FIFA medical chief changes opinion on headscarves

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fifa-medical-chief-changes-opinion-headscarves-204304414--sow.html

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White House wants Hill Democrats to fight on taxes

President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012, after the Supreme Court ruled on his health care legislation. (AP Photo/Luke Sharrett pool)

President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012, after the Supreme Court ruled on his health care legislation. (AP Photo/Luke Sharrett pool)

President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012, after the Supreme Court ruled on his health care legislation. (AP Photo/Luke Sharrett/Pool)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House is urging congressional Democrats to engage Republicans in a fight over taxes, pressing them to go on the offensive after the Supreme Court's health care decision gave prominence to the issue.

White House senior adviser David Plouffe is sending a memorandum to the House and Senate Democratic caucuses saying Republicans are misrepresenting Obama's record. In a memo obtained by the Associated Press, Plouffe said the White House welcomes a debate on taxes.

Obama has called for tax increases on households earning more than $250,000, but has also said existing tax cuts should be extended permanently for the middle class.

The court upheld the law, declaring that a penalizing people who can afford insurance but don't buy can be treated as a tax.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-29-Obama-Health%20Care/id-46c9f113c9654283be42b42c6e51d66f

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Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://twitter.com/silverlightshow/statuses/218395856213254144

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Congress passes student loans, highway jobs bill

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress emphatically approved legislation Friday preserving jobs on transportation projects from coast to coast and avoiding interest rate increases on new loans to millions of college students, giving lawmakers campaign-season bragging rights on what may be their biggest economic achievement before the November elections.

The bill sent for President Barack Obama's signature enables just over $100 billion to be spent on highway, mass transit and other transportation programs over the next two years, projects that would have expired Saturday without congressional action. It also ends a bare-knuckle political battle over student loans that raged since spring, a proxy fight over which party was best helping voters muddle through the economic downturn.

Under the bill, interest rates of 3.4 percent for subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates will continue for another year, instead of doubling for new loans beginning on Sunday as scheduled by a law passed five years ago to save money.

Had the measure failed, interest rates would have mushroomed to 6.8 percent for 7.4 million students expected to get the loans over the coming year, adding an extra $1,000 to the average cost of each loan and antagonizing students ? and their parents ? four months from Election Day.

The Democratic-led Senate sent the measure to Obama by a 74-19 vote, just minutes after the Republican-run House approved it 373-52. The unusual display of harmony, in a bitterly partisan year, signaled lawmakers' eagerness to claim credit for providing transportation jobs, to avert higher costs for students and their families and to avoid being embarrassed had the effort run aground.

This year has seen the two parties mostly drive each other's plans for tax breaks and economic revival into a stalemate, although lawmakers have enacted bills retaining the Social Security payroll tax cut for a year and renewing a government agency that promotes U.S. exports.

"It's important for Congress to act, not just talk about problems we have but to get things done," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., a chief House author of the transportation measure.

"We have a bill that will boost this economy," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., a sponsor who said the measure would create or save 2.8 million jobs. "We have a bill that is supported by conservatives and liberals, progressives and moderates. I think this is a great day."

All the no votes were cast by Republicans.

The compromise ended up sprinkled with unrelated nuggets dealing with Asian carp, roll-your-own tobacco and federal timber aid. But its most significant provisions dealt with transportation and student aid.

The final transportation measure dropped a provision ? which had drawn an Obama veto threat ? that would have forced government approval of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Texas coast. But it contains curbs on environmental reviews of transportation projects. Republicans sought those curbs in hopes of cutting construction time almost in half.

The bill consolidates federal transportation programs and gives states more flexibility in spending money from Washington. It also contains an array of safety initiatives including requirements aimed at enhancing bus safety. And it makes advocates of bike and pedestrian paths compete for money with other transportation projects.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration was glad Congress acted "before middle class families pay the price for inaction." He said Obama will keep pressing for approval of more of his job-creating proposals from last year, to hire teachers, police officers and firefighters and for tax credits to companies that hire new workers.

Most of the overall measure was financed by extending federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel for two more years. Those levies, unchanged for nearly two decades, are 18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel and now fall well short of fully financing highway programs, which they were designed to do.

About $20 billion would be raised over the next decade by reducing tax deductions for companies' pension contributions and increasing the fees they pay to federally insure their pension plans. In return, a formula was changed to, in effect, let companies apportion less money for their pensions and to provide less year-to-year variation in those amounts.

To raise other revenue, the government will start charging interest on subsidized Stafford loans no more than six years after undergraduates begin their studies. Today no interest is charged until after graduation, no matter how long that takes.

In addition, a loophole was tightened to make it harder for businesses with roll-your-own cigarette machines to classify the tobacco they sell as pipe tobacco ? which is taxed at a lower rate than cigarette tobacco. The change is expected to raise nearly $100 million.

Some federal workers would be allowed to work part-time as they gradually retire, saving the government money because the workers would receive only partial salaries and retirement annuities.

As often happens with bills that are certain to win the president's signature, the measure became a catch-all for other unrelated provisions.

One would order the government to accelerate work on a plan for preventing Asian carp, which devour other species, from entering the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River. It drew opposition from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., and some other lawmakers arguing that blocking the fish could interfere with shipping, but the Senate turned their objections aside.

Federal flood insurance programs that protect 5.6 million households and businesses were extended, allowing higher premiums and limiting subsidies for vacation homes to help address a shortfall in the program caused by claims from 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

The measure also steers 80 percent out of billions in Clean Water Act penalties paid by BP and others for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion to the five Gulf states whose beaches and waters were soiled by the disaster. The money would have otherwise gone to federal coffers.

