CONVENTION WATCH: Party's over, race is on

Convention Watch shows you the 2012 political conventions through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

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NOW THE HARD PART

The balloons are popping, one by one. Just a few white beach balls continue to bop across the floor of the Republican National Convention hall. Delegates are slowly making their way out into the humid Tampa night.

And Mitt Romney ? Republican presidential nominee ? is heading out on what may be the most challenging 67 days of his life.

In this Florida city, before a national audience, the former Massachusetts governor accomplished quite a bit of what he hoped to do at his convention: He and running mate Paul Ryan focused on the economy and forcefully made the argument that President Barack Obama hasn't been able to fix it. Again and again, they sounded a theme not of anger but of disappointment ? disappointment in the way the country is going, disappointment in Obama's performance.

Romney did one other thing: He talked about his life, spoke personally, in front of one of the biggest television audiences he will have for the entire campaign.

He'll get a few other chances ? during the debates, especially the first critical one. But whether he managed at this convention to make the elusive but critical connection with voters that he seemed to need remains to be seen.

It's an election that's about the economy, we all tell each other each day. And we're right. But it's also about whom we like the best, trust the most and feel comfortable with.

Now he is a nominee, officially. Out he goes to make his case.

? Sally Buzbee, bureau chief for AP Washington

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BETTER OFF?

Mitt Romney says that since the Great Depression, every president seeking a second term ? except two ? could look back on four years in office and say "you are better off today than you were four years ago."

The two exceptions, says Romney: Democrats Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

But he left a third name off that list ? Republican George H.W. Bush.

Mitt Romney is right that more Americans feel worse off today than feel better off.

In the most recent AP-GfK poll of all adults, 28 percent said they were better off today than four years ago, while 36 percent said they were worse off and 36 percent said they were in about the same financial position.

But the CBS/New York Times poll the October that Bush was seeking re-election found 23 percent of registered voters said they were better off than four years ago, and 36 percent worse off. Forty percent felt about the same.

In August of that year (1992) it was 23 percent better, 34 percent worse, 42 percent about the same, among all adults.

? Jennifer Agiesta ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennagiesta

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NO HOLDING BACK

When Hurricane Isaac ? now a tropical depression ? led Republicans to cancel the convention's first day, many questioned whether it would be smart to tone down the glitz and the glam for the remaining days.

Some even speculated that the GOP might move Mitt Romney's speech to a smaller venue, allowing him to accept his nomination without appearing to party with neighboring states still reeling.

There were no signs that anything was toned down.

Confetti and thousands of balloons rained down on delegates, while images of fireworks appeared behind Romney. Some delegates appeared to be wearing patriotic-themed costumes. Musical performances got the audience riled up.

Although Romney made no mention of Isaac, other speakers did, sending their thoughts and prayers to those suffering. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, in her speech, implored those watching to donate to the Red Cross.

? Josh Lederman ? Twitter http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

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THE PLANET, HEALED?

Mitt Romney got a big laugh from his Republican audience when he criticized President Barack Obama for promising Americans that he would "begin to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet." In contrast, Romney said, "My promise is to help you and your family."

Did Obama actually make such a statement? Yes, pretty much.

In a June 2008 speech marking his victory in the Democratic primaries, Obama said generations from now, "we will be able to look back and tell our children that ... this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."

Obama backed a climate-change bill that passed the House in 2009. A similar bill died in Senate in 2010. Opinion is mixed whether he worked hard to get it passed.

? Calvin Woodward

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THE WORD: 'MORMON'

Mitt Romney rarely uses the word Mormon. Instead, he talks about "my faith" or uses similar phrases to describe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

But in his acceptance speech delivered at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, the Republican nominee for president used the word outright. And in the process, he also directly addressed the question of whether some Americans ? those unfamiliar with Mormonism ? might find his faith unusual or unfamiliar.

"We were Mormons, and growing up in Michigan that might have seemed unusual or out of place," the candidate said. "But I really don't remember it that way. My friends cared more about what sports teams we followed than what church we went to."

? Sally Buzbee

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NEXT PAGE, PLEASE

"Today the time has come to turn the page." ? newly minted GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in an acceptance speech in which he repeatedly referred to Barack Obama not by name but as "this president."

? Ted Anthony ? Twitter http://twitter.com/anthonyted

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THE STAGE

As Mitt Romney entered his convention hall through a side door, walking through the crowds on the floor, a group of several workers rushed to the stage to move the podium forward onto the stage, closer to the crowd.

Most of the night's speakers spoke at the podium back on the main part of the stage. But Romney's podium was moved forward onto a part of the stage that jutted out into the crowd of delegates. The protruding part of the stage was built overnight ? and it allows Romney to be photographed with delegates on three sides.

By the time Romney reached his convention stage, the workers were gone ? and the podium in its new position.

? Sally Buzbee

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A PILE OF KIDS

In a speech meant partly to showcase his personal side, Mitt Romney spoke wistfully of his days as a dad with five young sons ? all grown now:

"Those weren't the easiest of days - too many long hours and weekends working, five young sons who seemed to have this need to re-enact a different world war every night.

"But if you ask Ann and I what we'd give, to break up just one more fight between the boys, or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kids asleep in our room. Well, every mom and dad knows the answer to that."

? Thomas Beaumont ? Twitter http://twitter.com/TomBeaumont

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CONVENTION HALL PROTEST

Beside Mitt Romney's stage, two protesters held up pink signs and began chanting "People over profits." Convention officials rushed to them and dragged them from their seats. They resisted while the audience chanted "U-S-A" repeatedly to drown them out. Romney, who loses network coverage at 11 p.m., returned to his speech even as the scuffle happened behind him, over his right shoulder.

? Philip Elliott and Steve Peoples ? Twitter http://twitter.com/Philip_Elliott and http://twitter.com/sppeoples

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'YOU NEED AN AMERICAN'

Mitt Romney says in America, all things are possible, and he holds up the first moon landing as proof.

"The soles of Neil Armstrong's boots on the moon made permanent impressions on our souls," Romney said in a rousing speech, heavy on outspoken patriotism, as he accepted the GOP presidential nomination.

He said Americans "went to bed that night knowing we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world."

When the world needs a tough job done, Romney said, "you need an American."

? Andrew Miga ? Twitter https://twitter.com/ap_andrew_miga

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QUICKQUOTE: ROMNEY

"Today four years from the excitement of that last election, for the first time the majority of Americans now doubt that our children will have a better future." ? Mitt Romney accepting the Republican presidential nomination and describing a national slide under Barack Obama's leadership.

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DIRTY HARRY

In a bizarre turn for a political convention, Clint Eastwood carried out an imaginary conversation with Barack Obama, represented by an empty stool onstage.

The Dirty Harry actor's performance ranged from biting to rambling, with lots of jokes and a salty touch.

