The Man Behind Ben-Hur, Lame Police Tactics, and Lots and Lots of Gay Marriage

Lew Wallace composes under the Ben-Hur beech.

Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society, M0292

?The Passion of Lew Wallace: The incredible story of how a disgraced Civil War general became one of the best-selling novelists in American history,? by John Swansburg. Swansburg recounts Wallace?s triumphs and failures, from his ignominious role at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh to his association with legendary gunslinger Billy the Kid. And he describes how the iconic Ben-Hur, a novel which helped reunite America after the trauma of the Civil War, came to be written.

?Boston Punk Zombies Are Watching You!: The Boston police go undercover on the Internet to stop the city?s most dreaded scourge: DIY indie-rock shows,? by Luke O?Neil. The Boston Police Department has ?been going undercover on social media sites to get information on underground indie rock shows. The pproblem is, O?Neil writes, that a hipster can sniff out a fake from a mile away. His piece raises questions about the allocation of police resources and the usefulness of social media as a crime-fighting tool.

?The New Stimulus Package: Overachievers are popping Adderall to get ahead. Is that a good idea?? by Will Oremus. Will Oremus asks some hard-hitting questions about Adderall usage. Is the use of brain drugs by healthy professionals cheating, like the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes? Does Adderall have a different effect on the ADHD-brain and the ADHD-free brain? And if not, where is the harm?

?Blue Sky Thinking: The entirely serious plan to collect solar energy by spaceship and beam it back to Earth with lasers,? by Jeffrey Ball. Rather than cost or scale, the biggest obstacle to space solar power may simply be the ?giggle factor.? Still, with rivals like China becoming interested, the United States has increased motivation to set this project in motion.?

?Ditching DOMA: Judging by Wednesday?s Supreme Court hearing, the Defense of Marriage Act can?t be defended,? by Emily Bazelon. Bazelon explores the genius of United States v. Windsor?s court challenge. The case aligns state sovereignty with gay couples? sovereignty over their lives and is proving the indefensibility of the Defense of Marriage Act. Also, John Culhane investigates why and under what circumstances the Supreme Court might dismiss a Prop 8.

?Rand vs. Rubio: Whether either senator will become a presidential contender depends on how much the Republican Party is willing to change,? by John Dickerson. Rand and Rubio are the alliterative duo taking the GOP by storm. Both are young and ambitious Republicans in a party looking for its next leader. As their party continues to go through a molting period, either man?s success will hinge upon how much the Republican Party is willing to change.

?Homosexuality as Infertility: How the gay marriage debate will end,? by William Saletan. In addition to being a political and legal battle, gay marriage is its own culture war. Supporters of same-sex marriage liken it to interracial marriage, an idea that once seemed bizarre to most Americans but is now almost universally accepted. Opponents of gay marriage liken it to abortion, which continues to divide and inflame the country. Saletan makes the argument that the war will end as people who oppose gay marriage come to accept homosexuality as a kind of infertility. Elsewhere, Brian Palmer explains the long and ignoble tradition of couching bigotry in concern for ?the children.?

?Is Minimalism Really Sustainable?: It?s easy to live with very few things if you can buy whatever you want,? by Katy Waldman. Waldman responds to a recent essay in the?New York Times?Sunday Review, in which the founder of Treehugger.com describes his transformation from ardent consumer to modern day minimalist. She points out that minimal living can sometimes require a more than minimal cash flow.

?Offed the Record: Can a journalist publish off-the-record quotes after a source dies?? by L.V. Anderson. The Russian edition of Forbes magazine published an interview that had been conducted less than 24 hours before exiled Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky died. Anderson asks if it is ethical for journalists to publish off-the-record comments after a source?s death.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=dde3fcccf82e2a610955acfc0643d2b9

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Transporter

Do you store work files on Dropbox?so that you can still access them when you are not at the office? Do you use various cloud storage services so that you can share personal files, images, and videos with friends and family? For end-users and businesses worried about security and privacy on these third-party services, Transporter from Connected Data may be the exact private offline yet online storage they are looking for. Part network-attached-storage and part cloud storage, Transporter offers users remote access to data stored on its drives.

Users on the same network as the Transporter can take advantage of Gigabit Ethernet speeds to access the files. If the Transporter is on a remote network, then the user is restricted to that network's upload and download speeds, but that isn't any different from what you would have with a cloud service. The Transporter is better than a NAS, though, because you can access the Transporter files from anywhere in the world, so long as you have an Internet connection.

However, the key feature for the Transporter isn't its remote access functionality, but the fact that it can communicate with other Transporters. The Transporter maps to a drive on your computer that you can directly navigate to. The desktop management software, Connected Desktop, lets you switch between Transporters and different files. When you want to share your files, you send an invitation asking the recipient to register an account.

What It Looks Like
The Transporter is a stylish, not-quite-obelisk-shaped black box, measuring about 3.9 inches x 3.9 inches x 5.52 inches. The case ?looks more like a fancy paperweight or conversation piece for the coffee table than a network-attached-storage device. Weighing less than 2 pounds, the Transporter is very easy to move around.?

A Gigabit Ethernet port and a USB port are built into the base of the unit, and a colored light indicates the Transporter's status. Reddish yellow indicates a problem, such as low disk space or no Internet connection, greenish-blue is normal operation, and flashing blue means it is transferring data.?

Users can buy the Transporter with a 1TB hard drive ($299), with a 2TB hard drive ($399), or without any hard drive at all ($199). The Transporter can take almost any 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive, including SATA II, SATA-300, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA III, SATA-600, and SATA 6Gb/s drives, as long as it is 160 GB or larger. Users can decide exactly how much storage capacity they need and swap out for larger drives as necessary.

Unlike many of the popular NAS products on the market, the Transporter has only one drive bay, so there is no way to aggregate storage capacity together in a RAID configuration. In this case, the Transporter is more like an external hard drive that happens to be on the network than a true NAS.

However, unlike an external drive, the Transporter can back up its data on another Transporter and restrict who has access to the files. Transporter can store and transfer videos, pictures, documents, and spreadsheets to other Transporters, other computers (with the Connected Desktop management software installed), and iOS devices.

