Mobile Bay Film Scramble and Crescent Theater pres

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Team leader and director Doug Bruce, left, a student at Spring Hill College, talks with team producer Keith Necaise as they scout locations Oct. 28, 2006, on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile. The scramble is open to all area filmmakers. (Press-Register, Kate Mercer)

MOBILE, Alabama — For Mobile-Baldwin filmmakers, it’s time to put their great ideas into action for the 5th Mobile Bay Film Scramble.

“If you’ve always wanted to be a part of the exciting film scrambles happening in town but never knew how, here’s your chance,” says organizer Trey Lane.

“Film scrambles offer a unique challenge to all area filmmakers, from beginners to professionals Office 2010 Key, to complete a short film within a limited time frame.”

Participants have three ways to get in on the action. The first is to meet at the Blind Mule Bar & Restaurant at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 18.

“There you will find out the specs and rules of the scramble, register, meet other participants, have a bite to eat and a drink (or three),” Lane says. “If you’d like to participate but are not a filmmaker, come out anyway. Teams can always use actors, extras, technical assistants, prop masters, etc.”

Second Cheap windows 7 key, make your film and turn it in to the Crescent Theater by 8 p.m. Friday, June 8.

“That gives you around 20 days to write, record, edit and submit a short silent film,” the news release states.

Third, come out to the Crescent Theater at 11 p.m. Friday, June 22, to see all the films. Prizes will be awarded, with winners determined by audience vote.

Mobile began hosting film scrambles in 2006 with the Mobile Arts Council and Alabama Film Group headed up by Margaret Broach, according to the news release. “After that, film scrambles caught on, with Hailee Kuntz from South Alabama Film Festival hosting several film scrambles,” Lane says.

The Student and Filmmaker Alliance began hosting an annual film scramble in 2010 Microsoft Windows 7 Key, which paired seventh- and eighth-grade writers with local filmmakers. The group recently celebrated its third annual competition.

Mobile Bay Film Scramble has been hosting film scrambles at the Crescent Theater at least quarterly for the past few years.

For information on the film scramble and other film challenges, go to or contact Trey Lane at vocabularian@gmail.com.  

Information from Trey Lane and Mobile Bay Film Scramble was used in this report.

San Francisco – Golden Gate Bridge Marks 75 Years

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In this photo taken March 9, 2012 the Golden Gate Bridge is shown at Fort Point in San Francisco. It served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s tensely romantic first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958, made the cover of Rolling Stone in the ‘70s and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.” One way or another, the Golden Gate Bridge has packed a lot of history into its 75-year span. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

San Francisco – The Golden Gate Bridge is turning 75 this year. And what a historic span it’s been. Big, bold and orange, the bridge is a beloved symbol of San Francisco and one of the most instantly recognizable landmarks in the world.

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But for all its photogenic qualities replica watches, the bridge is a uniquely accessible icon. You can drive across, walk across, bike across, sail beneath it, or even scream over it in a daring display of aerial acrobatics. (OK, to do that last thing, you’d have to be in the Navy’s Blue Angels elite flying squad during Fleet Week.)

The public can also celebrate the bridge’s three-quarters of a century by taking part in many events scheduled from now through the fall, including art exhibits, film screenings, tours and talks. The biggest celebration takes place on the anniversary of its opening date, May 27.

In addition, organizers are inviting the public to share personal stories and photos of the bridge online at

“Everybody has a unique experience of the bridge,” says Mary Currie, public affairs director for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Hers came as a 14-year-old on a family vacation from the East Coast. “I remember being completely mesmerized and just incredibly blown away and amazed at the size and magnitude of the bridge. I don’t what that grace and beauty is that draws you in, but it draws you in.”

Here are some details on activities, events and history related to the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday.

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EXPERIENCE IT: Sure, it’s pretty, with elegant, brilliantly orange arms above the aqua shimmer of the San Francisco Bay. But this is no remote Mona Lisa of a landmark. Part of the appeal of the Golden Gate Bridge lies in how fully it can be experienced.

