Nintendo's eShop plans: premium DLC, game demos, smartphone shopping, relevancy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink
Joystiq | 
Nintendo | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/28/nintendos-eshop-plans-premium-dlc-game-demos-smartphone-shop/
breast cancer walk breast cancer walk detroit tigers anita hill major league major league mlk memorial
Reality TV went too far this time.
Get the latest TV and reality TV news by following?our blog?on Facebook and Twitter!
Tonya Cooley, a cast member of MTV's "The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins," alleges that males on the show sexually assaulted her during production, TMZ reports.
In a lawsuit obtained by the site, Cooley is suing MTV Bunim/Murray Productions and those involved with the show for knowingly condoning the assault, including one instance of being raped with a toothbrush.
PHOTOS: Stars who survived abuse
The reality star claims that the abuse happened when she was passed out cold, and cameras were filming. According to TMZ, Cooley claims the show's producers knew about the rape, replaced the toothbrush in question, and never told her what occurred.
PHOTOS: Stars in court
Cooley's suit also alleges that male cast members were encouraged by producers to "inappropriately touch female cast members' bodies, including in intimate areas."
PHOTOS: Are these reality stars cursed?
She also claims in the lawsuit that she and other female cast members reported the sexual abuse but nothing was done.
According to TMZ, Cooley claims she was kicked off the show for slapping another cast member, yet no disciplinary action was taken against the men who allegedly raped her.
Copyright 2011 Us Weekly
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45078512/ns/today-entertainment/
steve wozniak steve wozniak legarrette blount pharrell pharrell kellie pickler silver bullet
Sister Wives Star Robyn Brown Gives Birth To A Baby Boy
Robyn and Kody Brown of the reality show “Sister Wives” have welcomed a baby boy named Solomon. This makes the 17th child for Kody, whose [...]
Sister Wives Star Robyn Brown Gives Birth To A Baby Boy Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/_sqDBYDXzqE/
aapl x factor judges x factor judges lemony snicket lemony snicket raiders raiders news
amazing grace wtc united 93 united 93 loose change pearl harbor the guard
New York ? The Texas governor unveils an optional 20-percent tax rate to boost the economy ? and his presidential campaign
In a bid to jumpstart his stalled presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled a "bold" tax plan on Tuesday, promising that it would give the economy a much-needed lift. Perry, speaking at a South Carolina plastics factory, proposed a flat, 20 percent tax to dramatically simplify the tax code, allowing people to fill out their returns on a postcard. To prevent the plan from raising taxes on poor and middle-class Americans ? most of whom pay less than 20 percent in income taxes ? Perry said anyone now paying a lower rate could opt to stick with the current system. Still, critics derided Perry's plan as "regressive." Would a flat tax really be good for America?
Absolutely not ? this is a sop to the rich: All Perry is doing is slashing income and investment taxes for the rich, says Jonathan Bernstein at The Washington Post. And "the genius" of the plan is that it also frees them tax-time paperwork, while the rest of us are stuck with the complicated old system. Working class taxes won't change ? and the poor will actually pay more if the Earned Income Tax Credit is repealed. "It's hard to believe that's a winner, even among Republican primary voters."
"Rick Perry's 'flat tax' ? not so flat after all"
Perry is onto something here: This could be a "game changer" for Perry's campaign, and for taxpayers, says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. Perry is pushing exemptions for a family of four to $50,000, which should keep "Democrats from demagoguing it as an attack on the middle class." And slashing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, as Perry proposes, would keep Congress from stifling business. The only problem is letting individuals opt out ? "we have enough problems with one system, let alone two."
"Conference call: Perry's economic plan"
Love it or hate it, Perry's plan won't pass: Many conservatives think Perry's flat tax is "cool," says Jay Newton-Small at TIME. But "fiscal critics already have their red pens out," and they don't like what they see. The non-partisan Tax Policy Center said a similar plan proposed by John McCain in 2008 would have added $7 trillion to the deficit over a decade. Regardless, Perry's plan may already have served its true purpose, by making his rival Mitt Romney look "timid" by comparison.
"Rick Perry's flat tax curveball"
View this article on TheWeek.com
Get 4 Free Issues of The Week
Other stories from this topic:
Like on Facebook?-?Follow on Twitter?-?Sign-up for Daily Newsletterdwts bill buckner christmas island antonio gates antonio gates challah oxford comma
Kelly Clarkson has said her career as a superstar singer has gotten in the way of her romantic life.
?Obviously it?s really hard to date when I?m on four different continents in a week,? the powerhouse vocalist told USA Today. ?Even if I do meet a great guy, I ain?t ever gonna see him. There?s only so much you can do with Skype!?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Top 10 Best Selling American Idols
While she?s been the voice of many breakup songs ? most famously ?Since You?ve Been Gone? ? she admitted she?s a little behind in the romance department.
Sometimes, it's hard to agree with the judges when they score the celebrities on their footwork. Now you can rate the stars' performances too.
?I?ve never been in love,? Kelly said. ?I?ve never experienced certain things, and I think that?s because I have this side of me that is shut off. Because I haven?t found anybody yet to open to that I feel like, ?OK, you?re worth breaking down that wall for.? I?ve never found that.?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson & More At ?VH1 Divas? 2009
Still, the superstar does hope to get married one day ? and she told the newspaper she?d like to wed in her late 30s (she?s 29 now).
TODAY exclusive: Listen to Kelly Clarkson's new song
?Statistically, if you wait that long, you?re not going to get divorced,? she said.
Story: Kelly Clarkson: Dating is like being on ?American Idol?Beyond romance, Kelly ? currently riding high atop the success of her latest single, ?Mr. Know It All? ? explained how she?s managed to avoid the trap many successful stars have fallen into.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Since She?s Been Gone: Catching Up With Kelly Clarkson
?I have no controversy,? she told the paper. ?You don?t see me in rehab, or you don?t see me coming out with my hey-haw showing. There?s not much to report. So when anything little is reported, it?s like ?Oh, my God, she wasn?t wearing makeup!??