Getting Started
Connected Data sent me two Transporters, each one with 1 TB hard drive inside. I plugged the Transporter (from now on to be referred to as the "lab unit") into one of PC Mag'stest networks and created an account on the Transporter Website. Once I registered for an account, I was able to "claim" the Transporter based on the device's serial number. This associated the Transporter with my account.

I set up the second Transporter (the "remote unit") on a different network. At this point, I logged back into my account and claimed the second Transporter as well. I could see both Transporters via Connected Desktop. If a friend had yet another Transporter and granted me access on some of the files on that unit, I would have seen that Transporter listed as well.

As part of the setup process, I installed the Connect Desktop software on my test computer. This is the actual software that allows me to browse the files stored on any of the Transporters I have access to. The software works on Mac OS X 10.7.x and 10.8.x, Windows 7 SP1 for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, and Windows 8 for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. While there is an app for iOS versions 5.1.x ?and higher, an Android app is not yet available.

When I want to transfer files or share with other people, I send an invitation through the interface to the user's email address. That person registers for an account, installs the software, and that's it.

Transporting the Data
The people you want to share your files with also use Connected Desktop to access the data, even if they aren't on your network.?Next: Accessing the Data on the Transporter

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/1iVRzp9sVDE/0,2817,2417258,00.asp

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Sony's Light Shaft, Motion Shot apps now available for NEX-5R and NEX-6 cams

One could easily argue that apps are a dime a dozen nowadays, but for those with a WiFi-ready, mirrorless Sony shooter, the in-cam software selection is still somewhat limited. As of a few hours ago, though, NEX-5R and NEX-6 owners now have two more options to choose from, thanks to Sony's new Light Shaft and Motion Shot applications. For starters, Light Shaft, as the company describes it, brings "a splash of light" to any picture using numerous differently shaped effects, such as Beam, Flare, Ray and Star. Motion Shot, on the other hand, takes multiple, continuous shots that are then superimposed to add a little flavor to action snaps, allowing users to easily pick the first and last images of every sequence. Available now via the PlayMemories shop, both apps are priced at $4.99 each -- which, to some, might feel like too steep a price to pay for a little unorthodox editing. We'll leave that decision up to you, though.

Filed under: Cameras, Software, Sony

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Via: DPReview

Source: Sony

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/sony-light-shaft-motion-shot-nex-apps/

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Keep police business off Facebook, NYPD tells cops

Tom Hays , The Associated Press ? ? ? 1 day

The New York Police Department has begun policing how its officers use Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

An internal order made public on Thursday advises members of the nation's largest police department to be careful with what they reveal online ? even urging them not to disclose that they're on the force.

Officers "are to exercise good judgment and demonstrate professionalism expected of them while performing their official duties," the memo says. It also warns that "personal social media sites may be used against them to undermine the credibility of the department, interfere with official police business, compromise ongoing investigations and affect their employment status."

The guidelines bar officers from posting photos of themselves in uniform ? with the exception of those taken at promotion or awards ceremonies ? unless they have permission from the department. Officers could face discipline if they don't comply.

Police officials said the policy has been in the works for about two years, and arose out of concern that police officers' online postings could embarrass the NYPD or be misinterpreted as official police policy. The department punished more than a dozen officers after they made degrading remarks about revelers at the West Indian Day Parade in 2011.

"We believe these guidelines are reasonable and make sense," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday.

The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, which represents 23,000 police officers, declined comment. In the past, the union has cautioned its members about what they post and who they interact with on the Internet.

The NYPD edict prohibits the posting on personal websites of crime scene photos or witness statements. It also bars officers from using social media to contact witnesses, crime victims or lawyers involved in pending cases, or to contact minors who aren't part of their families.

"Such communications may be deemed inappropriate or unethical and may jeopardize an ongoing investigation," it says.

The adoption of guidelines was first reported in the Daily News.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a241b59/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Ckeep0Epolice0Ebusiness0Efacebook0Enypd0Etells0Ecops0E1C9143650A/story01.htm

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Jeffrey Lewis ? Writing on the Wall

You know who tries to deter cyber-attacks with nuclear weapons? ?North Korea, that?s who.

North Korea released a statement that Kim Jong Il had ?ratified the plan of the Strategic Rocket Force for firepower strike? against ?the U.S. mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam??

Eagle-eyed observers noted the white chart that showed various targets. ?If you squint a bit, you can make them out. ?Three are pretty obvious:

(1)?Washington, DC. ?Ok, we knew that.

(2) Hawaii. ?The statement said so and, well, Hawaii is home to PACOM.

(3) I make the target in Southern California to be San Diego, which happens to be the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet and a pretty big military town.

Now, what is the fourth target?

I think that is San Antonio, Texas. ?I guess the Spurs should have been nicer to Dennis Rodman.

San Antonio is also known?known as?Cyber City, USA?? home to?Lackland Air Force Base?and?Air Force Cyber Command.

The North Koreans have recently been complaining about cyberattacks against their networks. ?(Rodong Sinmun?and KCNA both seem to have been offline for recent periods.) ?On March 15, KCNA carried a statement stating that ?intensive and persistent virus attacks are being made every day on internet servers operated by the DPRK,? asserting the attacks are ?timed to coincide with the madcap Key Resolve joint military exercises being staged by the U.S. and other hostile forces,? and warning that North Korea ?will never remain a passive onlooker to the enemies? cyber attacks??

A few observations.

First, I think it is very interesting that San Antonio makes the top four, but not Omaha. ?I suppose this should tell us that Kim Jong Un is very, very unhappy about not being able to read Rodong Sinmun on his smart phone.

Second, some of my colleagues have argued that the display of the wall chart is for domestic consumption. ?I would submit the North Koreans are speaking to both domestic and US audiences, given that the San Antonio reference will be lost on 99.9 percent of North Koreans.

Third, the threats appear aspirational in that the ranges may exceed North Korea?s actual missile capabilities. Generally, I am of the view that North Korea does not yet have the ability to reliably deliver a nuclear weapon to the United States although there are important cautions. ?North Korea might be sitting on a much larger?missile, might be able to jerry-rig Unha rockets, or might be deploying KN-08?missiles without flight-testing them. None of these options strikes me as terribly reliable and each has serious operational limitations. And San Antonio is very, very far from North Korea ? more than 11,000 kilometers.

