Senate ready to confirm new NLRB members

FILE - In this July 9, 2013 file photo, FBI Director nominee James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Senate is expected to confirm Comey to head the FBI, despite a leading conservative?s demands for more information on the Obama administration?s domestic use of drones. Senators planned to vote Monday on whether to block delaying tactics against Comey?s nomination. Lawmakers were expected to end those delays, with final approval of his nomination likely late Monday or Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - In this July 9, 2013 file photo, FBI Director nominee James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Senate is expected to confirm Comey to head the FBI, despite a leading conservative?s demands for more information on the Obama administration?s domestic use of drones. Senators planned to vote Monday on whether to block delaying tactics against Comey?s nomination. Lawmakers were expected to end those delays, with final approval of his nomination likely late Monday or Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Senate leaders are hoping to push three of President Barack Obama's labor nominees through the chamber, a day after giving him the FBI director he wanted.

Senators planned to vote Tuesday on ending delays that have blocked approval of Kent Hirozawa to join the National Labor Relations Board. Democratic leaders were hoping that by day's end, the chamber would confirm him and two other Democrats Obama wants on the NLRB: Mark Gaston Pearce, the board's current chairman, and Nancy Schiffer, who like Hirozawa has been a long-time labor attorney.

On Monday, senators confirmed James Comey to become FBI director on an overwhelming 93-1 vote. Comey gained attention in 2004 when, as second-ranking Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, he fought off efforts by White House officials to renew a warrantless eavesdropping program.

The lone dissenter to Comey's approval was Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who suddenly halted his procedural blockage of the nomination Monday. Paul made his turnaround after receiving an FBI letter that he said answered his questions about the agency's domestic use of drones ? and minutes before a Senate vote that seemed certain to force an end to Paul's delays.

The FBI letter said the agency has deployed drones infrequently and cited Supreme Court rulings that the agency said suggested that court warrants are unnecessary for aerial surveillance.

Senate leaders were hoping to approve a burst of nominations before Congress begins a five-week summer recess this weekend.

A vote was planned by Wednesday to halt delays against B. Todd Jones, whom Obama wants to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. Top Democrats were also planning votes on Samantha Power, the president's pick for U.N. ambassador.

Assuming the votes on the three Democratic NLRB nominees go smoothly ? which was expected ? the Senate seemed likely to also consider two Republican candidates for the board. They are Chicago attorney Philip A. Miscimarra and Los Angeles lawyer Harry I. Johnson III, who have both worked with employers on labor issues.

The NLRB is an independent agency that is supposed to help resolve labor issues, such as disputes between unions and management or between workers and unions.

With Republicans blocking votes on nominees last year, Obama used a Senate recess to appoint three people to the board so it would have enough members to function.

Two federal appeals courts have said Obama exceeded his authority with those recess appointments. The Supreme Court has been expected to rule on the issue later this year, potentially endangering 1,600 rulings the NLRB has made since those appointments.

The three Democratic NLRB nominees were part of a bipartisan Senate deal earlier this month.

Some Republicans agreed to halt delays bottling up seven nominees, leading to confirmations that included Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. Democrats dropped efforts to revamp Senate rules to weaken a minority party's powers.

Democrats also agreed to drop two of Obama's recess picks for the NLRB. He is replacing them with Hirozawa and Schiffer.

Jones, Obama's choice for ATF, has been that bureau's acting director since 2011 and is also the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota. The agency is supposed to help enforce federal gun laws.

The Senate hasn't approved an ATF chief since it was given the power to do so in 2006. The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared Jones' nomination this month on a party-line 10-8 vote after the panel's top Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, complained that two investigations involving Jones' work in Minnesota needed further review.

Jones' nomination has been viewed by some as a proxy fight over the battle for broadening gun control laws. In the past, the gun lobby has worked behind the scenes against other nominees, but top National Rifle Association lobbyist James Baker said in an interview Monday that his group was taking a neutral stance on Jones.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Power's nomination by voice vote last week. She has faced questions from critics over comments she made as a journalist and human rights campaigner viewed as critical of the U.S. or Israel.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-07-30-Senate-Nominees/id-0c1ea3c92c8b4c6b855a98af90430c8c

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13.07.29 00:00 Tickets on sale now for our Golf Tournament! - Monday July 29, 2013

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.calendarwiz.com --- Monday, July 29, 2013
Tickets on sale now for our Golf Tournament Saturday September 28th 8-1pm! Wood Creek Golf Course $225/4 person team includes lunch and cart Individual play $60/person includes lunch and cart Hosp... ...

Source: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popup.php?op=view&id=65719559&crd=wmdt

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Give them a hand: Gesturing children perform well on cognitive tasks

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Young children who use gestures outperform their peers in problem-solving tasks, says a new study. Children aged between two and five were asked to sort cards printed with colored shapes first by color, then by shape. Making this switch can be tricky but the study found that kids who gesture are more likely to make the mental switch and group the shapes accurately.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/hsc3KzbkabE/130726191735.htm

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Bosnia lawmakers end power struggle over judges

By Daria Sito-Sucic

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Lawmakers moved to end a near year-long political standoff that has paralyzed government in Bosnia's autonomous Muslim-Croat federation on Thursday, when they finally agreed to appoint judges to a top court.

The decision will allow the Muslim, Serb and Croat judges to meet in the Constitutional Court and reach a long-delayed ruling on the validity of a new coalition government which ministers had hoped to set up last year.

The impasse in the Federation, one of two regions in Bosnia along with the Serb Republic, is symptomatic of the complex and unwieldy system of rule in the Balkan country under the peace accords that ended its 1992-95 war.

The standoff has stalled reforms that were meant to help attract foreign investors and get access to international funding.

The IMF has called on the Federation to play its part in cutting red tape and improving business and banking laws in a country which is already trailing its fellow former Yugoslav republics in the long road to membership of the European Union.

"This is a vitally important step ... The citizens of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are entitled to a fully functioning Constitutional Court," Bosnia's international peace overseer Valentin Inzko said in a statement.

Problems started in July last year when a new coalition government was formed at the national level and tried to replicate the alliance in the Federation.

It started organizing a reshuffle that would have meant the ejection of ministers from the largest Bosnian Muslim, or Bosniak, party, the SDA.

The SDA blocked a confidence vote on the new regional coalition in February, referring the decision to the Constitutional Court.

