20 Worst-Named Phones and Tablets

These days it?s just not good enough to give your phone or tablet an unassuming name like the RX-5050 or M3420e.? Instead, devicemakers spend their days masterminding memorable monikers that are supposed to generate buzz. More often, though, they cause static or confusion. Here are the very worst of the lot.

Ainovo Novo7 Swordman

Like a knock-off breakfast cereal made by "Keylogs," the Ainovo brand sounds like it was designed to fool shoppers into thinking they're getting a Lenovo. But because one "novo" in the name is one too few, the Chinese OEM that makes this cheap tablet added another one for good measure. Don't ask us what the Swordman part means. Though we haven?t crossed blades with this slate, the more boring Ainovo Novo7 Basic's creaky plastic casing and slow speeds didn't impress.

HP Veer 4G

Generally speaking, you don?t want to name a gadget after something that happens right before a traffic accident. Unfortunately for HP, the name of its first webOS smartphone was particularly prescient. After users passed this disaster of a handset, the company veered away from its entire mobile strategy and hit a wall.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

In a bow to Arithmomaniacs, Samsung gives you 200 percent more model numbers than its main competitor and separates them with just an empty space ? no dashes or commas here. Even better, the number 2 is a homonym for "too." The store clerk could hear, "I want a Galaxy Tab too, 10.1," and give you last year?s model instead.

LG Lucid

While other Android phones may drunk-dial your ex girlfriends without permission, LG?s $79 handset remains clear-headed even when you load it down with lots of apps. Even better, the Lucid can download your email while in a sleep state, a form of "Lucid" dreaming.

HP TouchPad

Hewlett Packard?s abortive attempt at a webOS slate was a failure from the moment the company picked its name. The monikermeisters in Palo Alto seemed blissfully unaware that "touchpad" has been used to describe the pointing device on notebooks (including HP?s) for ages. Consumers may have thought that the short-lived slate, which was pulled from the market after just 57 days, was just a peripheral. Or maybe they noticed the lack of apps, sluggish performance and ugly design.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch

With almost as many names as Sean Combs, the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch is the world?s most tongue-twisty telephone. Though the same handset was simply called the Galaxy S II on most other carriers, Sprint felt compelled to tack on three extra words just for its version. The word ?Epic? honored the older Epic 4G. And 4G and Touch were added because you just can?t overstate the obvious enough. Up next: the Samsung Galaxy S III Epic Surfs Web and Does Lots of Other Stuff.

T-Mobile myTouch 4G

A phone designed for the "me" generation, the myTouch 4G is made by HTC, manufacturer of phones that "get you." With its sleek rounded curves and bright screen, it?s made to look great when you stare longingly in the mirror at yourself.

LG Ally

If you need a smartphone to be your friend, I promise not to mess with your red Swingline stapler. Hardly an Ally, LG?s low-end handset suffered from short battery life, a small display and a weak camera when it was released in 2010. But if you still sleep with your My Buddy doll, this phone is for you.

Samsung Brightside

If you can't afford a smartphone, look on the Brightside: At least this Samsung feature phone has a QWERTY keyboard and the ability to check email, read documents and update Facebook. If you always look on the bright side of life, you won't care that this craptastic handset has a tiny 3.2-inch screen, a processor that CNET describes as "slow as slugs" and a price ($119) that's higher than many dual-core, 4G Android handsets.

The new iPad

Some companies want to deny history and act as if their new product was the only one of its kind. By naming its third-generation iPad simply "the iPad," Apple committed a grave crime both against search engine optimization and common sense. Try doing a search for "Apple iPad" and you might get results for the 2012 model and the 2010 original. Uninitiated users also will see the iPad 2 and think that it?s newer than the "new iPad" because it actually has a version number. And just wait until "the new new iPad" comes out in 2013!

ASUS Transformer Infinity Pad TF700

If you can name all of ASUS' half million notebook/tablet hybrids, you deserve a prize. There?s the original Eee Pad Transformer, which gave way to the Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201. After that, ASUS must have realized it didn?t like the "Eee" brand anymore, because it called its next device the Transformer Pad TF300. As if the not-so-veiled Michael Bay references weren?t bad enough, the new Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 kicks it up a notch, to infinity and beyond. Try saying Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 five times fast, I dare you.

HP iPaq Glisten

Clearly targeted at closet "Twilight" fans, this 2010-era Windows Mobile 6.5 phone glistens in the sun just like a vampire. And just like abstinence-only Edward, the iPaq Glisten's low-res screen was resistive to touch, often confusing users' attempts to scroll with attempts to select an icon. Members of Team Jacob found themselves clawing at the QWERTY keyboard, looking for apps but not finding many.

Huawei Honor

Voted the phone least likely to offend either your family or the Shaolin temple, the Huawei Honor follows a strict Android code. With middling specs like the 854 x 480 screen and a single-core processor, this non-contract phone can't overpower the big boss, but at least it won't require you to honor a two-year contract.

Samsung Rant

The first rule of gadget naming is "Don't insult your customers." There's a reason Hostess will never come out with a snack cake called "Gorge" and Panasonic won't name a TV "the Vegetate." However, Samsung did come out with a slider phone called the Rant in 2008, effectively telling its users that they were nothing more than a bunch of blowhards who like to hear the sound of their own texts arriving. Good thing the company didn't release a social networking phone called the Overshare or one with a low-light camera called the Stalk.

LG DoublePlay

you're up at bat, the last thing you want to do is hit into a double play, unless you're LG and you don't know any better. But considering all of this dual-screen phone's problems, perhaps we should take its name as a helpful warning not to swing at T-Mobile's pitch. Unfortunately, the low-resolution primary screen and annoying split keyboard ended this inning before the phone had a chance to score with shoppers.

eMatic eGlide XL Pro

With a name that sounds like it belongs on a tube of Vaseline, this $174 Android 4.0 tablet promises everything and delivers nothing. With sluggish performance, short battery life and a fuzzy screen, even the word "Pro" at the end is deceptive. It'll take more than a little low-cost lubrication to make you slide out your wallet for this slimy slate.

The EFun Nextbook Next5

Hoping everybody would EFun tonight after they Wang Chunged tonight, the Nextbook Next5 tablet looked like a bargain when it launched in summer 2011. For $299, a decent price for the pre-Kindle Fire era, you got a 5-inch tablet with Android 2.1 and a stylus that the company simply called "Apen," presumably because someone's space bar was broken. Unfortunately, the only fun you could have with this device was seeing just how hard you had to press on the resistive touch screen to get a response.