Federal timber subsidies worth $346 million would be distributed for another year to rural counties, while other funds would be steered to rural school districts. The bill also eases restrictions that force most American food aid to be shipped abroad on U.S.-flagged vessels.

____

Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congress-passes-student-loans-highway-jobs-bill-181714510.html

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Local Defense Contractor Admits Unlawfully Aiding Chinese Military Helicopter Development

(credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CBSNewYork) ? A local defense contractor has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting military software to China in its effort to develop an attack helicopter.

Pratt & Whitney Canada, which is a Canadian subsidiary of Connecticut-based defense contractor United Technologies Corporation, and U.S.-based subsidiary Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., were hit with a $75 million fine for violating the Arms Export Control Act.

1010 WINS? Al Jones Reports

U.S. Attorney David Fein said that defense contractors have been barred from selling to China since the June 1989 uprising at Tienanmen Square.

?Pratt & Whitney Canada knew from the start that the P.R.C. was developing an attack helicopter and that supplying it with U.S. components would be illegal,? Fein told reporters, including 1010 WINS? Al Jones.

According to a release from the Justice Department, the development of China?s Z-10 helicopter program was powered by engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney Canada.

READ MORE: Criminal Charges For United Technologies Corp.?s Subsidiaries

However, U.S. officials said despite the military nature of the helicopter, Pratt & Whitney Canada determined on its own that the engines didn?t constitute ?defense articles? because they were identical to engines the company was already supplying the country for commercial helicopters.

Despite that, U.S. officials said because the software used to operate the engines supplied by the company was ?modified for a military helicopter application, it was a defense article and required a U.S. export license.?

Officials also said that the company ?willfully? and ?knowingly? caused the software to be exported without a license.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Reynolds added the software was vital to China?s attack helicopter program.

?I think it is fair to say that without this particular component, it wouldn?t have happened at all,? Reynolds said.

Furthermore, officials said United Technologies Corp., and its subsidiaries failed to disclosed the illegal exports for years and that those disclosures ?contained numerous false statements,? including when they became aware the program involved a military helicopter.

?Pratt & Whitney Canada purposely turned a blind eye to the helicopter?s military application,? Fein said.

Share your thoughts in the comments section below?

Source: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/06/28/local-defense-contractor-admits-unlawfully-aiding-chinese-military-helicopter-development/

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A Suprise Mini Backyard Spruce Up #KmartOutdoor - The WiC Project

June 27th, 2012??????1 views

There are people in this world are are very giving. The kind of people that will give you their last dollar if you need it. Who will listen, support, and encourage you. I am fortunate enough to know such a person, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to pay his kindness forward by treating him at a surprise mini backyard spruce up.

My mission, which I chose to accept, was to stealthily visit the local Kmart undetected and pick up a few critical items that would be needed for this surprise. Luckily, this person has been talking for weeks, if not months, about how he wants to get a nice patio set for his deck. He also mentioned that he was interested in a water fountain for the soothing and relaxing sounds. I wasn?t sure what I would find at Kmart but I went in with determination.

I easily found the Outdoor Living section and was impressed. They had a wide selection of patio sets, outdoor furniture, and outdoor decor items. You can take a look at some of the items that were available through my shopping album. For some more products and outdoor decorating ideas, you can also browse the?Kmart Outdoor Catalog. The Kmart Social Circular also has some great ideas of how you can make your outdoor space as comfortable as your indoor space. With so many great options, it took me quite awhile to finally decide which table and decorations I would get. Here were my final selections:

When I check out at Kmart, I made sure to use my Shop Your Way Rewards card. If you don?t have your card, you should. Along with earning points that you can redeem for cash off your purchase, you also receive some amazing coupons and offers when you check out.

Once I got everything home, it was time to let the sprucing up begin. Starting out, we just had a plain ?ole deck with a doghouse. There isn?t any place to sit, there are no decorations, and the only shade comes late in the afternoon when the sun falls beneath the roof.

First, I set-up the little welcome bunny. I didn?t get a chance to pick up a plant yet, but the bunny is sitting next to the gate, welcoming everyone to the deck. If you love the bunny as much as I do, know that it?s currently on sale for just $27.99, marked down from $40.99.

Now that the entrance was ready, I set-up the bistro patio set. This set fit perfectly on the deck, providing comfortable seating for two while still leaving enough room to walk around. It was easy to assemble and looked amazing.

For some added shade, I set-up the umbrella next to it. I made sure to pick-up an umbrella base to keep it standing up.

For the finishing touch, I set-up the 3-vase water fountain on the other side of the gate. I filled it with water and powered it on. The yard was immediately filled with the soothing sound of running water.

From start to finish, it took just a little under an hour to get everything set-up. The longest part was assembling the table, which was still very quick and easy to do.

When the spruced up yard was finally revealed, it was total amazement. I heard ?I was just talking about needing a patio set for the yard!? and ?I was wanting to get a water fountain!? It was a wonderful feeling knowing that I was able to give something that was wanted to someone who never asks for anything and it was great knowing that I was able to bring a big smile to his face. There were hugs, grins and enjoyment all around.

