What Medicaid-Loving GOP Governors Have in Common

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is unique in that his entire political career has been centered on his opposition to Obamacare, and that made it surprising when he announced Wednesday he would accept federal funds to expand Medicare. But if you look at the realities that might have pushed him toward that position, he's not unique at all. Of the seven Republican governors who've embraced the Medicaid expansion, four are in states with very large Latino populations.?

RELATED: Florida's Rick Scott Signs on to Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion

There are a lot of reasons governors might embrace the Medicaid expansion, which gives coverage to people making up to 138 percent of the poverty line. With the Surpeme Court upholding it and President Obama reelected, Obamacare is the law of the land. It's a pretty sweet deal, too ? the federal government pays for 100 percent of the expansion for three years, then 90 percent after that. But it's hard not to notice a pattern among those who've betrayed the anti-Obamacare cause:?Scott,?New Mexico's Susana Martinez,?Nevada's Brian Sandoval, and?Arizona's Jan Brewer?all changed their position, and they're all in charge of states that rank in the top seven in the country by percentage of Latino population. (Two of the other top seven have Democratic governors; the real outlier is Texas's Rick Perry, who has stayed true to his brand and refused the Medicaid expansion.)?

RELATED: Romney Continues Ads Complaining About Obama's Bain Ads

What's the connection between Latinos and Obamacare? In his New York Times Magazine story?this week about the young conservatives trying to save the Republican Party from obsolensence, Robert Draper includes this fascinating statistic from President Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe:

"Let me tell you something. The Hispanic voters in Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico don?t give a damn about Marco Rubio, the Tea Party Cuban-American from Florida. You know what? We won the Cuban vote! And it?s because younger Cubans are behaving differently than their parents. It?s probably my favorite stat of the whole campaign. So this notion that Marco Rubio is going to heal their problems ? it?s not even sophomoric; it?s juvenile!

And by the way: the bigger problem they?ve got with Latinos isn?t immigration. It?s their economic policies and health care. The group that supported the president?s health care bill the most? Latinos."

But that's not just Obama campaign spin.?Mitt Romney's campaign manager, Stuart Stevens, agreed when asked about the article on ABC's This Week:

"The greatest appeal that the Obama campaign had for Hispanic voters turned out to be ObamaCare. And they ran a tremendous amount of their advertising appealing to Hispanic voters. It was the only place in their advertising where they talked about ObamaCare, was into -- in it -- to the Hispanic community, because an extraordinary percentage of Hispanic voters are uninsured.

And that was smart politics. They did it well. The party was also known as the party that was against ObamaCare and that hurt us."

And suddenly Republican governors are talking about Medicaid beneficiaries as pretty swell people. Look at how these Republican governors have justified their acceptance of the Medicaid expansion using the very same reasoning Obama used: that we have a moral obligation to help the poor and vulnerable who get sick.

RELATED: Texas, Where 25% Are Uninsured, Opts Out of Medicaid Expansion

It's not that Republicans campaigned on hating poor people, something Florida Sen. Marco Rubio pushed back against in his response to President Obama's State of the Union address when he said Obama's "favorite?attack?of all is that?those who?don?t agree with him ? they?only care about rich people." But in the fight against Obamacare through the 2012 election, the health of individual poor people always was a lesser concern than preserving freedom from "socialized medicine," not creating incentives to be lazy, and protecting the country's fiscal health. Mitt Romney said 47 percent of Americans are dependent moochers. Paul Ryan said it was even worse.?"Right now about 60 percent of the American people get more benefits in dollar value from the federal government than they pay back in taxes," Ryan said. "So we're going to a majority of takers versus makers in America and that will be tough to come back from that. They'll be dependent on the government for their livelihoods [rather] than themselves."

RELATED: Boehner Dares to Touch the Third Rail: Social Security

Most of the Medicaid-loving Republican governors do not merely make some kind of budgetary case for taking the federal money. Instead, their hearts bleed for the suffering poor. Florida's Scott, for example, talked about his mother?in his announcement Wednesday. "I remember my Mom's heartbreak when she could not afford to give my younger brother the treatment he needed when we learned he had a hip disease," Scott said. "She eventually found him a Shriner's Children's Hospital hundreds of miles away? where my brother would go back and forth for treatment." Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, famous for sticking her finger in Obama's face, reminds voters that she still opposes Obamacare, but! "Let?s face it ??uninsured Arizonans get sick just like the rest of us..."

RELATED: Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Health Care Reform Case

New Mexico's Martinez explained that she made her decision on the basis of math, as well as that "We have an obligation to provide an adequate level of basic health care services for the most in need of our state." She said New Mexico would end the expansion if the federal government cut funding for it. But she justified that in touchy-feely terms. "In the event that we are faced with such a decision, we cannot allow our children who are most in need to go without health care services. If the federal reimbursement rate for Medicaid expansion is cut, we must protect our kids and protect our budget by ensuring that the most recent additions to the Medicaid program are the first ones moved off," Martinez said. Watch out: some of these bleeding hearts could be "the future of the GOP."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/medicaid-loving-gop-governors-common-213311604.html

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Creative Connections links kids worldwide through art

Nine-year-old Luise?s painting is about more than the wooly white sheep and verdant fields that distinguish her family?s farm in Latvia. It?s about patience and diligence.

And if the students in Connecticut who see her painting understand this, then Creative Connections has succeeded, says Alan Steckler, founder and CEO of the Norwalk, Conn.-based nonprofit organization.

Through ArtLink, Creative Connection?s main program, American students are partnered with children from one of nearly 50 other countries. The children are asked to draw or paint a picture of what they most value in their daily life or culture. After exchanging the artworks, the classes participate in a videoconference, which allows students to share ideas face-to-face in real time.

RECOMMENDED: Are you as well-read as a 10th grader? Take our quiz.

?The art opens a window into other cultures and gets the children talking about other things,? Mr. Steckler says from his office beneath the Stepping Stones Museum for Children. ?The students walk away thinking the children they ?meet? are real kids, and they are a lot like me. There are some special differences, but we are more alike than we thought.?