But, in a pinch, North Korea might decide that such missiles,?though a bit backward in performance, would still be better than fighting a war with just millet and rifles. ?I think someone maybe said something like that once.

Source: http://lewis.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/6505/writing-on-the-wall

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Pope presides over trimmed Easter Vigil service

Pope Francis leads Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leads Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis holding a tall, lit, white candle, enters a darkened St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013, to begin the Vatican's Easter vigil service. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leads the Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leads Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leads Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican Saturday, March 30, 2013. Pope Francis is celebrating a trimmed back Easter Vigil service after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he has begun to put his mark on the Catholic Church. Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Saturday service, which recalls the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Francis celebrated a trimmed back Easter Vigil service Saturday after having reached out to Muslims and women during a Holy Week in which he began to put his mark on the Catholic Church.

Francis processed into a darkened and silent St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the service, in which the faithful recall the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

One of the most dramatic moments of the Easter Vigil service that usually follows ? when the pope would share the light of his candle with others until the entire basilica twinkled ? was shortened this year as were some of the Old Testament readings.

The Vatican has said these provisions were in keeping with Francis' aim to not have his Masses go on too long. The Easter Vigil service under Benedict XVI would typically run nearly three hours. The new pope has made clear he prefers his Masses short and to the point: he was even caught checking his watch during his March 19 installation ceremony. Saturday was no different: The vigil ended just shy of 2.5 hours.

A trimmed-back vigil ? and one that started earlier than usual ? was just one of the novelties of this Holy Week under an Argentine Jesuit pope who just two weeks ago stunned the world by emerging from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica after his election with a simple "Brothers and sisters, good evening."

He riled traditionalists but endeared himself to women and liberals by washing and kissing the feet of two young girls during a Holy Thursday Mass at a juvenile detention center in Rome, when the rite usually calls for only men to participate. A day later, Francis reached out with friendship to "Muslim brothers and sisters" during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East.

In his homily Saturday, Francis kept his message simple and tied to the liturgical readings, recalling how Jesus' disciples found his tomb empty a day after his death and were surprised and confused.

"Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness, and that is where death is," he said. "Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life!"

He later baptized four men, part of the Easter Vigil ritual.

Just a few hours after the vigil ends, Francis on Sunday will celebrate Easter Mass and deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, Latin for "To the city and the world." Usually the pope also issues Easter greetings in dozens of languages.

In his two weeks as pope, Francis' discomfort with speaking in any language other than Italian has become apparent. He has even shied away from speaking Spanish when the occasion would call for it, though the Vatican has said he has done so to avoid discriminating against other languages by favoring his native tongue.

Italian is the lingua franca of the Vatican and Francis has emphasized his role as bishop of Rome over that of pope of the universal church, making his use of Italian logical.

It's not clear how Francis will handle the multilingual greetings Sunday.

Typically, after the busy Easter week ceremonies, the pope would go to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo for a few days of vacation. Francis can't do that since the previous pope, Benedict XVI, is currently living there in retirement.

The Vatican has said Francis would stay put in the Vatican.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-30-Vatican-Easter%20Vigil/id-533729310db649578709e82565860b27

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Beverley?s Mitchell?s Blog: When I Nest, I Nest

In her latest blog, a 39-weeks-pregnant Mitchell writes that she hopes for just a bit more time to finish the nursery ? and shares her maternity portraits.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/knOtw4Ih2J4/

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Lil Wayne Confirms Being Epileptic?Admits Nearly Dying (Audio)

Lil Wayne Confirms Being Epileptic…Admits Nearly Dying (Audio)

Lil Wayne spoke to radio station Power 106, admitting he nearly died following his latest seizure. The rapper has confirmed he is epileptic and says his recent seizures earlier this month nearly killed him. Speaking to radio station Power 106, Lil Wayne, said, “[I'm] prone to seizures. This isn’t my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, ...

Lil Wayne Confirms Being Epileptic…Admits Nearly Dying (Audio) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/03/lil-wayne-confirms-being-epileptic-admits-nearly-dying-audio/

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George Christy Talks About The Professional Dancers Society, Mitzi ...

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?Giant footsteps ? we?ve taken giant footsteps!?? With evangelical fervor, Ben Vereen was praising the progress of the arts.? The award-winning actor, singer, dancer, an international breakout star during the ?70s with his starring role in Pippin, was honored with the 26th annual Gypsy Award during the Professional Dancers Society luncheon at The Beverly Hilton?s Grand Ballroom. ? For more than four decades, Ben?s showcased his astonishing versatility, and today he and his band are touring his one-man show, Steppin? Out.

This looked-forward-to event hosted by the Professional Dancers Society sells out, recently honoring Julie Andrews.? For $170, there?s the three-course luncheon and a whale?s worth of entertainment, including a treasure trove of film clips starring fabulous dancers of yesterday and today. ? Did you know Carl Reiner, now 91, was a shake-your-booty dancer once upon a time?

Lee Hale?s the genius behind the thrilling video/film clip segments, featuring Busby Berkeley and Hermes Pan classics, along with fabled hoofers through the decades. ? His autobiography, The Lee Hale Story, traces a childhood from Tacoma, Washington to his brilliant career in Hollywood.? Producing, writing and directing with the best of the best. ? Gene Kelly, Dean Martin, Mitzi Gaynor, Florence Henderson, Bob Hope, Rita Hayworth, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett. In 1971, Orson Welles declared, ?Lee put me where I am today in the world of music.?

Every spring, Mitzi Gaynor, the PDS president for nine years, pops the cork for the afternoon, regaling everyone with drop-dead comic timing.? The ballroom?s filled with loving warmth, and nonstop applause from the crush of dancers and friends of all ages, attesting to Sandi Johnson?s belief that ?we dancers are fun folk.?? Sandi received the Gypsy Robe this year, a tradition from the 1950s handed down from one dancer to another, each adding their personal memorabilia to Ret Turner?s raggedy-ass costume, a Mad Hatter?s ?hello, there!? hallucination.

