tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72503877619892263502024-02-20T01:18:47.831-08:00All time InformationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-28258335794493845032012-03-09T04:17:00.000-08:002012-03-09T04:17:44.343-08:00Solar Flare: What If Biggest Known Sun Storm Hit Today?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="A huge solar flare." src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/497/overrides/huge-x-class-solar-flares-earth-march-2012_49764_600x450.jpg" /><div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Richard A. Lovett</span><div class="publication" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
for <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">National Geographic News</a></div>
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Updated March 8, 2012</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">A powerful <a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/sun-article.html" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">sun</a> storm—associated with the second biggest </strong><a href="http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/solar-flares-cmes/?ar_a=1&ar_r=999" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">solar flare</strong></a><strong style="font-weight: bold;"> of the current 11-year sun cycle—is now hitting Earth, so far with <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-solar-storm-20120308,0,1357976.story" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">few consequences</a>. But the potentially "severe geomagnetic storm</strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;">," </strong><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News030712-X5-4.html" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">in NASA</strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;">'</strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;">s words</strong></a>, <strong style="font-weight: bold;">could disrupt power grids, radio communications, and </strong><a href="http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/gps/?ar_a=4" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">GPS</strong></a> <strong style="font-weight: bold;">as well as spark dazzling </strong><a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/auroras-heavenly-lights/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">auroras</strong></a>.</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">The storm expected Thursday, though, won't hold a candle to an 1859 space-weather event, scientists say—and it's a good thing too.</strong></div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">If a similar sun storm were to occur in the current day—as it well could—modern life could come to a standstill, they add.</strong></div>
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(Related: <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/01/120124-solar-storm-geomagnetic-auroras-flights-sun-earth-space-science/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">"Biggest Solar Storm in Eight Years Now Pummeling Earth."</a>)</div>
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As solar storms go, the two March 6 solar flares associated with Thursday's geomagnetic storm around Earth may not compare to the flares behind the 1859 storm. But, since the sun hasn't yet reached peak activity for this solar cycle, this week's outburst may be only a taste of flares to come.</div>
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"The sun has an activity cycle, much like hurricane season," <a href="http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/AboutUs/Bogdan/index.html" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">Tom Bogdan</a>, director of the U.S. <a href="http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">Space Weather Prediction Center</a> in Boulder, Colorado, said \at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. in 2011.</div>
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After "hibernating for four or five years, not doing much of anything," the sun began waking up about a year ago. Even though the upcoming solar maximum may see a record low in the overall amount of activity, the individual events could be very powerful, Bogdan added.</div>
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In fact, the biggest solar storm on record—the 1859 blast—happened during a solar maximum about the same size as the one we're entering, according to NASA.</div>
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That storm has been dubbed the Carrington Event, after British astronomer Richard Carrington, who witnessed the megaflare and was the first to realize the link between activity on the sun and geomagnetic disturbances on Earth.</div>
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During the Carrington Event, northern lights were reported as far south as Cuba and Honolulu, while southern lights were seen as far north as Santiago, Chile. (See <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/pictures/110218-solar-flares-aurora-borealis-northern-lights-photography/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">pictures of auroras generated by the Valentine's Day solar flare</a>.)</div>
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The flares were so powerful that "people in the northeastern U.S. could read newspaper print just from the light of the aurora," Daniel Baker, of the University of Colorado's <a href="http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics</a>, said at a geophysics meeting in December 2010.</div>
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In addition, the geomagnetic disturbances were strong enough that U.S. telegraph operators reported sparks leaping from their equipment—some bad enough to set fires, said Ed Cliver, a space physicist at the <a href="http://www.wpafb.af.mil/AFRL/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory</a> in Bedford, Massachusetts.</div>
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In 1859, such reports were mostly curiosities. But if something similar happened today, the world's high-tech infrastructure could grind to a halt.</div>
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"What's at stake," the Space Weather Prediction Center's Bogdan said, "are the advanced technologies that underlie virtually every aspect of our lives."</div>
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(Also see <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/110920-sun-megastorm-satellites-space-weather-science/" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">"Solar Megastorm Could Cripple Satellites for a Decade."</a>)</div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Solar Flare Would Rupture Earth's "Cyber Cocoon"</strong></div>
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To begin with, the University of Colorado's Baker said, electrical disturbances as strong as those that took down telegraph machines—"the Internet of the era"—would be far more disruptive. (See <a href="http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/sun-stormy-star.html" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">"The Sun: Living With a Stormy Star"</a> in<em>National Geographic</em> magazine.)</div>
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Solar storms aimed at Earth come in three stages, not all of which occur in any given storm.</div>
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First, high-energy sunlight, mostly x-rays and ultraviolet light, ionizes Earth's upper atmosphere, interfering with radio communications. Next comes a radiation storm, potentially dangerous to unprotected astronauts.</div>
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Finally comes a coronal mass ejection, or CME, a slower moving cloud of charged particles that can take several days to reach Earth's atmosphere. When a CME hits, the solar particles can interact with Earth's magnetic field to produce powerful electromagnetic fluctuations. (Related: <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081217-solar-breaches.html" style="color: #044e8e; text-decoration: none;">"Magnetic-Shield Cracks Found; Big Solar Storms Expected."</a>)</div>
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"We live in a cyber cocoon enveloping the Earth," Baker said. "Imagine what the consequences might be."</div>
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Of particular concern are disruptions to global positioning systems (GPS), which have become ubiquitous in cell phones, airplanes, and automobiles, Baker said. A $13 billion business in 2003, the GPS industry is predicted to grow to nearly $1 trillion by 2017.</div>
