Thursday, June 30, 2011

Robert Platt Bell Articles: Patent Reform Act of 2011

Note:? I will leave it to the legal scholars to provide detailed analysis of the "Patent Reform" movement of the last two decades. Such scholarly articles, no doubt, will be peppered with impenetrable legal prose.?? However, you, the Patent Applicant, may have some questions about the new "Patent Reform" act of 2011 as well as the cumulative effects of prior Patent Reform efforts.? The following article attempts to explain these issues in broad and general terms.

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Will the Patent Reform Act of 2011 change the way we do business?? Perhaps less than we think.

The Patent Reform Act of 2011 has been passed by both houses of Congress at the time of this writing, and is now in committee for reconciliation.? The sticker at this point is in USPTO funding - one version allows the USPTO to keep its user fees (which in the past have been a profit center for the Government) and the other version requires the USPTO to beg for more money.? The President has said he will sign the act, so it appears these provisions may come to pass.? However, the impasse over the debt ceiling has stalled the bill, and it might not pass for some time - or may be derailed.? Thus, I have not commented on this bill before.

What is Patent Reform?? Why does our System Need Reforming?

When I was a Law Student, I paid my way through Law School writing Infringement and Validity Studies on Lemelson Patents.? Many accuse Jerome "Jerry" Lemelson of Patent Abuse, and while it does not appear he has done anything illegal, he is sort of the poster-boy (or whipping -boy) for what are sometimes derisively termed "Patent Trolls".

In the old days, Patents extended 17 years from the date of issue - and since you could legally string Patent Applications together as Continuations, Continuations-In-Part, Divisionals, and the like, some of Lemelson's Patents issued in the 1980's and beyond with effective filing dates from the Eisenhower era.? This meant that trying to invalidate such Patents with "Prior Art" was difficult.

And some folks would refer to these Patents as "submarine" Patents - surfacing after many years, with claims designed to torpedo a new technology.? But again, this is some people's interpretation of events - one man's submarine Patent is another man's carefully drafted and valid Patent covering technologies that they invented.?? It is a matter of perspective, not law.

And some folks argue that Lemelson (or his Attorney) went after people for infringement claims that were not very strong - or in fact, baseless.? And by offering to settle for relatively small amounts of money, not many of these cases went to trial, and Lemelson made a lot of money as a result.? And some folks think that was wrong.

For example, I worked on one case, involving six separate Patents.? We studied these and came to the conclusion that four were either invalid or not infringed, one was likely invalid or not infringed, but that one was, well, sort of a toss-up.? With a jury trial, it could go either way. ? The claims were broad and the disclosure (in my opinion) vague, and the products that were being accused of infringement were not even conceived of at the time of filing.? We didn't think the case had merit, but on the other hand, you can't guarantee these sorts of things - such is the nature of the legal system.

But since, back then, claim interpretation was a very open-ended proposition (and often performed by technically unsophisticated juries) there was a real risk that a client could lose at trial.? We charged the client $50,000 for this opinion, which was a lot of money back then.? The opponent offered to settle for the equivalent of $100,000 a year.? The client chose to settle.

Some folks argue that these cases amount to little more than shakedown attempts - Patent Blackmail - using the nuisance value of a lawsuit to extract or extort money from legitimate, non-infringing companies.? However, as I noted before, Lemelson and others did not appear to be violating the law - they brought colorable claims of infringement based on what they felt were valid Patents.

What was annoying to some businesses was that these claims were not being raised against manufacturers, but often against users.?? For example, I talked with one fellow who claimed to have invented a DTMF type telephone-tree, for automated telephone response systems.? He hired a contingency fee litigation company to sue on his behalf.? But rather than sue AT&T or some other telcom provider who makes and sells this type of telephone equipment, they went after Coca-Cola, and other large Corporations who actually use the equipment.

Again, nothing illegal here - use of an infringing product can be infringement.? But the legal strategy is something that some folks found odious - namely that a company with no interest in the fight finds itself in the middle of an expensive legal battle.? And such companies are more likely to settle for nominal sums than fight a major Patent battle.? So from a Patent Owner perspective, it is more lucrative to go after the customers than to go after the manufacturer.

Of course, such a strategy doesn't work if you are a competitor of the manufacturer - those customers are potentially your customers, and you risk losing them forever if you sue them.? But most so-called "Patent Trolls" were not manufacturers or sellers of products, but rather merely Patent holders, Attorneys, or companies formed whose only assets were Patents.

If you own only Patents, you have no risk of being counter-sued, so it does provide an advantage that corporations and manufacturers don't have.

Like I said, none of this was illegal and I am not accusing Lemelson or any others of doing anything illegal or immoral.?? Moral judgements are your own call.

And whether this was a "major drag on industry" is also debatable.?? According to some sources, Lemelson made maybe $450 million from his Patents (his is dead now, but the Patents live on, of course).? This may seem like a lot of money, but it is a pretty small chunk of our overall economy - an infinitesimal one.? And of course, Lemelson did spend decades prosecuting these Patents, often with no promise or hope of payoff.

But nevertheless, many people were up in arms about the rash of "Patent Trolls" out there.? And since they were doing nothing illegal, they decided to change the laws.? And they have.?? And over the last two decades, our Patent system has changed, gradually.? Some of these changes have been positive, some negative.? I doubt they will put a coffin nail in the "Patent Troll" concept at all, however.?? And in many respects, that make things harder for both solo inventors as well as large Corporate Clients.

What Changes Were Made Prior to the Reform Act of 2011?

Sine the mid-1990's a lot of changes to the Patent System have occurred.? And these changes have taken a number of forms:

1.? Changes in Patent Procedures at the USPTO - examination guidelines for Software and Internet-based Patents as well as Method-Of-Doing Business Patents have made obtaining these Patents more difficult.? The procedures for applying obviousness-type rejections have changed as well, and such rejections are made more often.? The overall allowance rate has dropped in recent years, as Examiners are emboldened to maintain rejections that in the past, would not have been made.



2.? Changes in Patent Rules - A number of rule changes have been made that, collectively, make it a little harder to prosecute cases, and also have tried to speed up the process of Examination.?? Some of these Rule changes can be a trap for the unwary.? For example, extensions of time in submitting Reply Briefs (on Appeal) or Formal Drawings (after a notice of allowance) are no longer permitted.? If you miss these deadlines, your case is abandoned.? Moreover, new rules for the formatting of Amendments and Appeal Briefs have caused some difficulties for practitioners, if they fail to follow these rules to the letter.? New Rules now limit the number of Continuations or Continuations-In-Part that an applicant can file.? If you find yourself going around and around with the Examiner, you should stop and appeal, as you cannot file more than two Continuations now, without showing good cause for doing so.