MASS TRANSIT: If you want to walk across, you may want to take mass transit, as there’s not much parking nearby. To get to the bridge from downtown, you can take either Golden Gate Transit or Muni buses. From the downtown/financial district take GGT Routes 10, 70, 80 or 101, travelling north. If you’re in Union Square, walk to the intersection of Fifth and Mission, find the bus stop in front of the Old Mint Building and take any GGT bus. For Muni, take Routes 20, 45, 22 or 28 from the downtown/financial district. More information on transit options can be found at 

In this photo taken Wednesday, April, 18, 2012, bicyclists are shown on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s tensely romantic first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958, made the cover of Rolling Stone in the ‘70s and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.” One way or another, the Golden Gate Bridge has packed a lot of history into its 75-year span. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

ON FOOT: Once at the bridge, pedestrians can access the East Sidewalk (the one facing San Francisco) from approximately sunrise to sunset. This sidewalk is for bikes and pedestrians, which means a certain amount of cooperation is required. No pets except service animals, no roller skates or skateboards. The West Sidewalk, which is for bikes only, has been closed due to construction but reopens May 18.

BY BIKE: A number of companies in San Francisco, including Blazing Saddles, offer bike rentals and/or organized tours. Visitors can ride across the bridge to the pleasant seaside town of Sausalito and then return by ferry.

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FUN FACTS: The bridge is not named for its color, but for the Golden Gate Strait, which is the entrance by water to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The bridge was painted orange partly for aesthetic reasons and party to increase visibility in the fog.

When it opened, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, a status it retained until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in New York City in 1964. Two billion-plus vehicles have made the trip between San Francisco and Marin County since 1937. The bridge has only been closed three times due to weather, but it is often partly shrouded in fog, and its fog horns can sound for hours a day during the area’s foggy summer season.

In this photo taken Wednesday, April, 18, 2012, a logo marking the 75h annivsary is painted on the restored Round House at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s tensely romantic first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958, made the cover of Rolling Stone in the ‘70s and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.” One way or another, the Golden Gate Bridge has packed a lot of history into its 75-year span. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

The bridge was unscathed by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which was centered 60 miles away, but it is being retrofitted to protect it from future quakes.

POP CULTURE: The Golden Gate Bridge has been in many movies. It served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s tensely romantic first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958 and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.” It also made the cover of “Rolling Stone” magazine for a 1976 story about San Francisco-based rockers;

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EVENTS: Numerous film screenings, tours, exhibits and other activities are being held around San Francisco this year to mark the bridge’s birthday. A calendar of events can be found at

The biggest public celebration is scheduled for Sunday replica watches, May 27, with events at multiple venues along a four-mile stretch of waterfront from Fort Point at the south anchorage of the bridge to Pier 39 at Beach Street and The Embarcadero. Bridge sidewalks will be closed at approximately 6 p.m. and reopen after the fireworks cap off the evening at 9:30 p.m. Fireworks will be viewable along the waterfront from Fort Point to Marina Green East.

BEFORE THE BRIDGE: Learn about the history of the bridge before its construction through an exhibit of photos, maps, charts, drawings, paintings and computer graphics along with a natural replica watches, nautical and military soundscape, at Montgomery Street Barracks, Building 103, next to Main Post Green, 103 Montgomery Blvd., May 23-Nov. 18, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.. Gallery 1 traces the history of the Golden Gate Straight and Gallery 11 explores two centuries of harbor defense and the building of the bridge.

FISHERMAN’S WHARF: Several events are planned at Fisherman’s Wharf May 26-27. Music, historic images, vintage automobiles from 1937 and maritime history exhibits will be on display at the Hyde Street Pier. At Pier 45, join the crew of the Jeremiah O’Brien celebrating the bridge anniversary on their Seamen’s Memorial Cruise May 27 (boarding 9 a.m., departure 10 a.m., return 2 p.m., adults $125, children 5-16, $75, family of two adults and two children $325, 

SWING OUT: Get into the musical mood of the 1930s at Pier 39 with Fil Lorenz Orchestra swing band. Free swing dance lessons provided in the entrance plaza. There’ll also be dancing to more contemporary tunes; May 27, 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m, free, Beach Street and The Embarcadero, 

WATCH: Bring a blanket or a low lawn chair to the Presidio for an outdoor screening of “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” the 1955 sci-fi movie in which a giant, radioactive octopus takes out a chunk of the bridge after engaging in hand-to-tentacle combat with the military and assorted others. Food trucks and live music, May 26, 6-10 p.m., Main Post Green, Presidio.

