tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78891290003530191622023-11-15T10:55:36.084-08:00peetjes-gefreubelUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-207907195645777992014-03-21T03:15:00.001-07:002014-03-21T03:15:06.033-07:00Movie Review: Ragini MMS 2 <img src="http://images.indianexpress.com/2014/03/raginimms-480.jpg"><h3>Summary</h3> <p>I quite enjoyed 'Ragini MMS 2' in the portions when Sunny Leone is in full stride.</p> Movie <a title="Review" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Coupon Codes</a>: Ragini MMS 2 Star Cast: Sunny Leone, Pravin Dabas, Karan Mehra, Sandhya Mridul, Divya Dutta Director: Bhushan Patel <p>A film unit goes off to a deserted house in the middle of a forest for a shoot. Because this is a sequel to 'Ragini MMS', we are already primed for what is about to happen: a vengeful spirit will get after the humans, and scare us witless in the process.</p> <p>The original film boasted a dirty weekend between a horny fellow and his nervous-but-willing girlfriend. That one got the 'dirty' bit right, but slid off on the scary aspect, being more tell than show. The sequel goes much further in the down-and-dirty aspect, because it has a perfect lead to deliver on its promises. The lusciously curved Sunny Leone fits her part like her tight sheaths, and makes 'Ragini MMS 2′ Bollywood's first unabashed adult sex-horror flick, begging the Ramsay Bros pardon.</p> <p>Ms Leone, who is called Sunny in the movie (just in case there is any confusion, either for her or us) has been hired by a director (Pravin Dabas) who wants to make a film on the Ragini case. We are treated to a lingering exhibition of Sunny's pneumatic wares, and lest we think she is all bod, no brains, the dialogue-writer gives her such lines as this - Director: is it hot or is it you? Sunny: err, global warming?</p> <p>Right, got that. After which, there is the haunted house, and the 'chudail', and Sunny and her endless array of baby-doll night-wear, and the members of the cast who rattle about the place, waiting for their turn. There's Sandhya Mridul, acting so well against type as the hair-brained wannabe who knows that she has to 'compro' to get somewhere. Karan Mehra, the TV star who has a great line about TV actors (this being an Ekta Kapoor production, there must have been a great deal of chortling when these 'inner joke' dialogues were dreamt up). And Divya Dutta playing the mandatory 'psychiatrist' with a book of 'mantras' at hand to chase evil spirits away.</p> <p>Despite its harum-scarum script and barely-there logic (why would the senior crew members stay in a haunted house and the bit part-actors in a comfy hotel, for example), I quite enjoyed 'Ragini MMS 2' in the portions when Sunny Leone is in full stride. She is totally comfortable in her acres of bare skin, and is surprisingly not that much of a slouch when it comes to acting her part. Heaving and moaning, sure, that's expected. But she can carry a scene: maybe not 'porn se Rituparno' just yet (another example of the dialogue that <i>continued...</i> </p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-63007809141944019942014-03-17T08:15:00.001-07:002014-03-17T08:15:05.763-07:00Best St. Patrick's Day 2014 Deals and Discounts <a href="http://www.gobankingrates.com/?attachment_id=292348"><img src="http://assets.gobankingrates.com/system/uploads/6992021137_baf02f7df0_n.jpg"></a> <p>St. Patrick's Day 2014 is right around the corner on March 17, and it's the perfect time to show your Irish side by sporting - and saving - some green. It's a great opportunity to get out and have some fun without needing to touch your savings account.</p> Related: <a href="https://www.gobankingrates.com/r/4ea060c2f0/?subid=gbr_stpattysdeals">Ally Bank High-Yield Deposit Accounts Help You Save Money</a> <p>In partnership with <a href="http://www.befrugal.com">BeFrugal.com</a>, GOBankingRates rounded up some of the best St. Patrick's Day deals to help you show off your holiday spirit and hold onto your pot of gold.</p> <h2>St. Patrick's Day Deals & Freebies for Food & Gifts</h2> <p> </p><ul><li> 1-800-Baskets: Get 15% off select St. Patrick's Day gifts with the <a title="promo code" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Best Offer</a> LUCKY15 through 3/17.</li> <li> 1-800-FLOWERS: Promo code LUCKYSVNTN will get shoppers 17% off St. Patrick's Day flowers and gifts through 3/18.</li> <li> 7-Eleven: Text "DIETCOKE1″ to 711711 to get a small free Diet Coke Slurpee.</li> <li> Bonefish Grill: <a href="http://view.email.bonefishgrill.com/?j=fe5f11787d6604747514&m=fed2157174650c7c&ls=fdec1c77756d007b72177775&l=fe8d15727c61057472&s=">This coupon</a> is good for $10 off a purchase of two lunch entrees through 3/29.</li> <li> Carvel: Get $2 off any cake (excludes small squares) at participating locations with <a href="http://www.carvel.com/coupons/St._Patricks_Day">this coupon</a>. Expires 3/31.</li> <li> Cheryl's: This cookie gift seller offers a range of St. Paddy's Day-themed sweets, and promo code SPRNGSHIP will get shoppers free shipping through 5/11.</li> <li> Del Taco: Buy a bacon or sausage Egg & Cheese Muffin and get a second free with their on-site coupon. Good through 4/2.</li> <li> FTD.com:This gift site's St. Patrick's Day Sale has marked down gifts for the holiday, including chocolate-covered strawberries, Irish-themed jewelry, and flower bouquets. Markdown already applied, no coupon needed.</li> <li> Honey Dew Donuts: Get a green Pistachio Muffin for $.99 with coupon at participating locations through 3/31.</li> <li> Kay Jewelers: Select styles of St. Patrick's Day-themed, gold and green jewelry is discounted up to 50% for the jeweler's St. Patrick's Day Sale, through 3/17.</li> <li> Mimis Cafe: Buy one lunch or dinner entree and two beverages, and get a second entree free with this <a href="http://mimiscafe.fbmta.com/shared/images/27917287438/27917287438_20140306103330.jpg">printable coupon</a>. Valid through 3/23.</li> <li> Papa John's: Promo code SAVE25 will apply a 25% discount to all regular-priced menu items on an order placed on the pizza chain's website.</li> <li> Quiznos: Get $1 off a large sub or salad purchase with coupon, through 3/21. Coupon available on Quiznos website.</li> <li> Olive Garden: A free dessert will come with the purchase of entree when patrons use <a href="http://link.olivegarden.com/YesConnect/HtmlMessagePreview?a=Di_A4esUjZ6Uh4IcEXqrO&msgVersion=web">this coupon</a> through 3/30.</li> <li> Red Lobster: Get a coupon for $10 off two Lobsterfest entrees by filling out a form on their website. Coupons expire 4/13.</li> <li> Regal Cinemas: Coupon is available on <a href="http://www.crownclub.regmovies.com/optin/hash/f2e428ce7e4e23e844179ead746b78b5?_m_utk=cf4ae08913f0059bb825dbc8c8242455">this link</a> to claim a free small popcorn from the theater's concession stand through 3/27.</li> <li> Scoutmob Shoppe: Promo code STPADDY10 will get shoppers 10% off a collection of beer- and whiskey-themed items to honor St. Paddy's Day. Expires 3/17.</li> <li> Shari's Berries: Get 15% off a $29+ order of St. Patrick's Day chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels and cake pops.</li> <li>Things Remembered: Get a set of four monogrammed Irish Coffee Mugs on sale for $25 through 4/6.</li> </ul><h2>St. Patrick's Day Sales to Shop This Weekend</h2> <p> </p><ul><li> American Apparel: 25% off St. Patrick's Day styles when using promo code LUCKY at checkout. Offer ends 3/17.</li> <li> BCBGeneration: Select items are up to 40% through 3/17 for the store's St. Patrick's Day sale. Plus, use the coupon code WELCOME2013 at checkout to get 20% off the order.</li> <li> Champion:Use promo code OFFER75 to get 20% off orders of $75 or more.</li> <li> Claire's<a href="http://www.claires.com/store/us/;jsessionid=39F28727B7BA77F98EE38AAB22C8F14E">:</a> St. Patrick's Day 2014 items are buy one, get one free. Expires 3/17, no coupon code needed.</li> <li> Expedia: For a last-minute St. Patrick's Day celebration, Expedia is offering steep discounts on hotel rooms in Chicago for the holiday through 3/17.</li> <li> EXPRESS: Through 3/16, get 30% off online or in-store purchases with promo code 1258.</li> <li> HarryPotterShop.com: Harry Potter-themed apparel and collectibles are 17% off through 3/18.</li> <li> H&M: Get 20% off one item with coupon code 1616.</li> <li> PETCO: Get 17% off a $49+ order and free shipping through 3/17 when you use the promo code SHAMROCK.</li> <li> Roaman's: Promo code RDSTPATRICK will get choppers 30% off any order through 3/17.</li> <li> Samsonite: Get 20% off select items with an order of $100+, along with free shipping, by using promo code STPATS20. Expires 3/17.</li> <li> SmartWool: A 17% discount is applied to an entire order with promo code O'WOOLIES. Expires 3/17. </li> <li> Sperry Top-Sider: Purchase of green items earn shoppers free shipping with promo code GREENFS through 3/17.</li> <li> Stride Rite: This children's shoe retailer is offering 17% off one regular-priced item with the promo code GREEN17 on St. Patrick's Day only.</li> <li> Target, Corp.: Save up to 30% on home items. Use the code SAVE10 to get $10 off a $50+ purchase through 3/22.</li> <li> ThinkGeek: Get a free St. Patrick's Day Shirt with an order of $40 or more through 3/17, with the code ELVISH. Or buy the t-shirt by itself for only $5. And in honor of Pi Day and Einstein's birthday, the site is also offering a 20% discount on orders of $40 or more with the code PINSTEIN. All offers expire 3/17.</li> </ul> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-87143703465297851482014-03-17T00:00:00.001-07:002014-03-17T00:00:17.753-07:00RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">toys r us jobs</a>p>Britain's double Olympic and world 10,000m and 5,000m champion Mo Farah says a <b>frightening collapse he experienced after the New York City Half Marathon is "no big deal". </b></p> <p>The Somali born star took a hard fall about 8km into the race. He made a gritty recovery to finish second behind Geoffrey Mutai, who won in 1hr 00min 50sec.</p> <p>Farah collapsed after the finish line and left in a wheelchair. He made it to the post-race press conference, however, and said he felt good, if a little cloudy on just what happened.</p> <p>"I don't remember passing out, but I think it was, just I tried so hard in the race, obviously, taking a fall and then going through. I'm all right. It's fine. It's no big deal," he said.</p> <p><i> <b>6:54am</b></i></p> <p>You are under arrest... and please stop this "reckless dancing".</p> <p>A Northern Territory man was ejected from a nightclub for "reckless dancing" and it all went downhill from there, <a href="http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/bad-dance-moves-lead-to-mans-arrest/story-fnk0b1zt-1226856167698"> <i>The NT News</i> reports</a>.</p> <p>Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen told the newspaper a 20-year-old Alawa man was arrested for criminal damage in the early hours of Sunday morning after leaving a nightclub in the city.</p> <p>"He was intoxicated and apparently incensed that he was asked to leave a nightclub <b>for reckless dancing. </b></p> <p>"As a result, he kicked over signs and property in his path. When police caught up with him he began yelling and, out of the blue, bashed his fist on the bonnet of the police van.