The Invisible Generation | Her.meneutics | Christianitytoday.com

A few months ago, I asked my blog readers to send me a story or two about how it feels to be a woman in the church. I was working on my book, Jesus Feminist, and in addition to academic and theological research, I wanted to carry with me the everyday stories of women, too. I was more than a little overwhelmed by the response: both the sheer number and the content. Women filled my inbox with their stories ? beautiful and horrible, hurtful and empowering ? about their experiences within the institutions of Christianity.

As I expected, there were the personal stories about women feeling marginalized in their churches because they are not married or because they do not or cannot have children; stories about women who had men turn their backs when they stood up to preach their first sermon; stories about women who stayed in abusive marriages because of their church teachings, and other deep sadness. I was also pleased to see so many stories from women who found their true voice, vocation, community, leadership gifting, and healing within church community.

But one theme emerged that I hadn't expected: women in the middle of their lives who felt invisible and ignored by the church, the same way they feel invisible or ignored in our culture.

These are women of my mother's generation, maybe 10 or even 20 years on either side. I heard their hurt, sorrow, and stoicism about life within the church. In a sea of artful hipsters and energetic young people with self-promotion apparently engrained into their DNA, they feel invisible and overlooked.

One woman told me about how she had led worship at her church for years. But when a new young pastor was hired, he wanted a cooler band to get more young people in the door. First thing to go? Older women. "No one wanted to see middle-aged women on stage," she wrote candidly, and so she was replaced with young women in their late teens and early twenties.

Another woman told me she had very high levels of education, a seminary degree, a long history of teaching with many beloved students, but every teacher at her church's education program was a young, charismatic man with half her education, let alone experience. The church's "official" position welcomed women in ministry but in practice, it wasn't actually happening. She believed it was because she did not fit the expected look or personality or gender of their education program.

Another woman shared about how she has welcomed the shift in the churches of her context towards women in leadership and ministry even though they are all young and beautiful with identical outgoing and big-smiling personalities. The glass ceiling remains for her because she doesn't fit the preferred look or personality but she cheers on these young women anyway. Her view is that at least women are in public ministry now, in a way that the young women of her generation couldn't be.

Source: http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2013/july/ignored-grey-haired-christians.html

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Indiana officials seek cause of fatal church bus crash

A bus carrying teenagers from a youth camp in northern Michigan was just minutes from home when it came speeding off an Indianapolis interstate, struck a retaining wall and flipped on its side.

The accident Saturday afternoon killed three people and injured dozens of others. Now investigators are working to determined what caused the accident that happened after a 390-kilometre journey and just a kilometre or so from the Colonial Hills Baptist Church where the bus was headed.

At the church, parents were waiting to pick up their children after a weeklong camp filled with prayer, zip lines and basketball when a bus carrying younger campers pulled in with passengers screaming.

Jeff Leffew, 44, of Fishers, had sent four daughters to Camp CoBeAc, near Prudenville, Mich. Just one of his girls was on the bus that pulled into the parking lot, and he raced to the crash site in northern Indianapolis. What he found was a surreal scene, with clothing and other items strewn about and windows missing from the bus.

"You're just praying that it's not as bad as it looks," said Leffew, a deacon at the church.

Leffew's daughters escaped with just bumps and bruises, but others weren't as fortunate. Indianapolis fire officials said a husband and wife were dead at the scene, along with a third person whose age they didn't describe. Twenty-six other people were taken to area hospitals, including at least one teenager in critical condition.

'Great tragedy'

Indianapolis Public Safety Director Troy Riggs called the crash a "great tragedy."

"They were not that far from home. ... That only adds to the tragedy," Riggs said at the crash scene.

He said there was no indication that the driver had a medical emergency.

WTHR-TV reported the bus driver told witnesses his brakes failed. Indianapolis Fire Department Lt. Ato McTush said investigators had not determined whether the church-owned bus had mechanical issues.

Witnesses to the crash described a horrifying scene.