TRAGIC ENDINGS: One tragic aspect of Golden Gate history: Hundreds of people have leapt to their deaths from the bridge. The Bridge Rail Foundation, which is devoted to stopping the suicides, is staging an exhibit May 27 at the far west end of Crissy Field, near the Warming Hut on the Presidio, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., using more than 1,500 pairs of shoes to represent lives lost.

Debate on how to prevent suicides has been ongoing since the first death the year the bridge opened. Fencing has been proposed but never built. The bridge’s Board of Directors has approved putting a steel net below the bridge, but funding has yet to be arranged.

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Online:

Golden Gate Bridge 75th celebration: 

Big stock position puts Chesapeake employees at ri

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – The woes of Chesapeake Energy Corp are hitting shareholders hard, including its employees.

Thousands of Chesapeake workers have retirement portfolios that are heavily invested in Chesapeake stock, which has declined sharply following revelations about Chief Executive Aubrey K. McClendon’s business dealings.

But while retail and institutional investors have sold the stock, employees don’t always have that option.

Overall, 38 percent of Chesapeake Energy’s Savings & Incentive Stock Bonus Plan – the only 401(k) plan available to the majority of the firm’s employees – is in company stock, far above the 10 percent many plan consultants advise.

Currently, Chesapeake says about 4,000 employees are restricted from selling shares the company puts into their retirement portfolios to “match” the employee’s own contribution in the plan.

Most companies stopped offering 401(k) matches in stock after the 2001 collapse of Enron Corp, where employees were unable to sell their shares as the company went bankrupt.

Despite regulatory reforms aimed at reducing worker exposure to employer stock, Chesapeake is among a minority of companies that still offer 401(k) matching contribution in shares, highlighting the risk of tying a worker’s nest egg to an employer’s success.

Chesapeake’s stock had dropped almost 40 percent to $15.52 at Monday’s close since its high this year of $25.58 in March. The shares were down nearly 7 percent on Tuesday, hit by a rating downgrade and word the company had increased a new bridge loan.

“Employees are naturally worried,” said Greg Womack, an Edmond, Oklahoma-based financial adviser who says he has been fielding calls from concerned Chesapeake employees. “If the stock doesn’t recover Wholesale Tattoo Kits, this is a substantial part of people’s retirement.”

Chesapeake’s retirement plan, to be sure, has been a generous one, and helped put the Oklahoma City-based company on Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work since 2008.

The company matches every dollar a salaried employee invests in the 401(k) plan – up to 15 percent of an employee’s salary – with shares of stock. That’s more than three times the typical match.

Stock matching programs help companies keep employee interests aligned with corporate goals. They also offer big tax benefits and substantial financial savings to companies.

Out of more than 13,000 employees, the 4,000 workers who cannot sell shares in the stock plan only represent 5 percent of the plan assets, said Michael Kehs, a Chesapeake spokesman, who declined to give total assets in the plan or plan details.

Those 4,000 employees are newer employees, who likely are making small contributions to the plan, thus accounting for the 5 percent, said Don Stone, managing partner of Chicago-based Plan Sponsor Advisors, a plan consultant.

“But just because they may have small balances in their 401(k) plans doesn’t change the fact that it could be a big percentage of those employees’ money,” Stone said.

According to a Chesapeake’s 2010 filing on its 401(k) plan, which is the latest available, the plan had $490 million in assets as of December 31, 2010. The firm’s 149 union employees are offered a different 401(k) plan that matches employees’ contributions in cash – 50 cents for every dollar up to 4 percent of employees’ salaries, Kehs said.

Chesapeake requires employees in its retirement plan to hold stock for the maximum amount of time allowed by law: until they have been employed for three years or have reached age 55.

“Chesapeake has created a fairly volatile situation here,” said Greg Ash, a partner at Kansas City-based Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP, which represents employers on retirement plan issues.