After the luncheon of carrot soup, chicken with a mild chili sauce, and baked Alaska, underwritten by heiress Joni Berry, the big-hearted chairman of the PDS board, Michael Rooney (yes, the son of Mickey) was presented with the First Choreographers Award.? ? Comings and goings flourished, with loyalists Florence Henderson and Dick Van Dyke lighting up the stage, the best hotel ballroom stage in our town.

Mitzi had returned from Chicago, where Leonard Maltin interviewed her for Turner Movie Classics (?fell in love with him?). ? Indefatigable, she travels week after week performing her one woman show. ? ?Show business isn?t simply New York or L.A.,? she reminded.? ?It?s Muncie, Indiana and Spokane, Washington.?? We?ve never forgotten Mitzi?s remark that she was ?born to make people happy!?

Monies from the luncheon give life to dancers in need, as the Actors Fund?s Keith McNutt noted.? More than $150,000 was raised. ? ?We?re there for dancers whose talents contribute so much to our joyful memories,? says Joni,? and we?re there to help with medical expenses, low income housing and emergency concerns through our affiliation with the Actors Fund of America.?

The late PR veteran Dale Olson made the marriage between PDS and the Actors Fund, and he was remembered, as were Billy Barnes and those performers the entertainment community lost over the year.? ? Birthdays were also remembered. ? Among them were? designer Bob Mackie, Lee Hale, and Shane Rosamonda, Mitzi?s co-manager with Rene Reyes.

Debbie Reynolds, always a presence of sheer delight, presented Ben Vereen with his Gypsy Award.? Debbie brought back our recollection from a USC Town and Gown evening when she was honored.? Arriving from El Paso, Texas with her mom, she was Mary Frances Reynolds.? A spark plug of a singer, dancer, actress. ? Happily she and mom managed an appointment/audition with Jack Warner of Warner Bros. ? Driving to the studio in Burbank, they were delayed.? For more than an hour. ? A dog called Debbie bolted headlong into a truck.? A sympathetic crowd quickly clustered, halting traffic.

Mr. Warner was not amused by the Texas latecomers.? However, he was charmed by the mother and talented daughter, complaining that Mary Frances was no name for a movie star. ? In an inspired moment, mogul Warner decided to professionally rename Mary Frances as Debbie Reynolds.? After that dead dog named Debbie. ? So help us, we were there.? In that Town and Gown audience as a Sunday dinner guest of MCA founder Jules Stein and his wife Doris, who were the Emperor and Empress of Hollywood.

Debbie?s now published her memoir, Unthinkable.? We were floored with the naughty tale about Shelley Winters during a Malibu party.? She writes that the Rat Pack?s Sammy Davis Jr. has the ?smallest ass.?

?If Jay Leno were a Jewish (or Italian) mother, he?d know how to handle NBC,? writes the New York Post?s right-on television critic Linda Stasi about the network dumping Jay for Jimmy Fallon.? ?He wouldn?t use his scathing nightly monologues or his worldwide reach to cut them down for trying to cut him out ?

?He?d use something much more deadly.? He?d use that sentence ? the one that has felled millions of mighty men and women ? the deadly bullet of guilt ?

?Repeat after me: ?That?s the thanks I get for giving you the best 21 years of my life and making you so (pick one) rich/happy ? ??

Linda Stasi continued, ?For 21 years, Leno has made NBC gazillions by delivering almost consistently the top-rated show in late night.? For 21 years, he has been the best son any network could want.?

Television?s changing at a dizzying pace with archivists recalling the launch of the The Tonight Show during the ?50s.? Host Steve Allen described it as ?a mild little show in a New York theatre that sleeps 800 people.?? For his premiere night, Steve fried 100 eggs in a gigantic frying pan.

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• George Christy Talks About Jackie Collins, The Power Trip, Princess Lilly Fallah Lawrence, The Palm And More!?
• ?Argo,? ?Lincoln? vie for Oscars crown in open race
• George Christy Talks About the Zero Dark Thirty, Megan Ellison, Melissa McCarthy, Identity Thief, Vanity Fair And More!

Source: http://bhcourier.com/george-christy-talks-professional-dancers-society-mitzi-gaynor-joni-berry-debbie-reynolds-more/2013/03/28

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Hey Look We Found Tatooine In Real Life

French astronomers think they found Tatooine in real life and we didn't even have to travel to a galaxy far, far away (well, it's still kind of far). The fictional home of Luke Skywalker is called 2MASS0103(AB)b in real life and it revolves around two suns that move relatively close together. Basically, this planet is in the binary star system just like Tatooine. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/JOs2hxoTuyI/hey-look-we-found-tatooine-in-real-life

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PFT: Who has most salary cap room remaining?

AP

When owners and teams treat football like a business, media and fans shrug.? When players do, it?s regarded as an affront to the integrity of the game.

It?s not fair, but that?s the way it is.? And Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer needs to brace himself for that reaction as he tries to force his way out of Oakland.

It?s obvious Palmer wants out.? Two years ago, he finagled his exit from Cincinnati by feigning retirement.? The strategy looked to be a failure until Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell broke his collarbone and former Raiders coach Hue Jackson lost his damn mind, giving up a first-round pick and a second-round pick for a quarterback who isn?t the guy he used to be.

Now, Palmer is turning up his nose at $10 million from the Raiders, which sets the stage for the Raiders eventually to cut him ? and for Palmer to play for someone else.

As Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports explains it, Palmer wants to play for a contender, even if it means being a backup.? (Cough . . . Seahawks and Pete Carroll . . . cough.)? Of course, Palmer won?t get $10 million to be a backup, but his willingness to walk away from football in order to get out of Cincinnati proves that he?d be willing to walk away from $10 million in order to get a shot at winning.

Palmer?s posture also reflects a belief that, despite the hiring of G.M. Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen, Palmer doesn?t see the silver-and-black bus getting turned around in the immediate future.? Otherwise, he?d gladly take $10 million to stay put.

The problem is that the Raiders currently hold all the cards.? With no seven-figure trigger in Palmer?s deal, the $13 million doesn?t become fully guaranteed until Week One, which means the Raiders can cut him much later in the offseason, if they draft a quarterback early ? or if they eventually decide Terrelle Pryor can get the job done.? The only risk the Raiders are taking is that, if Palmer drops a dumbbell on his foot or pops an Achilles tendon in offseason conditioning drills or otherwise suffers a season-ending injury while on the clock, the Raiders will owe Palmer his full salary.

