead of one or two, Micah Sifry saysNew leadership mode is a strength and not a weakness, author arguesEditor's note: Micah Sifry is co-founder of the Personal Democracy Forum, a website that examines how technology is changing politics, and the author of "WikiLeaks and the Age of Transparency." This commentary is part of a series of "Campaign Tech" articles that will run through 2012 and explore technology's role in the presidential election.

(CNN) -- A column by New York Times Public Editor Arthur Brisbane on Sunday raised a plaintive question: "Who is Occupy Wall Street?"

In the piece, he searches desperately for the leaders behind what is today's hottest political phenomenon. In the course of an admirably open exploration of how the Times should report on the Occupy movement going forward, he -- along with a group of his journalistic peers whom he consulted for advice -- revealed a telling assumption about how political movements must work.

Though he quotes a commenter on his blog who told him that the movement's lack of traditional leaders is part of its message, he can't let go of the idea that it must have leaders.

"An investigation into (its) origins would lead to the identities of early leaders, at least, and the search for the broader leadership of the movement should continue from there," he writes.

A sampling of leading journalism educators that Brisbane polled, many of them former top newspaper editors, agreed.

"Most said it was important to understand who the leaders were and what demographics they represented," Brisbane reports.

"Leadership tells you a lot about a movement," Jerry Ceppos, the former executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News, told Brisbane. "But I can't I can't cite the name of a single Occupy Wall Street leader. I know some members say the groups are 'leaderless.' But I have trouble believing that this is an entirely organic movement that grew without a leader. I'd push hard to see if there are leaders and to profile them."

Why this insistence on finding the supposed leaders of Occupy Wall Street? The reason goes beyond a desire to understand the movement's goals, I think, into something more existential that is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of how networking technology is changing politics.

For many traditional political observers such as Brisbane and his colleagues, the notion that a political movement might arise without charismatic leaders is inconceivable. Every previous movement, after all, has had its figureheads. Think of Gandhi, MLK, Mandela. Or, at the less exalted level of recent times, think of Ralph Nader, Al Sharpton or Michael Moore on the progressive left, or Sarah Palin, Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin on the Tea Party right. The same question was raised, if you recall, around the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, which were often described as "leaderless."

A movement can't be leaderless, right? Who would we feature on the front page? Who would we put on the Sunday talk shows? Who would we negotiate with?

Or if you're feeling some distress about politics in America today, who might lead us to cure all that plagues us, from economic doldrums to climate change to failures of leadership in so many other institutions, from corporate boardrooms to the church to college football programs? Is there a savior rising from these streets?

No, political movements can't be leaderless. The Occupy Wall Street movement is, in fact, leader-full.

But it's a vastly different kind of leadership that is emerging. It's one that, like the networked technology that supports it, rejects all forms of top-down hierarchy and values peer-to-peer network weaving instead.

Ilyse Hogue, a progressive activist who was on the staff of MoveOn for many years, recently put it this way, in one of the first uses of the term "leader-full" that I have seen:

"We should all strive not for leaderless movements, but for leaderFULL movements. The former trends towards autocratic loudest voices dominating. In their best manifestation, the latter creates equitable space to raise up all voices, create mechanisms for group decision making and accountability, and to catalyze self-responsibility and empowerment."

Most of us come from a world and a generation that only knows one kind of leadership, the one whose organizational structure looks like a confusing government flowchart.

Everything about our industrial age institutions, from schools and churches to corporations and government, trains us to think of leadership as top-down, command-and-control. Give the right answer, get into the right school, get a good job, work your way up the chain of command, win the good life. But today, more and more of us live in a sea of lateral social connections, enabled by personal technology that is allowing everyone to connect and share, in real-time, what matters most to them.

And at a moment when so many traditional political institutions appear bankrupt, incapable of reforming themselves and paralyzed in the face of huge challenges, the result is an explosion of outsider movements for social change whose structure looks more the masses of people that gathered in Egypt's Tahrir Square, the pro-union demonstrators in Wisconsin or the Occupy Wall Street protests around the country.

Indeed, I think there's a reason we keep seeing this recurring image of a filled circle rather than a hierarchy in today's protest movements: All the points on a circle are equidistant from the center.

Spots in the middle are hubs, but no one hub dominates. Resilience is built through the multitude of lateral connections between all the points in the network, so if any hub fails, others can pick up the slack. And thus today's networked movements are not only highly participatory, with many leaders instead of just one, they are also much stronger than movements of the past that could be stopped or stalled by the discrediting, arrest or killing of their singular spokesmen.

Going from a world of top-down leaders who use hierarchy, secrecy and spin to conduct their business to a leader-full world filled with self-starting network weavers who are transparent and accountable about their actions will take some getting used to.

But the Occupy Wall Street movement, like the Tea Party before it was captured and turned into a marketing vehicle for the Republican right, represents the flowering of something very deep about our networked age. It is personal democracy in action, where everyone plays a role in shaping the decisions that affect our lives. We may face huge challenges, but while some of our material resources are in scarce supply, we have an abundance of leaders coming.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sifry.

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Pipelines and politics - Calgary Herald

2011-11-15T03:56:00.001-08:00

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Having long gone past the point of fact and reason, 10,000 protesters recently marched around the White House carrying a symbolic black pipeline, when they should have been carrying a lump of coal. If the U.S. environmental lobby was honest about protecting the environment, its main target would be the coal-fired power generation industry in its own backyard, which is significantly more destructive than Canada's oilsands. But the oilsands - conveniently located in one place rather than scattered throughout two dozen states - are a much easier target.

And so we come to the point where, as some critics have already pointed out, U.S. President Barack Obama last week sacrificed 20,000 jobs to save one - his own. This should come as no surprise, for fact and reason often fall victim to politics. The delay of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline until after the 2012 U.S. election is clearly a tactical manoeuvre on the part of the Obama administration. It placates Obama's environmental base while not entirely alienating his union constituency, which may yet benefit not just from the 20,000 direct jobs, but the estimated 120,000 indirect spinoff jobs - assuming the pipeline can survive the delay and potential withdrawal of customer support from producers wanting to ship via Keystone.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who looked positively jocular with Obama at the APEC summit in Hawaii, still believes the pipeline will get built. So does Alberta Premier Alison Redford, currently in Washington, D.C., meeting with officials on Keystone and the environmental achievements in the oilsands.

Harper has said the Keystone delay forces the urgency of speeding up the Northern Gateway pipeline to the West Coast for access to Asian markets. But that project will also face significant environmental and legal hurdles.

The winner, as of now, is TransCanada rival Enbridge, which can step up to the plate by increasing capacity and moving ahead with its proposed Wrangler pipeline in the United States. The possibility of shipping bitumen by rail, an alternative envisioned by the U.S. State Department, also got a big boost.