“In an industry in which the stock price can go up and down quickly and especially with all of the recent headlines, I would hope they are talking about removing the three-year lock in (for the employee match),” said Ash.

Chesapeake’s workers can invest their own contributions in company stock or in an array of more than 28 investment options, according to BrightScope, which tracks 401(k) plans and rates the plan above-average compared to its peers.

Chesapeake says 95 percent of the plan assets and 98 percent of the vested plan assets can be diversified.

On average, employers match worker contributions up to 3 to 4 percent of their salary, almost always with cash, according to plan consultants. Some companies offer slightly more.

Only 12 percent of companies provide a company stock match, down from 45 percent in 2001, according to benefits consultancy Aon Hewitt. And only 1.2 percent of plans that give a match in company stock do not allow employees to sell that stock immediately.

Three former employees interviewed by Reuters said they still held Chesapeake shares and were holding onto their stock with the hope that it would rebound.

For others, what was once an attractive perk doesn’t seem that way anymore.

“At the time, I viewed it as a company putting their money where their mouth is,” said one former employee, who has left the company.

Now that he’s in his thirties and has a family, he said he would not be as comfortable with the idea.

Many companies offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) inside a 401(k) – which is what Chesapeake offers – and supplement it with another kind of retirement benefit plan to provide employees more diversification, according to Michael Keeling, president of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan Association, a trade group. But there is no additional plan available for non-union employees at Chesapeake.

EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS

Chesapeake “routinely reviews the plan design and investments taking into account all Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor guidelines,” the company spokesman said in an email to Reuters.

Principal Financial Group runs the company’s financial literacy education program. According to Principal documents about the program supplied to Reuters by Chesapeake, the company regularly sends educational materials about its 401(k) plan to employees that emphasize the need to diversify.

Five former employees interviewed by Reuters agree that the company makes concerted efforts to educate plan participants.

Despite these efforts, more than one-third of Chesapeake’s plan remains in company stock, down from a high of 77 percent in 2005, but still way above industry average.

The average 401(k) plan had 11.4 percent in company stock at the end of 2010, down from 13 percent in 2009, according to an Aon Hewitt survey of 401(k) plans that Micky Sharpz Tattoo Machines, in total, served more than 12 million employees.

LITIGATION LIABILITIES

From 1997 through July 2010, 211 class action lawsuits were filed against employers over company stock, according to Cornerstone Research.

While these cases tend to be dismissed or settled, the threat of a suit and the bad publicity and legal hassles that come with it has led many companies to stop offering stock matches Tattoo Kits Cheap, said Bill McClain, a consultant for Mercer who advises 401(k) plans.

“If you have major movement in the company stock it could be very well made into a lawsuit,” McClain said.

But it could be hard to get traction for litigation, given that Chesapeake’s 401k plan is an ESOP.

In a regular 401(k) plan with a company stock fund, it would be easier to make a case that the plan should have removed the stock fund if the stock fell dramatically, said Elizabeth Nedrow, a partner at Holland & Hart LLP, who represents employers in these cases.

“That argument is harder to make with an ESOP because by statute there is a presumption that the plan is supposed to invest in company stock,” Nedrow says.

(Reporting By Jessica Toonkel; Matt Robinson; Additional reporting by Jennifer Cummings; Editing by Lauren Young, Jennifer Merritt and Tim Dobbyn)

Deals Global Deals Review: 2011 Q3 Global Deals Review: 2011 Q2 Global Deals Review Hot Stocks Asian Markets Money Inflows Outflows Chesapeake Energy Regulatory News Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News

The Legacy of the Space Shuttle

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As each remaining orbiter of the shuttle fleet takes their final flight to museums around the nation, it is a fitting time to reflect on the legacy of these iconic space vehicles.

Citizens and visitors went outside in large numbers to watch the final flybys of these majestic birds that were the cornerstone of America’s human spaceflight activities for 30 years. An entire generation has grown up knowing the Space Shuttle as America’s only method of human access to space. Clearly this was an important passing, the end of an era. Many now believe that the end of the Shuttle era marks the end of U.S. leadership in human spaceflight.