Copyright 2011 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45028289/ns/today-entertainment/
the haunting in connecticut mark ingram mark ingram drew brees drew brees veterans day 60 minutes
TOKYO (Reuters) ? Finance Minister Jun Azumi said on Monday that Japan was ready to take decisive action in currency markets, issuing a fresh warning to markets against pushing up the yen too much in the wake of its rise last week to a record high.
"The dollar/yen rate fell sharply, to between 75 and 76 yen, in a short time. This is an utterly speculative move and not reflecting the economic fundamentals at all. This is regrettable," Azumi told reporters.
"If this move becomes excessive, we have to take decisive action. I already instructed my staff on Saturday to be prepared to take action."
He added that the strong yen would have a major impact on Japan's export sector, especially the auto industry, and could dent the country's economic recovery after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
He made the remarks after the dollar hit a record low of 75.78 yen on trading platform EBS on Friday. That surpassed its previous record low of 75.941 yen set in August, and brought back into focus the possibility of official intervention to weaken the Japanese currency.
The dollar has rebounded since then and rose slightly after Azumi's remark, standing around 76.40 yen on Monday.
Analysts do not rule out the chance of currency intervention, most likely unilateral, if yen rises continue.
"Japan may intervene in the currency market if dollar/yen stays below 76 or falls below 75. Unless it intervenes, the yen may continue to rise and verbal warnings alone may not be able to reverse that trend," said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
(Writing by Leika Kihara; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Chris Gallagher)
new orleans saints world series game 4 world series game 4 indianapolis colts colts colts turkey
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? A growing number of News Corp shareholders with voting rights are considering sending a strong message of discontent to Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch by voting against several long-standing board members including his sons James and Lachlan.
In the run up to Friday's annual general meeting, holders of News Corp B stock, including normally compliant supporters of Murdoch and his family, are closely examining recommendations by proxy advisory groups ISS and Glass Lewis to vote out as many as 13 of the media conglomerate's current 15 directors.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time we vote with Glass Lewis on these kind of matters," said Donald Yacktman, president and co-chief investment officer of Yacktman Asset Management Co in Austin, Texas.
Glass Lewis specifically recommended their fund clients withhold their votes for six directors including James and Lachlan Murdoch along with other News Corp insiders David Devoe, chief financial officer, and Arthur Siskind, a senior adviser to Murdoch.
While most major shareholders declined to comment publicly on their specific voting strategy, several said privately that the proxy advisory groups' comments would be an important factor in their decision. It follows the high profile and damaging fallout from the phone hacking scandal at News Corp's now defunct British paper News of the World.
The scandal has rocked the parent of Fox TV, the Wall Street Journal and the Sun in Britain, and raised serious questions about the leadership of News Corp's 80-year-old founder Rupert Murdoch. It has also undermined an unspoken succession plan once thought to involve one of his children.
STAGE-MANAGED AGM
After the furor of the last few months, this year's shareholder meeting is being more carefully stage-managed than in recent years, with only a strict and limited number of shareholders able to attend the meeting at the Zanuck Theater on the Fox Studios lot in Hollywood by using News Corp-provided transportation.
Simon Burge, Chief Investment Officer at Above the Index Asset Management, a top 20 investor in News Corp's Australian shares, said the fund would vote against James and Lachlan Murdoch, but declined to comment on whether it was voting against Rupert.
"We should vote as we see fit, but we need to acknowledge that all the resolutions are highly likely to pass, given that the family controls approximately 40 percent of the voting stock," Burge said.
But he added it would be silly to vote against 13 out of 15 directors as suggested by ISS. "If you vote against them all, you wouldn't have a board. Then you'd really have a governance problem," Burge said.
Ausbil Dexia, the biggest holder of News Corp's Australian stock, declined to comment on how it would vote.
"We do note there are some concerns there. We analyze what they have to say. We don't always agree with what they have to say," said Ausbil Dexia managing director Paul Xiradis, adding that the fund took its concerns directly to the company.
News Corp declined to comment.
The phone hacking scandal saw the company lose out on its biggest ever deal to buy the 61 percent of satellite broadcaster BSkyB it does not already own, and the arrest of nearly 20 former staffers and executives in Britain has given even strong Murdoch supporters pause for thought.
"This is one of those meetings that galvanizes shareholders to have a closer look," said a senior person at one proxy advisory group not permitted to talk about a specific case.
Major pension fund holders and advisory services including CalPERS and CalSTRS in the United States, Hermes Equity Ownership in Britain and Australian Council of Superannuation Investors in Australia have come out against the Murdoch-controlled board with similar criticism of poor corporate governance and the need for a board shake-up.
Yet even though the rumbling of dissent is growing it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the board's membership. Murdoch and his family control 40 percent of the voting stock with the next largest B shareholder being Saudi Prince Al Waleed with 7 percent. The prince has publicly thrown his support behind Murdoch making it even more unlikely that Murdoch or his family could be shifted.
But proxy watchers and shareholders said they'd be paying attention to the percentage of the vote of non-Murdoch affiliated B shareholders. If support for key board members drops significantly below the usual 90 to 99 percent range it could be a damaging signal for Murdoch.
"No one realistically expects any director to be voted off the board at the AGM," said a person at a British proxy advisory firm. "What will be closely watched is whether a majority of the non-Murdoch vote is cast against key board directors. If that happens it will be an indication of major shareholder unease."
News Corp and Murdoch are sensitive to suggestions of poor corporate governance and overpaying management. The company hit back against criticism saying it "vehemently disagrees" with ISS proposals. But the company acknowledged the phone hacking scandal could affect the wider business' operations.