Duane Lloyd told WTHR that he heard a loud noise behind him as he was travelling near the intersection and saw the crash around 4:15 p.m. ? about the time youth pastor Chad Phelps had tweeted the group expected to arrive at the church.\

'I heard a skid. I looked back. I see this bus in the air and people falling out of the bus. I could have gone my whole life without seeing that.'?Duane Lloyd, witness to crash

"I heard a skid. I looked back. I see this bus in the air and people falling out of the bus," Lloyd said. "I could have gone my whole life without seeing that."

He said people approached and tried to help.

"People were literally trying to lift the bus," Lloyd said. "You just try to do what you can do."

Sasha Sample, 28, told The Indianapolis Star some victims were lying in the road, while others were able to limp to the side.

"Everybody had boils and scrapes on them," she said. "People were trying to climb from under the bus."

Sample, a nurse, said she borrowed a belt to make a tourniquet for the bus driver's arm but wasn't able to help the man next to him, who was already dead.

"I couldn't do anything for him," Sample said. "So you triage. You help those you can."

Fire officials said 37 people were on the bus and that the injured included children and adults.

Families gather to pray

Nine teenagers were taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital, including one in critical condition. Three of those were treated and released, hospital spokeswoman Sally Winter said. She said 10 others, including nine teenagers and a toddler, were taken to Riley Hospital for Children. Seven of those teenagers were treated and released, Winter said.

Many of the patients had head, arm and leg injuries, fire officials said.

Families of the bus passengers gathered at the church Saturday evening to comfort each other and pray.

Mayor Greg Ballard described many as "remarkably positive" despite their sorrow but said there will be difficult days ahead.

"Some of the teenagers are hurting pretty bad and you can see that in their faces," he said.

Leffew agreed, saying his daughters and other teens on the bus "saw some difficult things" that they'd never had to experience before.

"Their biggest pain is what they saw," he said.

Bob Taylor, who retired as the church's pastor four years ago, said members of the congregation would come together Sunday and take comfort in their faith.

"Our church family will meet tomorrow and pray together and sing songs together and just trust the lord to give his grace," he said.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/07/28/wrd-us-indiana-michigan-indianapolis-colonial-hills-baptist-church.html?cmp=rss

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German engineering firm Siemens to replace CEO

BERLIN (AP) ? German engineering giant Siemens AG says it will be replacing its chief executive, who has drawn the ire of shareholders by failing to meet profit targets.

Siemens said in a statement late Saturday that its board will meet Wednesday to "decide on the early departure of the president and CEO" Peter Loescher.

A replacement will also be named.

Loescher, an Austrian, became CEO of Siemens six years ago. His hold on the job has grown shaky, especially in recent days after the company again issued a profit warning.

It was not immediately clear whether he would offer his resignation or be forced out.

Siemens is a heavyweight in Germany's engineering industry with interests in high-speed rail, advanced medical technology, robotics and power generation.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-07-27-Germany-Siemens/id-c448832f676a490b867afd7ddd637946

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Bees In Texas Attack Couple, Kill Horses

Bees in Texas attacked a couple and killed their horses, among other things.

In Pantego, Texas, a swarm of around 30,000 bees attacked a couple as they were out exercising their miniature horses. The couple survived, but their horses died from the sheer amount of stings.

It is not known whether or not these were killer bees or the infamous Africanized variety, or what prompted them to leave their hive and chase down the North Texas couple.

Kristen Beauregard and her boyfriend had been out giving a small horse and a Shetland pony a little time for leg work Wednesday evening, when her horse Trump started kicking and jumping. Looking back, she realized there was a massive swarm of bees chasing them, and she and her boyfriend escaped temporarily by jumping in a pool. Every time they tried to go up for air, the bees would land on their heads and sting them.

Kristen Beauregard, 44, recalled the bees in Texas and the aftermath to a local newspaper, ?They were chasing us down, they were following us. We swept up piles and piles of them ? it was like a bad movie ? It got all dark, like it was nighttime there were so many bees. We were trying stand up in the water but every time we stuck our heads out for air, they would cover us and start stinging us. We were trying to breathe and they were stinging us in the face and in the nose.?