As we close out the Space Shuttle era, we should reflect both on the amazing accomplishments of what they have achieved as well as the harsh lessons of the two tragic accidents. Most importantly, it is a time to reflect about the future, and why America should and is leading the world in human space exploration today and in the future!

The Space Shuttle has been the most successful space launch system ever by far. In 30 years we launched the Space Shuttle 135 times. Today more than half of the just over 500 people who have ever orbited the earth, have done so aboard one of the five space shuttles. The fleet has launched satellites, interplanetary probes, orbital laboratories and space telescopes, and most all of the non-Russian parts of the International Space Station were lifted to orbit aboard shuttles.

These amazing successes have been marred by two tragic failures: the sad losses of Challenger and of Columbia and their crews. These brought the survivability expectations both actual and projected to about a one in seventy chance of death, which is far higher than we should ask of our NASA explorers, and far higher than is acceptable for future commercial and private access to space.

The shuttle for all its capabilities was a victim of the political process of its creation. It became the ship of compromises, a single ship to fit all needs. Its goals were changed a number of times in development. In the end, while it succeeded in its goal to be able to lift a large crews and massive cargo into orbit, it failed both to reach the highly anticipated and fundamentally needed safety, and to fulfill an intended cost effectiveness promise which would have been achievable by leveraging flight frequency and full reusability. For example, while every capsule style spacecraft has had launch abort systems to allow the crew to escape in case of launch failure, the Shuttle’s originally planned ejection seats were cut due to weight and other considerations in the final design. And instead of being able to fly every week or two Tattoo Supplies sale, each orbiter was largely disassembled, inspected and reassembled each flight, which made flights infrequent and costly. Even the space shuttle’s basic delta wing configuration, grew out of an air force partnership demand that the vehicle could make cross range landings. This was one of many technical capabilities the shuttle satisfied, but was never used.

While we will not and should never forget these shortcomings and tragedies, we should now live in the present and look with pride at America’s space future. I spent this past weekend at the World Science Festival in Washington D.C. alongside numerous NASA officials, and on a panel discussing the future of spaceflight with Elon Musk of Space X and George Whitesides of Virgin Galactic. The event was attended by many tens of thousands of students and it was clear that interest in science and space was far from dead. Lockheed Martin (builder of NASA’s new Orion spacecraft) was the main sponsor and their new capsule sat center stage. NASA, Space X and the whole pantheon of new commercial contributors were well represented too. It was a festival of the future; it was great to see the enthusiasm for STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) as well as space.

Sadly, while there, I heard yet again, something I have heard from old and young across the country almost every time I give a speech. Just after I finished sharing a presentation of my own trip to the ISS with the many eager conference participants, a young girl of about age 11, came up to me and said “Wow it’s so cool you got to go into space, and sad that I will never get the chance because we are no longer going to send astronauts into space.” When I told her, that “In fact, we do still send astronauts into space, and new rockets are being built right now, so don’t give up your dream of space flight” her face lit up, and she yelled out “Yes!” as she fist pumped into the air.

NASA had a plan, called Constellation, to take us back to the Moon and then on to Mars. However, this plan was far too expensive and would have taken far too long. Thus, no president or congress ever called for it to be funded, and it was eventually canceled. In the face of great adversity though, NASA has figured out a great solution. By relying on commercial solutions for “routine” human launch capability, just like they already do for most satellite and interplanetary probe launches, they can cut the cost of basic access to the space station and other work in low earth orbit by something on the order of 10 fold or more! This means that NASA can now focus its budget and innovation on taking humanity farther into the solar system!

Understandably Top Tattoo Guns, this plan is incredibly disruptive to the status quo, causing job losses in many of the NASA facilities and with traditional prime contractors, along with the divisive politics that come along with such huge changes. But it is also saving NASA huge amounts of money, while dramatically expanding its capabilities and letting it shop for varying solutions as its needs change. It will also allow other commercial companies to plan their own business in space, which was never possible when only NASA had human space vehicles that were unavailable to commercial companies or private use. This new public private partnership method is working! Costs are dropping, flight frequency will soon rise, safety will thus improve, and access to space will become democratized.

