chrisse corinth: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

Report shows spike in reservation criminal cases

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) ? American Indian leaders who criticized the federal government for years over the way authorities handled major crimes on reservations will soon mark progress with the release of newly tracked statistics from the U.S. Justice Department.

Federal prosecutions of cases from Indian Country increased by 54 percent between fiscal years 2009 and 2012, according to a DOJ report obtained by The Associated Press.

"They've taken their responsibility much more seriously than before," said Brent Leonhard, an attorney with Umatilla tribe in Oregon.

The report scheduled for release later Thursday marks the first look at government investigations and prosecutions on tribal lands. It comes as a result of the 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act, which requires the Justice Department to publicly release such figures.

Justice officials acknowledge that their work is far from done, but they say the numbers demonstrate the government's commitment to combating violent crime on reservations where rates are higher than the national average.

The report also shows that nearly 6,000 Indian reservation cases were referred to the federal government between calendar years 2011 and 2012. Arizona, home to the nation's largest American Indian reservation, had the highest number with more than 2,000, followed by South Dakota with nearly 1,000 and Montana with more than 500.

Of the 5,985 cases referred from reservations across the country over the two years, about two-thirds led to convictions, while about one-third were declined for prosecution.

"It shows that we're walking the talk at the Department of Justice," said Tim Purdon, U.S. attorney in North Dakota.

Purdon leads a subcommittee that reports to Attorney General Eric Holder on American Indian issues. He said federal officials "want to improve public safety" and added that they are working to "remove those most dangerous predators, the most dangerous criminals from Indian Country."

The federal government and tribes have concurrent jurisdiction in crimes where the suspect and victim are both American Indian, but federal prosecutions carry much stiffer penalties. Among recent U.S. government prosecutions:

? A man was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenager he met while working as a counselor at a summer camp on the Rocky Boy's reservation in Montana. He was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

? A woman on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota was convicted of beating her 4-year-old son with a plastic clothes hanger. She was sentenced to seven years in prison.

? A man was sent to prison for 10 years for kicking the woman who was pregnant with his child on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The unborn child died after suffering a skull fracture and other injuries.

Federal authorities have "really stepped up trying to improve criminal justice in Indian Country and ensure public safety," said Leonhard of the Umatilla Tribe's Office of Legal Counsel.

Still, nearly 2,000 cases were declined for prosecution, a matter for which the DOJ has been criticized in the past.

"There are cases that are legitimately declined, and that is appropriate and expected," said Leonhard.

The DOJ's report shows that the matters declined in 2011 and 2012 were mostly because of insufficient evidence. Rates for individual states varied widely ? from Montana, where 52 percent of cases were turned down, to Arizona, where 20 percent were declined over the two years.

Federal prosecutors, however, don't measure their performance in Indian Country by declination statistics. Instead, they point to the relationships they've built with tribal police, investigators, prosecutors and community members.

Federal prosecutors also have ventured out to Indian Country more often to discuss ways to combat crime, training police officers to become federally certified and bringing on state-bar certified tribal prosecutors as special assistant U.S. attorneys.

"If anything we get way too caught up in looking at the numbers," said Patrick Schneider, tribal liaison for the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona. "Declinations is not a really good number to look at to find out whether we're doing a good job or not."

Grant Walker, tribal prosecutor on the Standing Rock Reservation in North and South Dakota since 2009, said he doesn't put a lot of stock into declination rates because he talks to federal prosecutors on a regular basis.

The DOJ's declination rate includes cases referred to and prosecuted in tribal courts, where sentences can go beyond the traditional maximum penalty of one year in jail if certain provisions are met under federal law.

"Declinations aren't really a big deal anymore to us because we know what the case is, and if the federal government declines we've already had a chance to prosecute that case too," Walker said. "So it's not like the ball is hidden, and the prosecution's office doesn't know about it."

Purdon cited a drug trafficking case on the Standing Rock Reservation dubbed "Operation Prairie Thunder," in which 12 people were indicted in federal and five in Standing Rock tribal court. Purdon said that while the tribal cases were subtracted from their prosecution record, it showed unprecedented cooperation and could lead to long-term success.

Former Standing Rock Tribal Judge Bill Zuger, who stepped down last year after six years on the bench, said that case was the product of federal prosecutors showing interest and building up trust with tribal law enforcement. Until recently, Zuger said he never had seen a U.S. attorney on the reservation.

"The people down there, anecdotally, feel that things are getting better," Zuger said. "Keep in mind it took 125 years to screw it up. It takes a while to fix it. It's going to take more than four or five years to really straighten out the mess."

___

Kolpack reported from Fargo, N.D.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-shows-spike-reservation-criminal-cases-135114407.html

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HTC Reportedly Pulls The Plug On A 12-Inch Windows RT Tablet, But A Smaller Tab Lives On

HTC is currently sailing through a patch of rough seas, and it seems as though the company is starting to rethink its tablet strategy. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, HTC was planning to put together a 12-inch Windows RT tablet for release later this year before scrapping it due to cost and anemic overall demand for Windows RT.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/EbPm9JckMxE/

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Syria's Assad 'confident in victory' in civil war

This image made from video shows Syrian President Bashar Assad during an interview broadcast on Al-Manar Television on Thursday, May 30, 2013. Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday was quoted as saying his regime has received from Russia a first shipment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles ? game-changing weapons that are bound to further raise regional tension, particularly with Israel whose defense chief has called them a threat. Assad made the comments about the arrival of the long-range S-300 air defense missiles in an interview with Lebanon's Hezbollah-owned TV station Al-Manar, to be aired later Thursday. The station sent the remarks to journalists in a text message ahead of the broadcast and confirmed them in a phone call. (AP Photo/Al-Manar Television via AP video)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, speaks during an interview with Al-Manar TV, owned by the militant Hezbollah group, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, May 30, 2013. Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday was quoted as saying his regime has received from Russia a first shipment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles ? game-changing weapons that are bound to further raise regional tension, particularly with Israel whose defense chief has called them a threat. (AP Photo/SANA)

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Dabaa military air base, in Homs province, Syria, Thursday, May 30, 2013. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported ongoing clashes in the town on Thursday. The Observatory called for urgent aid to the injured inside the town, most of which is now controlled by Assad?s troops, including the Dabaa military air base just outside Qusair. (AP Photo/SANA)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Al-Manar TV, owned by the militant Hezbollah group, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, May 30, 2013. Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday was quoted as saying his regime has received from Russia a first shipment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles ? game-changing weapons that are bound to further raise regional tension, particularly with Israel whose defense chief has called them a threat. (AP Photo/SANA)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview broadcast Thursday that he is "confident in victory" in his country's civil war, and he warned that Damascus would retaliate for any future Israeli airstrike on his territory.