</p> <p>"Bad moves all round. <b>Some people should not drink and dance</b>."</p> <i> <b>6:43am</b></i> <p>Neighbours <b>heard a man and woman screaming moments before a ­mother and her three-month-old son plunged from a 6m-high balcony </b>- killing the child - on the New South Wales Central Coast yesterday afternoon.</p> <p>The baby boy suffered critical injuries after falling to the driveway below.</p> <p>He was flown to Westmead Children's Hospital where he later died. His mother suffered serious injuries to her back.</p> <b> <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/screams-heard-before-baby-died-in-sixmetre-balcony-plunge/story-fnii5s3x-1226856194971">You can read more of this story here. </a></b> <i> <b>6:30am</b></i> <p>Voters in Crimea - the region of Ukraine invaded by Russian forces in late February - <b>have overwhelmingly backed joining Russia.</b></p> <p>In a referendum rejected by the United States as illegitimate, exit poll data suggested 93 per cent of voters supported the region becoming part of the Russian Federation.</p> <i> <b>6:17am</b></i> <p>We have all heard of email scams where Nigerian royalty promise millions of dollars if you just give them your bank details.</p> <p>But one Austrian tradesman has been fooled out of 27,500 euros ($42376AUD) <b>by a Facebook user who pretended to be British royalty - Prince Harry. </b></p> <p><a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26603731">The BBC reports </a>the fake prince fraudster offered the European tradie a million-dollar contract to renovate the floors at Buckingham Palace - if only he transferred the hefty sum to "set up a British business."</p> <p>He reported the encounter to authorities after failing to receive word from the Prince after two weeks.</p> <p>Authorities told the tradie the chances of recovering his cash are "slim".</p> <i> <b>6am</b></i> <p>Here's a quick look at the top stories this morning:</p> <p>* The <a href="http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-enters-its-10th-day-with-no-sign-of-plane/story-fnizu68q-1226856429922">final words from the missing Malaysian jetliner's cockpit </a>- "all right, good night" - gave no indication anything was wrong <b>even though one of the plane's communications systems had already been disabled</b>, officials say.</p> <p>* Daniel Ricciardo was <a href="http://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/daniel-ricciardo-has-lost-his-podium-finish-in-australian-f1-gp-following-a-fuel-irregularity/story-fnec578q-1226856108983">last night stripped of becoming the first Australian to score a podium at the Australian Grand Prix</a> with FIA stewards disqualifying him from the race in a midnight bombshell. He was disqualified from the season-opening race for a <b>fuel flow breach that saw him exceed regulations.</b></p> <p>The parents of Daniel Morcombe heard <b> <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/parents-of-daniel-morcombe-bruce-and-denise-morcombe-reveal-horrific-tales-told-to-them-during-10year-search-for-their-son/story-fnii5v6w-1226856348627">shocking tales of what had happened to their 13-year-old son during their tireless hunt for leads</a>.</b></p> <p>The couple even confronted pedophiles in their search for clues.</p> <p>"They're generally weak, gutless people ... over the journey people fed us some shocking lies really," Mr Morcombe told Channel Nine's <i>60 Minutes </i>last night.</p> <p>"(There were) many different stories of what happened to Daniel," Mrs Morcombe said. "Drugged, smashed with a steel bar. In the bushes, hidden under excavators, and hundreds of things ... emails and letters we used to get all the time."</p> <i> <b>6am</b></i> <p>Good morning, and welcome to our "headlines in a hurry" morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what's happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-76271868011088342822014-03-15T17:45:00.001-07:002014-03-15T17:45:09.411-07:00Hawaii Best Buy stores to offer SolarCity PV systems <p>Hawaii is one of five states where SolarCity will sell its residential solar-power systems in <a title="Best" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Deal Now</a> Buy stores.</p> <p>The two companies announced their partnership on Wednesday and a plan to station SolarCity sales people in about 60 stores in Arizona, California, Hawaii, New York and Oregon.</p> <p>Representatives at Best Buy stores will use satellites to assess potential customers' homes and share the information within minutes, according to SolarCity.</p> <p>The companies also launched a website, bestbuysolarcity.com, that listed the program's participating stores, including Best Buy's outlets in Iwilei and Aiea.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-83112165057575894292014-03-15T09:00:00.001-07:002014-03-15T09:00:12.601-07:00Amazon raising Prime membership to $99 per year <p>By Jason Abbruzzese, Mashable</p> <p>Updated: 03/14/2014 03:39:08 PM EDT</p> <p><a href="http://www.lowellsun.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=5793199"><img src="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site67/2014/0313/20140313__p_b05b3b55-2979-40b6-a812-56cea5e93076~l~soriginal~ph.jpg"></a> </p> <p><a title="Amazon" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Discount</a> will raise the price of its Prime membership to $99 in a bid to boost the company's income through its flagship product.</p> <p>In an email to Prime members, <a href="http://mashable.com/category/amazon/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">Amazon</a> identified rising fuel and transportation costs along with a growing stable of products eligible for the program's unlimited two-day shipping as factors in the price increase. Amazon Prime currently costs $79 per year.</p> See also:<a href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/08/amazon-prime-tips-and-tricks/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">10 Things You Didn't Know Amazon Prime Could Do</a> <p>New Prime members will begin paying the higher price on March 20, while existing members will begin renewing at $99 on April 17. The student price for Prime will rise $10 to $49 per year. It is the first price hike in Prime's nine-year history.</p> <p>Investors welcomed the news, as Amazon shares rose 2.9 percent to $381.44 in morning trading. But the stock remains down more than 4 percent in 2014 after reporting <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2014/01/30/amazon-falling-fast-after-fourth-quarter-earnings-miss/">fourth-quarter earnings</a> that missed revenue expectations.</p> <p>Prime is a logical place for Amazon to look for an increase in cash flow, particularly as its primary sales of various consumer products relies on thin margins amid fierce competition. Amazon claims to have around <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-2014-1">20 million Prime members</a>.</p> <p>RBC analyst Mark Mahaney said they project between $300 million to $400 million generated by the price increase with minimal loss of existing customers.</p> <p>"We acknowledge that not all Prime users will adopt an increased membership fee - however, based on our recent conversations with Costco, we don't believe that [Amazon] will see a material increase in Prime sub churn as a result of the increased membership fee," he wrote in an analyst note.</p> <p>A price increase was <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/01/30/amazon-prime-cost-increase/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">first floated</a> by the company during the most recent investor call following the company's fourth-quarter earnings report. The $20 price increase is on the lower end of what Amazon CFO Tom Szkutak discussed.</p> <p>Amazon noted that its growing media library, much of it included in Prime, now counted 40,000 movies and TV episodes as well as 500,000 e-books available for lending. It has also been reported that Amazon has been in talks to add <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/27/report-amazon-in-talks-to-begin-streaming-music/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">streaming music</a> to its media offerings.</p> <p>"We are working to expand selection even further, as we develop additional fulfillment and transportation capacity to make the Prime program even more valuable to our members," an Amazon spokesperson wrote in an email to Mashable.</p> <p>While Prime's original selling point was its two-day shipping, the media offerings from Amazon have slowly begun to rival other streaming outlets like Netflix.</p> <p>Amazon's shipping is already fast - standard shipping arrives in an average of 3 days, 10 hours, according to consumer service analytics firm <a href="http://www.stellaservice.com/business/team/">StellaService</a>. Depending on how much a person orders from Amazon, having a package arrive 36 hours earlier may not be worth $99 per year.</p> <p>But Prime is no longer just a shipping product. Amazon has begun to morph it into the company's primary consumer-facing product with a variety of features.</p> <p>"Netflix is one set of things and Amazon Prime is a lot more than that," said<br> David Smith, an analyst with Gartner. "I think it comes down to people being comfortable with the company, with the value they have already received."</p> <p>The price increase brings Prime closer in price to other competitors. At $99 per year, the service costs $8.25 per month, making it slightly higher than the $7.99-per-month of Netflix and Hulu.</p> <p>Prime content may not be of the caliber of Netflix or HBO Go, but Amazon is working on that, with original series and content licensing deals with CBS. Extant, a thriller produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and starring Halle Berry, will be available on Prime just four days after airing on TV.</p> Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments. <p>And with Amazon prepping the launch of its entry into <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/21/amazon-set-top-box/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">the streaming set-top box</a> market, Prime will conceivably be put front and center of the company's first foray into living rooms across the country.</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/03/13/amazon-prime-99-year/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_cid=Mash-BD-Synd-DFM-All-Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss">Mashable</a> .</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-8869288006177422282014-03-14T21:00:00.001-07:002014-03-14T21:00:09.573-07:00Veronica Mars the Movie, Two Humble Bundles, Amazon Prime [Deals] <p>Act early to get the <a href="http://www.