Clashes mar slain Tunisian leader's mass funeral

Police and mourners clashed at the funeral of secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid, whose assassination has plunged Tunisia deeper into political crisis. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.

By Tarek Amara and Alistair Lyon, Reuters

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Police and mourners clashed at the mass funeral on Friday of secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid, whose assassination has plunged Tunisia deeper into political crisis.

Braving chilly rain, at least 50,000 people turned out to honor Belaid in his home district of Jebel al-Jaloud in the capital, chanting anti-Islamist and anti-government slogans.

It was Tunisia's biggest funeral since the death of Habib Bourguiba, independence leader and first president, in 2000.

Violence erupted near the cemetery as police fired teargas at demonstrators who threw stones and set cars ablaze. Police also used teargas against protesters near the Interior Ministry, a frequent flashpoint for clashes in the Tunisian capital.

Tunisia, cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings, is riven by tensions between dominant Islamists and their secular opponents, and by frustration at the lack of social and economic progress since President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in January 2011.

Belaid's assassination has shocked a country that had hitherto experienced a relatively peaceful political transition.

"The people want a new revolution," shouted mourners in Tunis, who also sang the national anthem.

Crowds surged around an open army truck carrying Belaid's coffin, draped in a red and white Tunisian flag, as it traveled to the leafy Jallaz cemetery, as a security forces helicopter flew overhead.

EPA

Tunisian protesters run from teargas fired by police during protests Friday against the killing of opposition politician Chokri Belaid. Belaid's funeral drew tens of thousands of mourners and Tunis seethed with anger.

"Belaid, rest in peace, we will continue the struggle," mourners chanted, holding portraits of the politician killed near his home on Wednesday by a gunman who fled on a motorcycle.

Some demonstrators denounced Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of the ruling Islamist Ennahda party. "Ghannouchi, assassin, criminal," they chanted. "Tunisia is free, terrorism out."

Police fired teargas to disperse anti-government protesters throwing stones and gasoline bombs in the southern mining town of Gafsa, a stronghold of support for Belaid, witnesses said.

Crowds there had chanted "The people want the fall of the regime," a slogan first used against Ben Ali.

Cradle of revolt
In Sidi Bouzid, the southern town where the revolt against the ousted strongman began, about 10,000 marched to mourn Belaid and shout slogans against Ennahda and the government.

Banks, factories and some shops were closed in Tunis and other cities in response to a strike called by unions in protest at Belaid's killing, but buses were running normally.

Tunis Air suspended all its flights because of the strikes, a spokesman for the national airline said. Airport sources in Cairo said EgyptAir had canceled two flights to Tunisia after staff at Tunis airport joined the general strike.

Anis Mili / Reuters

Soldiers help mourners carry the coffin of slain opposition leader Chokri Belaid during his funeral procession Friday in Tunis, Tunisia.

After Belaid's assassination, Prime Minister Hamdi Jebali, an Islamist, said he would dissolve the government and form a cabinet of technocrats to rule until elections could be held.

But his own Ennahda party and its secular coalition partners complained they had not been consulted, casting doubt over the status of the government and compounding political uncertainty.

No one has claimed responsibility for the killing of Belaid, a lawyer and secular opposition figure.

His family have blamed Ennahda but the party has denied any hand in the shooting. Crowds have attacked several Ennahda party offices in Tunis and other cities in the past two days.

"Hope still exists in Tunisia," Fatma Saidan, a noted Tunisian actor, told Reuters at Belaid's funeral. "We will continue to struggle against extremism and political violence."

While Belaid had only a modest political following, his criticism of Ennahda policies spoke for many Tunisians who fear religious radicals are bent on snuffing out freedoms won in the first of the revolts that rippled through the Arab world.

Secular groups have accused the Islamist-led government of a lax response to attacks by ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamists on cinemas, theaters and bars in recent months.

Related:

PhotoBlog:?Mourning amid the teargas in Tunisia

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/08/16898546-clashes-erupt-as-huge-crowds-gather-for-funeral-of-tunisian-opposition-leader?lite

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Learning How to Make Money Using Twitter | Matt Dunn's Internet ...

Make money on Twitter, not Titter!

You can rest assured that you?re not the only person wondering how to make money using twitter. Although the possibility is often doubted, using Twitter to make money is a definite and realistic possibility.

For those of you still questioning the financial potential of Twitter, allow me to alleviate your confusion. Twitter is among the most visited websites available.

With millions of daily tweeters, Twitter has become a hotspot for business marketing and promotion. ?Twitter allows business, small or large, to bring their product or service straight to interested consumers.