Assad also told the Lebanese TV station Al-Manar that Russia has fulfilled some of its weapons contracts recently, but he was vague on whether this included advanced S-300 air defense systems.

The Syrian president's comments were in line with a forceful and confident message the regime has been sending in recent days, even as the international community attempts to launch a peace conference in Geneva, possibly next month. The strong tone coincided with recent military victories in battles with armed rebels trying to topple him.

The interview was broadcast as Syria's main political opposition group appeared to fall into growing disarray.

The international community had hoped the two sides would start talks on a political transition. However, the opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said earlier Thursday that it would not attend a conference, linking the decision to a regime offensive on the western Syrian town of Qusair and claiming that hundreds of wounded people were trapped there.

Assad, who appeared animated and gestured frequently in the TV interview, said he has been confident from the start of Syria's conflict more than two years ago that he would be able to defeat his opponents.

"Regarding my confidence about victory, had we not had this confidence, we wouldn't have been able to fight in this battle for two years, facing an international attack," he said. Assad portrayed the battle to unseat him as a "world war against Syria and the resistance" ? a reference to the Lebanese Hezbollah, a close ally.

"We are confident and sure about victory, and I confirm that Syria will stay as it was," he said, "but even more than before, in supporting resistance fighters in all the Arab world."

Assad has said he would stay in power at least until elections scheduled in 2014, but he went further in the interview, saying he "will not hesitate to run again" if the Syrian people want him to do so.

Taking a tough line, he also warned that Syria would strike back hard against any future Israeli airstrike.

Earlier this month, Israel had struck near Damascus, targeting suspected shipments of advanced weapons purportedly intended for Hezbollah. Syria did not respond at the time.

Assad said he has informed other countries that Syria would respond next time. "If we are going to retaliate against Israel, this retaliation should be a strategic response," he said.

Russia's S-300 missiles would significantly boost Syria's air defenses and are seen as a game-changer, but Assad was unclear about whether Syria has received a first shipment.

Earlier Thursday, Al-Manar had sent text messages to reporters with what it said was an excerpt from the interview.

The station quoted Assad as saying Syria had received a first shipment of such missiles. The Associated Press called Al-Manar after receiving the text message, and an official at the station said the message had been sent based on Assad's comments.

In the interview, Assad was asked about the S-300s, but his answer was general.

He said Russia's weapons shipments are not linked to the Syria conflict. "We have been negotiating with them about different types of weapons for years, and Russia is committed to Syria to implement these contracts," he said.

"All we have agreed on with Russia will be implemented and some of it has been implemented recently, and we and the Russians continue to implement these contracts," he said.

Earlier this week, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel considered the S-300s in Syrian hands a threat and signaled it was prepared to use force to stop delivery. Israel had no comment Thursday.

The S-300s have a range of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and can track and strike multiple targets at once. Syria already possesses Russian-made air defenses.

The U.S. and Israel had urged Russia to cancel the sale, but Russia rejected the appeals.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week that the U.S. is concerned about Moscow's continued financial and military support for the Assad regime, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Meanwhile, Assad dismissed Syria's political opposition as foreign-directed exiles who don't represent the people of Syria.

The Syrian National Coalition has been meeting for more than a week in Istanbul to expand its membership, elect new leaders and devise a strategy for possible peace talks.

Coalition members got bogged down in personnel issues for much of the time. On Thursday, they announced that under current circumstances, they will not attend peace talks.

In the interview, Assad reiterated that the Syrian government is ready to attend in principle, though he said any agreement reached there would have to be put to a referendum.

"We will go to this conference as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. Whom do they represent?" he said of the opposition.

"We know that we are going to negotiate with the countries that stand behind it (the opposition) and not to negotiate with them. When we speak with the slave, we are indirectly negotiating with the master," he added.

The coalition's decision not to attend the talks could torpedo the only peace plan the international community has been able to rally behind, although prospects for its success appeared doubtful from the start.

Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said she hoped it was not the coalition's final word on the Geneva conference. She said Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, is in Istanbul trying to help the opposition sort through its internal problems. Once members have decided on issues such as expanded membership and leadership, the U.S. hopes they will recommit to peace talks, Psaki said.

Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, accused the coalition of trying to set preconditions, by demanding that Assad's departure from office must be the focus of any peace talks. He called such a demand "unrealistic."

He urged the U.S. and Europe to "restrain those who are encouraging such unacceptable and aggressive approaches on the part of the National Coalition."

If the diplomatic option is now off the table, following the opposition's decision, the West, including the U.S., will have to come up with a new approach. President Barack Obama could face renewed pressure to help the rebels militarily.

The opposition linked its decision to stay away from the conference to an ongoing battle for the strategic town of Qusair and the role of Hezbollah in helping Assad.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is heavily involved in the 12-day-old push to drive rebels from the town. Coalition officials said Thursday that hundreds of peopled wounded in the fighting were trapped in the town.

"The talk about the international conference and a political solution to the situation in Syria has no meaning in light of the massacres that are taking place," coalition spokesman Khalid Saleh told reporters. He said the group will not support any international peace efforts in light of the "invasion" of Syria by Iran and Hezbollah.