In a letter to shareholders last week, News Corp pointed to its strong performance despite the difficult global economy. Revenue rose 2 percent to $33.4 billion in the year ended on June 30, while operating profit increased 23 percent to $4.85 billion.
(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke and Herb Lash in New York; Sinead Cruise in London and Sonali Paul in Melbourne; editing Bernard Orr and Mark Bendeich)
meredith kercher meredith kercher waxahachie waxahachie erin burnett four loko michael savage
A new image of the disk of gas and dust around a sun-like star has spiral-arm-like structures. These features may provide clues to the presence of embedded but as-yet-unseen planets.
"Detailed computer simulations have shown us that the gravitational pull of a planet inside a circumstellar disk can perturb gas and dust, creating spiral arms. Now, for the first time, we're seeing these features," said Carol Grady, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported astronomer with Eureka Scientific, Inc.
The newly imaged disk surrounds SAO 206462, a star located about 456 light-years away in the constellation Lupus. Astronomers estimate that the system is only about 9 million years old. The gas-rich disk spans some 14 billion miles, which is more than twice the size of Pluto's orbit in our own solar system.
"The surprise," said Grady, "was that we caught a glimpse of this stage of planet formation. This is a relatively short-lived phase."
A near-infrared image from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan shows a pair of spiral features arcing along the outer disk. Theoretical models show that a single embedded planet may produce a spiral arm on each side of a disk. The structures around SAO 206462 do not form a matched pair, suggesting the presence of two unseen worlds, one for each arm. However, the research team cautions that processes unrelated to planets may also give rise to these structures.
"What we're finding is that once these systems reach ages of a few million years, their disks begin to show a wealth of structure--rings, divots, gaps and now spiral features," said John Wisniewski, a collaborator at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Many of these structures could be caused by planets within the disks."
Grady's research is part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS), a five-year-long near-infrared study of young stars and their surrounding dust disks using the Subaru Telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The international consortium of researchers now includes more than 100 scientists at 25 institutions.
"These arm-like structures have been predicted by models, but have never before been seen," said Maria Womack, program director for the division of Astronomical Sciences at NSF. "It is the first observation of spiral arms in a circumstellar disk, and an important test for models of planetary formation."
###
National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov
Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
This press release has been viewed 52 time(s).
Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114479/Spiral_arms_hint_at_the_presence_of_planets
john kennedy jr john kennedy jr machine gun preacher machine gun preacher austin city limits breaking dawn trailer breaking dawn trailer
Stylish Feather Hair Extensions Trends is what you find in this page. You can also get recent images and videos for : Stylish Feather Hair Extensions Trends.
Feather hair extensions have obtained a great deal of pressure from animal cruelty groups saying that the new well-liked trend is cruel towards roosters or other animals utilised for the feathers nonetheless it appears they're easily becoming even more and additional in demand as not simply typical consumers but other industries are receiving in on this good new accessory.
Blonde?feather hair extensions?
An Elegant?feather hair extension
Stylish?feather hair extension
The business appeared to explode as additional high profiled many people began to be observed wearing the feather extensions. Kesha and Steven Tyler are noted to be a few of the 1st identified sporting the new appear having said that they've been about for some time just before this. Salons began with incredibly low numbers asking for them on the other hand it is actually now believed that more than 20 sets of feather extensions is usually applied in 1 week for specific hair salons, which customers range as much as the age of 50.Very informative article about Stylish Feather Hair Extensions Trends. Thank you so much
life quotes beowulf beowulf todays news bergen bergen india news
What is Comprehensive Auto Insurance?
Comprehensive auto insurance is an auto insurance coverage policy that will protect your car in a variety of situations.
What comprehensive auto insurance covers:
- Theft
- Wind
- Vandalism
- Fire
- ?Acts of God? ? Your car getting hit by thunder, or a tree falling on your car
- Damage to you car done by an animal
What comprehensive auto insurance covers in general has been listed above, but different insurance companies may have minor differences in what they cover.
What?s the difference between collision insurance and Comprehensive auto insurance?
I think that it?s worth noting that comprehensive auto insurance is not collision insurance. Many people get the two confused. Collision auto insurance covers damage done to your car by accident, such as hitting another car or colliding with an object such as a lamp post. Collision auto insurance covers the repair bill for the car in such an accident; but if your car was vandalized collision auto insurance would not cover the damage.
How much does Comprehensive coverage cost?
Comprehensive coverage cost is calculated just like any other component of auto insurance. Many factors are included in estimating the cost; such as value of the car, drivers experience and age of the driver. Most comprehensive coverage?s also have a mandatory deductible that must be paid. Deductible prices vary from the low hundreds to the thousands. Paying a higher deductible will lower your insurance cost.
Is comprehensive coverage required, and should I get it?
Comprehensive coverage is not mandatory by any state. Whether or not comprehensive coverage is right for you will depend on a few things; such as: the value of your car, how susceptible you believe your car is of theft, and your geographic location.
Where can I get the best comprehensive auto insurance?
You can use our free quotes tool above to find the best comprehensive auto insurance quotes.
Source: http://www.autoinsurancequotesbot.com/comprehensive-auto-insurance/
find my mac gumby derrick mason derrick mason lamichael james lamichael james epstein
CANBERRA, Australia ? Crowds of cheering children waving Australian flags welcomed Queen Elizabeth II as she and her husband Prince Philip landed at an Australian air force base Wednesday in the nation's capital.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Governor General Quentin Bryce, the monarch's representative in Australia, greeted the royal pair, who received a 21-gun salute as they emerged from their plane.
The warm welcome comes despite the ruling Labor Party's desire for the British monarch to be replaced by a president as Australia's head of state. Gillard has said Australia should become a republic after the queen's reign.