3.? Changes in Case Law (Court Decisions) -? Several landmark cases have come down from the Federal Circuit and even the Supreme Court, altering the ways we interpret Patents as well as litigate them.

Patent Claims are no longer interpreted by a Jury, but rather by a Judge (Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.)? This change takes a lot of uncertainty out of the process, as a Judge (arguably) may be less swayed by emotional arguments (the evil Corporation versus the poor solo inventor).? Since Markman, a hearing may be held, before a judge, to decide the scope and meaning of the Patent Claims.? Often, the outcome of such a hearing decides the case - if the claims are interpreted more narrowly, the Plaintiff may simply fold their case, as they have little chance of winning.? If the claims are interpreted broadly, the Defendant may be more willing to settle.

Much ink has been spilled on the Teleflex and Bilski cases.? While the former is supposed to revise the standards for obviousness, I personally do not see any difference in how art is applied at the Patent Office in the wake of this case.? The application of Prior Art in a case is usually fact-based, and oftentimes the references do not teach what is alleged.? Moreover, the claims usually can be amended to overcome a reference, without unduly limiting the scope.? Rarely is the standard of obviousness - as a legal argument - made.? And the "new" standard, such as it is, is just as nebulous as the old Graham v. John Deere standard.

Bilski may have made getting business method Patents more difficult, but it also provided a roadmap to amending around the rejections made by the Patent Office.? So long as you can characterize your business method in terms of hardware or concrete steps, you might still be able to Patent it.

But each case steers the Patent Law in the same direction - toward more narrow interpretation and more difficult prosecution.? Only the State Street Bank case, which opened the flood gates of the Business Method Patent, has expanded the scope of Patent Protection in recent years.? And the door opened by State Street was slammed shut, to some extent, by Bilski.

4.? Changes in the Law - (Congressional Action) - changes to the law (35 U.S.C.) have been enacted over the years to limit the terms of Patents and prevent cases from being strung together.? In the mid-1990's we switched over to 20-year term, which counted Patent terms from the date of filing, not the date of issue.? The idea behind this was to kill off these long application chains, where a case could have a filing date in the 1950's and issue in the next Century.? There were some problems with this new Law, however:

A.? Older cases were "Grandfathered" in, so ironically, some Lemelson cases are no doubt still pending in the system.? While 20-year term may prevent new submarine Patents from being filed, it will not depth charge the old ones still lurking beneath the surface.

B.? 20-year term can harm manufacturers and corporations as well, as it may take years for Patents to be Examined and issued, and moreover, technology may not come to full fruition until many years of development and marketing.?? With 20-year term, an applicant may find they have only five years of useful Patent Life.

C. Patent Term Extension attempts to correct some of the problems - but not all - by extending Patent terms by an amount equal to the "delays" caused by the Patent Office.? However, this creates new levels of complexity in determining Patent terms, and could arguably create new grounds of malpractice.

D.? Applicants have to choose between an early filing date (from an earlier-filed application) and a longer Patent term.? If you have an improvement to your invention that has been out for a few years, you may be able to claim priority from an earlier-filed case - which makes your new Patent easier to get allowed as it anticipates more Prior Art.?? But the flip side is that the Patent term is shorter - leaving you less of an enforcement period to use.


As we shall see, the new Patent Reform Act of 2011 amplifies some of these issues, but perhaps not by much.

There have been other changes in the law as well, but none so directed at the "Submarine Patent" as the 20-year term.

So What is in this New Patent Act?

The law has yet to pass, at the time of this writing, although it appears to be on the way to the President's desk, and he appears ready to sign it into law.? The new law has a number of provisions:

1.? The First-to-File System

The major provision that will affect applicants is the switch to the first-to-file system.? This may sound like a major change in the law, but it really will not affect the lives of most Inventors.?? It is, however, another good reason why you should file as early as possible, instead of waiting around.

We will still have the "one year bar date" on the books, so you can file within one year of the date of first public use, sale, offer for sale, or publication.? However, if an Interference is declared between two applications, the person with the earlier filing date will win.? Interference practice, will, as a result, fade away.

This is not a significant change, in my opinion.? Fewer than 1% of all Patent Applications end up in Interference, and of those, perhaps 90% end up being awarded to the person with the earlier filing date.? Usually, the first to invent files first, as the process of developing an invention follows a certain pattern - and most inventors think about Patenting at about the same time in the process.? So an obscure procedure is eliminated from the books - an obscure procedure that the first to file won most of the time, anyway.

But nevertheless, it illustrates why it is important to file as early as possible.

2.? Expanded 3rd Party Participation

Before the passage of this act, a 3rd party could submit art to the USPTO for consideration in a Protest letter or the like.?? But whether the information was acted upon, one would never know - and the applicant could argue against such art, and no one would be available to make counter-arguments.? The new law expands 3rd party participation somewhat - but not by much, in my book.

In addition, a new, post-issuance procedure has been created, similar to Re-Examination, that allows a 3rd party to challenge the validity of a Patent within 9 months of the issue date.? I am not sure why this process is any better than our existing 3rd Party Re-Examination procedures, other than it appears that you can request this as a right, not as a request.

Re-Examination is always problematic for a challenger - if you request a Re-Exam, and the Patent Office issues the Patent anyway, the Patent is now arguably stronger in Court, as it has been "twice examined" by the Office - an argument that tends to sway juries.

So, 3rd parties have a more powerful weapon here, but it can be used to shoot themselves in the foot, if they are not careful.

3.? Provisions that favor Patent Holders

Not all the provisions in this bill are detrimental to Patent Holders.? Part of the law alters the "false marking" Statute and dismisses a number of pending cases (opportunistically filed).? Another part of the bill further streamlines the procedures for when an inventor refuses to sign an oath or declaration (the current procedures are not all that difficult, frankly, to comply with!).? Yet another eliminates the "Best Mode" requirement as a means of invalidating a Patent.

So, while the law may make it harder to get a Patent, it does strengthen some enforcement and filing rights.

4. Litigation Damages

I have said all along that our Patent system problems are Litigation problems, not Prosecution problems.? So long as litigation is expensive and damages are potentially enormous, every Patent out there has a nuisance suit value.

The new law limits damages by forcing the court to identify how they came up with their damage awards.? No longer can Judges or Juries just pull numbers out of thin air - there has to be a calculation involved.? Similarly, enhanced (treble) damages will require some showing of reckless disregard of infringement issues, not merely a knowledge that others' Patents exist.

5.? Patent Office Finances

The USPTO has been a profit center for the U.S. Government, and traditionally, 1/3 of your filing fees have gone to pay for Big Bird on Sesame Street, or for the latest Government-funded art exhibit.? Many inventors feel that this was an abuse of the system, as user fees should go to pay for the services that the user enjoys - not general governmental operations.