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In addition, Baker said, satellite communications—also essential to many daily activities—would be at risk from solar storms.</div>
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"Every time you purchase a gallon of gas with your credit card, that's a satellite transaction," he said.</div>
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But the big fear is what might happen to the electrical grid, since power surges caused by solar particles could blow out giant transformers. Such transformers can take a long time to replace, especially if hundreds are destroyed at once, said Baker, who is a co-author of a National Research Council report on solar-storm risks.</div>
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The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Cliver agrees: "They don't have a lot of these on the shelf," he said.</div>
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The eastern half of the U.S. is particularly vulnerable, because the power infrastructure is highly interconnected, so failures could easily cascade like chains of dominoes.</div>
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"Imagine large cities without power for a week, a month, or a year," Baker said. "The losses could be $1 to $2 trillion, and the effects could be felt for years."</div>
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Even if the latest solar maximum doesn't bring a Carrington-level event, smaller storms have been known to affect power and communications.</div>
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The "Halloween storms" of 2003, for instance, interfered with satellite communications, produced a brief power outage in Sweden, and lighted up the skies with ghostly auroras as far south as Florida and Texas.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-38450814690601777052012-03-09T04:13:00.001-08:002012-03-09T04:13:08.379-08:00Jessica Simpson 'couldn't wait' to pose naked at 170 pounds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Jessica Simpson joked in a telephone interview today that she "couldn't wait" to pose naked for the cover of<em>Elle</em> at 170 pounds. "Normally I'm hoping to be 107 pounds and I don't eat, but" – in homage to the cheesecake pose, perhaps – "I ate cheesecake before we shot."</div>
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The set was closed: just Simpson; her fiancé, Eric Johnson; her publicist and a couple best friends. "I wasn't nervous at all," she says (at least, not until the night before it hit newsstands). "Normally, I'm so shy. I'm not the person you see photographed in a bikini on a beach. But for some reason, being pregnant, it's so easy for me. I feel so comfortable in my skin."</div>
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The response to seeing so much of her skin? "I'm glad people are reacting positively," says Simpson, 31, who stars as one of three mentors on NBC's <em>Fashion Star</em>, premiering March 13. "It's just really a celebratory moment for me."</div>
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She is anxious, however, for the finale to this pregnancy process – "for my water to break, for the day I get to go to the hospital and push. I'm more anxious than afraid. I have not been afraid the whole time. I figure if all these women all around the world can do it, I can do it."</div>
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And about that estimated 10-pound baby she'll deliver? "She's in the 90th percentile of weight right now, so she's a big un. She's going to be a very big baby, but I guess that's what I get for letting a baller knock me up."</div>
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And will Baby Girl's moniker be as nontraditional as, say, Cousin Bronx Mowgli's? Her mom won't say, but she does reveal that sister Ashlee's 3-year-old son approves of it.</div>
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"Bronx definitely loves her name, oh, yeah," says Simpson. "He talks to her in my belly all the time. It really makes your heart melt. He's already got a box of old toys he's put together" for her. Yesterday, he said he was going to teach her how to crawl and then how to walk. "OK, you can do that, Bronx," Simpson says. "It's so cute."</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-5683982647018789692012-03-09T04:11:00.000-08:002012-03-09T04:11:05.840-08:00Aurora Borealis 2012: Solar Flare Could Make Northern Lights Visible Much Farther South (VIDEO)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Aurora Borealis Solar Storm" height="190" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/526338/thumbs/s-AURORA-BOREALIS-SOLAR-STORM-large.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; height: auto; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 1px; max-width: inherit !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="260" /></div>
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Though the massive solar storm that hit earth late yesterday <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/solar-flare-now-bombarding-earth_n_1331414.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">may cause satellite disruptions and power outages</a> over the next 24 hours, the news isn't all bad: Scientists predict the cosmic activity will expand the reach of the Aurora Borealis tonight, making it visible for more people around the globe.</div>
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A number of news outlets from areas normally much too far south to see the lights -- like <a href="http://gothamist.com/2012/03/01/in_10_years_we_may_see_aurora_borea.php" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">New York</a> and <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120308_Chance_of_seeing_Northern_Lights_tonight_.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Philadelphia</a> -- have reported that residents may get a rare opportunity to see them tonight.</div>
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But as the <a href="http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ/" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Geophysics Institute at the University of Alaska</a> points out, predicting when and where people will be able to see the Northern Lights is often difficult, especially because sightings can be effected by weather phenomena like rain and clouds.</div>
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Luckily, a number of research institutes have developed tools available on the Internet to help people determine the probability of seeing the lights in their area.</div>
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The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, offers an <a href="http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/aurora_predict/worldmap6.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">Aurora forecast map</a> that allows user to zoom in on their region. The map shows the approximate time a particular area will experience the greatest level of geomagnetic activity.</div>
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But in case the tool is down or lagging behind due to satellite interference, the institute also offers a <a href="http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica/2012/03/08" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">more detailed set of maps</a> showing the current "Geophysical Activity Forecast," a number measuring of the amount of geomagnetic activity in the atmosphere over a 3-hour period on a scale of 1 to 9.</div>
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Knowing the Geophysical Activity Forecast makes it possible to figure out the likelihood of seeing the lights using charts, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center <a href="http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Aurora/#table" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #399800; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">explains in its guide to viewing the Aurora</a>.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-24119431231574349502012-03-09T04:08:00.003-08:002012-03-09T04:08:18.720-08:00'Lone Ranger' photo shows dramatic update with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="story-img" itemid="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1035718!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/image.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 635px;">