Recently, students from the Weston Middle School in Weston, Conn., participated in a videoconference with the Ahliyyah School for Girls in Amman, Jordan. Students discussed the meaning of freedom of choice during the hour-long session.

?It was a real mind opener. They were looking at a picture of the Statue of Liberty, and that led to a discussion about the choice to wear a head covering, or not, if you are Muslim in Jordan,? Steckler says. ?The art allowed the students to get into the values, and the issues, of a different culture.?

That?s an invaluable lesson for teachers like Amanda Quaintance, who teaches social studies at Weston Middle School.

?I?m always keeping my eyes open to connect my students with the lands they are studying in a modern way,? Ms. Quaintance says. ?I thought this was an ingenious idea. And when the students in Jordan got to see us holding their artwork, and we saw they were holding our artwork ? across the world ? it was just a magical moment.?

Steckler founded Creative Connections in 1992. More than 220 classrooms take part in ArtLink each year. This includes the classes participating in Rainforest ArtLink, which pairs US students with students in the rainforest regions of Latin America.

Steckler, an American, graduated from college in the United States, but got a job teaching in England, where he stayed for 11 years. Upon returning to the US, he says, he was surprised how insular his students seemed. After teaching at public and private US schools he studied for a master?s degree at Bank Street College in New York City.

But instead of teaching again, Steckler says, he wanted to develop a program where children around the world could meet as equals and have a real exchange.For him, art proved to be the great equalizer. This is important for US children, who may have more material wealth than a student in Guatemala or somewhere in Africa, he says.

The American students learn about a different kind of "richness of their lives that?s pretty neat,? he says.

Creative Connections now has more than 3,000 pieces of student art in its collection. Each piece is protected under plastic. A short biography, an explanation of the piece, and photo of the artist is taped to the back of each one.

?There is a great joy for all of us when the art comes in. It?s always so charming to read about [the children's] likes and dislikes, what they want to be when they grow up,? says Polly Loughran, Creative Connection?s program director.

While the international schools don?t pay a fee to participate in ArtLink, American schools pay between $600 and $700. Grants and donations help fund the program in underprivileged US schools. About 40 percent of the exchanges are fully or partially funded, Steckler says.

Creative Connections also sponsors the International Young Performers? Tour, which introduces American youths to dancers and musicians from other countries. In the past artists from Russia, China, India, Colombia, Ireland, and Cambodia have performed on area stages.

RECOMMENDED: Are you as well-read as a 10th grader? Take our quiz.

But it?s more than just a performance. The tour provides a look behind the curtain of what life is like for the visiting performers in their home country.

Abantu Mu Buntu, a Ugandan Children?s Music Troupe, will visit Connecticut and Westchester, N.Y., this April. After the performance students will watch videos about what school and home life is like for the dancers.

?We?re not an arts program,? Steckler says. ?We?re about changing attitudes and minds.?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/creative-connections-links-kids-worldwide-art-145448966.html

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Upbeat Rajoy says Spain is on the mend, despite economic woes

During his state of the union address, Prime Minister Rajoy said while 'reality is harsh,' Spain's economic recovery is certain. But the opposition ? and the public ? remain skeptical.

By Andr?s Cala,?Correspondent / February 20, 2013

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and opposition Socialist Party leader Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba speak during the State of the Nation debate at Parliament in Madrid today. Mr. Rajoy pledged on Wednesday to pull Spain out of its painful recession without relaxing his drive to cut the country's high public deficit.

Sergio Perez/Reuters

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An unapologetic Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Wednesday tried to inject optimism into his first state of the union speech before parliament, suggesting that while much pain remained ahead, the country is on a path to recovery.

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But opposition figures and Spaniards on the web reacted with disbelief and even anger, echoing the sentiments of a population tired of unmet political promises and corruption scandals that have implicated Spain?s leaders, political parties, royal family, and other institutions.

Spain?s unemployment rate tops 26 percent and rising, with nearly a million jobs destroyed in 2012 as a result of Mr. Rajoy?s labor reforms that cheapened the cost of firing employees. More than a million families are without any source of income. Evictions have become a social trauma.

During his 1.5-hour speech, Rajoy said he didn?t want to offer ?empty optimism? and warned of an uphill, but certain, recovery. ?There are no green shoots. The reality is harsh,? he said, but ?we have left behind the constant imminence of disaster.?

?Not one minute of relaxation,? Rajoy said, because ?this is only getting started.? Still, he rejected broad criticism. ?We are getting it right.?

An angry response

Rajoy's governing Popular Party embraced their leader, but the opposition suggested he lacks the domestic and international credibility to put Spain on a path to recovery.

Rajoy?s unrepentant and at times euphoric and defiant state of the union speech ? which, unlike the US version, allows for rebuttals and counter-rebuttals ? unsurprisingly earned angry recriminations from parliamentarians over what many, including PP supporters, consider a botched administration.

On top of the economic pain endured by Spaniards, Rajoy is criticized for his inability to manage sovereignty aspiration from powerful regional governments, as well as multiple corruption scandals incriminating the PP?s top leaders.

?The result of 15 months of PP government is an impoverished country, a defenseless population, and a saddened Spain,? said Alfredo P?rez Rubalcaba, leader of the main opposition Socialist Party. ?None of this was unavoidable.?

Mr. Rubalcaba insisted Rajoy must step aside to let someone else in his party govern. But the opposition leader also reminded Rajoy, who goes out of his way to avoid speaking in public, that he has a much tougher crowd to convince. ?I?m not your problem. The ones you have to convince are Spaniards.?

Rajoy?s power lies in the absolute parliamentary majority the PP holds, but three quarters of Spaniards say parliament doesn?t represent their interests, according to a poll released Wednesday. And Spaniards on the web mostly reacted negatively to Rajoy's speech and the PP ? though they were equally unimpressed with the opposition.

A massive protest is also scheduled on Friday to reject Rajoy?s policies. It is backed not only by unions and left-leaning organizations, but by public servants, youth organizations, and more.

Rajoy?s response to society?s woes was defiant, passing the blame on to his predecessors. ?Spaniards are not children and [they] accept the sacrifices,? he said. ?Most frustrating of all is that Spaniards don?t see the results. We would like to go quicker,? but ?all the energy has been dedicated? to correcting the inherited Spanish finances.