Netbook Navigator Nav9 Slate PC

It's not a netbook and it doesn't have GPS, but the Netbook Navigator Nav9 Slate PC doesn't care about those kinds of things. When LAPTOP reviewed this Windows 7 slate back in 2010, we noted its painfully resistive touch screen, short battery life, heavy weight and mindblowingly high $974 price. With that kind of performance you'll be navigating over to a competing product.

HTC Salsa

If you're going to name your phone after a spicy condiment, it needs to deliver. Unfortunately this Facebook-centric phone, which was wisely renamed the Status for U.S. audiences, is a watery, extra-mild flavor with a tiny 2.6-inch screen, sluggish performance and mediocre Web surfing. Perhaps HTC should have added more peppers and a faster CPU.

Samsung Behold

Given this phone's lofty name, you'd have expected to hear a choir singing when you opened the box back in 2008. The phone did have some neat features for its day, including haptic feedback, a 5-MP camera and 3G speeds. Unfortunately, Web pages were nothing special to behold on its mediocre, non-HTML-compliant browser, and its sluggish interface did not make users want to say, "Whoomp there it is."

This story was provided by Laptopmag.com, a sister site to LiveScience.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/20-worst-named-phones-tablets-142116274.html

super bowl start time target jason wu gi joe jason wu for target collection jason wu

[SG] Choupinette | make your calories count.

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

cedric benson playoff schedule charles addams pinewood derby cars republican debate tonight tinker tailor soldier spy rich forever rick ross

The Relationship between Local SEO Services, SEM Services ...

?

When you get into the Internet world, especially as it concerns handling your businesses and making those businesses get to the people they are meant for, you cannot avoid the four above words. They are interrelated in all angles and offer similar services but through many platforms and in different ways.

?

The local SEO services imply the simple search engine optimization services that Google now designates to a lot of businesses and individuals to manage. How it works is that you are allowed to own your own SEO and run it to some considerable extent. Here, Google allows you to control and direct. It simply gives you the leverage to create your own Google search engine and manage it the way you like still getting compensations from it by selling these services to customers.

You include the websites you want to include and manage it with some autonomy. Local SEO services will also give you results.

?

The SEM services mean search engine marketing and this involves the use of banners and many other advertisement tools to get your product and website to the public. It has been seen as being better than the search engine optimization itself. In the SEO process, you will only have your site popping up by Google if a search with a related keyword is done, but in the SEM services, the search engines, depending on the one you subscribe to will even go the extra mile of marketing your site with a lot of tools. They will also make sure your link appears on top when searched.

?

Then there is PPC services which means pay per click ads where the search engines pops up your website banner when it is searched, only to be clicked and accessed through the use of some payments.

The primary relationship among the PPC services, the submission services and the remaining two systems is that they sell you to the world. There are variations in what they do and they serve some varieties of needs. It is not a business that is desperately in need of submission services that will need the others. What it means is that if you are in business and want to boost it, you have to seek a lot of professional advice so as to know the one you will need most for your business. These are very good for a lot of newer businesses due to the fact that the older and well-known names have over taken the whole web. You now have to struggle so as to catch up with them.

easing your visibility to the search engines and your clients. There are a lot of online sites that are completely dedicated to the act of keeping directories of many websites. These directories are well sought out according to the categories they fall into and laid out for users to come and choose the ones that focus on their needs. You can also submit the details of your website to these directories through submission service firms and they will in turn make them available to those who need them. This will massively give your business a boost as it brings specifically categorized visitors to your website and also makes you visible to the search engines.

?

paul mccartney duggar miscarriage roman holiday belize adele lyrics bruno mars

Sweet Tea and Cornbread: Sweet Tea....The House Wine of the South!

I originally didn't think I would write a post on sweet tea, because to be honest it has been covered by every southern food blogger out there.?? However, people still ask about how to make sweet tea and since the name of my blog is 'Sweet Tea and Cornbread' it is only right that I post a sweet tea recipe.? Also, when I started really thinking about the role sweet tea plays in the life of most southerners and in my growing up, I felt I owed it some respect.

I really don't remember when sweet tea wasn't part of my life. I am not sure when I started drinking it, but I am pretty sure it was more than likely before I could walk.? It was always what was served with our night time meal which we usually call supper.?? There is a food blog that I have followed for? a few years now and sometime ago I was reading her post on sweet tea, she said that the first time she was allowed to eat at? a girlfriend's house, she was stunned to see that the children were not served tea, but big glasses of milk.?I had the exact same experience...well sort of.? My experience got a little more involved than just the realization that not all kids got to drink sweet tea with their supper.? Do you feel a story coming on here?? I will try to make it short!

When we were kids, we played all over our street, up and down, next door, in the big field behind our houses...which my father and some other neighborhood men turned into our own softball field.? It was back when kids could still be kids and have some freedom.? We rode our bicycles to the store, we walked to school, we travelled from yard to yard, driveway to driveway...playing basketball, softball, doing gymnastics, and having all day monopoly marathons.? With all of this freedom there were two things we were told not to do...1.) Do not go into anyone's house for anything.? If you had to pee, you trucked your little butt home and hoped you made it.? It took special permission or an act of congress to be allowed to play in anyone's house for a day. The mothers or fathers?had to?confer on such an event.? 2.) You did not eat at any one's house, as in sit down and eat, when they stopped to eat their lunch or supper.? Even if they begged you, if it was time for them to eat, you came home.? There were a couple of exceptions to this rule...if you were asked to spend the night and congress approved it or if the mother called your mother (or father) and they discussed it. Usually when I asked?to eat at someone else's house, my mother would?ask why I wanted to, we had perfectly good food at our house? Mama seemed like she didn't really get?it sometime, but then just when you thought she was so dense, she turned?out to be?right.?I always?hated that...lol. ???

I finally got my first approval to eat with my best friend's family when I was probably in the third or fourth grade.? It was exciting, but made me nervous also, because eating at someone's house other than a relative or a church family without my parents was?a big deal.?? Church folks were a different thing all together and I seemed to get to do a lot of things with them, but looking back I realize that was almost like family.