But in the past, the USPTO monies went into the general fund and then the USPTO had to beg to get its money back.? Under the new law, these monies might be kept by the Patent Office, or may be earmarked for the office, which will have to "request" to get them back.? This is the one sticking point that has held up the law at the present time, and what sort of compromise that is reached will be anyone's guess.

If the USPTO can keep its funds, it can hire more Examiners and speed up the process of Examination and provide better Examination as well.?? If it cannot keep its funds, it will have a whole host of new procedures to implement and no money to do it with - arguably slowing down the process and creating more delay and waste.

* * *?


Overall, the changes in this new law are not that dramatic.? First-to-file may sound like a dramatic change, until you realize that a typical Patent Practitioner can spend an entire career without ever seeing an Interference Proceeding.? The ramifications of First-to-Invent never made much of a dent in 99% of Patents issued, or I suspect, many litigated.

The 3rd Party re-exam provisions are merely extensions and variations of existing processes, not groundbreaking new ideas.? And as for litigation damages and the like, these may make Patent cases less lucrative - or not.? Some damages claims, such as "lost profits" do not seem to be barred by this new process, and those damages can easily exceed the profit margin of the accused infringer.

So are Patents Worth Less, or Worthless?

This is the question for many Applicants.? I think, moving forward, the Patent Bonanza started by Polaroid v. Kodak is going to be attenuated somewhat.

Patents for breakthrough processes and important inventions will still continue to be worth a lot of money.? However, filing Patents speculatively - on the premise that others may buy the Patent down the road - will likely be harder to do, and the resulting Patents may not be worth as much.

Note that filing speculative Patents has always been a difficult way to make money from an invention - and it is not a process I have ever promoted or suggested to clients - even though some clients of mine have made some money in this manner.? Most do not.

Note that also, these provisions may raise the cost of obtaining a Patent, and combined with the previous efforts at "Reform" will make getting broad and ambiguous claims very difficult.

Will these new provisions in the law kill off the "Patent Trolls" and "Submarine Patents?" - hardly.? Just as litigation reform efforts have been passed in many States, you still see the smiling faces of Personal Injury Attorneys on billboards all over the highways.

Simply stated, the high cost of litigation will continue to make the nuisance value of any issued Patent very high.? As a result, anyone with an issued Patent can still "shake down" corporations for nominal settlement amounts, if they have an Attorney who knows how to play that game.

Source: http://robertplattbell.blogspot.com/2011/06/patent-reform-act-of-2011.html

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Make the Most of Your Business Networking Profile | Neural ...

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Nicki Minaj Music Video Release: "Where Them Girls At"


In a newly-released video, Nicki Mina teams with Flo Rida and asks a question: "Where Them Girls At?"

Following this weekend's BET Awards, we need not ask the 26-year-old rapper where the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist is at, however: it's on her mantel! Tweeted the artist in response to the honor:

“Dear BET, thanks for keeping the ‘female rap’ category in your award show. It encourages so many young girls to go hard. Love."


Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida - Where Them Girls At

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/06/nicki-minaj-music-video-release-where-them-girls-at/

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The 3 Top-Rated Video Game Consoles | Adventure Games

The three Top-Rated Video clip Game Consoles??

Report by Roberto Sedycias





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Deciding on the right gaming console is a huge consideration which requires research of diverse functions provided by diverse foremost manufacturers and the choosing the appropriate unit according to one`s specifications and desires.

There are a few top rated businesses in the gaming industry Sony, which produced the PS3 and the PSP. Then you have perhaps 1 of the oldest names in gaming of the three with the Nintendo Wii. Finally you have the Xbox360 engineered by pc large Microsoft Inc. These can all be exciting decisions but each have their individual specific benefits.

By talking about the main capabilities and the corresponding advantages and drawbacks of these leading designs, we will be in a place to choose upon selecting the appropriate video clip game console for ourselves. There are several elements such as the value of the console, graphics capacity, video games variety and other functions these kinds of as touch display screen, portability and online attributes which guides in the variety of right kind of video game console.

Wii

The Wii is a seventh generation video clip game console invented by Nintendo, a Japanese business. The Wii remote is the most distinguishing aspect of this gaming console. The remote controls the console rather of a joystick. It makes use of a sensor bar to point at the LEDs on the console. The player is no cost to gesticulate or use the buttons provided on the remote. The remote is connected wirelessly by way of Bluetooth. An optional remote jacket is furnished to prevent accidental falling and breaking of the remote. A Nunchuk unit, replete with two set off buttons is an added attribute of Wii.

The Wii menu offers six primary channels and other extra channels can be downloaded through the web. The Wii is compatible with all its other predecessors. The Wii has been showered with several technological awards for its breakthrough efforts in gaming consoles.

Xbox 360

Microsoft came up with Xbox 360 to include variety to the previously thrilling array of video game consoles. A few distinct choices are offered as far as the Xbox 360 consoles are concerned. They are `Arcade`, `Premium` and `Elite`. The 3 variants are really various in configuration, video games and also cost.

The Xbox 360 integrates chatting and workouts with its gaming console to give extra fascination. Users can exhibit images and play new music whilst taking part in games on the console. Xbox 360 provides numerous on the web functions on Xbox Reside which allow the person to accessibility a selection of other video games. In fact, one of the major attractions of Xbox 360 is the range of video games available. About 1000 video games are obtainable in Xbox 360.

PlayStation 3

The PS3 is a house video clip game console by Sony. It is also a seventh generation video game console like Wii and Xbox 360. Online obtain of game titles and various other forms of interaction is achieved by means of PlayStation Network. A multitude of accessories can be wired into PS3 which contain camera and remote. Pictures can be seen and music and movies played with ease. Substantial-definition graphics are the main attraction in PS3.

PlayStation 3 also gives a wi-fi controller charged with a USB cable. Due to problems in production the Blu-ray format, manufacturing of the 20, forty and 60 GB PS3s have been discontinued. Large price is serving as a deterrent for PS3`s sales.thirteen



About the Authorthirteen

You can have accessibility to portuguese posts about game consoles from page www.polomercantil.com.br/videogame.php Roberto Sedycias performs as IT consultant for www.polomercantil.com.br

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Source: http://adventure-game.co.cc/the-3-top-rated-video-game-consoles%C2%A0%C2%A0.html

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. Facebook [Deals]

Melanie Pinola ?Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookIf you're into the daily deals scene where you can grab huge savings on cool items and services, you may have run into a problem: limited-time offers flooding your inbox. To get a better picture of these daily deals sites, we tracked the five most prominent ones?Groupon, Living Social, Google Offers, Amazon Local, and Facebook Deals?to see the kinds of discounts and goods they most often offered.