"I've got Mr. Obama sitting here and I was going to ask him a couple of questions," Eastwood told the delegates, gesturing to the stool, before pretending to question Obama about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and whether he should have tried to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.

At one point he "listened" to the imaginary Obama lash out at Romney ? leaving the president's side of the conversation to the audience's imagination.

"He can't do that to himself. You're absolutely crazy!" Eastwood reacted. "You're getting as bad as Biden."

Stern-faced Romney aides winced at times as Eastwood's remarks stretched on. On a night where virtually every moment was scripted, Eastwood was among the only speakers not reading from a teleprompter as he spoke. It was blank.

? Steve Peoples ? Twitter http://twitter.com/sppeoples

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'MAKE MY DAY'

The crowd roared at its first glimpse of actor/director Clint Eastwood, the night's surprise guest. "Save some for Mitt," he told them.

In free-wheeling, joke-filled remarks, Eastwood remembered the enthusiasm around President Barack Obama's nomination four years ago.

"Everybody's crying. Oprah was crying. I was even crying," he joked.

Then he quickly pivoted to the serious: "I haven't cried that hard since I found out there's 23 million unemployed people in this country. That is something to cry for. That is a disgrace, a national disgrace."

"This administration hasn't done enough to cure that," Eastwood said, and it's "time for somebody else to come along and solve the problem."

Eastwood got an adoring standing ovation by telling the delegates, "When somebody does not do the job, we've got to let him go."

At their insistence, he ended with his Dirty Harry catchphrase, joined by the crowd: "Go ahead, make my day."

? Connie Cass ?Twitter http://twitter.com/ConnieCass

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AN UNUSUAL SCENE

It was one of the most unusual things seen at a political convention in many years: An aging movie legend, an icon of manliness and grit worldwide, doing a bizarre turn as a slightly dotty older uncle, talking to a naughty imaginary friend in a chair and making a series of rambling, sometimes risqu? remarks ? all at the expense of the nation's sitting president.

Clint Eastwood took the stage to great expectations Thursday night, his appearance whispered at all week as rumors swirled about the identity of a special mystery guest. But in a voice that sometimes was difficult to hear, the screen legend quickly did more to confuse the audience gathered at the Republican National Convention than anything else.

At first, Eastwood seemed to suck most of the excitement out of the convention center, leaving the crowd a bit nonplussed, a bit twittering in awkward embarrassment. By the end, the crowd was applauding his jokes, though hardly raucously. But Romney aides had serious faces as they watched the lengthy, unscripted moment, clearly a bit taken aback.

? Sally Buzbee

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THE CHANT: 'U-S-A!'

Political conventions are one thing. But the Olympics ? well, that's something that can really get a crowd's blood stirring.

As a lineup of former Olympic medalists took to the stage at the Republican National Convention, the crowd of delegates burst into a spontaneous, fist-pumping chant of "USA! USA!"

Was it Tampa ... or was it London again?

? Sally Buzbee

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ON THE ISSUES

Mitt Romney's focus on jobs and the deficit in his acceptance speech plays to his strengths on the issues, while Thursday's convention agenda seeks to shore up his weak points. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll finds him most competitive with Obama on fiscal matters. Among registered voters, he leads the president by 10 points as more trusted to handle the federal budget deficit, and holds narrow 4-point edges on creating jobs and handling the economy.

But Romney trails Obama by 15 points on handling social issues, and by 6 points on handling Medicare, a central focus of Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's congressional career.

The focus among Thursday night's convention speakers on Romney's personal and professional life could help to boost his personal image. Registered voters split evenly in their impressions of the former governor ? 46 percent have a favorable impression, 46 percent an unfavorable one. That lags behind Obama's 52 percent favorable to 46 percent unfavorable mark on this question.

Romney also trails the president on the question of which candidate is the stronger leader (50 percent Obama to 41 percent Romney) and is seen as less apt to understand average people's problems (51 percent say Obama better understands compared with 36 percent Romney).

? Jennifer Agiesta ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennagiesta

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A SOMBER HUSH

The floor of a national political convention can be a chaotic place. Many delegates do listen to every speech as the evening goes on. But other delegates mill around, chatting with friends, thronging the aisles, dashing out for food ? and above all else, angling for photos with well-known faces. It's often noisy and frequently raucous.

But every once in a while the convention floor stills for a bit. That happened Thursday night when Ted and Pat Oparowski, a Mormon couple, took the stage to describe a painful period in their life ? when their teenage son, David, was diagnosed in 1979 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Ted Oparowski, who described himself as someone of modest means, told the crowd how Mitt Romney had struck up a friendship with their son, through his work in the church, visiting the 14-year-old during the months he struggled with cancer before dying.

As the couple spoke in slow, sometimes halting voices, delegates in the aisles turned and listened. Voices dropped. The stillness lasted until the couple left the stage.

? Sally Buzbee

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GINGRICH X 2

Newt Gingrich, known for doing things his way, capped his losing presidential bid with a unique GOP convention appearance alongside his wife, Callista.

Taking turns speaking, sort of like Oscar presenters, the pair praised Mitt Romney by comparing him to President Ronald Reagan.

Barack Obama is no Reagan, they made clear. He's more like Jimmy Carter, the Gingriches asserted.

"It's striking how President Carter and President Obama both took our nation down a path that in four years weakened America's confidence in itself and our hope for a better future," Newt said.

Left behind were any hard feelings from the heated primary campaign in which he called Romney a liar at one point and in a debate urged him to drop "the pious baloney."

? Connie Cass ?Twitter http://twitter.com/ConnieCass

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HISPANIC OUTREACH

Republicans continued their strong outreach to Hispanic voters during Thursday night's convention.

All week they have been highlighting Hispanic elected officials from around the country, but on Thursday the effort kicked into even a higher gear. In a short video, elected officials from New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida talked about how their party's values are the values of many Hispanics ? from strong family ties to strong support for small business.

On the heels of the video, Romney's son Craig Romney spoke in Spanish to the crowd, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ? a popular politician who also spoke to the crowd in Spanish.

Scheduled to be up later in the evening: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida ? perhaps the country's most up-and-coming Hispanic official.

? Sally Buzbee

___

FULL-THROATED DEFENSE

The last Republican president, George W. Bush, had been almost invisible at this convention ? until Thursday night. Almost no previous speaker had mentioned the president who immediately preceded Barack Obama. Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan even took an oblique swipe at Bush, noting in his speech Wednesday night that the country's budget and debt problems had been caused not just by Obama, but by administrations before his.

That changed when the former president's brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, made an impromptu ? and full throated ? defense of his brother at the start of his speech to the delegates. Jeb Bush's speech was on education. But before he leapt in, he got the crowd roaring by telling the crowd of delegates "I love my brother." In a very troubled time for America, Jeb Bush said, "He kept us safe."