In the end, the environmental lobby's victory may be short-lived. No magic combination of wind, solar and electric cars powered by coal-fired generation will stop demand for Alberta crude. It is too valuable a commodity to leave in the ground and the global need for it will persist for decades.

The Obama administration's decision in itself does not kill Keystone. It wants a review to find an alternative to the route across Nebraska's Sand Hills and Ogallala aquifer.

David Wilkins, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada under George W. Bush, said the Keystone delay "certainly keeps us beholden to hostile nations instead of increasing our supply from our good friend and ally."

This, too, Obama knows, even if his environmental supporters refuse to acknowledge it.

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Review iPhone 4S: latest work of genius – Reuters

2011-10-07T08:15:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, the presentation of a new version that has already become a cult iPhone has coincided with a tragic event – October 5, Tim Cook introduced in California iPhone 4S, and the next day shocked the world news of the death of Steve Jobs, the legendary co-founder of the Empire Apple.

How did it happen last child of Steve Jobs? In fact, iPhone 4S – perfectly suited for the role of the monument to the great inventor and businessman. On Internet forums verbal battles break out on "Good Is the new iPhone," we are and the courage to answer this question affirmatively: "Yes, it was good. Very".

the words of Elvis Presley's manager, " numbers do not lie, "and iPhone 4S published throughout the world many millions of copies. It could not be – in recent years, Steve Jobs has never made a mistake in the management of Apple and the creation of new products, and his latest creation can not fail to identify.

So, apparently iPhone 4S is virtually identical to the iPhone 4 – and this is probably a good thing. Designed by "four" for the year had not become obsolete, it is quite relevant. The choice of buyers offered two options – black and white.

important moment: the developers have changed the design of antennas for communicating with cellular networks, and now the "iPhone" can handle anything you like. Of course, users can check it out just after the start of sales (it is scheduled for October 14), but we believe the company's word.

By the way, from now on "iPhone" is a so-called global smartphone: 4S can work in cellular networks GSM / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz and CDMA EV-DO Rev.A 800/1900 MHz. However, in Russia CDMA networks with the appropriate frequency range is not so for us it is an advantage iPhone 4S irrelevant (as opposed to the same in Ukraine).

display remains the same: 3.5-inch IPS-matrix resolution of 960 by 640 pixels so far ahead with the separation of the remaining screens in the market of smartphones. But the camera has become significantly more powerful: it received an 8-megapixel sensor and can record video with a resolution of Full HD (1920 by 1080 pixels) and at 30 / s.

" heart "iPhone 4S is a dual-core gigahertz processor Apple A5, which is also mounted in the Tablet PC iPad 2. When the letter of the developers, the new product at least two times faster than the iPhone 4. But there is every reason to believe that in the field of graphics (ie games) separation from its predecessor will be even more noticeable. However, this can be verified only by direct comparison with the launch of two or three toys.

A few good moments: iPhone 4S has a Bluetooth module version 4.0 (it's faster and cheaper Bluetooth 2.1, which stood on the iPhone 4) and a version with 64 GB of internal memory. Last not least: apps, music, games, videos – for this must be the place, and memory card slots in the "iPhone" has never been and probably will not.

iPhone 4S version with 16 GB of memory will cost U.S. $ 200 (of course, complete with a contract of the local operator), 32 – $ 300, and 64 – 400. In Russia, the new "iPhone", by itself, would cost many, many times more expensive, but buyers are still there after all. As the number of fans of the products Apple, and of wanting to buy the latest iPhone Steve Jobs in his lifetime.

iPhone wasala 2

2011-09-26T11:04:00.001-07:00

On July 11, 2008, Apple released the iPhone 3G in twenty-two countries, including the original six.^[10] Apple released the iPhone 3G in upwards of eighty countries and territories.^[11] Apple announced the iPhone 3GS on June 8, 2009, along with plans to release it later in June, July, and August, starting with the U.S., Canada and major European countries on June 19. Many would-be users objected to the iPhone’s cost,^[12] and 40% of users have household incomes over US$100,000.^[13] In an attempt to gain a wider market, Apple retained the 8 GB iPhone 3G at a lower price point. When Apple introduced the iPhone 4, the 3GS became the less expensive model. Apple reduced the price several times since the iPhone’s release in 2007, at which time an 8 GB iPhone sold for $599. An iPhone 3GS with the same capacity now costs $49. However, these numbers are misleading, since all iPhone units sold through AT&T require a two-year contract (costing several hundred dollars and including an early termination fee^[14]), and a SIM lock.

Apple sold 6.1 million original iPhone units over five quarters.^[15] Recorded sales have been growing steadily thereafter, and by the end of fiscal year 2010, a total of 73.5 million iPhones were sold.^[16] By 2010/2011, the iPhone has a market share of barely 4% of all cellphones, but Apple still pulls in more than 50% of the total profit that global cellphone sales generate.^[17] Sales in Q4 2008 surpassed temporarily those of RIM’s BlackBerry sales of 5.2 million units, which made Apple briefly the third largest mobile phone manufacturer by revenue, after Nokia and Samsung.^[18] Approximately 6.4 million iPhones are active in the U.S. alone.^[13] While iPhone sales constitute a significant portion of Apple’s revenue, some of this income is deferred.^[19]

IPHONE WASALA

2011-09-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

Development of the iPhone began in 2005 with Apple former CEO Steve Jobs‘ direction that Apple engineers investigate touchscreens.^[3] He also steered the original focus away from a tablet, like the iPad, and towards a phone.^[4] Apple created the device during a secretive collaboration with AT&T Mobility—Cingular Wireless at the time—at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months.^[5] Apple rejected the “design by committee” approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR E1, a largely unsuccessful^{[citation needed]} collaboration with Motorola. Instead, Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone’s hardware and software in-house^[6]^[7] and even paid Apple a fraction of its monthly service revenue (until the iPhone 3G),^[8] in exchange for four years of exclusive U.S. sales, until 2011.

Jobs unveiled the iPhone to the public on January 9, 2007 at the Macworld 2007 convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The iPhone went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time, while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide.^[9] The original iPhone was made available in the UK, France, and Germany in November 2007, and Ireland and Austria in the spring of 2008.

Worldwide iPhone availability:

Original iPhone was available; now iPhone 4

iPhone 3GS and 4

Coming soon

IPHONE DUEL

2011-09-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

The iPhone (pronounced /?a?fo?n/ eye-fohn) is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple. The first iPhone was unveiled by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007,[1] and released on June 29, 2007. The 5th generation iPhone is expected to be globally released in Q3 2011 inline with the release of iOS 5.0, the Apple operating system for handheld devices.