Both sides value Qusair, which lies along a land corridor linking two of Assad's strongholds ? Damascus and an area along the Mediterranean coast. For the rebels, holding the town means protecting their supply line to Lebanon, just 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the 26-month-old Syrian conflict that has had increasingly sectarian overtones. Members of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority dominate the rebel ranks and Assad's regime is mostly made up of Alawites, an offshoot sect of Shiite Islam.

___

Associated Press writers Karin Laub in Beirut and Bradley S. Klapper in Washington contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-30-Syria/id-877ca42a5b6e49baa09dbf2cff1c8974

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A Chandelier Light Bulb Is Unreasonably Adorable

There are things that are adorable but make complete sense: babies, puppies, kittens, small phones, you get the point. Then there are things that are cute that make no sense: monkeys eating bananas, a ball of yarn and so on. A miniature chandelier would usually be sensibly cute. But putting that miniature chandelier in a light bulb? Boy, I don't know why I love this so much.

Assad ups use of chemical weapons in Syria ? with impunity

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is boosting his military with Russian anti-aircraft missiles and, lately, a disturbing increase in the reported use of chemical weapons. With no US intervention, the strategy is having its desired effect as rebels announce they will not take part in peace talks.

By Daniel Nisman,?Op-ed contributor / May 30, 2013

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, shown here in Iran on Aug. 19, 2009, is bolstering his military advantage with Russian anti-aircraft missiles and reported increased use of chemical weapons. Op-ed writer Daniel Nisman writes: 'The use of [chemical] weapons in a sporadic fashion is an attempt by the Assad regime to offset an ongoing stalemate in the Damascus area.'

Vahid Salemi/AP/file

Enlarge

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad's stepped up military efforts ? new Russian anti-aircraft missiles; imported fighters from Lebanon and Iran; and lately, increased use of chemical weapons ? are having their desired effect. Today, Syria's main opposition group announced it will not take part in peace talks even as the regime appears to be gaining in military strength.

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Particularly disturbing are reports of the Assad regime's increased use of chemical weapons. Since March, the trickle of reports has become a flash flood. What?s now clear is that Mr. Assad, absent outside intervention, is willing to make the use of unconventional weapons more conventional as he seeks to end his government's military stalemate with rebels.

On May 26, rebel fighters and civilians in the Damascus suburbs of Harasta, Qaboun, and Jobar reported that numerous residents suffered from respiratory problems, nausea, and other symptoms of chemical nerve agents. Three people were reportedly killed in the suspected attack while at least 70 others were reported injured. Recently-posted video footage from the area portrayed both Syrian rebels and military troops fighting with gas masks.

On May 16, British media sources claimed to have verified footage of an April 29 chemical weapons attack in the town of Saraqeb. Two canisters were reportedly dropped from government helicopters, releasing gases that caused similar symptoms among residents.

On May 26, French journalists released footage taken on April 13 showing a chemical attack on Syrian rebel positions in the Damascus suburb of Jobar. The footage and other evidence have been passed to French intelligence, which has stated that it will issue a confirmation of the reports in the coming days. The Assad regime denies using chemical weapons.

Currently, the majority of the attacks have been reported in strategic Damascus suburbs being contested by rebels, each of which allows access to either the center of the city or main highways. Other attacks have been reported in the cities of Aleppo and Homs, which are also considered to be highly valuable by the Assad regime.

Combined, these continuous attacks paint a disturbing picture. Assad has resorted to limited, localized attacks using chemical weapon variants in key fronts in the conflict to achieve a far greater strategic goal as his forces gear to launch a major offensive to rid the Damascus suburbs of rebel presence in the coming weeks.

The use of such weapons in a sporadic fashion is an attempt by the Assad regime to offset an ongoing stalemate in the Damascus area, which has remained in place since a rebel advance during the summer of 2012. The Assad regime has since been unable to force a retreat of rebel militias using ground forces or heavy artillery bombardments, although they have prevented them from advancing into the capital?s center.

The regime?s reported escalation into chemical weapons usage follows a similar procedure used to introduce heavy artillery bombardments and air power at earlier stages of the conflict.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/MT59AyYlGpA/Assad-ups-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-Syria-with-impunity

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

James, West, Stephenson fined for flopping

Miami Heat's LeBron James puts up a shot against Indiana Pacers' David West during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals, Tuesday, May 28, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Miami's LeBron James and Indiana's David West and Lance Stephenson were all fined $5,000 by the NBA on Thursday for violating the league's anti-flopping policy.

James and West were penalized for the same play during a messy Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. James spun and fell and West tumbled toward the baseline during what looked like a poorly choreographed dance routine as the NBA's MVP defended the Indiana forward.

Stephenson was fined for exaggerating the contact after a slight elbow from Ray Allen following his basket, staggering back toward the sideline after making a short jumper.

The NBA began fining players this year for trying to fool referees into calling fouls when there had been limited contact.

"We accept it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday. "We don't want the attention or the focus to be on the officiating. We want it to be on the competition."

Game 5 of the series is Thursday night in Miami, with the teams knotted at two games apiece.

"I have no thoughts on officiating or flopping," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "I have nothing to share. I'm sorry."

The Pacers' 99-92 victory Tuesday was filled with physical plays and marked by a combined 55 personal fouls. One of those fouls, committed by West against Dwyane Wade with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter of Game 4, was upgraded by the NBA to a flagrant-1.

"At this moment, you've got to do whatever you have to do within the guidelines of the game to try to win, whether it's trying to draw fouls or whatever," West said. "It's just part of the game."

Heat players were apparently unaware of the NBA's decisions while they were holding their game-day shootaround practice Thursday morning.

"I didn't even know they handed out three flops," Heat forward Chris Bosh said. "I didn't know. We didn't talk about it at all. We're concentrating on other things. Those things we can't do anything about. This is the type of series where you're going to have to focus on very specific things, possession by possession. And if you're looking at something else, you're doing your team a disservice."