The party then blocked the appointment of a proposed Bosniak judge for the court, effectively bringing the whole process to a halt.

A breakthrough came after Federation President Zivko Budimir earlier this month proposed new Bosniak judges who the SDA said were acceptable.

Commentators said it could take as long as the autumn for the judges to reach a decision on the coalition government, giving lawmakers little time to pass laws before campaigning starts again for elections due in October 2014.

The country has lurched from one political crisis to another since the end of the war.

(Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bosnia-lawmakers-end-power-struggle-over-judges-170708099.html

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After a 43-year absence, NASCAR returned to its dirt track roots Wednesday to a standing room-only crowd at the inaugural Mudsummer Classic at the Eldora Speedway in Ohio - NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN

Updated?Jul 25, 2013 10:25 PM ET

?

INDIANAPOLIS

Following truck qualifying for the Mudsummer Classic, Tony Stewart left his perch atop the infield concession stand.

He hadn?t moved 10 feet from the bottom step Wednesday night when the Eldora Speedway track owner was approached by another grateful fan.

?Thank you, thank you, thank you,? the patron exclaimed, just another satisfied customer thrilled by NASCAR?s returned to its dirt track roots to a standing room-only crowd after a 43-year absence.

?If I had a dollar for every time somebody said ?thank you? in the last 48 hours, we?d be able to pay the purse again,? Stewart said. ?It?s been amazing how many drivers and crew members came up and said, ?This is cool.? I don?t know what the financials will be on this deal, but I don?t care. To me, to see everybody have a good time, that was worth it.?

Once the fireworks ended with victor Austin Dillon hoisting his golden shovel, Stewart was still beaming. The inaugural Mudsummer Classic delivered beyond his expectations.

?I don?t know how we could have asked for more tonight, to be honest,? Stewart said. ?To watch drivers and teams that had never been here before in a five-and-a-half hour period have 20 trucks on the lead lap after 55 laps. We run the World 500 here and have 26 cars and by Lap 54, we don?t have 20 cars on the lead lap. So it absolutely amazes me the depth of talent of drivers and crew guys to come to a discipline that?s totally different to all of them and to come out and do what they did.?

Stewart credited Goodyear with creating a tire that conformed to the dirt surface over the course of 5,751 laps of practice followed by qualifying heats, modified races and a last-chance shootout race for the trucks.

?For a dirt track not to have rubber laid down at that point is a miracle,? he said. ?It made it grippy in the main (event), but it made it to where the racing was even better."

Throughout the race ? and particularly the final 40-lap segment followed by a green-white-checker finish ? drivers were racing three-wide on the top while others used the bottom for position.

NASCAR was impressed with the show as well. NASCAR president Mike Helton, who acknowledged he attended the event ?as a fan more than anything? was not only thrilled with the quality of racing, but was encouraged by the ?level of excitement? the Mudsummer Classic generated.

?It gives us, NASCAR, and motorsports in general, an opportunity to show dirt track racing to the world,? Helton said on the SPEED broadcast. ?There?s going to be a lot of fans watching tonight?s race who will learn an awful lot about (dirt-track racing). ? So it?s fun.

?I wanted to see this race here. I compliment Tony (Stewart) on keeping Eldora, this facility, going, elevating it and doing what he?s done in giving us the opportunity to bring the Truck Series.?

Although there has been speculation the Mudsummer Classic was testing the waters for additional midweek racing and the possibility of the Nationwide Series or even Sprint Cup racing on dirt in the future, Helton and other NASCAR officials were cautious with their predictions while gauging the overall success of the race.

?How far that goes, we?ll have to wait and see,? he said. ?What makes tonight very special is the fact that it is a combination of Wednesday night racing on a dirt track, which has been a long-time coming from a lot of our fans who requested it. So, (the Mudsummer Classic) is very unique, and that?s what makes it special. What the future holds? We?ll see, but I know (it?s) something everybody is going to check off and say that was a historic moment.?

SOCIALIZING

?

NUMBERS GAME
5 ? Trucks that missed the 30-driver Mudsummer Classic field.
12 ? The place Jared Landers (Clint Bowyer?s dirt driver) finished in his NASCAR debut.
$28,375 ? Austin Dillon?s first-place winnings.

SAY WHAT?
When Turner Scott Motorsports co-owner Steve Turner was asked whether the rumors of his partner Harry Scott?s purchase of Phoenix Racing have been a distraction of late, he replied, ?I don?t know what you are talking about.?
?

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/lee-spencer-inaugural-mudsummer-classic-delivered-beyond-expectations-eldora-speedway-ohio-072513-

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Tax breaks: Washington budget voodoo hides true cost

Manufacturers of rum from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enjoyed a "temporary" increase in a key tax break for the better part of 20 years.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Unless, that is, you're Congress. Lawmakers routinely enact "temporary" tax breaks that they then renew again and again, in some cases for decades.

It's a neat trick that hides the true cost of tax breaks to the government's bottom line.

And it suits lobbyists just fine since they get to come back to lobby for renewal.

"It's an annuity for them," said Howard Gleckman, editor of the blog TaxVox. Plus, he said, lawmakers get to keep campaign donations rolling in from those eager for yet another extension.

Indeed, Congress has made more parts of the tax code "temporary" over the years. The number of annual expiring tax provisions has more than tripled since 1998.

The research and development credit, intended to spur business investment, is a perfect example of the perma-temporary break. First enacted in 1981, it has been extended 15 times.

Another one is the renewable energy production tax credit, for wind-produced electricity. It was initially created 21 years ago and has since been re-upped many times.

The "temporary" tax deduction teachers get for buying classroom supplies was first enacted in 2002 and has been extended every year or two since.

Sometimes, even when a tax provision itself is permanent, a modification of the break is characterized as temporary.

Such is the case with the rum excise tax "cover over," which has been around since 1917.

Related: Tax breaks: Where the big money is

Manufacturers of rum made in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands pay the tax to the U.S. Treasury Department. But almost all of that money is rebated to the governments of those territories. They, in turn, often spend it in ways that benefit the rum manufacturers.

In 1993, lawmakers approved a "temporary" increase in the tax. With a brief exception, an increase has been renewed ever since and with it the rebate.

Occasionally there's good reason to deem a tax break temporary -- for example, after a natural disaster or during a recession.

But since tax breaks mean less revenue to the government, lawmakers often characterize other breaks as temporary to make them look less costly.