Our Unscientific Methodology

The five sites we tracked for about two weeks are: Groupon, Living Social, Google Offers, Amazon Local, and Facebook Deals. Groupon and Living Social are two of the most popular daily deals sites, so we tracked their featured offers on both the US east and west coast (NYC and LA). While Google Deals, Amazon Local, and Facebook Deals are only available in limited areas, as giant companies they have great potential; we followed Google Deals in Portland, Amazon Local in Boise, and Facebook Deals in Austin, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

General Findings

We found that most of the discounts were at least 50% off the normal prices; a few went as low as 33% off but some categories also went as high as 90% off. The biggest discounts tended to be for personal care services and independent retailers.

  • Restaurant dining offers, which made up a majority of offers, tended to be in the 50% off sweet spot.
  • Dance and fitness classes went from 67% to 83% off, with multi-class/multi-session offers the norm.
  • Cosmetic/beauty coupons ranged from 50% to 90% off. These include spa services, teeth whitening, and hair salons, which we also saw a lot of.

Groupon

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookGroupon is probably the most popular of the deals sites, and the service has a wide presence in both the US and other countries. While there's at least one featured deal for each local area each day, Groupon also offers several other deals daily to members.

Trends: Over the two weeks of getting Groupon offers, we saw discounts ranging from 50% off to 85% off. Popular categories were personal care treatments, fitness classes, and dining, as well as experiences like wine tours and travel packages.

Example deals:

  • $29 (83% off) for one month of unlimited yoga classes or one private yoga class
  • $150 (50% off) for two kids' summer camp sessions at a bounce playground
  • $5 (50% off) for breakfast/lunch at a restaurant

Living Social

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookLiving Social, another popular daily deals contender, works very similarly to Groupon. Living Social offers deals in Europe and Australia as well as North America, and has specific sections for family-related deals and travel getaways.

Trends: Over the two week period, most of the featured offers from Living Social were 50% off. There were only a few above that half-off discount, with the highest discounts for things like Botox treatment (74% off). Living Social offered typical discount categories (spa, fitness, dining), but also more domestic/household offers than we saw featured at Groupon.

Example deals:

  • $35 (50% off) for brazilian wax or manicure/pedicure with reflexology
  • $36 (58% off) for cleaning services for a studio (other options up to three rooms for the same percent off)
  • $25 (50% off) on nursery plants and flowers

Google Offers

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookGoogle Offers, in beta, is currently available for Portland but coming soon to NYC and the San Francisco Bay Area. While Groupon and Living Social offer many different discounts each day, Google Offers is right now really one deal a day.

Trends: During the time we tracked Google Offers in Portland, offers ranged from 50% off to 90% off. Popular categories include fitness offers, activities like laser tag and arcade tickets, spa services, and coupons for independent retailers (book stores, coffee roasters, etc.)

Example deals:

  • $15 (50% off) for food and drinks at an Italian restaurant
  • $70 (60% off) for three group workouts and two personal training sessions at a fitness studio
  • $59 (85% off) for a dental package including exam, X-rays, and take-home whitening for life

Amazon Local

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookAmazon Local launched in Boise, but is now available in several Washington state areas like Seattle and Tacoma. The site offers one deal each day, and if you use an Amazon Rewards Card (one of the best credit cards for buying from Amazon), you can earn points from buying on the deals service.

Trends: The offers are said to come from Amazon partner Living Social, so the one-deal-a-day offers tend to be very similar. The majority of deals tended to be 50% off household services and local fitness classes.

Example deals:

  • $49 (50% off) for carpet cleaning for 2 rooms (or 3 or 4 rooms, with the same percent discount
  • $39 (68% off) for ten class yoga pass
  • $28 (50% off) for hand car wash and wax or express car detail

Facebook Deals

Daily Deals Faceoff: Groupon vs. Living Social vs. Google vs. Amazon vs. FacebookFacebook Deals was launched in late April this year and is currently available in Atlanta, Dallas, San Diego, and San Francisco. As Read Write Web writes, Groupon and Living Social have some serious competition now (i.e., they're "seriously at risk of being roadkill"). You may be able to use Facebook Credits (virtual currency) to get discounts for events.

Trends: We didn't track Facebook Deals as long as we did the other services, but it seems like the deals offered for each city on Facebook are pretty tailored to the area, with a leaning, perhaps, to activities rather than merchandise or services. There were low discounts of 33% but also some very significant savings and unique deals, like $999 (50% off of $2,000) for a champagne breakfast balloon ride over wine country in San Diego.

Example deals:

  • Austin: $199 (44% off) outdoor movie rental?a jumbo 16-foot screen and sound system at your event. Austin also had many activities and outdoor events like tubing for 6 people for $39 (53%)/
  • Atlanta: $32 (72% off) for kids theater, dance and music classes. Many fitness and cultural activities were offered in Atlanta.
  • San Francisco: $20 (66% off) for luxury shuttle tour of SF. Lots of tours and outdoor activities (waterfront biking, kayaking, etc.) offered in this city.

Summary

It would be nice if we could say one daily deals site provided better discounts than the others, but the truth is they all have a range of offers that may appeal to you, while providing the same range of promotions. Broadly speaking, our takeaway was that:

  • Groupon has the widest range of discount offers with slightly greater discounts on some services than other deals sites.
  • Living Social has more personal care and household offers (in addition to the dedicated family and travel sections).
  • Google Offers may provide more local retailer deals, while also rotating standard daily deals categories once a day.
  • Amazon Local, like Living Social, is good for local personal care, fitness, and household offers?in a focused one-at-a-time way like Google Offers.
  • Facebook Deals offers the same general daily deals discounts (dining, fitness, personal care) as well as some unique deals for activities and events.

If you don't care to have your email cluttered with discount deals but also don't have the time to check these sites every day, aggregators like Yipit let you access (and be emailed) the offers from most of the daily deals sites and filter by site, categories, and more. Although Amazon Local, Google Offers, and Facebook Deals aren't on Yipit's list, over three dozen deal sites are (depending on your location).

Do you have a favorite deals site? Although we've covered the most popular deals sites on a previous Hive Five, it doesn't hurt to ask again.


You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/SPmtfmHEWoQ/daily-deals-faceoff-groupon-vs-living-social-vs-google-vs-amazon-vs-facebook

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The Thyroid-Diabetes Connection | Submit Articles

If we have sort 2 diabetes, we should embrace the screening for thyroid abnormalities, according to researchers during the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 20th Annual Meeting as good as Clinical Congress. The letter of reference came after the latest investigate involving over 5,000 people found the superiority of hypothyroidism to be scarcely 6 percent between people with sort 2 diabetes, compared to only underneath 2 percent in those without. Hypothyroidism is the well-recognized risk of sort 1 diabetes, though this has in all not been lengthened to sort 2 diabetes as good ? until now.