But Gillard said she did not believe that debate would mar the monarch's first visit since 2006, when she opened the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The 85-year-old monarch will travel to four cities and open a meeting of leaders of mostly former British colonies during her 10-day visit.
"While the queen is here in Australia, what Australians will be doing is enjoying and celebrating her presence here," Gillard told reporters hours before the queen arrived.
"I believe she's very well respected by Australians and I think she's going to be tremendously warmly received from the moment that she sets foot on Australian soil," she added.
Australians rejected a proposal to make Australia a republic at a referendum in 1999.
Students from local schools lined up near the queen's plane to present her with gifts, including bouquets of flowers, a paper crown and a stuffed Corgi ? a nod to the monarch's favorite dog breed. She grinned and chatted with a crowd of well-wishers before heading off to the Governor General's official residence in Canberra, where she will spend most of her 10 nights in Australia.
The queen will visit Brisbane and Melbourne before opening next week's meeting of the 54-nation Commonwealth in the western coastal city of Perth. Leaders of the nations linked to Britain's former empire, who meet every two years, will consider a range of recommended reforms including lifting laws against homosexuality that exist in most Commonwealth countries.
Media commentators have speculated that this Australian visit ? her 16th ? could be the queen's last given her advanced years and the 11,000-mile (18,000-kilometer) distance from Buckingham Palace in London to a country that was one of the British Empire's most far removed outposts.
But her former press secretary Dickie Arbiter pointed to the example of the queen's late mother who visited Canada when she was aged in her 90s.
"With the queen, you should never say 'last;' never say 'never,'" Arbiter said in an interview published in The Canberra Times newspaper Wednesday.
The queen's biographer, Hugo Vickers, said she made a point of attending every meeting of the 54-nation Commonwealth. Only 53 countries will be represented at the Perth summit because Fiji has been suspended since its army overthrew the government in 2006.
"She has not minded when Commonwealth countries have dropped her as head of state, but she does mind if they leave the Commonwealth," Vickers was quoted as saying by The Canberra Times.
In 1954, the queen became the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia.
diana nyad vikings bears packers cleveland browns michael vick new orleans saints drew brees
A glance at the armed Basque separatist group ETA and its conflict with Spain.
___
HISTORY ? ETA was formed in 1959 during the right-wing dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. Its name is a Basque-language acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, meaning Basque Homeland and Freedom.
___
AIMS ? The group wants to create an independent state made up of Basque areas in northern Spain and southwestern France and parts of the northern Spanish region of Navarra. Many people in those areas speak Basque.
___
VIOLENCE ? On Thursday, ETA issued a statement saying it is ending its armed campaign for independence and called on Spain and France to open talks. After initially seeking its goals through political means, ETA began to resort to violence, mainly car bombs and point-blank shootings. Its first killing was in 1968. ETA is blamed for 829 deaths. The group's last deadly attack in Spain was a July 2009 car bomb that killed two policemen on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.
___
CEASE-FIRES ? ETA has announced 11 cease-fires over the years. It declared its latest in September 2010 and went further in January 2011 by saying it was permanent and verifiable by the international community. Spain's government rejected the announcement and reiterated its demand that the group simply dissolve. ETA had also declared a permanent cease-fire in March 2006, but negotiations with the government went nowhere and the group set off a car bomb at a parking garage of Madrid's airport in December of that year, killing two people who were sleeping in cars.
___
POLITICAL SUPPORT ? Spain began to ban political parties linked to ETA in 2003, but this year a party with links to the group was allowed to field candidates in local elections on renouncing violence. Previously, political groups linked to ETA, such as Batasuna, used to garner around 12 percent of votes in regional elections.
___
MEMBERS ? During the 1970s and early 1980s, ETA was estimated to have had around 1,000 members, out of a regional population of some 2 million. In the 1990s, France stepped up cooperation with Spain in chasing down ETA militants who had traditionally sought refuge there. Authorities claim the group has been reduced to a handful of commandoes with two to three members each.
___
PRISONERS ? There are now 700 ETA prisoners, including about 550 in Spain. Basques regularly stage protests to demand that the prisoners in Spain be jailed closer to home.
(This version corrects that cease-fire made permanent in January, number of prisoners to 700.)
stevejobs steve jobs commencement speech sarah palin espn body issue ijustine visionary guy kawasaki
An anonymous actress claims in a million-dollar federal lawsuit that her offers for roles dropped sharply after the popular Internet Movie Database published damaging?? More??Actress sues Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb
chronicle andy kaufman al sharpton exotic animals exotic animals ohio news caracal
Source: http://www.tpctourism.org/2011/10/not-for-managers-vehicle-insurance-explained/
kenya entourage season 8 entourage season 8 avignon asn dukan diet mark sanchez
SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) ? The head of Wal-Mart Stores Inc's (WMT.N) China business has resigned citing personal reasons, after the world's largest retailer ran into trouble with Chinese authorities leading to store closures and employee detentions.
The departure of China CEO Ed Chan, along with Senior Vice President of Human Resources Clara Wong, is another setback for Wal-Mart which is facing stiff competition from local firms in the strategically important market.
The company, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary in China, closed more than a dozen stores in central China last week following allegations they sold regular pork as organic pork over the past two years.
Authorities in Chongqing have arrested two Walmart China employees and detained 37 others over the incident.
Both resignations announced on Monday were for personal reasons and had "no correlation" with the investigations in Chongqing, Walmart Asia spokesman Anthony Rose said.
"We have used the last few days to put in place corrective actions in our stores," Rose said, adding that the stores would reopen by October 25.
This is the second round of top-management resignations at Walmart China in less than five months. In May, its chief financial officer and chief operating officer resigned "to explore other opportunities," the company had said.