George W. Bush was just a few months into his presidency when terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, killing thousands of Americans. In the aftermath of those Sept. 11 attacks, then-President Bush ordered American troops first into Afghanistan to attack al-Qaida and then later into Iraq to overthrow dictator Saddam Hussein.

? Sally Buzbee

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/convention-watch-partys-over-race-042710245--election.html

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Recession 'drives invention boom'

31 August 2012 Last updated at 02:42 ET

Britons have risen to the economic challenges of recent recession by becoming more prolific inventors, a random survey of 2,000 Britons shows.

A third of respondents claimed that the recession has increased the amount they were coming up with inventions and innovative, money-saving solutions.

A third of those with a bright idea were learning more about science and technology to help refine it.

One in 10 adults had looked into or applied for a patent in the last year.

"This research shows the recession has sparked a real 'can do' attitude amongst ordinary people of all ages who are looking to make some extra cash - and it's amazing to see that, as a nation, we are turning to science and engineering to make the impossible possible," said Dragon's Den success and first "inventor-in-residence" at London's Science Museum Mark Champkins.

"Breakthroughs using science and technology hold the key to not only transforming individuals' lives but the state of our country's future economic growth."

The survey, commissioned by the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair, found that young people were part of the boom as well; 5% of survey respondents aged 11 to 18 had looked into or applied for a patent in the last year.

It is those young inventors that are of greatest interest to Big Bang fair; organisers are encouraging young inventors and technologists to put forward their ideas in the National Science and Engineering Competition.

"With a chance to compete for top prizes worth over ?50,000, it's the perfect incentive to test, stretch and expand young minds," said Mr Champkins.

"That 'light bulb moment' could see them crowned 'UK Young Engineer of the Year' or 'UK Young Scientist of the Year'."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19423195#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Surprise! Official 2012 GOP Platform Is Anti-Online Poker

Earlier this week, the official 2012 Republican (aka GOP, aka "Grand Old Party") platform was released on GOP.com.

The release of the report coincides with the 2012 Republican National Convention, which is currently taking place in Tampa Bay, Florida. Mitt Romney has officially secured the Republican nomination for President and will accept the nomination later this week.

--

Anyways, what is the Republican party's official stance on "online gambling" in 2012?

From the section "Making the Internet Family-Friendly" in their official 2012 GOP Platform document:

"Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families. We support the prohibition of gambling over the Internet and call for reversal of the Justice Department's decision distorting the formerly accepted meaning of the Wire Act that could open the door to Internet betting."

So there you go - the Republican party's official stance on Internet gambling for the 2012 campaign. Certainly not a surprise..

--

According to Gallup.com, President Obama currently has a very small (47% to 46%) lead over Mitt Romney in national polling numbers.

Source: GOP.com - 2012 Republican Platform (*.pdf)

HT: Rich Muny

Filed Under: Poker Legal Issues

Source: http://www.poker-king.com/poker-king-articles.php?article=1380

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Samsung introduces ATIV Tab: a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet

Samsung's busy cranking out its fall lineup here in Berlin, and among the new entries is the ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for HDMI and USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick.

Developing...

Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub!

Filed under: Tablets, Wireless

Samsung introduces ATIV Tab: a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/olrj98xETPk/

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10 best hawker food and drink pairings - inSing.com

Hawker food always hits the spot and, accompanied by the right beverage, it puts an entirely distinct gastronomic experience within easy reach (alright, cue in the D?ner en Blanc remarks). Say no to the typical beers and give these pairings a go; you?ve got to think out of the box to put these in your baskets:

Char kway teow with dry gin cocktails
With a varied assortment of ingredients that range from bean sprouts to chives, egg, cockles, pork lard, fishcake, prawns and Chinese sausage, char kway teow is a tricky dish to find company for. Gin seems to fit the coupling though ? each brand of gin carries the flavours of a unique combination of aromatic botanicals used in its distilling process. Go with a simple mix; Bombay Sapphire ($74.95 from Cold Storage) with soda and a squeeze of lime is just the right kind of dry drink you need to go with the oily and sweet noodle dish.
Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee | Address: Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-17 Hong Lim Food Centre | Opening hours: Mon-Sat 6am-4.30pm

Char siew and roast pork belly with German white beers
You can never go wrong with char siew or sio bak (Chinese dialect for ?roast pork belly?) rice. It's a dish that inspires loyalty, one with secret recipes worth as much as, say, $1.8 million. Our recommendation for your roast meat fix can, fortunately, be just round the corner ? pair the?May Flower Roasted Meat Specialist's meats with classic German brews like Schneider Weisse and Konig Ludwig ($12) which can be found at The Good Beer Company. The white beers go well with sweet char siew and crispy, salty sio bak.
Tip: For something even more localised, try it with? one of the Jungle Beers ($15 each).
May Flower Roasted Meat Specialist?| Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-44/45 Chinatown Complex
The Good Beer Company | Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-58 Chinatown Complex | Opening hours: mon-Fri noon-2pm, 5pm-11pm; Sat noon-11pm

Fried oysters/oyster omelette with Marston?s Oyster stout
The name says it all: Marston's Oyster Stout ($7.50 at East of Avalon Wines) is a dry-ish English brew that is light for a stout. It does wonders to cut through the oil and oyster flavours and textures to cleanse the palate ? something you need to power though those plates of egg, fresh oysters, sour chilli sauce and spring onions. Interestingly, the oyster stout style harks back to the Victorian era, where oysters were the food of the common man and not some overpriced, alleged aphrodisiac, so pairing it with hawker food places it in familiar territory.
Super Mummy Fried Hokkien Mee, Carrot Cake, Oyster | Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-103 Chinatown Complex
East of Avalon Wines | Address: 281 Joo Chiat road | Tel: 6440 0504 | Opening hours: Mon & Tues 3pm-10.30pm; Wed-Sun 11.30am-10.30pm

?

Hainanese chicken rice with Sauvignon Blanc
Indeed, when the idea of ?classing up? hawker food by serving it with wine first emerged, chicken rice was among the first dishes to be considered. Chicken and white wine are always a good match. Oyster Bay?s Sauvignon Blanc (from Marlborough, New Zealand, $43.95) is ideal as it?s fresh and citrusy. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken rice?s symphony of stock, oil, garlic, cucumber and chili, for example, calls for something delicate but lively.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice | Address: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-10 Maxwell Food Centre | Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am-8pm

?

Laksa with pale ale
The debate will always rage on about which Katong laksa is the original, but this spicy favourite has been a bit of an ambassador for Peranakan cuisine, travelling the world and winning fans everywhere from London to Los Angeles. With something as rich and spicy as laksa, the best you can do is to keep things simple and heat-extinguishing, so have a beer, but do take things up a notch with a pale ale. Hawthorn's pale ale ($7.50 from East of Avalon Wines) is a hoppy drop that brings the heat of laksa to a satisfying climax without losing out to the flavours of the seafood ingredients and coconut gravy.
328 Katong Laksa | Address: 53 East Coast Road | Opening hours: Daily 8am-10pm

?