Because of these facts, there is an incredible amount of money to be made by budding entrepreneurs online. ?Monetizing a twitter account can prove to be incredibly profitable. There are numerous different methods of accruing a Twitter-based income. ?Whether you?d like to expand an existing business or build a new one, Twitter is a formidable weapon to have in your marketing arsenal.

To be clear, Twitter is a social media and micro-blogging platform that experiences an incredible amount of traffic. ?Because there are so many users, Twitter essentially serves as a massive marketing audience. Twitter users posts tweets that are limited to 140 characters. Various forms of marketing present fruitful opportunities for those wondering how to make money using Twitter.

Marketing has always been a fruitful industry. ?To put simply, marketers are paid for promoting a product that, most likely, they had no hand in making. ?Their job is to attract new customers to a business. Although the internet effectively changed the face of marketing, the core tasks are still the same. ?Learning how to make money using Twitter does require the acquisition of a few modern marketing techniques!

If you effectively accrue a sizable Twitter following, direct marketing can be very fiscally beneficial. ?Those who have large followings can make money by simply promoting a product or service to their followers. ?Because users only have 140 characters to do so, this process can be rather simple.

Building up a sizable audience is the challenge. Although Twitter traffic generation can prove to be a challenge, learning to do so is achievable. ?By learning a few additional marketing skills, monetizing your twitter account can be simpler than you previously imagined.

?

How to Make Money Using Twitter: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing stands as one of the most profitable online business ventures today. Affiliate marketers are independent marketers that receive a commission-based pay for marketing a company?s products or services. ?Because massive companies, such as amazon.com, offer affiliate marketing programs, marketers in this field can promote pretty much anything thinkable. Becoming an affiliate marker is as simple as signing up.

Once you?ve been approved, it is time to take affiliate marketing to Twitter. By simply promoting your product in your 140 character tweet, you can begin to make commission on affiliate company?s product. For those pondering how to make money using twitter, affiliate marketing may be the most promising route.

Click here for the best affiliate program we have found?

Yours In Awesomeness,

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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/mdunn/how-to-make-money-using-twitter/

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Meet Your Mama: First Ancestor of All Placental Mammals Revealed

A tiny, furry-tailed creature is the most complete picture yet as to what the ancestor of mice, elephants, lions, tigers, bears, whales, bats and humans once looked like, researchers say.

These new findings also suggest this forerunner of most mammals appeared shortly after the catastrophe that ended the age of dinosaurs, scientists added.

"Species like rodents and primates did not share the Earth with nonavian dinosaurs, but arose from a common ancestor ? a small, insect-eating, scampering animal ? shortly after the dinosaurs' demise," said researcher Maureen O'Leary at Stony Brook University in New York.

The study was so thorough that the team, made up of 23 scientists from around the world, was able tospeculate on the appearance of this hypothetical ancestor inside and out, from its brain and inner ear bones to its ovaries and even what its sperm may have looked like (it sported a head and tail like modern-day sperm cells do).

The largest living branch of the mammalian family tree holds the placentals ? mammals that keep fetuses alive with placentas, as opposed to marsupials such as kangaroos, which raise offspring in pouches, or monotremes such as platypuses, which develop fetuses in eggs. [See Images of the Furry Mammal Ancestor and Descendants]

"There are over 5,100 living placental species and they exhibit enormous diversity," said researcher Nancy Simmons at the American Museum of Natural History.

The roots of placentals

Much remains controversial about the origins of placentals, such as when they arose and how they diversified. Fossil evidence suggests they evolved after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event about 65 million years ago that ended the age of dinosaurs; and the "explosive model" based off this data proposes that placental lineages emerged and diversified to fill niches left vacant after this catastrophe. However, genetics research suggests placental lineages were actually far older, hinting their diversification was linked to the breakup of the continents before the end of the Cretaceous period.

"In the field of mammal research, there had been a big divide between people working with DNA and others working on morphology," said researcher John Wible at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

To uncover the roots of the placental family tree and help resolve the decades-old debate as to when placentals evolved, an international team of researchers took part in a six-year research collaboration called Assembling the Tree of Life. The project adopted two distinct approaches to evolutionary studies ? molecular data, which examines DNA, and morphological data, which looks at anatomical features such as bone length, types of teeth and the presence of stripes in the fur. [Animal Codes: 10 Coolest Genome Sequences]

The molecular team gathered DNA sequences of living animals while the morphology team analyzed the anatomy of both living and extinct mammals. The molecular team was limited largely to living mammals, because researchers currently cannot extract genetic material from fossils more than 30,000 years old, so morphological data was key when it came to exploring more ancient branches of the mammal family tree.