With the combination of the powerful capabilities of the International Space Station (which could only have been built by the Space Shuttle) and new low cost access to access it and beyond, we are poised to enter a new “Golden Age of Space Travel”!

The legacy of the Shuttle Program is great! What we have learned through its tenure and what we are learning today because of the assets it has put in space are testimonies to its success. As this era is now behind us, let us both take pride in what the Shuttle Program has accomplished, and acknowledge our new needs for the future, and revel in the golden age to come!

NASA is now poised to once again, go boldly where no one has gone before!

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Jerusalem – Israel’s Nonstop Blabbing Defense Min

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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the podium nearby a teleprompter (R) and a security agent (L) as he speaks to the Foreign Press Association in a hotel in Jerusalem, Israel, 30 April 2012. Barak spoke on a wide range of topics including the Iranian nuclear threat and the prospects of an upcoming general election.  EPA/JIM HOLLANDER

Jerusalem – Israel’s defense minister warned Monday that as long as Iran poses a threat to Israel with its nuclear program, all options are on the table, a reference to a possible Israeli attack.

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Ehud Barak was speaking before The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists covering Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Israel and the West suspect Iran is trying obtain nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

Barak said Karen Millen Dresses sale, “I believe it is well understood in Washington, D.C., as well as in Jerusalem that as long as there is an existential threat to our people, all options to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons should remain on the table.”

Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence because of its nuclear and missile development programs, frequent reference to Israel’s destruction by Iranian leaders and Iran’s support of violent anti-Israeli groups in Lebanon and Gaza.

Barak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have frequently hinted at the possibility of an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities but have not made an open threat.

“I have enough experience to know that a military option is not a simple one,” Barak said of a potential strike. “It would be complicated with certain associated risks. But a radical Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear weapons would be far more dangerous both for the region and, indeed, the world.”

His remarks come as a steadily growing chorus of Israeli ex-security officials speak out against an Israeli strike on Iran. Former internal security chief Yuval Diskin recently caused an uproar when he said the government is misleading the public on the level of effectiveness of a military strike.

Other critics have warned that Israel could do no more than delay Iran’s nuclear development for a few years at best, and an Israeli attack could trigger punishing retaliation from Iran and its proxies — Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza — and possibly set off a regionwide war, dragging the U.S. in.

Barak concentrated on the perceived threat to Israel, dismissing the case of the critics.

“Parts of the world, including some politically motivated Israeli figures, prefer to bury their heads in the sand,” Barak said Monday.

Barak said that time is running out for a strike, as “Iran’s military nuclear program will be sufficiently developed and suitably concealed, rendering the facilities immune to surgical attacks.”

Iran is believed to have multiple underground nuclear sites.

Barak also addressed a year of upheavals in the Middle East that have overthrown several leaders, and Islamist political parties have gained prominence.

“Israel has found itself sitting as an island of stability in a stormy sea, a sea in which the waves of radicalism are growing in strength,” Barak said.

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 Buy Chanel Dresses, but relations have been cool. Some Israelis warn that the rise of Islamists to power in Egypt could endanger the treaty, but the dominant Muslim Brotherhood has said the pact will be preserved.

At the same time, many Egyptians want changes in its conditions, particularly the limits on Egyptian forces in the Sinai desert, near Israel’s borders.

Sinai has become increasingly lawless over the past year. A gas pipeline between Egypt and Israel has been bombed repeatedly, Palestinian militants used Sinai to infiltrate into Israel and killed eight people, and

The past year has seen multiple bombings on the gas pipeline between Israel and Egypt in the Sinai.

“We urge Egypt to contain lawlessness in the Sinai Peninsula,” Barak said. “This is imperative in order to keep our two nations firmly on the path of peace, a peace that has contributed so much to so many for so long now.”

Barak also addressed Syria, where a bloody 14-month uprising against President Bashar Assad is in progress. Israel and Syria are bitter enemies.

“Whatever follows Assad’s bloodstained regime will be greeted with Israel’s extended hand of peace,” Barak said.