<a title="amazon" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promo Codes</a>.com/gp/product/B00HEQOAQ8/?tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=%5Btype%7Clink%5BpostId%7C1543044304%5Basin%7CB00HEQOAQ8%5BauthorId%7C5856732741879800112">Veronica Mars movie</a> on blu-ray for just $15. The film hits theaters tomorrow, but if you're a fan of the show you pretty much already know you want this. [ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HEQOAQ8/?tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=%5Btype%7Clink%5BpostId%7C1543044304%5Basin%7CB00HEQOAQ8%5BauthorId%7C5856732741879800112">Amazon</a>]</p> <p>Amazon is raising the price of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-One-Year-Membership/dp/B00DBYBNEE?tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=%5Btype%7Clink%5BpostId%7C1543044304%5Basin%7CB00DBYBNEE%5BauthorId%7C5856732741879800112">Amazon Prime</a> by $20 per year, up to $99. While it's still <a href="http://goo.gl/YsJ5CG">the best deal in tech</a>, you can lock in another year at $79 if you sign up now. </p> <p>This <a href="http://blog.humblebundle.com/post/79398200426/a-very-special-humble-bundle-of-love-for-brandon-boyer">special Humble Bundle</a> includes 25+ games for a minimum price of $25, and 100% of proceeds go to a good cause. </p> <h2>Movies</h2> <h2>Television</h2> <h2>Books</h2> <h2>Games</h2> PC <h2>Apps</h2> iOS Android <h2>Home Theater</h2> <h2>Home</h2> <h2>Inventory</h2> This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://bit.ly/19x6duf">Commerce Team</a>, a dedicated group of deal hunters and product enthusiasts. We operate independently of Editorial to bring you the best bargains every day, share our favorite products with you, and ask you about yours. When you buy something we recommend, we may also get a small share of the sale. We welcome your questions and want your feedback. Follow us for the best deals on the Internet, curated for <a href="https://twitter.com/io9">@io9</a> readers.- io9 Deals (@io9Deals) <a href="https://twitter.com/io9Deals/statuses/443780949411897345">March 12, 2014</a> <p>Get in touch with me on Twitter or by e-mailing Shane@Gawker- Shane Roberts (@ShaneOSX) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneOSX/statuses/410109338976411648">December 9, 2013</a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-54548684940952549052014-03-11T14:00:00.001-07:002014-03-11T14:00:36.100-07:00Girls of all ages urged to reach for the sky <img src="http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/31262langley0308_girlsfly1_O-Dell.jpg"><p>As the tiny four-seat helicopter lifts off the tarmac at Langley Regional Airport, I grip my reporter's notebook tightly, trying to ignore the slight turbulence as we start to gain altitude during Saturday's drizzling grey <a title="weather" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">weather comox</a>.</p> <p>If four-year-old Uma Lauridsen in the seat behind me isn't afraid - and no four-year-old smiles that big for show - then I should try to calm my nerves.</p> <p>Then I look down. Way down.</p> <p>One thousand feet above Langley Township's green patchwork of farmland, cars move like ants on the roads below. The shift in perspective is drastic, and the cockpit of our aircraft is silent as Uma, her mother Beverly Neufeld and I take in the view from our first-ever helicopter trip.</p> <p>It occurs to me how lucky I was, growing up with parents who bought me as many toy airplanes as they did dolls, to know any high-flying dreams I was interested in were within reach.</p> <p>And that's just the message that more than 1,000 girls had the chance to hear during the Girls Fly Too celebration of women in aviation, held at the Langley airport March 8 and 9.</p> <p>More than 1,200 girls and women were signed up to take free flights on helicopters and small planes at the event, which also featured opportunities to meet female members of the Coast Guard and Air Force and the chance for young girls to get up close and personal with the inner workings of the powerful machines that give us humans the capability of flight.</p> <p>Representatives from the Vancouver Airport were on hand, outfitting ladies with Amelia Earhart-esque white scarves, and girls had the chance to talk education options with members of the University of Fraser Valley and BCIT aerospace programs.</p> <p>While waiting in line for my flight amid the hum of propellers, I met Major Rhonda Stevens, a Canadian Forces flight navigator with more than 20 years experience.</p> <p>When I ask her what she flew, she points to the mammoth bright yellow DHC5 Buffalo search and rescue plane from Comox parked 50 metres away. My eyes widen.</p> <p>"I like that it's a dynamic job, so you don't always go to work for the same thing," explains Stevens. She says out of her squad of 200, only three aviators - one navigator and two pilots - are women.</p> <p>It's not about barrier to entry, she insists, but about generating more interest among young girls.</p> <p>"For my kids, I can set a good example," she says of why she enjoys her work so much, noting that the need to remain physically fit, flexible and always learning are traits she prizes showing her six- and two-year-old daughters.</p> <p>Back in the helicopter, the pilot sets us gently back down on solid ground, much too soon for the quiet but wide-eyed Uma. As cadets walk the three of us back to the airplane hangar, I look over my shoulder to watch the next group of excited girls step up for their turn in the air.</p> <p>"Was it fun?" they ask us as we pass.</p> <p>"Yes," Beverly and I chime in unison.</p> <p>Uma only has eyes for the whirring chopper taking off beside us.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-41828380637431537752014-03-10T21:45:00.001-07:002014-03-10T21:45:05.109-07:00Pinching Pennies! 'Broke' Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Shopping At Discount Store <p>"When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, it's hard to go plastic," poor little rich girl <a href="http://radaronline.com/category/tags/tori-spelling/">Tori Spelling</a> has said. But as her financial difficulties continue to mount with the closure of her store, <a href="http://radaronline.com/photos/we-told-you-so-tori-spellings-antique-store-inventori-goes-out-of-business/photo/631557/">InvenTori</a>, the admittedly " <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/01/tori-spelling-broke-if-divorce-dean-mcdermott/">broke</a>" star just <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/11/broke-tori-spelling-three-nannies-rich/">might be dialing back</a> her <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/11/broke-tori-spelling-shells-out-thousands-on-thanksgiving-vacation-getaway/">out-of-control spending</a>, and only RadarOnline.com has all the details of her new <a title="discount" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Buy Cheap</a> shopping spot!</p> <p>Spelling's husband <a href="http://radaronline.com/category/tags/dean-mcdermott">Dean McDermott</a> was spotted picking up groceries for the family on March 7 at Smart and Final, a discount warehouse chain in L.A. As he rolled a cart full of toilet paper, bread, and other groceries out to his car through the crowded parking lot, "He looked miserable," an onlooker who contacted Radar reveals.</p> <a href="http://radaronline.com/photos/we-told-you-so-tori-spellings-antique-store-inventori-goes-out-of-business/photo/631557/">PHOTOS: We Told You So! Tori Spelling's Antique Store InvenTORI Goes Out Of Business</a> <p>In the past, Spelling was <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/01/tori-spelling-ring-back-on-cheating-no-dean-mcdermott-photos/">usually spotted shopping</a> at chi-chi celeb-friendly grocery store Gelson's Market, or the expensive Malibu farmer's market, but perhaps those days are over for her family.</p> <p>That's not the only way her retail habits have changed. As Radar has reported, Spelling recently closed the doors to her Sherman Oaks store InvenTori, insisting that she would reopen in another <a href="http://radaronline.com/photos/we-told-you-so-tori-spellings-antique-store-inventori-goes-out-of-business/photo/631557/">as-yet unnamed location</a>.</p> <p>Last fall, she opened up for the first time about her financial difficulties in her book, <i>Spelling It Like It Is</i>, writing, "I can't afford to live like this anymore. Our circumstances have changed ... our bank account has taken a major hit."</p> <a href="http://radaronline.com/photos/tori-spelling-and-dean-mcdermott-recieve-an-eviction-notice">PHOTOS: Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Ordered Out Of Their Home</a> <p>Spelling says real estate missteps took a chunk out of her change. She and McDermott were also served with an order to "pay or quit" their home in January, but they insisted it <a href="http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/01/tori-spelling-evicted-from-former-house/">was a misunderstanding</a>.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-32594919745072940442014-03-10T01:00:00.001-07:002014-03-10T01:00:13.883-07:00Scandal recap: We do not touch the First Lady - the First Lady touches you | TIME <img src="http://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/1000-5x2.jpg?w=280&h=187&crop=1"><h2>"I am not a prize at the state fair - you cannot win me"</h2> <p>A murdress Vice President is attempting a coup. A terrorist entered US soil and is presumably plotting destruction, in between attending Executive Branch galas. The White House Chief of Staff's husband is hell-bent on exposing political corruption in a way that would make Deep Throat look prudish. But this week's <a title="Scandal" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">scandal season 3</a> began with a far more dramatic storyline: A love triangle aka what show-runner Shonda Rhimes does best.</p> <p>"I am not a hen and my house is not yours"</p> <p>Fitz "I don't believe in using my indoor voice" Grant is really mad that Olivia, his mistress, has a fake boyfriend to keep up appearances, and he doesn't care who knows it. As Olitz angrily put on their clothes (probably still warm from recently being ripped off each others bodies), Fitz shouts that Jake's re-entrance into Olivia's life is akin to a fox entering his hen house. [Note: Jake, along with anyone else in a two mile radius can hear his dismay.]</p> <p>But however many times Olivia falls back into Fitz's grabbing arms, she is not weak. She is not a hen. Her house is her own. "I am not a prize at the state fair, you can't win me," Olivia says. "My whole life is not about you. I have goals. I have dreams. I do this for me, Jake by my side is for me," so that she can have a career outside of public scrutiny. Dumbfounded, Fitz apologizes. But Olivia doesn't want to be touched. She takes a breath and walks into the hall to meet her fake boyfriend who's also her ex-boyfriend ... because why make this less emotionally complicated?</p> <p>J-Olivia?</p> <p>Olivia's hen house might not belong to Fitz, but Jake has staked a claim to at least her kitchen appliances. "Stock your damn fridge," he says firmly, after being called to Olivia's apartment only to be falsely accused of siccing Quinn on her father (we'll get there). Jake continues, "If I'm going to be your fake boyfriend all day, I'm going to come home at the end of it and drink real beer and eat real food. Wine is not beer and popcorn is most definitely not real food."</p> <p>While I'm ideologically opposed to the idea that wine and Orville Redenbacher aren't two staple food groups, Jake gained points for demanding some form of acknowledgment in this strange arrangement. He will support Olivia (a woman he clearly still has feelings for) as she pursues the president and her career, but he demands a level of respect.