To find the latest Kmart Deals that can help you spruce up your backyard, you can check out the Kmart website or the Kmart Weekly Deals. Make sure you follow Kmart and Shop Your Way Rewards on Twitter as well as Kmart?s Facebook Page.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias? Social Fabric? Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias? and Kmart #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

Filed under: For the Home, review

Source: http://www.wicproject.com/review/kmart-backyard-spruce-up/

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Researchers discover potential explanation for why a diet high in DHA improves memory

Public release date: 28-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Raquel Maurier
raquel.maurier@ualberta.ca
780-492-5986
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

We've all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper?

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta discovered a possible explanation and just published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Principal investigator Yves Sauve and his team discovered lab models fed a high-DHA diet had 30 per cent higher levels of DHA in the memory section of the brain, known as the hippocampus, when compared to animal models on a regular, healthy diet.

"We wanted to find out how fish intake improves memory," says Sauve, a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry who works in the department of physiology, the department of ophthalmology and the Centre for Neuroscience.

"What we discovered is that memory cells in the hippocampus could communicate better with each other and better relay messages when DHA levels in that region of the brain were higher. This could explain why memory improves on a high-DHA diet."

Sauve noted it is a key finding that when a diet is supplemented with DHA, that additional stores of the omega-3 fatty acid are deposited in the brain. His team confirmed this finding, a discovery other labs have noted as well.

Supplementing your diet with DHA, such as increasing fish intake or taking supplements, could prevent declining DHA levels in the brain as we age, says Sauve.

This research was funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.

Earlier this year, Sauve and other colleagues discovered DHA prevents the accumulation of a toxic molecule at the back of the eye that causes age-related vision loss. He is continuing his research in this area.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Raquel Maurier
raquel.maurier@ualberta.ca
780-492-5986
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

We've all heard that eating fish is good for our brains and memory. But what is it about DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, that makes our memory sharper?

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta discovered a possible explanation and just published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Principal investigator Yves Sauve and his team discovered lab models fed a high-DHA diet had 30 per cent higher levels of DHA in the memory section of the brain, known as the hippocampus, when compared to animal models on a regular, healthy diet.

"We wanted to find out how fish intake improves memory," says Sauve, a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry who works in the department of physiology, the department of ophthalmology and the Centre for Neuroscience.

"What we discovered is that memory cells in the hippocampus could communicate better with each other and better relay messages when DHA levels in that region of the brain were higher. This could explain why memory improves on a high-DHA diet."

Sauve noted it is a key finding that when a diet is supplemented with DHA, that additional stores of the omega-3 fatty acid are deposited in the brain. His team confirmed this finding, a discovery other labs have noted as well.

Supplementing your diet with DHA, such as increasing fish intake or taking supplements, could prevent declining DHA levels in the brain as we age, says Sauve.

This research was funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.

Earlier this year, Sauve and other colleagues discovered DHA prevents the accumulation of a toxic molecule at the back of the eye that causes age-related vision loss. He is continuing his research in this area.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/uoaf-rdp062812.php

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Milan menswear designers brighten up summer 2013

MILAN (AP) ? Casual and colorful is the message sent out by designers of menswear for summer 2013.

After four days of preview shows ending Tuesday, it is clear that the Italian designers ? and others showing in Milan ? want to project good vibes for next summer, despite European economic gloom.

The current round of menswear had a happy feel to it, whether it was offering suits with Bermuda shorts for the office or a fuchsia summer raincoat to outshine even the darkest cloud.

The myriad of big and brightly colored weekend bags, in materials ranging from simple canvas to precious crocodile, and the abundance of loafers, sneakers and running shoes, show that the designers are into the good life.

Shorts-short as well as knee length are the stars of the season, moving between resort and workplace with incredible ease.

The blazer also makes a huge comeback, cut close to the body, colorful and worn with a pair of shorts or a trouser cropped at the ankle. Lightweight coats are another summer favorite.

Although some designers threw in a tie for old times sake, the more popular piece to go under a suit was a white open-collared shirt or a classic polo shirt.

This round, designers used organza and other see-through materials-usually relegated to womenswear for special transparency on pullovers and patterned jackets.

But no matter what the style, summer 2013 is all about color, from red to green to yellow to deep blue. Different colors may appear in the same outfit, such as a green lapel on a yellow jacket or blue pockets on a red coat.

Even minimalist designer Jil Sander chose to mark her return to the eponymous label she left eight years ago with a collection dipped in color. And that should say it all.

___

ARMANI

For next summer, Giorgio Armani is back to doing what he does best ? tailoring gorgeous jackets.

Indeed, it all started with a jacket for the Milanese designer who turns 79 next month. The first was lining-less, but it wasn't long before an Armani suit was a wardrobe must and an Armani tuxedo a red carpet favorite.

The Armani show on Tuesday was an ode to the jacket, from soft cardigan cuts to blazers and more structured city jackets, all in super-refined lightweight fabrics.

The overall look was of a well put-together man whose cut of clothes is casual. A cardigan jacket could be worn with a pair of pleated trousers, while a navy suit had Bermuda shorts but also a shirt and tie.

The season's silhouette is comfy and slightly elongated. The jacket has four or six buttons and the shoulder is unpadded. The pleated trousers are soft around the hips and brush the ankle.

The latest leather jacket ? either bomber or blazer ? is made of leather worked to look like seersucker, a tribute to Italian craftsmanship.

Armani is not in the habit of following the pack. While most of Milan is screaming color, Armani quietly stuck to his longtime favorites: sandy beige, pebble gray, coffee brown and ink blue.

____

Dsquared2

The Dsquared2 man is a creature of the night.

Even after dark he wears his "easy rider" shades, and his style is strictly black.