Unanswered questions

After more than a year in office, Rajoy can indeed point to some economic progress. Underneath his leadership, the deficit was decreased from the nearly 9 percent of the gross domestic product he inherited to less than 7 percent ? a reduction of more than 21 billion euros. However, the deficit? remains higher than the 6.3 percent target he had agreed to with the EU.

Rajoy also said 2012 would yield a positive account balance ? that is, more exports than imports ? although that is mostly the result of plummeting imports. Still, the cost of borrowing for Spain and its companies is decreasing, for now averting what once appeared to be an imminent bailout.

But analysts warn the biggest risk to Spain going forward is its political ability to implement unpopular policies amid growing corruption and territorial challenges.

Catalonia, Spain?s economic motor, has legally embarked on a path toward secession. Even if it?s success is far from certain, there is growing uncertainty over the government?s ability to handle the resulting political pressure both from regional demand for more autonomy and from powerful sectors inside the PP that increasingly criticize Rajoy as weak.

More challenging still are a series of corruption scandals tarnishing the PP and Rajoy himself. The most damaging is a court-led investigation against the PP?s former treasurer, who is accused of keeping a secret, parallel accounting of party finances for almost two decades, during which he allegedly funneled 7.5 million euros in donations, mostly from the construction industry, to its top leaders ? including Rajoy.

Can a country be governed while Rajoy is distracted by the corruption allegations, asked Rubalcaba rhetoricaly. ?No it can?t, and that is why I asked you to resign.?

There are several other ongoing court investigations into corruption involving current and former top PP officials, and even one against King Juan Carlos?s son-in-law.

But Rajoy offered little to soothe concerns over secession or corruption, sticking instead to rehashed commitments to reform laws to increase transparency, regulate lobbies, and monitor party finances.?

?It?s not true that Spain has a generalized state of corruption,? Rajoy said, minimizing the scandals to ?exceptions.?

At the end, the tit-for-tat debate pitting Rajoy against all other political groups failed to address uncertainty among Spaniards, European partners, or world markets. It just highlighted the country?s growing desperation over how and when Spain will exit its worst crisis in decades.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/b1ufq4Ai5eo/Upbeat-Rajoy-says-Spain-is-on-the-mend-despite-economic-woes

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First-ever picture of a man, taken by an octopus? (Americablog)

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'NOT OUR BOSS': Texas Bill Seeks to Block Fed Gun Law Enforcement

AUSTIN, Texas ? ?Under a measure advancing in the Texas Capitol, local police officers could be convicted of a crime for enforcing any new federal gun control laws.

Rep. Steve Toth, a newly elected Republican from the Woodlands, said his proposal would prevent officers from carrying out any future federal orders to confiscate assault rifles and ammunition magazines.

"There's a federal law, there's a 30-round magazine right in front of you - what do I do?" Toth said in an interview. The measure known as the Firearm Protection Act "answers that question in spades," he said. It moved Tuesday to the House Committee on Federalism.

President Barack Obama has proposed federal laws banning such weapons, but no such laws currently exist.

Toth's proposal would create a Class A misdemeanor for police officers enforcing any new federal gun regulations. It also would establish cause for the state attorney general to sue anyone who seeks to enforce new federal gun regulations. It is one of several states-rights measures being offered by conservative state lawmakers nationwide in response to federal gun control proposals.

Courts have long upheld the federal government's right to enact new laws, which generally supersede state law. Asked how legal precedent for the supremacy of federal law would affect enforcement of his bill, Toth said he expects a legal challenge.

"It may end up in the Supreme Court," he said.

Several recently elected lawmakers gathered at a news conference Tuesday with Toth and Richard Mack, a former Arizona sheriff who successfully contested implementation of certain provisions of the Brady gun laws in the 1990s.

"The federal government is not our boss," Mack said. "If there's any place that that's applicable and true, it's the state of Texas."

Referring to Greg Abbott, the attorney general who helped draft the bill, Mack added: "And we've got a great attorney."

Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Collin County and the most senior lawmaker who stood in support of the proposal, said it could become law "if it's not demagogued as an anti-Obama bill."

"This new group of freshman coming in, they're pretty bold," said Laubenberg, who is in her sixth term. "Pretty dynamic. Not just going to sit and let things happen."

Abbott's office confirmed its role in crafting the legislation but distanced itself from the criminal penalties it contains.

"The attorney general does not support a law that would provide any criminal penalties for police officers," said Daniel Hodge, Abbott's top assistant.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/21/texas-lawmakers-seek-to-block-federal-gun-control/

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GOP Minnesota legislator preparing to co-sponsor gay marriage bill (Star Tribune)

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Mexico disappearances constitute 'crisis,' report says

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Human Rights Watch called Mexico's anti-drug offensive "disastrous" in a report Wednesday that cites 249 cases of disappearances that the group says mostly show evidence of having been carried out by the military or law enforcement.

The report says the "enforced disappearances" follow a pattern in which security forces detain people without warrants at checkpoints, at homes or work places, or in public. When victims' families ask about their relatives, security forces deny the detentions or instruct them to look for their loved ones at police stations or army bases.

Human Rights Watch criticizes former President Felipe Calderon, saying he ignored the problem that it calls "the most severe crisis of enforced disappearances in Latin America in decades."

An email asking for comment and sent to Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where Calderon is a fellow, was not answered Wednesday.

The report says President Enrique Pena Nieto, who succeeded Calderon on Dec. 1, should act urgently "in cases where people have been taken against their will and their fate is still unknown."

Mexico's Interior Department, which oversees domestic security, declined to make an immediate comment about the report.

A civic organization released a database late last year that it said contained official information on more than 20,000 people who had gone missing in Mexico over the previous six years ? the term of Calderon, who stepped up the government's campaign against drug cartels.

In posting the datebase on its website, Propuesta Civica, or Civic Proposal, said the information was collected by the federal Attorney General's Office during Calderon's administration.