Mutton soup with Malbec
Like walking into a TCM hall, herbal mutton soup might not be to everyone's liking. But those who love it can't live without it. Whether you go for the ribs, the tripe or tendon, the Argento Malbec ($28.95 from Cold Storage) - a luscious Argentinian red wine ? will go well. This red goes very well with heavy meat dishes.
New World Mutton Soup | Address: 207 New Upper Changi Road, #01-55 Bedok Interchange Food Centre | Opening hours: Daily 10am-10.30pm

?

The Good Beer Company, the provider of good German white beers | Photo credit: Kurt Ganapathy

Nasi lemak with Chardonnay
Jacob's Creek's Chardonnay ($24.95 from Cold Storage) is one of the best value for money wines out there, and it pairs well with nasi lemak too. Bursting with tropical fruit aromas, this creamy-on-the palate swirl with a distinct buttery flavour melds well with the simple, clean flavours of fried fish, chicken, coconut rice, egg and peanuts.
Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak | Address: 2 Adam Road, Stall 2 Adam Road Food Centre | Opening hours: Mon-Thu, Sat & Sun 7am-6pm

?

Sambal stingray with Estrella Damm Inedit
The object of many foodies?? uncontrollable cravings and a staple of any seafood barbecue, sambal stingray is a source of much national pride when it comes to local cuisine. The heat of the sambal, the tang of the limes, the juicy flesh and the crunchy cartilage conspire to leave mouths watering and foreheads sweating ? this is precisely why it goes well with the Estrella Damm Inedit ($20 from Wine Exchange Asia). A beer crafted with the input of the famously outlandish chef Ferran Adria, the Inedit was made to go with ?challenging foods? that are oily and have strong flavours (citrus being among them). Lightly spicy, floral, full-bodied and crisp, it's as if Adria made it just to be knocked back with a wing of ray.?
Chomp Chomp Hai Wei Yuan Seafood BBQ | Address: 20 Kensington Park Road, Stall #1 Chomp Chomp Food Centre | Opening hours: Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight
Wine Exchange Asia | Address: 301 Boon Keng Rd | Tel: 6391 1061 | Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

?

Satay with smoky whiskeys
You can see why the succulent meats cooked over an open flame goes well with the smoky notes of the whiskey. Satay has a Japanese cousin in the form of yakitori, so a good thing to match it with is a smoky whisky from the Land of the Rising Sun. Suntory Hakushu Heavily Peated ($170 from Fine Spirits by La Maison du Whisky) is ideal with lightly charred and slightly sweet satay. This, we think, is second only to prawn paste chicken wings when it comes to hawker fare tailor-made for drinking.
Old Punggol Satay | Address: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-52 Alexandra Village Food Centre | Opening hours: Mon-Fri 4.30pm-9.30pm; Sat & Sun noon-9:30pm
Fine Spirits by La Maison du Whisky| Address: 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-10 The Pier | Tel: 6733 0059 | Opening hours: Mon-Sat noon-midnight?

?

Cendol with Kahlua
We didn?t forget the sweet stuff; a favourite roadside dessert all around the region, the classic cendol has changed little over the years, and for as little as $1.20 at some ice dessert stalls. As ice-cream lovers know, a bit of liqueur makes everything a little better, and the same holds true for cendol. The coffee flavour of Kahlua ($71.10 from Cold Storage) blends seamlessly with the sinful coconut milk and gula melaka of the cendol; have it on the side or pour it straight in.
Ming Fa Cold & Hot Desserts | Address: Blk 531A Upper Cross Street, #02-24 Hong Lim Food Centre

____________________________________________________________________________

A beer enthusiast first and a writer second, Kurt Ganapathy has tried over a thousand brews from 80 countries. Some of his most memorable exploits include tackling the one-time world's strongest beer - BrewDog's 41% abv Sink The Bismarck! - and getting his name on the wall of an Irish pub in Melbourne for drinking 100 pints of Guinness (not in one sitting, of course).

Source: http://food.insing.com/feature/10-best-hawker-food-and-drink-pairings/id-675d3f00

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Distressed Risk Workers Compensation Insurance - Typepad

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For Relaxing Times, Swim | ej-fransen.com - ej-fransen.com ? home

Picture yourself lazily sipping your ice-cold drink on your backyard on a hot, summer day. You?ve got the barbecue grill ready, ice-cold drinks chilled inside the cooler?but still, there?s something missing. It?s times like these you wish that you have a swimming pool on your backyard?there?s nothing more relaxing than a recreational swim together with your family and friends.

If your idea of leisure is casual get-togethers and small house parties, or simply just spending time with your fun-loving family?then it?s about time you consider building a swimming pool. There are a lot of benefits as well as advantages when it comes to building a pool, and just thinking about them all already exciting. If you are still trying to make a decision on whether to build a swimming pool on your backyard or not, here are some thoughts you can consider.

Fun, fun, fun for everyone

There is nothing more fun than having a swimming pool on your backyard. If you have a family with growing children, swimming is definitely a fun way for you to spend time with them and create a bond that will turn into beautiful memories. Being able to throw a poolside party for friends and family is also a great way for you to interact and improve relationships while having lots of fun. A swimming pool always attracts anyone who isn?t afraid to have some fun?whether he?s 6 or 60.

A fit and healthy lifestyle, in an instant

Nowadays, having and living a healthy lifestyle is becoming a top priority for many people. This is one reason why gyms have increased their numbers in years. Studies have shown that swimming laps regularly is definitely the complete cardio workout, as compared to running or biking. Not only does swimming make your heart stronger and healthier, it allows you to have fun while you?re at it, too.

Pools add appeal

If you are the type of person who values aesthetics, then having a swimming pool built is definitely a way to make your house look appealing, and more attractive. It doesn?t matter if you plan on building just a small swimming pool, what matters is it always makes your yard look more special. It becomes the main attraction, and having a swimming pool effortlessly can calm your senses and make you feel at peace.

In conclusion..

There?s nothing like swimming laps in your own swimming pool before the sun rises in the comforts of your own house. Having a swimming pool built definitely has a lot of advantages and benefits. Creating fun memories and improving relationships with friends and families are some effects of having a pool at home for recreation. Swimming as exercise proves to be good for your health, and it effortlessly adds a lot of fun in your daily workout routine.

So what are you waiting for? Watch the fun and excitement come alive and plan on building a swimming pool in your backyard now.

About the Author:
Mark enjoys his pool, which he got from Barrier Reef Swimming Pools, and was inspired to blog to encourage others to take the leap and install their own pool.