"It's really hard to say whether this (Monday's resignations) is a consequence of that (pork scandal)," said Torsten Stocker, a China retail analyst with Monitor Group.
"It might be, but I think at the end of the day, it is still not clear what really happened in Chongqing," he said.
"Obviously what happened in Chongqing is impacting their business in Chongqing and presumably ought to be having some impact on the grand overall business. Any type of leadership change like this, it's never a good thing."
STRUGGLE IN CHINA
After entering China in 1996, Wal-Mart's expansion gathered steam in 2007 when it bought a 35 percent stake in Taiwanese hypermarket chain Trust-Mart. It has 353 stores in the mainland.
Wal-Mart's market share in hypermarkets was 11.2 percent in 2010, in second place after China's Sun Art (6808.HK), but spending for the expansion has weighed on its profitability.
Wal-Mart's problem is that it is trying to compete with domestic chains on price, said Shaun Rein, managing director at Shanghai-based China Market Research Group.
"If your strategy is 'cheaper than Chinese companies', you are never going to win the market," Rein said.
"But that is what Wal-Mart is trying to do. The strategy is all wrong since the very beginning, and that is why it has never been profitable here."
Wal-Mart competes with French hypermarket chain Carrefour (CARR.PA), Britain's Tesco (TSCO.L), Germany's Metro AG (MEOG.DE), China's Sun Art and China Resources Enterprise (0291.HK).
China's hypermarket sector is forecast to grow at a compounded annual rate of 10.1 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to Euromonitor. But price competition is particularly tough in that segment.
Walmart Asia CEO Scott Price, who will also serve as interim China head, said China was a strong market for the group.
"China is a very important market for Wal-Mart and China's 12th five-year plan will provide strong opportunities to the retail industry," Scott said in a statement on Monday.
FIRMS UNDER SCRUTINY
Major Western firms are under scrutiny from China's state media and face criticism over issues including food safety and garment quality. Some executives complain privately that their companies are subject to stricter enforcement than local firms.
This summer, oil company ConocoPhillips (COP.N) was roundly criticized by Chinese media over a June oil spill off China's east coast. The State Oceanic Administration has threatened to sue ConocoPhillips, but not its state-owned partner, CNOOC (0883.HK).
Last week, European luxury group Gucci said it had replaced two managers in southern China after former workers at a store released an open letter alleging employee abuse.
"Walmart's problems are similar to other rivals, particularly the foreign operators, including competition for staff," said Alex Wong, a director at Ample Finance Group.
"A relatively high (staff) turnover rate suggested that it has some problem with its incentive plan in recruiting and retaining sales people," Wong said.
(Additional reporting by Terril Yue Jones in BEIJING; Editing by Ken Wills and Vinu Pilakkott)
miss universe 2011 augmentin d2l d2l example example graphing calculator
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? These are difficult times for rappers' health. First Rick Ross suffered not one, but two seizures Friday while traveling to a concert in Memphis. Then, on Saturday, Tone Loc collapsed during a performance in Atlanta.
Loc's manager told TheWrap that the rapper -- real name, Anthony Terrell Smith -- "is exhausted after performing many shows in the last few months." After a brief hospitalization, however, the "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" star "is fine now."
This isn't the first time that Smith, 45, has succumbed to tour fatigue. In 2009, the rapper collapsed during a Pensacola, Fla., performance. At the time, his manager said that flight delays and heat caused the collapse. In December 2010, Loc was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Los Angeles, though the manager told TMZ that the incident was due to a seizure Smith had suffered.
Earlier this month, Smith pleaded no contest to domestic violence and weapons charges, stemming from an alleged June incident with the mother of one of his children. He received one day in county jail, three years' probation, plus community service and anger-management classes.
attack the block circle of life tree of life back to school back to school call of juarez the cartel usain bolt
The majority of people who need to buy or replace a desktop think they need lots of expansion room and a powerful processor. The Gateway DX4860-UB33P ($599.99 list at Best Buy) gives the people what they want; a systems that could last for the next five to seven years. It's prepped to take care of future technology, and nicely priced at just under $600. All this earns it our Editors' Choice. If you're looking to replace or buy a general purpose desktop PC, the DX4860-UB33P will fit nicely into your digital life.
Design and Features
The DX4860-UB33P comes in the same chassis as the Gateway DX4860-UB21P ($599.99 list, 3.5 stars), a basic tower PC with a few embellishments. The glossy black front panel has a backlit Gateway logo at its center, and the top front panels are surrounded by white light. The light can be manually turned off if it's too much of a distraction. That said, these touches certainly make it easier to pick out the Gateway in a lineup of desktops on a retail shelf. The top of the system has a built-in tray for holding items, like hard drives or smartphones. Two USB 2.0 ports are on the top of the system, ready to service those devices. There are two USB 3.0 ports in the back?a rarity in the sub-$750 desktop space?giving the system some future-proofing. There's also a HDMI port, for connecting a large monitor or HDTV?a huge plus for people who like to toggle their content between TV and PC. The system has a neat covered compartment built into the top of the system to hold excess cabling. The interior has the expansion room that you'd buy a tower for: there's space for two more hard drives, an additional optical drive, two free PCIe x1 cards (three total), and a PCIe x16 graphics card. The system's four memory DIMM slots and one PCIe x1 slot are filled, but you're unlikely to need more than the included 8GB of memory.
The DX4860-UB33P is notable for something it lacks: bloatware. Thanks to the Best Buy PC app, the system is mostly devoid of bloatware and trialware. The system comes with a short (60 day) subscription to Norton Internet Security, but the system is otherwise free from shoveled-on trialware. The few programs that are included are entirely useful: PowerDVD for viewing movies and Office 2010 Starter for quick edits of Word and Excel documents. The Best Buy PC app lets you shop for and buy programs you want, rather than being forced to accept the programs you don't necessarily need. The system's 1TB, 5,400rpm hard drive is plenty for home use, and is becoming a standard capacity for moderately priced home PCs.