Lia Limon, deputy secretary for human rights at the Interior Department, told reporters that the government plans to unveil a database containing more than 27,000 records of missing people that were gathered by the federal Attorney General's Office. She said she had not seen it and did not have details of specific cases.

The missing in Propuesta Civica's database include police officers, bricklayers, housewives, lawyers, students, businessmen and more than 1,200 children under age 11. They are listed one by one with such details as name, age, gender and the date and place where the person disappeared.

Among the examples cited by Human Rights Watch is evidence suggesting that marines detained about 20 people in three northern border states in June and July of 2011. Though it denied abducting the victims, Mexico's navy later acknowledged it had contact with some before they disappeared.

In one such case, Jose Fortino Martinez Martinez was sleeping with his wife and four children at their home in the northern border town of Nuevo Laredo when he was woken by the sound of his door being knocked down. That night in June 2011, eight masked men burst into his bedroom carrying automatic rifles and bulletproof vests with "Marina," Navy in Spanish, written on them.

Martinez, 33, was taken away by those men, according to the several of his neighbors who testified at the time. Although naval officials denied arresting him, they said weeks later that they would investigate if marines were involved.

So far, nothing is known of Martinez's whereabouts.

The report also says security personnel sometimes work with criminals, detaining victims and handing them over to gangs. The report cites incidents in which investigators used information collected in a case to pose as kidnappers and demand ransom payments from the victims' families.

Authorities frequently fail to take even the most basic investigative steps, such as tracing victims' cellphone or bank records, and often rely on investigations carried out by the victims' relatives, the report says.

Human Rights Watch recommends that the Mexican government take concrete steps to change security procedures, including issuing new rules requiring that detainees be taken immediately to prosecutors' offices and not be held at military bases or police stations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-mexico-disappearances-constitute-crisis-204500664.html

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Russia opposes new North Korea economic sanctions: diplomat

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow opposes new economic sanctions on North Korea but would be ready to back measures to limit nuclear proliferation, a Russian official said on Tuesday.

Pyongyang was widely condemned last week after its third nuclear test since 2006, defying United Nations resolutions and putting the country closer to a workable long-range nuclear missile.

"Any additional measures of pressure on North Korea should be aimed exclusively at the sphere of non-proliferation of nuclear arms and rocket launches," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told a news conference.

"We are against measures that would affect normal trade and economic relations with North Korea. We understand our Chinese colleagues have similar views."

Moscow, a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear arms programme and return to talks with world powers on disarmament.

(Reporting By Gabriela Baczynska, Writing by Thomas Grove, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-opposes-north-korea-economic-sanctions-diplomat-124605450.html

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Seagate Small Business Storage ? Business As Usual ? The Digital ...

We announced the Seagate Business Storage NAS today. If you missed the memo, here are some of the highlights:

• Ideal for Small/Home offices, Remote/Mobile offices or small-to-medium type businesses
• Small Business Storage provides centralized backup, data protection and remote access
• Capacity size ranging from 2TB to 16TB.

While these features are similar to what we offer in our Wireless Plus and Seagate Central devices, obviously the use cases and needs are going to be vastly different. ?As I sat in product development meetings prior to the launch of this system, I often thought about the type of person who?d benefit from using the Small Business Storage. (You know, aside from the obvious small business owners.)

Because my social circles are so varied, I know a lot of people in the creative professional space who I think would benefit from such a device.

Photographers or video editors would benefit from such a device primarily for the capacity offered. 16TB will hold a lot of photos and videos and anyone who?s done this type of work knows how large the raw files can become.

Then there are musicians. Imagine a world where you work in a corporate 9-5 role by day, but by night you don your hip hop crime fighter tee and produce music and videos. Having a Small Business Storage device in your studio allows you to backup all your tracks and even play them remotely when you?re having that ?I?m abut to be discovered? moment.? And if you have accompanying videos, then it?s like having your own YouTube channel in your back pocket. (Though I guess you could just access YouTube, but at least this way you?d be ad free.)

So whether you?re a consultant, a retailer, an Internet mogul, an artist, a musician, a or even a budding web celebrity, the Small Business Storage will keep things business usual.

?

February 18, 2013 - 11:10 pm | By Jonathan Long | Posted in Products, Seagate Blogs, The Digital Den | Tagged Film, Music, Photography, Seagate, Seagate Central, small business storage, Wireless Plus, youtube |

Source: http://consumer.media.seagate.com/2013/02/the-digital-den/seagate-small-business-storage-business-as-usual/

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Japan Box Office Report & Trailer Park ? February 16th/17th

(02) 'Ted' / (01) 'A Good Day to Die Hard' / (03) 'Nou Otoko'

The highest grossing film of the weekend was the American action film ?A Good Day to Die Hard? which opened on Thursday, February 14th.

?Ted? and ?Nou Otoko? were pushed down to second and third place, respectively. ?Strawberry Night? dropped out of the top 3, while ?Les Miserables? still keeps on hanging onto fifth place.

Other new films in the top 10 include the American action-thriller ?Zero Dark Thirty? in sixth and the Korean historical drama ?Masquerade? rounding out the top 10.

Don?t forget to check out the trailers of all the new Japanese movies below the box office chart!

?

Japan Box Office Chart ? February 16th/17th

01 (00) A Good Day to Die Hard (Weeks: 01)
02 (01) Ted (Weeks: 05)
03 (02) Nou Otoko (Weeks: 02)
04 (03) Strawberry Night (Weeks: 04)
05 (05) Les Miserables (Weeks: 09)
06 (00) Zero Dark Thirty (Weeks: 01)
07 (06) Life of Pi (Weeks: 04)
08 (04) Jack Reacher (Weeks: 03)
09 (07) Tokyo Kazoku (Weeks: 05)
10 (00) Masquerade (Weeks: 01)

(Note: The ranking is not based on the revenue, but the number of sold tickets!)