The amount of contact in this series has been amped up from basically the beginning, though it hasn't reached the over-the-top level that the Pacers and Heat reached in their sometimes-bloody matchup in the second round last season.

The Pacers were upset earlier in the series about the perception that Shane Battier was guilty of a dirty play when he kneed Pacers center Roy Hibbert in the midsection on a drive in Game 1. And even on Thursday, before Game 5, Battier was still a topic of Pacer discussion.

"He's got this funny way of moving into your knees," West said. "We're very conscious of that. We talk about making sure we protect our knees."

Added Hibbert: "He has to do whatever he has to do to make sure his team wins, and that's fine. But I'm going to protect myself when I'm on the court."

The fines are basically nominal given the salaries of NBA players. Stephenson makes just over $900,000 this season, while West makes $10 million and James makes about $17 million in playing salary, plus an estimated $40 million more in endorsements.

"Five thousand dollars is a lot of money," West said. "I don't care how much money you're making."

Steve Kerr, working the game as an analyst for TNT, said flopping has "been apparent throughout the series but I think it got worse" during Game 4.

James was voted to the NBA's All-Defensive first team, but Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau accused him of flopping after a play during the Heat's second-round series victory over the Bulls. The play with West came not long after James said flopping was "not even a bad thing, you're just trying to get the advantage."

Kerr said flopping was "unbecoming of star players."

"To me, flopping is sort of the territory of guys who are just trying to hang onto their position in the league and they have to find their way to be successful and productive somehow," he said in a phone interview before the penalties were announced.

"So if Battier and (Tyler) Hansbrough are going to flop a little bit because that's how they're going to impact the game right now, I'm probably more willing to give them a pass than when I see David West and LeBron falling all over each other in the post, two of the best players in the league."

Players were given a warning for a first offense during the regular season but are fined for the first flop in the postseason.

The plays can be seen at nba.com/official.

___

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-30-BKN-Heat-Pacers-Flops/id-00c79278fa24451296b9b717785cc4f6

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Beyonce Responds To Kelly Rowland's 'Dirty Laundry': 'I Never Left'

'She heard how real I was and was like 'I'm so proud of you,' ' Kelly says of Bey's reaction to the track.
By James Dinh

Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708202/beyonce-kelly-rowland-dirty-laundry-reaction.jhtml

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'Two and a Half Men' planning addition of female cast member

By Tim Kenneally

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Two and a Half Men" just might need a name change when it returns for its next season.

The CBS sitcom, which saw the departure of Angus T. Jones as a regular cast member after its most recent season, plans to fill the void with the addition of a female cast regular, an individual with knowledge of the plan told TheWrap on Wednesday.

The new character would be a woman who claims to be the daughter of Charlie Harper, who was played by Charlie Sheen until he was ousted from the series in 2011 following a run of bizarre behavior. (His character was killed off in the season nine premiere, which also introduced new cast member Ashton Kutcher as internet billionaire Walden Schmidt.)

If plans go through, the character of Harper's daughter will move in with Schmidt and Charlie's brother, Alan Harper (Jon Cryer).

Jones, who played Alan Harper's son Jake on the series, made headlines last year when he characterized "Two and a Half Men" as "filth" and asked people to stop watching it in an internet video. Jones subsequently apologized for the comments. The video was not specified as a reason for Jones' departure from the show.

Deadline first reported the news of the "Two and a Half Men" casting plans.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-half-men-planning-addition-female-cast-member-004830974.html

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Freedom Spot Overdrive Pro (FreedomPop)

It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't?FreedomPop offers 100% free Internet at home or on-the-go. And the Freedom Spot Overdrive Pro brings that free Internet to millions of additional potential users via support for Sprint's nationwide 3G network. The hotspot itself only costs $39.99, but 3G support isn't free, and is only available with one plan. And like the Freedom Spot Photon, the Overdrive Pro doesn't feature 4G LTE support, so you'll have to swap it out in the future for a new device. But it's still a great deal as long as you don't need a ton of data.

Pricing and Plans
We have a full review of the?Overdrive Pro on Sprint, and the FreedomPop model looks and functions exactly the same: The FreedomPop logo has clearly been grafted onto the device and it still says Sprint on the display when you power it up. Here I'll focus mostly on pricing and plans on FreedomPop, as well as comparisons with other contract-free hotspots.

There are three different plans you can use with the Overdrive Pro: Basic, Pro, and Premium. With the Basic plan, you get 500MB of free 4G data data every month. After that, extra data costs $0.02 per 1MB (which works out to $20 per 1GB). The Premium plan costs $17.99 for 2GB of 4G data, with additional data available at $0.01 per 1MB (or $10 per 1GB).

That means FreedomPop only offers one plan that includes 3G data, and it doesn't come for free. $3.99 per month gets you a 500MB plan which includes nationwide 3G roaming. Extra data costs $0.02 per 1MB.

If you live in a 4G coverage area, that free plan is the most enticing, but 500MB is really only enough for email and some light Web browsing. If you want to watch movies on Netflix or listen to music on Spotify, you're better off with an unlimited data plan with a modem from Clear or Virgin Mobile. Both carriers will get you unlimited 4G WiMAX data on the same network as FreedomPop for as little as $34.99 per month.

But if you just need a hotspot for backup, FreedomPop's 500MB plans are a good deal, and you can even earn additional data for free. For instance, you get an additional 50MB of data for every friend you refer, up to 1GB. You can also share or request data from friends. Then there are "actions" and "offers" you can complete to earn more data. Actions include downloading the FreedomPop smartphone app, or installing the FreedomPop toolbar on your computer, each of which earn you an additional 200MB of data. Offers range from surveys to downloading and installing various programs, which can get you anywhere from and additional 3MB to 3GB of data.

The best part about the Overdrive Pro is 3G support, as it allows you to use the modem virtually across the country. That means you won't have to worry about staying connected when you travel. You can't say that about 4G, which has a much more limited coverage area.