Best Buy also has an extended warranty program, which offers customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than 4 repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new consumer PC purchased through Best Buy.
Performance
The system's 8GB of memory and quad-core 3GHz Intel Core i5-2320 processor kept it humming on our performance tests. It's capable of running our Handbrake video encoding test in a quick 1 minute 19 seconds and our Photoshop CS5 test in an equally quick 3:25. The older Gateway DX4860-UB21P took a bit longer (1:24 on Handbrake; 3:38 on CS5) and the last Editors' Choice Dell Inspiron i620-228NBK ($479.99 list, 4 stars) took quite a bit longer (1:42 on Handbrake; 3:55 on CS5). Even the compact Editors' Choice Apple Mac mini (Thunderbolt) ($799 list, 4.5 stars) came up short against the Gateway DX4860-UB33P (1:42 Handbrake, 3:47 CS5). The DX4860-UB33P's score of 2,660 points on PCMark7 show that it will feel faster in day-to-day tasks as well, and for years to come.
The DX4860-UB33P is a great inexpensive desktop. It doesn't quite break the $500 price limit for a truly budget/entry-level system, but it has a great bang for the buck. For $120 more than the Dell i620-228NBK, the DX4860-UB33P has USB 3.0 and a lot more system memory. Plus, the Gateway DX4860-UB33P is one of the first Gateway systems I've seen without a boatload of bloatware on it. This aspect alone makes it better than the previous versions of the Gateway DX4860, as well as most of the Pavilion systems from HP (which still load a lot of bloatware). The DX4860-UB33P is more than enough for most general PC users, it has a good price, lots of future-proofing features, and it's an improvement over previous versions of the system. That sounds like a highly recommended, Editors' Choice-winning systems to me.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Gateway DX4860-UB33P with several other desktops side by side.
More desktop reviews:
??? Dell XPS 8300 (X8300-4004NBK)
??? Gateway DX4860-UB33P
??? Dell Inspiron One 2305 (IO2305-4400ELS)
??? Samsung Series 7 (DP700A38-01)
??? Cyberpower Gamer Xtreme 9000
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/yaLtUwe7y1M/0,2817,2394490,00.asp
nick lowe nazca lines ncaa football boston marathon elisabeth hasselbeck rogue trader rogue trader
We knew this day would come. Even though only around 75-80 percent of U.S. citizens are online, the number of wireless devices with cell phone plans has increased to 327.6 million, which is higher than the entire population of the United States, which stands at 312.4 million, reports CTIA, which is holding its wireless enterprise & apps conference in San Diego, California this week. Not every living American has a cell phone, which means that there is a significant percentage of people that own multiple connected devices, either more than one phone, or perhaps a connected tablet or mobile hotspot.
?Americans love wireless and continue to rely on the most cutting-edge and innovative devices,? said Steve Largent, president of CTIA, in a statement. ?Clearly, we?re using wireless more every day, and the consensus of experts is that demand will continue to skyrocket by more than 50 times within the next five years.?
Interestingly, voice usage for mobile phones increased only 1 percent in 2011, while texting has increased 16 percent and data has skyrocketed 111 percent to more than 341.2 billion megabytes in the last year. Wireless carriers have spent $27.5 billion expanding their networks to deal with the influx of heavy data users on iPhone and Android.?
It?s not hard to believe that a few years from now we?ll have two or three times as many connected gadgets as we do people. That is, if wireless carriers don?t jack the price up too high.?
freddie mercury hbo movie theaters dinosaurs bigfoot tahiti tahiti
The kits used by humans 100,000 years ago to make paint have been found at the famous archaeological site of Blombos Cave in South Africa.
The hoard includes red and yellow pigments, shell containers, and the grinding cobbles and bone spatulas to work up a paste - everything an ancient artist might need in their workshop.
This extraordinary discovery is reported in the journal Science.
It is proof, say researchers, of our early ancestors' complexity of thought.
"This is significant because it is pushing back the boundaries of our understanding of when Homo sapiens - people like us - first became modern," said Prof Christopher Henshilwood from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
"These finds indicate that humans were certainly thinking in a modern way, in a way that is cognitively advanced, at least 100,000 years ago," he told BBC News.
Prof Henshilwood shows what was found and how the tools were used
Blombos Cave on the southern Cape Coast, 300km east of Cape Town, has been giving up remarkable archaeological treasures for more than 20 years.
Scientists have been scraping down through its sandy sediments to find all manner of artefacts left by the Middle Stone Age people who occupied the limestone cavity.
In 2002, researchers described 70,000-year-old blocks of ochre. This soft stone contains iron oxides that can be used as a pigment, or colouring agent.
But apart from some engravings on the blocks, there was little hard evidence to determine the precise purpose of the Blombos ochre. The new items seem to have had a much more obvious use - as the equipment to process paints.
The finds include abalone shells with ochre residues inside. There are tools made of quartzite that were presumably employed to hammer and grind ochre into a powder in the shells. And there is evidence that charcoal and oil from seal bones were being added to the mix. It seems bone implements were also being used to turn and lift the paint pastes.
All these artefacts were found together, almost as if someone had put them down intending to retrieve them at a later time, but then never coming back. Sands blown in through the cave entrance subsequently buried the kits and locked them away until they were excavated in 2008.
In the intervening three years, the finds have been subjected to a series of tests and assessments.
Ochre can have non-artistic applications such as an additive in glues, but co-researcher Francesco d'Errico from the University of Bordeaux says the analysis of the residues in the shells points strongly to the production of paints.
"The absence of a resin or a wax suggests the ochre was not used to make a glue or a mastic. We think it may have been used to make a paint or a design," he explained.