The transgressive 2013 summer menswear collection presented Tuesday by the fun-loving Canadian designing twins Dean and Dan Caten came as a surprise after four days of preview showings characterized by a sporty but conservative look.

High-top animal print shoes with black soles and metal tongues as large as shin guards, abundant use of metal chains and tight-fitting leather scuba jackets all contributed to a very dark look. The only bright light in the collection was a series of white embroidered or studded shirts.

Like many designers showing their summer collections during this round of menswear, the Cates paired Bermuda shorts with jackets for a contemporary suit look. But the DSquared version has a panel across the front, making it the only wraparound Bermuda for men seen to date, and not only in Milan.

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Report: Syrian general, dozens of other soldiers defect

By msnbc.com news services

ANKARA, Turkey -- Dozens of members of Syria's military defected to Turkey overnight with their families, a Turkish official said Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries over Syria's downing of a Turkish military plane.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said 33 soldiers crossed into Turkey overnight and the group ? 224 people in all ? included a general and two colonels.

A government official, however, said the group included three colonels and there was no general among them. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, did not know the overall number of defectors and the two accounts could not immediately be reconciled.

---

The defections come three days after Syria shot down a Turkish aircraft it said had violated its airspace, further fraying relations between the two countries that were once allies.

Turkey has summoned a NATO meeting for Tuesday to agree a response to the downing of its military reconnaissance jet in what it says was an attack without warning. NATO's founding treaty allows an ally to request consultations whenever it feels its security is threatened.

Turkey said the plane had unintentionally strayed into Syria's airspace, but was inside international airspace when it was brought down. It has insisted the jet was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities and was not spying on Syria.

Turkey seeks NATO action over Syria military jet downing

Turkey's cabinet was due to meet on Monday to discuss Friday's attack, which lent a more menacing international dimension to the 16-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad. Britain said it could press for more serious action at the United Nations Security Council.

Reports are surfacing that Syria may have shot down a Turkish fighter jet over Syrian waters in the Mediterranean Sea. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Anadolu said the group of defectors was placed in a refugee camp in Hatay, a province bordering Syria but there was no further information. Turkey is hosting some 33,000 Syrians who have crossed into Turkey to find refuge from the 15-months old violence.

Thousands of soldiers have abandoned the Syrian regime, but most are low-level conscripts. The Free Syria Army ? the loosely linked group of rebel forces ? is made up largely of defectors.

Report: Saudis will pay salaries of Syria rebel army

Defectors affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and based in Turkey are known to collect food and other supplies to deliver to comrades on smuggling routes.

The government official said another group of some 60 army defectors had also crossed into Turkey recently. ?

P.J. Crowley, former State Department spokesman, joins Andrea Mitchell Reports to talk about how US and Russia might work together to prevent a civil war in Syria.

The United Nations has said more than 10,000 people have been killed by government forces, while Syria has said at least 2,600 members of the military and security forces have been killed by what it calls foreign-backed "Islamist terrorists."

Fierce fighting continued inside Syria, which has a 550-mile border with Turkey, with rebel fighters killing dozens of soldiers in the last few days as they fought against army attacks on towns and villages in central, north and eastern Syria in the last several days, according to opposition sources.

Reports: West may offer Syria's Assad immunity

Syrian tanks and artillery shelled the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, killing at least 20 people on Sunday in the second day of heavy bombardment in the country's main oil-producing region, opposition activists said.

"Regime forces have dismantled their roadblocks from inside of Deir al-Zor after incurring heavy losses from rebels. They have withdrawn from residential areas and are now shelling the city from the outskirts. The victims are mostly civilians," a source at a hospital in Deir al-Zor told Reuters.

The official state news agency said "terrorists" abducted a state-appointed head of clerics in Deir al-Zor and blew up an oil pipeline passing through the province.

Syria air force colonel flies to Jordan, gets political asylum

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an opposition activists' organization that monitors the crackdown on the 16-month revolt against Assad's rule, said loyalist forces on Sunday killed another 70 people, mostly civilians and soldiers who had tried to defect, elsewhere in the country in shelling, military raids and summary executions in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deraa and suburbs of Damascus.

The intensification of the fighting has raised fears in Turkey of a flood of refugees and a slide into ethnic and religious warfare that could envelop the region. Ankara, like the West, is torn between a wish to remove Assad and the fear that any armed intervention could unleash uncontrollable forces.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

?

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Japan Inc's ritual hiring past sell-by date

TOKYO (Reuters) - Each April, hundreds of new graduates report for work in Japan's corporate world, all on the same day, all dressed in standard business black, and all ready to be molded into staunch company loyalists.

Across the country, companies select and groom new staff under a decades-old formula that puts an emphasis on loyalty, diligence and conformity, not the vision or out-of-box thinking that experts say corporate Japan badly needs to halt its decline.

The current heads of Japan's companies are often criticized for failing to keep pace with fleet-footed foreign rivals, but most are a product of that system and there is nothing to suggest it will change any time soon.

"Companies were assessing your personality and looking whether you would fit," says Erina Seki, 23, one of the students Reuters followed through the annual five-month ritual of dozens of job fairs, workshops and interviews.

"At one insurance firm, I was told that I wouldn't fit because I was too vocal about my opinions," said the fourth-year accounting major from Tokyo's Rikkyo University, who finally landed a job with an outplacement service company.

"I thought companies were looking for perfect matches with the corporate culture."

Unlike in many other parts of the world where the ability to deal with the unexpected or devise new solutions to problems are prized, the top concern for Japanese employers seems to be how well a recruit would blend in and get along with others, the students said.