</p> <p>And it apparently has a winning effect on Olivia. When Jake is watching videos from within the Oval Office - it turns out B613 has a secret service spy who reports to the organization's leader (which means Papa Pope must have had access to videos of Fitz and his daughter getting it on... gross) - he hears Fitz ask if Olivia has feelings for Jake. "Honestly," Olivia says, "I don't know."</p> <p>Team Jake.</p> <p>Mellie's humanity is showing. And it's about time.</p> <p>It's rare to see Mellie depicted as having a soul. Unfortunately much of her humanity is tied to tragic circumstances: Getting raped (and possibly impregnated) by Fitz' father and, as we learned this week, trying to take her life by overdosing on Oxycontin. In flashbacks, we saw the dissolving of Mellie and Fitz' relationship and the beginning of her and Andrew's. Andrew overheard Fitz yelling at her for her coldness and recoiling at her touch and soonafter found her passed out after taking a whole bottle of Oxy. Andrew saves Mellie without calling paramedics or informing Fitz, but when he tries to talk with her about what happened, Mellie's first reaction is to recoil. Used to dealing with Fitz, she seethes that she expects he wants recognition for being a good guy. Andrew surprises her by saying that he doesn't want to be thanked but rather to know why. And Mellie tells him what she won't reveal to her husband, that she was raped. Andrew keeps her secret, confesses his love, but forces no action.</p> <p>Back in present day, obviously rumors of drug abuse in the governor's mansion are running rampant. Andrew is quick to take the blame to protect Mellie, he says he had a back injury and needed pain meds quickly. As Olivia runs around trying to kill the story, she discovers that the meds were actually for Mellie and decides to have a heart-to-heart with the first lady about the emotional dangers of hiding love for powerful men. In true Mellie fashion, she slams Olivia: "When I had the chance to cheat I kept my knees together and said no. We are not the same."</p> <p>But the restrained Mellie of the governor's mansion is no more. Finding Andrew staring at a portrait of Jackie Kennedy, Mellie coyly tells him, "We do not touch the First Ladies," before revealing that the story has been killed. "What would happen if I kissed you right now?" Andrew asks. Well Andrew, "we" do not kiss First Ladies, they kiss you. Mellie goes in for a short but steamy kiss under the watchful, but we hope approving, painted eyes of First Ladies past.</p> <p><b>Publius, Publius, Publius</b></p> <p>We find James still leaking and still freaking out that Cyrus is going to find out that he's leaking and, ya know, kill him. In other news, James thinks the name Publius is dumb, too. "I never said it out loud."</p> <p>What's with the other Gladiators? Storylines have been sparse but:</p> <p>- Abby tells David that she loves him. She then puts her money where her mouth is by saving his life at the end of the episode by stuffing him in the trunk of a car on his way to leak information about Cyrus to a reporter. (Charlie was on his tail and would have murdered him). David loves Abby, too. Hooray.</p> <p>-Harrison is sleeping with Adnan Sharif. While he missed parts of her (boobs?), others not so much. Adnan reveals that Harrison was involved in something shady called Clearwater - he's committed crimes other than insider training. We also learn that Adnan has a strange connection with Cyrus and is working in cahoots with Mama Pope (who is also back in the US). This can't be good.</p> <p>-Huck brings Olivia coffee. Three times. Olivia doesn't like coffee (should have gone with a pinot!) but Huck explains, "It's a gesture. It means I'm sorry about Quinn. People get people coffee when they're sorry. I could get you tea instead." Although, Huck also points out that really his Quinn torture was his fault because she knows what he's like and gave him too long of a leash.</p> <p>- Unfortunately, Quinn had the biggest storyline in the episode. She beats Charlie to gathering information on Papa Pope (who's working with Sally's right-hand-man Leo) even though she was explicitly instructed not to get involved. Thus, she gained street cred with the organization and Jake. Her success is slightly surprising considering that she couldn't even stalk Rowan without getting caught by Olivia, who Quinn threatens to shoot if she won't get out of the car and try to bring her "home."</p> <p>Question of the night:</p> <p>Mellie to Fitz: "What does it feel like to be so hot for someone so turned on by them that you would put everything you ever worked for at risk? Does it feel good? Is it an amazing high? Or is it so intense that it hurts and feels like a fire in your belly?" </p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-19318663311960253852014-03-07T13:00:00.001-08:002014-03-07T13:00:06.471-08:00[Deal Alert] Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition Drops To $499.99 For 16GB And $529.99 For 32GB On Amazon <p>We've already had <a href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/03/06/deal-alert-refurbished-samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-is-229-99-170-off-retail-at-groupon/">one pretty good deal on a Samsung Note tablet today</a>, but if you'd like something with a little more oomph, <a href="http://www.<a title="amazon" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Best Buy</a>.com/?tag=androidpolice-20">Amazon</a> is offering some significant discounts on a newer model. The Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition is now <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-10-1-Black/dp/B00F3SOHNU/ref=sr_1_1?tag=androidpolice-20&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394075278&sr=1-1&keywords=B00F3SOHNU">$499.99 for the 16GB model and $529.99 for the 32GB model</a> on Amazon's main listing. That's a savings of $50 and $70, respectively. </p> <a href="http://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/nexusae0_note-10.png"><img src="http://cdn.androidpolice.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/nexusae0_note-10_thumb.png"></a> <p>Now, that's still really freakin' expensive as Android tablets go, but since Samsung doesn't seem to be letting go of its high and mighty pricing any time soon, this is probably the best deal you'll get on a new version of this particular model. And it could be worse: the similar Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-10-1-Tablet-Black/dp/B00HWMPSFQ/ref=sr_1_1?tag=androidpolice-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1394120419&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+tab+pro+10.1">same price on Amazon for the 16GB version</a>, and it's got less RAM and no stylus function. The core specs for the Note 10.1 2014 Edition are a 1260x1600 screen, a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera. It does run Android 4.3, while the newer Tab Pro models use KitKat. </p> <p>Should you buy one? From a purely economic perspective, this tablet is still a tough recommendation, to say nothing of the faux leather and awful physical navigation buttons. But if you've been drooling over one for the last few months, now you've got a better deal to consider. This doesn't appear to be a sale, so I expect this is Amazon's new standard price for the Note 10.1 2014 Edition. You get your choice of black or white models, and as usual, Amazon Prime users can get free 2-day shipping. </p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-1147643606114253822014-03-06T22:00:00.001-08:002014-03-06T22:00:10.569-08:00One Lucky Canadian Won a Scion Tc Playing the 'Watch Dogs Live' Game <img src="http://toucharcade.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"><img src="http://cdn.toucharcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/watchdogs-300x532.jpeg"><p>Set in my own hometown of Chicago, IL, the PC/console game (or WATCH_DOGS if you're down with stylized titles) is high up on my most-wanted-non-iOS-games list. It made a huge splash at E3 2012, and sort of floundered around missing its original release window of "late 2013" and now is set for a launch on May 27th, 2014. Why is this PC/console hacker-centric open-world action-adventure game relevant on TouchArcade? Well, it turns out people are winning actual valuable prizes by playing the Canada-only iOS <a title="promotional" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Discount</a> game, Watch Dogs Live [ <a href="http://toucharcade.com/link/http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/watch-dogs-live/id647948244?mt=8">Free</a>].</p> <p>In the game, you use your iPhone's GPS to wander around Canada, targeting and hacking real-world locations. It sounds like a pretty typical geolocation based game with the main difference being Ubisoft is actually dishing out prizes like crazy leading up to the release of its PC/console counterpart. One player, who goes by hacker alias "Dizzy0321" won a 2014 Scion Tc playing the game. With the launch of the "full" game pushed back, Ubisoft has extended Watch Dogs Live, and is offering up a new grand prize: A trip for four to the snowed-over arctic paradise that is Chicago (which, as mentioned, is also the setting of the game).</p> <p>Keep in mind, you <b>really have to be a Canadian</b> to be eligible for prizes. While "Canadians" with Canadian iTunes accounts can download the game, you need to be a verifiable Canadian resident to win. We don't normally post about this sort of thing, but, at the same time, it isn't normal to win a car playing a free to play game.</p> <p><b>Canadian App Store Link</b>: <a href="http://toucharcade.com/link/http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/watch-dogs-live/id647948244?mt=8">Watch Dogs Live, Free</a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-76440033254907911882014-03-03T14:00:00.001-08:002014-03-03T14:00:10.275-08:00Ringing Cedars Now Running Promotional Deal on Ringing Cedars Books <p>(PRWEB) March 03, 2014 </p> <p> RingingCedarsofRussia.co.uk, the official website of the <a href="http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk">Ringing Cedars</a>, announced today that they are currently running a limited time buy 3 get 10% off the entire order promotional <a title="deal" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Discount</a> on the Ringing Cedars book series.</p> <p>For a limited time, customers have the opportunity to receive a 10% discount on their entire order when they purchase books 2, 3 and 4 of the <a href="http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk">Ringing Cedars</a>. The coupon code is for the discount is BK555. The coupon is valid only for orders include books 2, 3 and 4 in the shopping cart, and available to residents of the United States and Canada only.</p> <p>All customers have to do to receive the discount is to enter the coupon code into "Enter coupon code" text box or mention it to a sales representative when ordering by phone. This coupon cannot be used with other coupons, but can be combined with regular and quantity discounts and shipping promotions.