"Discovering the tree of life is like piecing together a crime scene ? it is a story that happened in the past that you can't repeat," O'Leary said. "Just like with a crime scene, the new tools of DNA add important information, but so do other physical clues like a body or, in the scientific realm, fossils and anatomy. Combining all the evidence produces the most informed reconstruction of a past event."

Mammal morphology bank

When it comes to studying morphology, a dataset of 500 anatomical characteristics, or "characters," is often considered large. However, for this new project, the researchers generated a groundbreaking 4,500 characters using a cloud-based and publicly accessible database called MorphoBank.

"We couldn't have accomplished this without MorphoBank," said researcher Michelle Spaulding at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. "This website allowed members of the team, spread all over the globe, to work simultaneously."

Combining both DNA and morphological datasets led to an unprecedented amount of information for each of the 83 mammals they investigated.

"It's not that we hadn't combined morphology with DNA before," Spaulding said. "This time, we ratcheted up the amount of morphological detail phenomenally, providing a larger anatomical base for the study as compared with DNA than is typical."

What our ancestor looked like

From all this data from living and extinct mammals, the scientists extrapolated the appearance of the most recent common ancestor of all placental mammals.

"We have all these placentals alive today, from elephants to shrews, from things that fly to things that swim," Spaulding said. "What could the common ancestor of these things that are so different possibly look like?"

The scientists then worked with an artist to illustrate this ancestor. In addition to a furry tail, the researchers suggest the four-legged creature likely ate insects, weighed from 6 grams (about the weight of some shrews) up to 245 grams ? less than half a pound ? and was more adapted for general scampering than built for more specialized forms of movement, such as swinging from trees. Also, its cerebral cortex ? the part of the brain linked to higher mental processes ? was probably convoluted, folds linked with greater brain activity, the researchers found.

"That's the power of 4,500 characters," Wible said. "We looked at all aspects of mammalian anatomy, from the skull and skeleton, to the teeth, to internal organs, to muscles, and even fur patterns. Using the new family tree of mammals in tandem with this anatomical data, we were able to reconstruct what this common placental ancestor may have looked like." [Meet the Mammal Ancestor (Infographic)]

Their research also suggested placental mammals appeared after the end of the age of dinosaurs, with the original ancestor developing about 200,000 to 400,000 years after the event.

"This is about 36 million years later than the prediction based on purely genetic data," said researcher Marcelo Weksler at Brazil's National Museum at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

This supports the notion that the mass extinction was a critical event in mammalian evolutionary history. "The diversification of placental mammals was not tied to the breakup of continents from a supercontinent, Gondwana," O'Leary told LiveScience.

The discrepancy between these findings and past research that looked only at genes is the result of the way genetic studies "assign a rate of change to genes through time," O'Leary explained. "A weakness of that approach is that it involves many assumptions about rates of gene change through time."

In the future, "I will continue looking for key fossils from the Late Mesozoic and Early Paleogene that help us contribute even more to this family tree," O'Leary said. "I have been working in Africa to make such discoveries with projects in Mali and Senegal. I plan to continue trying to make fossil discoveries that expand the placental mammal family tree."

The scientists detailed their findings in the Feb. 8 issue of the journal Science.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meet-mama-first-ancestor-placental-mammals-revealed-191137721.html

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Biden urges Democrats to comply with demands to curb U.S. gun violence

LEESBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden urged fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to comply with public demands for action to reduce gun violence.

It is unclear which, if any, of Biden's gun-control recommendations Congress might approve, but the vice president said legislators have an obligation to do as much as they can.

"I don't want to hear about 'well we can't take it on because it's too politically dangerous,'" Biden told House Democrats at the opening of a three-day retreat. "There's an overwhelming consensus about the need to act."

The politically powerful gun rights lobby, led by the National Rifle Association, opposes Biden's proposals, saying they would violate Americans' constitutional right to bear arms.

However, Biden urged lawmakers to stand up to these groups and side with the American people, who clearly favor tougher gun laws, according to recent polls.

Biden's proposals include a ban on semi-automatic weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition clips, like those used at a school massacre at in Newton, Connecticut, in December that ignited the new push for gun control.

With many Republicans and Democrats from conservative states reluctant to embrace tougher gun laws, Biden and President Barack Obama have traveled the country to try, seeking public support for their proposals.

Biden said Congress should not yield to gun-control naysayers who contend that "the risk is too high, the outcome is too uncertain."

He acknowledged that members of Congress who backed a 1994 ban on assault weapons faced a voter backlash that year that may well have cost many of them their jobs.

"I'm here to tell you the world has changed since 1994," Biden said.

"I can't imagine how we will be judged as a nation, as a people, as individuals, if we do nothing. It is simply unacceptable."