That could set the stage for a Steve McNair-style lockout.? Even without Palmer being barred from the building (which would violate the CBA), Palmer is making his second power play in two years.

When a team does it, we applaud.? Fair or not, Palmer should prepare for the jeers and the boos and the accusations of being a chronic quitter.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/plenty-of-teams-have-plenty-of-cap-room/related/

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The most badass wrestler stories ever told

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/badass-wrestler-stories

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Discovery may allow scientists to make fuel from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Excess carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways to generate power that leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found a way to transform the carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere into useful industrial products. Their discovery may soon lead to the creation of biofuels made directly from the carbon dioxide in the air that is responsible for trapping the sun's rays and raising global temperatures.

"Basically, what we have done is create a microorganism that does with carbon dioxide exactly what plants do-absorb it and generate something useful," said Michael Adams, member of UGA's Bioenergy Systems Research Institute, Georgia Power professor of biotechnology and Distinguished Research Professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

During the process of photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to transform water and carbon dioxide into sugars that the plants use for energy, much like humans burn calories from food.

These sugars can be fermented into fuels like ethanol, but it has proven extraordinarily difficult to efficiently extract the sugars, which are locked away inside the plant's complex cell walls.

"What this discovery means is that we can remove plants as the middleman," said Adams, who is co-author of the study detailing their results published March 25 in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We can take carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and turn it into useful products like fuels and chemicals without having to go through the inefficient process of growing plants and extracting sugars from biomass."

The process is made possible by a unique microorganism called Pyrococcus furiosus, or "rushing fireball," which thrives by feeding on carbohydrates in the super-heated ocean waters near geothermal vents. By manipulating the organism's genetic material, Adams and his colleagues created a kind of P. furiosus that is capable of feeding at much lower temperatures on carbon dioxide.

The research team then used hydrogen gas to create a chemical reaction in the microorganism that incorporates carbon dioxide into 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a common industrial chemical used to make acrylics and many other products.

With other genetic manipulations of this new strain of P. furiosus, Adams and his colleagues could create a version that generates a host of other useful industrial products, including fuel, from carbon dioxide.

When the fuel created through the P. furiosus process is burned, it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide used to create it, effectively making it carbon neutral, and a much cleaner alternative to gasoline, coal and oil.

"This is an important first step that has great promise as an efficient and cost-effective method of producing fuels," Adams said. "In the future we will refine the process and begin testing it on larger scales."

The research was supported by the Department of Energy as part of the Electrofuels Program of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy under Grant DE-AR0000081.

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---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by James Hataway.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Matthew W. Keller, Gerrit J. Schut, Gina L. Lipscomb, Angeli L. Menon, Ifeyinwa J. Iwuchukwu, Therese T. Leuko, Michael P. Thorgersen, William J. Nixon, Aaron S. Hawkins, Robert M. Kelly, and Michael W. W. Adams. Exploiting microbial hyperthermophilicity to produce an industrial chemical, using hydrogen and carbon dioxide. PNAS, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222607110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electricity/~3/Q5Tm_1ZgQ84/130326112301.htm

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Suspected Tacoma, Washington gunman in custody after standoff

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

A man who reportedly walked through a Tacoma, Wash. neighborhood spraying gunfire was taken into police custody after a standoff at his residence, Seattle TV station KING 5 reported.

Police had surrounded the home Tuesday afternoon, where the man with at least four high-powered weapons was holed up, a sheriff's official told NBC News.

No injuries were immediately reported, but Pierce County sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer said several homes were hit by bullets in the neighborhood in Tacoma, about 30 miles of Seattle.

---

It wasn't known whether anybody else was in the home with the gunman, who Troyer said was known to have "mental health issues" and was believed to have been drinking.

Police began firing tear gas into the house early Tuesday evening, KING reported.

KING reported that numerous residents of the neighborhood had been evacuated and that those who remained were asked to stay inside.

Troyer told KING that the man, who he said was 67 years old and also had substance abuse issues, crashed his car last week in a DUI accident.

NBC News' Denise Ono contributed to this report.

Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

This story was originally published on Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:36 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a08b563/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C260C174778240Esuspected0Etacoma0Ewashington0Egunman0Ein0Ecustody0Eafter0Estandoff0Dlite/story01.htm

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Nintendo video shows off Wii U speed improvement coming in April ...

Nintendo's Wii U has faced complaints over slow loading and switching between menus since launch, but the company has promised a pair of updates will help the situation. Tonight it posted a video on YouTube (embedded after the break) that shows off the difference before and after the April update side by side. Showing off how quickly it can return to the home menu from a game of New Super Mario Bros. U, the updated console is ready to go in eight seconds, compared to the current software's 20-second delay. There's no mention of the other update to improve the speed of launching software, but hopefully that will be shown off soon as well. More than halving the main menu's load time is nothing to sneeze at, although it's still not exactly a snappy experience. We'll see if these tweaks -- once they arrive -- do anything to improve the console's position while it waits for the improved software lineup President Satoru Iwata is expecting.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/nintendo-video-shows-off-wii-u-speed-improvement-coming-in-april/

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Fieldrunners 2 coming soon to Android, beta testers wanted

The popular tower defense game Fieldrunners HD will have a proper sequel on Android in April, if everything goes to plan. Fieldrunners 2, which launched on iOS mid last year, is almost ready to go on the Android side but last minute kinks are still being worked out. The new version of the game naturally brings new weapons, towers, and levels -- with 20+ hours of gameplay in just the campaign alone. There are also new Time Trial, Sudden Death and Puzzle maps available for even more gameplay.

The developer Subatomic Studios is looking for a handful of users with "a variety of Android devices" to test the game in closed beta before it releases. Stick around after the break to read the full press release and follow the source link to enter for a closed beta spot of your own.

More: Subatomic Studios

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/R6j0o50RfCI/story01.htm

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The art of the nap: Tilda Swinton at MoMA

NEW YORK (AP) ? It's not the kind of performance that will win her another Academy Award, but Tilda Swinton certainly has them buzzing at the Museum of Modern Art.