Buick Regal Wagon spotted naked and unashamed

15.05.12 / herve leger / Author: admin / Comments: (0)
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One year ago, a Buick Regal wagon was deemed “unlikely.” However, General Motors is reportedly looking to expand the Regal lineup, not just with a rumored coupe Tattoo Supplies, but with the estate seen here. Sources within GM say that the Regal wagon could debut as early as the end of this year, making it a 2012 model year vehicle.

In addition to these live photos (note the “turbo” script on its rump), our spies are offering up a rendering of what the production version of the Regal Wagon could look like, complete with the larger 19-inch wheels from the Regal Turbo sedan. If produced Tattoo Supplies, the Regal wagon would aim squarely at the recently introduced Acura TSX Sport Wagon.

If the Regal wagon is indeed set to debut this year, the Los Angeles Auto Show is probably a safe bet. We’ll keep our ears to the ground for more details in the coming months.

But I Don’t Want a Rectal Exam!

14.05.12 / herve leger / Author: admin / Comments: (7)
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Can doctors force patients to have rectal exams against their will?

A construction worker from Brooklyn has filed suit against a hospital for subjecting him to a rectal exam against his wishes. According to his lawyer, the man begged, “Please don’t do that,” as he was held down Discount Chloe Dresses, and he punched one of the doctors before being sedated and examined without consent. (The man allegedly developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the experience.) Can doctors force a test or procedure on a patient?

Not without a really, really good reason. A doctor can’t force anything on a patient who is competent to make medical decisions and refuses care. The idea of consent as a patient’s right goes back at least to 1914, when Benjamin Cardozo (who would later become a Supreme Court justice) ruled in a New York case that “[e]very human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body.” Without a patient’s permission, even a simple physical exam could technically be considered battery. Taken to the extreme, this principle gives individuals the right to refuse life-saving treatment or to seek “Do Not Resuscitate” orders.

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Doctors rarely ask permission for routine matters like checking your blood pressure or listening to your lungs, though, on the grounds that they have your tacit consent. They assume you’ve granted permission for a blood test when you cooperate by rolling up your sleeve for the needle. (This principle only applies to tests that can reasonably be expected in the course of an examination. A doctor can’t assume consent for an HIV test when a patient shows up with a cold.)

For serious procedures like surgery, patients must consent in a formal way, usually with a signature. So even if your appendix is about to burst Discount BCBG Dresses, no one can stop you from saying “No, thanks,” and leaving the hospital. If you agree to have your appendix removed and doctors then discover a separate tumor during the operation, they might still need permission to do a biopsy—probably from a member of your family.

Doctors can act without a patient’s permission in some situations. If it’s an emergency, and neither a patient nor his family members are capable of making a decision on the spot Discount Bandage dresses, doctors might go ahead and presume consent. This could be because the patient is unconscious or because he or she lacks the mental capacity to make an informed decision (as determined by a mental-health professional).

When public health might be at risk, the government has some ability to override an individual’s wishes. Health officials can order that a person be tested for a communicable disease like tuberculosis, but cannot force treatment on anyone. However, as in the case of the honeymooner who crossed several international borders with drug-resistant tuberculosis, they can quarantine someone until the person is no longer a threat, which is a way of strongly urging treatment. States also require vaccines for children attending school Buy Herve Leger gown, but exemptions are made for medical Cheap Chloe Dresses, philosophical, and religious reasons.

Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Ruth Faden of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Alan Meisel and Patricia Sweeney of the University of Pittsburgh, Philip Rosoff of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine Cheap Chanel Dresses, and Robert Veatch of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics.

REPORTMarchionne thinks Chrysler could go public i

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Analysts have been wondering when Chrysler would go public Replica Herve Leger gown, and new CEO Sergio Marchionne has an answer: not soon. Some have speculated that Chrysler shares would be available on the stock exchange by the end of 2010 Discount Herve Leger gown, but Automotive News is reporting that Marchionne is giving a timetable of “not sooner than 2½ years.” Marchionne obviously wants to hold off on going public until he and Chrysler’s board of directors feel the company will command the appropriate value.

Reporters also asked Marchionne in a conference call when he felt Chrysler would be profitable. The Fiat/Chrysler CEO pointed out that he didn’t feel such speculation was a good idea considering the fact that Chrysler has yet to have a post-bankruptcy board meeting. Good point. Chrysler’s board of directors will be meeting on July 29.