"The budget thing looms very large," said Donald Marron, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office.

Here's another way to look at it: Extending all the expiring tax provisions in the code might cost up to $100 billion a year. Extending them over the decade, it's more like $938 billion, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation.

Making tax breaks temporary and renewing them at the 11th hour not only further complicates the code, it makes it hard for taxpayers to plan and increases the cost of administering the provisions.

"[T]he frequent ritual of being on tax code death watch only to be saved by last- minute clemency ... creates tremendous volatility," tax expert Rosanne Altshuler told the Senate Finance Committee last year.

The fiscal cliff deal brokered by lawmakers over New Year's made some longstanding "temporary" provisions -- like the majority of the Bush tax cuts -- permanent. And it eliminated others, such as the portion of the Bush tax cuts solely affecting high-income households.

Now, as Congress debates tax reform,"extenders" will be on the table, especially if lawmakers stick with what has been called a "blank slate approach" proposed by top Senate tax writers.

The idea is to assume the tax code will have no breaks and to add back only those that lawmakers can justify and "pay for," meaning the revenue loss from a given break won't add to the country's deficits.

Reform won't necessarily stamp out temporary provisions entirely, but it's likely to reduce them greatly, Marron said.

At least temporarily.

First Published: July 22, 2013: 6:14 AM ET

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/22/news/economy/tax-breaks/index.html?section=money_news_economy

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Days before championship fight, Demetrious Johnson becomes ?Mighty Dad?

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will fight John Moraga on Saturday, but he had a bigger task to take care of over the weekend. Johnson's wife gave birth to their first child, a baby boy. "Mighty Mouse" wasted no time in slipping a UFC glove on his newborn son after he was born. Johnson shared the picture, but then had to get back to work with his fight just days away.

Last hard day of sparring ready to go to work next Saturday @ufc on fox 8 #teammighty #teamAMC

? Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouseUFC) July 20, 2013

Johnson will get more time to hang with the little guy after his fight. Do you think he'll still have the belt? Speak up on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/days-championship-fight-demetrious-johnson-becomes-mighty-dad-123334972.html

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Quake in arid northwest China kills at least 75

In this July 22, 2013 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a damaged house stands in rubble following an earthquake that hit Majiagou Village of Minxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province. A strong earthquake struck near the surface in a dry, hilly farming area in western China early Monday, killing at least 54 people, injuring nearly 300, and shattering thousands of homes, the local government said. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Tu Guoxi) NO SALES

In this July 22, 2013 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a damaged house stands in rubble following an earthquake that hit Majiagou Village of Minxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province. A strong earthquake struck near the surface in a dry, hilly farming area in western China early Monday, killing at least 54 people, injuring nearly 300, and shattering thousands of homes, the local government said. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Tu Guoxi) NO SALES

Map locates earthquake that struck Dingxi, China; 1c x 2 inches; 46.5 mm x 50 mm;

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers clear the debris of a damaged house in quake-hit Majiagou Village of Minxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Monday, July 22, 2013. The toll of dead and injured continues to rise after an earthquake struck a dry, hilly farming area in western China early this morning. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Guo Gang) NO SALES

An injured resident rests on the grounds of a hospital after an earthquake hit Minxian county in northwest China's Gansu province Monday July 22, 2013. A shallow earthquake struck a dry, hilly farming area in western China early Monday, killing at least 56 people, injuring more than 400, and destroying thousands of homes, the local government said. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

Residents receive medical treatment on the grounds of a hospital after an earthquake hit Minxian county in northwest China's Gansu province Monday July 22, 2013. A shallow earthquake struck a dry, hilly farming area in western China early Monday, killing at least 56 people, injuring more than 400, and destroying thousands of homes, the local government said. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

BEIJING (AP) ? A strong earthquake that shook an arid, hilly farming area in northwest China sparked landslides and destroyed or damaged thousands of brick-and-mud homes Monday, killing at least 75 people and injuring more than 400, the government said.

The quake near the city of Dingxi in Gansu province toppled brick walls and telephone lines, shattered mud-and-tile-roofed houses and sent cascades of dirt and rock down hillsides that blocked roads and slowed rescue efforts by crews trying to reach remote areas.

Hospitals set up aid stations in parking lots to accommodate large numbers of injured, while hundreds of paramilitary People's Armed Police fanned out to search for victims in the region of terraced farmland where the quake struck about 1,200 kilometers (760 miles) west of Beijing.

"I saw the bulb hanging from the ceiling start swinging wildly around. I woke my two friends and we ran into the bathroom to hide," said arts student Li Jingui, 21, who was on the fourth floor of a school dormitory in Dingxi when the shaking started.

"After the strongest tremors were over, we were worried that there would be aftershocks so we packed our stuff and ran out into a large clearing," Li said in a telephone interview.

In addition to the 75 confirmed dead, there were 14 people missing and 459 injured, the central government's China Earthquake Administration said.

Damage was worst in Min county in Dingxi's rural southern portion, where scores of homes were damaged and telephone and electricity services knocked out, Dingxi Mayor Tang Xiaoming told state broadcaster CCTV. All but three of the deaths, all the missing and most of the injured were in Min, a likely result of shoddy construction.

Residents said the shaking lasted about one minute, but wasn't strong enough to cause major damage in urban areas, where buildings are more solidly built.

"You could see the chandeliers wobble and the windows vibrating and making noise, but there aren't any cracks in the walls. Shop assistants all poured out onto the streets when the shaking began," said a front desk clerk at the Wuyang Hotel in the Zhang County seat about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the epicenter. The clerk surnamed Bao refrained from identifying herself further, as is common among ordinary Chinese.

Tremors were felt in the provincial capital of Lanzhou 177 kilometers (110 miles) north, and as far away as Xi'an, 400 kilometers (250 miles) to the east.

The government's earthquake monitoring center said the initial quake at 7:45 a.m. (2345 GMT Sunday) was magnitude-6.6 and subsequent tremors included a magnitude-5.6.

The quake was shallow, which can be more destructive. The center said it struck about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) beneath the surface, while the Gansu provincial earthquake administration said it was just 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) deep. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the magnitude of the initial quake as 5.9 and the depth at 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Initial measurements of an earthquake can vary widely, especially if different monitoring equipment is used.