(Reporting By Thomas Ferraro and Richard Cowan. Editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-urges-democrats-comply-demands-curb-u-gun-025058280.html

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Affidavit: Vet thought everyone out to get him

LANCASTER, Texas (AP) ? Police say an Iraq War veteran said he gunned down a former Navy SEAL and his friend at a Texas shooting range because he didn't trust them and thought they would kill him first.

Eddie Ray Routh is charged with killing Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling book "American Sniper," and his friend Chad Littlefield. He's jailed in Erath County on $3 million bail.

Authorities say Routh drove to his sister's house and confessed after the shootings Saturday.

According to a Lancaster police search warrant affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News and WFAA-TV, Laura Blevins said her brother seemed out of his mind.

The affidavit says Routh said everyone was out to get him.

Lancaster police obtained a search warrant for Routh's home.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/affidavit-vet-thought-everyone-him-000251375.html

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Horror at the opera: Fire-blowing actor burned

By Natalie Martinez, NBCChicago.com

A fire-spitting effect was removed from the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of ?Die Meistersinger von Nurenberg" on Monday after a stilt walker was seriously burned during a dress rehearsal.

Despite his flameproof costume and mask, fire-blowing actor Wesley Daniel suffered second-degree burns to his face and throat while performing in front of an audience.

Daniel staggered away and collapsed just off stage. A stage manager with a fire extinguisher then put out spots of flame onstage.

"I don't think he closed his mouth quick enough, so the fire, the stuff in his mouth, came on his clothes and so did the fire, and it also dribbled all over the floor so we saw a line of fire across the stage," said audience member Karen Avgush. "And then I think he was trying to quickly get off the stage, and I think he was moving too quickly with everybody in the way, so he fell really hard off the stilts."

First responders responded to the theater, at 20. N. Wacker Dr., shortly before 5 p.m. and took the actor to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on advanced life support, officials said.

"It was really scary and nerve-wracking, and we were just all really nervous for what was going to happen to him," said child actor Mia Rehwaldt, who was on stage with Daniel when he caught fire.

Read more from NBCChicago.com

Opera spokesperson Magda Krance said the 24-year-old Daniel suffered blistering around his mouth but said his injury didn't appear to be serious.

Fire officials later said Daniel had second degree burns.

He was being treated at Loyola Hospital on Monday night.

The effect had been approved by the Chicago Fire Department, Krance said.?

Last week, another performer had experienced a lesser mishap attempting the same trick, part of a festival scene on the crowded Lyric stage.

Several hundred people made up the audience. The mishap occurred about 30 minutes prior to the end of the five-and-a-half-hour performance.

The incident halted the performance for about 45 minutes before it resumed. Still, the audience missed out on the last few minutes of the show because of a union-mandated break for the 81-member orchestra.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/05/16850752-actor-burned-after-fire-blowing-on-stilts-stunt-goes-wrong-during-opera?lite

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Environmentalists Oppose Shipping Fracking Waste By Barge

As more oil and gas drilling takes place in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, there's more liquid waste that needs disposing. A proposal to carry that waste to disposal sites using river barges is getting attention. But some environmentalists say it's just too risky a way to transport the waste.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171039678/environmentalists-oppose-shipping-fracking-waste-by-barge?ft=1&f=1007

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Football Is A Very Rough Sport ? The MC10 CheckLight Wants To Help Keep High-Impact Hits In Check

If you watched the Super Bowl yesterday, or seen any college or professional football game in recent years, you know that football can be a very high-impact sport. That is part of the beauty of the game, but it can also be incredibly dangerous in ways that have only started to become apparent. It is not just the bones and muscles of players that can be hurt with a powerful tackle -- we now know that damage to the brain that occurs on impact can result in some of the most long-lasting and detrimental effects that can be experienced by athletes. A company called MC10 is looking to help stop those neurological injuries before they start. The company, which focuses on making wearable electronics products, has developed a device along with Reebok called the CheckLight, a very lightweight skull cap that fits under a helmet and gauges the severity of an impact. When an athlete has a hit that may necessitate a time out or outside evaluation, the cap emits a yellow light.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4BIo1wnO8jQ/

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Oh the drama! Super Ads go epic

This screenshot provided by Volkswagen shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This screenshot provided by Volkswagen shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This undated screenshot provided by the Milk Processor Education Program, known as MilkPep shows the company's Super Bowl advertisement. The Milk Processor Education Program, known as MilkPep and popular for its "Got Milk?" print ads, is featuring actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a 30-second ad in the second quarter that is directed by Peter Berg. (AP Photo/Milk Processor Education Program)