<img alt="From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski comes Disney/Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger." Tonto (Johnny Depp), a spirit warrior on a personal quest, joins forces in a fight for justice with John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawman who has become a masked avenger." height="446" itemprop="contentUrl" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1035718.1331250276!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/image.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="From producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski comes Disney/Bruckheimer Films' "The Lone Ranger." Tonto (Johnny Depp), a spirit warrior on a personal quest, joins forces in a fight for justice with John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawman who has become a masked avenger." width="635" /><h4 class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;">
PETER MOUNTAIN/DISNEY</h4>
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Johnny Depp plays Tonto opposite Armie Hammer as the masked avenger in "The Lone Ranger," directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It's filming now in New Mexico for a May 2013 release.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Armie+Hammer" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Armie Hammer">Armie Hammer</a>, best known for playing both Winklevoss twins in “The Social Network,” is saddled up as the titular Western vigilante in the first photo released from next year’s “Lone Ranger” movie.</div>
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<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jerry+Bruckheimer" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Jerry Bruckheimer">Producer Jerry Bruckheimer</a> tweeted out the sneak peek on Thursday.</div>
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Even more striking though is the man behind the makeup as the Lone Ranger’s sidekick, Tonto. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Johnny+Depp" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Johnny Depp">Johnny Depp</a>, who has said in past interviews that he is part Cherokee, plays the Native American hero.</div>
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Aside from the incredible winged headdress, Depp told Entertainment Weekly moviegoers can expect a less cartoonish Tonto than the one made famous in the early ’50s television series.</div>
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“I remember watching it as a kid, with <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Jay+Silverheels" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Jay Silverheels">Jay Silverheels</a> and <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Clayton+Moore" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Clayton Moore">Clayton Moore</a>, and going: ‘Why is the f—ing Lone Ranger telling Tonto what to do?’ ” Depp told the magazine last year. “I liked Tonto, even at that tender age, and knew Tonto was getting the unpleasant end of the stick here. That’s stuck with me. And when the idea came up (for the movie), I started thinking about Tonto and what could be done in my own small way try to . . . reinvent the relationship.”</div>
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“Lone Ranger” is currently shooting in New Mexico, reuniting director <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Gore+Verbinski" style="color: #015fb6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Gore Verbinski">Gore Verbinski</a> with Depp, his “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Rango” star.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Read more: <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/johnny-depp-eager-reinvent-tonto-role-lone-ranger-movie-armie-hammer-article-1.1035719#ixzz1ocY1WcTV" style="color: #003399; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/johnny-depp-eager-reinvent-tonto-role-lone-ranger-movie-armie-hammer-article-1.1035719#ixzz1ocY1WcTV</a></span>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-83581554387764165102012-03-09T04:05:00.003-08:002012-03-09T04:05:38.453-08:00Import of gas, electricity from Iran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pakistan stands firm against US pressure</b>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, rejecting US threats of economic sanctions on promotion of economic ties between Pakistan and Iran, said on Thursday that the country would extend its cooperation with Iran in the field of energy. However, she also said that no agreement would be signed against national interest. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Addressing a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khar, rejecting the American objections on Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline, gave a clear message to Washington that Islamabad would make a decision keeping national interests a priority. To a query, the foreign minister once again reiterated the commitment that an accord with Iran on a gas pipeline would be inked without any external pressure. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“Pakistan is pursuing important projects with Iran, such as gas pipeline, electricity transmission, and also building a more robust trade partnership between the two countries,” Khar said. “All of these projects are in Pakistan’s national interest and will be pursued and completed irrespective of any extraneous consideration.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Being selective: Brushing aside pressures, Khar said, “As far as bilateral relations and cooperation is concerned we don’t make it contingent on views and policies of any third country. I think all our friends are encouraged to understand the real energy crisis facing Pakistan. We can’t afford to be selective of where we receive our energy supply from.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">To a question about threats from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to impose sanctions on Pakistan if it continued with the gas project with Iran, the foreign minister said, “We will cross the bridge when it will come.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">She, however, hoped that the international community would look into the matter and find a way to resolve the issue through peaceful negotiations on Iran’s nuclear issue and sanctions on Pakistan would not be imposed.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Regarding Pak-US ties, she said that joint sitting of parliament would be summoned by mid-March, in which the members would review future status of the Pak-US ties based upon mutual respect and equality. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Commenting on the Afghanistan issue, Khar was of the view that Pakistan wanted to have good and peaceful ties with Afghanistan. To another query, she said that resumption of NATO supply would be decided by parliament. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">She said seeking aid was not the aim, rather Pakistan would like to enhance its mercantile ties with other nations of the world. She said ties with Iran and Afghanistan would be strengthened, adding that Pakistan would seek assistance wherever it was available without any external pressure.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Khar also said that relations with the United States, NATO and ISAF would be promoted on the basis of mutual respect and in line with the policy devised by parliament. She said the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy would finalise its recommendations by the second week of this month.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“We want to add the element of credibility with the United States,” she said.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Khar said Pakistan wanted to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours, including India, adding that there was enthusiasm from both the sides to improve ties. She said the two governments had been working together to build a level of trust for mutual benefit of the two nations.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">To a question on awarding India the status of most-favoured nation and Kashmir issue, the FM explained that Pakistan had not compromised on its principled stand on Kashmir and would remain committed to the resolution of this issue through dialogue. She said the MFN status was necessary to normalise trade activities between the two countries. manzoor qadir/agencies</span>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-3247114316908931312012-03-09T03:43:00.002-08:002012-03-09T03:43:32.282-08:00Indian ships will lose insurance due to Iran sanctions, may look to China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE: Indian shipping firms will find it difficult to obtain replacement <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/insurance%20coverage" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">insurance coverage</a> to continue importing <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Iranian%20crude" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Iranian crude</a> oil after new <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/European%20Union%20sanctions" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">European Union sanctions</a> come into effect, industry sources said.</div>
