HTC?s Q2 profit tumbles as company forecasts first-ever loss for Q3

They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and HTC certainly hopes ?they? are right. The company on Tuesday posted second-quarter financial results that were in line with its unaudited pre-announcement. Profit tumbled more than 80% to approximately $41.7 million on revenue that came in just under $2.4 billion. The bad news gets worse, however. HTC said that it may post an operating loss in Q3 2013 for the first time since before its IPO as revenue and gross margins both continue to slip. On the bright side, however, the company noted that the HTC One outperformed last year?s hero models and it helped HTC ?establish strong brand awareness.? No shipment or sell-through numbers were provided. HTC?s full press release follows below.

HTC reports 2013 second-quarter results

[More from BGR: Sprint posts massive $1.6 billion Q2 loss]

Taipei, Taiwan ? July 30, 2013?? HTC Corporation (the Company, TWSE: 2498), a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced consolidated results for the Company and its subsidiaries for the second quarter of 2013.

2Q 2013 Results
HTC posted quarterly revenue of NT$70.7 billion, with gross margin of 23.2 % and operating margin of 1.5%. Net profit and EPS were NT$1.25 billion and NT$1.50, respectively.

?My leadership team continues to focus on execution,? said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. ?We are seeing expected results as we fill the channels and meet demand for the new HTC One. As we broaden our focus to include a new member of the HTC One family, the recently announced One mini, we are looking forward to delivering great products and results in 2H.?

HTC announced key appointments, including Jack Yang to president of South Asia, Sirpa Ikola to senior director of marketing for South Asia, and Lorain Wong to vice president of global PR.

As manufacturing ramped up, the US saw sequential growth in 2Q, as well as expansion in retail channels. EMEA saw renewed strength in major Western European markets and emerging countries.

Progress was observed across Asia. HTC gained market share in Taiwan, showing an improved presence in Hong Kong and warm reception of its products by consumers in Japan. In China, sales of HTC?s high-end models improved, while competition at the mid-tier and affordable intensified. In South Asia, the improvement of key operator relationships provides optimism about the region.

3Q 2013 Outlook
The Company?s outlook for the second quarter of 2013 is as follows:

• 3Q revenue is expected to be in the range of NT$50bn to NT$60bn
• Gross profit margin is expected to be in the range of 18% to 21%
• Operating margin is expected to be in the range of 0% to -8%

The new HTC One has performed well in the market, better than that of our hero products for the same period last year. We aim to extend the momentum as we enter into the second half of 2013. The new HTC One has also helped the company establish strong brand awareness and received numerous accolades as the world?s best smart phone. With the help of HTC One, we have regained superphone market share across major markets including China.

We also have plans underway to launch a range of innovative and competitive mid-tier products in the coming months. We hope to regain momentum and market share in these segments in Q4. This will address our challenge of mid-tier products competiveness

Our overall gross margin has been impacted by the relatively higher cost structure, lack of economy of scale and certain provisions needed to facilitate the clearance of aging products in the channel. Actions have been taken and we expect to see improvement in Q4

We are also optimizing our organization, including the improvement of management efficiency and effectiveness.

People, innovations, and technology are the core assets of HTC. We will continue to invest in innovations and technology, as well as retaining and rewarding our best talents. We look forward to a brighter future for HTC and continue to delight our customers with the best and most exciting products.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-q2-profit-tumbles-company-forecasts-first-ever-123020429.html

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Osbourne: Bieber 'doesn't realize he's white'

Celebs

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper TODAY

2 hours ago

Virginia Sherwood / NBC

Sharon Osbourne doesn't mince words when it comes to giving her opinion of other famous people.

Sharon Osbourne isn't afraid to give her honest opinion on anything -- or anyone. In a blunt interview with The Daily Beast, the TV personality and wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne offered up her take on various musicians, including Justin Bieber.

"I feel really bad for him," Osbourne said of the teen pop sensation. "There?s this little kid with a huge dream, he?s cute, girls love him, and he wants to be a mean boy, and he?s about as mean as a (expletive) kitten, and he?s trying to act out."

Osbourne referred to Bieber infamously urinating in a mop bucket in a nightclub kitchen earlier this year while his friends laughed and filmed the event.

"It?s like, 'Oh, we?re the bad boys!' she said. "(Expletive) off! You don?t know what bad is. And I think that he?s lost, I really do. I think he doesn?t realize he?s white and not black, that?s a huge problem. And, at the point he?s at in his career, it?s so dangerous because we?ve seen it all before a million times. Where do you go when you?re a child entertainer and then you want to transition to be a man? Very few make it."

Osbourne also gave the interviewer her opinion on various other famous faces.

"I have no time for (Kanye West)," she said of the musician and Kim Kardashian baby daddy. "He bores me." But she had only praise for singers Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake.

Osbourne also had kudos for Angelina Jolie's decision to have a preventive double mastectomy upon learning she carried a gene making her highly likely to develop breast cancer. Osbourne herself had that same operation in 2012 upon learning she also had the gene.

"But my situation is nowhere near what Angelina?s was," she said. "She had lost her mother and her aunt to it, and she has all those babies to take care of. I?ve had my life, and she hasn?t yet."