Network and Performance
FreedomPop uses Clear's 4G WiMAX network and Sprint's nationwide 3G network. It plans to provide support for Sprint's fledgling 4G LTE network, but Sprint has been extremely slow to roll it out. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that one day FreedomPop will have 4G LTE, and if you want to get a taste of it, you're going to have to get a new modem. FreedomPop will credit you cost of the Overdrive Pro, provided it's still in good working order, but you may not want to get too attached to it.

That said, right now you get either 4G WiMAX or 3G. WiMAX is decent, but it's no match for LTE. It's also only available in a limited number of areas. 3G support expands FreedomPop's reach considerably, but as we discovered in last year's?Fastest Mobile Networks?report, it's on the slowest 3G network in the nation. That's not such a big deal when you're limited to a finite amount of data, but keep in mind that it's slow.

In testing the Overdrive Pro in New York City, I connected to the 4G WiMAX network and saw average download speeds approaching 3Mbps, which is pretty good, but nowhere near solid LTE speeds. Uploads, on the other hand, were absolutely terrible. The hotspot struggled to reach 0.1Mbps, and didn't reach it more often than not. Without unlimited data, however, you probably aren't going to be uploading much, so this isn't a major concern.

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all offer much faster connections than you get with FreedomPop, but they all require a contract and are significantly more expensive. Even T-Mobile's latest overage-free mobile broadband plans start at $20 for 500MB of high-speed data per month (with much slower 2G data for free thereafter). So if you're interested in a free or 3G plan from FreedomPop, there's really no comparison.

Conclusions
The Freedom Spot Overdrive Pro is an excellent, inexpensive way to get online, as long as you don't need much data and don't mind trading it in for a new hotspot in the future. You'll get much better speeds with 4G LTE from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon, but you'll be paying a price to match. The Freedom Spot Photon is smaller than the Overdrive Pro, but lacks 3G support. Either is a good choice if you fall in a 4G coverage area. The Clear Spot Voyager?also lacks 3G support, but gets you unlimited data on the same 4G WiMAX network as FreedomPop for $34.99 per month. The Overdrive Pro 3G/4G from Virgin Mobile, meanwhile, costs $35 per month and adds 3G support on Sprint. Finally, NetZero offers 200MB of free data per month with its?NetZero 4G Hotspot, but that plan only lasts for a year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/W0uqhTZbv2Y/0,2817,2419426,00.asp

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Annals of the Security State: the Airplane Stories Continue (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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AUIS to Host Second Annual Commencement Ceremony in May

SULAIMANI, Iraq, May 29, 2013 ?/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS)?will host its second annual commencement exercises on May 30.

Nearly 1,000 family members, friends, and distinguished guests are expected to attend the event held on the AUIS campus. The ceremony will be presided over by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Barham Salih and AUIS President Dr. Athanasios Moulakis. Featured speakers include His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government; Mr. Douglas Silliman, Charge d'Affaires of the United States?Embassy in Baghdad; and His Excellency Ali Saeed, Minister of Higher Education for the Kurdistan Regional Government. Ms. Jwan Sarbast Kittani has been selected as a student speaker for her stellar academic performance.

Baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology, and International Studies will be awarded to 54 students. An additional 29 students will receive a degree of Master of Business Administration.

Most members of this graduating class have already secured positions in a wide range of fields, including banking and finance, construction, and the oil and gas sector. Among the graduates are an account executive at an emerging marketing firm based in Sulaimani; a lab technician at an international oil company with offices in Erbil; an analyst at a major investment firm in Baghdad;?and an auditor at a leading professional services corporation with offices throughout the Middle East.

Others are starting their own businesses or will pursue advanced studies in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.?Included among them are an Ibn Khaldun Scholar, multiple scholarship awardees at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), and a fellowship recipient at Missouri State University.

The event, which will be held on the spacious and picturesque patio in the foreground of the University's administration building, begins promptly at 5:30pm.?An indoor reception for all attendees will immediately follow.

About AUIS
Founded in 2006, AUIS is Iraq's only private, non-profit university for public benefit.?Academic programs, taught in the English language by international faculty members, are designed to meet or exceed standards set by regional accreditation organizations in the United States.

Students at AUIS come from all over Iraq and represent the country's diverse ethnic and religious landscape. Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Yezidis et al. populate the growing student body.

Mission Statement
It is the objective of the University to produce graduates of responsible character with the necessary knowledge and skills for professional and national leadership. Students will be prepared for successful careers in?a modern, pluralistic society and in a global environment. The educational programs of the University are designed to develop strength in critical thinking, the ability to communicate well, a strong?work ethic, good citizenship and personal integrity. Broad-based education, rooted in the American liberal arts tradition, as well as skill development is achieved at the University through teaching excellence, quality scholarship, and caring student services.

SOURCE American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/auis-host-second-annual-commencement-ceremony-may-162400852.html

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Ancient Cave Art Unearthed: Archaeologists Find Paintings Dating Back Before Spanish Rule In Mexico

A picture of some of the 5,000 paintings found in Mexico.(Photo : Mexico National Museum of Anthropology)

Thousands of ancient paintings on cave walls and in ravines have been discovered by archaeologists in Mexico, according to Yahoo! News. They date back to a time before Spanish rule.

The art demonstrates that native cultures lived in the area surrounding the Sierra de San Carlos, a mountain range that is located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, according to researchers.

The paintings, numbering around 5,000, were found across 11 different archaeological sites in the region and were created with colored pigments, including red, yellow, black and white. The images are of different animals, among them deer, lizards and centipedes. There are also other images of people and tents, hunting and fishing, as well as what archaeologists believe may be an astronomical chart. These images together create a view of what the ancient culture may have been like.

The discovery shows the presence of groups of people before the Spanish arrived.

"Where before it was said that there was nothing, when in fact it was inhabited by one or more cultures," Gustavo Ramirez, an archaeologist with the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History, said in a statement.