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State-run Shipping Corp. of India, the largest tanker owner in India, will lose its EU insurance coverage for its oil tankers operating in Iran from July 1, when European insurers will be prohibited from indemnifying ships carrying Iranian oil.</div>
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Indian maritime firms are likely to be the most affected in Asia by the sanctions as the other two biggest buyers <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/China" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">China</a> and Japan do not rely on European insurers but are covered by domestic providers. India, China and Japan are Iran's three biggest crude oil buyers.</div>
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"We are covered by P&I clubs in the EU," Sunil Thapar, <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/director%20at%20Shipping%20Corp%20of%20India" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">director at Shipping Corp of India</a> told Reuters, referring to the groups of customer-owned maritime protection and indemnity insurance groups.</div>
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"These clubs will not be able to give us coverage for vessels to Iran from July. It will be difficult for Indian shipping lines to transport Iranian crude unless alternative arrangements are made." SCI owns 39 oil tankers.</div>
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Europe and the United States are implementing tougher sanctions in the hope that isolating Iran will force Tehran to halt its atomic programme, which the West fears will be used to develop nuclear weapons.</div>
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Iran, the biggest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, denies Western suspicions that its programme has military goals, saying it is for purely peaceful purposes.</div>
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Iran, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter is struggling to retain its top consumers as stricter sanctions and an embargo make it impossible to trade with the Islamic Republic.</div>
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Iran will export a six-month low volume of fuel oil to East Asia in March due to sanctions and volumes will likely drop further as the EU embargo approaches.</div>
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FEWER OPTIONS A.P. Moller-Maersk, Singapore-based Samco Shipholding, and many other international maritime firms have halted new deals with Iran, leaving Asian oil importers to rely more on domestic and state-run firms to handle the OPEC member's shipments.</div>
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All but one of the international P&I clubs, which together cover 95 percent of the world's tankers against pollution and personal injury claims, are covered by the sanctions since they are based in the <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/European%20Union" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336797; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">European Union</a> or the United States.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-38894461371708232152012-03-09T03:34:00.001-08:002012-03-09T03:34:51.067-08:00'John Carter' review: Artistry makes up for flaws in sci-fi spectacle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For the better part of a century, filmmakers have been trying to adapt Edgar Rice Burroughs' influential "Barsoom" stories for the big screen. And for the better part of a century, those efforts have failed.</div>
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<span class="adv-photo-large" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; display: block; height: 208px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; max-width: 380px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="0309 taylor kitsch in john carter 2.JPG" class="adv-photo" height="156" original="http://media.nola.com/entertainment_impact_tvfilm/photo/10661038-large.jpg" src="http://media.nola.com/entertainment_impact_tvfilm/photo/10661038-large.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 380px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" width="380" /><span class="photo-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; display: block; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;"><span class="caption" style="clear: both; display: block; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 3px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In 'John Carter,' based on the first of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'Barsoom' books, Taylor Kitsch, right, finds himself in another world entirely.</span></span><span class="photo-bottom-left" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://media.nola.com/design/baseline/img/corners.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: -28px -7px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; float: left; height: 7px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 7px;"></span><span class="photo-bottom-right" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://media.nola.com/design/baseline/img/corners.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: -35px -7px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; float: right; height: 7px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 7px;"></span></span></div>
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In the meantime, filmmaker after filmmaker has drawn inspiration from Burroughs' sci-fi tales, about a Civil War veteran mysteriously transported to a populated, war-torn Mars, where he is transformed into a sort of pre-"Superman" Superman thanks to the gravitational differences between Earth and the red planet.</div>
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George Lucas drew from Burroughs' stories for "<a href="http://topics.nola.com/tag/star%20wars/index.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Star Wars</a>." James Cameron drew from them for "<a href="http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2009/12/avatar_review.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Avatar</a>." And, yes, since I brought it up, "Superman" co-creator Jerry Siegel was inspired by Burroughs' work as well.</div>
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So it's a triumph in and of itself that director <a href="http://topics.nola.com/tag/andrew%20stanton/index.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Andrew Stanton </a>finally has managed to get "<a href="http://topics.nola.com/tag/john%20carter/index.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John Carter</a>" -- based on "A Princess of Mars," the first book in the "Barsoom" series -- committed to celluloid. That it stands as a technical marvel and an eyeball-tickling spectacle -- seamlessly blending beautiful computer animation with live-action performances -- will only further satisfy those who grew up drinking in the depth of Burroughs' wildly imaginative tales.</div>
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But while filmmakers such as Cameron and Lucas were drawing inspiration from the "Barsoom" books and paying it tribute in their own films, they also -- unfortunately and ironically -- were doing the original stories a disservice. While these stories might have been the innovative ones, and far-reaching sci-fi progenitors, they also have been robbed of much of their novelty.</div>