An iPhone can function as a video camera (video recording was not a standard feature until the iPhone 3GS was released), a camera phone, a portable media player, and an Internet client with email and web browsing capabilities, can send texts and receive visual voicemail, and has both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The user interface is built around the device’s multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard rather than a physical one. Third-party as well as Apple application software is available from the App Store, which launched in mid-2008 and now has over 425,000[2] “apps” approved by Apple. These apps have diverse functions, including games, reference, GPS navigation, social networking, security and advertising for television shows, films, and celebrities.

There are four generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the four major releases of iOS (formerly iPhone OS). The original iPhone was a GSM phone that established design precedents like screen size and button placement that have persisted through all models. The iPhone 3G added 3G cellular network capabilities and A-GPS location. The iPhone 3GS added a compass, faster processor, and higher resolution camera, including video recording at 480p. The iPhone 4 has a rear facing camera (720p video) and a front facing camera (at a lower resolution) for FaceTime video calling and for use in other apps like Skype. The phone also featured a higher-resolution display; it was released on June 24, 2010. In the U.S., AT&T was the only authorized carrier until February 10, 2011, when a CDMA version

MAMBER

2011-09-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

DULALITR

POST2

2011-09-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

DIENM

SDFFFF

2011-09-19T06:01:00.001-07:00

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ADSFFG

2011-09-19T05:58:00.001-07:00

sFG hsdryt dr yrdurtu r rutfuu

PALALO

2011-09-19T05:54:00.001-07:00

ajib tenakd eo eigfmao ckaofmtg edsgdrtg

ADGFGG

2011-09-19T05:34:00.001-07:00

ADGFG SFGSG S FS FSFDS

Steven Fullman

2011-07-02T04:53:00.001-07:00

Steven Fullman is a partner in the Company and Commercial Group and specialises in corporate transactional and commercial work for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Steven has significant experience of transactions involving the sale and purchase of foreign SPV companies holding UK property. He also regularly advises on shareholder agreements and other “joint venture” relationships/arrangements.

Also, Steven has a specialist leaning towards a number of workplace and IP/IT related agreements advising on non-contentious employment law, data protection and technology licensing.

Steven Fullman

2011-07-02T04:47:00.001-07:00

Steven Fullman is a partner in the Company and Commercial Group and specialises in corporate transactional and commercial work for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Also, Steven has a specialist leaning towards a number of workplace and IP/IT related agreements advising on non-contentious employment law, data protection and technology licensing.

The Diet Solution Program Review: Pros and Cons side

2010-12-05T06:43:00.001-08:00

All about the new Diet Solution program, one of the best selling programs regarding weight loss and healthy lifestyle. The Diet Solution Program is perfect for people who have struggled with their weight their whole life and are sick and tired of programs that just don’t work long term, are sick of programs that promise magic results in record time.

The Diet Solution

I am going to warn you because I will be mentioning pros and also cons of this new product. If you want to read only pros, you might want to leave this page, as it deals with the real facts, not some hyped *reviews* you might see on the Internet.As with any other fat loss program and system, your results will depend on many factors that only you control. One of these factors is how well you follow the program. If you are not willing to follow the rules, you cannot expect results as with all things in your life. If you follow the diet solution program, you will lose weight, simple as that. Everything is not 100% perfect, read more to find out cons of this product.

1. Sometimes perhaps too aggressive marketing promotion of The Diet Solution Program Might not work for all the people around the World.

2. You know, nothing is completely 100% effective. If you find a program that is claiming to be 100% effective, it smells fishy.

3. You will have to use your own willpower in order to change your lifestyle and nutrition, in order to change your health.

1. The Diet Solution is an effective weight loss program that is completely safe, healthy and easy to follow.2. Will show you how different foods affect different parts of your body.3. Comes with 60 day money back guarantee. Just keep every email you get from them regarding your purchase. You will need these details in case you are not completely satisfied with the product.4. Some people have even just used the quick start guide and lost 10-15lbs in a little as 6 weeks. Anyone can do it. 5. You can easily follow the instructions that are provided in this book. 6. The Diet Solution Program encourages the intake of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. The Program contains also delicious recipes to make everyday meals tasty.

I believe you know the best for yourself Related Posts : Diet, health lifestyle, Product

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How to stop smoking! Part 1

2010-12-05T06:41:00.001-08:00

1. custom analysis

do the analysis on smoking habits that has been done so far. For example:

* When your most common time for a smoke

* When you want to smoke

the results of this analysis will assist in braking the desire to smoke.

2. compiled a list of reasons

do all the things that make you not resumed smoking. Always remember that the underlying reasons for you not to smoke. If you need to set up a list of reasons for that.

* Avoid cancer, heart failure, digestive disorders

* A better social life

* Remember the health and interests of the child / family

* Healthy body

3. direct stop
choose a day where you will stop. And on that day, immediately stop completely without performing stages. Announce your plans to people close to you so they can help.

4. cautious in the early days

early days it will feel very hard. Try to divert attention by eating candy or chewing gum without sugar. Temporarily reduce the activity associated with smoking, such as going to the bar.

5. enjoy your life

money that should be used to purchase cigarettes could be used to buy gifts for themselves, such as buying books, buying tapes, movies, and other fun things. or maybe doing exercise for a healthier body

6. Low calorie intake

during the first weeks (up to approximately four weeks), eat foods low in calories. Also drink plenty of water

How to stop smoking! part 2
. Related Posts : cigarette, Health, smoking

View the original article here

Foods High Protein Diet: What Does It Mean For Your Body

2010-12-05T06:29:00.001-08:00

To really understand the impact of a protein diet, it's important to know how it affects and interacts with your body. When we speak of your muscles, glands, and organs, they are mainly made up of protein. Indeed the two major components making up our bodies are water and protein. So, why all the fuss about protein diet? There is definitely a link between enhancing muscle and protein since muscle is largely composed of protein. So the argument goes, protein diets help in muscle growth which in turn, helps to fight fat. Just as there are good and bad fats and carbohydrates, there are different categories of proteins as well. Proteins are composed of amino acids, and the human body requires 20 such amino acids for it's normal growth and development. When considering a protein diet, it is important to know that certain foods carry proteins containing essential amino acids which are NOT produced by the body itself but ARE essential to the body's processing of the other 12 non-essential amino acids. What does all this mean? Your protein diet must include foods that not only provide non-essential amino acids, but more important, must include foods that supply your body with essential amino acids. Related Posts : Food, health lifestyle, Protein

View the original article here

How to stop smoking! Part 2

2010-12-05T06:20:00.001-08:00

Click here for How to stop smoking! Part 1

before I proceed, I want to ask you, do you want to stop smoking now ? If there was a desire from the depths of your deepest heart, I personally congratulate. The decision you take is very appropriate for the health of yourself and the people around you. the decision is also very beneficial for the health of your pocket.