Osbourne had nothing good to say about New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, whose second sexting scandal has made headlines lately.

"You?re a grown man with a great education, and you think, in this day and age, you can send pictures of your penis over the Internet and not get caught? " Osbourne said. "Now, how (expletive) stupid are you? What makes him think that he has a sense of freedom to do that?"

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/sharon-osbourne-justin-bieber-doesnt-realize-hes-white-6C10791074

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Afghan women's rights at risk in peace process: U.N. watchdog

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Women's rights in Afghanistan risk being further undermined in the fragile country's peace process due to entrenched patriarchal attitudes, a United Nations watchdog warned on Monday.

Afghan women have made hard-fought gains in education and work since the collapse of the Taliban government in 2001, but fears are growing these could suffer a reversal when most foreign forces leave by the end of next year.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women said the Afghan authorities had promised it that women would be able to participate in the peace talks, thereby rejecting Taliban demands for them to be excluded.

"We have had official assurances ... I would like to consider a government's word as credible," Nicole Ameline, committee chair, told a news briefing.

But the committee of independent experts voiced concern that "women's interests and needs may be compromised in the peace negotiations due to deep rooted patriarchal attitudes".

In addition, meaningful participation by women in the peace process is jeopardized by the fact that there are only nine women in the 70-member High Peace Council, the Afghan body created in 2010 to broker peace with the Taliban.

"We have 18 months (before the NATO withdrawal) that consist of a turning point and we have to be absolutely mobilized," said Ameline, a former French minister.

"There could be backsliding and we cannot accept that."

The committee said there was already an increasing number of attacks on girls' schools by Taliban groups opposed to their education, with girls falling ill in school from suspected poisoning in some instances.

Afghanistan has a "high prevalence of violence against women", marked by domestic violence, rapes, stoning, and so-called honor crimes, the U.N. committee said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-womens-rights-risk-peace-process-u-n-141244309.html

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Portland Metro Small College Hoops - Jul 29,2013

Oscar nominee Andy Garcia shares highlights of his extraordinary career and collaborations with Brian De Palma, Sidney Lumet, Al Pacino and James Gandolfini.

Your transformation begins as psychic Barbara Mackey answers your burning questions on dating, success, marriage, career, relationships, business and more.

Jon Taffer of the show ?Bar Rescue? talks with with Jefferson Graham and Ed Baig about his favorite sleeping apps and why he won't use restaurant-ordering apps.

Small-Business Success Talk?s Helen Callier talks with Kim Baynes, whose daughter, Victoria Baynes Lopez, helped found their startup, Itz 4 Kidz by Kidz.

As a pastor, husband, father and Christian media exec, Dr. Brad Mathias shares insightful and practical tips on modern-day parenting challenges and family life.

Andrew McMahon, frontman for the bands Something Corporate and Jack?s Mannequin, stops by The Stupid Cancer Show to share his story on surviving leukemia.

The Foundation for Democratic Process? Macdonald Chipenzi and the Committee for Protection of Journalists? Sue Valentine discuss the media in Zambia.

Smartasses Radio welcomes Producer/Director Michael David Lynch, of ?Iron Man 2,? ?GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra,? ?Live Free or Die Hard,? ?Prison Break? and more.

Jazz-influenced blues-based artist and pop iconoclast singer-songwriter A.J. Croce has traveled a circuitous road. He unveils his new album, ?Twelve Tales.?

Andrea Perron lived the events depicted in the movie "The Conjuring." She?s written her own accounting of what occurred in that farmhouse rife with spirits.

Brooklyn-based poetry/music duo Craig Ultraviolence Cady and Lucas DeeDeeRex Carey are currently on The Cassfield ?Get Yourself Together? Tour across America.

Victoria Jackson discusses calling Pres. Obama a Communist on ?The O?Reilly Factor.? And Wayne Dupree, known as ?New Ninja,? discusses his concern for America.

Get live coverage from the Tall City Blues Fest in Midland, Texas, including artist interviews, as well as chats with festival organizers and fans.

Tune in for a look at the past, present and future of the King James Radio Network, which celebrates 1 year on the world's largest online radio platform.

Gardening in a small space and want to grow roses? Consider DRIFT roses by Star Roses & Plants. VP Jacques Ferare talks about compact, easy-to-care-for roses!

Jammin? Jukebox Radio showcases indie music from Carolina Beach artists as well as debuts some new music from today's hottest indie artists.

VividLife Radio welcomes spiritual visionary Panache Desai to discuss freeing yourself from pain, suffering, sadness and self-limiting beliefs.

Sports in the Spirit gives the Biblical perspective on the suspension of Ryan Braun, who lied about his steroid use, while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tune in for a chat with legendary musician/producer/songwriter Printz Board of The Black Eyed Peas on the Wacko World with Kat Vecchione.

It?s summer in Lake Tahoe. Travel Brigade takes you to the border of California and Nevada for stunning views, Shakespeare on the beach, local casinos and more.

Dr. James Adams, co-author of ?Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West,? understands the real medicinal properties of plants and how to apply them.

Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animator Bob Clampett, creator of characters like Tweety Bird, Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny, talks about her dad and new book.