The ancient people left little evidence of their culture and lifestyle for archaeologists to piece together. Little is known of their language, rituals or customs, other than what is referenced later by the conquistadores and friars who colonized the area.

The people resisted Spanish rule by living in the mountains, "where they had water, plants and animals to feed themselves," Martha Garcia Sanchez, another archaeologist, told Yahoo!.

Archaeologists discovered the rock art in 2006, and they began studying the site two years ago, in 2011. Researchers haven't been able to precisely date the rock art but are conducting further testing on samples, hoping to determine the age.

"We have not found any ancient objects linked to the context, and because the paintings are on ravine walls and in the rainy season, the sediments are washed away, all we have is gravel," Ramirez said.

The institute presented their findings at the Second Conference of Archaeological History in Mexico City.

Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/6415/20130528/ancient-cave-art-unearthed-archaeologists-find-paintings-dating-back-before.htm

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Hotel magnate, Mo. philanthropist Hammons dies

FILE - In a March 30, 2004 file photo, John Q. Hammons poses for a photo in his new 8,000 seat baseball stadium in Springfield, Mo. Hammons, a prominent hotel developer and southwest Missouri philanthropist, died Sunday, May 26, 2013 at a nursing home in Springfield, Mo., said Sheri Davidson Smith, a spokeswoman for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. He was 94. (AP Photo/John S. Stewart, File)

A 2009 photo provided by John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts shows John Q. Hammons. Hammons, a prominent hotel developer and southwest Missouri philanthropist, died Sunday, May 26, 2013 at a nursing home in Springfield, Mo., said Sheri Davidson Smith, a spokeswoman for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. He was 94. (AP Photo/John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts)

FILE - In a July 6, 2005 file photo, Missouri developer John Q. Hammons announces plans Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Chamber of Commerce in Jonesboro, Ark., to build his sixth hotel in Arkansas, in Jonesboro. Hammons, a prominent hotel developer and southwest Missouri philanthropist, died Sunday, May 26, 2013 at a nursing home in Springfield, Mo., said Sheri Davidson Smith, a spokeswoman for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. He was 94.(AP Photo/The Jonesboro Sun, David Stout, File)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) ? John Q. Hammons, a prominent hotel developer and southwest Missouri philanthropist who rose from a poor Depression-era childhood to build a national real estate empire, has died. He was 94.

Hammons, who actively led his company well into his 80s, died peacefully Sunday at a nursing home in Springfield, said Sheri Davidson Smith, a spokeswoman for John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts.

Hammons' first business ? a company that sold mortar-less bricks ? went bust in the late 1940s, saddling him with debt. He paid off that debt after two years and recovered to build housing subdivisions in southwest Missouri over the next decade before purchasing 10 Holiday Inn franchises with a partner in 1958 from the company's founder.

He went on to build 200 hotels nationwide, including Embassy Suites, Marriotts, Radissons and Holiday Inns. Hammons also developed an expansive real estate portfolio associated with those hotels of golf courses, restaurants, convention centers, a casino and riverboat gambling. He avoided big-city locations in favor of properties in college towns and state capitals.

"He would say, 'The kids will always go to school, and you can't fire the damn politicians,'" former company executive Scott Tarwater said in a March 2011 interview.

Along the way, he donated millions of dollars to local hospitals, colleges and public television. His name graces so many buildings and streets in Springfield ? from the basketball arena at Missouri State University to the city's tallest building ? that comedian Bob Hope once joked that the city should change its name to "Hammonsville."

He regularly appeared on Forbes magazine's list of the wealthiest Americans and estimated his personal wealth several years ago at $1 billion. He took his company public in 1994 before returning it to private ownership a decade later. During his career, according to the company, Hammons developed 210 hotel properties in 40 states.

"He has made such a major, significant difference to this community," Jim Anderson, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a 2007 interview. "Some people may not see the way he has put us on the map."

But Hammons' recent years were shrouded in secrecy and controversy. In March 2011, a group of friends asked Greene County probate court to appoint Hammons a public guardian.

The friends' lawsuit said they weren't being allowed to visit him at a Springfield nursing home or even talk to him on the phone after Jacqueline Dowdy, whom Hammons gave power of attorney several years ago, took control of the John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts in October 2010, purged most of its top officials and placed Hammons in "involuntary seclusion."

The court appointed a Springfield doctor in May 2011 to serve as Hammons' temporary guardian. The doctor allowed supervised visits with Hammons, though that didn't alleviate the feud. Dowdy, a former administrative assistant and accountant, became CEO after nearly 40 years of working alongside Hammons.

On Monday, Dowdy praised Hammons for his professional and philanthropic work.

"Hammons was a giant in the hospitality industry and was unwavering in his commitment to exceptional quality and service and to giving back to the community," she said in a company statement. "He was a great mentor and friend and will be missed by all who came to know him, but his legacy will live on forever."

The hotel magnate was born James Quentin Hammons in 1919 in rural Fairview, about 60 miles southwest of Springfield, to a dairy farmer who lost the 200-acre family farm during the Depression. As a teen, he trapped rabbits and sold their pelts for a nickel apiece to survive.

"I swore I would never be poor," he told a biographer in 2002.

A graduate of Southwest Missouri State Teachers College, which is now Missouri State University, Hammons spent two years teaching science and history and coaching junior high basketball before going to work on the construction of the Alaska Highway. He married the former Juanita Baxter, a Springfield elementary school teacher and also a Southwest Missouri graduate, in September 1949. The couple, who met at a hotel dance, had no children.

Hammons' legacy is on full display in his adopted hometown of Springfield. His office in the John Q. Hammons Building is across from the federal courthouse his company built and the 22-story Hammons Tower, the city's tallest building. Nearby are a 270-room hotel and convention center he developed and Hammons Field, which he built for $32 million to lure the minor league Springfield Cardinals to town. All sit on John Q. Hammons Parkway.