But keep it down, please. She's trying to sleep.

The "Moonrise Kingdom star has been engaging in a different kind of performance art. She's presenting a one-person piece called "The Maybe," in which she lies sleeping in a glass box for the day. The first performance was over the weekend, and the museum won't say if there's a schedule for when exactly it will come back for six other performances.

On Monday, the display drew a line of spectators that wound through a whole second-floor gallery into a museum hallway.

Erwin Aschenbrenner, a bemused German tourist, said it "just what you'd expect to see at MoMA."

The actress "is so pale and not moving in there that she looks like she's dead," said Robbie von Kampen, 20, a philosophy major at Bard College, north of New York City.

But after about seven hours a day of the shuteye pose on a white mattress in the glass box ? with only a carafe of water and a glass to get her through ? Swinton can stretch and walk off into the Manhattan night. But only when spectators leave.

So what's the point?

"This makes me think about myself, looking at her," said Quinn Moreland, 20, also a Bard student, majoring in art history.

"You don't usually get to stare at somebody like this; it makes me self-conscious," she explained.

Added von Kampen, "Yeah, it's socially unacceptable ? it's kinda creepy."

No one, not even museum curators, could say whether the thin, mostly immobile Swinton is actually getting some sleep while people stare at her.

At least Swinton was comfortable. She wore a pair of grubby sneakers, dark sporty slacks and a checkered shirt. Her glasses lay on the mattress.

But no snacks were in sight. And none could be offered in the closed chamber.

Swinton also starred in a glass box in 1995 at London's Serpentine Gallery ? seven days, eight hours a day ? in an exhibition seen by 22,000 people.

The next year, she repeated the spectacle at the Museo Barracco in Rome.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/art-nap-tilda-swinton-moma-222107593.html

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Decoding the genetic history of the Texas longhorn

Mar. 25, 2013 ? Longhorn cattle have a hybrid global ancestry, according to a study by University of Texas at Austin researchers published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study of the genome of the Longhorn and related breeds tells a fascinating global history of human and cattle migration. It traces back through Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the New World, the Moorish invasion of Spain and the ancient domestication of the aurochs in the Middle East and India.

"It's a real Texas story, an American story," said Emily Jane McTavish, a doctoral student in the lab of biology professor David Hillis. "For a long time people thought these New World cattle were domesticated from a pure European lineage. But it turns out they have a more complex, more hybrid, more global ancestry, and there's evidence that this genetic diversity is partially responsible for their greater resilience to harsh climatic conditions."

To reconstruct the genetic history of Texas Longhorns, McTavish, Hillis and colleagues from the University of Missouri-Columbia analyzed almost 50,000 genetic markers from 58 cattle breeds. The most comprehensive such analysis to date, it was funded in part by the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Conservancy, which helped the scientists get access to samples used by ranchers.

Among the findings was that the Texas Longhorn breed are direct descendants of the first cattle in the New World. The ancestral cattle were brought over by Columbus in 1493 to the island of Hispaniola. They traveled the rest of the way to the continent in 1521 on the ships of later Spanish colonists.

Over the next two centuries the Spanish moved the cattle north, arriving in the area that would become Texas near the end of the 17^th century. The cattle escaped or were turned loose on the open range, where they remained mostly wild for the next two centuries

"It was known on some level that Longhorns are descendants from cattle brought over by early Spanish settlers," said Hillis, the Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor in the College of Natural Sciences, "but they look so different from the cattle you see in Spain and Portugal today. So there was speculation that there had been interbreeding with later imports from Europe. But their genetic signature is co mpletely consistent with being direct descendants of the cattle Columbus brought over."

The study reveals that being a "pure" descendant of cattle from the Iberian peninsula indicates a more complicated ancestry than was understood. Approximately 85 percent of the Longhorn genome is "taurine," descended from the ancient domestication of the wild aurochs that occurred in the Middle East 8,000-10,000 years ago. As a result, Longhorns look similar to purer taurine breeds such as Holstein, Hereford and Angus, which came to Europe from the Middle East.

The other 15 percent of the genome is "indicine," from the other ancient domestication of the aurochs, in India. These indicine cattle, which often have a characteristic hump at the back of the neck, spread into Africa and from there up to the Iberian peninsula

"It's consistent with the Moorish invasions from the 8th to the 13th centuries," said Hillis. "The Moors brought cattle with them, and brought these African genes, and of course the European cattle were there as well. All those influences come together in the cattle of the Iberian peninsula, which were used to stock the Canary Islands, which is where Columbus stopped and picked up cattle on his second voyage and brought them to the New World."

Once in the New World, most of the cattle eventually went feral. Under the pressures of natural selection they were able to re-evolve ancient survival traits that had been artificially bred out of their European ancestors. Selection for longer horns allowed them to defend against wild predators. They became leaner and more able to survive heat and drought.

"The Longhorns that were in the area when Anglo settlers arrived almost looked more like the ancestral aurochsen than like modern cattle breeds," said McTavish. "Living wild on the range, they had to become very self sufficient. Having that genetic reservoir from those wild ancestors made it possible for a lot of those traits to be selected for once again."

McTavish said it's possible the indicine heritage in particular helped, because the climate in India and Africa tended to be hotter and drier than in Europe.

The Longhorns remained wild on the range, or very loosely managed, until after the Civil War, when Texans rounded up the wild herds and began supplying beef to the rest of the country. Since then the fortunes of the Longhorns have waxed and waned depending on how their unique genetic profile intersects with the changing needs of American consumers.

"The Longhorns almost went extinct starting in the late 19^th century," said Hillis. "A lot of the value of cattle at that time had to do with the fat they had, because the primary lighting source people had was candles, made of tallow, and Texas Longhorns have very low fat content. Ranchers began fencing off the range and importing breeds from Europe that had higher fat content. That's when Americans began developing their taste for fatty beef, so then the other cattle became valuable in that respect as well. The only reason the Longhorns didn't go extinct was because half a dozen or so ranchers kept herds going even though they knew that these other breeds were more valuable in some sense. They appreciated that the Longhorns were hardier, more self-sufficient."