Joe the Plumber, a.k.a. Joe Wurzelbacher, is an inspirational speaker and now a prepper! Hear his frank thoughts on Second Amendment rights and more.

January Jones talks with Toni Harris, author of "Sometimes You Have to Take Drastic Steps to Turn Your Life Around,? about losing weight and more.

Get live coverage from the 18th Annual West Indian and Caribbean-American Carnival in Jersey City, N.J. Food Wrap: where talk never tasted so good!

Author Alexes Johnson discusses his new poetic memoir, "Junkie Witness." He shares his story about growing up with a parent battling heroine addiction.

West Coast super MC and former Aftermath prodigy Bishop Lamont dishes on what really happened and is happening at Aftermath, plus his relationship with Dr. Dre.

It?s a class reunion at ArtSees Diner Radio, as Steve Champagne and Mary E. LaLuna sing some of their favorites and reminisce about the music as they go.

Natalie Imani has sung backup for some of the biggest acts in showbiz, like John Legend and Nicki Minaj, carefully noting what she can learn from their success.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallcollegehoops/2013/07/29/portland-metro-small-college-hoops

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High school football starts this Monday

I?m not sure if it seems like the day where high school football coaches pass out the equipment has come much too soon or should have happened earlier.

It seems like the WIAA state baseball tournament ended just yesterday (actually last week if we?re talking summer baseball).

With the in mind, here are key dates for the upcoming prep football season and last year?s championship results.

Mon., Aug 5 - pass out equipment

Tues., Aug. 6 - earliest day for practice

Thurs., Aug. 22 - earliest date for game

Sat., Oct. 19 - football seeding meetings

Fri., Oct. 25/Sat. Oct. 26 - Level 1 football playoffs

Fri., Nov. 1/Sat., Nov. 2 - Level 2 football playoffs

Fri., Nov. 8/Sat., Nov. 3 - Level 3 football playoffs

Fri., Nov. 15/Sat., Nov. 16 - Level 4 football playoffs

Thurs., Nov. 21/Fri., Nov. 22 - State football finals

?

2012 WIAA football champions

Division 1: Arrowhead 35, Sun Prairie 14

Division 2: Homestead 14, Waunakee 0

Division 3: Catholic Memorial 42, Waupaca 7

Division 4: Somerset 35, Big Foot 33 (OT)

Division 5: Amherst 19, Lancaster 7

Division 6: Fond du Lac Springs 24, Regis 14

Division 7: Glenwood City 46, Potosi 21

Key dates for the upcoming season and last year?s champions for other sports will be posted over the course of the rest of this week.

By Jim Oskola, Post-Crescent Media

joskola@postcrescent.com or 920-993-1000, ext. 230

Source: http://wisinfo.biz/blogs/appleton/varsity-blog/high-school-football-starts-this-monday/

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The GOP Death Wish, and Why Paul Ryan Has No National Career Left to Destroy

Paul Ryan Hints at Immigration Timetable | Goppers

Rep. Paul D. Ryan might have just given away the road map for House consideration of immigration reform.

?Tentatively, in October, we?re going to vote on a border security bill, an interior enforcement bill, a bill for legal immigration,? the Wisconsin Republican and Budget Committee chairman told constituents at a district town hall event Friday, according to a report by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.

Ryan also reportedly said negotiations were underway for the chamber to vote on legislation that would provide undocumented immigrants with ?probationary? visas while they waited a minimum of 15 years to attain citizenship.? (SCAMNESTY ? wtq)

If the GOP does this, it will never again win a national election.

I?ll start voting the straight Democrat ticket, unless a true Socialist Party becomes a viable alternative. Because Let It Burn won?t be a strategy, it will be the only strategy.

I am a small-l libertarian. My primary concern is to increase individual liberty as much as possible in the face of statist efforts to restrict it from both the right and the left. If I had to sum up my beliefs as concisely as possible, I would say, "Stay out of my wallet and my bedroom," "your liberty stops at my nose," and "don't tread on me." I will believe that things are taking a turn for the better in America when married gays are able to, and do, maintain large arsenals of automatic weapons, and tax collectors are, and do, not.

Source: http://www.dailypundit.com/?p=74331

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No more mail at your door? Delivery changes eyed

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Door-to-door mail delivery is about as American as apple pie. With the Postal Service facing billions of dollars in annual losses, that tradition could be virtually phased out by 2022 under a proposal in Congress.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday approved a plan to move to cluster box and curbside delivery, which includes mailboxes at the end of driveways.

The proposal is part of broader legislation by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the oversight and government reform panel, designed to cut costs at the cash-strapped agency by up to $4.5 billion a year. The Postal Service had a $16 billion loss last year.

The bill was approved on a party-line vote, with 22 Republicans supporting it and 17 Democrats opposing it.

Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said the agency would evaluate Issa's bill based on whether it would enable the agency to make $20 billion in savings by 2017.

"The Postal Service looks forward to working with Chairman Issa and the committee to improve the bill as it makes its way through the legislative process," Partenheimer said.

The agency has been moving toward curbside and cluster box delivery in new residential developments since the 1970s. The Postal Service in April began deciding whether to provide such delivery for people moving into newly built homes rather than letting the developers decide.