Other buildings in town, including at Missouri State University, have his name. Hammons also gave a grant that started public television station KOZK.

"Whenever you can be successful in a community, it can't be without cooperation, without support," Hammons said in a 1992 interview. "So I think it behooves everybody to register that sincerity and try to return a little bit."

Hammons was unfailingly modest about his wealth and his success. An avid sports fan ? especially of the St. Louis Cardinals ? he faithfully attended baseball spring training and the NCAA Final Four annually for decades until his health faltered.

"It's no big deal," Hammons once said of his success. "I've been at it so long, it's just old hat by now."

___

Associated Press writer Erin Gartner contributed to this report from Chicago.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-05-27-Obit-John%20Hammons/id-744bdf148e1f431494bdb3c6b5569e59

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Classmates: Teen accused of plot spoke about bombs

ALBANY, Ore. (AP) ? Classmates of an Oregon teenager accused of planning to blow up his high school say the 17-year-old discussed bomb-making in the weeks before his arrest, but did not speak of a plot to inflict damage.

Thomas Stone, who attends West Albany High School, told KATU-TV (http://is.gd/9UPPEm) that Grant Acord discussed bomb-making materials with him in class a couple of weeks ago.

"You know, I didn't think much of it 'cause he's kind of a strange kid," Stone said. "So I wasn't surprised he had some strange hobbies, you know?"

Acord was arrested Thursday night after police got a tip that the youth was making a bomb to blow up the school about 75 miles south of Portland.

On Saturday, Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said Acord will be charged as an adult with attempted aggravated murder. Acord's relatives have not released any public statements, and it's unknown if they have hired a lawyer to represent him or if he will be assigned a public defender at Tuesday's arraignment.

The Associated Press normally doesn't name minors accused of crimes but is doing so in this case because of the seriousness of the allegations and because Acord is being charged as an adult.

Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said in an interview Saturday that the alleged plot was "forged and inspired" by the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado. He said investigators found six bombs in a secret compartment under the floorboards of Acord's bedroom, along with written plans, checklists and a diagram of the school.

Student Keagan Boggs said Acord had approached some of his friends to talk about bombs, though not the alleged plot.

"It wasn't like, 'Oh, I'm making bombs. I'm gonna blow stuff up,'" Boggs said.

No bombs were found during searches of the school, and classes will resume as scheduled Tuesday.

"I have been advised that none of the evidence developed thus far suggests any broader conspiracy or involvement by any other persons," Maria Delapoer, the superintendent of Albany schools, said in a statement to parents. "The bottom line is that the school is safe and that students can return to school on Tuesday confident that no outstanding threats remain."

Not much has been learned about Acord, who does not appear to have a strong presence on social media. His Facebook profile provides no public information except for his photograph.

___

Information from: KATU-TV, http://www.katu.com/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/classmates-teen-accused-plot-spoke-bombs-201532547.html

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Iraq officials say car bombings kill at least 4

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraqi officials say two car bombings in Baghdad have killed at least four civilians and wounded 19 others.

Two police officers say the deadliest of the Monday afternoon attacks came in the busy commercial Sadoun Street in central Baghdad, where a car bomb killed three civilians and wounded 10 others.

They added that another car bomb exploded in the capital's eastern New Baghdad area as police were waiting for explosives experts to dismantle it. A civilian bystander was killed and nine others were wounded.

Two medical officials confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

Although violence has decreased sharply in Iraq since the height of insurgency, militants are still capable to carry out lethal attacks nationwide.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-officials-car-bombings-kill-least-4-135825399.html

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New analysis yields improvements in a classic 3-D imaging technique

May 25, 2013 ? Research conducted at Curtin University in Perth has enabled significant increases in image quality in a widely used 3D printing technique that is more than 100 years old.

Anaglyph printing -- think of the red-and-blue 3D glasses used to transform 2D images to 3D images in comics, magazines, books, and newspapers -- came into being when the continuous-tone printed anaglyph was invented by French physicist Louis Ducos du Hauron in 1891.

The technique works by combining the left and right images of a stereoscopic image pair into the red and blue color channels of the output anaglyph image. With the red/blue 3D glasses, the left eye sees only the red channel of the anaglyph image, and the right sees only the blue. If the anaglyph 3D image has been constructed correctly, the viewer sees a pleasing 3D image on the printed page.

The project team, led by Curtin research engineer Andrew Woods, targeted crosstalk problems which are visible as ghost-like shadows. Their paper published recently in the SPIE journal Optical Engineering details seven recommendations for overcoming crosstalk.

"The largest reduction in crosstalk is likely be achieved by using inks which have a better spectral purity than current process inks used in color printers," Woods said. "We found that an 80% reduction in crosstalk was potentially achievable just by changing the cyan ink."

The anaglyph technique is easy to implement and the anaglyph 3D glasses are relatively cheap, so the technique is used very widely, Woods said.

However, printed anaglyph images often suffer from a number of image quality limitations. When the 3D image is viewed through the colored glasses, there is often a significant amount of crosstalk (or ghosting), an undesirable property of some 3D techniques whereby the left eye sees some of the image intended for only the right eye, and vice-versa. Crosstalk is usually visible as ghost-like shadows throughout the image. If crosstalk levels are too high, the quality of the 3D experience can be significantly reduced.

"The printed anaglyph is 121 years old, but this appears to be the first time that a detailed technical simulation of crosstalk in printed anaglyphs has been developed," Woods said. "We started by measuring the spectral characteristics of various printing inks, 3D glasses, light sources, and papers. From there we developed a simulation which models the viewing of an anaglyph 3D image, and subsequently performed an experiment to validate the accuracy of the model. We hope this work will help provide a 21st-century improvement to the 19th-century invention."

In addition to changing the cyan ink, recommendations include using high-quality anaglyph glasses, an optimized light source, and improved image processing algorithms.