Su Wei, leader of a 120-member rescue team from the paramilitary People's Armed Police, told state broadcaster CCTV that they were on their way to the epicenter, but progress was being slowed by mud and rock slides blocking the road.

The Chinese Red Cross said it was shipping 200 tents, 1,000 sets of household items, and 2,000 jackets to the area and sending teams from both Lanzhou and Beijing to help with relief work and assess further needs.

Heavy rain is expected in the area later in the week, raising the need for shelter and increasing the chance of further landslides.

Almost 2,000 homes were either destroyed or heavily damaged, with thousands more suffering partial damage, according to the Dingxi government website. It said 14,066 households were without power and five county and township roads had been cut.

Gansu province, a region of mountains, desert and pastureland with a population of 26 million, is one of China's more lightly populated provinces, although the New Jersey-sized area of Dingxi has a greater concentration of farms in rolling hills terraced for crops and fruit trees. Dingxi has a total population of about 2.7 million.

China's worst earthquake in recent years was a 7.9-magnitude temblor that struck the southwestern province of Sichuan in 2008, leaving 90,000 people dead or missing.

__

AP writer Gillian Wong contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-22-China-Earthquake/id-be1e033149464c0180cc436c672d26fb

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Column: Mickelson solves links golf puzzle at Open

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) ? His coach was all business before the round. His caddie was in tears afterward. Only Phil Mickelson seemed to know how many magical moments he was capable of unfurling in between.

"I said, "Even-par or 1 under could win this thing.' He said, 'I'm going to be better than that,'" coach Butch Harmon recalled.

Harmon was standing near the 18th green in the fast-fading light of a cool Scottish summer afternoon. The roars from one of the great closing rounds in major championship golf was still ringing in his ears. He paused long enough to crack a wide smile.

"He wasn't lying."

Little more than 10 yards away, just after exiting the front door of the Muirfield clubhouse, caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay was still trying to regain his composure.

Someone asked about the tears he kept choking back. Instead, they started falling again.

"Because," Mackay began, then turned away for nearly a half-minute. "When you work with someone for so many years, it's pretty cool when you see him play the best round of golf he's ever played in the last round of the British Open."

This was the one major championship Mickelson never thought he could win. He came out on tour in 1992 oozing talent, a prodigy who won his first pro tournament while still in college, only to become another golfer once labeled the "next Nicklaus" who couldn't break through in a major. Mickelson was 0-for-42 in that department and a dozen years into an otherwise stellar career when he finally won the Masters in 2004.

Another major came the next year at the PGA Championship. Then two more at the Masters. Along the way, he collected a record six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, the last just a month ago at Merion Golf Club, when Englishman Justin Rose zoomed by him on the final few holes.

Those were heartbreaks, to be sure, but at least Mickelson knew he had a shot on any golf course where booming drives and sky-high lob shots could decide the outcome. Despite playing on this side of the Atlantic for 20 years, though, he struggled trying to keep the ball under the wind and his temperament in check whenever he got a crazy bounce ? and there were dozens of those.

For the longest time, links golf appeared to be one puzzle he was never going to unlock.

"It's been the last eight or nine years I've started to playing it more effectively, I've started to hit the shots more effectively," Mickelson said. "But even then it's so different than what I grew up playing. I always wondered if I would develop the skills needed to win this championship.

"And to finally capture this," he added a moment later, referring to the claret jug he was holding, "it feels really, really good."

Just last week, 3 1/2 hours drive up the coast from here, he won the Scottish Open, his first-ever win on the continent. But Castle Stuart wasn't a true links, and even an opening-round 69 across the fast, firm ground here failed to erase nearly two decades of doubt ? especially when Mickelson complained about the condition of the course afterward.

But Mackay saw things differently.

"When he got to 18 on Thursday, he hit the best shot he hit all day and then three-putted. I think that kind of reinforces that stuff happens over here that you really can't control," Mackay said. "That you're going to hit good shots and it's not going to work out, and you suck it up and you move on.

"And the tournament could have gotten away from him, too, in the fairway bunker on 15 yesterday. And he didn't let it, you know what I mean? Suck it up and move on. That's what he did. He was just in a great place all week."

Yet if Mickelson was going to crack, the place and time to do it Sunday would have been at the par-3 16th. He'd already clawed his way back from a 5-shot deficit and into the lead. His iron off the tee pierced the wind with a low trajectory and scooted onto the green at just the right speed to hold. Instead, it skittered off the right side and into a bunker.

"That was a bad break, but I was probably more bothered by it than he was," Mackay said. "We walked up there. He saw it and said, 'I can get it up and down.' Pretty matter of fact. So I went, 'Cool.'"

Mickelson did, then birdied No. 17, and walked up with a chance to do same at the 18th. A crowd of thousands packing the grandstands on either side of the fairway rose to their feet as one, clapping wildly. Mickelson made that curling left-to-right 10-footer to slam the door on the field behind him. Somehow, at 43, Mickelson isn't simply holding his own, he appears to be turning back the clock.

"He's stronger than he's ever been. He's fitter than he's ever been. He's hungrier than he's ever been and you can understate how much he wants to compete and do well," Mackay said.

"I joke around with him all the time that when he's 60 on the putting green at Augusta, he's going to say, 'I got a chance.' "

Maybe not. But a career Grand Slam hardly seems like a stretch anymore.

"I think that that's the sign of the complete great player. And I'm a leg away. And it's been a tough leg for me," Mickelson said to laughter, "but I think that's the sign. I think there's five players that have done that. And those five players are the greats of the game. You look at them with a different light.

"And if I were able to ever win a U.S. Open, and I'm very hopeful that I will ? but it has been elusive for me. And yet," he said finally, "this championship has been much harder for me to get."

___

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/Jim Litke.

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/Column-Mickelson-solves-links-golf-puzzle-at-Open-4678024.php

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Making big 'Schroedinger cats': Quantum research pushes boundary by testing micro theory for macro objects

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Since Erwin Schroedinger's famous 1935 cat thought experiment, physicists around the globe have tried to create large scale systems to test how the rules of quantum mechanics apply to everyday objects. Researchers recently made a significant step forward in this direction by creating a large system that is in two substantially different states at the same time.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/Ne8SPdPVz3Y/130721161710.htm

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Which Training Camp Battles Will Have Biggest Impact on 2013 NFL Season?

When San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles tendon in OTAs earlier this spring, the team lost its top receiving target from 2012.