"A balanced approach to saving the Postal Service means allowing USPS to adapt to America's changing use of mail," Issa said. "Done right, these reforms can improve the customer experience through a more efficient Postal Service."

About 1 in 3 mail customers has door-to-door delivery, Issa said. The shift would include safe and secure cluster box delivery areas, he said, especially for elderly customers who receive Social Security checks and prescriptions through the mail.

About 30 million residential addresses receive delivery to boxes at the door or a mail slot. Another 87 million residential addresses receive curbside or cluster box delivery.

The cost differences are clear. Curbside delivery costs average $224 per year for each address, while cluster box delivery averages $160. Door-to-door delivery costs the agency about $350 per year, on average.

Sue Brennan, a Postal Service spokeswoman, said, "While converting delivery away from the door to curb or centralized delivery would allow the Postal Service to deliver mail to more addresses in less time, doing so is not included in our five-year plan."

Brennan said the agency's five-year plan does call for shifting 20 percent of business address deliveries from door-to-door to curbside and cluster box delivery through 2016.

Rep. Steve Lynch, D-Mass., said the plan to move some 30 million residential addresses from to-the-door to curbside and cluster box service would be virtually impossible in dense urban areas such as his hometown of South Boston crowded with triple-deckers ? three apartments stacked on top of each other.

"You'd have to knock houses down in my neighborhood to build cluster boxes," Lynch said. "This will not work."

It might work in places like Manhattan with big apartment buildings, he said.

"Look, there's no availability for cluster boxes in many communities around the country," Lynch said.

Issa's plan allows for people with physical hardships to get waivers allowing them to keep door delivery. There's also a provision giving people the option to keep door delivery by paying a special fee to cover the additional cost.

Issa's bill also allows the Postal Service to take into account factors such as poverty rates and population density in deciding which areas would be allowed to keep door delivery.

The financially beleaguered Postal Service, an independent agency, gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations, but is subject to congressional control.

The Postal Service is pursuing a major restructuring throughout its retail, delivery and mail processing operations. Since 2006, it has reduced annual costs by about $15 billion, cut its workforce by 193,000 or 28 percent, and consolidated more than 200 mail-processing locations.

The service's losses are largely due to a decline in mail volume and a congressional requirement that it make advance payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees. About $11.1 billion of last year's losses were due to payments for future retiree health costs.

The volume of mail handled by the Postal Service has decreased steadily as the popularity of email, Facebook and other electronic services has grown. Total mail volume handled by the agency fell to 160 billion pieces last year from its all-time high, 213.1 billion in 2006. Revenue fell to $65.2 billion last budget year, from a high of $74.9 billion in 2008.

The Postal Service is considering several options to fix its finances, including negotiations with unions to reduce labor costs and another possible increase in prices.

The service earlier this year backpedaled on its plan to end Saturday mail delivery after running into opposition in Congress. It has tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully over the past several years to persuade Congress to approve ending Saturday mail delivery and to free the service from the advance health payments. Issa's bill would end Saturday mail delivery, but keep six-day package delivery.

The Senate last year passed a bill that would have stopped the Postal Service from eliminating Saturday service for at least two years and required it to try two years of aggressive cost cutting instead. The House didn't pass a bill.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-more-mail-door-delivery-changes-eyed-195317141.html

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Here's Your iHeartRadio for People Who Actually Heart Talk Radio

iHeartRadio is the free streaming audio service of choice primarily for people who love terrestrial radio, and want to be able to get these stations over the web. (Yes! Millions of these crazy people exist.) But until now, the service has lacked one of the the core components of the airwaves: babbling voices. No more!

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GMU17EunfSw/heres-your-iheartradio-for-people-who-actually-heart-t-893902142

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Novel nanometer scaffolds regulate the biological behaviors of neural stem cells

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The surface characteristics of nanoscaffolds made by nanotechnology are more similar to the three-dimensional topological structure of the extracellular matrix and the effects on the biological behaviors of cells and tissue repair are more beneficial.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/2UWseycDkHg/130725104954.htm

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Pope: Resist 'idols' of money, power, pleasure

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? Pope Francis made an emotional plea Wednesday for Roman Catholics to shun materialism in the first public Mass of his initial international trip as pontiff, then returned to Rio de Janeiro for a meeting with drug addicts heavy in symbolism.

The session was to meant to drive home the message that the humble pope has repeatedly delivered during his short papacy: that the Catholic Church must focus on the poor, those who are suffering and the outcasts of society.

During his stop at a Rio hospital, Francis was expected to stick with the theme of faith and sacrifice that he spoke about earlier Wednesday in his homily in Aparecida, a small town halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo. The pontiff urged Catholics to resist the "ephemeral idols" of money, power and pleasure.

It was an emotional trip to one of the most important shrines in Latin America.

Thousands packed into the huge Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in an agricultural region of verdant fields. Tens of thousands more braved a cold rain outside to catch a glimpse of the first pope from the Americas returning to a shrine of great meaning to the continent and to him personally.

Before the Mass, Francis stood in silent prayer in front of the 15-inch statue of the Virgin of Aparecida, the "Black Mary," his eyes tearing up as he breathed heavily. He later carried it in his arms. It was a deeply personal moment for this pontiff, who has entrusted his papacy to the Virgin Mary and, like many Catholics in Latin America, places great importance in devotion to Mary.