When they finally escaped, her boyfriend dialed 911, and local firefighters came with a foam and special gear to get rid of the bees. They attempted to move the horses to pasture and treat them, but the six-year-old show horse Chip had died before a veterinarian could arrive, and Trump was sedated and taken to an horse clinic. However, Trump was overwhelmed with the stings and died, the bee attacks too much for his body.

The bees had also killed five hens, but didn?t kill the couple?s dog in the attack. Kristen Beauregard had been stung about 200 times, and her boyfriend 50 times.

What do you think prompted the bees in Texas to attack the couple and their horses?

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/873049/bees-in-texas-attack-couple-kill-horses/

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St. Louis Church to hold final Mass on Aug. 29

AUBURN ? Local Catholics will celebrate Mass one final time in the 98-year-old St. Louis Church.

The event is scheduled for Aug. 29, four months after the grand brick structure was closed due to structural concerns, particularly at its front entrance on Third Street.

Details of the Mass and other events surrounding the church closure are not yet final, said the Rev. Robert Lariviere, pastor of Auburn's Immaculate Heart of Mary parish.

A committee has been formed and is working on the event, he said.

It will be sad for many families who have grown up in the church, Lariviere said.

The church has towered over the New Auburn neighborhood for nearly a century. However, an analysis last fall found structural problems.

The parish committee and the statewide Roman Catholic diocese estimated repairs would cost more than $1 million.

Issues included large cracks down a tower, cracks in a concrete overhang and a deteriorating stone crown on the roof. Earlier this year, three of the church's four spires were removed due to structural worries.

Finally, when a crack appeared near the front doors, the parish closed the church.

The parish?s Finance and Pastoral Councils have recommended that the church be deconsecrated and torn down at a cost of around $120,000.

No formal decision has yet been made.

Roland Miller, Auburn's director of economic development, has held out hope that the church might be saved.

"We're hopeful that we're going to be able to attract some private party interest who, perhaps, could help the diocese avoid a large cost in demolition," Miller said on July 1.

Losing the building would be a huge loss for the city, said Al Manoian, the city's economic development assistant. Future generations may not forgive people who let it happen, he said.

"They look back and they say to the previous generation, 'How could you have done that?'" Manoian said. "I do that to my mother's generation."

He compared demolition of the building to the loss of civic and mercantile buildings ? mills, business blocks and railroad stations ? to the loss of churches.

In January 2011, crews demolished the field stone United Baptist Church on Main Street in Lewiston. The city's oldest Catholic church, St. Joseph's, is due to be razed by its new owners, Central Maine Health Care. The space is to be used for parking.

dhartill@sunjournal.com

Source: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2013/07/26/st-louis-church-hold-final-mass-aug-29/1398957

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Israel divorce law traps women in marriages that died long ago

JERUSALEM ? After four years of marriage, Tamar Tessler filed for divorce, taking her infant daughter and embarking on what she hoped would be a new chapter of her life.

Today that daughter is 36 years old ? and Tessler is still awaiting the divorce.

Her husband long ago moved to America, said the 61-year-old retired nurse. But under Israeli law, she remains trapped in a defunct marriage that her husband won't allow to end. She can't legally remarry, was obligated as his spouse to repay some of his debts, and lost out on tax breaks for single mothers even though she raised their daughter alone.

Tessler is one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Israeli women caught in legal and social limbo because of a law that leaves matters of divorce for all Jewish citizens in the hands of a government-funded religious court.

The court, consisting of a panel of rabbis, bases its decisions on the customs of Orthodox Judaism. The rulings apply to all Jewish Israelis, whether they are Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, observant or secular. And their authority even extends to those who married abroad in civil ceremonies that were registered in Israel. Divorce for non-Jews is handled by their own religious institutions.