Last season, Crabtree was targeted by quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick 126 times, for a total of 1,105 yards on 85 receptions?nearly twice as many targets, receptions and yards than the second-highest targeted player on the team, tight end Vernon Davis.

The transition from Smith to Kaepernick only further increased the receiver's role in the 49ers offense, with three of his four 100-plus-yard receiving games coming after the switch. There was no one more important to the success of San Francisco's passing game, and now he's gone for at least part of?if not all?of the 2013 season.

Assuming that Anquan Boldin, who the Niners acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens, is the team's No. 2 receiver this year, the competition for Crabtree's spot will come down to A.J. Jenkins, Kyle Williams, Mario Manningham, Quinton Patton and Ricardo Lockette.?

Lockette is the dark-horse candidate for the job; he'll need to fight just for a roster spot, let alone a starting one. Williams is coming back from an ACL tear, while Manningham is still recovering from ACL and PCL tears. And he may not be healthy enough to play come Week 1.

Jenkins has shown improvement, but his skill set seems best suited for slot receiving, leaving the rookie Patton with a lot of expectations weighing on him headed into training camp.

It's important that the 49ers find someone who is capable of matching Crabtree's production. With only Jenkins, Manningham and Williams seeing playing time last year and just 673 snaps at that (Crabtree played 869, including playoffs, according to Pro Football Focus),?each contender should get ample opportunities to stand out in training camp.

This is a crisis situation presently, but by the time camp breaks, the hope is that it's become a more minor concern.

?

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1709467-which-training-camp-battles-will-have-biggest-impact-on-2013-nfl-season

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Pope seeks Catholic rebirth in land of samba

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? The white sands of Copacabana beach typically draw millions of sun-worshippers, New Year's Eve revelers and fans for free concerts by the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones. In the coming week, the star of the show is infinitely less flamboyant than Mick Jagger, but he promises to stir up just as much passion among devotees.

Pope Francis, the 76-year-old Argentine who became the church's first pontiff from the Americas in March, will turn the crescent-shaped shoreline into a giant stage for his first international trip as pope, returning to the embrace of Latin America to preside over the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day festival.

The pontiff is coming to the heart of a city known for pricey real estate and sexy samba with a message of humility, simplicity and support for the poor ? priorities that he has set out already in his four months as pope.

The Catholic Church in Brazil is one he knows well, aware that it is losing legions of adherents to Pentecostal churches and secularism. But Catholic youth festivals are meant to reinvigorate the faithful, and Francis, a soccer-loving native son, is expected to rally young people with his humble and unconventional ways.

More than a million young Catholics are expected to flock to Rio to celebrate their new pope. The city overseen by the giant Christ the Redeemer statue has mobilized thousands of soldiers and police to make sure the visit goes smoothly, even as violent anti-government protests continue to erupt a month after Brazil saw mass demonstrations nationwide.

Some residents have already prepared a uniquely Rio de Janeiro welcome for Francis: They've built from sand life-sized images of the pope on Copacabana, in place of the usual sculptures of bikini-clad beauties.

Rafaela Bastos, a pilgrim walking along the beach a few days before the pontiff's arrival, said the "Francis effect" was already evident. As she spoke, an army of construction workers toiled at a furious clip on the beach to finish the enormous, white altar where Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass.

"Francis has captivated me; he's absolutely won me over," said the 23-year-old from Brazil's Minas Gerais state. "He's brought the church close to the people and especially to young Catholics. He's creative, he's modern, he's not changing doctrine, but he seems far more flexible and open to discussion."

That Francis is from Latin America "just makes him even better: He understands our culture and that brings him closer to us and allows us to understand him," Bastos said.

Despite such optimism, these are worrying times for the church, and Brazil's case is emblematic.

The vast nation was 89 percent Catholic when Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to visit in 1980. According to the national census, that figure had dropped to 65 percent by 2010. Such declines are happening all over Latin America, which is one of the church's remaining strongholds amid growing secularism in Europe and the United States. Sex abuse and corruption scandals have further eroded trust in the church.

Francis's response to the challenges has been to help find "an entirely new way to interact with the world" by the manner in which he communicates, said Sao Paulo Cardinal Odilo Scherer, one of two Latin Americans named to the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization created in 2010.

"The church, Christianity, the Catholic faith cannot be apart from the world," Scherer said. "It must be a part of the world, inside of it, and it must interact with modern society if it hopes to have repercussions and influence."

Francis has moved quickly to build a more everyman approach to his office.

He still refuses to sign his name as pope, rarely refers to himself as pontiff, and thinks of his role more as a good pastor ? and a good role model for other pastors. Once a priest who rode the subway to work, he is now a pope who spurns the ornate symbols of power: He passed on the red papal shoes for his old black ones and shed the fancy papal residence and gold pectoral cross.

Recently, Francis skipped a concert held in his honor in the Vatican auditorium, something unheard of among popes. Instead, he left his white papal chair empty as the concert went on without him.

"He doesn't seem to be interested in the kind of symbolic things that hold him at the center," said the Rev. Joseph Fessio, a fellow conservative Jesuit and head of U.S. publisher Ignatius Press.

Still, he hasn't shied from flexing his papal authority.

Francis' audacious decision to canonize Pope John XXIII was evidence that he knows full well how to wield papal power. Francis bypassed Vatican rules that require confirming a second miracle to John's credit before he could be declared a saint, skipping that formality so he could canonize both the liberal "father" of the Second Vatican Council and the conservative John Paul. That was seen as a balancing act aimed at keeping the disparate wings of the church happy.

So far, Francis' changes appear to have paid off, with public opinion polls showing broad popularity, at least among Catholics.

One recent survey in Italy said 96 percent of Catholics there have "a lot" of trust in Francis, a level not seen since the apex of John Paul s papacy. A Pew Research poll in the U.S. said 84 percent of American Catholics also have a favorable view of the pontiff, compared to 67 percent for Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, in the first Pew poll taken after his election.

"I think the 'Francis effect' is real. He's captured the world's imagination. He comes across as more authentic because he practices what he preaches," said David Gibson, author of a biography on Benedict XVI. "He looks like your parish priest, he talks like your parish priest, and people connect with that.

"But people from the U.S. to Africa to Asia are watching and wondering how he'll come off. Will Pope Francis translate from Rome to Rio?"