After his Mass, the pope blessed the tens of thousands gathered outside the basilica and announced that he would return to Aparecida in 2017, the year that marks the 300th anniversary of a fisherman finding the Black Mary statue in a nearby river.

During his homily, Francis urged Catholics to keep their values of faith, generosity and fraternity, a message he was expected to repeat later in the day during a visit to the drug rehabilitation center in Rio de Janeiro.

"It is true that nowadays, to some extent, everyone, including our young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure," he said. "Often a growing sense of loneliness and emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in these ephemeral idols."

The church is struggling in Latin America to keep Catholics from straying to evangelical and Pentecostal churches that often promise help in finding material wealth, an alluring attraction in a poverty-wracked continent. Francis' top priority as pope has been to reach out to the world's poor and inspire Catholic leaders to go to slums and other peripheries to preach.

It was no coincidence, then, that the first major event of his first foreign trip as pope was a Mass in Aparecida. The shrine, which draws 11 million pilgrims a year, hosted a critical 2007 meeting of Latin American bishops who, under the guidance of then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, drafted a mission statement on how to reinvigorate the faith on the continent.

"I've seen people in my own congregation leave because the Evangelicals offer them something new and exciting, and the Catholic Church was seen as kind of old and stuffy," said Marcia Cecilia de Souza, owner of a private school in the southern state of Santa Catarina, as she searched for newspaper to stuff into her soaked leather boots. "Francis is such an inspiration, so humble and giving, I think he's going to bring people back into the fold."

Unlike the scenes of chaos that greeted Francis upon his Monday arrival in Rio, when a mob of faithful swarmed his motorcade from the airport, the security situation in Aparecida was far more controlled. Chest-high barriers kept the faithful far from his car. Soldiers in camouflage, emergency crews in raincoats and other uniformed security forces stood guard along his route while his bodyguards walked along the side of his vehicle.

Not all were pleased with the increased security.

"They put up a Berlin Wall between us and the pope and we couldn't get anywhere near him. You could tell he wanted to get close to us, but the police really insisted on this separation," said Joao Franklin, from Minas Gerais state. "I felt really excluded by all these barriers and don't see the need for them."

Nacilda de Oliveira Silva, a short maid perched at the front of the crowd, was barely tall enough to see over the metal barrier.

"I have been up for almost 24 hours, most of that time on my feet and in the rain and the cold. But I don't feel any pain. I feel bathed in God's glory, and that's because of the pope. For me, it's the same thing as seeing Jesus pass by. That's how moved I feel."

Before the Mass, some pilgrims sought shelter from the Southern Hemisphere winter chill beneath tarps while others wrapped themselves in blankets and sleeping bags. Many left offerings to the Virgin.

Lena Halfeld, a housewife, paused to add her offering to a cardboard box filled with stuffed animals, leg braces and other personal objects. She deposited an embossed invitation to her niece's December wedding, which she was praying for the Virgin to bless.

"I have real faith in the powers of the Virgin of Aparecida," said Halfeld, adding she had made the hours-long trip to the church once a week for a year during her husband's recent illness. "Now he's cured, so I owe it all to her. I can't think of a more wonderful setting to see the new pope."

Francis is in Brazil for World Youth Day, a church event that brings together young Catholics from around the world roughly every three years. Approximately 350,000 young pilgrims signed up to officially take part in the Youth Day events.

In Aparecida, Natalia Pereira, a high school student from Sao Paulo state, said the cold rain she endured to get to the basilica was a "test of faith."

"I've been up all night in line. I'm soaked to the bone and freezing, but I'm so excited that it's worth it," said Pereira, who tried to huddle from the drizzle beneath a friend's large umbrella. "This is my first time seeing a pope, and this was an opportunity of a lifetime for me. I wasn't about to let it go because of a little rain."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-resist-idols-money-power-pleasure-150148206.html

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WN: Poll: Obama's job approval plunges; Congress, especially GOP,

Stung by Americans' persistent worries about the economy and a capital gripped by controversy and gridlock, President Barack Obama is suffering his lowest job approval numbers in nearly two years, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

View the full article

Source: http://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/167653-wn-poll-obamas-job-approval-plunges-congress-especially-gop-still-unpopular-mcclatchy/

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Washington?s Apple Health aims to simplify Medicaid - Tue, 23 Jul 2013 PST

In political circles, ?Medicaid expansion? has been a phrase that launches arguments. But for uninsured poor people ? 22,000 in Spokane County and 328,000 throughout Washington state ? expansion means health care coverage is on the?way.

Last month, the Legislature made Washington one of 24 states to accept the federal government?s offer to fund the expansion of Medicaid, the health care program for America?s?poor.

The expansion takes effect Jan.?1.

Declaring that expansion will simplify coverage, the state announced last week that expanded Medicaid will have a new name: ?Apple Health.? It?s a label that??

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Expanded Medicaid?coverage

? On Jan. 1, government-funded health care coverage will be available to Washington adults whose incomes fall below 138 percent of the federal poverty level: $15,856 for one person; $21,404 for a family of two; $26,951 for a family of three; $32,499 for a family of?four.