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For all of the love and money lavished upon "John Carter" by Stanton -- a two-time Oscar-winning Pixar director (for "<a href="http://blog.nola.com/mikescott/2009/06/finding_nemo_all_over_again.html#findingnemo" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Finding Nemo</a>" and "<a href="http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2008/06/walle_a_modern_masterpiece.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Wall*E</a>") and first-rate storyteller, on loan to <a href="http://topics.nola.com/tag/disney/index.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Disney </a>-- it ends up feeling a touch musty and overly familiar.</div>
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<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-photo" style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="adv-video" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f1f1; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; display: block; height: 278px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; max-width: 380px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="bc_video" href="http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/03/john_carter_review_artistry_ma.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="bc_video_overlay" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://www.nola.com/static/common/img/video_overlay_60x60.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; height: 212px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 380px; z-index: 100;"></span><img alt="'John Carter' movie trailer" class="adv-photo" original="http://brightcove01.brightcove.com/12/268012958001/201202/3799/268012958001_1481521332001_vs-1481518907001.jpg?pubId=268012958001" src="http://brightcove01.brightcove.com/12/268012958001/201202/3799/268012958001_1481521332001_vs-1481518907001.jpg?pubId=268012958001" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 380px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" width="380" /></a><span class="video-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(213, 213, 213); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; display: block; font-size: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;"><span class="title" style="display: block; line-height: 1.35em; margin-bottom: 0.55em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: auto;"><a href="http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2012/02/john_carter_movie_trailer.html" style="color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">'John Carter' movie trailer</a></span><span class="caption" style="clear: both; display: block; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 3px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Opens March 9</span><span class="view" style="display: block; font-size: 8.5pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/03/john_carter_review_artistry_ma.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://media.nola.com/design/baseline/img/icons/icon_video_small.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #305cb6; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 24px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Watch video</a></span></span><span class="photo-bottom-left" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://media.nola.com/design/baseline/img/corners.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: -28px -7px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; float: left; height: 7px; margin-bottom: 0px; 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Yes, Barsoom was a wondrous place when Burroughs first wrote about it in 1912, and when Stanton, Cameron and Lucas had their adolescent imaginations sparked by the stories in the following years. But at this point, it feels like we've been here before, that we've done this before.</div>
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When the titular hero -- played by the suddenly in-demand actor Taylor Kitsch ("Friday Night Lights") -- is first transported to the red planet by an alien device he finds in an Arizona cave, for instance, he is greeted by a race of towering alien beings. "Avatar" anyone?</div>
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And the desert setting -- with its curious collection of alien species, battling with humanlike tribes for control of the dying planet -- makes it feel as if it could be playing out in some distant corner of Tatooine. (I swear at one point I was waiting for the story's beautiful princess character and chief love interest -- played by the fetching Lynn Collins, in a slave-girl Leia get-up -- to slip and implore Kitsch's character: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.")</div>
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Even the film's sweeping score -- composed by Michael Giacchino, another Pixar Oscar winner, for his beautiful score for "Up" -- feels like something we've heard before. At various times, I was reminded of the music from any number of John Williams scores, from "Star Wars" and "E.T." to "Harry Potter."</div>
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Derivative though it might be, that music helps boost the epic feel of Stanton's film, which -- with its broadness of scope, its generosity of emotion, its sprinkling of levity and its old-fashioned sense of black-and-white morality -- feels Spielbergian at times. That's particularly true in its scenes set on Earth -- and that's intended as a compliment.</div>
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There are plenty of entertaining moments to latch onto beneath the sci-fi tropes -- and maybe even a few that will inspire a new generation of storytellers. It just feels as if "John Carter" is a little late to the interplanetary party.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-54896540903817196942012-03-09T03:19:00.001-08:002012-03-09T03:19:50.273-08:00RBI: Need to Reduce Statutory Liquidity Ratio<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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PUNE, India -- The statutory liquidity ratio--the minimum bond-holding requirement of banks--needs to be brought down in India, central bank Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said Friday.</div>
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However, a number of conditions have to be met before making such a decision, Mr. Subbarao said during a speech at an academic institution. He didn't specify the conditions that need to be met.</div>
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Currently, the statutory liquidity ratio is 24%, and Mr. Subbarao said it is "considered by many people as high."</div>
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The high statutory liquidity ratio, according to some analysts, is aiding the government's large borrowing program.</div>
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The government has expanded its borrowing program twice in the current fiscal year ending March 31 to fund a likely sharp increase in its fiscal deficit.</div>
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India is expected to overshoot its aim of keeping its fiscal deficit within 4.6% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year by as much as one percentage point.</div>
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Government expenditure remained elevated ahead of recently concluded elections to five state assemblies, while slowing growth hurt tax revenues. India's fiscal deficit reached 105% of its full-year target in the first 10 months of the fiscal year, according to recent government data.</div>
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Mr. Subbarao Friday also said India's fiscal deficit is high.</div>
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The government's large borrowing program is seen as one of the causes for the acute cash shortage in the banking system.</div>
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However, a reduction in the SLR may not be imminent, analysts said, as most banks currently hold bonds in excess of the minimum requirement, amid a slowdown in the demand for credit from customers.</div>
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Earlier this week, RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn echoed that view, saying that a cut in the SLR would not be effective in easing the liquidity shortage.</div>
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The RBI is widely expected to cut the cash reserve ratio, or the minimum percentage of deposits that banks need to hold in cash, by half a percentage point to 5.00% to ease liquidity conditions, when it meets to review monetary policy on Mar. 15.</div>