Hillis, who raises Longhorns of his own out at the Double Helix Ranch, said that the winds of history now seem to be blowing in the Longhorns' direction. They can survive in hotter, drier climates, which will become increasingly important as the world warms. They provide lean and grass-fed beef, which is seen as healthier by many consumers. And their genes may prove valuable to ranchers, who can use the increasingly sophisticated genetic information to selectively breed the Longhorns' toughness into other breeds of cattle.

"It's another chapter in the story of a breed that is part of the history of Texas," he said.

History video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G7-BlxmKuFM

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas at Austin. The original article was written by Daniel Oppenheimer.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Emily Jane McTavish, Jared E. Decker, Robert D. Schnabel, Jeremy F. Taylor, and David M. Hillis. New World cattle show ancestry from multiple independent domestication events. PNAS, March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1303367110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/9vvxqejlDLA/130325160514.htm

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DivX Mobile Community 0.95*

?

	Le lecteur officiel de DivX de la soci?t? DivX ? ll'origine du c?l?bre codec vid?o. Disponible pour plateforme Symbian 9.0 et Windows Mobile 5 et 6 aussi bien Smartphone que Pocket PC. Page web accessible directement via le lien http://mm.divx.com (attention, c'est encore en beta) -------------------------------- Review : Au lancement du soft, une page bleu-clair s'affiche pendant quelques secondes sans que rien ne se passe ; en arri?re-plan le programme scanne tous les divx aussi bien en m?moire interne que sur les supports de stockage. Et cela rapidement par rapport au nombre trouv? sur mon Pda : 140 ! Dans cette nouvelle version l'optimisation est de mise et l'ergonomie aussi. L'interface est plus conviviable et plus riche que sur les mis?rables versions pr?c?dentes. Plusieurs b?mol toutefois : - J'aurais aim? une barre de progression avec une explication du genre "scanning..." pour signaler que le programme travaille d?s le lancement. - J'aurais aim? un autre syst?me de recherche de vid?os car toutes les vid?os sont d?voil?es par une saisie-video ? la fin du scanning. - quelques vid?os s'affichent mal et rament, probl?me d'optimisation des codecs ? - Et il manque le fran?ais parmi les quatre traductions propos?es. TCPMP a encore de beaux jours devant lui. ;) [] ?(Traduction: Jcc13) Auteur: DivX Labs Date: 25-03-5560 Liens: Site Web Note: 5/10 Taille: 870 Ko Hits: 26660 Download: Download?( ARM/XSCALE )

Bonjour ? tous, La version 0.93 est dispo (11/12/2009) > http://m.divx.com/divx

Bonjour. Nouvelle version dispo depuis quelques jours : 0.94 :-)

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Bonjour, Nouvelle version dispo depuis le 22/04/2011 : 0.95 :-)

@tous, pour signaler une nouvelle version Une petit lien existe (sous le lien download) Une erreur ?: Signaler une erreur (lien mort, etc...) l'essayer c'est l'adopter ;)

Mouais pas mal... en freeware, le must reste quand m?me TCPMP avec son lecteur multi-format et Finger Friendly... Salut Americo, mais t'es partout ou quoi ?

HI LeSScro, a small world Community ...

Source: http://www.pocketpcfreeware.com/fr/index.php?soft=2518

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Creating a Happy Home | The Shore Life Magazine

Boxwood Hill?s understated elegance yields to comfort in the kitchen, where an antique pastry table serves as an center island. Baskets under the island keep kitchen essentials neatly stowed away. The brick floor and pieces from Merida?s art collection add warmth.

By Carol Sorgen Photography. By J. Brough Schamp.

Jamie Merida took a circuitous route to finding his life?s work and the house that captured his heart, but today, he?s just where he wants to be, professionally and personally, and couldn?t be happier.

The son of accomplished fine artists who also ran a gallery and antiques business, Merida grew up in Belgium and Kentucky?which probably goes a long way in explaining his eclectic design sensibilities?but initially took a different path, training to be a concert pianist and earning his degree in music from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore.

?But by the time I graduated from Peabody, I didn?t want to look at a piano,? Merida chuckles now. He switched gears, began a graduate program in business at Johns Hopkins University, decided to become an entrepreneur and managed several pizza shops in Baltimore to learn the business??That was nuts!??and worked in public relations.? None of it ?took? and when his parents needed a hand with their art and antiques business, he returned home and there found his way back to his aesthetic roots.

After one too many traveling antiques shows, though, Merida was ready to settle down. He bought a home in Salisbury, and in 1997, opened Bountiful, his once-small home furnishings boutique that through the years has ?morphed? into an 18,000-square-foot full-service showroom and design center that draws clients from the entire East Coast. ?Some people are just born to sell,? says Merida, by way of explaining his success. ?If there?s one thing I know how to do, it?s to buy things someone else wants to buy.?

The front-to-back entrance hall sets the tone for the rest of the house. The pair of antique Russian tables that flank the living room door hold antique Grand Tour bronzes and African art. The heart pine floor extends into the dining room and up the custom milled staircase.

A dozen years ago, Merida?s loyal?and ever-growing?customers began to request his help with their interior design projects.? At the time, the shop had no design studio and he no formal interior design training.? But, intrigued and flattered, he decided to see what he could make of it.

Today, Merida?s design portfolio features high-end homes and vacation residences in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, New York, Idaho, and Europe.? His growing roster of commercial work includes the Tidewater Inn and The Inn at 202 Dover in Easton, as well as the popular Eastern Shore restaurants Scossa and The Colosseum.

?Responding to a broad range of client needs really is exciting,? Merida says.? ?You can never coast when you?re faced with new design challenges all of the time.?

The living room showcases Boxwood Hill?s original hand-carved, figured moldings and baseboards, 12-inch dentil crown molding, and built in cabinetry. Merida painted all of Boxwood Hill?s millwork a high gloss white to create a dramatic backdrop to his art collections and furniture.

One of his biggest challenges?or perhaps more accurately, opportunities?has been the design of his own home,? Boxwood Hill, which he purchased in 2005.

?I wasn?t really looking for a new house,? Merida recalls, but after seeing a magazine advertisement, he called his realtor and they went for a drive?crossing county lines from Talbot to Caroline. ?We came up the long driveway and I turned to my realtor and said, ?If there?s a house at the end of this, I?ll take it.??