</p> <p>"We are proud to offer this special discount on the Ringing Cedars Books to our loyal customers," said Victor Rod of RingingCedarsofRussia.co.uk. "Ringing Cedars is a wonderful and enlightening book series, and paints a wonderful portrait of Russia and the magic of the Siberian Taiga."</p> <p>The story of the <a href="http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk">Ringing Cedars books</a> began in 1994 when author Vladimir Megre traveled to the Siberian Taiga, where he met a woman named Anastasia and experienced a spiritual awakening connected to the sacred Ringing Cedar Trees. </p> <p>Megre was moved so deeply by the experience that he gave up his entrepreneurial aspirations and dedicate his life to writing about his time with Anastasia, and spreading the Ringing Cedars philosophy he learned in Siberia. </p> <p>Despite having no formal training as a writer, Megre's book series has become hugely popular with audiences worldwide, and has been translated into more than 20 languages, including English.</p> <p>As the official website of the Ringing Cedars, RingingCedarsofRussia.co.uk also produces and distributes related products as the Ringing Cedars Oil, also known as Siberian Cedar Nut Oil, found deep within the wilderness of the Siberian Taiga.</p> <p>For more information about Ringing Cedars, inquiries or purchases, visit <a href="http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk">http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk</a>.</p> <p>About <a href="http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.co.uk">Ringing Cedars</a>:<br>Ringing Cedars, founded in 2003, is a leading producer and distributor of Cedar Nut Oil and related products. Ringing Cedars produces high quality cedar nut oil and supplies it worldwide. They maintain the highest quality product and service by managing the process from the collection of cedar nut oil products, to the production of the oil and delivering it to your front door.</p> <br> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-64249737927800788062014-02-28T06:30:00.001-08:002014-02-28T06:30:10.617-08:00WTI Crude Trims Monthly Gain and Moves Closer to Brent <p>West Texas Intermediate crude fell for a second day, trimming a monthly gain. Brent swung between gains and losses in <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/london/">London</a>. </p> <p>Futures decreased as much as 0.5 percent in New York. Brent declined to the lowest in two weeks yesterday as gunmen occupied government buildings in <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/ukraine/">Ukraine</a>'s Crimea region and <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/russia/">Russia</a> put fighter planes on alert. WTI's <a title="discount" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promo Codes</a> to the European benchmark crude has narrowed this month to the smallest since October as winter storms bolstered U.S. heating-fuel use and stockpiles at Cushing, <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/oklahoma/">Oklahoma</a>, fell with the opening of a new pipeline.</p> <p>"The draws that we have been seeing have been seasonal," said <a href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/jonathan-barratt/">Jonathan Barratt</a>, the chief executive officer of Barratt's Bulletin in Sydney. "Oil has been up at these levels because of weather events. The demand situation is weak."</p> <p>WTI for April delivery fell as much as 53 cents to $101.87 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $102.06 at 11 a.m. Sydney time. The contract fell 19 cents to $102.40 yesterday. The volume of all futures traded was about 46 percent below the 100-day average. Prices are up 4.7 percent this month.</p> <p>Brent for April settlement was at $108.89, down 7 cents, on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark crude was at a $6.83 premium to WTI. It settled yesterday at $6.56, the narrowest since October 4, and ended January at $8.91.</p> <h2>Cushing Stockpiles </h2> <p>Inventories at Cushing, the delivery point for WTI contracts, decreased by 1.08 million barrels to 34.8 million last week, the lowest since October, the Energy Information Administration reported this week. TransCanada Corp. began moving crude in January to the Texas Gulf Coast from the hub via the southern portion of its Keystone XL pipeline.</p> <p>Distillate inventories, which include heating oil and diesel, expanded by 338,000 barrels last week to 113.1 million barrels, according to the EIA, the Energy Department's statistical arm. That's about 25 percent <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/DOESDIST:IND">below</a> the five-year average of 141 million.</p> <p>Output from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries dropped to a two-year low. Production this month by the 12-members of OPEC fell 11,000 barrels a day to an average 29.877 million from 29.888 million in January, the survey of oil companies, producers and analysts showed. It was the least since June 2011. Last month's total was unrevised.</p> <p>To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Sharples in Melbourne at <a href="mailto:bsharples@bloomberg.net">bsharples@bloomberg.net</a> </p> <p>To contact the editor responsible for this story: Pratish Narayanan at <a href="mailto:pnarayanan9@bloomberg.net">pnarayanan9@bloomberg.net</a> </p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-13600127920831582522014-02-28T02:00:00.001-08:002014-02-28T02:00:25.795-08:00Investors Buy Delinquent Mortgages to Get Cheap Properties <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Promo Code</a>p>Real Estate </p> <p>With home prices rising, big real estate investors have discovered another source of cheap property: bad mortgages. , the second-largest single-family landlord after , Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust, and are stepping up acquisitions of nonperforming loans, or NPLs, to expand their holdings of homes to operate as rental properties.</p> <p>Hedge funds, private equity firms, and real estate investment trusts, which have raised more than $20 billion to purchase rental homes, are buying mortgages as banks face new regulations that make it more expensive to hold soured loans. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is also auctioning loans to stem losses at the financially troubled Federal Housing Administration. </p> <p>The shift to buying loans comes after the pace of foreclosures slowed and house prices jumped in Atlanta, Phoenix, and other hard-hit markets where investors have made the most purchases. Average home prices in Phoenix have risen 44 percent since hitting bottom in September 2011, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Atlanta prices are up 37 percent since March 2012. Paying more for homes makes it harder for landlords to make money from rentals. "Our NPL acquisition strategy will continue to give us access to properties and healthy markets nationwide," Altisource Chairman William Erbey said on a Feb. 20 call with investors. The company bought 13,000 delinquent loans last year. </p> <p>The large-scale loan purchases raise concern among housing advocates that residents may be displaced or transformed into renters of their former houses, according to Kevin Stein, associate director of the California Reinvestment Coalition, a San Francisco-based tenant and consumer advocacy group. "They should be modifying those loans to keep the homeowner in there, but it runs counter to their business model," Stein says. "They shouldn't be in the business of buying distressed loans for the purpose of foreclosing on people."</p> <p><img src="http://wbbw1.bwbx.io/cms/2014-02-27/mf_mortgages10__01__202inline.jpg">Douglas Brien, co-chief executive officer of Starwood Waypoint, says his company plans to give delinquent residents a chance to stay put as owners or renters. "Our intent is to approach some of these folks where it just doesn't look like they're going to get caught up on their loans," he says. The company can "offer them the opportunities to stay in their homes and keep their kids in the same school." </p> <p>Starwood Waypoint and its predecessor companies have paid $220 million for 1,736 nonperforming loans since 2012, according to a January presentation to investors. That's about $127,000 per distressed loan, compared with $140,000 per rental home. </p> <p>Brien estimates that 30 percent to 50 percent of the NPLs will end up as rentals for the company. In other cases the borrowers will resume paying the loans after a modification, or Starwood Waypoint will sell the homes because the location or quality doesn't match its investment criteria. "We're always going to take the outcome that's most economically beneficial," he says.</p> <p>About $34.7 billion in nonperforming mortgages were sold last year, up from $13.1 billion in 2012, says William David Tobin, principal of Mission Capital, a real estate loan broker. Altisource CEO Ashish Pandey predicts that more than $40 billion may be sold this year.</p> <p>Homes acquired through NPLs have often gone years without maintenance as the owners struggled to pay their debts, adding to renovation costs for investors who take them over. Loans on homes subject to foreclosure filings in December were an average 920 days delinquent, up from 255 days late in January 2008, according to data provider Black Knight Financial Services. That makes them too much trouble for investors like Jon Daurio, a co-founder of Kondaur Capital, which started buying delinquent loans in 2007. "The longer the borrower is in a house that's nonperforming, the amount of deferred maintenance just grows and grows and grows," says Daurio, who left Kondaur in 2011. "For me, it's too risky."</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-14043392628000937612014-02-24T15:00:00.001-08:002014-02-24T15:00:07.660-08:00NEX Band is a High Tech Pandora Bracelet <p><img src="http://chipchickcom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nexband.jpg">We got an unexpected new entry into the world of wearable technology this week at the <a href="http://www.chipchick.com/tag/toy-fair-2014">American International Toy Fair</a> - the charm bracelet has jumped into the digital world. It's called the NEX Band, and it's a brand new way to bring you notifications.</p> <p>The bracelet has room for five Mod charms, which connect over Bluetooth to your mobile device. See! It's a <a title="Pandora bracelet" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org">pandora bracelet</a>, but for geeks. Each charm can be tied to a gaming app, social app, or anything that might give you a notification. When a notification does come in, that charm will light up. An API and an SDK for developers is being released, so you can expect more and more support for Mod charms as time goes on.</p> <p>The bracelet itself is pretty refined - the charm bases can come in multiple materials, including chrome and gold, so you're definitely not getting a cheap piece of wristwear. The smoked lenses on the charms make the bracelet look like a piece of jewelry, not a high-tech gadget that stands out more than it should. It seems to strike the right balance between fashion and tech - crucial if you want to sell any piece of wearable technology.