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The government's borrowing program for the fiscal year starting April 1 will be announced a day later as part of the government's Budget presentation.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-87922684015587499512012-03-09T03:18:00.002-08:002012-03-09T03:18:14.461-08:00Songs.pk banned in India: Calcutta High Court<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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MUMBAI: The Calcutta High Court has passed an injunction order to all ISP’s and mobile services providers for banning music website <a href="http://www.songs.pk/" title="www.songs.pk">www.songs.pk</a>.</div>
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Phonographic Performance Ltd, The Indian Music Industry and Sagarika Music Pvt Ltd are seeking a restraint on internet access to download, stream, disseminate, and reproduce copyright music on this site, according to a public notice.</div>
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The internet service and infrastructure providers who have been directed for this court order include Dishnet Wireless, Reliance WiMax, Hathway Cable & Datacom Pvt Ltd, Hughes Communications India, Tata Tele (Maharastra), Reliance World, Wipro Ltd, Sify Technologies Ltd, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, BG Broadband (now You Telecom) in the petition.</div>
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As per the petition filled by Sagarika Music Pvt Ltd before the high court on 27 Jan, all ISP’s have been directed to block access to the website songs.pk by DNS name blocking, IP address blocking via routers and DPI based URL blocking.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-87005409534795105402012-03-09T03:15:00.002-08:002012-03-09T03:15:36.819-08:00HC notice to RPSC over old scheme in RAS exam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has issued show cause notice to the Rajasthan <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Public-Service-Commission" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(51, 103, 151) !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Public Service Commission</a> and the state authorities for not implementing the news scheme in the upcoming state civil service examinations as being done by the UPSC and other public service commissions of several states.</div>
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Taking cognizance of a petition filed by six candidates of the RAS examination wherein it was said many states including <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Andhra-Pradesh" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(51, 103, 151) !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Andhra Pradesh</a>, Chhattisgarh, UP and <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Himachal-Pradesh" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(51, 103, 151) !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Himachal Pradesh</a> among others have done away with the old system of examination, Justice M N Bhandari issued the notice to the state authorities.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-87573868655019671022012-03-07T05:55:00.002-08:002012-03-07T05:55:11.818-08:00Lloyds considers borrowing money from ECB's emergency fund<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Lloyds Banking Group has become the first British bank to confirm it is looking at borrowing money from an emergency facility put in place by the European Central Bank to prevent a fresh banking crisis.</h2>
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Antonio Horta-Osorio, chief executive of the taxpayer-backed lender, said Lloyds was considering borrowing billions of euros from the ECB to finance its remaining eurozone assets.</div>
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The ECB loaned €489bn (£414bn) in three-year money to eurozone banks in December and City analysts expect a similar amount to be borrowed at the end of this month when lenders are offered a second opportunity to access the central bank's borrowing window.</div>
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"It makes sense for our euro assets," said Mr Horta-Osorio, adding that the bank would make a decision on Monday on whether it would take a loan from the ECB when the second tranche of long-term financing operations (LTRO) are offered.</div>
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Lloyds is the only UK bank to have given a clear indication it could borrow from LTRO programme. RBS on Thursday declined to comment, while Barclays earlier this month said it had studied the scheme, but decided against using it.</div>
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The admission came as Lloyds reported a £3.5bn loss for 2011, largely as a result of a £3.2bn charge it took in the first half of last year against the cost of compensating customers mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-9796136099625250752012-03-07T05:54:00.003-08:002012-03-07T05:54:29.207-08:00Struggling Britain: Millions borrowing money just to stay alive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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ONE in five cash-strapped shoppers has to BORROW money to buy groceries and other basics because of soaring prices.</div>
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And the financial crisis has forced a quarter of Britons to dip into savings just so they can eat.</div>
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The bleak reality faced by millions of families across the land is laid bare in a major new report to be published this week by consumer champion Which?</div>
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The report reveals how the downturn has left people struggling to cope in the wake of Government tax hikes and benefit cuts.</div>
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And even relatively well-paid people are suffering because of Britain’s flatlining economy.</div>
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More than 36 per cent questioned admit they are finding life difficult – that’s over twice the number in a similar report five years ago.</div>
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Fewer than half (43 per cent) say they are “coping” as they fight to keep their heads above water. And barely one in five people claim they are living comfortably.</div>
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Financial pressures have already forced almost one in three to drop holidays with 47 per cent admitting they were giving up this year’s annual break, reveals the Which? study of 2,094 people. And their view of the distant future is grim.</div>
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Only four in 10 believe their children will have any chance of being better off than they are.</div>
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The report also reveals how many people have been forced to dramatically change their lifestyle just to make ends meet. Almost four in 10 are now spending more time at home instead of in pubs and restaurants.</div>
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More shoppers (37 per cent) go online to save money, and 55 per cent of all those questioned said they bought items from second-hand or charity shops.</div>
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Which? executive director Richard Lloyd warned: “Over half of UK consumers are not coping on their current incomes. Worryingly, one in five people told us they had gone into debt just to buy food and other essential goods. We already</div>
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know struggling consumers are worried about rising food and energy prices, and are making significant changes.”</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-30805837563736893382012-03-07T05:50:00.001-08:002012-03-07T05:50:37.572-08:00Minister hangs up on praised cellphone plan tool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Minister+hangs+praised+cellphone+plan+tool/6207891/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #035a91; font-family: arial; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Treasury Board President Tony Clement killed the tool before its launch in 2009." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/6207892.bin" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; width: 460px;" title="Treasury Board President Tony Clement killed the tool before its launch in 2009." /></a></div>
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Treasury Board President Tony Clement killed the tool before its launch in 2009.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Chris Wattie, Reuters , Ottawa Citizen</h2>