once you're steady with that decision, begin to remove all things associated with smoking. not only cigarettes and its tool, also throw lighters, ashtrays and all associated with smoking. Now that you're no longer a smoker so you do not need the objects anymore.clean up all objects in your house that still keeps the smell of cigarettes. it aims to avoid the emergence of memories again of the smell of cigarettes. Wash clothes, bed linen, towels, blankets and all of them. if there is money, buy a room air freshener so you no longer smell the smell of cigarettes that could lead to longing for a cigarette.Do not attempt to try anf find a replacement for cigarettes that contain nicotine. sold in the market that contain nicotine gum so you can be free from cigarettes but you will be increasingly bound by nicotine. indeed many expert who advocate this way, only must be done in accordance with the advice and the right dose.would be nice if you replace it with gum or candy mints thus eliminating the smell of cigarettes in your mouth. Loss of sense of cigarettes in the mouth a long time will make you forget about smoking for good.smokers usually have schedules that are not written for smoking. ie they smoke after eating, smoking while blogging. create other activities during that time so you do not fill that time with smoking. eg you can chew after eating sweets or desserts. When blogging you can eat snacks, when lining up your vehicle you can browse or read a book. not easy indeed but if done with full determination it will be able to do.exercise and drinking enough water will help you forget about cigarettes. This activity will make your body more healthy and helps remove toxins and bad ingredients from cigarettes out of the body. exercise also makes you forget about cigarettes, exercise especially when the sport conducted in an environment that many people there so you can get along well.So a bit of a way to get rid of cigarettes from your life. all the above will work if there is commitment from yourself to stop smoking.My recomendation: Quit Smoking Today Quit Smoking Today is a series of mp3 recordings that you can download from the internet. The mp3 recordings use Neuro-linguistic programming it will make you understand the impluse that make you want to smoke and it will systematically reframe your assumptions on smoking. They have a 60 day 100% money back guarantee which is honored if it does not help you quit smoking.Actually in my honest opinion, i feel the most important thing is your intention to stop smoking completely. My grandfather prove it, he doesn't need any product, he also just replace the cigarettes with candy, instead of nicotine gum, and of course his desire to stop smoking, because he knows that cigarette harmful to the body. And believe me no matter how many product do you bought, it just useless if you don't have intention to stop smoking. The product just help you to stop smoking, but it doesn't make you stop smoking. the final result is in your decisionHowever for those of you who still are unsure and do not know how to stop smoking, this product will be great help for you. Help not make, the decision is yoursRelated Posts : cigarette, Health, How to do, smoking

View the original article here

New Game Halo: Reach Xbox 360 Console

2010-08-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Halo ®: Reach, which is getting major hardware maintenance. Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle launches day and date with a game on September 14, and provides extraordinary value and courageous way to celebrate the franchise icon. Linga file will be available with a matching custom Halo: Reach Limited Edition Wireless Controller. In addition, Microsoft and Bungie revealed an attack of other Halo: Reach the news today at Comic-Con International exhibition, including a first look at Forgeworld, Versus mode crossfire, and more.

Pre-Order the Console Today
The Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle features an exclusive silver design and comes with two custom Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with artwork inspired by the game, a Standard Edition copy of Halo: Reach, a token for the Elite armor set for use in multiplayer modes, an episode of Halo Legends, and an Xbox 360 Headset. As an added touch, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle not only captures the look and feel of the game, it’s also outfitted to respond with custom sound effects from the Halo universe.

Designed by Bungie, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle includes all the features of the newly designed Xbox 360 console, such as a 250 GB Hard Drive and the fastest built-in Wi-Fi for the easiest connection to Xbox LIVE®. The bundle is available in limited quantities and only while supplies last, so fans who want to own a piece of the Halo mythology are encouraged to pre-order quickly. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle has a suggested retail price of $399 USD and will be available on September 14.

Wireless Controller and Headset
In addition to the exclusive new console bundle, Microsoft and Bungie unveiled the Halo: Reach Limited Edition Wireless Controller and the Halo: Reach Limited Edition Wireless Headset, both of which feature a distinctive silver color and exclusive artwork by Bungie.

Available in September for $59.99, the Halo: Reach Limited Edition Wireless Controller includes an Xbox LIVE token for a Banshee aircraft Avatar item. The Halo: Reach Limited Edition Wireless Headset will also be available at the same time for an estimated retail price of $49.99. Both accessories are available in limited quantities.

Forgeworld and Versus Firefight Modes Revealed
Continuing the Halo tradition of offering players a groundbreaking level of customization, Microsoft and Bungie have also announced Forgeworld, a robust set of tools built into Halo: Reach empowering armchair designers to easily create and share their unique Halo: Reach game designs with the world.

Additionally, Microsoft and Bungie are giving attendees at Comic-Con International the first public hands-on with the Firefight multiplayer mode at the Xbox booth, including the newly unveiled Versus Firefight mode, pitting a team of player-controlled Elites with Covenant A.I. support against a team of player-controlled Spartans.

Developed by acclaimed studio Bungie exclusively for Xbox 360, Halo: Reach launches worldwide on September 14, 2010, and in Japan on September 15. Halo: Reach is available for pre-order in Standard, Limited, and Legendary editions at participating retailers worldwide. The Standard Edition has an estimated retail price of $59.99, and the Limited and Legendary editions of the game will retail for $79.99 and $149.99, respectively, and are packed with extras fans won’t want to miss.

Outgun Kinect and PlayStation

2010-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

As we all know, Christmas has begun in the technology industry. Every gadget, gizmo and AV companies and retailers are now touting hope that things will be a big problem coming holiday season. Pocket-thread has been for more Christmas in July and August the incident late than they already have a pie. And they've had a fair few recently as well.

But, frankly, the hawkers of the toys and tantalising tinsel-wrapped treats needn't bother, we all know what will become the pieces of kit that will make the kids, big and small, interesting sleeves of their parents / bank manager time came in December: Microsoft and thePlayStation Kinect Move.

Or, at least, that's what we thought until Groupola.com revealed the findings of its survey of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners.

The daily city deals website, which offers localised discounts and vouchers, polled 2031 British video-gamers on whether they would buy into the new accessories for their consoles.

And only 23 per cent of Xbox 360 owners said that they will be investing in a Kinect, whereas 64 per cent of their PS3 counterparts would buy a PlayStation Move.

This is clearly a reaction to the price: Kinect will be £129.99 on release, whereas reports state that the Move will be a mere £50.

Additionally, only 19 per cent of Xbox 360 owners were impressed by the compatible games line-up announced at E3 2010. However, despite the lack of interest in actually buying one, 61 per cent of them did say that they would be interested in how the voice control functionality will be utilised. Obviously, the PlayStation Move doesn't have such a feature.

Source: http://n4g.com/news/576256/playstation-move-to-outgun-kinect-considerably

Contact Me

2010-06-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Or just leave a comment here

UK Games Industry Advocates Retain MP Status

2010-05-20T02:51:00.000-07:00

Leading games industry supporters have retained their status as members of parliament following yesterday's UK general election.