This undated screenshot provided by Calvin Klein shows the company's Super Bowl advertisement for the company's Concept brand. (AP Photo/Calvin Klein)

This undated screenshot provided by PepsiCo shows the Super Bowl advertisement for PepsiCo's PepsiNext.For its halftime intro spot, Pepsi, the sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, created a collage of 1,000 user-submitted photos that are stitched together to create a 30-second video that looks like one person jumping to the tune of Beyonce's "Countdown." The spot introduces the pop star's halftime show. (AP Photo PepsiCo)

This undated screenshot provided by Taco Bell shows the Super Bowl advertisement for Taco Bell. Gone are the days when Super Bowl spots were closely-guarded secrets. With the growth of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, it's no surprise that more advertisers like Taco Bell are releasing ads online up to a week or more before Game Day. (AP Photo/Taco Bell)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Super Bowl ads this year morphed into mini soap operas.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shrugged off aliens so he could get more milk for his kids in a Super Bowl spot for the Milk Processor Education Program. Anheuser-Busch's commercial told the story of a baby Clydesdale growing up and returning to his owner for a heartfelt hug years later. And a Jeep ad portrayed the trials and triumphs of families waiting for their return of family members.

The reason for all the drama off the field? With 30-second spots going for as much as $4 million and more than 111 million viewers expected to tune in, marketers are constantly looking for ways to make their ads stand out. And it's increasingly difficult to captivate viewers with short-form plots involving babies, celebrities, sex and humor ? unless there's a compelling story attached.

"A lot of advertisers are running long commercials to tell these stories that engage people often in a very emotional way," said Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. "These spots that tell stories really stand out in the clutter."

TEAR-JERKING MINI EPICS

Chrysler started the long-format commercial trend last year, with a two-minute spot starring Clint Eastwood that became very popular.

This year, Chrysler led the trend again with its two-minute salute to troops and their families. The ad featured Oprah Winfrey reading a letter from the Jeep brand to encourage families to stay hopeful.

"Wendy Ochoa, a high school teacher who lives in Novi, Michigan, said the ad was very emotional. "It tugs on your heartstrings," Ochoa, 44, said. "How can it not?"

Anheuser-Busch also pulled at heartstrings with a spot about a baby Clydesdale growing up and moving away from his farm and his trainer. Years later, the horse remembered the trainer after returning for a parade. He raced down a street to hug him.

"The Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale made me cry," said Wendy Ponzo, 49, who was watching the game in Pont Pleasant, N.J.

USER-INSPIRED TALES

Lincoln's 90-second ad was inspired by tweets by fans about road trips. The company asked people to send their stories, and Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," decided on which tales would be used.

The ad, which was based on more than 6,000 tweets from fans, shows adventures during a fictional road trip. A woman picks up a German hitchhiker, and they go to an alpaca farm, get stopped by turtles crossing the road, and drive through a movie set.

Rap pioneer Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and Wil Wheaton, who acted in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," made cameos in the spot.

Coca-Cola created an ad based on an online campaign that pit three groups ? a troupe of showgirls, biker style badlanders and cowboys ? against each other in a race through a desert for a Coke.

Starting Jan. 23 and continuing through the end of the Super Bowl, viewers voted online for their favorite group. The group with the most votes ? the showgirls ? were revealed when the Super Bowl ended.

Audi also went with an ad that told a story ? and was inspired by viewers. The company's 60-second ad featured an ending that was voted on by viewers prior to the game.

In the ad, a boy gains confidence from driving his father's Audi to the prom, kisses the prom queen once he arrives at the dance and gets decked by the prom king. In the end, he drives back home with a smile on his face.

The Audi mini-epic was a favorite of Super Bowl viewer Stephanie Bice, 39, a business development director in Oklahoma City.

"It was fun and whimsical," Bice said.

COMEDY GOES LONG

Not all of the storytelling ads were dramatic, though.

Samsung's two-minute ad showed Seth Rogen ("The Guilt Trip" and Paul Rudd ("Role Models") getting called in to do a "Next Big Thing" ad for Samsung. But they're agitated once they realize that they're sharing the spotlight. LeBron James, an NBA basketball player for the Miami Heat, makes a cameo, appearing on the screen of a tablet.

The ad won over some fans in the ad world.

"I could watch the Samsung ad over and over again," said David Berkowitz, vice president at digital marketing agency 360i. "It's as good as any Seth Rogen movie."

Budweiser, a long-time Super Bowl advertiser, also told a continuing story in two of its ads. One showed rival 49ers and Ravens fans each creating a voodoo doll for the other team with the help of R&B legend Stevie Wonder. In the other ad, fans go to great lengths to curse a rival fan's "lucky chair."