They recounted being asked same generic questions over and over again in what could be up to a dozen of interviews for a single prospective employer.

The outcome? A culture where even outsiders brought in to shake things up struggle to challenge the status-quo.

The six-year reign of Welsh-born Howard Stringer at the helm of Sony Corp , which ended after a dismal run of losses, and the ouster of another Briton, Michael Woodford, as head of camera and endoscope maker Olympus are cases in point.

Both were replaced by company veterans.

A shortage of strong leaders and risk-takers, which the present recruitment and training system seems unable to produce, is seen as a major cause of the woes of Japanese companies, from its once-famed electronics industry to auto giants.

Toyota Motor , once the world's biggest automaker, has seen its market share slip to General Motors and Volkswagen and has South Korea's Hyundai in its rear-view mirror.

Electronics giants Sony , Panasonic and Sharp , slow to revamp loss-making TV businesses, suffered a combined $20 billion loss in the past fiscal year, hammered by competition from South Korea's Samsung Electronics .

Squeezed by nimbler foreign rivals overseas, Japanese companies also face a shrinking market at home. The population peaked in 2008 at just over 128 million and the government forecasts it will keep falling over coming decades to about 90 million in 2060 when 40 percent of Japanese will be 65 or older.

Almost every major Japanese company participates in the annual mass-hiring ritual that dates back to the country's post-war economic miracle, when skilled workers were in short supply and companies began hiring graduates in bulk, trained them for months and secured their loyalty by guaranteeing a job for life.

That guarantee is no longer there, but the ritual continues.

STAMINA NOT FLAIR

With just over nine jobs awaiting every 10 of the 381,000 students graduating and looking for work this year, and the most coveted with the likes of Toyota or Nomura even more scarce, job-hunting has become fiercely competitive.

Between early December when big companies start advertising entry-level positions and April when they make offers to fourth-year students, each student will typically send up to a hundred or more applications, attend dozens of presentations and endure multiple interviews with 20-30 prospective employers.

"At the peak, I attended 2-3 seminars a day, I almost had no time to attend school," said Yuki Yamamoto, a law graduate from Keio University.

"School was in an exam period in January but irrespective of this, job seminars continued. Some students even gave up taking exams."

The system has also led to a flourishing industry in cram schools.

Chihiro Obata, a senior official at Vein Carry Japan that offers courses to candidates, says the number of such private schools has quadrupled over the past three years in Tokyo to about 80.

Her company charges 105,000 yen (about $1,300) for courses that teaches students how to write CVs and job applications, how to bow and exchange cards and simply look good in interviews. It offers to refund the fee if students do not land a job.

Last year, a Tokyo department store even organized a workshop for students of both sexes on how to use skin lotions to look fresh in interviews.

Under a voluntary pact, the country's leading 840 or so companies grouped in its top business lobby Keidanren, recruit during the same five-month window. Uniform entry salaries, today at around 200,000 yen per month, are also common.

Rehearsed and scripted, the process leaves little room for spontaneity and frustrated students talk of a mad scramble of job fairs held in vast convention halls.

"Skills seem to carry little importance," says Shunsaku Funaki, a 21-year-old politics major from Tokyo Kokushikan University who so far has not found a job.

"Companies want to train and educate students from scratch and that hasn't changed over the years. I want the culture of uniform job-hunting activity to be destroyed and want companies to seek students with variety."

FOLLOWERS OR LEADERS?

Not only the students are fed up. Management experts and recruitment professionals say that if Japanese companies are serious about change, the system that defines their DNA has to change first.

"If you bring somebody in when they just graduate, they practically have no business experience, so how are they going to come up with new ideas?" says Christine Wright, Asia operations director with Hays recruitment firm.

"They would just think the way the company thinks."

Hiring managers however say the old formula has its merits.

"We are able to secure a certain number of students who meet certain criteria relatively easily, and it helps reduce costs of employee education because that is done simultaneously," says Hiroshi Ishihara, recruiting group manager at home electric appliance maker Hitachi .

Takashi Shinohara, human resources manager with office equipment maker Ricoh , says the system allows his company, which hires 200-300 graduates each year, plan and maintain a steady age profile of its workforce.

Although mid-career hiring is on the rise, at most big firms the track to top management still involves joining the company fresh out of school.

Ricoh's Shinohara acknowledges the need for changes but says it is hard to envisage a radical overhaul.

"Companies do hiring and students do the job-hunting simultaneously. This system is entrenched."

Online retailer Rakuten , which uses English as its main language and has been recruiting engineering graduates from China, has modified rather than ditched the system even though it is not part of the Keidanren pact.

Yoshinori Kondo, head of its global talent development office, says it is important for newcomers to stick together, so Rakuten still hires them in batches. But it does so twice a year to accommodate foreign students who graduate in the autumn rather than in spring like their Japanese peers.

Other companies also focus on foreign graduates as a source of new ideas. Hitachi, for example, wants to double the number of graduate positions filled by foreigners to 10 percent.

Hiring Japanese educated overseas is also an option to bring in some diversity. However, the number of Japanese studying abroad has been declining since 2004 as they are reluctant to leave for fear of missing the mass hiring.

Experts also warn that firms that hire foreigners will not succeed in getting diversity and new thinking if they try to squeeze them into the old seniority-based system and pre-determined career path.

For now, signs are that even an exponent of a new, more dynamic Japan, such as Rakuten, is not quite ready to let go.

While its employees are expected to show initiative and "venture spirit," they should do so in the vein of "The 5 Concepts of Success" laid down by company founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, it says.