? To apply for expanded coverage, visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org after Oct.?1.

In political circles, ?Medicaid expansion? has been a phrase that launches arguments. But for uninsured poor people ? 22,000 in Spokane County and 328,000 throughout Washington state ? expansion means health care coverage is on the?way.

Last month, the Legislature made Washington one of 24 states to accept the federal government?s offer to fund the expansion of Medicaid, the health care program for America?s?poor.

The expansion takes effect Jan.?1.

Declaring that expansion will simplify coverage, the state announced last week that expanded Medicaid will have a new name: ?Apple Health.? It?s a label that has worked before, officials said. In 2008, the state consolidated its children?s programs under the name ?Apple Health for Kids.? This became ?a reassuring brand name, one that remains very popular with parents,? said Dorothy Teeter, director of the state Health Care?Authority.

Now that Medicaid is becoming a comprehensive plan for adults, Teeter said, she hopes the public will learn that ?Apple Health means health care coverage: regular doctor visits and a healthier?future.?

Gone, the state hopes, will be desperate trips to emergency rooms, provider of last resort for the?uninsured.

Gone, too, will be the long waits for eligibility determinations and the complex patchwork of state programs that cover some low-income people but not others. In the past, children or pregnant women could get Medicaid coverage, for example, but healthy, childless adults usually could?not.

Under Medicaid expansion, government-funded coverage will be available to everyone below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (income of $15,856 for one person, $21,404 for a family of two, $26,951 for a family of three, $32,499 for a family of?four).

Those expanded eligibility limits apply to adults. Children enjoy better coverage. Washington, more generous than many states, already extends Medicaid to children up to 200 percent of poverty level, and for families that pay a premium, it extends Medicaid to children up to 300 percent of?poverty.

This expansion of Medicaid was authorized under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare. In addition to the broadened eligibility, Medicaid expansion makes it simpler to apply for coverage. That?s because the federal law authorized insurance-buying websites. States that choose to take part can use these sites to replace their Medicaid?processes.

Today, it can take up to 45 days for Washington?s agencies to investigate and approve a Medicaid?applicant.

But to apply for Apple Health, Washington residents will go to a new government website where officials estimate that it will take 20 to 40 minutes, depending on family size, to fill out the form and get coverage. This ?Health Plan Finder? website, www.wahealthplanfinder.org, is the same place where all uninsured Washington residents will be able to shop for 2014 health?coverage.

The site begins processing applications Oct. 1. After applicants enter their income information and their inputs are validated against government databases, the site automatically will direct them either to the Medicaid process or the shopping cart for a private health insurance?policy.

All Medicaid applicants ? current clients as well as new ones ? will use this new site. Sometime in the coming year, existing Medicaid clients will receive a letter, state officials said, explaining that it is time to reapply for their coverage and outlining how to do so. Those who lack Internet access can visit a state office or call a phone assistance?line.

Medicaid already covers 103,172 Spokane County residents and 1.2 million Washington state residents. The expansion of eligibility is expected to attract new enrollments gradually, officials say, with the number growing by an estimated 22,000 in Spokane County and 328,000 statewide by the end of?2017.

From the standpoint of a client, Medicaid closely resembles a private insurance program: Five private health insurance companies provide the coverage, under the oversight of the state Health Care Authority. When coverage is approved, clients are directed to an insurance carrier that operates in their community, and each client is assigned to a physician or a medical office. Most Medicaid coverage is handled on a ?managed care? rather than ?fee-for-service? basis. Medicaid has no co-pays or deductibles to deter its low-income clientele from seeking preventive care, and it encourages providers to manage care for the chronically ill in a way that keeps them well and out of hospital emergency?rooms.

For complete information about Medicaid?s expansion plans, see the state?s website at hca.wa.gov/hcr/me/Pages/ index.aspx.

Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jul/23/washingtons-apple-health-tries-to-simplify/

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Ice at Chinese KFC, McDonald's contains more bacteria than toilet water: report

Wang yunlong/Wang yunlong - Imaginechina

Ice cubes at Beijing-area KFC restaurants were found to have 900 colony-forming units of bacteria per millileter, which is well above China's national limit of 100 CFU, the government media outlet reported.

Ice cubes at KFC restaurants in China are riddled with 13 times more bacteria than toilet water, according to the government's official media outlet.

Reporters from China Central Television (CCTV) tested ice from Beijing locations of fast-food outlets including KFC, McDonald's and the Chinese chain Kungfu. KFC's were the worst, with 900 colony-forming units of bacteria per millileter, which is well above the national limit of 100 CFU.

McDonald's ice fared better but still ran afoul of the national limit, at 120 CFU, while Kungfu's bacteria levels were six times higher than toilet water.

The high level of bacteria means a greater chance of catching pathogens that cause dysentery and diarrhea, experts told CCTV. Dirty ice machines, poor sterilization procedures and lax food safety measures, such as employees? failure to wash hands, were named as probable reasons for the contamination.

This report isn't the first to point out the ick factor in fast-food ice. In 2006, 12-year-old Jasmine Roberts collected ice from South Florida fast-food restaurants for her middle school science project and found 70% of the the ice was dirtier than toilet water.

Gross as it sounds, you may not need to worry, ABC medical contributor Dr. David Katz said at the time.