Prof Henshilwood added: "It's possible the paint was used to paint bodies, human skin. It could have been used to paint designs on leather or other objects. It could have been used for paintings on walls, although the surfaces of southern African caves are not ideal for the long-term preservation of rock art."
The mere fact though that paints are being manufactured in a systematic way is indicative of a level of advanced thinking.
It would have required a high degree of planning to bring together all of the elements of the kits; and if art really was the purpose, it suggests the cave dwellers of Blombos were capable of symbolic thought - the ability to let one thing represent another in the mind.
This ability has been posited as the giant leap in human evolution that set our species apart from the rest of the animal world.
Understanding when and where this behaviour first emerged is a key quest for scientists studying human origins.
Until now, arguably the earliest examples of conceptual thinking were the pieces of shell jewellery discovered at Skhul Cave in Israel and from Oued Djebbana in Algeria.
These artefacts have been dated to 90,000-100,000 years ago. The Blombos paint kits now sit alongside these other finds.
Prof Chris Stringer from London's Natural History Museum commented: "Twenty or 30 years ago, there was a view that Europe was really the place where all the big action was taking place - wonderful painted caves 30,000-35,000 years ago, and people decorating their bodies.
"We now know that this behaviour goes back far further in Africa; it goes back to 100,000 years, perhaps even more than 100,000 years.
"People were starting to express social identity in completely new ways. And there is a view that this behaviour is linked with complex language. So, it may indicate these people were communicating in a fully modern way," he told BBC News.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-15257259
pueblo co pueblo co pineapple express martyn martyn ecri college board
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., campaigns in Denison, Iowa, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., campaigns in Denison, Iowa, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Republican presidential candidate businessman Herman Cain speaks during a "Faith and Freedom" rally at Ohio Christian University on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011 in Circlevile, Ohio. (AP Photo/Mike Munden)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Four years ago, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses partly by locking up the support of evangelical pastors, the former Baptist minister's brethren and a potent voting bloc within the state's influential Christian conservatives.
Today, Iowa's increasingly political pastors are up for grabs, divided on whom to support from a GOP field that features several candidates who call themselves born-again Christians.
"More pastors are engaged than four years ago," said Jeff Mullen, who leads one of the Des Moines area's largest evangelical churches. "But there are more choices."
And all have come calling.
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a political product of her state's evangelical conservative movement, has met regularly with groups of pastors across Iowa since before she officially entered the race. But they're also being pursued by businessman Herman Cain, who is an associate pastor at his Atlanta church, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, whose first stop in Iowa as a presidential prospect was to the Des Moines area's most politically active church.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who hosted an evangelical gathering that drew 30,000 to Houston in August before becoming a candidate, met with Iowa church leaders last month and during a recent visit to the heavily Christian northwest corner of Iowa. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has appeared at private pastor conferences in Iowa where he won some respect for his admission of personal failings during his two previous marriages.
Unlike past campaigns, the lack of an imposing establishment candidate in this race has opened a door for more candidates who appeal to the party's socially conservative base. Tea party supporters, new factors in the presidential nominating campaign, also largely share the evangelicals' social values.
"While we've called it in the past social conservatives or Christian or religious right, it's gotten much broader than that," said Greg Mueller, a Republican consultant who was a top adviser to Pat Buchanan's presidential campaigns. "And I think it's invited candidates into the race that see there's a connection there."
It's possible that such a conservative candidate will rise in coming weeks ? and get the pastors to coalesce behind his or her candidacy.
But should pastors ? and, by extension, evangelical voters ? remain divided heading into the January caucuses, it's possible that Mitt Romney could emerge from the pack by rallying backers who put job and economic issues above social causes. Romney does receive some support from evangelicals, but he's unlikely to win over most of them. Many view him skeptically because of his Mormon faith and his past support of gay rights and abortion rights.
"A lot of pastors and social conservative activists are looking at each other and asking, 'What horse do we bet on here?' My sense is right now it's fairly muddled," said Ralph Reed, founder of the national Christian Coalition who now heads the Faith and Freedom Coalition.
"If Cain, Perry, Bachmann, Santorum and Gingrich split the social conservative vote, Romney could gain critical mass among party regulars. The polling backs that up. It could get very interesting," Reed added.
His group is hosting a forum in Des Moines on Oct. 22 where several of the candidates are slated to appear. Perry and Gingrich plan to speak at a pastor's conference in Florida two days earlier.
While pastors are power brokers with evangelicals across the country, their support can sometimes come back to haunt a candidate.
Perry has tried to distance himself from supporter Robert Jeffress, a senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, after the minister called the Mormon religion, Romney's faith, a cult.
And Barack Obama, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2008, denounced inflammatory comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, of his home church Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
This year, evangelical pastors' impact may be felt the most in Iowa, where exit polls show that born-again Christians comprise roughly 45 to 60 percent of the GOP caucus base.
Iowa pastors have long been involved in politics but more became active after the Iowa Supreme Court's 2009 decision allowing gay marriage, which incensed many. The ruling also has intensified the scrutiny of the social conservative candidates.
The pastors see faults in all.
While Bachmann's aides have been vigilant about reaching out to pastors, she has developed a reputation for being late and has kept some pastors waiting for scheduled telephone calls. Some never came. And, pastors privately say, she faces doubts from some members of the evangelical clergy who oppose women in executive positions and others who question whether Muslim leaders would respect a woman president.
Santorum has come under scrutiny for his endorsement of former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican who supported abortion rights. The endorsement is a turn-off on an issue at the very heart of the social conservative movement. Pastors have questioned him about it.
And some have objected strongly to Perry's 2007 executive order requiring school-age girls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cancer.