Source: http://www.submitarticles-free.com/health-and-fitness/diabetes/the-thyroid-diabetes-connection/

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Judge orders ex-ESPN commentator to stand trial (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Former ESPN commentator Jay Mariotti must stand trial on charges he stalked, injured and assaulted his ex-girlfriend, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Windham found there to be sufficient evidence for Mariotti to stand to trial on one felony count each of stalking, corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of disobeying a domestic court order.

Prosecutors say Mariotti confronted the woman at a restaurant Sept. 30, the same day he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery count stemming from an August incident with her.

In that plea, he was sentenced to 36 months of probation, community service and a domestic violence course.

Mariotti, a former Chicago Sun-Times columnist, is also accused of grabbing his former girlfriend outside a Venice restaurant on April 15. He allegedly pulled a chunk of her hair out and took her cell phone from her while shouting at her.

Mariotti's lawyer, Shawn Holley, called the allegations meritless.

"We look forward to trial when we will have the opportunity to present a strong and vigorous defense," Holley said in a statement.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110629/ap_en_ot/us_mariotti_stalking_charge

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Engineering firm buys Bosch plant

A Gloucestershire engineering firm buys Bosch's site in south Wales the day before production ends but says it is too early to say how many jobs will be created.

This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13929074

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Selling Property Without A Real Estate Agent | Raleigh NC Real Estate

I will sell off our property without a realtor. This specific stay away will be getting heard more and more these days as the Net and real estate market advances beyond this realtor-based operation.

Providing Residence without Agent

FSBO is short for which means available for sale by way of owner. Why people love providing like a FSBO are generally a lot of. Using housing commission rates with 6 months time per cent, you are looking for Blogging Underground quickly protecting 1000s dollars inside commission rates. In case for reasons uknown this may not really compel anyone, bear in mind you need to use this benefits that will undercut this rates with comparable homes locally. This would switch your own home easily heli-copter flight marketplace and permit you to get on using your living.

The crucial that will providing your current property is to be geared up. First, you have to discover on-line from the property by way of looking at comparables locally or maybe hoping a web based worth service. Upon having on-line in your mind, you have to find out whether or not this is acceptable. You also have to know very well what that you?re actually ready to accept like a product sales price the moment haggling will be concluded. Always make sure you understand your current bottom line and stay with it.

The following phase will be variety the house on the net on the FSBO website. About 70 per cent with homebuyers these days find the qualities on the net as the realize there isn?t a must forever commute around looking at homes them to may well or maybe might not be thinking about. By way of likely on the net, they could observe just what exactly just about every house presents after which it check out the right property.

Presented having the net by way of clients, it is important that you shell out enough time that will distribute photos using your entries. You are exclusively planning to yield attention when the clients can easily essentially observe the house. Just about every website helps you distribute digital images so you must do hence. Care of showing the maximum amount from the property as you possibly can to enable you to yield qualified prospects which are really thinking about buying.

Vendors wonder whenever they are generally correct to consider they could sell off the property without getting a realtor. Using the Net emerging trend, you?ll be able to carry out hence and conserve a great deal of cash on commission rates.

Source: http://www.raleigh-nc-homes-for-sale.org/selling-property-without-a-real-estate-agent/

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Eton's ancient game thrives in Nigeria (Reuters)

KATSINA, Nigeria (Reuters) ? In a dusty Nigerian park, dozens of youths dodge goats and rusting cars to be first on to crumbling courts built to replicate the side of the chapel at one of England's most elite public schools so that they can play the ancient game of Eton fives.

Introduced nearly a century ago by a former pupil of Eton College, this peculiar form of handball pulls in the crowds in impoverished Nigeria.

"An English schoolteacher may have brought the game here but Nigerians are the best now," said Usman Yusuf, a civil servant and local Eton fives favorite in the northern state of Katsina, where many people live on less than $2 a day.

"We love it. Every day after school we come here and fight to get on the court," said Yusuf, standing in front of crowds of barefooted schoolchildren shouting instructions to players dashing around graffiti-covered courts.

In England, the game is played mostly by former or current public schoolboys who wear custom-made, padded gloves to smash a hard ball around a three-sided walled court where it ricochets off ledges and steps reproduced in the mold of the original school ground.

Nigerians forgo the expense of gloves and make do with a tennis ball but the court retains the obstacles and idiosyncrasies that make a simple game into a skilful sport.

EMIR'S COURT

"It looks simple but it has subtle skills that take intelligence. This is why Nigerians are so good at it," Umar Kabir, the secretary to the Emir of Katsina state, told Reuters.

"The Emir has a court in the palace and every evening he goes out to play. He still plays to win."

While the popularity of Eton fives peaked in Britain in the 19th century, hundreds of people still attend competitive games in Nigeria and matches in the annual Sardauna Cup are followed by dinners, cultural dances and speeches.

Eton fives has been exported across the world but while it never caught on in New Zealand, Nepal or Argentina, Nigeria embraced its "minutes-to-learn, years-to-master" attraction.

"Nigeria is a great example of how bashing a ball against a wall can have mass appeal...Eton fives is just a very good version of what millions of kids do naturally at school," said John Reynolds, a former England national fives champion.

"It's now almost certainly more popular there than back in England. We can only dream of the crowds that state matches draw," added Reynolds, who runs a rare fives court construction company.

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

All students at Eton College -- whose alumni include Britain's Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron, Belgian King Leopold III, James Bond author Ian Fleming and London Mayor Boris Johnson -- don the gloves at some stage.

The ancient Egyptians played a form of fives, which is thought to refer to the number of fingers on your hand, as in "a bunch of fives," while today spin-offs like handball in the United States and pelota in parts of France and Spain are still popular.

Authors Aldous Huxley and James Joyce mention the game in their most famous works and a recent biography of the former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln said he was passing the time playing fives when he received the presidential nomination.

Whether it is the ancient heritage, the simplicity or the low-cost of a tennis ball, fives has stood the test of time in northern Nigeria since former Eton student J.S. Hogben introduced the game while teaching here in the 1920s.

"Some people here don't have much but you can see how the children are when they play the game, so we'll always keep the courts ready for them," Kabir said. "Nigeria loves fives."

(Editing by Nick Tattersall and Clare Fallon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110628/wl_nm/us_nigeria

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Monday, June 27, 2011

The Ghosts of Kerfol ? Deborah Noyes | Y.A. Reads Book Reviews

?In 1629 a young Frenchwoman is convicted if murdering her husband. The elderly lord is found dead on the stairs, apparently savaged by a pack of dogs. But there were no dogs ? no live dogs ? at Kerfol that day.