Labour Tom Watson will serve fourth term as MP for West Bromwich East, Conservative MP Ed Vaizey was reelected to a deficiency, and the Liberal Democrats Don Foster continued his chair Bath.

active supporter of the domestic game sector, the trio resolved to questions from senior industry figures at the inauguration ceremony in March ELSPA Question Time.

Meanwhile, Richard Wilson, CEO of Three UK developer trade body, saying that parliament depends Develop - which means the parties do not have more than half the lawmakers in the House of Commons - was created by the election last night "can also work in support" of the UK games industry.

“I always remain optimistic,” he said. “All the major parties have stated commitments to tax measures to help support the UK games industry. I feel there is a growing consensus about the issue. No minority government will want to upset more people than it has to... I believe they will continue to support games tax relief because it will help create jobs and future investment."

iPad International Launch

2010-05-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Apple will launch the iPad in nine more countries on May 28.

Only released in the US to date, the tablet device will be made available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK later this month.

The 16GB model will cost £429, the 32GB model £499, and the 64GB unit £599. 3G versions of the same models will cost £529, £599 and £699 respectively.

Customers will be able to pre-order all iPad models from Apple’s online store from Monday, May 10.

In the US, Apple has sold over one million iPads since the device’s April 3 release. It was expected to launch internationally in late April but was postponed due to higher than expected US demand.

Financial Reported from Capcom

2010-05-18T02:44:00.000-07:00

Capcom has reported “sluggish financial results” for the financial year ended March 31, 2010.

Net sales decreased 27.3 percent to 66 837 million yen ($ 725m / £ 494.4m), while profits dived 73.1 percent to 2167 million yen ($ 23.5m / £ 16 million).

The company's flagship video game business, Monster Hunter and Monster Hunter Freedom Tri Unity "continues to grow in Japan", while the fifth Resident Evil and Street Fighter IV "healthy growth" in overseas markets.

Company cited "weak sales of several new titles" - MotoGP, Bionic Commando and Dark Void is among the releases during the period - and said that the delayed launch of Lost Planet 2, Super Street Fighter IV and Monster Hunter Tri (international version) for the year current fiscal "significantly depressed sales" compared to the previous 12 months.

Capcom said it expects "a sharp rebound" in the year ended March 31, 2011 on the back of the "big" game release. This full-year profit estimates 8000 million yen ($ 86.8m / £ 59.2m) on net sales of 95,000 million yen ($ 1b / £ 703m).

EA Changed for 18+ Rating

2010-05-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

EA Games Label president Frank Gibeau said the changes in the videogame ratings system in Australia, where adult-themed games are generally forbidden, required and called for the introduction of rating of + 18

"At EA, we are committed to the belief that adult consumers may have a responsibility to their entertainment choices. Just as adults can decide to see a movie or reading a book with adult themes, so he should have the same right to vote in interactive entertainment," wrote Gibeau onGI.biz.

Government policy "which does not allow for ranking adult content in video games to effectively censor entertainment options for adults. These policies indicate a poor understanding of videogaming audience today," Gibeau added.

"Governments don't insist that all books be written for children, or that all television shows be cartoons. Adult gamers want their governments to treat them with the same respect as movie goers and book readers. Adult Australians should be allowed to choose the games they play, including those with mature themes.

"A change in the Australian age rating system is needed," he concludes.

What are your thoughts?

[ Source: GI.biz ]

Gaming To Popularise 3D

2010-05-16T02:38:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Game Studio creative director Habib Zargarpour reckons it's up to gaming to popularise stereoscopic 3D.

The first set of 3D TV, which requires the use of 3D glasses, has been released this year with more to come in summer, and said the success of 3D Zargarpour wider will be "up to the game content ... more than the film and broadcasting."

3D effects, he explained, both are much easier to achieve and is more suited for games only karena "we already are in digital media, we've pada device displays digital," tidak like live-action, which need to be recorded with a dual-lens camera khusus and face new challenges with shooting in 3D.

"People aren't going to buy those TVs unless there's stuff to do with it", he told Gamasutra, going on to say he believes gaming in 3D will be more interesting to consumers than watching 3D Blu-ray films, the first of which are also due to arrive later this year.

Zargarpour says that 3D effects, combined with the motion controls of today's gaming systems "may truly become the next level for video game interactivity". On PS3 and 360, however, rendering 3D will come with a performance hit, Zargarpour predicting that 30 frames per second and 720p resolution will become the norm for AAA games in 3D.

[ Source: Gamasutra ]

Japan: PSP Sales Ahead Of Nintendo DS

2010-05-15T02:36:00.000-07:00

PSP Japan sales more than double during the week ended May 2 portable Sony provide some breathing room in the battle with the Nintendo DS.

Combined sales of the PSP-3000 and increased from 30 302 to 61 205 units PSPgo. Total DS sales also grew significantly - though not sharply - from 30 105 to 45 265 units.

While sales rose on the board hardware, enjoyed a huge boost by the mobile platform may be directly connected with the release of Metal Gear Solid: W. Peace for the PSP and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 for DS. But while Konami stealth game seems to have a greater impact on the sales system, debuted in second place at the table are the latest software, behind Square Enix's title.

Elsewhere on the hardware front, PS3 maintained its weekly lead over Wii, while Xbox 360 jumped ahead of DS Lite.

Weekly hardware sales totals (previous week):
PSP - 59,315 (28,758)
PS3 – 32,874 (25,629)
Wii - 30,757 (23,691)
DSi LL - 25,569 (16,676)
DSi - 15,628 (10,640)
Xbox 360 - 4,943 (2,214)
DS Lite - 4,068 (2,789)
PSPgo - 1,890 (1,544)
PS2 - 1,577 (1,490)

Source: Media Create
Japanese Sales History

Facebook Games Lost MAU

2010-05-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Many of the top Facebook games lost million of monthly active users (MAU) in April.

After a smaller decline in March, April 18th over 25 titles saw a reduction of MAU, a leading developer Zynga who suffer most.

The popular mass Farmville lost more than 4.4 million MAU, although the app is still the top game in April with 78.4 million players. Zynga title lost more than ten million in the last month MAU total, according to analysis by Inside Social Games (via IndustryGamers).

Facebook game's second-largest moon, RockYou's Birthday Cards, losing five million users of the player base of 39 million in March, while MindJolt's MindJolt Games shed more than seven million Maus month to month, which represents more than a third of the basic player.

The main reason for the decline of Facebook's decision seems to disable third-party notice in early March. The company said it removed the lines of communication - which used the developer to keep players returning to the game - to make "a more streamlined application, clear, and less spammy to the user".