Source: http://ej-fransen.com/for-relaxing-times-swim/

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Voice signals sent to Mars and back, while telephoto images tease rich geology

The Martian hills are alive with the sound of music. Well, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's voice at least, as the agency reveals that the first recorded human voice has traveled from Earth, to another planet, and back. The words might not have literally echoed in the surrounding hills, but by having been beamed to Curiosity and back again, have made a small step towards interplanetary communication. Along with the motivational words of Bolden, the rover returned some telephoto images from the onboard 100mm and 34mm lenses. The pictures show the hills toward which Curiosity is bound, and tease the scientists with their rich-looking -- and hopefully revealing -- layers of geology. Want to know what interplanetary voicemail sounds like? No need to go to Mars and back, just click on the more coverage link below.

Continue reading Voice signals sent to Mars and back, while telephoto images tease rich geology

Filed under: Misc, Science

Voice signals sent to Mars and back, while telephoto images tease rich geology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/voice-signals-sent-to-mars-and-back-while-telephoto-images-teas/

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My Mumoirs: Taking It Easy!

Hello, Once again it has been quite some time that I have had a chance to write, it's been busy times with the usual plate spinning : ) But I have recently been forced to rest due to my back playing up (to put it lightly). If I can't be up and about doing things I can at least put my feet up and do something to occupy my time.

As a bit of insight I thought I'd share how my brain works, its busy and I dont rest easily, I have quite a visual mind and often see myself quite literally juggling the main components of my life - motherhood, relationship, extended family, work, health, home, social life (tres scaled down!) and finances. I used to see each area of life as a bucket and my aim was to ensure that everything was evenly filled - I'd make sure that I was balancing everything correctly, I could see which area's required more attention and I'd be able to see the areas which were doing just fine.

Anyway, a little while back my thought processes became a lot less than orangised and it became more like a circus in my mind, gladly it's not so much like that now. I was striving for perfection in everything but its just not possible I now realise. Maybe now that I?m thinking more rationally I can see that I didn't really HAVE to do half the things I thought I had to - cleaning the front door and path at 10pm on a Monday after coming home from work, cooking dinner (twice), cleaning, bathing and putting Freya to bed is probably one of those things I didn't really have to do! The score goes - Anxiety 0 - 1 Amy, thankfully its in much better check now and I'm being just as productive yet much calmer, I am still trying out this pretty new thing to me though, it?s called - TAKING IT EASY!!!

It's actually not the easiest thing to do but I have little choice at the moment because my back pain made a devilish return a few months ago. I am actually pretty fed up of talking about it and feeling it but its so flippin' consuming there?s not much room for anything else to think about!

I have scoliosis which means I have a curved spine and its compressing my nerves, pretty horrid really but I had the great news today that I will be receiving facet joint injections again on 13th September at 5:30pm to be precise - and yes, I am counting down the days as that means 12 months living pain free!

It's been a hard 6 month since the pain returned, I don't want Freya to miss out on things because of my problem or for my work to be affected so I have been carrying on as normal but today I reached a bit of a melting point where I've admitted defeat and will rest until I'm fixed. It's ever so frustrating because I enjoy my job and want to be there for my team and be the best mum to Freya that I can be but sitting, standing and walking are all incredibly difficult at the moment.

Getting my back fixed so I can live the life that my mind wants to means I'll close the circus and re-fill the buckets - that?s my aim, I might have to give the skydive a miss in this life time but I'm a Piscean, a dreamer ? and I can see a healthy happy person at the end of this! In darker times I see myself in a wheelchair which isn't great, neither is the numbness in my legs but I am doing all I can to remain positive.

On a side note, I think having a little artistic outburst and a chat with my friend Sara at her art workshop (Reclamation) yesterday helped, it really lifted my spirits and reminded me to keep in touch with my creative side; I loved using crayons to express my take on life as a mum!

So until 13th Sept its rest, rest and more rest. With research on the Alexander technique to improve my posture and booking Pilates classes too.

Until next time, that?s bye for now! Ax

Source: http://amytweddle.blogspot.com/2012/08/taking-it-easy_28.html

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Sensibly Spellbound ? Sisters of the Pen

I made a promise a while back I would contribute regular writing exercises. I?ve been pretty slack on that front. I hope this?ll make up. But bear with me. ?It?s kind of a of book review with a writing exercise at the end.

I?m currently writing a thesis (exegesis) to accompany a group (flock, herd, pack?) of short stories I?ve written for my creative writing Honours project. The ?thing? each of these stories has in common is shape-shifting ? each tale has a central character that shifts form from human to other-than-human, or vice versa, or something in between.? The theoretical bit I am in the midst of, looks at a bunch of stories (by more famous people than me) that also have a strong element of shape-shifting in them, and examines what kind of stuff gets opened up when metamorphosis is given such an overt presence.

Hathor ? Susan Seddon Boulet

The thing about shape-shifting is, when you start to really think about it and engage with it, it opens up into an incredibly rich and ever-expanding territory. It?s big. It?s fun. There?s so much to explore. You kind of start out with these loose ideas about human/other-than-human relations and end up being taken on a wild ride through genetic engineering and poststructural cyborgs, through ecofeminism and postcolonial thought via fairy tales and mythology, and then deep inside the philosophy of phenomenology and finding yourself on the doorstep of animism, opening up to the inherently aware life of everything around us. Well, that?s what happened to me.

All along the way I knew that I wanted to speak about the way shape-shifting in stories is not something made-up and magical, at its essence (if it has one), but is a process inherent in all life, and when it happens in stories, it is addressing something both ordinary (in that it happens all the time) and profound (in that when we take it personally, we can see that it expands and connects us to EVERYTHING).

Ok, I?m being a bit abstract about all this, I know. I?m still forming these thoughts into something that can make some kind of sharable sense. In the meantime, though, I wanted to share the beautiful articulation of thought that I have found in a book called ?The Spell of the Sensuous? by David Abram. This book is that rare thing ? the one you start to read and shivers go down your spine. The one you read and you don?t feel so much like you?re being talked to so much as feeling like you?ve been plunged deep inside a reciprocal conversation, because each bit you read seems to be a direct answer to an ache that?s been in your heart since the time you first started to figure out how most people lived in this world.

And the marvellous thing is, the way the book does this, it actually embodies what it is speaking about, which is about perception being ?an experience of reciprocal encounter? when we pay attention to it at its most direct intersection with what it is we perceive ?prior to all our conceptualisations and definitions.?

This recognition of perception as a dynamic exchange has a heck of a lot to do with writers and writing. Our perceptions are the base materials that we use in our craft, they?re what we paint with, weave with, build with and blend and bend into all the countless creations possible when words are turned into imagery. No matter how imaginative we are, no imagery is really pulled straight from our heads. It is from our experiences with the world, with things, with other beings, with landscapes and rooms and objects and voices and wavelengths and winds ? all the myriad experiences open to the perception of the senses of our physical body, that this imagery is based upon, whether first-hand, or handed down over centuries from our ancestors.