"It's only weird if it doesn't work," the words in the ad read.

Mercedes-Benz's 90-second ad had a Faustian plot.

A devilish Willem Dafoe ("Spider-Man") shows a man everything that comes with a Mercedes-Benz CLX: A date with supermodel Kate Upton, dancing with Usher, driving around with beautiful girls, getting on the cover of magazines including Vanity Fair and GQ, getting to drive on a racetrack.

The man almost signs his soul away for the car. But then he sees a billboard that says the car starts at $29,900, and doesn't sign.

NOT EVERY AD TELLS A STORY

Although many advertisers tried to pull people in with lengthy story lines, there were a few that stuck with short, quirky spots with no particular plot.

GoDaddy.com's ad was one of them. It showed a close up, extended kiss between supermodel Bar Refaeli and a nerdy guy wearing glasses to illustrate GoDaddy's combo of "sexy" and "smart."

Some viewers thought the ad was too explicit for the Super Bowl.

"I don't care who wins the game. I just don't want to see that commercial again, ever," said Stephen G. Smith, 63, an editor at The Washington Times in Washington, D.C.

Stephanie Malone from DeKalb, Ill., agreed: "GoDaddy should be ashamed."

Striking a less controversial note, Best Buy's 30-second ad in the first quarter starred Amy Poehler, of NBC's "Parks and Recreation," asking a Best Buy employee endless questions about electronics.

"Will this one read '50 Shades of Grey' to me in a sexy voice?" Poehler asks about an e-book reader. Then, when the staffer says no she asks, "Will you?"

M&M's spot showed its red spokescharacter singing Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love," and wooing beautiful women. But the M&M stopped short when the women try to eat him.

And Oreo's ad featured a showdown in a library between people fighting over whether the cookie or the cream is the best part of the cookie. The punch-line? The fight escalates into thrown chairs and other destruction, but because the fight is in a library, everyone still has to whisper.

The ad directed users to follow Oreo on Instagram photo-sharing site, where they could continue the "cookie vs. cream" debate. Meanwhile, Oreo was quick to capitalize on the blackout that hit the game for about 30 minutes in the third quarter. It tweeted a picture of an Oreo in the half-dark with the words: "You can still dunk in the dark."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-03-Super%20Bowl-Advertising/id-3c5b2d5879334a38bb91259314e1e02c

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SHUAA launches Sharia compliant installment and lease financing ...

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al Maktoum, Executive Chairman of SHUAA Capital and Chairman of Gulf Finance, said, "We are excited about the establishment of Gulf Installments in Saudi Arabia. This is an important strategic milestone for our Credit business that we announced in October 2012, and represents an enormous opportunity for SHUAA to build out a successful business in the largest regional economy. Our investment in Gulf Installments is an investment in the success story of Saudi Arabia, and underscores our confidence in the growing private sector in the Kingdom."

Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the GCC, with a nominal GDP of $435bn, and is expected to grow by 4.5% in 2013. Even though Saudi SMEs account for 90% of Saudi businesses and 24.7% of total employment, they represent only 2% of the Saudi banks' lending market. With over 220,000 SMEs in the Kingdom, many of which are underserved, credit demand outpaces supply.

Dr Sabah al-Binali, Chairman of Gulf Installments, and Vice Chairman of its operator Gulf Finance, said, "Our move into Saudi Arabia is a perfect opportunity to extend SHUAA's reach into a new and dynamic market place. We have exceptional expertise within the SME space and through Gulf Installments, we are now able to offer the Saudi business community a wide range of credit solutions. These solutions are in demand by a large number of clients which paves the way for building significant market share."

David Hunt is appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Installments in Saudi Arabia. An experienced Managing Director with over 24 years financial services experience in emerging markets and extensive regional knowledge, Mr Hunt is perfectly placed to lead the company's operation as it expands into the Kingdom. Prior to joining Gulf Installments, David held various senior and Director-level positions at the HSBC Group.

He was Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of SABB Takaful, a Saudi publicly quoted insurance company, and most recently Head of Regional Insurance at HSBC Bank Middle East. He will lead a team of seasoned bankers, financial veterans and credit professionals.

Mr Hunt said, "Gulf Installments aims to finance SMEs across a variety of sectors, from contracting and construction, to healthcare and education; whether they need to establish their business or expand it by purchasing assets such as heavy plant and machinery, medical equipment, or contracting and constructing equipment."

"There is a strong demand for our proposition as Gulf Installments will deliver Sharia compliant financing solutions to the Saudi market. Our installment and lease financing solutions offer an alternate source of funding to existing bank facilities, provide increased affordability and purchasing power, and allow our customers to enjoy long term stability for asset purchases. Furthermore, they release working capital and improve cash flow for businesses," he added.