Said Cary Gordon, pastor of a large Sioux City congregation: "Some clergy that might have been on his bandwagon might be having second thoughts."
No one running in 2012 has the profile of Huckabee, the 2008 caucus winner whose profile on conservative social causes and preaching style were stamped by the years he spent in the pulpit in Arkansas before entering politics.
"There was a groundswell for Gov. Huckabee, who believed in scripture unlike any candidate I've seen," said Kerry Jech, pastor of a large evangelical church in Marshalltown who supported Huckabee in 2008 and has been courted by several 2012 candidates. None have sold him.
"It's hard to know who to support this time," Jech said.
While Huckabee won Iowa, the state was anything a springboard for success. His political star began to fall as the presidential delegate-selection caucuses and primaries wore on through the spring of 2008.
Associated Pressblackberry outage blackberry outage seal beach ca seal beach seal beach bhutan christine
This undated image provided by the Nueces County Sheriff's Office shows Manssor Arbabsiar. The Obama administration on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 accused agents of the Iranian government of being involved in a plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the thwarted plot would further isolate Tehran. (AP Photo/Nueces County Sheriff's Office)
This undated image provided by the Nueces County Sheriff's Office shows Manssor Arbabsiar. The Obama administration on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 accused agents of the Iranian government of being involved in a plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the thwarted plot would further isolate Tehran. (AP Photo/Nueces County Sheriff's Office)
Neighbor Chris Elquist, 33, poses for a photograph near the house of Manssor Arbabsiar in Round Rock, Texas, Tuesday, Oct 11, 2011. Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen who also holds an Iranian passport, was charged in NewYork federal court with conspiring to kill the Saudi diplomat, Adel Al-Jubeir. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)
ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) ? A friend of a former Texas used car dealer accused of plotting to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in the United States says he never thought of his one-time business partner as politically motivated, much less a key player in a potential terrorist act.
Manssor Arbabsiar was known as "Jack" to his friends because his name was too hard to pronounce, said David Tomscha, who briefly owned a used car lot with him in the Texas Gulf Coast city of Corpus Christi. Tomscha said his friend was likable, albeit a bit lazy.
"He's no mastermind," Tomscha told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I can't imagine him thinking up a plan like that. I mean, he didn't seem all that political. He was more of a businessman."
Arbabsiar, 56, was being held without bail in New York for his role in the alleged plot to kill Saudi diplomat Adel Al-Jubeir in the United States. The Justice Department contends that Arbabsiar and another man working for the Iranian government tried to hire a purported member of a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the attack with a bomb while Al-Jubeir was at a restaurant.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York, the plot was revealed by an informant inside the world of the Mexican drug trade, a man paid by U.S. drug agents to rat out traffickers.
Tomscha, 60, said their partnership in the 1990s ended after about six months when Arbabsiar stopped making his share of the payments for their lot, but they remained friends. Arbabsiar never talked about traveling to Mexico, Tomscha said.
Arbabsiar came to the U.S. to attend what was then known as Texas A & I University in Kingsville, Tomscha said. Then Arbabsiar opened a used car lot with a couple of college friends and eventually owned several in the Corpus Christi area, and he seemed to get first choice on the repossessed cars at the auto auction in town, Tomscha said.
"He was sort of a hustler," Tomscha said. "I think he made some money."
Tomscha said he last saw Arbabsiar last fall, and in early 2011 heard that his friend had moved back to Iran. Tomscha was shocked to hear Tuesday about the arrest.
After living for years in Corpus Christi, Arbabsiar followed his wife, Martha Guerrero, to the Austin area, Tomscha said.
Guerrero owns a home in a well-manicured neighborhood in Round Rock, the Austin suburb that federal officials list as Arbabsiar's residence. She addressed reporters overnight, saying Arbabsiar doesn't live there and only used the address to obtain a driver's license.
"We've been separated for a long time," Guerrero said. "I don't know nothing about his business or what he does or what he doesn't do."
But others in the neighborhood said they had seen Arbabsiar recently. Eric Cano, who lives next-door, said he frequently observed Arbabsiar walking in the neighborhood after dark, while smoking cigarettes and talking on a cellphone in a foreign language.
"My wife and I always thought there was something weird about the guy," said Cano, a 38-year-old buyer for a grocery company. "But you don't think it will get to this level."
Halloween decorations hung from a tree in the front yard of Guerrero's house. Within hours of word of Arbabsiar's arrest, the neighborhood was flooded with trucks from local television stations.
"I want this over with," Guerrero said. "My children and I are under a lot of stress right now because of this situation. We don't have nothing to do with it."
Calls to the home went unanswered Wednesday. But Guerrero said in TV interviews she believes the charges against Arbabsiar are false.
"I cannot for the life of me think that he would be capable of doing that," Guerrero told KVUE in Austin. "He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, I'm sure of that and I know that his innocence is going to come out."
Records show Arbabsiar also has lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Corpus Christi, and been married at least twice. He was arrested and released in 2001 for theft by check, charges that were eventually dismissed, said Cynthia Martinez of the Nueces County Sheriff's Office, which includes Corpus Christi. She said Arbabsiar was also arrested in 1993, 1996 and 1997 on traffic violations.
Court records also indicate he was once charged with evading arrest in the Dallas area.
Cano said Arbabsiar moved in with Guerrero, who had lived at the house previously and was raising three boys, all now grown. Records indicate Arbabsiar is married to Guerrero and show no indication they are separated.
Cano said although he would see Arbabsiar with some frequency, they'd never speak.
"He wasn't friendly at all," Cano said. "He'd never even acknowledge you. He'd just walk and talk in this language I'd never heard of."
__
Sherman reported from McAllen. Associated Press writer Danny Robbins in Dallas contributed to this report.
Associated Presscedric benson lord howe island lord howe island conficker conficker rock and roll hall of fame zach braff