Francis will certainly take every opportunity to show off his simpler touch in Brazil, the world's biggest Catholic country, especially after what many considered the more aloof style of Benedict, who visited Brazil in 2007.

Francis is also well known for his outreach to Jews, Muslims and even atheists, so his appeal doesn't seem limited to Catholics alone. What's unclear, however, is how he will deal with the millions of Brazilians who have left the Catholic faith for evangelical churches that the Vatican considers "sects." Francis has no official encounters planned with representatives of other faiths.

After meeting with President Dilma Rousseff shortly after his arrival Monday, Francis will take a day off on Tuesday. On Wednesday he will begin his public activities in the rolling hills of rural Sao Paulo state, visiting a huge shrine built around a small clay statue of the Virgin Mary that is a figure of worship for millions of Brazilians. In Rio, he'll walk the Stations of the Cross surrounded by more than a million young devotees on Copacabana beach as part of World Youth Day festivities.

In one of the key events of his trip, the church's first Jesuit leader will venture into a rough slum that sits along a violence-soaked road known by locals as the Gaza Strip. For many Brazilians, images of that visit will conjure memories of the still beloved John Paul II, who made his own visits to Rio's slums in 1980 and 1997. Since then, evangelical groups have made deep inroads into Brazil's slums with their hands-on ministry of personal improvement and self-discipline.

Through much of the trip, Francis will forego the bullet-proof popemobile used by his two predecessors and instead wade through crowds in an open vehicle, a move strongly opposed by Brazilian security officials.

A Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Francis chose to leave the popemobile home because he likes being able to get on and off the open-topped car to greet the faithful ? something that's not possible from the bulletproof cage of the more secure vehicle.

Such moves are being closely watched by Brazilians such as Fernanda Neves, a 24-year-old lapsed Catholic in Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo, who this month attended her first blessing rite in more than a decade.

In a tiny chapel tucked behind the Sao Judas sanctuary in a working-class neighborhood, Neves looked startled when beads of holy water hit her forehead and dripped down onto her hot pink shirt as a young priest moved around the room, blessing the two dozen faithful gathered.

"I was raised in the church, my family is strongly Catholic, but by age 14 I felt emptiness in Mass. The messages were irrelevant to me," said Neves. "But this new pope, he speaks my language, he seems like a man of the people. It's easier to understand what he wants from us and I think he'll help bring Brazilians back to the church."

___

Associated Press writer Bradley Brooks reported this story in Rio de Janeiro and Nicole Winfield reported from Rome.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-seeks-catholic-rebirth-land-samba-170301462.html

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Explosion rocks Beijing airport in China, terminal evacuated

An explosion hit the Beijing airport in China Saturday, prompting police to order people to leave a terminal. TODAY's Jenna Wolfe reports

By Ed Flanagan and Ian Johnston, NBC News

An explosion hit Beijing airport in China on Saturday, prompting police to order people to leave one terminal, a witness said.

Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, of the International Crisis Group think tank, was at the airport when the blast happened at about 6:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET).

?Huge explosion followed by panic, smoke and dust at Terminal 3,? she said on Twitter.

?Lots of excitement, police v angry, shouted crowds back and told everyone to leave,? she added.

She posted a photograph of the scene, showing the air clouded with dust after the blast:

The official Xinhua News Agency said a man in a wheel chair swas responsible for the explosion, just outside the arrivals exit of Terminal.

The Sina Weibo microblog of state broadcaster China Central Television said the bomb consisted of black gunpowder used to make firecrackers.

A photograph posted on?China's official Xinhua news agency's English-language website showed medical staff treating someone who was lying on the ground.

Chinese state television reported that the only person taken to hospital after the blast was the suspected bomber. However local media said a police official also suffered a minor injury.

Beijing International Airport Authority later said that arrivals and departures were operating normally.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:42 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2eefa58a/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C20A0C195787430Eexplosion0Erocks0Ebeijing0Eairport0Ein0Echina0Eterminal0Eevacuated0Dlite/story01.htm

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Cavs coach Brown ready to start Bynum on Day 1

By Matt Moore | NBA writer

July 20, 2013 11:02 AM ET

Andrew Bynum will be the Cavaliers' starting center immediately (if healthy). (USATSI)

Coach Mike Brown of the Cavaliers confirmed to the Akron Beacon Journal that newly-signed center Andrew Bynum will not be eased into the rotation and he plans on him starting from Day One.

Yet Cavs coach Mike Brown confirmed Friday that the Cavs aren't really considering bringing Bynum off the bench in an effort to protect his knees and ease him back onto the court. If he can play, Bynum will start.

?He's most likely going to start for us because he's obviously an All-Star caliber player,? Brown said. ?But we need to see where his health is as we progress toward training camp, into training camp, preseason and into the regular season. If everything fits right, if he's completely healthy, no doubt about it, he's our starter at center.?

Makes sense, right? He's a top-level player (when healthy) and will make the team the best it can be rght off the bat as a starter (if healthy). There might also be problems if the Cavs didn't start him (if healthy) and it gives the younger big men a chance to develop (if Bynum's healthy).

But it's weird to cut off the conversation this early. If Bynum's "healthy" but having some discomfort, which is certainly within the realm of possibility, but miraculously wants to play through his discomfort, wouldn't bringing him in slowly be a better option? I'd go even further and suggest a D-League assignment. They can put him on assignment, have him destroy the D-League for two weeks to test things out and get in shape, then bring him in. Brown seems open to other options if he's not healthy, but defining that is the trick.

Both sides have a lot riding on Bynum working out; with Bynum owed $6 million no matter what, you'd think they would want to keep their options open.

HT: HoopsHype

---

The Eye on Basketball three-man game emphasizes a lack of ball movement, excessive jumpers, and elaborate handshakes. You can follow them on Twitter at @MattMooreCBS, @talkhoops, and @RoyceYoung

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Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/22827681/cavaliers-coach-mike-brown-says-andrew-bynum-will-start-immediately

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Thousands take to streets to protest Trayvon Martin verdict

By Edward Upright and Zachary Faginson

NEW YORK/MIAMI (Reuters) - Demonstrators took to the streets in dozens of U.S. cities on Saturday to vent their anger over the acquittal in Florida of the man who shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin to death and to call for federal charges in the racially tinged case.