When we sat down for my first dinner with my?friend, everything looked like it would be alright.? There was nice roast cooked with carrots and potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls...it all looked pretty good to me.?? Anytime I visited anyone the food was? big concern for me, because?I??had been around enough to know it wasn't always good or not as good as Mama's.??I spied a big pitcher of sweet tea on the?counter...that works.? Then, the milk comes out of the refrigerator and 5 big glasses of?it was being poured.? Surely, these people did not drink 'milk' with their supper!? Nobody?informed me of this when I accepted the invitation.? You see, I didn't like milk.??It actually made me feel sick at times and I certainly never drank it with supper.

I ate my food and never touched my milk, which I thought nobody would be rude enough to mention...wrong.? Suddenly, everyone at the table was?discussing?the fact that I wasn't drinking the?milk.? I had six sets of eyes all trained on me and being a very insecure child in a new situation, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. ?The father decided I might have one of those 'milk allergies'.??My mind quickly decided that a milk allergy would be good to have...I bet that was it!? Was there also a liver allergy because that stuff made me gag also.? This allergy thing could come in handy for so many detestable things we were made to eat.?? However, suddenly the oldest girl, who was supposed to be my best friend, announced "She does NOT have a milk allergy!? She gets in trouble every day at lunch for not drinking her milk. Even the cafeteria lady comes out and gets on her about it!"? So much for best friends and all of that.? Then the youngest child, a little boy about 3 or 4 started doing a sing song about me being a 'bad girl'.? That kid always did get on my nerves...lol!??? This whole thing ended with them pouring me a big, cold glass of... guess what....ice water!? And guess what was for dessert?? Ice cream with chocolate syrup on it!? Guess who didn't get any because they might have that pesky milk allergy???

Needless to say, I didn't eat at their house again for about a year.? It took that long to get over it.? I was never so glad to eat at our?own table in our kitchen the next night and drink my big ole glass of sweet tea.

Now, this is how I make my sweet tea and there are as many different methods and rituals and recipes for sweet tea as there are for biscuits and cornbread, so if you don't make it this way it's not a?big deal.

Bring the water to a boil and as soon as it boils, turn it off and cover it with something.? This is called steeping the tea and makes all of the difference in the world.? If you steep your tea, you do not have to use as much tea.? I just cover this pan with a little plate.?I lost the top to it long ago somehow.? My mother always covered her pan with?a tin pie pan.?? She now makes her tea in the microwave and wants me to tell you that is the way to go these days. It's ok, I guess, but?I still make mine on the stove.? Steep the tea for at least 30 minutes and an hour is even better.? Tea should have some color to it, not be almost clear.? It should be the color of good KY bourbon, but not as lethal..lol.

Put 1 1/2 - 2?cups sugar in?a glass 2 quart pitcher and pour the tea, which even after an hour will be warm, over the sugar.?Mix until the sugar is dissolved.? Fill the pitcher to the top with water and stir again.? Sweet tea tastes better made in a?glass pitcher and I prefer it served in glass.? For me,? I also prefer it best when just made, not refrigerated.? Pour it over ice and serve with? wedge of lemon.?? The amount of sugar is something people vary on, and most recipes I see do not call for enough sugar, but you sweeten to your liking.? The tea must be sweetened while a little warm, not after it is cold, because the sugar will not dissolve in cold tea.?I do think the farther south you go, the sweeter the tea gets, and even though I am from Kentucky and not the deep south, I think I really belong in the deep south when it comes to tea!

ohio state football capital one bowl winter classic 2012 georgia bulldogs football rashard mendenhall rachel zoe penn state football

Curriculum Vitae of John B. Palley - Probate and Estate Planning ...

J O H N?? B.?? P A L L E Y

EDUCATION

May 1994??????????? McGEORGESCHOOLOFLAW, UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC,

Juris Doctor

Participant,International Moot CourtCompetition and Trial Advocacy

Treasurer, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity

May 1991???????????SONOMASTATEUNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Arts, Management (Emphasis: International Business)

Dean?s List, Spring and Fall 1989

Chapter President, VP and Treasurer, DSF Fraternity

Semester Abroad, Institute of Foreign Study,London,England

?

EXPERIENCE

February 2005-???? UCDAVISEXTENSION,Sacramento

June 2005??????????? Taught 10 week course in estate planning to Certified Financial Planning students. Am on panel to teach course again in the near future. Received high marks from students.

October 1999-????? JOHNSON, FORT, MEISSNER, JOSEPH & PALLEY,Sacramento

Present??????????????? Partner (since July 1995).? Practice is focused on areas of probate, trust and estate planning. Some work in business law as relates to family succession planning.

January 1995- ???? JOHN B. PALLEY, ESQ.,Sacramento

October 1999 ????? Attorney at Law.? Practice concentrated on both advanced and basic estate planning, as well as transactional business law work.

August 1994-?????? MANULIFE FINANCIAL,Sacramento

October 1995?????? Technical Marketing Consultant.? Responsibilities included legal research, writing of legal articles, target market analysis, and extensive work with computers.

ACHIEVEMENTS ??

Certified Specialist in trust, estate planning and probate law by the California Bar Board of Legal Specialization

SacramentoBee ? ?Ask the Expert? Estate Planning and Probate Law

Martindale-Hubbell, lawyers.com, Rated ?AV?, 2009-2011

Avvocatto, AVVO.com, Rated ?10.0?, 2011

Co-Presenter, National Business Institute, Probate Process From Start to Finish, April 2008 and December 2011,Sacramento

Co-Presenter, National Business Institute, Estate Administration Procedures, December 2011,Sacramento

?

MEMBER

Member,SacramentoEstate Planning Council

Board Member, Planned Giving Forum of Sacramento

Board Member, Rotary Club ofRoseville

Past Active Member, Active 20-30 Club #1Sacramento

California Bar, 1994; Utah Bar, 1995

PUBLISHED

July 1995???????????? Sacramento Bee ? Bi-weekly articles on estate planning and probate law, 2009

?The Multiple Employer Welfare Benefit Trust, Are They Worth the Risk??? The American Society of CLU, Business & Compensation, July/August 1995, Page 1.

?

sopa marg helgenberger censorship wikipedia sopa and pipa bills censoring the internet blackout

Advocates sue NYC police over marijuana arrests

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

kurt warner missouri primary minnesota caucus knowshon moreno knowshon moreno sovereign citizen komen

Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video)

It's no secret that we have a few automobile enthusiasts in our midst here at Engadget, and we're pretty sure there are some in the audience as well -- you know who you are. Still, you don't have to be a car nut to appreciate all the innovation and technology that's gone into Tesla's sophomore vehicle -- the Model S electric sedan. So strap yourselves in and hold on to your kneecaps: you're about to ride along with us as we drive the Model S for the very first time. Excited? We are too -- hit the break for our first drive video and impressions.