Der, you might say. That?s obvious. And okay, maybe it is. But it?s so goddam obvious I think we miss the profundity of it much of the time.

Take this, for example: ?? in so far as my hand knows hardness and softness, and my gaze knows the moon?s light, it is as a certain way of linking up with the phenomenon and communicating with it. Hardness and softness, roughness and smoothness, moonlight and sunlight, present themselves in our recollections not pre-eminently as sensory contents but as certain kinds of symbioses, certain ways the outside has of invading us and certain ways we have of meeting this invasion?? They?re the words of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose major work was to investigate and elaborate the philosophical terrain known as ?phenomenology?, which is the intellectual basis of Abram?s book.

There is something profound in recognising that what is ?outside? our bodies, can ?invade? us in the process of perception. As Abram points out in his book, Merleau-Ponty?s writing is full of such words. Throughout his work, all that we traditionally describe as ?passive and inert?, is ?consistently described in the active voice?, so that the ?sensible world? beckons, summons, ?holds itself aloof?, expresses itself, takes possession and even ?thinks itself within me?. Abram suggests that this isn?t just a pretty, poetic turn of language, but is an inevitable result of what happens when you try to speak about the world as it is directly experienced, rather than shutting off from it.

So here?s my writing exercise for those who are up for it (and the potential profundity it may reveal in the ordinary world surrounding you): write about the ?sensible world? in the active voice. Any bit of it, whichever bit of it presents itself to you. It might be a cup or the sky. It might be a cat or a rock, a breeze or a building. See what happens.

image by Miftah Fauzan

But if you remain unconvinced of the worth of this exercise for your writing (or your life), read this:

?We conceptually immobilise or objectify the phenomenon only by mentally absenting ourselves from this relation, by forgetting or repressing our sensuous involvement. To define another being as an inert or passive object is to deny its ability to actively engage us and to provoke our senses; we thus block our perceptual reciprocity with that being. By linguistically defining the surrounding world as a determinate set of objects, we cut our conscious, speaking selves off from the spontaneous life of our sensing bodies? Only by affirming the animate-ness of perceived things do we allow our words to emerge directly from the depths of our ongoing reciprocity with the world.?

So, go for it. See what happens when you open up to experiencing the world as awake and alive and active and write from this openness. I dare ya.

?

?

?

Source: http://sistersofthepen.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/sensibly-spellbound/

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PS Vita v1.80 update now available, PSOne titles for download revealed (video)

Of all the new features in firmware version 1.80 we're pretty sure that the ability to play PSOne classics was fairly high on people's want-list. Well, the update is live, and with it a list of the titles available. There are nine on offer today for US Vita owners, which are: Arc the Lad, Cool Boarders 2, Final Fantasy VII, Hot Shots Golf 2, Jet Moto, Syphon Filter, Tomb Raider, Twisted Metal 2 and Wild Arms, with hopefully more to follow. This is in stark contrast to what's available over the pond, as Kotaku points out, with over 100 titles hitting European shores from tomorrow -- somewhat of an imbalance. But, with Sony said to be targeting a younger crowd, maybe it's banking on some of them not remembering the PlayStation's golden age. Feature tour video after the break.

Continue reading PS Vita v1.80 update now available, PSOne titles for download revealed (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

PS Vita v1.80 update now available, PSOne titles for download revealed (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  PlayStation Blog (EU), PlayStation Blog (US)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/ps-vita-v1-80-update-now-available-psone-titles-revealed/

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Greenpeace activists intercept Russian ship

MOSCOW (AP) ? More than a dozen Greenpeace activists have intercepted a ship carrying Russian oil workers to a floating oil platform in Russia's Arctic.

Greenpeace said in a statement on Monday that 14 activists chained themselves to the anchor chain of the vessel which was carrying Gazprom's workers to the Prirazlomnaya platform in the Pechora Sea.

Gazprom is pioneering Russia's oil drilling in the Arctic. The state-owned company installed the platform there last year and is preparing to drill the first well.

Environmentalists have warned that drilling in the Russian Arctic could have disastrous consequences because of a lack of technology to deal with a possible spill in this remote region.

Six Greenpeace activists on Friday spent several hours hanging off the side of the Prirazlomnaya, attached to the rig's mooring lines.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-27-Russia-Greenpeace/id-9a5579f89da440abae116cad439c758a

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Michael Atkins - Seattle Trademark Lawyer - Analyzing the ...

Following is a guest post from my former student and recent UWSL LL.M. graduate, Aman Gebru, on the evolving?theory of contributory trademark dilution, a claim he notes recently got traction in a local case.?This?post is adapted from his seminar paper entitled: ?The Claim of Contributory Dilution under the Trademark Dilution Revision Act.? In the fall, Mr. Gebru will continue his legal studies at the?University of Toronto, where he will pursue the equivalent of a Ph.D.

Praise and criticism?for claim of contributory dilution:

?[It is] the most pernicious concept ever to come out of trademark theory.? -Mark A. Lemley, The Modern Lanham Act and The Death of Common Sense.

?[S]ome form of imputed liability for dilution is no more ?pernicious? than dilution itself? -John T. Cross, Claim for Contributory and Vicarious Liability.

??While there is no authority directly on point, there would seem to be no logical reason why the doctrine of contributory infringement should not apply to a claim under the federal anti-dilution law.? -J. Thomas McCarthy, McCarthy on Trademarks.

?It would be inconsistent with the Trademark Dilution Act to prohibit a cause of action for contributory dilution.? -Hon.?Ricardo Martinez, Microsoft v. Shah, No. 10-653 (W.D. Wash. Jan. 12, 2011).

Imagine that Napple, a famous electronics producer, has succeeded in giving consumers a ?high-social-class? impression through its smart-phone and laptop products. Simply put, consumers feel classy when they purchase Napple?s products. Marketers have identified?this method of marketing is what drives the high demand for Napple?s products. MicroGoogle, Napple?s arch-rival, wants to destroy the advantages its competitor has gained through this strategy. MicroGoogle?s CEO consults her lawyers, who say if MicroGoogle uses Napple?s trademark in a confusing way?or?directly dilutes it, they would be liable. Therefore, MicroGoogle?s CEO decides that?MicroGoogle instead should use Napple?s trademarks in a way that reduces its high-class impression. The strategy works, and?a sharp decline is noticeable in Napple?s sales shortly thereafter. Within weeks, MicroGoogle decides to go for the kill shot, and?pays the influential ?Rapper?Snapper,? to use offensive slang in reference to people using Napple?s products in his music. Napple, furious about the issue,?decides to bring a suit against MicroGoogle.???

Does Napple have a valid claim for contributory dilution against MicroGoogle?