Hundreds marched in the summer heat to rally at federal courthouses in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities, demanding "justice for Trayvon" and an end to racial profiling that they said was at the heart of the case.

The rallies came one week after a Seminole County, Florida, jury returned verdicts finding 29-year-old George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the February 2012 death of Martin.

Critics contend Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, wrongly suspected Martin, 17, of being a criminal because he was black. The neighborhood watch volunteer called police to report Martin, then left his car with a loaded handgun concealed in his waistband.

A fight ensued in which Zimmerman suffered a bloody nose and head injuries before he shot Martin once in the heart.

In New York, scene of one of the largest rallies, roughly 2,000 protesters, some carrying "Boycott Florida" signs or wearing T-shirts with Martin's picture, were led by an emotional Sybrina Fulton, the slain teenager's mother.

"Trayvon was a child," she said. "I think sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle because as I sat in the courtroom, it made me think they were talking about another man. And it wasn't. It was a child."

Fulton burst into tears as members of the crowd shouted: "We love you!"

JAY Z, BEYONCE

She was joined at the event by hip-hop mogul Jay Z and his wife, pop star Beyonce, along with New York City mayoral candidate Christine Quinn and civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

Sharpton, who helped organize the nationwide rallies and who led the crowd in repeated chants of "no justice, no peace" and "I am Trayvon Martin," said the celebrity couple didn't want to speak at the rally but wanted to stand with Martin's family.

Civil rights leaders had voiced hopes for peaceful protests after outbreaks of violence that earlier this week led to arrests in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area.

Sharpton has said he hopes continued public pressure will force the U.S. Department of Justice to bring federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

Federal prosecutors say they are investigating whether Zimmerman violated civil rights laws. But lawyers have said they think new charges are unlikely.

At the White House on Friday, President Barack Obama sided with those who say the shooting need not have happened, expressing sympathy to the Martin family. He said the case was properly handled by the court in Florida but questioned "stand your ground" laws that have been adopted in 30 states.

Although Florida's stand your ground law was not cited by Zimmerman's defense team, the jury was instructed that under the state's 2005 statute he had the right to use deadly force if he reasonably believed it was necessary to do so in self-defense.

Following the main event in New York some 800 people made a boisterous but peaceful procession over the Brooklyn Bridge, pausing outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before moving on.

'NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE'

Elsewhere, about 2,000 people endured a downpour in Atlanta to hear speakers talk of the need for justice for Trayvon Martin and other black youths.

The Trayvon Martin Prayer Vigil and Rally, in downtown, began with chants of "no justice, no peace," and "Trayvon, Trayvon, Trayvon" before speakers urged the crowd to register to vote and to seek repeal of Georgia's stand your ground law.

Martin Luther King III urged the audience to go to Washington, D.C., on August 24 for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and his father's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. "It's marching time, ladies and gentlemen," he said.

At least several people in the crowd were treated for heat-related illness after fainting on the sweltering day.

At a rally in Miami, Martin's father, Tracy, told supporters that after the acquittal he has "come to realize George Zimmerman wasn't on trial - Trayvon was on trial."

In Los Angeles, about 500 people converged on the federal courthouse in Los Angeles under gray skies, toting signs saying "Open Season on the Black Man" and "This Should Not Be OK in 2013 America."

In Chicago, some 500 people rallied across from the Everett McKinley Dirksen federal courthouse.

"We are standing up here today to say to our young people, 'we value your lives,'" said Chicago Urban League Chief Executive Officer Andrea Zopp, who has a 17-year-old son. "The civil rights movement is not over."

Rapper MC Lyte told the crowd: "When the verdict was read, I felt like we lost Trayvon Martin all over again."

In Oakland, a crowd of up to 150 people demonstrated peacefully in the city's downtown, occasionally singing "We Shall Overcome" before dispersing in the late afternoon.

And across the bay in San Francisco, about 100 people gathered in front of the Federal Building.

Reverend Arnold Townsend, 70, vice president of the local NAACP chapter, vowed to "bring to light this incident (and) let black children know the system has them under attack."

(Reporting by Edward Upright and Zachary Faginson; Additional reporting by Tom Brown in Miami, Steve Norder in Atlanta, Renita Young in Chicago, Emmett Berg in San Francisco, Laila Kearney in Oakland and Dana Feldman in Los Angeles; Writing by Chris Francescani and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Dina Kyriakidou, Barbara Goldberg, Gunna Dickson and Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-streets-protest-trayvon-martin-verdict-014643648.html

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Vito: Hinkie can take his time hiring new Sixers coach

By CHRISTOPHER A. VITO
cvito@delcotimes.com, @ChrisVito

Ninety-three days ago, Doug Collins stood in front of a logo-emblazoned dropcloth and announced what everyone in the room already had known for the better part of two weeks ? that he would end his tenure as 76ers coach after three seasons.

Ninety-three days ago, owner Josh Harris fielded questions from reporters about the search for Collins? replacement, answering with aplomb that Tony DiLeo would lead the nationwide hunt for who next wanted to sit at the end of the Sixers? bench.

Ninety-three days ago, DiLeo was still the general manager. Ninety-three days ago, few in Philadelphia knew the name Sam Hinkie, let alone that the Houston executive would be DiLeo?s successor. Ninety-three days ago, no one would have given credence to trade rumors regarding Jrue Holiday.

Ninety-three days is how long the Sixers have been without a head coach. Reportedly they have brought in a bushel of top-level NBA assistants. Reportedly an in-house candidate, Michael Curry, who coached the Sixers? summer-league club in Orlando, is getting a look-see, too. And all the while, outsiders looking to Hinkie in the hopes of gleaning a shred of intel regarding the coaching search ? or, more importantly, when the search will conclude ? have gotten scant assurances or clarity on either point.

Is there, from Hinkie?s perspective, any reason to tip his hand? The answer is no.

Because there?s a lack of competition to hire a guy before another team beats them to the punch, because Hinkie is in his first season as a GM, because the team is clearly in rebuilding mode, because it traded away its best player, and because there?s no more urgency to hire a coach today than there was a week (or even three weeks) ago ... Hinkie should continue to take his time looking for his guy.

At this point, what?s the rush?

Good things are happening for Steve and Christy Silva, as well as for the foundation that carries on their son?s spirit.

Penncrest High baseball coach Steve Silva and his family suffered a terrible loss when their 7-year-old son Aidan died of sudden cardiac arrest in September 2010.