Gallery: Tesla Model S drive

Continue reading Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video)

Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

bernie fine matt leinart cyber monday 2011 cyber monday 2011 turkey pot pie turkey pot pie southern university

Insight: In "Green Wheat" drive, Wal-Mart may transform farming

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc has long used its commercial might to forge a global supply chain with ruthless efficiency. It now has a new target: U.S. wheat fields.

As part of efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and burnish its image as an environmentally responsible company, the huge retailer is sending senior employees into the fields for the first time ever, looking for ways to help farmers reduce their use of carbon-intensive fertilizer or improve logistics.

"We don't have a lot of visibility in the supply chain, so we started in the field," says Robert Kaplan, a sustainability manager at the Bentonville, Arkansas-based firm. "I hadn't seen a wheat field before and I wanted to find out how we go from a green crop in the fields to flour on our shelves."

This May, Kaplan and a colleague were the first Wal-Mart employees ever to attend the annual crop tour across the No. 1 winter wheat state Kansas, a rite of passage for traders, analysts, academics and buyers for the past 55 years.

The aim is simple: use Wal-Mart's commercial muscle to get its Great Value-branded flour and wheat products from field to shelf more efficiently, using less carbon.

In the process, however, Wal-Mart may end up initiating transformative changes in the way U.S. farmers grow wheat, lowering costs and improving yields for a crop that has failed to keep pace with the dramatic improvements in sustainability of other commodities such as corn and cotton.

There are some relatively easy wins: convincing more farmers to abandon the practice of plowing their fields after each harvest, and using satellite imagery to optimize fertilizer use.

But the challenge is substantial. Wheat is already one of the least-intensive crops in terms of nitrogen fertilizer, using half as much as corn to produce an acre of grain.

"Wheat is relatively low input. There are not a lot of corners that can be cut," says Jason Kelley, a wheat and corn extension agronomist at the University of Arkansas.

LAGGING EFFICIENCY

In the last three decades, better farming practices, such as reducing tillage, have resulted in a 15 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions in each bushel of wheat grown in the United States, according to a soon-to-be-released study by Field to Market, an alliance of national farm groups and more than 40 companies including Cargill and Kellogg's (but not Wal-Mart) that are seeking to enhance sustainability.

But those gains pale in comparison to other major crops. The amount of water needed to irrigate cotton fields has dropped by 30 percent, according to the study; soil erosion in corn farming has declined by 67 percent since 1980.

As it continues to buy more and more wheat to support its in-house brand, Wal-Mart believes it can use its muscle to bring changes to the agricultural landscape by getting farmers to adopt more progressive techniques and labeling the flour they sell as a sustainable product.

In 2010, Wal-Mart's store brands had a 4.4 percent share of the $14.35 billion U.S. packaged and industrial bread market, up from a 3.7 percent market share in 2006, according to research firm Euromonitor International.

About 40 percent of U.S. wheat is used for food. Wal-Mart declined to specify how much wheat it buys directly or through its suppliers.

Tim Robinson, the company's senior buyer of baking commodities, joined Kaplan on the trip.

He said that, while it is still in the fact-finding phase of its wheat work, Wal-Mart is likely to promote "precision farming" which uses satellite-guided planting to improve yields and no-till methods which proponents say reduce soil erosion and maintain land quality.

Roughly 75 percent of wheat farmers plow, or till, their fields in Arkansas, says Kelley. Abandoning that practice could require them to rotate crops regularly and take greater care in planting to avoid stunting plant growth.

"Wheat is one of the later adopters to no-till or zero-till," said Stewart Ramsey, a senior economist at analytics firm IHS who works with Field to Market.

NEW INEFFICIENCIES

If anyone can drive efficiency into the generations-old practices of U.S. farmers, it's Wal-Mart.

"Having world class logistics and distribution is the core of their business and what they've increasingly been doing is looking to apply those capabilities across the broader supply chain, going further upstream into production and processing," says Stewart Samuel, a senior analyst at global food and research firm IGD.

The company has embarked on an effort to eliminate 20 million metric tons (22 million tons) of greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015, the equivalent of taking nearly 4 million cars off the road for a year. It declined to say how much of the company's total emissions that represented.

Last year, the company installed more efficient lighting in its stores in the United States and Mexico and also delivered more goods even as its truck fleet drove fewer miles.

IDEAS SPROUT

May's crop tour has already yielded new ideas.

As one farmer told Robinson and Kaplan about how he used manure from nearby cattle feedlots to fertilize his fields, they wondered about the feasibility of hauling manure from U.S. poultry producers -- predominately in the mid-South -- to farmers elsewhere in that region or to the U.S. Corn Belt.

"We're an expert in transportation. What if we could find empty trucks going from one place to another that will help farmers get something they need?" Robinson said.

Tanner Ehmke, who grows wheat in western Kansas and met with Wal-Mart during the tour, said: "From the farmer's perspective that is a great idea. Manure is a fantastic fertilizer."

"The question is whether it would pencil out, costwise," Tanner said.

He's not the only one asking that question.

"Hopefully, sustainable flour becomes an everyday business practice," said Robinson as the tour paused in Wichita, Kansas. "We can't do this if it costs more."

(Additional reporting by Jessica Wohl in Chicago; editing by Jim Marshall)

haley barbour olivier martinez peoples choice awards 2012 ford recalls robert kardashian chicago weather forecast narcolepsy

After low-key party, Junior focused on Sonoma - NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN

Updated?Jun 19, 2012 11:40 AM ET

?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)

Turns out the victory party for Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn't much of a party at all.

Earnhardt snapped a 143-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway, then celebrated at home in North Carolina with friends and family.

''It was good, we went home and some of the family and my friends were there, and we just stood around and talked about the win,'' Earnhardt told The Associated Press on Tuesday. ''We played some music, it was a pretty good time.''

It was hardly the wild party people expected from NASCAR's most popular driver, who was unaware of reports the nightclub he owns in downtown Charlotte gave away free drinks for an hour after Sunday night's win.

''That's cool,'' he said, laughing.