($1 = 80 Japanese yen)

(Additional Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Linda Sieg; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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96% Yellow Submarine

I don't mean to sound trite, but they should just rename this film "Drug Trip: The Movie" and be done with it. Seriously.Ok then, with that out of the way, I must say, this is a bit of a hard film to really rate or review. Obviously I'm gonna have to do just that, but it is a bit difficult for me.This fantasy centered around The Beatles going out to stop a bunch of creatures caleld Blue Meanies who have taken over a place called Pepperland combines the terrific music of The Beatles with really cool and unique art disrection and visual styles to create a film that is really just an otherworldlt experience. Just so you know, I didn't see this high, but I did have a couple of drinks. I really cn't say what would be the best way to experience this film. I leave that up to you.There's a story, but it's pretty much just a thin clothesline to hang some great tunes and trippy visuals on. This will probably not appeal to some people, but, I at least got something out of it, even if I don't truly know how I feel about this film-hence why my rating is mainly a formaility.I do think this should be seen though, because it is entertaining, and there's some wild stuff going on, even if it does get a bit too self indulgant with the psychedelia. At least there's the music and some subtle, dry humor to make the film more than just trippiness.

April 16, 2007

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Suu Kyi's fight against oppression had high cost

Aung San Suu Kyi donned a cap and gown to receive her Civil Law Doctorate from Oxford University. Author Peter Popham discusses.

By NBC News' Tazeen Ahmad

She was already an international symbol of the fight against oppression and a unique figurehead for democracy. But, Aung San Suu Kyi --?the woman who took on Myanmar's military rulers armed with little more than the strength of her convictions -- was this week elevated to even higher status.

The end of Suu Kyi?s European tour has officially marked her arrival as a truly global political icon.?But behind the smiles and oft-witnessed stoicism that define her public persona is a story of terrible personal loss, a heart-breaking tale of personal sacrifice: Two boys who grew up without their mother and a husband who died of cancer in her absence.

---

?

Andy Rain / EPA

Aung San Suu Kyi holds her honorary degree Tuesday at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, Britain.

It is part of the narrative that defines Suu Kyi, 67, and made her return to Europe after 24 years away even more poignant and moving.

She is the daughter of national hero Aung San, the man who secured Burma?s independence from British rule in 1947.

He was killed when Suu Kyi was just 2 years old. His death and legacy laid the foundations of her incredible future commitment to her country.

In her early 20s, she studied at Oxford University in England, where she met and fell in love with Michael Aris, the man who would become her husband. It was during this very happy marriage that Suu Kyi got what many have defined as ?her calling.?

Suu Kyi: Nobel Prize 'made me real once again'

In March 1988 her two boys, Alexander and Kim, were sleeping upstairs in their home in Oxford while she was reading quietly with Michael when a phone call came that would change their lives and Myanmar's political history forever.

Her mother was sick and needed her.

Suu Kyi packed her bags and flew back to her homeland. On arrival, she found not just a mother who was dying but a country in the midst of great political turmoil. Within months she had buried her mother and taken the lead in the non-violent struggle against a brutal military regime that was slaughtering protesters en masse.? By July 1989, she was placed under house arrest.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the World Economic Forum in Bangkok saying, "we just want to improve the state of Burma" and urged the international community to not be overly optimistic about her country's reform process. NBC's Ian Williams reports.

In the time that followed, Suu Kyi believed she would soon return to Oxford, but the days turned into months, the months into years. In total, she spent 24 years away from her beloved England, either in detention or unable to leave for fear of not being allowed back. She saw her sons only occasionally when the regime allowed them to visit.

Author and Journalist, Peter Popham, who has met Aung San Suu Kyi twice, wrote a biography about her called ?The Lady and The Peacock.?

"Neither she nor her husband imagined that it would lead to the destruction of the family," he said. ?Michael is on the record as saying he expected the regime to collapse before Christmas."

But many Christmases came and went and the boys turned into men, without their mother?s presence.

Earlier: Large crowds welcome Suu Kyi as she travels Thailand during world tour

A very public reunion took place last November between her and her younger son Kim, by then 33 years old. At the airport in Rangoon she cast a delicate and lonely figure but also a mother like any other desperately awaiting the arrival of her son.

Watching the video footage of it now, it's a very moving moment. Kim turns up and they smile for the cameras; she looks up proudly at her tall, handsome son. It had been 10 years since she had last seen him and she had then never met her grandchildren.

There are many conflicting rumors about her older son, Alexander, who did not attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, last weekend. Some say he has found it difficult to forgive his mother's absence.

In an ITN interview Tuesday, Suu Kyi had a pragmatic response: ?We have never spoken of forgiveness as such,? she said, ?but we also have to remember that although my sons may not have had me near them, their position was so much better than that of many young people in Burma.?

For the first time in nearly a quarter century, Myanmar's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has left her country for a journey overseas, first to Bangkok and later to Europe. NBC's Ian Williams reports.

But what about her? Was she a mother who made a painful sacrifice for her country?

'Stubborn streak'
Popham said that she did not view this as sacrifice but more as a choice with the agreement of her sons and husband.?

"Many people wonder why she has been unable to express her feelings for the loss of her family,? he said, ?and they think that maybe this is because she is rather a cold person to whom the family doesn?t mean much, but this is a serious misunderstanding.?

Her ?stubborn streak? -- a personal trait she referred to when in London this week -- may have had a big role to play, as may have a certain lightness of being. She keeps a poker face, notable during her trip this week, but it is also interjected with moments of mischief.