Gulf Installments offers lease financing for a wide range of fixed assets. Lease periods are available from 1 to 4 years and can be tailored to suit the needs of each individual client based on the term, down payment and rental plan. Strategic alliances have already been negotiated with two of the top five heavy equipment vendors in the Kingdom, which will underpin the business and ensure immediate traction.

This in turn will capitalise on the significant growth within Saudi Arabia's construction industry which awarded SR270bn of contracts in 2011 up 155% on 2010. Gulf Installments is based in Jeddah and will be expanding across the Kingdom over the course of the next few years.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/shuaa-launches-sharia-compliant-installment-lease-328131

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White House photo shows Obama skeet shooting

In this photo released by the White House, President Barack Obama shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. The White House released a photo of Obama firing a gun, two days before he heads to Minnesota to discuss gun control. In a recent interview with The New Republic magazine, Obama said yes when asked if he has ever fired a gun. He said "we do skeet shooting all the time," except for his daughters, at Camp David. (AP Photo/The White House, Pete Souza)

In this photo released by the White House, President Barack Obama shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David, Md., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012. The White House released a photo of Obama firing a gun, two days before he heads to Minnesota to discuss gun control. In a recent interview with The New Republic magazine, Obama said yes when asked if he has ever fired a gun. He said "we do skeet shooting all the time," except for his daughters, at Camp David. (AP Photo/The White House, Pete Souza)

FILE - In this Sept. 1, 1994 file photo, George W. Bush looks to the sky during a dove hunt in Hockley, Texas during his first Texas gubernatorial campaign. Anticipating some dove hunting on a 100-plus degree day during Sept. 2000, Bush explained that the birds could be marinated, but "I'm probably just going to throw them right on the grill." (AP Photo/File, David J. Phillip, file)

FILE - In this April 25, 1994 file photo, President Bill Clinton holds a Colt AR-15 rifle during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, where he launched efforts to pass the assault weapons ban. Dayton, Ohio Police Lt. Randy Bean, whose fellow officer Steve Whalen was gunned down with an AR-15 in 1991, looks on at left. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

FILE - In this Oct. 25, 1992 file photo, U.S. President George H. Bush displays a rifle given to him as a gift, in Billings, Mont., as his chief of staff James Baker, left, watches during the campaign stop. Bush will continue campaigning at morning on Monday in Montana. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, file)

FILE - In this Feb. 28, 1944 file photo, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied invasion chief, fires a Browning light machine gun using his hip as a mount, during an inspection of an infantry unit in England. (AP Photo/file)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Two days before President Barack Obama's first trip outside Washington to promote his gun-control proposals, the White House tried Saturday to settle a brewing mystery by releasing a photo to back his claim to be a skeet shooter.

Obama had set inquiring minds spinning when, in an interview with The New Republic magazine, he answered "yes" when asked if he had ever fired a gun. The admission came as a surprise to many.

"Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time," Obama said in the interview released last weekend, referring to the official presidential retreat in rural Maryland, which he last visited in October while campaigning for re-election. Asked whether the entire family participates, the president said: "Not the girls, but oftentimes guests of mine go up there."

Obama never mentioned skeet shooting prior to that interview.

The White House photo released Saturday is dated Aug. 4, 2012. The caption says Obama is shooting clay targets on the range at Camp David. Obama is seen holding a gun against his left shoulder, his left index finger on the trigger and smoke coming from the barrel. He is wearing jeans, a dark blue, short-sleeved polo shirt, sunglasses and earmuffs.

The National Rifle Association, which has rejected Obama's proposals, scoffed at the photo.

"One picture does not erase a lifetime of supporting every gun ban and every gun-control scheme imaginable," said Andrew Arulanandam, the organization's spokesman.

The NRA opposes Obama's call for Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and says requiring background checks for all gun purchases would be ineffective because the administration isn't doing enough to enforce existing gun laws.

Asked at Monday's press briefing how frequently Obama shoots skeet and whether photos existed, White House press secretary Jay Carney said he didn't know how often. Pictures may exist, he said, but he hadn't seen any.

"Why haven't we heard about it before?" Carney was asked.

"Because when he goes to Camp David, he goes to spend time with his family and friends and relax, not to produce photographs," Carney said.

Obama is accompanied almost everywhere by at least one White House photographer.

Carney declined to comment on the decision to release the photo, which he had announced on Twitter. The release appeared to be part of a strategy to portray Obama as sympathetic to gun owners and opponents of his gun-control measures who argue the proposals would infringe on an individual's Second Amendment right to bear arms.

A top official with the National Skeet Shooting Association said the photo suggests Obama is a novice shooter.