Next up for Earnhardt was his first celebration at Hendrick Motorsports since the organization began marking wins with the ringing of a victory bell throughout the shop. Earnhardt has been with Hendrick since 2008, when he won his only other race with the team - at Michigan four years to the day of Sunday's victory. He said he's never been present when any of his teammates rang the bell.

Once that's over, it will be full focus on Sunday's race at Sonoma Raceway, where Earnhardt has always struggled. In 12 career starts, his average finish is 22.2 and he's led just nine laps on the winding road course. His career best finish is 11th, done three times.

He's set modest goals for this weekend with crew chief Steve Letarte, and is anxious to get on with his summer with return trips to Daytona, Pocono and Michigan looming ahead.

''I've kind of got to reel it in a little bit because of Sonoma, I ain't never had a top 10 there,'' he said. ''I told Steve, `Let's try to go get a top-10, if that's first place or ninth place or whatever, let's just concentrate on going there to get a personal best. And then I think we can move on from that, whatever that result may be.''

But, there's a part of Earnhardt who isn't ready to write off a good day at Sonoma just yet.

Statistically, the start of his season is one of his best ever in the Sprint Cup Series. He's the only driver to complete every lap, and leads the series with 12 top-10s through 15 races.

''There are stats I'm not used to bragging about,'' he said. ''I have to pinch myself just about after race.''

His consistency, coupled with the dominating win at Michigan, now has him mentioned as a serious threat to win the Sprint Cup championship. Earnhardt has never won a Cup title, and hasn't challenged for one since his six-win season in 2004, which he considers the strongest year of his career.

He laughed Tuesday at the sudden buzz over his title chances, which have been validated since Sunday by everyone from current points leader Matt Kenseth to NASCAR president Mike Helton. Earnhardt believes he'll have his hands full with defending champion Tony Stewart, teammate Jimmie Johnson, and Roush Fenway Racing drivers Kenseth and Greg Biffle.

''I think everybody was just kind of drunk with excitement after the race,'' he said. ''Some of my buddies that I race against, Matt and Mr. Helton, everybody was just excited about the end of the race. But I do think we can put our name in the hat. I don't think we are the top team, you've got to look at probably Tony, Jimmie, and Biffle and Matt.

''But we are going to be in the Chase, and we're going to go after it.''

sean young arrested matt kenseth bridge to nowhere primary results dale earnhardt jr michigan primary school shooting

Baltimore campaign uses star power to stop animal abuse

What do rocker Tommy Lee, linebacker Jarret Johnson and martial arts fighter John Rallo have in common?

?

They?re all tough guys who love animals.

?

These famously ?hard? men and their pets are the stars of Baltimore?s ?Show Me Your Soft Side? campaign, a series of posters, billboards and print ads aimed at reducing the alarming incidence of animal abuse in the city.

?

The campaign is the creation of the Mayor?s Anti-Animal Abuse Commission, which was created in 2009 after teenagers doused a young pit bull terrier with gasoline and set her on fire in West Baltimore. The dog, dubbed Phoenix by rescuers, suffered severe burns over 95 percent of her body and later died from her injuries.

?

Many horrific cases of animal cruelty like this have been committed by young people, which is why the commission began searching for ways to change their mindset. Research shows that some teenagers think that torturing or killing an animal is a demonstration of their toughness, but ?Show Me Your Soft Side? seeks to prove that real men don?t hurt animals. As its slogan says, ?Only a punk would hurt a cat or dog.?

?

The goal is to show teens that it?s not cool to abuse animals by demonstrating that tough role models wouldn?t do it, and the campaign aims to reach young people at an early age because kids who abuse animals often commit even more violent crimes later in life. Billboards featuring athletes, comedians and other Baltimore celebrities can be seen in some of the roughest parts of the city, and the posters hang in schools and juvenile justice centers.

?

Until recently, the ads featured only local men and their pets, but when Tommy Lee signed on to the campaign, ?Show Me Your Soft Side? snagged its first celebrity from outside the Baltimore area. Fighter John Rallo, whose poster shows him snuggling his cat, Doobie, used to be Lee?s bodyguard.

?

?Together, we will reach out to young people in Baltimore to tell them that abusing a helpless animal is a sign of weakness, not strength,? said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake last year, when she launched the campaign alongside Rallo and Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.

?

Check out some of the "Show Me Your Soft Side' campaign ads below.

?

MMA fighter John Rallo (Photo: Leo Howard Lubow)

?

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (Photo: Leo Howard Lubow)

?

Comedian Justin Daniels (Photo: Leo Howard Lubow)
?

Halem Globetrotter Dizzy Grant (Photo: Amanada Safford)

?

Related:

?

chris brown and rihanna nightline

Smail Auto Group Raises Over $60,000 for Troops First Foundation

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

college football college football ncaa football brian van gorder blazing saddles lsu alabama lsu game

Woman drives car into street party, up to 30 hurt

?

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Around 30 people were hurt, some seriously, when a woman drove her car into a street party in Lima, Ohio, Friday night.

?It was unreal. There were bodies, and shoes and jewelry,? The Lima News reported Amee Truesdale as saying. ?They took many, many people to the hospital, and two or three of them looked seriously hurt ... I saw men pick up that car and move out a gentleman that was pinned underneath.?

---

The driver, who reportedly had a dog with her, was parked five feet from the town's main square when she accelerated rapidly, a police spokesman told NBC News.

The driver's name will be released pending the investigation, the spokesman added.

The car plowed through tables and finally stopped when it hit a large sculpture, The Lima News reported.

The crowd was attending an event with music put on by ArtSpace Lima.

No fatalities were reported, but rescue workers said there were numerous head, neck and leg injuries, The Lima News reported.

St. Rita's Medical Center received some 30 people Friday night, a spokeswoman told NBC News. Four of them were admitted and, of those, two are in critical but stable condition. ?The two others are stable.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

?