Sited on seven acres on the crest of a hill looking over the Choptank River, Boxwood Hill is a classic Tidewater Colonial that looks as if it has centuries of history behind it.? To the contrary, it was, in fact, built in the mid-1960s by Caroline County furniture-maker and historian Buck Adams, who built the house by hand and by himself, taking five years to complete the job.

Boxwood Hill sits at the top of a mile long lane that snakes through seven acres of woodland, punctuated by hundreds of azaleas and rhododendron. Over 50 huge boxwoods frame the walkways and extensive gardens.

Adams, who had created historic installations at the Smithsonian, was a stickler for authenticity. ?The story goes,? says Merida, ?that he even built a kiln on the property to fire hand-formed bricks.? Whether that was, in fact, true, the rest of the 2,400-square-foot house reflects Adams?s attention to detail,? from hand-carved, figured molding, woodwork, and cabinetry, to formal rooms that feature 12-inch dentil crown molding and deep baseboards, to built-in cabinets, heart pine floors, and a fireplace in every room.

Only two owners had lived at Boxwood Hill before Merida moved in, and the home had been maintained ?to within an inch of its life,? says Merida. That didn?t mean, though, that he didn?t want to make the house more functional for himself and his partner, Frenchman and former pastry chef-turned-joint and spine therapist Vincent Bochin.

The gazebo, like the main house, overlooks the headwaters of the Choptank River. Brightly colored upholstered furniture makes it the perfect spot for relaxing on balmy days.

The bathrooms and brick-floored kitchen?which features a reproduction antique French pastry table as a center island, stainless steel appliances, high-gloss antique-white painted cabinets, and White Diamond granite countertops?underwent a thorough upgrading, but in the rest of the house, much of Merida?s work was cosmetic.? ?In a sense, it?s a hard house to work with because the architecture dictates what you can do,? says Merida. ?When you have a chair rail in every room, for example, there?s only so large a painting you can put above it!?

Though Merida could easily have turned the interior of the home into a reflection of its formal exterior, that was never his intention. ?This isn?t a stage set,? he says. It is rather, first and foremost, a home for himself and Bochin, their three rescued pets?two Old English Sheepdogs and a cat?and the many friends they entertain (at a dining table that seats no more than eight, so dinners are always on an intimate scale).

Because he?s surrounded by color all day long, Merida has kept to a subtle, almost monochromatic color palette at home, with shades of taupe, pale blue, and antique white providing visual flow among the rooms.

Shades of taupe, brown, and antique white make the master bedroom both masculine and restful. French Empire chests flank the bed, which is dressed with custom bedding from Bountiful, Merida?s award-winning home furnishings store. The bench is covered with an antique Kilim rug.

The subdued tones also serve as an effective backdrop for Merida?s collection of fine art, bronzes, African masks, antique furniture (much of it given to him by his parents)?and the baby grand piano that has followed him wherever he goes since he was 14.

?I don?t buy much myself,? Merida says, calling himself a ?spare collector.?

?I?m not a cluttered person,? he continues. And though there are a variety of styles?from abstract expressionist to Southeast Asian art?co-mingling in a period house, ?Somehow, it all works,? says Merida. ?My taste is diverse, but there is continuity.?

Upstairs, a former maid?s room situated under the eaves is now used for guests (there is also a 600-square-foot one-bedroom guest house on the property). The master suite consists of two large rooms?a bedroom and a library?overlooking the river and a stream, as well as a newly remodeled master bath.

Merida is still tinkering with the home. His next project is designing a family room, located off the kitchen, which will take advantage of the home?s gracious views.

But overall, Merida feels that he has hit his stride both at work and at home. Professionally, he is enthusiastic about his shop, his growing design portfolio, the interior design book he is writing, and his regular appearances on NPR?s show, ?Boomer Babes.? ?Now that I have found my niche, I want to explore every aspect of it,? he says.

And what better place to do that than in the private space he has created for himself and his family. Simply put, he says, ?This is a happy house.?

Source: http://www.shorelife.com/2013/03/25/creating-a-happy-home/

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European Union chief to try for last-minute Cyprus deal

BRUSSELS (AP) ? A top European official will chair a high-level meeting on Cyprus on Sunday afternoon in a last-ditch effort to seal a deal before finance ministers decide whether the country gets a 10 billion euro bailout loan to save it from bankruptcy.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Finance Minister Michalis Sarris were flying to Brussels early Sunday. The day of talks could prove critical ? not only for the future of their small island nation, but for that of the 17-nation eurozone, as well.

Spokesman Preben Aamann could not confirm who would participate in the meeting, but said it would be led by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy. The Council is the gathering of 27 EU heads of state and government.

Cyprus said European Council President Jose Manuel Barroso would also participate in the meeting led by Van Rompuy. The Council is the EU's executive arm.

Following that session, Anastasiades will meet with Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, Christodoulides said.

Cyprus has been told it must raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) in order to secure the loan from the IMF and other eurozone countries. The IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission will determine whether any plan put forward by Cyprus ? or negotiated in the Van Rompuy meeting ? meets that requirement.

The requirement is that Cyprus' debt, including any new bailout loan, be sustainable over the long run, considering the size of the country's economy.

To avoid bankruptcy or the collapse of its banking system, Cyprus needs significantly more than the 10 billion euros the international creditors are willing to lend it. For that reason, the country must somehow raise ? and not through borrowing ? the additional money.

The original plan, agreed to in marathon negotiations, called for a one-time "levy" on all bank depositors in Cypriot banks. The proposal ignited fierce anger among Cypriots and failed to garner a single vote in the Cypriot Parliament.

Any new proposal would have to be approved Sunday evening by the Eurogrop, the gathering of finance ministers from the 17 EU countries that use the euro currency.

If Cyprus or its banks were to collapse, officials fear that a lack of confidence could spread to other countries that use the euro, triggering higher borrowing costs or capital flight from those countries.

___

Don Melvin can be reached at https://twitter.com/Don_Melvin

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-chief-try-last-minute-cyprus-deal-090451223--finance.html

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