The full paper is available via open access in the SPIE Digital Library: "Characterizing and reducing crosstalk in printed anaglyph stereoscopic 3D images."

The work was originally presented in the Stereoscopic Displays and Applications conference during the 2013 IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging symposium in Burlingame, California, USA. The call for papers has been released for Electronic Imaging 2014 which will be held 2-6 February in downtown San Francisco.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/biochemistry/~3/m7-nMTfnDOw/130525144032.htm

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Simply Me: Plus Size Lingerie Boutique Review

Who could use a little boost in the Lingerie department? ?I too often find myself looking like a bum with an over sized tee-shirt and ratty pants. ?I would love to own something fun and cute.

To be honest I don't have time go out Lingerie shopping and I would never take a 2 and 5 year old with me to do so. ?They have a grabbing issue, I couldn't imagine how I would explain my 2 year old with a handful of lace panties. ?So for me online is the only way to Lingerie Shop. ?

But online shopping can be tricky because really where do you start? ?

Plus Size Lingerie Boutique has so many choices from?Babydolls,?Chemises,?Panties,?Sleepwear & Robes,?Bodystockings,?Hosiery & Garter Belts,?Cami & Bra Sets,?Corsets & Bustiers,?Bridal,?Leather & Patent,?Teddies,?Accessories?and?Costumes. ?Making them the perfect shop for all you Lingerie needs.

I was?personally able to review the Mesh and Lace Babydoll and matching panties set. I'm sure you can see from the photos how sexy/cute it is. ?I choose the black set but it does come in other colors. ?The material is ultra soft and I can tell the material is good?quality. ?

My personal?experience?with the company was also amazing my item was ordered and shipped super fast! The site has so many choices it easily has something for everyone and it geared at plus sized women. ?So I knew the item I was getting would be perfect for me! ?To often I go on sites and see a thinner woman wearing something and I can't help but think 'how would my curves look in it.' ?With a site made for curvy women I know I'm getting something I will look good in.

So if you are looking for sexy?Lingerie?You def. want to check out the Plus Size Lingerie Boutique!!

I was given this product for the purpose of review. ?Regardless?all opinions are my own. ??

Source: http://savannahmiller1987.blogspot.com/2013/05/plus-size-lingerie-boutique-review.html

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Cambodian film on Pol Pot rule wins Cannes prize

CANNES, France (AP) ? A French-Cambodian film, "The Missing Picture," which explores the bloody history of Pol Pot's dictatorship in late 1970s Cambodia, has won the "Un Certain Regard" prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

To rousing applause, director Rithy Panh collected the award at a ceremony Saturday night, expressing his gratitude to be able "to have the freedom to do the films I want to do."

The "Un Certain Regard" accolade, presented one day before the Palme d'Or, is often seen to reward up-and-coming filmmakers and works that transmit original messages and aesthetics.

Panh's film, based on his nightmarish memoir "The Elimination," documents his own family's experience under the heavy-handed Communist Party's Khmer Rouge that resulted in the death of his parents and sisters.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-25-France-Cannes-Un%20Certain%20Regard%20Prize/id-6012e21d072c4d27b092e56ae2ce1b3b

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Steely Cotillard shines in 'The Immigrant'

CANNES, France (AP) ? Academy award-winner Marion Cotillard gave her all and even learned another language to play a Polish woman struggling with the realities of 1920s New York in James Gray's terse offering, "The Immigrant."

The gritty drama, which premieres Friday at the Cannes Film Festival and is competing for the Palme d'Or, was filmed in part on the almost mythical Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants stepped off the boat to America in search of a better life, captured with stark beauty by cinematographer Darius Khondji.

The initial American dream of Cotillard's character, Ewa, to rejoin her uncle and aunt and start a family with a "good man" is quickly dashed. Her sister winds up quarantined in an immigrant hospital and she herself is taken under the wing of Bruno, a louche cabaret manager who's prone to violent outbursts.

Bruno, played by Joaquin Phoenix in a melodramatic performance that has divided critics, is attracted by Ewa's beauty and forces her into his cabaret outfit, which also serves as a brothel. She becomes the most prized of his "doves," the sickening name he gives to his dancing girls.

But what might have been a predicable pimp-prostitute tale is given a twist by the human complexity of Gray's characters: neither fully good nor fully bad.

Cotillard's performance has already garnered attention from critics for the intensity of her performance and for learning Polish for the role ? some 20 pages of the film script were in that language, she noted. The French actress admitted that while speaking a foreign language was tough, it ultimately spurred her on artistically.

"The language creates everything. I like to create characters that have their own approach, their own physical language, their own voice. When you have a different language to learn, it somehow helps to create that," she said.

She called speaking Polish her "biggest challenge," as even when she was happy with a scene, "I had no way of knowing if it was perfect. It was very unsettling."

Cotillard is becoming something of a polyglot having also acted in English, French and Italian in this year's "Blood Ties."

"The Immigrant'''s third key character could be said to be Ellis Island itself, the former immigrant gateway in Upper New York Bay.

Khondji, who worked on last year's Palme d'Or winner "Amour," defined the film with his breathtaking evocations of Ellis Island and a grimy New York, with references that harked to "The Godfather: Part II."

"There have been so few films actually shot in Ellis Island ... this kind of mythical, immigration station where the entire world came to the United States," said Gray, who added that 40 percent of Americans have an ancestor who passed through the island at the beginning of the 20th century.

But the covetable location presented its fair share of obstacles, as the director conceded after the screening.

"One of the things that you forget is that ... it's a museum. It's open virtually 365 days a year, and it will not close down for you, so all that stuff ... was shot at night actually with huge cranes holding these big 10,000-watt lights, blasting light through the window. If I knew what it would take I'm not sure I would have done it again."

____

Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-24-France-Cannes-The%20Immigrant/id-97acc896adac4c34b590f6b3837390f0

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

The Stream ? Is Iran going offline? | Morocco World News

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Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/05/91922/the-stream-is-iran-going-offline/

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