Short Facts:

- ?A Good Day to Die Hard? opened with 318,154 viewers (643 screens) and a revenue of 402,436,350 Yen (4,339,068 USD)
- ?A Good Day to Die Hard? cumulative results (4 days) ? viewers: 495,770 / revenue: 609,911,550 Yen (6,576,066 USD)
- ?Ted? weekend results ? viewers: 143,327 / revenue: 208,922,700 Yen (2,252,604 USD)
- ?Ted? cumulative results ? viewers: 2,106,866 / revenue: 2,894,860,300 Yen (31,212,383 USD)
- ?Nou Otoko? cumulative results ? viewers: 458,190 / revenue: 591,979,000 Yen (6,382,717 USD)
- ?Strawberry Night? cumulative results ? viewers: 1,366,464 / revenue: 1,688,829,000 Yen (18,208,954 USD)
- ?Zero Dark Thirty? opened with 60,657 viewers (164 screens) and a revenue of 76,409,500 Yen (823,847 USD)
- ?Tokyo Kazoku? cumulative results ? viewers: 1,369,921 / revenue: 1,443,132,600 Yen (15,559,855 USD)
- ?Masquerade? opened with 41,290 viewers (91 screens) and a revenue of 49,109,300 Yen (529,496 USD)

?

Trailers of all Japanese movies that opened this weekend:

#

Ku no Kyokai

????

Genre: Suspense, Drama, Mystery, Romance

Director: Horie Kei

Cast:
Kawakita Mayuko
Inoue Masahiro
Kuramoto Tengai
Kudo Ayano
Makita Tetsuya
Ito Kazue
and more?

?

#

Chichi wo Tori ni

??????

Genre: Youth, Human Drama

Director: Nakano Ryouta

Cast:
Yanagi Erisa
Natsubara Nanoka
Watanabe Makiko
Takito Kenichi
Nikaido Satoshi
Kobayashi Kaito
and more?

?

#

SADO TEMPEST

SADO ?????

Genre: Human Drama, Fantasy

Director: John Williams

Cast:
Henmi Yasunori (Jitterbug)
Watanabe Takashi (Jitterbug)
Izumi Akihiro (Jitterbug)
Usami Tetsuo (Jitterbug)
Eguchi Noriko
Tanaka Yoji
and more?

Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02/japan-box-office-report-trailer-park-%E2%80%93-february-16th17th/

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Eastside Rail Corridor Advisory Council, featuring Redmond Mayor Marchione, to meet on Wednesday

The panel responsible for planning the future of the Eastside Rail Corridor (ERC) will hold its first meeting from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Selig Building (300 Fifth Ave., Seattle, first floor conference room).

The council ? which features Redmond Mayor John Marchione ? will make recommendations on a planning process for various uses of the corridor by the entities that have ownership rights within the corridor. The focus of the planning process would be how the rail, trail and utility uses in the corridor will be coordinated.

The council will coordinate with the affected cities around local planning and development and will reach out to community stakeholders who have long been awaiting the corridor?s future uses.

County Executive Dow Constantine and County Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, the council member who represents the majority of the cities directly affected by development of the corridor, are serving as co-chairs of the Advisory Council. The other panel members are: County Council members Larry Phillips and Kathy Lambert, Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl and Puget Sound Energy Community Relations Manager David Namura.

?

Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/redmondall/~3/4DeMieJ2VLM/191475131.html

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UPDATE: Mayor receives medal

Published: February 18, 2013 10:00 AM
Updated: February 18, 2013 9:31 PM

Mayor Bruce Banman was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal at the regular meeting of city council on Monday.

The medal, which was presented to Banman by Abbotsford MP Ed Fast, was created to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

"It may be one of the few times in my life where I really don't know what to say," Banman said after receiving the medal.

"When I take a look at all of those Canadians who have received this medal, I feel that I am very small in the shadow of the contributions that they have made to this country."

Banman said he dedicates his medal to all the public servants who have served across Canada.

A total of 60,000 people across Canada will receive the award, which requires the recipient to have made a significant contribution to a particular province, territory, region on community within Canada, or an achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.

Banman became mayor of Abbotsford in November of 2011. He moved to Abbotsford in 1982 and is the owner and operator of Banman Chiropractic in Abbotsford.

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Source: http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/191697161.html

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Reader's Digest parent seeks bankruptcy protection

NEW YORK (AP) ? The parent company of Reader's Digest has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than four years, saying it needs to cut its debt so it can keep restructuring.

RDA Holding Co. says it will keep publishing the magazine during the bankruptcy, and aims to be out of Chapter 11 within six months.

The New York company said late Sunday that it plans to cut its debt load by 80 percent during the restructuring, leaving it with about $100 million in debt. It said it has already reached agreements with its secured lender and more than 70 percent of its secured noteholders. A group of its creditors have supplied $45 million in new financing to help Reader's Digest go through the process as part of a $105 million loan to repay existing bank debt.

Reader's Digest has also been selling off some of its assets. It sold its food website Allrecipes.com for $175 million last year, and it sold its Every Day with Rachael Ray cooking magazine in late 2011. Both went to Meredith Corp., publisher of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Reader's Digest paid circulation fell 0.6 percent to 5.5 million at the end of last year, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. That was about where it stood after cutting its guaranteed circulation in 2009. The circulation-tracking company said Reader's Digest is the fifth-biggest U.S. consumer magazine by circulation, behind two AARP publications, Game Informer Magazine, and Better Homes and Gardens.

RDA's Reader's Digest Association Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2009 in the midst of a recession and a drop in advertising and circulation. The company emerged from bankruptcy in early 2010 with less debt, but has still struggled.

Robert E. Guth, RDA's president and CEO, said a "complex transformation" begun 18 months ago under new senior managers "has resulted in a more streamlined, more focused, and more profitable business, but we have unfortunately been unable to align our debt levels correspondingly."

Besides Reader's Digest, the company publishes a food publication, Taste of Home, and has 21 brands globally.

The bankruptcy filing in the Southern District of New York covers the company's U.S. businesses. It said its international operations are not part of the filing. It said it is still looking for agreements to sell and license its international businesses, and expects to finalize some deals in coming weeks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-18-Reader's%20Digest-Bankruptcy/id-305ae789e239401092a96c0ff0197cc8

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Top 10 Vintage-Inspired Wedding Dresses for the Romantic Bride

Previous 1 / 11 Next

Posted on February 19, 2013 11:26AM by Alison Parr ?