All her speeches have been peppered with irreverent references and she was often caught grinning broadly; a sense of humor never seems far away.

Bono, of the band U2, a long-time supporter, told me that she combines charisma with a unique determination.

?She is still inside herself,? he said, ?And steely; there is a toughness as well as a tenderness.?

Her Buddhist meditation practice is said to have helped her during her longest and darkest moments, as has her own childhood marked with control, resolve and poise. These were coping mechanisms that got her through the last two decades.

Popham said she was always careful not to reveal what she really thought.

?She was an extremely devoted mother and housewife and the separation for years was certainly something that was never envisaged.? He continued, ?She?s never spoken about it, spoken about the pain that she undoubtedly endured because to do so would be a way of telling the military regime your strategy is working. I am suffering.?

When asked this week about the family she left behind, she was as direct and confident in her answer as ever.

"I don't feel good about it,? she said, ?but on the other hand I think that in the end one decides what one's priorities are, and one lives with one's decisions."

She?s had a quarter of a century to make peace with those decisions. Her return to the U.K. must have been overwhelmingly bittersweet.

But, long accustomed to being a woman who keeps her feelings private, in Dublin she told me simply that her trip had been ?absolutely stupendous.?

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

?

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Miami FOP union chief loses bid for statewide post

Armando Aguilar?, the outspoken president of the local Fraternal Order of Police, won?t get to head the statewide police union.

Aguilar lost his bid for the job in a 268-176 vote at last week?s state FOP conference in Palm Beach Gardens, union officials said.

?I guess Central and North Florida weren?t ready for a Hispanic,? Aguilar said.

A 30-year veteran of the Miami Police Department, Aguilar has been president of the local union for the past eight years. He served as vice president for the eight years before that, he said.

Aguilar holds his local office through December.

?I don?t plan to run again in December,? he told The Miami Herald. ?At least that?s the plan for now.?

The winner of the state FOP election was incumbent Jim Preston?, a retired sergeant with the Tampa Police Department.

Kathleen McGrory

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Tips And Information About Your Personal Finance - Turnkey Loan

The balance you have on your credit cards make a big difference in your credit score. A higher balance translates to a lower score. Your score will improve as you pay off debt. Try to keep the balance at 20% or less than the maximum credit allowed.

If there is an old laptop sitting around, turn this into extra money easily. A working laptop will sell for more than one that doesn?t work. Even if the laptop is broken you can still sell it, at least it might be enough for a tank of gas.

You can increase your money by saving up the coins that you collect in your pockets. Try collecting them in a money jar, and if you have any money to spare, try buying one lottery ticket once a month. Only purchase one though, as purchasing more can lead to the loss of the money you just saved.

Talk to your friends and family about your personal finances. This will help them understand why you are not going out with them as much. If you do not explain the reason you turn down offers or do not buy gifts, many people assume you are upset with them. Allow your loved ones to know what?s going on with you so that they understand why you?re doing the things you do.

Working from home is a good way to save money. Working at an office or other workplace can cost you plenty. Gas and meal expenses are two of the main expenses that you will incur when driving to work.

Choosing a credit card that offers rewards can be a smart financial move. Rewards programs are most beneficial if you can pay your balance in full each month. Rewards cards could compensate you with cash back, airline miles or even other things that you can use for everyday purchases. Find which type of rewards are appealing and compare the offers they give you based on the percentage of the purchases you do on a regular basis.

You may not be happy with your employment situation or your income, but some money coming in is better than none. Getting off the train you?re riding right now can be pretty tempting. Be certain that there?s another train to board, though, or you could find yourself stranded a long way from financial security.

Control the flow of cash in your account. Track the money you spend and the money you bring in, and review how your property is performing each month. It?s a great idea to have a well-developed budget for your property to use as a reference.

Manage your finances in the same manner that banks manage their finances. Calculate how much you make and how much you spend each month. If you expect your expenses to fluctuate, always make a high estimate and if there is extra money after bills you should save it.

Don?t take on too much credit. Too much credit brings down your score, impacting you in a variety of negative ways.

You personal financial health depends on keeping your debt under control. Some debt is unavoidable; however, if you can avoid those sources of debt that are problematic, like credit cards, you will save yourself headaches later. Borrowing less means you have less money to pay towards fees and interest.

Check over your bank statement every month. Make sure that there hasn?t been an increase in your rates or fees. Too often, people do not carefully check their bank statements and end up being charged much more in fees than they thought. Because of this, you should look over each statement with care.

Don?t get overwhelmed with the pile of bills every month; give yourself a budget and make shopping lists that use your money in a wise way every month. Use these tips to avoid any of your accounts going into collections.

About 0 apr credit cards ? Tips For Successful Credit Card Ownership

Many individuals have lamented that they have a hard time managing their credit cards. Just like most things, it is much easier to manage your credit cards effectively if you are equipped with sufficient information and guidance. This article has lots of tips to help you manage the credit card in your life better.

Try to limit your use of credit cards for only significant purchases, which you have planned for ahead of time. Credit cards should not be used for impulse buys or smaller purchases, such as, a cup of coffee. The quickest way to get in trouble with credit cards is by getting into the habit of using them for every purchase.

Read each monthly statement carefully. Make sure that you recognize each charge that is applied to your card and any payments made. If you find an unfamiliar charge, it may be a mistake placed on by the card company, or it could be something worse, such as someone else using your card without your permission. Make sure that you contact the company if you see these any bogus charges.