"These [bacteria] don't belong there," Katz said. "It's not cause for panic, although it is alarming because what she found is nothing new. You're not more likely to get sick now."

The Chinese report didn't specify what kinds of bacteria were found in the ice ? it merely listed the number.

?The [headline] might be a little eye-grabbing, but it?s not that useful ? for instance, the bacteria count on your teeth or on the bottom of your shoe is about the same,? food safety expert Dong Qingli told First Financial Daily, according to Quartz. ?Instead you should look at which actual bacteria types exceeded levels.?

Still, it was enough to garner an apology from KFC, McDonald's and Kungfu, which have all vowed to step up their sterilization measures, the CCTV report said.

CCTV previously accused KFC of using "fast-growth chickens" ? chickens fed a toxic chemical-laced diet to speed up their growth cycle ? but upon testing, the birds and their feed were found to meet Chinese national standards.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nydnrss/life-style/~3/K-PpoHbYOQQ/story01.htm

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President?s Obama?s message to the nation on Trayvon Martin

Posted on: 4:47 pm, July 22, 2013, by Larry Mendte, updated on: 03:22pm, July 22, 2013

NEW YORK, NY. (KPLR) ? President Obama opened up about Travyon Martin?s death, putting it in personal terms last week.

Larry Mendte wonders if his emotional words are enough to heal the nation and put this case in the past.

President Obama tells the world that Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.

Even though the prosecution didn`t bring up race in the case, the president did and said that being profiled and followed is part of being black in American.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-yt2f6m0ts]

There is no question that the Trayvon Martin case is much more personal to African Americans in this country.

Much of the anger and protests we see in the wake of the not guilty verdict comes from that personal experience of being black in America. ?

But following someone you don`t recognize in your neighborhood is not against the law.

There is no question that Trayvon martin had every right to be there.? He was minding his own business.? George Zimmerman also had every right to be there and he wasn?t minding his own business.

That fate brought them together under these circumstances is a tragedy ? the death of an unarmed 17 year old boy is a tragedy.

But as the president said, you have to respect the jury`s decision, with the evidence in front of them this was self-defense.

But the fact that an African American president can address and try to heal the nation ? that protests can happen with little violence or incident shows as the president said that things are getting better.

I hope the president?s address? is the final chapter in the Trayvon Martin story.

We need to learn from what happened ? and continue to grow together.

I`m Larry Mendte.

Source: http://kplr11.com/2013/07/22/presidents-obamas-message-to-the-nation-on-trayvon-martin/

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Israel and America - Christians Unite as More than Five Thousand Come out for Israel

As has happened since 2006, the largest pro-Israel American gathering comprised largely of non-Jews has once again taken place in the Washington DC Convention Center. Dynamic Christian Evangelist Pastor John Hagee and his million-plus strong organization Christians United for Israel opened the three-day conference on July 22 to an audience that surpassed 5000 supporters.? On the heels of Secretary of State John Kerry?s most recent Middle East stint, having been shuttling between DC and Tel Aviv many times over the past four months, CUFI?s founder believes that ?Israel's security establishment is in a state of emergency.? Israel is surrounded with enemies like never before.?

The conference lineup has speakers from every side of the political fence, Jewish and Christian alike. This year, Jordan Sekulow, the Executive Director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) will be speaking, as will Startup Nation Author Dan Senor, and Sgt. Benjamin Anthony, who has been traveling the United States recently raising awareness for Our Soldier?s Speak, an organization devoted to bringing ?the proud truth of Israel's soldiers from the front lines of combat to the English speaking world,? to name but a few.

Glenn Beck is also expected, as is Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu via a live satellite feed from Jerusalem. The Night to Honor Israel, the summit of the summit, is expected to also be the largest CUFI has ever done.

Pastor Hagee has been vocal about his support for Israel and its government, and believes that no undue pressure should be placed on Israel to make concessions that may compromise Israel?s security and well being. With the seemingly strident efforts of Secretary Kerry, and the recent announcement by Netanyahu that there will be a settlement building freeze for now, Hagee wants to be sure through advocacy that the Palestinians understand that peace and concessions are a two-way street; a point that many involved with CUFI as well as those in plenty of other Israel advocacy circles often believe is overlooked by those pressuring Israel.

To ensure that Israel is not just seen as a political entity, in recent years, CUFI has increased its level of support for Israel and Jewish people by not only disseminating issues about Israel's politics and struggles, but by using its member base to make the Christian world more understanding and appreciative of the Jewish faith and its practices. Prior to the 2013 fast of Tisha B?Av this past July 16th, CUFI sent a note to its members alerting them to the tragedies that befell Jews on this day in history, and said, ?Praise God that this 9th of Av of different. This 9th of Av millions of Christians around the world have pledged to our Jewish brothers and sisters- Never Again. Never Again will we be silent. Never Again will they be alone.?

CUFI has also begun an awareness campaign for Israel through its Mezuzah promotion - the little boxes associated with Jewish homes affixed to doorposts that contain the words of the "Shema" ("Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One" - Deuteronomy 6:9). CUFI asks supporters to ?take [their] place as "watchmen on the wall" ready to defend Israel as mandated by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To constantly remind us what the Word of God commands? mount a CUFI mezuzah on the entry doors of your home? [it] sends a message to everyone entering your home that your household serves the Lord, stands with Israel and prays for the peace of Jerusalem.? By affixing these to Christian homes, it is CUFI's hope that more people will unite with the cause and struggle of the Jewish people and of Israel.