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Industry Canada privately defended its cellphone plan calculator as an "important consumer-education tool" even as the minister's office publicly claimed the initiative was killed because it didn't work, internal records show.<br />
After the government spent $1.4 million over three years to develop an online calculator allowing consumers to compare cellphone plans tailored to their usage patterns, then-industry minister Tony Clement killed the initiative just before its launch in 2009. At the time, his spokesman said it would have been "irresponsible" to launch it with "inaccurate" information.<br />
Internal departmental records, only now released to Postmedia News under access to information after a long delay, show the department's Office of Consumer Affairs held a different view and defended the calculator against an aggressive lobby campaign by industry giants.<br />
Clement sided with the companies after his office was lobbied directly by Rogers Communications, Telus Communications and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), the records show.<br />
The revelations come just as Industry Minister Christian Paradis, Clement's successor, is set to announce new rules for its latest auction of wireless spectrum.<br />
Consumer groups, such as the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, are worried the Conservative government won't impose set-asides for new entrants to improve competition in the wireless market dominated by a few big telecoms, and instead opt for capping companies' total spectrum.<br />
In a 10-page rebuttal drafted by Industry Canada in response to the industry association's criticisms of the online calculator, written just days before Clement pulled the plug on the project, the department said consumers were looking for a cellphone plan calculator from a trusted and impartial source.<br />
"The Office of Consumer Affairs believes that the market distortion lies in the complexity of the marketplace which inhibits consumers' ability to make educated and informed choices. The Calculator mitigates this by providing consumers with a means to effectively and rationally analyze the marketplace and assess features and options based on their assessment of their own usage patterns. In the absence of such a tool, consumers would have great difficulty in performing this type of complex mathematical analysis," according to the rebuttal drafted May 13, 2009.<br />
Two weeks later, Clement informed the department he had "decided not to proceed with the product," the records show.<br />
The records show Industry Canada's deputy minister had "instructed" the Office of Consumer Affairs to prepare the calculator for release "in advance of the Christmas holidays" in 2008. The launch of the calculator was then scheduled for April 21, 2009, but pushed to June in response to CWTA's "request for further engagement."<br />
"For us to put a tool out there that didn't accurately measure the marketplace would actually be irresponsible. We would be putting out a product that wasn't doing what we said it does," Clement's spokesman told the media after news of the cancellation of the calculator trickled out in the summer of 2009.</div>
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CWTA made a similar argument in a submission to Industry Canada, dated April 30, 2009.<br />
In addition to not being clear "as to the nature of the 'problem' that the project is designed to rectify," the industry group complained the calculator didn't include data plans, handset prices and bundling packages.<br />
It also objected to being "considered an afterthought in the development of a tool that targets our customers and pricing plans."<br />
In response, Industry Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs said the department made a deliberate choice to compare voice and text plans because the calculator was geared to low-income, slow-adopter consumers. The departmental rebuttal also cited CWTA research showing the top interests of consumers were talking and texting, and pointed out consumers were directed to company websites for details on data plans and any additional information before they chose a plan.<br />
"Simply put, CWTA's research supports the public policy rationale for offering a calculator that helps those who can only afford basic voice and text services increase their ability to make an educated and informed choice."<br />
John Lawford, a lawyer with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, tested the online calculator as part of Industry's Canada's pre-launch consultation.<br />
In an interview Friday, he said "it worked fantastically. It was just like doing comparison shopping on the Internet where you can plug in what you're looking for and it compares everything and brings it up in a list."<br />
The discount brands "were always at the top, and the main plans, unless you said you sent a bazillion texts and wanted a North American calling plan, then the Bell, Telus, Rogers plans were way at the bottom because they were more expensive," added Lawford, who characterized the government's decision to the kill the online calculator as "purely political."<br />
sschmidt@postmedia.com</div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, verdana, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Minister+hangs+praised+cellphone+plan+tool/6207891/story.html#ixzz1oRGkvuhz" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #003399; font-family: arial; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Minister+hangs+praised+cellphone+plan+tool/6207891/story.html#ixzz1oRGkvuhz</a></span>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-62075785593942793642012-03-07T05:47:00.001-08:002012-03-07T05:47:37.149-08:00Gold is old, credit card users opt for rewards, cashback<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img align="left" alt="Cards" border="0" class="imgwidth" src="http://im.rediff.com/money/2012/mar/creditcards.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 8px; margin-top: 3px;" />O</span>nly a couple of years earlier, gold and platinum cards were perceived as enhancing the social status of cardholders.<br /></div>
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However, customers are now exploring value propositions while selecting credit cards.<br /><br />This has prompted foreign and private sector banks in the country to alter their marketing strategies for new cards.<br /><br />Instead of branding the cards using names of metals, banks are now focusing on benefits to be offered with these.<br /><br />Anand Selva, country business manager, global consumer group, Citi India [ <a href="http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=india" style="color: #0055cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="sm1" style="font-size: 11px;">Images</span></a> ], said, "Clearly, customers' preferences are changing, and there is a shift away from metals. Earlier, gold or platinum cards were important.<br /><br />"While metals are still relevant, these are no longer the primary incentive for customers to choose a card. They now question the value and services offered."<br /><br />Citibank currently has 2.2 million cards in India and around 20 per cent market share on card spends, which it claims is among the highest in the industry.<br /><br />"We have worked on value propositions. We have identified four key areas miles, rewards, cash back and affinity.<br /><br />"We believe we are in the right customer segments, with the right value propositions. That is why spends per card are the highest in our case," Selva said.<br /><br />The bank has launched a Citibank Premier Miles Card.<br /><br />Through this, customers can earn miles, which can then be redeemed from six international and domestic airlines.<br /><br />The bank's Delhi [ <a href="http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=delhi" style="color: #0055cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="sm1" style="font-size: 11px;">Images</span></a> ] Metro Citibank Credit Card allows customers to exchange reward points for metro rides.<br /><br />Last year, HDFC Bank [ <a href="http://money.rediff.com/quotes/hdfc+bank+ltd" style="color: #0055cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="sm1" style="font-size: 11px;">Get Quote</span></a> ], the second-largest private sector lender and the largest issuer of credit cards in the country, launched no-limit Infinia cards for the uber-rich, high net worth community.