?

jack del rio fired jack del rio fired made in america made in america icam patrice o neal. osteopathy

Paul backers seek state path to national impact (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

terrell owens mitt romney tax return flip saunders academy award nominations cynthia nixon joe biden cspan

Drury Inn and Suites Houston West/Energy Corridor from $80 USD

This property is approximately 31 miles from Houston Hobby Airport, 35 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and 16 miles from downtown Houston. Local attractions include Galleria Mall, Bear Creek Park, West Oaks Mall, Katy Mills Mall, Cullen Park, Sam Houston Raceway, Waterworld, Reliant Astrodome, and Reliant Stadium, all within 20 miles. Hotel amenities include complimentary hot QUIKSTART breakfast including scrambled eggs, biscuits & gravy, sausage and Belgian waffles. Theres something for everyone at Drurys 5:30 Kickback. It is a snack for some, meal for others and free for all. Chicken tenders, charbroiled meatballs, chicken wings, potatoes, salad, beer, wine, mixed drinks and more will be served on a rotating basis from 5:30-7:00 p. nightly. Also offered, along with free local phone calls, guest laundry, exercise room, indoor pool, and whirlpool. Guest rooms feature free long distance for one hour every night, free high-speed Internet access, irons and ironing boards, hairdryers, coffeemakers and voicemail.

hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan ryan howard ps i love you ray charles

'Strictly Irish Dancing': The Irish Dance Championship, Featuring A Very Excited 12-Year Old Winner (VIDEO)

Mon., June 11: "Tia and Tamera"

(8 p.m. ET on Style) <em>season premiere</em> <br /><br /> As they face the realities of motherhood and matrimony, Tia and Tamera lean heavily on each other to lighten the difficult moments with comedic insight and advice. After giving birth to her first child, Tia is figuring out how to balance being a successful actress and a successful mom. Tamera, as she approaches her one-year anniversary, is wondering about her new role as a working wife. With homes in Los Angeles and Napa Valley, where her husband's family also owns a vineyard, Tamera finds herself pulled between two different worlds, struggling to decide which she will ultimately call home.

Mon., June 11: "Bunheads"

(9 p.m. ET on ABC Family) <em>series premiere</em> <br /><br /> Don't let the title put you off -- this witty, heartfelt dramedy from "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is as close a return to Stars Hollow as we're ever going to get. It has that signature "GG" rapid-fire banter, all too familiar music cues and a smart, sarcastic brunette at its center (this time played by Broadway star Sutton Foster). Did we mention it also stars Kelly Bishop? Foster plays Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school.

Mon., June 11: "Lost Girl"

(10 p.m. ET on Syfy) <br /><br /> Bo's efforts to help Trick find a stolen body uncover a lethal Lich -- and our heroine is put in a precarious position that helps open her eyes to the true extent of her powers.

Tues., June 12: "The Catalina"

(8 p.m. ET on The CW) <br /><br /> It's Gay Pride weekend in South Beach and The Catalina has never been more fabulous. Eyal and the staff build a float to compete in a local parade, while hotel manager Stephanie becomes romantically involved with a guest.

Tues., June 12: "Thorne: Sleepyhead"

(9 p.m. ET on Encore) <em>original miniseries </em> <br /><br /> Part One of the eerie and atmospheric crime drama event, starring David Morrissey as the compelling Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, who possesses a gritty sensibility and an unhinged desire to discover killers. In the first installment, Thorne investigates a series of unusual attacks on young women. The first three victims are found dead, however the fourth victim -- Alison Willetts -- survived an excruciating attack and is lucky to be alive. The miniseries concludes on Wed., June 13 at 9 p.m. ET with "Thorne: Scaredy Cat," when Thorne is joined by Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy") as Detective Sergeant Sarah McEvoy, who appears to be a tough, calm and capable cop to her male colleagues, but is simultaneously battling a serious drug addiction.

Tues., June 12: "The Next Big Thing"

(11 p.m. ET on Oxygen) <em>series premiere</em> <br /><br /> Starring Trapper Felides, a top New York City performance coach and musical director who gives his clients the blunt truth and tough love they need to succeed. The series will follow Felides as he mentors a group of performers as they prepare for their next career-changing audition or their big music industry break. In each episode viewers will get an inside look at Trapper's uncensored methods for success to turn good performers into great ones, and great ones into stars. Trapper is much more than just a vocal coach and career maker -- he's also a life coach, a brother, a mentor and a seasoned guide through the tough world of show business.

Wed., June 13: "Dallas"

(9 p.m. ET on TNT) <em>two-hour series premiere</em> <br /><br /> Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray reprise their famous characters as J.R., Bobby and Sue Ellen Ewing, returning to Southfork with secrets, schemes and betrayals. This time, they're joined by the next generation of Ewings, played by Josh Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe, who take ambition and deception to a new level as the future of Southfork is called into question.

Wed., June 13: "Duets"

(9.31 p.m. ET on ABC) <em>new timeslot</em> <br /><br /> For the next two weeks, the talent contest moves to Wednesday nights, returning to 8 p.m. Thursdays on June 28. Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles and Robin Thicke take the stage and perform party songs with their hand-picked Duet Partners. Tonight one amateur is eliminated, leaving six remaining in the competition.

Wed., June 13: "America's Best Dance Crew"

(10 p.m. ET on MTV) <em>season finale</em> <br /><br /> The two remaining crews, 8 Flavahz and Elektrolytes, battle it out for the coveted title.

Thurs., June 14: "Burn Notice"

(9 p.m. ET on USA) <em>season premiere</em> <br /><br /> Season 6 of this summer favorite picks up after Fiona turned herself in on charges of terrorism to save Michael from an extreme case of blackmail. With Fiona in federal custody, Michael and his crew must band together to rescue their friend from a lifetime prison sentence.

Thurs., June 14: "Suits"

(10 p.m. ET on USA) <em>season premiere</em> <br /><br /> The future of brilliant, but not-technically-legal, associate Mike Ross hangs in the balance when a friend threatens to expose him. Legendary law partner Harvey Specter attempts to guard his secret from the firm's top suit Jessica Pearson while she faces even bigger problems when the other half of Pearson Hardman reemerges on the scene.

Thurs., June 14: "The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet"

(11 p.m. ET on Lifetime) <br /><br /> Presenting an honest, authentic and raw view of the shared issues affecting women today, each episode features de Cadenet having powerful and in-depth interviews with some of the world's most famous and influential women. This week's topic is "Living Deliberately," with guests Connie Britton, Mira Sorvino, Kelly Preston and Christina Applegate.

Fri., June 15: "Fairly Legal"

(9 p.m. ET on USA) <em>season finale</em> Kate digs deeper when a news station fires a lesbian couple for fraternizing in the workplace. Also, Kate must choose between Justin and Ben.

Fri., June 15: "Say Yes To The Dress"

(9 p.m. ET on TLC) <em>season premiere</em> <br /><br /> The show returns to its roots at New York's famous Kleinfeld Bridal salon. Part fashion show, part bridal story, part family therapy, the series uncovers the hurdles every staff member faces to make each bride completely satisfied on what may be the single most important day of her life. The new season brings a new batch of unique personalities. From demanding moms to picky fianc?s, brides with unlimited budgets and an appearance from fashion-forward Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, viewers will be exposed to nearly every aspect of dress shopping in preparation for the big day.