Check your credit report regularly. By law, you are allowed to check your credit score once a year from the three major credit agencies. This may be often enough, if you use credit sparingly and always pay on time. You may want to spend the extra money, and check more often if you carry a lot of credit card debt.

If you cannot pay your entire credit card bill each month, you should definitely keep your available credit limit above 50% after each billing cycle. Having a good credit to debt ratio is an important part of your credit score. Make sure that your credit card is not constantly near its limit.

If you?ve been guilty of using your credit card incorrectly, hopefully, you will reform your ways after what you have just read. Don?t try to change all your credit habits at once. Use one tip at a time, so that you can develop a more healthy relationship with credit and then, use your credit card to improve your credit score. More on secured credit cards to rebuild credit

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'Liar' Kaneria given life ban from English cricket

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FACT CHECK: Romney's immigration promises

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at the NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) conference in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at the NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) conference in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Courting Hispanic voters, Mitt Romney is promising to ease the path to a green card, fix a complicated and cumbersome system to let farm workers into the United States and finish a high-tech fence along the Mexican border.

What Romney glossed over Thursday before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials was how difficult some of those changes could be. Some already have been tried, with little or no success. Here's a closer look at his immigration assertions and how they match up with the facts:

ROMNEY: "As president, I'd reallocate green cards to those seeking to keep their families under one roof. And we will exempt from caps the spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents. And we will eliminate other forms of bureaucratic red tape that keep families from being together." He added: "And if you get an advanced degree here, we want you to stay here. So I'd staple a green card to the diploma of someone who gets an advanced degree in America."

THE FACTS: It's unclear whether Romney would have the authority if elected president to change the way green cards are issued, or whether he would need help from Congress. It is Congress that sets the annual limits for visas for foreigners who have advanced degrees in certain fields of science, math and other professions. Lately, Republicans and groups representing U.S. workers have blocked legislative attempts to increase those limits.

Advocates for immigration reform have long argued that the president can use executive powers to relax or change various immigration regulations. President Barack Obama has done that twice in the last year. First, he allowed prosecutors discretion to focus deportation of illegal immigrants on those with a criminal record or who otherwise pose a threat. Last week, he announced plans to stop deporting many young illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children who have not committed a crime in the U.S. and to grant them work permits.

Republicans have argued that Obama stretched his authority, but Romney seems to be suggesting he, too, could act alone to make broad changes.

And Romney's proposal for keeping educated foreigners in the U.S. isn't original. Obama, in a May 2011 immigration proposal, called for "encouraging foreign students to stay in the U.S. and contribute to our economy by stapling a green card to the diplomas" of those with advanced science, technology, engineering and math degrees.

ROMNEY: "I will work with states and employers to update our temporary worker visa program so that it meets our economic needs."

THE FACTS: Temporary and seasonal workers are considered a necessity for the U.S. agriculture industry, but importing legal workers has proved difficult. The Labor Department's visa program for temporary seasonal workers has long been viewed as costly, cumbersome and inefficient.

Several attempts to overhaul it that included a path to legalization for the workers have been blocked in Congress. Republicans have repeatedly said that any immigration bill offering a path to legalization would not win their support.

ROMNEY: "We should field enough Border Patrol agents, complete a high-tech fence and implement an improved exit verification system."

THE FACTS: Romney's plans don't take notice of what's already been done, including record-high staffing levels along the border and the failure of a Bush-era virtual fence plan.

The Border Patrol has more than 18,500 agents working on the southern border. In the year budget ending last September, agents apprehended about 340,000 illegal immigrants, the fewest in nearly 40 years ? an average of 18 apprehensions per agent. The decrease in apprehensions has been linked to a weak economy producing fewer jobs in the U.S. and to more law enforcement agents and technology being deployed along the border.

Under the Bush administration, the government built hundreds of miles of fencing along the Mexican border. A planned virtual fence was also started, but then scrapped by the Obama administration in 2010 after the project was deemed a failure. About 53 miles of virtual fencing is in place, at a cost of about $1 billion.

An exit verification system has been sought since after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but efforts to build one have been repeatedly stymied, most often because of the projected costs. Earlier this year, John Cohen, deputy counterterrorism coordinator for the Homeland Security Department, told a congressional panel that the agency was finalizing plans for a biometric data system to track who leaves the country and when. He didn't give details.

___

Associated Press writer Suzanne Gamboa contributed to this report.

___

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitte.com/acaldwellap

Associated Press

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Top 10 things you need to know about your Galaxy S III

If there's one thing we discovered in writing our exhaustive TouchWiz Nature UX guide, it's that there's a ton of stuff to discover on the Samsung Galaxy S III. We've been using it for the best part of a month, and we're still finding new features. So we've put together a quick round-up of the top ten things you need to know about your new Galaxy S III, if you're picking one up over the next few days.

Take a look through the list below -- chances are you'll discover all manner of features you didn't even know your phone had!

• That lock screen can be customized in all sorts of ways
• The water droplet sound when you press buttons can be disabled
• You can connect USB keyboards, mice, hubs and storage devices
• The stock Gallery and Music apps now have DLNA streaming support baked in
• There's a slew of gesture-based control options that are disabled by default
• You can sync photos, videos and music wirelessly using Kies
• Some previously bundled Samsung apps can now be downloaded from "More Services" in the app drawer
• You can disable S Voice's double-tap shortcut for a faster home button response
• You can shoot 6MP stills at the same time as recording 1080p video
• You can find even more tips and tricks for your Galaxy s III by checking out the Android Central forums!

 

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