There's no better time than your wedding day to show your softer side. A romantic gown will guarantee your groom will sweep you off your feet; think vintage-esque details like delicate capped sleeves, figure-hugging 1940s silhouettes and yards of French lace. We're letting our girly-girl out to play with this edit of the most swoon-worthy wedding dresses we could find. Whether you're walking down the aisle soon, or just like to look, these feminine frocks make sure make one alluring bunch.?

? Back to Story

Source: http://www.fabsugar.com.au/Top-Ten-Vintage-Inspired-Wedding-Dresses-Shop-Online-Now-28142954

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Billy Hunter voted out as head of NBA players' union

HOUSTON ? Billy Hunter was ousted unanimously as executive director of the union by NBA players who said Saturday they will ?no longer be divided, misled, misinformed.?

?This is our union and we have taken it back,? players' association president Derek Fisher said.

Fisher said it was a day of change for the union, which has seemed inevitable since a review of the union last month was critical of Hunter's leadership and urged players to consider whether they wanted to keep him.

They didn't.

?We want to make it clear that we are here to serve only the best interests of the players,? Fisher said. ?No threats, no lies, no distractions will stop us from serving our memberships.?

In brief remarks, Fisher said a new executive committee was elected and he will remain as president. The Spurs' Matt Bonner is vice president, Miami's James Jones is secretary-treasurer and the Nets' Jerry Stackhouse the first vice president. The Clippers' Chris Paul, Golden State's Stephen Curry, Denver's Andre Iguodala, the Hornets' Roger Mason, Jr. and the Clippers' Willie Green are vice presidents.

Hunter had led the union since 1996, guiding the players through three collective bargaining agreements and helping bring their average salaries to more than $5 million, highest in team sports. But Fisher pushed for the review after a falling out between the two leaders, and though it found Hunter wasn't guilty of any criminal activity involving union funds, it cited him for a number of conflicts of interests and poor choices that led the players to remove him.

Released in January, the review conducted by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP criticized Hunter for hiring family members and friends. It said he knew his 2010 contract extension wasn't properly ratified by union rules, and raised questions about everything from travel expenses to the amount he spent on gifts.

Players acted quickly, putting Hunter on a leave of absence on Feb. 1. He hoped to be invited to Saturday's annual meeting, which included about 35 players, superstar LeBron James among them.

But Hunter's attorneys said their client was told he wouldn't be welcomed. They said his contract was legal and indicated there could be a lawsuit if the players removed him and attempted to withhold the more than $10 million that remains on his salary.

?We do not doubt that this process will possibly continue in an ugly way,? said Fisher, who then reminded reporters that there are three ongoing government investigations into Hunter, likely the reason he didn't take questions after his remarks.

It's a swift fall for the 70-year-old Hunter, a former athlete who was well-respected by many players. But agents didn't like him, questioning his bargaining strategies and frustrated they didn't have a bigger role in his union.

Hunter's family did, and that was another central issue of the report. He had since fired his daughter and daughter-in-law, and cut ties with a financial institution that employed his son. He also instituted an anti-nepotism policy at the NPBA.

Fisher, Paul, Bonner, Mason and Jones were holdovers from the previous executive committee. Stackhouse, who along with James was vocal during the meeting, joins Iguodala, Curry and Green among the newcomers.

Fisher and Hunter clashed during the 2011 lockout and their fractured relationship divided the union. Hunter originally persuaded the executive committee to vote to request Fisher's resignation last year. Fisher did not resign and instead pushed for the outside review, which lasted more than eight months and cost the union more than $4 million.

The law firm reviewed NBPA documents and emails, and interviewed more than three dozen witnesses. It found that Hunter spent more than $100,000 on gifts for executive committee members ? including a watch worth more than $20,000 for Fisher before their falling out ? and accepted a payout of $1.3 million for unused vacation time when records made it unclear how his time off was kept. Fisher remains president even though he isn't on an NBA roster, having asked the Dallas Mavericks for his release after a brief stint earlier this season. He gave no update on what would happen to the executive director position. Union attorney Ron Klempner was appointed to the position on an interim basis when Hunter was placed on leave.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/sports/basketball/nba/~3/CPaiSKnojwA/la-sp-sn-billy-hunter-voted-out-20130216,0,3022671.story

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6 key points after NBA All-Star break

The NBA season is half over -- well, technically, much more than that but play along. The All-Star break has arrived, and the world's best players will be gathering in Houston over the weekend for the festivities.

When NBA play resumes next week there will be no shortage of things worth talking about. And here's a look at a half-dozen of those stories:

------

LEBRON'S WORLD: LeBron James already has three NBA MVP awards.

A fourth seems to be well on its way toward becoming reality.

The Miami Heat star was the game's most dominant player in the first half of the season, averaging 27.3 points. He has scored at least 30 in seven straight games, and saw his six-game streak of shooting at least 60 percent from the field end in the last Miami game before the break, when he missed that target by only one shot.

Miami has won 12 of its last 14 games, including seven straight. And James is on pace to shoot career bests in field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage.

"Everyone wanted to know how he would get better," Miami teammate Chris Bosh said. "Guess he showed everyone."

------

SILENT SPURS: For a change, people were talking about the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of the season. Alas, it only seemed to be on the night when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich disappointed fans in Miami by sending four of his players home early at the end of a long trip -- then nearly guiding his team to a win anyway.

Really, the best team in the NBA so far hasn't been the Heat, Thunder or Clippers.

It's the Spurs.

At 42-12 already, with the best record in the NBA so far, it would seem as though San Antonio is in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the West bracket. And after closer inspection, those odds might look even better.

San Antonio played five straight games on the road to close the pre-All-Star schedule, then resumes play with games at Sacramento, the Clippers, Golden State and Phoenix. After that, the Spurs can put the luggage away. They play a total -- a total! -- of seven road games in March and April, with no back-to-backs away from home until the final week of the season.

------

KNICKS SCHEDULE: Now things start to get tougher for the New York Knicks.