</p> <p>We still have a long time to wait for the <a href="http://www.mightycast.com/#nexband">NEX Band</a>, though - it won't become available until just before the holiday season this year.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-33681130006185207932014-02-23T15:45:00.001-08:002014-02-23T15:45:07.867-08:00Deal of the Day: Amzer Hybrid Case for BlackBerry Bold 9930/9900 <p> Date : 23 Şubat 2014 Pazar - 16:40, Category : TECHNOLOGY</p> <h2><a title="Deal of the Day" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/CouponsGo123/posts/665745446823218">Coupon Code</a>: Amzer Hybrid Case for BlackBerry Bold 9930/9900</h2> <img src="http://periscopepost.com/photo/content/2014/2/deal-of-the-day-amzer-hybrid-case-for-blackberry-bold-9930-9900.jpg"><p> Deal of the Day: Amzer Hybrid Case for BlackBerry Bold 9930/9900 </p> <p>For today only, purchase the Amzer Hybrid Case for BlackBerry Bold 9930/9900 and save 70% off the list price! 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The researchers looked at policies and procedures in place at 24 of the country's top credit card issuers to prevent and detect fraud, as well as handle a problem when something bad happens.</p> <p>"Retailers, common targets for data breach crimes, scored the lowest in prevention and among the lowest overall," said Al Pascual, the senior analyst who co-authored the report.</p> <p>The three retailers reviewed in this study placed the lowest in prevention: Cabela's (29 percent), Target (22 percent) and Nordstrom (18 percent). Pascual said these scores indicate "inattention" to factors that could help lower incidents of fraud.</p> <p>"To be honest, it seems like security isn't a major priority for retailer-issued cards," he told me. "When you compare that to what we see with general purpose cards, there's a very clear disparity between the two. If you have one of these store-branded cards, you should be a bit more concerned about fraud."</p> <p>We contacted Cabela's, Target and Nordstrom for their response to the Javelin report.</p> <p>In a statement to NBC News, Nordstrom said: "We take seriously our responsibility to protect our customers' information and work hard to provide them with personal service that addresses their specific needs and concerns when situations arise. We always pay attention to feedback we receive in this area and constantly look for ways to make improvements where necessary because this is so important to us and our customers."</p> <p>Nordstrom noted that the Javelin study does not address important back-end systems that are designed to provide security, systems the retailer believes are "incredibly important and oftentimes more effective" in preventing fraud and unauthorized access to customer information. </p> <p>"Without that as part of the analysis, the report does not give customers a complete picture. That said, we continue to review our processes and systems to ensure that we're doing everything we can to take care of our customers and the trust they have in us," the company said in its statement.</p> <p>NBC News did not hear back from Cabela's or Target.</p> <p>And the winners are...<br> Bank of America was <a title="best" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://2014coupons.net/">Buy Cheap</a> in class for the seventh consecutive year with an overall score of 70 percent, significantly higher than the average score of 55 percent. </p> <p>B of A was rated very strong on authentication - verifying that a customer is legitimate and not an imposter. They also have a comprehensive set of alerts that are automatically activated when someone becomes a customer. These include alerts for an unusually large transaction, a transaction in a foreign location or when someone takes out a cash advance against the card.</p> <p>"That's great," Pascual said. "The customer knows best if something is fraudulent and B of A is not afraid to leverage that relationship to protect the account."</p> <p>Best in prevention:<br> Clearly, it's better for the bank and the customer to stop fraud, rather than deal with it afterwards.</p> <p>USAA earned the top score with a 64 percent, up from 57 percent in 2012. USAA offers two-way alerts that notify the customer in almost real-time of suspicious activity and let the customer respond - to tell the bank if the transaction is legit.</p> <p>"This is a great feature to help prevent fraudulent transactions from being completed," Pascual said. "And it gives the bank information that will let them make future decisions about your spending pattern and if something might be fraudulent."</p> <p>Bank of America was a close second in the prevention category, followed by Citi, Navy Federal Credit Union and State Farm tied for fourth. </p> <p>Best in detection:<br> Wells Fargo took this category. It's score of 83 percent is well above the industry average of 65 percent. Fifth Third Bank, First National Bank of Omaha and U.S. Bank tied for second place with a score of 80 percent. Nordstrom (77 percent) rounded out the top five.</p> <p>Best in resolution:<br> Associated Bank and SunTrust tied for the top spot with scores of 90 percent. Both banks will reverse a fraudulent charge or provide a line of credit within 24 hours of receiving a fraud report. BB&T, Pentagon Federal Credit Union and PNC were tied at 85 percent.</p> <p>If you have a problem and report it, you expect to get help right away. Don't count on it.</p> <p>Less than half (42 percent) of the card issuers in the survey respond within 48 hours of fraud report. Javelin believes a delay of more than two days is unacceptable.</p> <p>Credit card fraud is a massive problem. Javelin estimates that about 7.5 million Americans had their card compromised in 2012. The monetary loss from this fraud reached $8 billion. Remember, we all pay for credit card fraud, even if our card isn't misused, in the form of higher prices and higher bank fees. </p> <p>A summary of <a href="https://www.javelinstrategy.com/uploads/9thAnnual_Javelin_Credit_Card_Issuers_Award_Winners.pdf">Javelin's Ninth Annual Credit Card Issuers' Identity Safety Scorecard</a> is available online for free.</p> Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Consumerman">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheConsumerman">Twitter </a>or visit <a href="http://www.consumerman.com/">The ConsumerMan </a>website. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-83060879671389708232014-02-04T08:00:00.001-08:002014-02-04T08:00:14.075-08:00Stand up paddle, slackline, ioga... 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BJP, which is reportedly concerned about the growing popularity of AAP across the country, dismissed Mr Kejriwal's party as one of elites and not the common people. The party claimed AAP and Congress are not a threat.<br> "They know Narendra Modi will unfurl the tricolour at Red Fort this Independence day," Mr Hussain said.<br> Dismissing AAP, he added "people are fast losing their trust in AAP. Their views have changed not in days but in hours."<br> He recalled that while earlier AAP had promised to put Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in "handcuffs" for her alleged involvement for corruption charges against her government soon after coming to power, they have done nothing. "Congress too has failed to carry out its threats against AAP", he added.<br> "Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had announced that the government will probe the source of foreign funding of AAP but is now silent," Mr Hussain said.<br> In reply to a question on AAP leader Yogendra Yadav's remarks that his party wants to see Mr Kejriwal as Prime Minister, the BJP leader said "the Indian Constitution has given the right to everybody to become the Prime Minister. Every supporter sees his leader as a prospective PM."</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-92199117197827934792013-12-31T15:00:00.001-08:002013-12-31T15:00:07.123-08:00Liberals Have Turned a Season of Happiness into a Political Mine Field for Christians <p>Contribution</p> <p><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/author/montgomery-j-granger/"> <img src="http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/13802003.1182280.jpg"></a></p> <p>Here's another chapter in the "You Just Can't Make It Up" book of liberal intolerance: before Christmas, a militant <a title="atheist" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">australian christmas cards</a> group headed by a former Air Force officer, Mikey Weistein, successfully petitioned the command at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/19/nativity-scenes-removed-from-guantanamo-dining-halls-after-complaints/?intcmp=latestnews">remove a nativity scene from a military dining facility</a> on behalf of several unnamed military personnel who allegedly found the display to be "offensive." </p> <p>Mikey probably has an effigy of baby Jesus hanging from his rafters. </p> <p>There is no proof or evidence in the public domain regarding the authenticity of the complaints, but the assertion is that the display "excluded" other faiths, and so showed favoritism towards Christianity, and therefore, according to base commander Navy Capt. John Nettleton, "the decorations improperly promoted Christianity." </p> <p>Never mind that this time of year Christians celebrate Christmas, a holiday so popular that non-secularists celebrate it as much as Christians do, but for different reasons. The nativity betrays the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, and so that is presumptuously "offensive" to Jews, agnostics, wiccans, Buddhists, and the like. </p> <p>But isn't Christmas a Federal Holiday, both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Why are government entities so afraid to preserve the traditional trappings of this legally recognized event? Why do government organizations so quickly fold on what could arguably be a winnable complaint simply based on common sense? </p> <p>Why is it important for Mr. Weinstein to rob Christian military members of the symbols of their faith? Apparently he is the Sandman of atheism, sprinkling "bad Jesus" dust in the eyes of unsuspecting military folks who dare cast eyes on a group of inanimate characters awaiting the birth of Jesus. If the Grinch stole Christmas, Mr. Weinstein stole the birthday of the person whose appearance was so significant most of the non-Jewish, non-Buddhist world set our calendars to "A.D." in His name. </p> <p>In a television interview with Bill O'Reilly, Mr. Weinstein <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/20/cut-him-off-hes-a-jerk-oreillys-fiery-exchange-over-guantanamo-nativity-removal/">met his match on the subject</a> . The short conversation quickly degenerated into verbal fisticuffs for which Mr. Weinstein was at a disadvantage, for in the end, Mr. O'Reilly had had enough and told his production crew to "Cut him off, he's a jerk." </p> <p>Mr. Weinstein refused to name any of the alleged complainants, who, if their complaint were legitimate would have gone through their military chain of command or chaplain. Instead, Mr. Weinstein, who does not have access to the base at Guantanamo Bay, somehow obtained information about the nativity scene and then contacted the base command to complain. </p> <p>He said in