Addressing Facebook's move in an article about the growth potential of social games, Digital Chocolate CEO Trip Hawkins said last month that viral growth through aggressive spam no longer works, creating a need for richer games that encourage players to actively “recruit” other users.

Paid subscription model for Nintendo ?

2010-05-13T02:18:00.000-07:00

Shigeru Miyamoto says that Nintendo will need to decide whether to stick with the free service online games or introduce paid subscription model.

Online-compatible Wii and DS titles currently free to play using the service Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, but in an interview Miyamoto recently suggested this could change.

"... Maybe something else that we were desperate to realize is online [core] business structure," said Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, our boss. "Do we need to demand customers pay a monthly fee to enjoy online activities? Or give online subscription is free, but then offer something extra for those who pay, so they get extra value? With a core business strategy I think we are less active than we should. "

Despite this recognition, Miyamoto rejected suggestions that Nintendo has taken only small steps in the online space.

"Frankly, I think it rather unfair every time I hear comments like - that Nintendo is not proactive when it comes to online strategy. The fact is that we always want all Wii consoles will be connected online, all the time, so Nintendo is never less than proactive in such efforts, "he said.

“It is true, though, that Nintendo hasn’t been very proactive in developing such online activities as an MMOG. But when it comes to our endeavours that try to take advantage of internet technology, where we can provide our customers with more fun and entertainment, then I think we can say we have been very, very proactive and well-received. And that attitude won’t be changed at all in the future.”

Microsoft's Xbox Live

2010-05-12T01:39:00.000-07:00

Anywhere between 600,000 and 1 million players that use Microsoft's Xbox Live gaming service will be disconnected from the service because they have modified their game console or played games illegally downloaded from file-sharing site, according to the company.

"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal, and that modify the Xbox 360 console they violate the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and cause the tire from Xbox Live," Microsoft said in a statement Wednesday.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Time of the statement to coincide with the release this week of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, 'the highly anticipated Xbox 360 games. Released games mean big sales - but also the sale of pirated DVDs, which are illegal.

There are more than 20 million players worldwide who use the Xbox Live gaming service, according to Microsoft. The service lets gamers play each other online as well as buy and download games.

"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live," Microsoft said.

"We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the Xbox Live terms of use, purchased a retail copy of 'Modern Warfare 2' and played the game on an unmodified Xbox 360, no action will be taken.”

Dave Taylor, publishing director for GamerZines.com, said he understands why some people may want to modify their consoles.

"It's fair for people to feel that they should be able to do whatever they want with something that they have bought, but it's also fair for Microsoft to do everything it can to reduce the risk of piracy," he said.

"In some cases though, modding (modifying) is done to allow a bigger hard drive, and given that the supplied hard drives are still very small comparative to what is available on the market, and expensive also, you can see why some people are going to be very angry."

However, he said, "the biggest problem in banning modded consoles — and this gets missed by most people — is that it is the console itself that gets banned. So many of these consoles get sold secondhand, even sometimes unwittingly by stores (that) accept them as trade-ins, to people who assume they have just bought a functioning console. And while it might technically boot up, the console is blacklisted and therefore pretty much useless to them."

Microsoft, he said, "needs to find a way to address this, or else it risks annoying the modders who make up 1 percent of their audience and the second-hand purchasers."

The company "needs to do a better job of explaining to people why modding consoles isn't acceptable, and needs to find a way to help people tricked into purchasing blacklisted consoles," said Taylor.

In its Xbox Live and Windows games' "Terms of Use" agreement, as of September 2008, Microsoft says that players are to use "only authorized software and hardware to access the Service," and that they agree that their software and hardware "have not been modified in any unauthorized way ... and that we have the right to send data, applications or other content to any software or hardware that you are using to access the Service for the express purpose of detecting an unauthorized modification."

In addition, "any attempt to disassemble, decompile, create derivative works of, reverse engineer, modify, further sublicense, distribute, or use for other purposes the Service, any game, application, or other content available or accessible through the Service, or any hardware or software associated with the Service or with an original Xbox or Xbox 360 console is strictly prohibited and may result in cancellation of your account and/or your ability to access the Service, and the pursuit of other legal remedies by Microsoft."

A video games job

2010-05-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - If your dream job is to work in the video game industry is looking for a bright future with the industry players saw a pick-up the number of jobs become available, although salaries remain flat.
"Employing up from last year, but a rough market," said Marc Mencher, president Gamerecruiters.com.

"Unfortunately, we had about 12 000 unemployed people in the North American game segment, but with strong growth in the casual MMO (massively multiplayer online.) And the social segments of the game, we saw a pick-up in hiring."

Salaries, however, are yet to follow upwards as the industry starts to recover after video game sales fell 8 percent in the United States last year amid the global financial crisis.

Game Developer Research's ninth annual Game Developer Salary Survey found the average American mainstream videogame industry salary in 2009 was $75,573, which was a decline of more than 4 percent from 2008's figure of $79,000.

"Overall, game salaries have risen 24 percent from an average of $60,833 in 2001, the first year we began studying developers' salaries," said said Chris Remo, the co-director of Game Developer Research and Editor-at-Large at Gamasutra.com.

"For the most part since then, salaries have either risen or remained flat on a year-on-year basis, with the only exceptions being this past year, and a 1 percent decline from 2005 to 2006."

After a record game industry average salary in 2008, this past year saw the first case on record of a significant average salary decrease as consumer confidence suffered in the midst of a recession and employers looked to cut costs where possible.

Despite the recent dip, 2009 still boasts the second-highest average salary ever.

It's not unusual for videogame developers to be making $80,000 to $150,000 a year," said Dr. Peter Raad, executive director of The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University, a leading graduate level game design program.

"That money typically comes from three different buckets, including base salary, profit sharing and bonuses tied to a specific game." HIGHEST PAID?

According to the recent survey which focused solely on average salaries, programmers are the highest paid creative talent in the game industry with an average annual salary of $80,320. Those who work their way up to technical directors with six or more years of experience took in an average of $121,750.

Programmers turn millions of lines of code into colorful characters like Mario and photorealistic battlefields.

Artists and animators actually saw a slight 2 percent increase in salaries in 2009 with an average salary of $71,071.

The art department is responsible for bringing game characters, objects and worlds to life from early sketches to the finishing touches on in-game 3D models.

Like artists, game designers saw a modest salary bump on average, up 3 percent to $69,266. The design discipline also includes writers, who make an average of $61,786, a figure right in line with the average design salary of $61,859.

These creative forces are charged with taking a game idea and turning it into a fun and engaging video game.

Video game producers earned an average salary of $75,082 last year. Much like Hollywood producers, video game producers are charged with bringing games in on time and on budget by overseeing the various departments of the development team.

One of the best avenues into the videogame industry remains Quality Assurance (QA) testers, who are the team members who play the game over and over to fine-tune the gameplay experience and fix any glitches.