Sure, the Knicks were one of the feel-good stories of the first half of the season and the job coach Mike Woodson has done is nothing short of brilliant. But the Miami Heat -- now four games clear in the Eastern Conference race -- are starting to pull away, and the Knicks find themselves closer to sixth in the East right now (only 3 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta) than they are first.

And the finish to this season doesn't look to be a particularly easy one for the Knicks, either. They play 18 of their final 32 games on the road, and have a stretch in March where they play, in order, Oklahoma City and Utah at home, followed by a road trip to Golden State, Denver, Portland, the Clippers and then the Jazz again.

------

CELTICS CHANCES: When Rajon Rondo was lost for the season to a torn ACL plenty of people immediately started writing the Boston Celtics off as a playoff contender.

Oops.

The Celtics still have two of the game's all-time competitors in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, not to mention a well-respected coach in Doc Rivers. They're hardly a lock for the postseason, but they hit the break with a five-game cushion in the loss column over Philadelphia, the team that's sitting in ninth and one spot off the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference.

Boston is 8-1 since losing Rondo, and some of those wins over that stretch are against legit playoff teams like Miami, Denver, Chicago and both the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers.

------

L.A. STORY: Kobe Bryant grabbed the microphone at Staples Center before the Lakers-Clippers game on Thursday night and urged the crowd to get ready for a strong second-half playoff push.

His Lakers will need it.

With a losing record at the All-Star break, the Lakers are clearly in trouble. But all is not lost, and the schedule down the stretch might give the Lakers a lift.

If they can find a way to get a little bit of momentum going when the second half of the season gets started, April could be a big month for Bryant and his club. The Lakers play eight games between April 2 and April 17, and only one is outside of Los Angeles (though one is on the "road" against the Clippers). Maybe a stretch like that might be just enough to get them into the postseason.

Think anyone out in the West will want to see Kobe coming in a first-round matchup?

------

TEAMS TO WATCH: For obvious reasons, title frontrunners such as the Heat, Spurs, Clippers and Thunder will all be watched closely in the second half of the season.

But there are other key stories to watch over the final 30 games or so.

One that jumps out is the scenario in Portland, where a very talented team is currently sitting on the outside of the playoff picture. Another is in Philadelphia, where the 76ers are just one spot off the East potential playoff bracket, but play 19 of their final

31 away from home. Also in the East, maybe Indiana can emerge to challenge Miami? And in Chicago, not only are the Bulls squarely in the playoff mix again, but could really become a big factor if Derrick Rose comes back healthy.

In short, there might already be just 18 or 19 teams left with legitimate playoff hopes. And the real fun might be how the bottom halves of the East and West brackets come together.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/sports/sports_blogs_national/nba-all-star-break-6-things-to-watch-for-after-the-weekend

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Russian region begins recovery from meteor fall

CHELYABINSK, Russia (AP) ? A small army of workers set to work Saturday to replace the estimated 200,000 square meters (50 acres) of windows shattered by the shock wave from a meteor that exploded over Russia's Chelyabinsk region.

The astonishing Friday morning event blew out windows in more than 4,000 buildings in the region, mostly in the capital city of the same name and injured some 1,200 people, largely with cuts from the flying glass.

Fifteen of the injured remained hospitalized on Saturday, one of them in a coma, the regional health ministry said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Regional governor Mikhail Yurevich on Saturday said damage from the high-altitude explosion ? estimated to have the force of 20 atomic bombs ? is estimated at 1 billion rubles ($33 million). He promised to have all the broken windows replaced within a week.

But that is a long wait in a frigid region. The midday temperature in Chelyabinsk was minus-12 C (10 F), and for many the immediate task was to put up plastic sheeting and boards on shattered residential windows.

More than 24,000 people, including volunteers, have mobilized in the region to cover windows, gather warm clothes and food and make other relief efforts, the regional governor's office said. Crews from glass companies in adjacent regions were being flown in.

In the town of Chebarkul, 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Chelyabinsk city, divers explored the bottom of an ice-crusted lake looking for meteor fragments believed to have fallen there, leaving a six-meter-wide (20-foot-wide) hole. Emergency Ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius told Russian news agencies the search hadn't found anything.

Police kept a small crowd of curious onlookers from venturing out onto the icy lake, where a tent was set up for the divers.

Many of them were still trying to process the memories of the strange day they'd lived through.

Valery Fomichov said he had been out for a run when the meteor streaked across the sky shortly after sunrise.

"I glanced up and saw a glowing dot in the west. And it got bigger and bigger, like a soccer ball, until it became blindingly white and I turned away," he said.

In a local church, clergyman Sexton Sergei sought to derive a larger lesson.

"Perhaps God was giving a kind of sign, so that people don't simply think about their own trifles on earth, but rather look to the heavens once in a while."

___

Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-region-begins-recovery-meteor-fall-084058192.html

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Republican leadership finally notice GOP Civil War

Inside the cozy enclaves of GOP bonhomie?hunkered at the tables of see-and-be-seen Washington restaurants?Republican leaders are sourly predicting a party-busting independent presidential bid by a tea-party challenger, like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in 2016.

To them, the GOP apocalypse looms larger than most realize. Dueling State of the Union rebuttals and Karl Rove?s assault on right-wing candidates are mere symptoms of an existential crisis that is giving the sturdiest Republicans heartburn.

And yet, the heart of the matter extends beyond the GOP. My conversations this week with two Republican officials, along with a Democratic strategist's timely memo, reflect a growing school of thought in Washington that social change and a disillusioned electorate threaten the entire two-party system.

(RELATED: 6 Reasons Why the Two-Party System May Become Obsolete)

Seem like a lot to swallow? Allow me to describe my last few days at work.

Between bites of an $18.95 SteakBurger at the Palm, one of Washington?s premier expense-account restaurants, Republican consultant Scott Reed summed up the state of politics and his beloved GOP. ?The party,? he told me, ?is irrelevant.?

He cited the familiar litany of problems: demographic change, poor candidates, ideological rigidity, deplorable approval ratings, and a rift between social and economic conservatives.

?It?s leading to some type of crash and reassessment and change,? said Reed, who ran Bob Dole?s 1996 presidential campaign and remains an influential lobbyist and operative. ?It can?t continue on this path.?