"This isn't something he's done very often because of how he's standing, how he has the gun mounted," said Michael Hampton, executive director of the San Antonio-based association.

Hampton said Obama's remark about "skeet shooting all the time" and the White House photo would have met less skepticism had the president spoken about his hobby months before this new debate over guns in the U.S.

"Once it becomes controversial and there's problems, to talk about it then, that's where it becomes very debatable and is not being received as well as if he would have done this six months ago," Hampton said.

In interview, appearing in The New Republic's Feb. 11 issue, Obama said gun-control advocates should be better listeners in the debate over firearms, which was sparked by the December killing of elementary school pupils in Connecticut. He also declared his deep respect for the long tradition of hunting in this country.

"I have a profound respect for the traditions of hunting that trace back in this country for generations. And I think those who dismiss that out of hand make a big mistake," Obama said. "Part of being able to move this forward is understanding the reality of guns in urban areas are very different from the realities of guns in rural areas. And if you grew up and your dad gave you a hunting rifle when you were 10, and you went out and spent the day with him and your uncles, and that became part of your family's traditions, you can see why you'd be pretty protective of that."

"So it's trying to bridge those gaps that I think is going to be part of the biggest task over the next several months. And that means that advocates of gun control have to do a little more listening than they do sometimes," Obama said.

His gun control measures also have met resistance on Capitol Hill.

In Minneapolis on Monday, Obama plans to make remarks and discuss his proposals with local and law enforcement officials during a stop at the police department's special operations center. He's also expected to hear from community members about their experiences with gun violence.

Obama announced his proposals in mid-January, about a month after the Dec. 14 shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-02-US-Obama-Guns/id-b3d6bdfd9b7c4927a5b6e9d692664249

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Plans to 3D print Moon building

1 February 2013 Last updated at 07:21 ET

Architects Fosters and Partners have revealed designs for a building on the Moon that could be constructed from material already on its surface.

An inflatable structure would be transported from Earth, then covered with a shell built by 3D printers.

The printers, operated by robots, would use soil from the Moon, known as regolith, to build the layered cover.

The proposed site for the building is the southern pole of the Moon.

It is designed to house four people and could be extended, the firm said.

In 2010 a team of researchers from Washington State University found that artificial regolith containing silicon, aluminium, calcium, iron and magnesium oxide could be used by 3D printers to create solid objects.

The latest plans are the result of a collaboration between a number of organisations including the European Space Agency.

The consortium tested the practicalities of using a printer on the Moon by setting up a D-shape 3D printer, which are used to print very large house-sized structures, in a vacuum chamber with simulated lunar material.

'Fascinating and unique'

"As a practice, we are used to designing for extreme climates on Earth and exploiting the environmental benefits of using local, sustainable materials," said Xavier De Kestelier, a partner in the firm's specialist modelling group.

"It has been a fascinating and unique design process, which has been driven by the possibilities inherent in the material."

Buildings on this planet by the architect firm include Wembley Stadium, the World Trade Center in New York and Beijing airport.

Last week US company Deep Space Industries (DSI) announced plans to use asteroid material for manufacture by harvesting them and using 3D printers sent into space.

The company is also developing a bespoke 3D printer called MicroGravity Foundry for the purpose, it said, and hopes to be ready to start production by 2020.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21293258#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Nexus 4 charging orb listed online for $60, but it's out of stock

We're not sure if this is a placeholder or if the information is accurate, but retailer Pure Mobile has the Nexus 4 charging orb in their online catalog. Currently listed as "out of stock", the OEM built charger is listed for $59.99, with free shipping. If you follow the link below and go to the source, you'll find you can hover over the thumbnail for an expanded view, and it certainly looks to be the real deal -- Nexus logo and all.

We're not sure if this is a sign that we'll soon be seeing the charging orb for sale as we saw with the Nexus 7 dock, and it's a little more pricey than we had hoped (although far less than the last time we saw the charger listed online), but we're certainly keen on getting one. I've reached out to Pure Mobile and will update everyone when they reply.

Source: Pure Mobile

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/x19mKy_p7cc/story01.htm

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Brokerage expands into management - Real Estate Weekly

Real Estate Weekly has been published weekly since 1954. The publication reaches over 30,000 readers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island and Westchester. Subscribers rely on REW for its late-breaking news and recent developments affecting the commercial, residential and industrial markets. In addition, REW publishes monthly supplements which focus on specific aspects of the real estate industry. REW is read by building owners, property managers, brokers, developers, lending service companies, attorneys, architects and more.
Subscribe to REW

Source: http://www.rew-online.com/2013/02/01/brokerage-expands-into-management/

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