Fri., June 15: "Comedy Bang! Bang!"

(10 p.m. ET on IFC) <br /><br /> In each episode, host Scott Aukerman engages his guests with unfiltered and improvisational lines of questioning, punctuated by banter and beats provided by bandleader, one-man musical mastermind Reggie Watts, to reinvent the traditional celebrity interview. Packed with character cameos, filmic shorts, sketches and games set amongst an off-beat world, the show delivers thirty minutes of absurd laugh-loaded fun featuring some of the biggest names in comedy. This week's guest is "Parks and Recreation" star Amy Poehler.

Sat., June 16: "Piranhaconda"

(9 p.m. ET on Syfy) <em>original telefilm</em> <br /><br /> With a name like that, how can you resist? In B-movie icon Roger Corman's latest, a hybrid creature -- half piranha and half anaconda -- attacks a movie crew on location near her nest when her egg is stolen. Now they must outrun and kill the deadly piranhaconda as well as stop the mad scientist who stole the egg -- before they all become dinner. Stars Michael Madsen and Rachel Hunter.

Sun., June 17: "Falling Skies"

(9 p.m. ET on TNT) <em>two-hour season premiere</em> After last season's cliffhanger finale, Tom returns to the resistance, but his loyalty is called into question, while Pope takes command of a renegade faction within the 2nd Mass.

Sun., June 17: "The Killing"

(9 p.m. ET on AMC) <em>season finale</em> <br /><br /> Will the second season finale cause as much controversy as last year's did? Only time will tell. Sarah and Holder close the case. Richmond sets out on a bold new path. The Larsen family gains closure from an unsuspected source.

Sun., June 17: "Forensic Firsts"

(9 p.m. ET on The Smithsonian Channel) <em>series premiere</em> <br /><br /> This series showcases the history of the forensic tools we take for granted today. Each episode weaves together two criminal cases: a headline-grabbing modern murder investigation and the very first case where a forensic technique was invented and tested in court. Through the course of the hour, the cases reveal how the science evolved, often from a simple hunch into a sophisticated tool that revolutionized crime science.

Sun., June 17: "Nurse Jackie"

(9 p.m. ET on Showtime) <em>season finale</em> <br /><br /> Cruz pushes Jackie to the breaking point, then fires her. Followed by the season finales of "The Big C" and "The Borgias."

Sun., June 17: "Girls"

(10 p.m. ET on HBO) <em>season finale</em> <br /><br /> It's been a divisive freshman season, but we're intrigued to see what Lena Dunham has in store for the finale. Hannah's on the hunt for a new roommate, and has a surprising confrontation with Adam, while Jessa throws a "mystery party."

the colony kids choice awards ncaa final four 2012 texas chainsaw massacre uk vs louisville university of kansas

Xavier Samuel: Dos nuevos stills de ?A Few Best Man?

?Buscas Algo?

Diario Twilight Recomienda?

"Lee las Recomendaciones. Da Click en la Imagen"

Esme Aconseja...

"No te Pierdas los Consejos! Da Click en la Imagen"

Diario de Bella

He decido empezar a escribir este diario, porque de pronto he tenido cambios en mi vida. Resulta que me han enviado a vivir con mi padre, a un pueblo perdido rodeado de arboles, no se si lo harian porque piensan que soy una antisocial.

LEER M?S Por: Sarah Catheryn | Fecha: junio 10th, 2012 | Etiquetas: Xavier Samuel | 138 Visitas

??nete!

Si tienes alguna noticia que quieras compartir, subela tu mism@ a DIARIO TWILIGHT, lee el apartado COMO SUBIR NOTAS. De parte de todo el Staff les damos la mas cordial bienvenida!

REGISTRATE o INICIA SESI?N en la Web!. Para mandarnos dudas o sugerencias entra AQUI y Rellena el Formulario!

Fan VIP del Mes: Joseline

?Como supiste de nuestra web?:

Cuando me volvi loca por la saga le pregunte a una amiga como sabia tantas cosas, y me dijo que todo salia en Diario Twilight y desde ah? entre.

LEER M?S

Zona Fan

Nuestra Web Hermana

Escucha Nuestra Radio

deion sanders dancing with the stars aapl creutzfeldt jakob disease the lone ranger yu darvish mad cow

Intense shelling of southern Syrian city kills 17

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops shelled the southern city of Daraa early on Saturday, killing at least 17 people, activists said. And in Damascus, residents spoke about a night of shooting and explosions in the worst violence Syria's capital has seen since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began 15 months ago.

The nearly 12 hours of fighting in Damascus suggested a new boldness among armed rebels, who previously kept a low profile in the capital. It also showed a willingness by the regime to unleash in the capital the sort of elevated force against restive neighborhoods it has used to crush opponents elsewhere.

For the first time in the uprising, witnesses said, regime tanks opened fire in the city's streets, with shells slamming into residential buildings.

The latest escalations in different parts of Syria are another blow to international envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, which aims to end the country's bloodletting. Annan brokered a cease-fire that went into effect on April 12 but has since been violated nearly every day since and never properly took hold.

On Saturday, U.N. observers in the country ostensibly to monitor the cease-fire issued the first independent video images from the scene of a reported massacre last week in a remote farming village. Activists say up to 78 people, including women and children, were shot, hacked and burned to death in Mazraat al-Qubair on Wednesday.

The video, taken in the U.N. visit a day earlier, showed blood splashed on a wall pockmarked with bullet holes and soaking a nearby mattress. A shell punched through one wall of a house. Another home was burnt on the inside with dried blood was splashed on floors.

One man wearing a red-and-white checked scarf to cover his face, pointed at a 2008 calendar adorning a wall, bearing the photo of a lightly-bearded, handsome man. "This is the martyr," the resident, sobbing. He sat on the floor, amid strewn colorful blankets, heaving with tears. It was not immediately clear if he was a resident of the village or related to the man in the photograph.

"They killed children," said another unidentified resident. "My brother, his wife and their seven children, the oldest was in the sixth grade. They burnt down his house."

After the observers' visit, U.N. spokeswoman Sausan Ghosheh said the scene held evidence of a "horrific crime" and that the team could smell the stench of burned corpses and saw body parts strewn around the now deserted village, once home to about 160 people.