Marchionne did Replica Karen Millen Dresses, however Discount DKNY Clothes, say that Chrysler would “generate healthy profit margins” once US auto sales hit 13-14 million units per year; something he doesn’t expect to happen before 2011.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. | Photo Source: Tiziana Fabi/Getty/AFP]

Chevrolet Corvette redefines curb rash during auto

14.05.12 / herve leger / Author: admin / Comments: (6)
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Autocross critics are quick to tell you that the pastime is a good way to learn bad habits behind the wheel. We say that Buy DKNY Dresses, while it may be true, caning a vehicle around a parking lot while dodging a few cones is a good way to have a lot of fun behind the wheel in a fairly low-risk environment. Most autocross courses are designed to keep the speed down and the technicality up Discount Herve Leger gown, which keeps both drivers and their vehicles safe from any real damage. Or at least Buy DKNY Dresses, that’s how its supposed to work.

A driver behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette recently found out just what can go wrong when there isn’t enough runoff around a cone slalom at a Speed Ventures autocross. According to YouTube DKNY Clothing sale, the driver had just returned from a break Bandage dresses sale, meaning that both the track and the vehicle’s tires were cold as he came into the esses. The vehicle’s rear breaks lose in a slow Replica Herve leger strapless, drawn out slide that culminates with the entire passenger side of the vehicle getting cozy with a nearby curb. It’s gut-wrenching at best. Hit the jump to check out the carnage for yourself.

Total Recall

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A Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif Bar

The Peanut Corp. of America expanded its national recall Wednesday after eight people died and more than 500 got sick from salmonella poisoning. Recalled items include all Clif Bars with peanut butter, Jenny Craig nutritional bars, and Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers. What should you do if you’ve already eaten a recalled product?

Wait and see. Just because a product was recalled doesn’t mean it was contaminated. (That’s why companies like to emphasize the word voluntary when they pull food off the shelves.) And exposure doesn’t mean you’ll get sick. But most people exposed to salmonella—bacteria that originate in the feces of animals and humans—do develop diarrhea, fever Replica Romain Jerome Watches, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours. If this happens Replica Harry Winston Watches, you should call a doctor How to buy Replica Dewitt Watches, who might prescribe antibiotics or just tell you to drink lots of fluids. Often the sickness will pass in four to seven days Fake Dior Watches, although in more severe cases—when bacteria get into the bloodstream—salmonella poisoning can lead to arterial infections, heart inflammation, and Reiter’s syndrome, a form of arthritis. These extreme reactions are most common among the young, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

If you find a defective item in your pantry at home, most companies will either replace it or give you your money back. Clif Bar, for example, has set up a hot line for customer complaints. If you tell them the sell-by date on the item, they’ll send you a replacement. Wal-Mart, which sells Clif Bars and other recalled products, is letting customers return items without a receipt for a full cash refund. Trader Joe’s doesn’t even require that the sell-by date fall within the recall period.

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You might also have a chance of winning cash in a lawsuit, but only if you get sick. People who sue companies over food-borne illnesses have to demonstrate fault, causation, and damages. A company is at fault if it has a defective product and failed to follow reasonable manufacturing standards, like keeping its product away from animal feces. To establish causation, you must prove that 1) the sickness you have is salmonella and 2) you got it from the food in question. (A stool sample should do the trick, plus a special genetic analysis to make sure the salmonella subtype—in the peanut outbreak Buy Cheap Replica MB&F Watches, it’s Salmonella typhimurium—is the same strain as the larger outbreak.) As for damages, you have to show that your sickness resulted in physical, financial, or emotional harm. Several lawsuits have already been filed against the peanut manufacturer Replica A Lange & Sohne Watches sale, including one by the family of a Minnesota woman who died after eating the peanut butter served at her nursing home. The vast majority of cases involving food-borne illness get settled out of court since juries tend to be sympathetic to the victim when it comes to fecal matter in food.

Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Sue Hearn of Clif Bar and Co., Stephanie Kwisnek of the Food and Drug Administration, and Fred Pritzker of Pritzker Olsen.