his conversation with O'Reilly that, "My point is, Christian privilege is now gone and not welcome to the land of equality. You must all share your toys." T his incensed the popular political talk show host and led to the end of the conversation. </p> <p>Mr. Weinstein's complaint is more like sour grapes and the seeking of a pound of religious flesh for a transgression that just last year was not a problem for anyone, least of all the military members at the tight-knit community in the small speck of a base in the Caribbean. Mr. Weinstein represents a tiny segment of our culture that despises religion and thinks those who believe and practice it are intellectually inferior. So much for liberal tolerance. </p> <p>The big fat irony here is that the military personnel, for whom the nativity scene was displayed, wrote a blank check to the American people, including Mr. Weinstein. They put their lives on the line in order to preserve the rights of those who are complaining about the nativity. This irony should not be lost on the American people, and . Sites are also popping up in <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/petition-in-support-of-duck-dynastys-phil-robertson-gets-over-250000-signatures-111586/">in light of A&E's recent suspension of "Duck Dynasty" patriarch</a>, Phil Robertson, are rising up to let their voices and their viewing power be heard <a href="http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/2013/GTMO_Nativity_12-18-13.html">support of the Gitmo nativity scene</a> . </p> <p>Also egregiously intolerant towards Christians is the <a href="http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/12/24/va-policy-blocks-vets-getting-texas-students-christmas-cards%20">recent banning of Christmas cards that have "Merry Christmas"</a> on them . So says the Veterans Administration at the VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Fifty-one children from a Texas school made Christmas cards for veterans that they will never see. Liberty Institute Director of Litigation, Hiram Sasser said, "Targeting the benevolent work of little children for censorship is disgusting. Do the Grinches in the administration of the VA really believe our bravest warriors need protection from the heartfelt well wishes of small children saying Merry Christmas?" </p> <p>So ends a season of un-happiness. Are we headed for a completely homogenized society, full of terrified bureaucrats who can't see the Christmas tree for the angel on top? What will next year bring, banishing Santa Claus? Or is that too sacred a non-secular cow to sacrifice for fear of offending non-Christians? Will Mr. Weinstein and his ilk ban "The Night Before Christmas?" Reindeer? Rudolph! </p> <p>This country was founded on the virtues of Judeo/Christian ethics, not Pagan/utilitarian ethics that worship the seasons for their sake and value whatever is useful to someone at the time. We fight, we bleed, we breath for freedom and liberty unlike any other people on earth, and we need to remind detractors of the great American experiment in democracy, that "NO" is a complete sentence when it comes to compromising our values. </p> <p>Me? I think we're going to display a nativity scene on my front lawn next year, to go with the LED candles in each window, and the Christmas tree seen in my warm Christian home through the front window. Merry CHRISTmas 2014 can't come soon enough. </p> TheBlaze contributor channel supports an open discourse on a range of views. The opinions expressed in this channel are solely those of each individual author. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-71287513057335512292013-12-27T17:48:00.001-08:002013-12-27T17:48:10.231-08:00Patriot League Women's Basketball Weekend Preview - 12.20.13 <p>Patriot League Women's Basketball Weekend Preview - 12.20.13 <br>Eight teams set for competition this weekend <br></p> <p><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/confs/patr/graphics/spacer.gif"></p> <p>Kayla Burton and Lehigh welcome Vermont, Delaware and Youngstown State to Stabler Arena this weekend for the Christmas City Classic.<img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/patr/sports/w-baskbl/auto_action/9557344.jpeg"><br><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/confs/patr/graphics/spacer.gif"><br><br><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/confs/patr/graphics/spacer.gif"></p> <b>Dec. 20, 2013</b> <p><a href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/patr/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/PLWBBRelease122013.pdf"><b>Patriot League Women's Basketball Release - 12.20.13</b></a> <a href="http://get.adobe.com/reader/"><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/graphics/icon-acrosmall.gif"></a></p> <p>CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - With Christmas just around the corner, eight Patriot League women's basketball teams will suit up this weekend in the final action before the holiday. After Sunday, the schedule goes dark for several days until Dec. 28-29 with 10 tilts slated across those two 24-hour periods.</p> <p>PATRIOT LEAGUE QUICK HITS </p> <p>* Colgate, owner of the longest win streak in the League right now at three games, heads to Albany on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tip. <br>* Holy Cross senior Alex Smith became the League's all-time leader in 3-pointers in Wednesday's 84-71 win over Quinnipiac. She scored a career-high 31 points and made six treys to pass Lehigh's Alex Ross, who sank 286 3-pointers during her career from 2006-10. Smith has 288 entering the Crusaders' 7 p.m. tip on Saturday at <a title="Boston" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">beagle christmas cards</a> College. <br>* With 446 assists, Smith is now 11 shy of jumping into the League's all-time top 10. <br>* Six League teams are above .500 and two others are within a game of even heading into the weekend. <br>* The Patriot League is ranked 13th in the latest College Basketball News conference RPI ratings released on Monday. <br>* American is ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 for the second straight week. The Eagles are No. 25 as of the latest poll out late Tuesday. Army, Holy Cross and Lehigh are among others receiving votes. <br>* Lehigh hosts the two-day Christmas City Classic at Stabler Arena on Friday and Saturday. The Mountain Hawks welcome Vermont for a 5 p.m. tip on Friday, and then play the winner of Delaware-Youngstown State on Saturday at either 2 or 4:30 p.m. Patriot League Network will air all four games at www.patriotleague.tv. <br>* Lafayette plays its first game in 12 days on Friday when it visits St. Francis Brooklyn at 7 p.m. <br>* Entering the week, Lafayette senior center Danielle Fiacco is the NCAA's active leader in blocked shots with 313, which places her second all-time in League history. <br>* Loyola Maryland hosts UMBC on Saturday at noon in its first home game since playing Nov. 23 versus Pittsburgh. <br>* American looks to rebound from Monday's loss to Mount St. Mary's when it visits Coppin State on Saturday at 2 p.m. <br>* Bucknell plays its first game in two weeks when it visits Longwood on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bison were scheduled to host UMBC on Dec. 10, but Old Man Winter played the snow card and grounded the Retrievers in Baltimore. <br>* Boston University plays a pair of old conference rivals in back-to-back games before New Year's. The Terriers visit New Hampshire on Sunday at 2 p.m. and will be at Vermont the following week before opening League play on Jan. 2 at Holy Cross. <br>* The League owns a 52-40 record in non-League play with 19 tilts remaining during the regular season.</p> <p>Patriot League Notebook </p> <p>ONE RECORD FALLS, ANOTHER COULD<br>Holy Cross senior Alex Smith set the Patriot League career record for made 3-pointers with six in the Crusaders' 84-71 defeat of Quinnipiac on Wednesday afternoon. Smith also entered the week fifth in the nation among active players in treys. Should the Holy Cross guard keep up her current pace, she'll become the first player in League history with 300 career 3-pointers within three or four games. Meanwhile, Lafayette senior center Danielle Fiacco is threatening the League's career blocks mark. With 313, the 6-foot-7 Brewster, N.Y., native is 31 away from the record and entered the week as the nation's active leader in rejections.</p> <p>JOIN THE CLUB<br>With a career-high 25 points, American senior Alexis Dobbs broke through door to the 1,000-point club in Monday's 64-61 loss to Mount St. Mary's. The 16th player in Eagle annals and the 79th in Patriot League history to reach quadruple digits joins a list of three other active players in the League to amass at least 1,000 - Holy Cross' Alex Smith (1,311), Bucknell's Shelby Romine (1,209) and Navy's Jade Geif (1,206). Navy's Alix Membreno appears poised to be the next member of the 1,000 club with 925, while teammate Audrey Bauer is next with 885. Army's Jen Hazlett (859) and Lafayette's Danielle Fiacco (850) are the others within short striking distance of the mark.</p> <p>SMITH ADDS GOOD WORKS NOMINATION<br>Holy Cross senior guard Alex Smith, already a Senior CLASS Award candidate with American's Alexis Dobbs, added another citation to her resume on Dec. 3 when she was named to the list of nominees for the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team. In its second year, the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team honors players at all levels of college basketball who represent the sport's finest in the areas of leadership and charitable achievements amongst their peers. A total of 84 players from all levels were nominated, and Smith is one of 52 nominees from Division I.</p> <p>WATCH FREE ON PATRIOT LEAGUE NETWORK<br>2013-14 is the first of a multi-year agreement between the Patriot League and Campus Insiders who have teamed up to create Patriot League Network (PLN), a streaming platform that will enable fans to watch League regular season and championship events for free. Five games will air on PLN over the next two days, with two on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday. All League and home non-League games not already set to air on CBS Sports Network will be available on PLN. PLN also includes on-demand video content with feature stories, highlight shows and recaps. For more, visit patriotleague.tv.</p> <p>DOBBS, SMITH ARE CLASSY CANDIDATES<br>American's Alexis Dobbs and Holy Cross' Alex Smith were named to the list of 30 national candidates for the Senior CLASS Award in late October. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Dobbs has been the League's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women's basketball each of the last two years, while Smith has joined her in picking up back-to-back Academic All-League citations.</p> <p>EVERYBODY IN THE POOL<br>It's a bigger Patriot League now with a bigger League tournament. All 10 squads will qualify for the League bracket that begins with first round games on Tuesday, March 4, with the No. 7 seed hosting No. 10 and No. 8 home for No. 9. The 7/10 winner will move on to visit the second seed, and the 8/9 victor goes on to play No. 1 in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 6, with 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5 matchups taking place as well. The semifinals are set for Monday, March 10, with the last two teams moving on to the championship game on Saturday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. The higher seeds will host all rounds.