Reed sketched a hypothetical scenario under which Paul runs for the Republican nomination in 2016, loses after solid showings in Iowa and other states run by supporters of his father (former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul), bolts the GOP, and mounts a third-party bid that undercuts the Republican nominee.

Paul, a tea-party favorite who was elected to the Senate in 2010, told USA Today?on Wednesday that he was interested in running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. "I do want to be part of the national debate," he said.

What are the odds of Paul or another GOP defector splitting the party? Reed asked me to repeat the question?and then grimaced. ?There?s a real chance,? he replied.

The next morning, Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin dipped his spoon into a bowl of strawberries, sugar, and pink milk?and declared the era of two major parties just about over. ?I think we?re at the precipice of a breakdown of the two-party system,? said the Wisconsin Republican.

Voters are tired of partisan rancor and institutional incompetence, Ribble said, pointing to polls that suggest the number of independent voters is rising.

?Ross Perot was a goofy guy,? he said of the deficit hawk who mounted two independent presidential bids in the 1990s. ?If he was packaged as a different guy and had the Internet, he would have emerged [as president]. The warning bell he was sounded then is getting louder today.?

(Related: In Congress, Compromise is a 4-letter Word")

Ribble represents one of the few House districts still divided almost equally between Republican and Democratic voters. Many of the rest are gerrymandered, drawn to easily elect a conservative Republican or liberal Democrat. It's one cause of gridlock, what voters loathe about Washington. ?I think over a period of time we could watch third and even fourth parties emerging,? Ribble said.

A third voice joined the conversation when Democratic consultant Doug Sosnik released his State of the Union memo, a remarkable document warning both Democrats and Republicans about the increasing likelihood of a third-party presidential bid.

?And even though the Republican Party is in free fall, the Democratic Party?s position among the electorate has only marginally benefited from its misfortune,? Sosnik wrote. ?The broad sense of alienation leaves a very wide door open for a third party presidential candidate in the future.? (Disclosure: I coauthored a book with Sosnik and GOP consultant Matthew Dowd about the effect that social change has on politics.)

Sosnik noted ?the staggering pace of economic, demographic, and technological change,? a period of social tumult that rivals the first years of the industrial revolution. ?All the upheaval and uncertainty have taken a toll on Americans? confidence in their government and institutions to solve the nation?s problems,? Sosnik wrote, touching on a topic I explored in a 2012 National Journal magazine feature, ?In Nothing We Trust.?

?This disaffection shows no signs of dissipating any time soon,? Sosnik continued. ?There?s little doubt that it will continue to be a major challenge for both political parties and future presidential aspirants as the clock continues to tick on President Obama?s presidency.?

In a telephone interview last week, Sosnik said voters are wary of the leadership pool in U.S. politics. Business or even religious leaders could find traction in future presidential races.

?I think we will have a great debate with third and even fourth parties? vying for traditional GOP voters as well as Democrats now aligned with Obama, he said.

The Democratic Party will have trouble transferring Obama?s popularity to its next presidential nominee unless Hillary Rodham Clinton runs, Sosnik told me.

?I?m not surprised Republicans in this town are telling you they?re worried about the declining influence of their party and the potential for a third-party bid,? Sosnik said, adding with a chuckle: ?Democrats should worry, too.?

He wasn't joking.

?

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Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal?s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don?t miss a thing.

Source: http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/republican-leaders-worry-their-party-could-divide-in-two-20130214

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Feb 13 - Nra President Responds To State Of The Union Address

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Canada Unequivocally Condemns North Korean Nuclear Test

February 12, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:

?The North Korean regime?s reckless disregard for the global will is again on display.

?This test?North Korea?s third?is provocative and marks a serious, misguided threat to regional peace and security.

?What makes such actions even more unconscionable is the fact that the North Korean people starve and are denied their basic human dignity while the Pyongyang regime squanders limited resources.

?While we had hoped the passing of dictator Kim Jong-il would have closed a sad chapter in North Korea, we are disappointed that his son has continued the irresponsible path of placing weapons before the well-being of people.

?Canada will work with our international partners to pursue all appropriate actions and sanctions against the rogue regime in North Korea.?

- 30 -

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Follow us on Twitter: @DFAIT_MAECI

Source: http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2013/02/12a.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

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LeBron James Sets New NBA Record and the Miami Heat Win Their 1,000 Game! Featured at www.RadioRymatica.com. James Became The First Player in League History to Score 30 Points While Shooting 60 Percent in Six Consecutive Games, Surpassing Adrian Dantley and Moses Malone.

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Big Ten football: Ohio State's Smith favors Buckeyes, Wolverines in same division

By Bill Rabinowitz

The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday February 12, 2013 5:18 AM

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said yesterday that he is in favor, at least for now, of having the school in the same division as Michigan when the Big Ten reconfigures its alignment in 2014.

?I?m leaning toward that,? Smith said after returning from a Big Ten meeting in Chicago attended by the league?s athletic directors and football coaches. ?It seems to be the best option for us as we go to 14 teams, but I?m going to stay open(-minded) until we get all the information we?re looking for and make sure we do what?s best for the conference.?

Smith said he and Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon have had discussions about what?s best for the rivalry after Maryland and Rutgers join the conference next year. Smith said the Big Ten is leaning toward switching to divisions based primarily on geography. The Legends-Leaders setup was designed with competitive balance as the paramount issue.

Ohio State and Michigan presumably would be placed in the eastern division of the new configuration, along with Penn State, the new schools and two others. With Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke revitalizing the conference?s top two traditional powers, there?s a concern that if they were in separate divisions, Ohio State and Michigan would often face each other in their traditional season-ending game and the Big Ten championship in consecutive weeks.

?If we end up playing twice, how healthy is that?? Smith said.

Smith said the league is trying to decide whether to have a nine- or 10-game league season. The current eight-game setup is virtually sure to end.

The conference also is considering abandoning its ban on playing night games in November, Smith said. Last week, Meyer advocated having more late games because they are more appealing to recruits.

brabinowitz@dispatch.com

@brdispatch

Source: http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2013/02/12/0212-big-ten-divisions.html

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