In the first of these five stories, we return to the haunted manor and hear the ghost story ?Kerfol?, first told by Edith Wharton, through the sympathetic eyes of a servant girl. Four more tales slip forward in time, peering in on a young artist, a hard-drinking party girl and young American couple and a deaf gardener who now tends the Kerfol estate. All of these souls are haunted by the ghosts of Kerfol ? the dead dogs, the sensual yet uneasy relationships and the bitter taste of revenge.?

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Let?s get one thing clear ? I?m the biggest chicken ever. At least when it comes to ghost stories. I can?t read them without getting a bit jumpy, I watched Paranormal Activity behind a gap in my fingers, I think the guys on Ghost Hunters are nuts. So I was a bit hesitant about reading a story about vengeful ghosts from the 17th century.

The Ghosts of Kerfol is five short stories, starting with a retelling for Edith Wharton?s original short story Kerfol , with each subsequent story moving forward in time till we get from 1629 to 2006. In the first story (the retelling) we learn about the mysterious death of Yves de Cornault, who was found dead on the stairs of his home, apparently attacked by dogs. Since he maliciously killed every dog his wife ever had after discovering her disloyalty, there hadn?t been a dog on the grounds since. So how did he die?

The stories that follow are about the house that still stands and the ghosts that now haunt the grounds.

Despite my previous issues with ghost stories I thought the story sounded interesting and was ready to give it a go. Unfortunately it didn?t live up to my hopes.

My issue was that after the first story, each of the others felt too brief and disconnected from one another. At only 171 pages each story only got about 30 pages and in that time there?s so much focus on the main character that the ghosts become a small and almost pointless feature. Once we started to become interested in the human characters, we moved right along to the next story.

And the ghosts themselves, in the end what did they do? Not that much, besides one incident all they did was a lot of creepy staring. It would have been better if each story linked to one another or built up to some big ending but the tension just kind of fizzled out to nothing.

If you do happen to read it I don?t recommend doing what I did ? reading it right before bed. Though none of it was hardly scary, the creepy staring is still not the best thing to have in mind while trying to sleep.

If you were interesting in the story, you?re probably better off just reading Edith Wharton?s original short story. There was nothing wrong with this book generally but in the end all I could think was ?meh?.

Pages: 171
Publication Date: August 2008
Publisher: Candlewick Press/Walker Books
Challenge: Historical Fiction
Rating: : ?????

Teaser Quote: ?When at last she called for me to dress down her bed, we took the stairs slowly, carefully, like elderly women afraid of slipping or breaking a bone. We did not hurry, but we arrived all the same.
We found it.
The little dog lay dead on her pillow.?

Source: http://www.yareads.com/the-ghosts-of-kerfol-deborah-noyes/book-reviews/5237

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Geoffrey R. Stone: Marriage Equality and the Catholic Bishops

New York State has taken an important step forward in our nation's never-ending quest to remake ourselves as a more decent, more inclusive, more just and more moral society. Looking back from the future, our grandchildren will surely see the legal recognition of same-sex marriage as an inspiring chapter in America's story, a story in which we have progressively abolished slavery, ended state-sponsored racial segregation, prohibited laws against interracial marriage, protected equal rights for women, promoted religious diversity and tolerance and outlawed discrimination on the basis of disability. There is no doubt that, in the long run, the United States will follow the lead of New York State. The challenge, though, is to make the long run short.

The most vehement opponent of marriage equality in New York was the Catholic Church. Indeed, in the heat of the debate in the state legislature, the New York State Catholic Conference issued a ringing proclamation: "The Bishops of New York State oppose in the strongest possible terms any attempt to redefine the sacred institution of marriage. Marriage has always been, is now, and always will be the union of one man and one woman. Government does not have the authority to change this most basic of truths."

That the leaders of the Catholic Church take this position is certainly their right, but it is a sorry testament to their understanding of their Church's own history in this nation. If anything, one would expect those leaders to be leaders in the fight against bigotry and intolerance, rather than voices in support of prejudice and discrimination. After all, as the historian Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. once observed, prejudice against Catholics has been one of "the deepest bias[es] in the history of the American people."

Sadly, this was so from the very beginning. In the mid-seventeenth century, both the Colony of Virginia and Massachusetts Bay Colony enacted laws prohibiting Catholic settlers. In the 1830s, prominent Protestant leaders attacked the Catholic Church as an enemy of republican values, and in the 1840s the "nativist" movement was whipped into a frenzy of anti-Catholicism that led to mob violence, the burning of Catholic property, and the killing of Catholics. Anti-Catholicism reached a peak in the mid-nineteenth century when Protestant leaders became alarmed by the heavy influx of Catholic immigrants.

Rabid anti-Catholicism continued into the 1920s, when anti-Catholics fumed that Catholicism was incompatible with democracy. When Al Smith ran unsuccessfully for president in 1928 as the first Roman Catholic candidate, Protestant ministers warned that the nation's autonomy would be threatened if he were to be elected, because he would listen not to the American people, but to the pope.

Many Americans opposed Smith because they believed the Catholic Church was "unAmerican." In an influential manifesto, the Lutheran Dr. Clarence Reinhold Tappert warned about "the peculiar relation in which a faithful Catholic stands and the absolute allegiance he owes to a 'foreign sovereign' who 'claims' supremacy in secular affairs and who, time and again, has endeavored to put this claim into practical operation."

In 1949, Paul Blanshard wrote in his bestselling book, American Freedom and Catholic Power, that the Catholic Church was widely seen as an "undemocratic system of alien control" in which the lay were chained by the "rule of the clergy." Even today, when things have clearly changed for the better, only 45 percent of Americans have a positive view of the Catholic Church (as compared to 53 percent who have a positive view of same-sex marriage).

In light of that history, one would have hoped that the leaders of a religion that has been so vilified and discriminated against would have been able to take a step back and recognize similar bigotry and prejudice when it is directed at others. Instead, the bishops' proclamation does precisely what the critics of the Church have long condemned. According to the proclamation, marriage is a "sacred" institution -- that is, an institution set apart for veneration by God -- and government therefore "does not have the authority to change" it. In other words, in a self-governing society, the democratically-elected representatives of the people do "not have the authority" to change the law in a way that conflicts with the religious beliefs of the bishops. That is not a winning argument.