QA testers made an average salary of $37,905 in 2009, but many testers move on to other jobs within a game studio and those who stay on more than six years can see their salary double.

Outside of the creative development teams, the highest paid jobs in the video game industry are in the business and marketing department. Despite a 6 percent decline from 2008, the average salary was $96,408.

Remo expects expects game industry salaries to rebound.

"Although the economy has been responsible for some layoffs at various studios, I am personally aware of many who are still hiring," said Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games, which is developing new games "Gears of War 3" and "Bulletstorm."

Copyright 2010 Reuters.

source:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive Now Shipping from SanDisk

2010-05-10T01:25:00.000-07:00

Score a point for SanDisk, a flash memory card maker that managed to convince Microsoft to let them become the people to provide the Official Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive. Microsoft added support for USB storage devices for game consoles that are less than a month ago, and with a SanDisk USB stick, gamers never have to worry about formats or download the update early storage. Just plug and you're good to leave.

"Xbox LIVE contains a world of content for gamers to find and to download, including full-length games, movies and music," said Shuki Nir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail, SanDisk. "Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk specifically designed to provide a great user experience and maximum compatibility with the console, gamers that offers greater freedom and flexibility in how they store, manage and enjoy their favorites file."

Not surprisingly, the price is slightly higher than what you would pay for non-branded USB stick.Available in 8GB and 16GB capacities, SanDisk will sell the drive is $ 35 and $ 70, respectively.It's not a horrible markup, even though we felt like there was a missed opportunity here to bundle in some special edition item that will only be available for those who buy a USB drive.

SanDisk Ships Licensed Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive

Pre-configured USB Drive Delivers the Best Experience On Xbox 360 Console

MILPITAS, Calif.--SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it is shipping the Xbox 360® USB Flash Drive by SanDisk for the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment console. The new drive makes it easier than ever for gamers to take their gamertags, saved game progress, map packs, Arcade game downloads and bonus content with them for fast and convenient access on another Xbox 360 console†.

The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk delivers the best experience on the Xbox 360 console. Pre-configured for seamless plug and play action, the drive eliminates the need to format storage or download an initial software update for an Xbox 360 console. For gamers looking to get in on the fun or for those with existing accounts who want to extend their play, a one-month Xbox LIVE Gold membership is included with purchase of the drive††.

“Xbox LIVE contains a world of content for gamers to explore and download, including full-length games, movies and music,” said Shuki Nir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail, SanDisk. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is specifically engineered to deliver a great user experience and maximum compatibility with the console, offering gamers greater freedom and flexibility in how they store, manage and enjoy their favorite files.”

“SanDisk has a proven track record of creating high-quality storage solutions,” said Ilan Spillinger, Vice President, Xbox Hardware and Technology, Microsoft. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk provides a great solution for gamers who need portable storage for their Xbox 360 content. It’s plug and play simple.”

Pricing and Availability

The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is available now on SanDisk.com and at major retailers. The drive is available in 8 gigabyte (GB)1 and 16GB capacities, carrying suggested retail prices of $34.99 and $69.99, respectively.

About SanDisk

SanDisk Corporation is the global leader in flash memory cards, from research, manufacturing and product design to consumer branding and retail distribution. SanDisk’s product portfolio includes flash memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders; digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state drives for computers. SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.

Source: http://hothardware.com

Contest to award $1 million

2010-05-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is upon us, and that means that baseball title this year are in full swing. If you have not heard already, 2k Sports has sponsored a contest to award $ 1 million to the first person to field a perfect game in a sports sim documented recently released.

A perfect game, for those of you who do not follow baseball, it means that you do not give up any hits, runs, or walks. You have to retire 27 straight batters. Just to clarify, that damn hard to do. So, you'd expect this contest lasted long enough, right?

Wrong. Wednesday morning, on the Early Show on CBS, 24 years McGilberry Wade, of Semmes, Alabama announced as the winner. "I had to get permission from my wife to play," said McGilberry. Well, I can identify with that, but because he wins, I'm sure he can play more games in the future!

Contest rules required players to play in a specific mode, using specific settings, and they had to record themselves on video playing the game. McGilberry said that 2K reps even checked his XBox 360 to make sure it wasn’t modded before they awarded the prize.

I wasn’t likely to be a factor in this contest anyway, but it’s pretty amazing to me that McGilberry pulled it off on day one of the contest. Congratulations to him, and kudos to 2K Sports for holding a pretty damn cool contest.

Need for Speed series sells 100M

2010-05-08T01:11:00.001-07:00

In 1994, Electronic Arts released all-new racer, The Need for speed, for the 3DO console.Although the platform is long gone, Need for Speed Series later became one of the most popular racing series of all time, with 15 different games on 14 platforms.

Today, EA announced that Need for Speed franchise has been sold more than 100 million units worldwide during his career 15 years - racing series just never did. (The other title for hitting the mark EA Sims series) To put that in perspective., EA helps show that the figure was equal to one third of the population that the U.S. and three Canadian citizens. Total sales generated by --- $ 2700000000 - also matches or exceeds the gross national product of states is smaller.

In 2005, the king racing series is not denied, with Need for Speed Most Wanted sold 16 million copies worldwide, according to EA, and 3.9 million in the U.S., according to NPD Group.However, subsequent years have seen very little white-hot popularity in the domestic cold.Lifetime U.S. sales figures from NPD show in 2006 Need for Speed: Carbon selling 3.2 million, year 2007 Need for Speed: ProStreet sell 2.4 million, 2008's and Need for Speed: Undercover selling 1.4 million.

In part due to these declining domestic sales, the Need for Speed series got an ambitious reboot this year, being split into three subfranchises. A hardcore racing sim, Need for Speed: Shift, was developed for the PC, PSP, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 by Slightly Mad Studios in the UK in conjunction withdownsized Canadian studio EA Black Box. EA Montreal is putting the finishing touches on an arcade racer, Need for Speed: Nitro, for the Wii and DS. Finally, Black Box and EA Shanghai are working on Need for Speed World Online, a PC-only, free-to-play game.

Although Nitro isn't out until November 3 and Need for Speed World Online won't arrive until next year, Need for Speed: Shift went on sale September 15. Following Monday's release of the NPD Group's US September sales numbers, GameSpot learned the version landed in 15th place on the top 20 chart, GameSpot with 148,000 units, while the PS3 version took 16th place with 145,000 units. Add in the PSP edition's 10,700 units and the PC edition's 5,700 units, and the game's total US haul for the month was just over 309,000 units.

While decent, Shift's September numbers aren't at the same blockbuster level as previous Need for Speeds. However, with the series reaching the 100-million-unit mark, EA remains bullish on the brand. In June, the company tapped Criterion Games, developer of its acclaimed Burnout series, to oversee future installments. To get some perspective on where Need for Speed has been--and where it's headed--GameSpot spoke with EA vice president of global marketing Keith Munro.