And while the Silvas continue to raise money and awareness in Aidan?s memory, they have nearly cleared an even greater hurdle: Passing a law that would provide every school building in the state with an automated external defibrillator. Pennsylvania Senate Bill 606, what will be known as Aidan?s Law, ?is sitting in the Senate Appropriations Committee, awaiting a majority vote,? Silva said the other day. Continued...

Just last month, the Silvas held the third-annual 5K for Aidan J run at Kerr Park in Downingtown. Earlier this year, they conducted heart screenings at Downingtown West High School. They?ve even gotten Aidan?s Heart Foundation recognized by the state as a nonprofit.

?And our work is far from over,? Silva said, beaming.

What do Conor Casey, Sebastien Le Toux and Freddy Adu have in common? They?ve all been part of Union manager John Hackworth?s roster overhaul.

Casey, the league?s seventh-leading goal scorer, and Le Toux, MLS? leader in assists, came aboard in the offseason, while Adu, whose contract was terminated, has managed only seven minutes since joining Brazil side Bahia earlier this year.

Hackworth deserves praise for the Union?s offseason maneuvering. He?s turned a lackluster side into a lusty one with playoff aspirations, with those three transactions keying the club?s renaissance.

To the Phillies? credit, they handled a host of injuries and minor-league call-ups to get to the All-Star break at .500. But a nine-game road trip followed by two games at home against the defending champs, taking them up to the trade deadline, will determine what their first 96 games did not ? they should be sellers, not buyers.

Putting a Band-Aid on this team might buoy a playoff run. However, reinforcing the Phillies for seasons beyond this one would be in their best interest. It?s a tough call to make, turning a page on the franchise?s recent successes, though it?s the right one.

To contact Christopher A. Vito, email cvito@delcotimes.com. Follow him on Twitter, @ChrisVito.

Source: http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/20/sports/doc51ea0abef1284509460627.txt

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Girl Crush: Fiona Apple

I?ve loved Fiona Apple for a couple of years now, but my infatuation with her has recently amplified since coming out with her new song, ?Dull Tool.? Featured in Judd Apatow?s ?This is 40,? Apple?s new song totally blew my mind. Her lyrics are totally mesmerizing, and the melody and various instruments playing throughout the song sound amazing.

I was lucky enough to see Apple last summer at Governors Ball, when her newest album came out. ?The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do? (a mouthful, I know), is one of her stranger albums, but ?I still cannot stop listening to ?Werewolf.?

Although described as a little kooky based on her songs, Apple is tremendously talented and some of her newer songs just need a little getting used to. I was frightened when I first heard her song ?Regret? after she was screaming during the recording, but it?s all part of the emotion!

Lovelies, have you heard of Fiona Apple? What do you think of her?

Image Source, Image Source

Source: http://www.lovelyish.com/2013/07/20/girl-crush-fiona-apple/

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Obama Had to Say Something about Trayvon Martin, and Americans Needed to Hear It

President Obama?s somber remarks on race and the George Zimmerman verdict were almost painfully personal, delivered from the heart and from his own experiences as a black man in a society that often regards black men and black teens warily, even fearfully.

Although his apparently unscripted comments in the White House press briefing room drew scorn and even accusations of racism from some on the right, he was right to try to lay out a constructive, nonpolitical path forward. It would have been a missed opportunity?a huge missed opportunity?if America had not heard firsthand from its first black president at a moment like this.

?Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago,??Obama said, an arresting start to 19 minutes of reflections unique in the nation?s history.

?There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me?at least before I was a senator. There are very few African-Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off.?

Obama?s measured, thoughtful tone was reassuring even as he tried to convey to people who aren?t black what it is like to be black. It is ?inescapable,? he said, that black people would view the verdict through the lens of a history that includes ?racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws? and everyday occurrences that simply don?t happen to white people. He suggested that if?Martin, 17 and unarmed, had been white, the incident might not have happened.

?Folks understand the challenges that exist for African-American boys.?But they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there?s no context for it and that context is being denied. And that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different,? Obama said.

He also asked people to consider this difficult question in the context of reviewing ?Stand Your Ground? laws: ?If Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk??And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened??And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.?

Inevitably, conservatives charged that Obama was stirring up controversy needlessly, and showing bias against whites. ?Remarkable that the president of the United States continues to fan the flames on George Zimmerman. #StopTalkingSir," tweeted Republican strategist Brian Walsh.

?Can this president and his ilk get over race? You're dividing and destroying this country with your race-baiting?making Karl Marx proud,? tweeted Gabriella Hoffman, a regional field coordinator for the Leadership Institute who describes herself as ?dangerously conservative.?

Yet for the black community, Obama?s remarks were more than four years overdue. After the Zimmerman verdict, they pleaded with him to say something commensurate to their pain over this case?to speak not just about race but about racism.

In one high-profile example, Janet Langhart Cohen?the black playwright and wife of former Defense Secretary Bill Cohen?wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that blacks were tired of cutting Obama slack while he took up the causes of others, were done waiting for him to be ?liberated from the racial harness that politics forced him to wear.? She implored him to talk about the case in a way that touched on ?the heartbreak, despair, and quiet rage that so many of us feel at this moment.?

Obama managed to do that without sounding heartbroken, despairing, or enraged himself. He proposed more training for state and local authorities to reduce racial profiling and build trust, and a review of state and local laws to see if they encourage rather than discourage confrontations and tragedies like the one that ended with Zimmerman killing Martin. He said he hoped to use his office to help business leaders, local officials, clergy, celebrities, and athletes come up with ways to show African-American boys that ?their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them.?

Finally, Obama suggested soul-searching, urging people to ask themselves, ?Am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can??

It was more than five years ago, in March 2008, that Obama delivered his pivotal and much-celebrated campaign address on race.?It had a title, A More Perfect Union?the same phrase he used at the end of his remarks?Friday. He gave that speech in a symbolic setting, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. At stake was the Democratic presidential nomination. Ten days after he delivered it, as it began its long afterlife on YouTube, the Pew Research Center found that an astonishing 85 percent of Americans had heard at least a little about the speech and 54 percent had heard a lot.

Americans listen to Obama on race. Yes, he has roiled the waters and reopened a raw conversation. But if not now, when? And if not him, who?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-had-something-trayvon-martin-americans-needed-hear-163836736.html

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