The cause of action for dilution is unique in trademark law. Traditionally, protection was limited to guard against the confusing use of?a distinctive mark, in an effort to?protect?consumers. Under?dilution principles, there is no requirement to show confusion. In dilution,?the plaintiff is saying ?I have invested so much in promoting my famous mark, and its?distinctiveness is being ?blurred,? or its wholesomeness is being ?tarnished,? by the defendant.?

Although the?dilution?has become?widely accepted, the claim of contributory dilution has had a different fate. Most?courts faced with the claim failed to give direction?as to?whether a valid claim for contributory dilution exists. While Congress had the chance to clarify the confusion when it enacted the Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006,?it actually?added to the confusion when it excluded the contribution to a ?fair use dilution? from liability and kept silent about the contribution to ?non-fair-use? dilution. The confusion has not been clarified for some time.

That is, until the Western District?recognized what some have called???a novel cause of action? and denied a motion to dismiss?the claim in July?2012 in Microsoft v. Shah. While earlier courts struggled with the notion that such a cause of action should be recognized, Judge Ricardo Martinez?held: ?It would be inconsistent with the Trademark Dilution Act to prohibit a cause of action for contributory dilution.???Since most of the decisions regarding the cause of action have been made by trial?courts, however, it is still not clear if?a valid claim for contributory dilution will exist on a broader scale. The issue becomes more interesting when one considers the enormous amount of investment required to create a?famous, wholesome, and highly distinctive mark. The recent debate and lobbying regarding proposed SOPA/PIPA legislation may also put pressure on the issue of contributory liability for dilution online.?

My paper (accessible?here) discusses?case law regarding contributory dilution from various circuits and analyzes the direction courts seem to be heading. I argue that even if the status of the claim is not yet clear, courts should give broader?recognition to the claim and use existing jurisprudence to provide for its elements?? similar to?the accepted cause of action for contributory?trademark infringement.

Thank you, Aman!

N.B.?Readers may remember the Shah decision from STL?s post here.

Source: http://seattletrademarklawyer.com/blog/2012/8/26/analyzing-the-controversial-claim-for-contributory-trademark.html

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Miles Kiper Family - Digital Scrapbook Place Gallery

Miles Kiper Family more ?

Photo Details
DebbiePhelps This place rocks Registered: August 2005 Location: Butler County Kentucky Posts: 482 send this user a Private Message	He was the Grandson of my 3rd Great Grandparents, Jacob Kiper and Betsy Quick. Miles was born in Breckinridge County in 1855, and married Margaret Elizabeth Hornback. They raised eight children together near McDaniels, KY. elements from Studio Rosey Posey
	? Date: Mon August 27, 2012 ? Views: 15 ?
	Additional Info
	Keywords: history, heritage, genealogy, family
	Program: photo suite 7

Author vwortman Scrapping Dynamo Registered: May 2006 Location: Prineville, OR Posts: 21,294 Sarascraps2012 Love this place Registered: August 2012 Location: Ione, OR. Posts: 175 Mon August 27, 2012 1:18am Looove the colors you used in this set! Great photos too!

Source: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=415267&title=miles-kiper-family&cat=8641

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Obama declares emergency as Isaac targets New Orleans

New Orleans on Tuesday braced for another hurricane as a strengthening Tropical Storm Isaac drew near, seven years after Hurricane Katrina left 1,800 dead in the fabled jazz city.

President Barack Obama, no doubt mindful of the bungled handling of that tragedy by his predecessor George W. Bush, declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, allowing federal funds and aid to flow to local authorities.

The president also convened a briefing with officials, including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Craig Fugate, hours before Isaac was set to become a Category One hurricane on Tuesday morning.

Katrina left behind a devastating sprawl of destruction and death when it hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, and a halting emergency response from the Bush administration was a black mark on his second term in office.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 0600 GMT bulletin that Isaac was about 220 miles (355 kilometers) southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi and packing maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.

A hurricane warning was issued earlier for New Orleans and nearby areas as Isaac churned toward the US Gulf coast. The NHC said Isaac was set to reach hurricane status on Tuesday.

Alabama governor Robert Bentley has ordered mandatory evacuations in Mobile and Baldwin, counties that sit on the Gulf Coast.

In New Orleans, the normally bustling French Quarter was eerily quiet late Monday as the first rain drops fell and winds picked up.

Bored bouncers peered out of empty bars and strip clubs along Bourbon Street as the few die-hard tourists staggered down the cobblestones. Many restaurants had closed, and some hotels told guests to check out by midday Tuesday.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who has recommended voluntary evacuations, urged people to prepare for the worst.

"If you are in low-lying areas and are thinking about evacuating, today is the day to do that," he said Monday.

"If you plan on hunkering down at home, today is the day to get supplies. I strongly encourage people not to wait," added Jindal, who stayed away from the weather-delayed Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Those heeding the call included Tammy Edmondson, who looked anxious as she picked through the grocery shelves at a Target store with her daughter and a friend in tow.

Edmondson said she left town ahead of Katrina and that it was a month before she could go home. "We had a lot of damage -- we're still fixing some of it," she said.

FEMA said its National Response Coordination Center had been activated and would handle eventual requests for aid from affected states.

The emergency management agency has also deployed four disaster response teams to Gulf states and has moved other resources to pre-positioned command locations closer to the potential storm impact areas.

Mississippi activated 1,500 National Guard troops on Monday and Louisiana issued orders to approximately 4,100 soldiers and airmen in preparation of the storm making landfall. Florida called up only a few dozen service personnel.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama issued emergency warnings on Sunday, 24 hours after Isaac forced the main program of the Republican convention to be postponed by one day.

The NHC warned that Isaac could dump up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) of rain along the Gulf coast and spawn "isolated tornadoes" over central and northwestern Florida.

Katrina was the third deadliest US hurricane on record, destroying homes and igniting a human crisis in New Orleans, a city famed for music, an easygoing atmosphere and Creole cuisine.

Seven years ago, 1.4 million residents and visitors were ordered to evacuate New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approached, but many could not or would not leave and ended up stranded.

A lack of preparation forced residents to take shelter in attics and then break through their roofs to escape rising water, but countless numbers died while the nation's leaders appeared unwilling to address the disaster.

Isaac brought rain and choppy seas to the Florida Keys after battering impoverished Haiti -- where 19 people died -- and Cuba over the weekend.

In Tampa, the Republican convention began with a whimper as the bad weather reduced the opening of Mitt Romney's coronation as the party's presidential candidate to a muted, symbolic session of less than two minutes.

Party officials have said prime-time speaking slots on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday -- including speeches by Romney, his wife Ann and running-mate Paul Ryan -- remain unchanged.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/orleans-prepares-isaac-nears-hurricane-force-014144135.html

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Warm Arctic sets record for summer sea ice melt

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Scientists say critical ice in the Arctic Ocean melted to record low levels this overheated summer.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Monday that the extent of Arctic sea ice shrank to 1.58 million square miles and is likely to melt more in the coming weeks. That breaks the old record of 1.61 million square miles set in 2007. Figures are based on satellite records dating back to 1979.