100 MILLION SERVED

GameSpot: 100 million units is quite a milestone. When exactly did Need for Speed reach it?

Keith Munro: Need for Speed hit this milestone with the release of Need for Speed: Shift in mid-September.

GS: Other than the Sims, have any other EA games topped that number?

KM: No other EA games. Only five games have sold more than 100 million copies, so Need for Speed is certainly joining esteemed company.

GS: Has any other racing series out there?

KM: Need for Speed is the only racing franchise to hit this 100-million-unit milestone.

GS: Which of the many NFS games is the best-selling one, and how many units did it sell?

KM: With over 16 million units sold, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is the best-selling Need for Speed game thus far.

GS: What are the other best-selling installments in the series?

KM: Over the past six years, Need for Speed has really struck a chord with consumers and has averaged 12.8 million units a year during this time frame, so that’s from NFS: Underground in 2003 through to NFS: Undercover in 2008.

ORIGINS & EVOLUTION

GS: When the series started in 1994, did anyone think it would go this far?

KM: Back in 1994, the goal was to create the most immersive and fun driving experience in amazing supercars. The initial games’ success was a testament to the potential for the franchise, but I don’t think anyone on that team envisioned 100 million units.

GS: How has the vision for the series evolved from the 3DO, Saturn, and PlayStation Era?

KM: The single largest shift for the franchise was in 2003 with the launch of Need for Speed: Underground, which took the series from supercars on the open highways to a street-oriented racer rich with customization, youth car culture, and a wider range of cars including sport compacts and other more accessible vehicles. This evolved into the open world, narrative, and pursuit-filled experiences characterized by Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Carbon, and Undercover.

GS: What would you consider turning points in the series?

KM: Other than what I just mentioned, it would be the recent pillar approach that Need for Speed has undertaken. Recognizing that racing fans want different types of experiences and innovation, we have structured development to make unique, high-quality games for these different audiences, based on three categories: action driving (games like need for speed most wanted), authentic simulation, and arcade racing.

The first expression of that was Need for Speed: Shift, built by Slightly Mad Studios with collaboration from Black Box. It is a highly realistic racing sim, but done in a very edgy, visceral, violent-in-the-cockpit style that really lets players feel what it’s like to drive such powerful racing machines.

The next expression of this approach will be the arcade racer Need for Speed Nitro, which is being built by EA Montreal, and it’s the first truly built-for-Nintendo platforms and audiences Need for Speed game our brand has undertaken. It is a hair-on-fire, 200-mile-per-hour, cops-on-your-tail experience that will appeal to a wide audience.

GS: If there was anything you could go back and change in the series' evolution, what would it be?

KM: I would probably have begun the transition to multiple development studios earlier than we have, and rested the team at Black Box.

GS: What was the series' high point?

KM: The launch of Need for Speed: Underground and capturing the imagination of consumers established Need for Speed as the dominant racing franchise. Recently, the release of Need for Speed: Shift, with us delivering such a high-quality game that is being loved by fans, is certainly another high point for us.

GS: Its low point?

KM: While technically Porsche Unleashed (PS, PC) was widely acclaimed at its release in 2000 for being the best Need for Speed game ever, the product didn’t reach its sales expectations, despite a valiant performance in Germany! Porsche remains one of the most valuable and amazing partners for us, but I believe our fans really value the choice and variety found in a typical multiple-manufacturer Need for Speed game.

RELAUNCH

GS: When the threeway relaunch of the series was first announced in January, many assumed that it was due to disappointing sales of back-to-back installments of Need for Speed Carbon and Need for Speed Undercover. Was that the case?

KM: As I mentioned earlier, it was really motivated by our consumers and deep insight into what they wanted to see in the market. We have devoted the best studio teams to creating high-quality racing experiences that build on those studios’ key strengths, and delivering these cool and varied experiences to consumers was our primary motivation.

GS: Do you think those two games did not live up to expectations?

KM: While they didn't reach the unparalleled success of Most Wanted, both games actually sold quite well despite shipping in extremely competitive windows.

GS: Which of those issues were addressed in Need for Speed: Shift?

KM: Need for Speed: Shift really was a shift for us, diving hard into the authentic-simulation subgenre, but in a uniquely “Need for Speed” style. It was very different than any of the past six years of Need for Speed games by virtue of it being a cockpit-driven, realistic, extremely visceral, true driver’s experience on closed courses. And of course, the quality of the game and how it drives is amazing.

GS: Reviews for Shift were positive, but not universally so. Has it met your expectations? How many units has it sold worldwide?

KM: Depending on the platform, we had a 20- to 25-point jump on Need for Speed: Shift sales from the previous year, so we are really satisfied with that, and I think the average scores have been outstanding. It has sold well and we are excited for the holiday season, which is traditionally Need for Speed’s best sales period.

GS: How does EA handle having so many different studios working on one series?

KM: We have strong leadership on the studio and publishing side of the business, all with a strong eye on the Need for Speed brand and its tenets. We also have a deliberate strategy in play aimed at delivering the best-quality titles on the right platforms built by the best developers for those subgenres. We are not launching all the games at once, so management is not arduous. It’s actually a lot of fun.

GS: How is work on Need for Speed World Online coming along? Is it still on track to launch this year?

Need for Speed World Online is coming along well and many internally are playing it regularly. It is tracking to a closed beta in the first part of 2010 with commercial launch also planned for holiday 2010.

source: http://www.gamespot.com/

Join the Halo: Reach Beta

2010-05-07T02:43:00.000-07:00

On Monday, May 3rd May 2010, the ® Halo: Multiplayer Beta on Xbox LIVE soil Reach ®. All you need to participate is the Xbox LIVE Gold account, Halo 3: ODST campaign disc, and about 1.2GB free hard drive space.

To download the beta version, just follow these easy steps:

1. Insert the Halo 3: ODST campaign disc and launch the game.

2. Select “Play the Beta” from the main menu. (You won’t see this choice prior to May 3.)

3. The first time you do this, Halo 3: ODST will need to download the beta from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. You’ll see the window below, and you’ll need to select “Confirm Download.

4. When the download has finished, choose “Continue.”

5. You’ll be taken back to the Halo 3: ODST main menu again. Select “Play the Beta” once more.

6. Now that you’ve successfully downloaded the beta, selecting “Play the Beta” will launch the game, instead of downloading it.

7. Enjoy helping us test Halo: Reach, and get that pre-order in so you’ll be ready when the game ships this Fall!

Note: If you received an early invitation to participate in the exclusive Halo: Reach Beta, additional information will start arriving the week of May 3rd. Due to the volume of participants, it may take 48 hours or more for you to receive your token. Be sure to check your email.

source: http://www.xbox.com/