<br /><br />Shyamal Saxena, general manager (retail banking products and consumer banking), Standard Chartered Bank (India and South Asia), said, "Customers have become more aware of their core requirements.<br /><br />"They want products that would suit their needs.<br /><br />"The customer is not fussy about whether it is a gold card or a silver card, as long as it meets his requirements. So, frequent travellers prefer cards that offer air miles."<br /><br />The foreign lender, which acquired a part of Barclays Bank's credit cards portfolio last year, offers Manhattan Platinum Credit Cards through which customers can avail of five per cent cash back every time they use the card at supermarkets and departmental stores.<br /><br />These cards also provide reward points on other purchases.<br /><br />Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation had recently launched the HSBC-Make My Trip Credit Card for Indian travellers.<br /><br />The bank had tied up with travel portal Make My Trip to offer features that cater to the specific requirements in this segment.<br /><br />Manish Sinha, head (consumer assets), HSBC India, said, "When cards were first introduced, naming these after precious metals was a good way to differentiate between offerings for various customer segments.<br /><br />"As the market evolves, there is a greater degree of customisation required and value propositions are introduced, keeping in mind specific needs of customers.<br /><br />"We look forward to offering value propositions to different segments of customers through various tie-ups."</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-52677309402024576922012-03-07T05:46:00.003-08:002012-03-07T05:48:00.255-08:00Banks promoting credit card use for big purchases<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Credit card companies are encouraging existing customers to revolve their credit and promoting card use by reducing interest rates and going in for co-branding of cards.<br />
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Last month HSBC reduced the annual interest rate on its credit cards by 600 basis points to 31.2-33.6 per cent. SBI Cards too recently reduced the interest rate on its fixed deposit-linked credit cards to as low as 18-27 per cent per annum, from 37 per cent earlier.<br />
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The move by the companies came at a time when the credit card companies were struggling to add numbers. The total outstanding credit cards in the country have remained stagnant at 17.60 million levels since April 2011, compared with the 27 million-levels seen at the peak of the business in 2007-08. Debit cards on the other hand have been seeing growth every passing month with 263 million debit cards outstanding, as of December 2011.<br />
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“Unlike the peak of the credit card crisis in 2007-08, when delinquencies were as high as 17 per cent, delinquencies in the credit card business has fallen significantly. The industry average is at about 4 per cent. Users have become more responsible and we encourage them to use their credit cards to make big purchases and revolve their credit payment cycle,” says Kadambi Narahari, CEO, SBI Cards.<br />
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Revolving a credit cycle in a card means paying the minimum balance or above it and repaying the remaining outstanding amount in the subsequent cycles. In such cases, an interest rate will be chargeable on the unpaid amount. By reducing this interest rate, companies are hopeful of encouraging the customer to make large purchases and repay it slowly.<br />
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For credit card companies, a larger part of their revenues come from such interest rates that they can charge on customers using a revolving payment cycle. Customers who repay entirely every month help only in getting transaction commission from the trading agency.<br />
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Industry members admit that credit card users have become highly responsible unlike the reckless spenders and borrowers of cash against credit card as seen during the crisis in 2008.<br />
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Credit card companies have also identified launching co-branded cards as a way to add more value and attract a newer target market. Banks like HDFC and Indian Overseas Bank have tied-up with American Express Cards to launch premium cards for their customers.<br />
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“We have undertaken several initiatives especially in the card space to improve our card propositions to potential card customers. Our new co-branded card with MakeMyTrip offers great benefits to our customers as well as our partner,” says Manish Sinha, Head, Consumer assets, HSBC India.</div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-14350520018726045042012-03-07T05:46:00.001-08:002012-03-07T05:49:46.605-08:00Demystifying life insurance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Enough is enough! It’s time to call time on misleading, hyperbolic nonsense that life insurance marketing has become. It’s also time to demystify life insurance and make it simple, easy-to-understand, meaningful and really useful.<br />
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If you verbalise the current thinking of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irda) on the state of life insurance, that is probably how it would read.<br />
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The missionary zeal with which the insurance regulator has proposed a set of suggestions and recommendations to the life insurance industry exemplifies the regulator’s intent to bring in more clarity and transparency to the way insurers design life insurance products.<br />
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From now on, Irda’s February 16 letter to insurers and the Life Insurance Council said, complicated products are a strict no-no. The way they are peddled now is also a cause for concern, it stated.<br />
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What got Irda’s goat was that more and more new “complex products” were lined up for its approval. The products’ features, an irate Irda found, were not in alignment with the prescribed best practices.<br />
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Worse, they lacked clarity. Irda did not mince words when it dashed off the said letter. “Greater amount of clarity is required to ensure policy-holders’ protection and sound insurance principles.”<br />
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The Irda letter has now become something of a talking point in industry circles.For, it addresses various issues relating to design and structure of life insurance products. The key points are instructive indeed:<br />
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Limited life cover<br />
Certain products like single premium Ulips (unit-linked insurance plans) and endowment plans offer limited life cover in proportion to the premium paid. For instance, these policies provide a sum assured (SA) that is just five or six times the premium paid annually. (Example: if annual premium is Rs1,000, then the SA would be around Rs6,000.) This is laughable, according to Irda. The SA should be at least ten times the premium paid, it believes. Irda also suggests there be a minimum life cover for life insurance policies at the event of death or on completion of term or tenure.<br />
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Participating and non-participating policies<br />
Insurance companies file new products with Irda classifying them as eitherparticipating (par) or non-participating. Under par (or with- profit) products, policy-holders are entitled to receive the surplus of the company. Premiums collected from these products are pooled and invested. Policy-holders will be entitled to receive part of the company’s surplus as bonuses. All traditional products other than pure term policies come under this category.</div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836912850776390471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7250387761989226350.post-24588650448460477262012-03-07T05:44:00.000-08:002012-03-07T05:44:30.899-08:00Teen's Anti-Acne Makeup Tips Make Her Web Star<object name="kaltura_player_1331127554" id="kaltura_player_1331127554" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowNetworking="all" allowFullScreen="true" height="360" width="640" data="http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/1_es05vmjo/uiconf_id/6501142">
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