She said residents' accounts of the mass killing were "conflicting," and that the team was still cross checking the names of the missing and dead with those supplied by nearby villagers.

Opposition activists and Syrian government officials blamed each other for the killings. Activists accused pro-government militiamen known as "shabiha." A government statement on the state-run news agency SANA said "an armed terrorist group" killed nine women and children before Hama authorities were called and killed the attackers.

Thousands have been killed since the crisis began in March last year. The U.N.'s latest estimate is 9,000 dead, but that is from April and it has been unable to update it. Syrian activists put the toll at more than 13,000.

The Damascus violence was a dramatic shift, since the capital has been relatively quiet compared with other Syrian cities throughout the uprising. Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, the country's largest, are under the firm grip of Assad's security forces.

"Yesterday was a turning point in the conflict," said Maath al-Shami, an opposition activist in the capital. "There were clashes in Damascus that lasted hours. The battle is in Damascus now."

Blasts shook the neighborhoods of Qaboun and Barzeh until about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.

"We spent a night of fear," one resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The resident said the shooting and explosions in the capital "were the worst so far."

As tanks fired shells, troops clashed with rebels in the two neighborhoods, al-Shami said via Skype. He said at least four people were killed.

The battles in the two neighborhoods began during the day Friday, when troops opened fire on anti-Assad protest marches and rebels responded, witnesses said. In one brazen attack, the rebels struck a power plant in Qaboun with rocket-propelled grenades, setting fire to a generator and causing blackouts. The attack left buses charred and smashed a car. A video of the aftermath taken by U.N. observers said a soldier was killed in the RPG attack.

Also Friday, troops clashed with rebels from the Free Syrian Army in Damascus' Kfar Souseh district in fierce fighting sparked when the armed fighters attacked a military checkpoint in the area. The FSA, which groups defectors from the Syrian military with protesters who have taken up weapons, had made an unusually public appearance Thursday night in Kfar Souseh, overtly joining a large opposition rally. The bolder moves were a strong sign the ragtag group is pushing to take its fight to the regime's base of power.

To the south, regime forces heavily shelled a district of the city of Daraa until the early hours Saturday, smashing homes, according to activists. Daraa is the city where the uprising against Assad's regime first erupted in March 2011.

"People were taken by surprise while in their homes," Adel al-Omari, a local activist, said of the shelling, including mortar fire that hit the Mahata district.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 17 people were killed in the shelling. The Local Coordination Committees said 19 civilians lost their lives, include a father and two children from one family and five members of another family.

The LCC and the Observatory also reported shelling and clashes in the central city of Homs, one of the main battlegrounds of the uprising. Both groups said troops stormed Homs' posh neighborhood of Ghouta and the Observatory said security forces are conducting raids and searching for wanted people in the area.

In Turkey, Syria's main opposition council was scheduled later Saturday to elect a new leader, nearly three weeks after its Paris-based president Burhan Ghalioun offered to step down over mounting criticism of his leadership. The executive committee of the Syrian National Council had asked Ghalioun to pursue his duties until a new president is elected. His resignation last month came just days after he was re-elected for another three months in a controversial vote in Rome.

SNC spokeswoman Basma Kodmani told Associated Press Television that the front-runner to replace Ghalioun would likely be Abdulbaset Sieda, a member of Syria's minority Kurd community.

Sieda said Saturday one of his top priorities will be to work so that the "SNC will become really the representative for the people in Syria." He added that the SNC is helping and working together with the FSA and other opposition groups.

The SNC has been plagued by infighting and divisions since its inception in September, complicating Western efforts to bolster the opposition.

Also Saturday, Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria last month appeared in a video aired on Arab satellite television Al-Jazeera. The men, who appeared to be in good health, said the video was taken on Tuesday.

A previously unknown group calling itself Syrian Rebels in Aleppo said earlier in June it is holding 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted May 22 after crossing into Syria from Turkey en route to Lebanon. The kidnappers said in a statement aired by Al-Jazeera that the Lebanese will be freed when there is a civil state in Syria and a new democratic parliament.

It claimed five of the hostages belong to the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group and demanded its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, apologize for recent comments in support of Assad. Nasrallah, an ally of Syria's regime, had said the kidnapping would not change his group's stance.

___

Associated Press writer Selcan Hacaoglu contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey.

bcs championship game beyonce baby detroit auto show tebow broncos ben roethlisberger downton abbey season 2 2013 dodge dart

India's Zensar targets US deal by year endGoogle Alerts ? IT Outsourcing

By Harichandan Arakali | BANGALORE (Reuters) ? Indian IT outsourcing company Zensar Technologies is looking to spend up to $60 million on an acquisition this year to boost its presence in the United States, chief financial officer S. Balasubramaniam ?
See all stories on this topic ?

school closures being human being human chicago news chicago news golden girls robert e lee

Possible new Mac Pro part numbers tip up, WWDC attendees raise eyebrows (Update: 15-inch MBP specs too?)

We're still unsure as to whether or not Apple's rumored Mac update smorgasbord will come to pass at WWDC, but if any of it pans out, it looks to be the almost mythological Mac Pro update. A trio of model numbers for a "K5BPLUS" have popped up that 9to5 Mac claims are the base, mid-range and high-end configurations for the long-sought workstations. The part numbers don't include details, though talk of similar pricing to what we know today would point to Intel's Xeon E5-2600 (itself a long story) taking the reins as the processor. If there's any truth to the talk, the new Mac Pro could be ready to sell just as WWDC kicks off next week -- a mention supported by rumors of Apple recalling what little Mac Pro stock it keeps at retail stores. Not that a few extra days would matter, knowing how long prospective buyers have had to wait.

Update: Just when we thought we were clear, another Apple laptop spec sheet of unknown provenance has appeared. Posted by 9to5 Mac (2), it suggests a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2560x1600 Retina display, 16GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM plus an AMD Radeon HD 7770M graphics core with 2GB of RAM and auto switching to integrated Intel video. Droolworthy bullet points to be sure, but until we have more concrete evidence prospective upgraders should keep their credit cards set to stun.

Possible new Mac Pro part numbers tip up, WWDC attendees raise eyebrows (Update: 15-inch MBP specs too?) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  9to5 Mac (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

school delays joran van der sloot honey badger critics choice awards 2012 colbert president huntingtons disease rob