Ironically, it is not a winning argument even with Catholics, a substantial majority of whom reject the Church's position and support same-sex marriage. Indeed, whereas 53 percent of all Americans now support same-sex marriage, approximately 60 percent of Catholics now take that position. It is heart-warming and inspiring when the adherents of a religion -- any religion -- are more decent, more wise and more moral than the "leaders" of their religion. It's enough to give one faith in the future.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/marriage-equality-and-the_b_884594.html

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CNN sportscaster Nick Charles dies of cancer at 64 - seattlepi.com

ATLANTA (AP) ? Nick Charles, the former taxi driver who became CNN's first sports anchor and served in that role for nearly two decades, died Saturday after a two-year struggle with bladder cancer, the cable network reported. He was 64.

He died peacefully at his New Mexico home, his wife Cory, a CNN International producer, told the network.

Nicholas Charles Nickeas grew up in Chicago, working late-night jobs in high school to help his family, according to CNN. He eventually went to Columbia College Chicago to study communications and drove a taxi to help pay his tuition.

He was still driving taxis in 1970 when he landed his first gig with WICS in Springfield, Ill. That's when he adopted the name Nick Charles at the urging of his news director, the network said.

Charles left Springfield to work at WJZ-TV in Baltimore and WRC-TV in Washington and then began at Atlanta-based CNN on the network's first day on June 1, 1980.

He made his name before a national audience teaming with Fred Hickman for almost 20 years on "Sports Tonight," a daily highlight show that battled with ESPN for viewers. Charles became such a popular TV personality that Topps put his face on a trading card, CNN reported.

"We just clicked from the very beginning," Hickman told CNN. "In television, you always have personality conflicts. Nick and I never had one. Nick and I have always had a tremendous relationship."

Hickman said Charles was a "great inspiration" to him, and described his former colleague as a "tremendous storyteller."

"He could literally do a story about a horse and make you think this horse was like a person," Hickman said. "He could take boxing and turn it into something poetic."

Charles told CNN recently that boxing was "one of my loves," whether reporting on Muhammad Ali's later years or covering the ear-biting incident involving Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

From 2001 to 2010, he worked as a fight announcer for Showtime and Top Rank, according to The Baltimore Sun. In his final months, Charles told Sports Illustrated that he wished he could be involved in one last fight. Upon reading this, HBO executives invited him to Atlantic City to call a fight between two featherweights.

"The HBO people told me it was the most joyous fight call they had ever heard," Charles told the Sun in April.

With his well-coiffed, curly black hair and sharp-looking suits, Charles brought GQ-like style to CNN's broadcasts. But he also was known as a skilled interviewer who related easily to subjects while not being shy about asking tough questions.

"I think when people look back on Nick in years to come, they're going to remember ? the hair," former CNN sports anchor Jim Huber quipped to the network. "He loved that hair. It used to just drive us crazy. But in all seriousness, I think they're going to look back on one of the great sports journalists of all time."

CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton said Saturday that Charles helped put CNN on the map.

"He brought intelligence, style and heart to his work ? qualities that translated to our company and inspired those of us who were fortunate to work alongside him," Walton said. "His passing is a loss to CNN, to the sports world and to the fans and friends everywhere who were with him to the end of his extraordinary life.

In recent months, Charles served as an inspiration to many as he openly discussed his battle with cancer, with which he was diagnosed in August 2009. He made video diaries for his five-year-old daughter Giovanna to see in years to come.

"I'm a forward looking person but also a living-in-the-moment person," Charles recently told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. "So I wake up everyday expecting to have a good day. It may sound trite, Sanjay, but life as you get older is about 20 percent of what happens to you and about 80 percent how you react to it."

Gupta's special report, "Nick Charles: No Regrets, Lessons from the Fight," will re-air at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.

Charles also is survived by three grown children from two previous marriages.

In an interview in March, he told the network his message was to "never give up on life" even though it's imperfect and filled with huge adversities.

"People won't remember who you are or what you said. It's really about: Are you going to be remembered as a good person?" he said.

"That's victory to me. That's success."

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/CNN-sportscaster-Nick-Charles-dies-of-cancer-at-64-1440491.php

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Using Social Networking Websites to Promote Your Blog : Online ...

Do you know what the main purpose of a social networking website is? If you are an avid internet user, you likely do. Social networking websites are online communities that make it easier for internet users to meet and communicate with each other. If you are an internet user who enjoys using the internet to meet new people, there is a good chance that you already belong to a social networking website. What about an online blog? Do you have one of them? If you do, do you know that you could use your social networking website to promote your blog?

Promote your blog? Why would you want to do that? Honestly, if you have to ask yourself that question you probably shouldnt even have one. The whole purpose of a blog is to document your thoughts, views, and opinions on a particular topic, issue, or subject. What good will your blog do if no one reads it. In addition to sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world, did you know that you could also make money from your blog? You can signup for affiliate programs or other programs like Google Adsense. If you are using your blog to make money then you will defiantly want to promote it.

When it comes to promoting blogs, there are many blog owners who decide to let the search engine do the work for them. Search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN use special techniques that reads the content on your website. That content is then used to rank your website with particular keywords. This means that you run a blog on graduating from high school in New York, there is a good chance that your blog will appear in searches done on New York high schools. Although many blogs are successfully ranked in search engines, not all are. That is why you are advised against relying solely on search engines, when it comes to promoting your blog.

As previously mentioned, if you love meeting with or talking to people online, there is a good chance that you belong to a social networking website or community. The individuals that you talk to and that are in your community are likely the individuals that you wish to target. Since most social networking websites work to connect internet users who have the same goals and common interests, there is a good chance that your online friends will enjoy reading your blog. But, before they can read your blog, you have to let them know that it exists.

When it comes to promoting your blog on social networking websites, you have a number of different options. Your first option is to include a link to your blog in your community profile or profile page. This will allow other community members to checkout your blog, only if they wish to do so. The other way is to inform your online friends of your blog through private messages. Once you join a social networking website and create or join a network of friends, you should easily be able to communicate with those friends. Sending each of your friends a private message with information and a link to your blog tends to be more effective than just placing a link in your profile or on your profile page.

Although there is a good chance that you are already a member of a popular social networking website, you may not be. If you are not already a member, but would like to become one, you will need to find a social networking website to join. This can easily be done with a standard internet search. In your search, you will likely find a number of popular network sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, and Orkut. Before becoming a community member at one of these networking sites, you may want to first examine the website to ensure that it is everything that you want it to be.

As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways that you can go about promoting your blog on online social networking websites. You never known, but, in addition to promoting your blog, you may also make new friends along the way.

Comments

Source: http://www.onlinebusinesswatch.com/online-business-from-home/using-social-networking-websites-to-promote-your-blog.html

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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan to combat terrorism (AFP)

TEHRAN (AFP) ? The leaders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan agreed on Saturday to join forces in combating militancy as they attended a counter-terrorism summit overshadowed by an Afghan hospital bombing that killed at least 20 people.