Listening to Pastor Hagee speak, one can hear his passion and desire to end the classic anti-Semitism that has fueled the centuries of oppression, murder and attempts at Genocide. The increased awareness campaigns that CUFI has been promoting appear intent on bridging Jews and Christians, not just in ideals, but in similar practice, to bolster support for Israel, to blur the lines that separate and, through this model, decrease bigotry to be able to champion Israel?s existence with less opposition.

As it sees Syrian dangers on one side, Iran threatening Israel with total destruction, unrest in Egypt and uncertainty from Hamas and Hezbulluah, this CUFI summit has begun with a solid purpose and has brought the numbers to challenge those who would see it any other way.

Juda Engelmayer is an executive at the New York PR firm, 5W Public Relations

Source: http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com//index.php?article=80889

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Defense's expert says evidence fits Zimmerman's story

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? An expert on gunshot wounds hired by the defense testified Tuesday that George Zimmerman's account of how he fatally shot Trayvon Martin is consistent with the forensic evidence.

Dr. Vincent Di Maio said that the trajectory of the bullet and gun powder on Martin's body support Zimmerman's version that Martin was on top of him when Zimmerman fired his gun into Martin's chest. The gun's muzzle was against Martin's clothing and it was anywhere from two to four inches from Martin's skin, he said.

"This is consistent with Mr. Zimmerman's account that Mr. Martin was over him, leaning forward at the time he was shot," said Di Maio, the former chief medical examiner in San Antonio.

The pathologist also said it was likely Martin was conscious for 10 to 15 seconds after the shooting as a reserve supply of oxygen ran out of his body, and during that time it was possible for him to have moved his arms. Zimmerman's account that he had placed Martin's arms out to his sides after the shooting contradicts a photo taken after the shooting that shows Martin's arms under his body. Defense attorneys contend Martin moved his arms.

Di Maio also explained that if clothes taken into evidence are wet and packaged in plastic bags, and not paper bags, it can ruin the samples since "bacteria multiplies and you get mold and it stinks to high heaven." Defense attorneys believe DNA evidence found on Martin's hooded sweatshirt and undershirt was degraded since the clothing wasn't packaged properly.

Earlier in the morning, Judge Debra Nelson considered prosecutors' request to bar the defense from showing animation depicting the fight between Martin and Zimmerman. Nelson held an evidence hearing with jurors out of the courtroom, but ultimately postponed her decision and more arguments on the matter until later in the afternoon.

Prosecutors object to the animation, saying it isn't an accurate depiction.

Defense attorneys called the man who created the animation to testify. To recreate the fight, Daniel Schumaker went to the crime scene and had employees in motion-capture suits re-enact what happened based on coroner photographs, police reports, the coroner's report, witness depositions and photos taken by responding police officers, he said.

The fight took place on a dark, rainy night in February 2012 and there were no eyewitnesses who saw the entire fight. Several witnesses saw and heard parts of the struggle that left Martin dead with a bullet in his heart.

Testimony in previous days has focused on a 911 call that captures screams from the struggle between Martin and Zimmerman.

Convincing the jury of who was screaming for help on the tape has become the primary goal of prosecutors and defense attorneys because it would help jurors evaluate Zimmerman's self-defense claim. Relatives of Martin's and Zimmerman's have offered conflicting opinions about who is heard screaming.

Zimmerman's mother and uncle testified last Friday it was Zimmerman screaming, while Martin's mother and brother also took the witness stand last Friday to say the voice belongs to Martin. Martin's father testified Monday that he initially couldn't tell if the screams came from his son, but later decided they did.

Zimmerman himself once said during a police interview that the screams didn't sound like him, though he and his family later said the screams were his.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and says he shot Martin in self-defense during a scuffle in the townhome complex where he lived. Martin was there visiting his father and his father's fiancee.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/khightower.

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/expert-says-evidence-jibes-zimmermans-story-155634620.html

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7 Excellent Hints on Keeping Your Eyes Healthy at Work ... | All ...

If you?re concerned with keeping your eyes healthy at work, I?ve got some excellent tips to help you do just that! We spend so much time in front of a computer monitor these days that it?s no wonder that so many of us suffer from computer eye strain! The symptoms of eye strain include dry or watery eyes, blurred vision, difficulty focusing, headache and a sore neck or back. Try out some of these helpful tips for keeping your eyes healthy so you can fight back against eye strain!

One of the most helpful tips in keeping your eyes healthy as well as preventing computer eye strain is to give yourself breaks! Every half hour or so, spend some time taking your eyes off the screen and look out of the window at something, file papers, or just sit and close your eyes. Also, look at something close up as well as far away so you exercise your depth perception. Don?t forget to take your lunch away from your desk, also!

Source: http://health.allwomenstalk.com/excellent-hints-on-keeping-your-eyes-healthy-at-work

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NASA video of Martian moonrise shot by Mars Curiosity rover

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