Data center scientist Ted Scambos says the melt can be blamed mostly on global warming from man-made emissions of greenhouse gases.

Scientists say Arctic sea ice ? ocean water that freezes ? helps moderate temperatures lower on the globe and is crucial for polar bears. Greenland has also had record melt this year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/warm-arctic-sets-record-summer-sea-ice-melt-150448268.html

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Storm forces GOP to scrap first day of convention

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Republican officials abruptly announced plans Saturday night to scrap the first day of their national convention, bowing to the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac as it bore down menacingly on Florida.

"The safety of those in Isaac's path is of the utmost importance," tweeted Mitt Romney, his formal nomination as presidential candidate pushed back by a minimum of 24 hours from Monday night to Tuesday.

The announcement was made as delegates and other convention-goers flocked to the Tampa Bay area by the planeload for what had been scripted as four days of political pageantry and speechmaking with a purpose ? to propel Romney into the fall campaign against President Barack Obama.

Officials said they hoped to begin laying out a revised schedule on Sunday.

Romney campaigned in battleground Ohio during the day, pledging to help female entrepreneurs and innovators who are eager to create small businesses and the jobs that go with them. It was an economy-themed countdown to a convention taking shape in a city already bristling with security ? and bracing for a possible hurricane.

"Women in this country are more likely to start businesses than men. Women need our help," said the Republican presidential challenger, eager to relegate recent controversy over abortion to the sidelines and make the nation's slow economic recovery the dominant issue of his convention week.

Reince Priebus, the Republican Party chairman, told reporters on an early evening conference call that no state delegations had changed their travel plans because of the storm. "Everyone is planning on being here and we hope we are up and running and expect all of our delegates to be here," he said.

Yet with rain and high winds in the forecast, and with the threat of a storm surge and possible flooding, convention organizers said they were making contingency plans to move delegates who have been booked into beachfront hotels to other locations if necessary.

North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Stan Stein said he needed instructions on preparing emergency kits for the 65 to 70 people in his state's contingent staying at a hotel 200 yards off the water in Treasure Island. "We do blizzards. We can handle them, but we're just going to go on the advice we're getting from hotel management on how to prepare for this," he said.

"Our first priority is ensuring the safety of delegates, alternates, guests, members of the media attending the Republican National Convention, and citizens of the Tampa Bay area," convention CEO Bill Harris said in an emailed announcement that followed private conversations involving Romney's campaign, Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office, security officials and others.

The announcement said that while the convention would officially be gaveled into session on Monday as scheduled, the day's events would be cancelled until Tuesday.

The announcement made the GOP convention the party's second in a row to be disrupted by weather. Four years ago, the delegates gathered in St. Paul, Minn., but Hurricane Gustav, slamming the Gulf Coast, led to a one-day postponement.

In that case, party officials rewrote their script to make President George W. Bush's speech into a video appearance, and to cancel plans for Vice President Dick Cheney to appear before the delegates. Both men were unpopular at the time.

Four years later, there was no immediate sign that Romney's forces would do anything other than squeeze two nights' of platform programming into one. Nor did it appear the postponement would cost them much in political terms, since the television networks had already announced they would not be carrying any of Monday's events live.

Despite the disruption, Priebus said, "we are optimistic that we will begin an exciting, robust convention that will nominate the Romney-Ryan ticket."

Plans had called for the convention to open Monday with quick ratification of a conservative platform expected, followed by Romney's nomination in a traditional roll call of the states timed for network evening news coverage.

Barring further postponements it will end Thursday with his prime-time acceptance speech, which aides hope will propel him into a successful fall campaign and, eventually, the White House.

The polls made the race a close one, narrow advantage to Obama, as two weeks of back-to-back conventions approached. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on television ads, with hundreds of million more to come, almost all of it airing in a small group of battleground states expected to settle the election.

The list included Florida as well as North Carolina, where the Democratic National Convention will be held in one week's time.

Scott declared a state of emergency earlier in the day as the storm approached the Florida Keys, more than 400 miles from Tampa. Forecasters said it was on a track to head west of the convention city, but predicted strong winds and rain at a minimum on Monday as the delegates were to board buses for their first trip to the hall.

"We are a hospitality state. We know how to take care of people and we want to ensure their safety," Scott said.

Apart from weather concerns, a heavy security presence was already in evidence. Miles of fencing were designed to create a secure zone around a tract of land that included the convention hall, the hotel where Romney will stay and a nearby convention center where journalists and others worked.

Obama did his best to intrude on the Republican unity tableau.

In an interview with The Associated Press, he accused Romney of holding "extreme positions" on economic and social issues, while pledging a willingness on his own part to agree to "a whole range of compromise" with Republicans if he is re-elected.

He did not elaborate, but his pledge seemed designed to appeal to independents and other voters who say they are tired of seemingly perpetual campaign bickering and Washington gridlock.

Plans for Vice President Joe Biden to campaign in Florida were cancelled, also because of the threat posed by the storm.

But Romney said Obama's entire campaign rested on his ability to persuade people to ignore his record and listen instead to his rhetoric.

"It is not his words people have to listen to. It's his action and his record," he said in his appearance in Powell, Ohio. "And if they look at that, they'll take him out of the office and put people into the office who'll actually get America going again."

Romney's speech included an appeal to women made on economic grounds rather than on the basis of social issues like abortion, the sort of approach the Republican hopes will eat into Obama's polling advantage among female voters.

"I want to make sure that we help entrepreneurs and innovators. I want to speak to the women of America who have dreams, who begin businesses in their homes, who begin businesses out in the marketplace, who are working at various enterprises and companies," he said.

Romney envisioned an economic resurgence fueled by abundant energy, expanded trade and a skilled workforce. If that happens, "America is going to surprise the world. We're going to stand out as a shining city on a hill in part because of our extraordinary economy," he said to the cheers of an estimated 5,000 supporters.

Romney's determination to turn the attention to the economy follows two weeks of controversy over Medicare, courtesy of Obama's campaign, as well as abortion, the result of a comment by Rep. Todd Akin, the party's candidate in a Senate race in Missouri.

Romney joined an unsuccessful effort by party leaders to force Akin to quit his race after he said women who are raped rarely become pregnant, a view unsupported by medical evidence.

He also fought back hard in recent days in person and television advertising against Obama's allegations that he and running mate Ryan would remake Medicare in a way that would undermine the health of future seniors.

___

AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller and Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Philip Elliott in Ohio, and Brian Bakst and Suzette Laboy in Florida contributed to this report

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-forces-gop-scrap-first-day-convention-230338181.html

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