</p> <p>THE FAVORITE TO REACH FOUR<br>Boasting a deep, talented and experienced senior class of four, Navy was selected as the preseason favorite in voting done by the League's head coaches and sports information contacts in October. The Mids claimed 14 of 20 first-place votes and topped the polling with 157 points. Army was next with 133 points and three first-place votes, while newcomer Boston University took third (128 points, 3 votes). Holy Cross, the runner up each of the last two seasons, was fourth with 112 points, while Lehigh took fifth with 97 points. American (87 points), Bucknell (62), Loyola (54), Lafayette (37) and Colgate (33) rounded out the list of 10.</p> <p>CBS SPORTS NETWORK TO AIR ARMY-NAVY<br>CBS Sports Network is one again the national broadcast partner of the Patriot League, and the Network will air both Army-Navy regular-season tilts in early 2014. The Mids host the first showdown on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m., and the two will reconvene their rivalry on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m. at West Point. Last season the academy rivals finished in a tie atop the League standings, but their head-to-head sweep of the two games gave the Black Knights the tournament's No. 1 seed. CBS Sports Network will also televise the Patriot League title game on Saturday, March 15 at 6 p.m.</p> <p>AMERICAN Senior Alexis Dobbs became the 16th player in American history and the 79th in Patriot League women's basketball annals to score 1,000 points with a career-high 25 in the Eagles' 64-61 loss to Mount St. Mary's on Monday night ... Dobbs shot 10-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the 3-point line and was the only American player to hit double figures in points ... Arron Zimmerman added seven points and seven rebounds, while Jen Dumiak scored eight with seven boards ... Dobbs ignited a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer and then ended it with a jumper to put the Eagles (6-3) in front 57-53 with 4:03 remaining ... The Mount tied the game for the ninth time at 57-all with 3:26 left before Michelle Holmes put American up again with a layup 18 seconds later ... After a Mount 3-pointer, Dobbs struck again with a jumper to put American ahead 61-60 with 2:31 on the clock ... Jody Chickey's two foul shots put The Mount in front again at 62-61 with 2:13 left, and the Eagles had chances down the stretch to reclaim the lead ... Dumiak and Jordan Light each had a 3-point attempt come up empty, and two possessions ended in turnovers ... The loss snapped American's three-game win streak, and was its first loss at home ... American visits Coppin State on Saturday at 2 p.m.</p> <p>ARMY The Black Knights dropped their second straight with last Friday's 59-56 loss at Ohio State ... Kelsey Minato's career-high 27 points led all players, while Olivia Schretzman chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds, and Jen Hazlett scored seven with nine boards ... Schretzman's layup put Army (7-3) in front 48-38 with 8:49 left in the game ... Ohio State scored nine straight over a three-minute span to cut the Black Knights' lead to 50-49 with 3:52 remaining ... Hazlett responded with a 3-pointer and a Minato jumper gave Army a 55-49 advantage at the 2:23 mark ... The Buckeyes went on another small run, this one a 6-0 stretch that tied the game at 55 with 79 seconds left ... After Aimee Oertner went 1-of-2 at the line, Ameryst Alston and Raven Ferguson both went perfect in two trips at the stripe in the final 31 seconds to give the Buckeyes the late win ... The teams traded the lead eight times and tied in six other instances, while Ohio State's bench outscored Army's 13-0 ... Army is off until Dec. 29 when it hosts Staten Island at 1 p.m.</p> <p>BOSTON U. Sarah Pope scored a career-high 19 points on 6-of-12 from the 3-point line, but Boston University (3-8) dropped a 76-65 loss at Case Gym on Saturday ... It was BU's first home game since Nov. 19 ... Melissa Gallo added 12 points and Danielle Callahan chipped in 10 ... Rashidat Agboola hauled down a team-high eight rebounds ... BU led 37-31 with 5:32 left in the first but the Red Foxes whittled it down to a 38-36 game at halftime ... Marist opened the second on a 16-3 run to move in front 52-41 with 13:24 on the clock ... Hope sank one of her six 3s and Agboola added a layup for a 5-0 BU spurt that cut the deficit to single digits with under six minutes left, but Marist surged with a 12-4 run over the next five and a half minutes to eliminate any chance of a Terrier rally ... Marist won the battle inside, with a 46-29 edge on the glass and a 28-14 advantage in points in the paint ... Boston University travels to former conference foe New Hampshire on Sunday at 2 p.m.</p> <p>BUCKNELL was off all of last week after it's Dec. 10 tilt versus UMBC was cancelled because of inclement weather ... The Bison are next in action on Saturday when they visit Longwood at 2 p.m.</p> <p>COLGATE Lauryn Kobiela scored 15 points to pace three Raiders in double figures in Saturday's 68-61 victory at Robert Morris ... Colgate (4-5) won its third straight game for the first time since Dec. 2010, while also winning its first game of the season after trailing at halftime ... Mariah Jones chipped in 12 points, and Randyll Butler logged a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in 28 minutes off the bench ... The Colonials took a 34-28 halftime lead thanks to six straight points over the final 2:21 of the first half ... Robert Morris led by as many as nine early in the second before Carole Harris' two free throws tied the game at 46-all midway through the second ... The Colonials edged back in front before Missy Repoli's trey with 6:25 left put the Raiders up 55-53 ... It came during the early stages of a 10-0 run for Colgate, which outscored RMU 22-10 over the game's last 8:47 ... Colgate heads to Albany on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tip.</p> <p>HOLY CROSS Senior Alex Smith became the Patriot League's all-time leader in 3-pointers in Holy Cross' 84-71 victory over Quinnipiac on Wednesday, thrilling the more than 1,000 Worcester City Public School children in attendance during "Get Fit With the Crusaders Day." ... Smith sank six treys to surpass the old League career mark of 286 previously held by Lehigh's Alex Ross and accumulated from 2006-10 ... Smith now has 288 ... Smith led all scorers with a career-high 31 points to become the first League player this season to eclipse the 30-point plateau ... Brisje Malone scored 15 points with game-highs of 12 assists and nine rebounds, barely missing out on her first career triple-double ... Emily Parker (12 points), Raquel Scott (10) and Lisa Mifsud (10) added to the scoring for Holy Cross, which led 53-31 at the break and withstood at 16-4 second-half run by the Bobcats to whittle the game down to a nine-point differential ... The Crusaders shot 64 percent (18-of-28) in the first half to build their lead and finished at 49 percent (26-of-53) for the game, including 10-of-18 from the arc ... The Crusaders are back on the floor on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Boston College.</p> <p>LAFAYETTE has been off since dropping a 71-61 final to Stony Brook in Easton, Pa., on Dec. 8 ... The Leopards visit St. Francis Brooklyn on Friday at 7 p.m. and then are off again before visiting California on Dec. 29 ... Senior Danielle Fiacco is the nation's active leader in blocked shots with 313 ... She's 31 shy of tying Bucknell's Hope Foster for the League record of 344.</p> <p>LEHIGH The Mountain Hawks return to the floor this weekend when they host their annual Christmas City Classic ... Vermont, Youngstown State and Delaware come to Bethlehem, Pa., starting Friday ... Lehigh hosts Vermont on Friday at 5 p.m. ... Saturday's consolation game is at 2 p.m., and the championship is set for 4:30 p.m. ... The Mountain Hawks also have a Dec. 28 tilt scheduled at Columbia.</p> <p>LOYOLA The Greyhounds are off until Saturday when they are home for UMBC at noon ... Loyola is at Towson on Dec. 28 before heading to Navy in the League opener on Jan. 2 ... Saturday's game at Reitz Arena will be the Hounds' first at home since Nov. 23 when they hosted Pittsburgh.</p> <p>NAVY The Mids are off until Dec. 29 when they travel to Marshall ... It's their last non-League game before opening League play on Jan. 2 against Loyola.</p> <p><img src="http://grfx.cstv.com/graphics/spacer.gif"></p> <br> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-1377688370181633092013-12-17T16:00:00.001-08:002013-12-17T16:00:09.245-08:00Half-ton Chocolate Santa Displayed At Houston Hotel <<a title="" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://onlinecards.org/">boxed christmas cards</a>p>HOUSTON (AP) - Santa Claus has come to town in Houston and he's sweeter than your average holiday fellow.</p> <p>A Houston hotel has created a half-ton dark chocolate sculpture of Santa Claus in a chair, complete with elves.</p> <p>Pastry experts at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston used dark chocolate and a special chocolate dough to fashion the exhibit, which is on display until Dec. 30.</p> <p>Hotel spokeswoman Tere Perry says the project cost about $5,000 worth of chocolate and 400 hours in work.</p> <p>Officials estimate the chocolate adds up to more than 2.4 million calories.</p> <p>Also on HuffPost:</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7889129000353019162.post-84978585494595708172013-12-03T22:30:00.001-08:002013-12-03T22:30:07.260-08:00Big Increase in Viet Nam Shrimp Exports to China <h2>News</h2> <b><a title="VIET" rel="bookmark" target="_blank" href="http://ketqua.net">xo so kien thiet</a> NAM - Seafood exports to China from Viet Nam in first 10 months of 2013 totaled US$462 million, up 37 per cent year-on-year. </b> <p>The shrimp shipment was valued at $310 million, up 50 per cent. In October alone, shrimp exports to China nearly doubled compared to the same month of 2012, reports VASEP.</p> <p>In first 10 months of 2013, Viet Nam sold seafood to 156 markets. The top 10 largest markets of Viet Nam seafood were the US, EU, Japan, China, South Korea, ASEAN, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, accounting for 85 per cent of Viet Nam's total seafood export value, equaling to that of the same time of 2012.</p> <p>During this time, out of Viet Nam's total seafood export value, seafood exports to Japan made up 17 per cent, down 0.6 per cent from proportion of 2012, the proportion of seafood exports to EU downed 1.5 per cent, the proportion of South Korea downed 1.2 per cent.</p> <p>However, the proportion of the US and China rose two per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively. China overtook South Korea to claim the fourth largest importer of Vietnam seafood. In terms of single markets, China ranked only after the US and Japan.</p> TheFishSite News Desk Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0