The joint statement by the three neighbouring presidents followed an announcement by US President Barack Obama that Washington will withdraw 33,000 of its 99,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next summer.

"All sides stressed their commitment to efforts aimed at eliminating extremism, militancy, terrorism, as well as rejecting foreign interference, which is in blatant opposition to the spirit of Islam, the peaceful cultural traditions of the region and its peoples' interests," the statement said.

They agreed to continue meetings at ministerial level ahead of the next summit in Islamabad before the end of 2011, added the statement carried by Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Asif Ali Zardari held three-way talks on Friday ahead of Saturday's six-nation counter-terrorism gathering.

The three leaders discussed "ways of battling terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking," IRNA said.

Speaking at the opening session of the two-day summit, Karzai said that despite his government's efforts, militancy was rising across the region.

"Unfortunately, despite all the achievements in the fields of education, infrastructure and reconstruction, not only has Afghanistan not yet achieved peace and security, but terrorism is expanding and threatening more than ever Afghanistan and the region," Karzai said.

A brazen suicide attack on Saturday on a hospital some 75 kilometres (45 miles) south of the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least 20 people, wounded more than 20 and flattened the building.

"Terrorists violate both human and divine values by inflicting death and destruction on fellow human beings. They have no religion," Pakistan's president said.

Zardari said attacks had resulted in the deaths of 35,000 people in Pakistan, 5,000 of them law enforcement personnel, and material damage totalling $67 billion.

In his speech, Ahmadinejad again accused Iran's arch-foe the United States of using the September 11, 2001 attacks as a "pretext" to send troops to the region.

"In light of the way it was approached and exploited, September 11 is very much like the Holocaust," Ahmadinejad charged.

"The American government used the attacks as a pretext to occupy two countries, and kill, injure and displace people in the region.

"If the black box of the Holocaust and September 11 is opened, many of the realities will come to light. But unfortunately despite worldwide demand, the American government has not allowed it."

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly courted controversy by questioning the accepted version of both the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, and the Holocaust.

He has dubbed 9/11 a "big lie" and a "suspect affair" similar to the Nazi Holocaust, which he dismissed as a "myth" after coming to power in 2005, triggering international outrage.

In a message to the counter-terrorism conference, which was also attended by the leaders of Iraq, Sudan and Tajikistan, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke out against what called Western abuse of the terrorist threat.

"The diabolical calculation of the dominating powers is to exploit terrorism as a tool to gain their illegitimate aims and they have used it in their plans," he said in the message which was read to the conference.

"In their view, terrorism is whatever threatens their interests. They consider those who are fighting for their legitimate right against occupiers as terrorists but do not consider their mercenaries and malicious groups who harm innocent people as terrorists."

At a meeting with Karzai, Khamenei said security will not prevail as long as US troops are in the region.

"The Americans seek permanent bases in Afghanistan. This is a dangerous issue because as long as American troops are present in Afghanistan, real security will not prevail," he said in remarks carried by IRNA.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110625/wl_afp/summitcounterterrorismiran

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Wisconsin justice says reports of clash false (AP)

MADISON, Wis. ? A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice said Saturday that reports he placed his hands around a fellow justice's neck during an argument in her office are false.

Justice David Prosser told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the allegations involving him and Justice Ann Walsh Bradley "will be proven false" once a "proper review of the matter and the facts surrounding it are made clear."

Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, quoting anonymous sources, reported Saturday that the alleged altercation occurred before the Supreme Court's decision earlier this month upholding Republican Gov. Scott Walker's bill to curtail public employees' collective bargaining rights.

Messages that The Associated Press left with several of the justices and Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs were not returned Saturday.

A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped her authority when she declared the polarizing union law void.

The fight over passage of Walker's collective bargaining bill came in the weeks leading up to a hotly contested state Supreme Court election, which conservative incumbent Prosser eventually won after challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg conceded defeat in late May. Supporters of Walker largely backed Prosser in hopes he would uphold the union rights bill in a legal challenge.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110626/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_supreme_court

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Kenroy Home 80360BS Dickens One-Light Flush Mount Light With 9 ...

Kenroy Home 80360BS Dickens One-Light Flush Mount Light With 9-Inch Diameter Alabaster Glass Shade, Brushed Steel

  • Brushed steel finish
  • 9-Inch diameter alabaster glass shade
  • 1-60-Watt (M) bulb
  • 4-Inch height by 12-Inch diameter

?For over 50 years, the Kenroy brand has been synonymous with refined design, quality and value. Kenroy Home design and lighting professionals seek regional and global inspiration, as a prelude to the creation of innovative and custom product ideas that enhance your environment.Look to Kenroy Home for the finest in d?cor, performance and value. We hope that you?ll enjoy reviewing our proven products and latest offerings, and come to share in the belief of our philosophy that?s ALL TOGETHER BETTER.?

List Price: $ 50.00

Price: $ 30.00

Moonrays 99924 Color-Changing Glass Ball Fixture

  • Beautiful crackle glass ball
  • 7-color changing LED
  • Metal ground stake with solar panel
  • Rechargeable 1 600-mAh AA NiCd battery
  • Battery included

ODYSSEY GLIDE FLIGHTCASE 10in MIXER AND 2 CD PLYRThe Moonrays Color-Changing Glass Ball transforms any backyard into a festive party destination. This solar-powered, battery-operated decorative light easily sticks into the ground to provide hours of outdoor illumination, and the LED offers seven rotating colors that suit any atmosphere.

Enjoy in Two Simple Steps
The 16.73-inch Moonrays Glass Ball features a strong metal stake that is easy to insert into firmly packed soil. The light is powered by a solar-charged ?AA? NiCd battery (included), making outdoor light sockets and power cords unnecessary. Just plant the light fixture and turn it on for up to eight hours of vibrant illumination. It?s that easy!

Colorful Illumination Any Time of Year
The lighted globe is designed with thick crackle glass that?s durable enough for extended outdoor use. Along with its strong construction, the Moonrays Glass Ball features seven LED colors?yellow, green, purple, pink, orange, blue, and red. The colors rotate through the spectrum, setting a festive mood for every event.

Lighting That Won?t Leave You in the Dark
The LED is designed to last for 100,000 hours of use, which ensures you?ll call it a night before your Moonrays light does. With its full spectrum of colors and long-life, solar-powered battery, the Moonrays Glass Ball will illuminate your New Year?s parties and summer barbeques for years to come.

What?s in the Box
99924 Moonrays Color-Changing Glass Ball Fixture and ?AA? NiCd battery.

List Price: $ 15.38

Price: $ 9.98

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