Under the court's interpretation of Jewish religious law, a husband's, or wife's, consent is necessary to end a marriage. As has been the case for centuries, a Jewish divorce is not final in Israel until men deliver handwritten divorce decrees into the cupped hands of the women, who then must hold the paper aloft. A rabbi tears the document, called a get, into pieces, which are then filed for record-keeping.

The rabbis can order a reluctant spouse, usually a man, to grant the divorce, and Israel's parliament is considering a bill to expand the court's power to apply pressure. But if a spouse refuses to undertake the religious rite, the court says, it doesn't have the power to dissolve the marriage.

Rabbis have upheld the need for consent even in cases where a man has abused his wife, disappeared, lied about his sexuality or molested their children.

Exploiting what amounts to veto power over a divorce, some men demand financial payoffs from the court. Others pressure wives to pay them, give up their homes, forgo child support or waive custody rights.

Women's rights advocates are pushing Israel's coalition government, the first in decades that does not include ultra-Orthodox parties, to pass reforms. A report in April by the Israeli religious rights group Hiddush ranked Israel alongside Iran and Saudi Arabia in terms of marriage freedom.

"When it comes to matters of divorce, Israel is a theocracy," said Batya Kahana-Dror, executive director of Mavoi Satum, a legal group devoted to helping women obtain divorces.

In Israel, there is no civil marriage, so Jews must wed in accordance with the rabbinate's Orthodox customs. Many opt for civil ceremonies abroad, which over the years have become legally recognized in Israel. But while the law has bent to permit different ways into marriage, there is still only one way out: the religious court.

To address the problem of get refusal, the parliament in 1995 gave the rabbinical court expanded legal power to crack down on stubborn spouses by suspending driver's licenses, seizing bank accounts, preventing travel abroad and even imprisoning those who don't comply with an order to grant a divorce. One man has spent more than 10 years in jail.

Women's groups say the 1995 law hasn't made much difference because the court uses sanctions in less than 2% of cases. They recently pushed through a bill to include female members for the first time on the panel that appoints the court's rabbis, in an effort to make the court more sensitive to women's needs.

The court rabbis insist that they are trying to help.

"We are extremely sensitive to the situation in which a woman may be left without a divorce and go to great lengths to resolve it," said Eli Maimon, a rabbi assigned to assisting the wives.

The court hires former members of the country's spy agency to find missing husbands, posts a "most wanted" list on its website, and works with rabbis and women's groups around the world to shame men by banning them from the local synagogue or protesting at their homes.

In April, a recalcitrant husband who had moved to the United States and returned to Israel on vacation was shocked to find himself being arrested, while sipping wine with his girlfriend in a Jerusalem bar, for violating the court's divorce order. After a night in jail, he signed the papers.

"By the morning they are begging to give the divorce," Maimon said, adding that 10 men are currently in prison. "In ancient times, you could beat a divorce out of a man, but we can't do that today under Israeli law."

Women also have the ability to block divorces. But activists say there is a loophole for men ? getting 100 rabbis to say it's OK for him to remarry ? and the burden of divorce denial falls much heavier on women.

Activists estimate that about 1 in 5 women who seek a divorce ? or about 3,400 women a year ? is denied by her husband. Many cases are settled, but others drag on for years or decades in a process women say is skewed against them.

The biggest concern is a religious law that says if a woman has children with another man before divorce is granted, those children and their descendants will be deemed illegitimate and not allowed to marry in Israel under current law. The law does not apply to men.

Tessler, who first filed for divorce in 1977, says she's given up on starting a new family. She had a 15-year relationship with another man, but he left after she refused to have children because they'd be "branded a bastard."

But she still wants a divorce to prevent her husband from collecting her pension after she dies, which she said would be the final injustice. Her husband could not be reached for comment.

Her daughter has been in a long-term relationship and wants children. But there are no plans for a wedding and Tessler isn't surprised.

"She doesn't want to hear the word 'marriage,'" said Tessler, who lives with her two dogs north of Tel Aviv. "You shouldn't need a piece of paper to be happy. I had that piece of paper and it gave me nothing but trouble my entire life."

edmund.sanders@latimes.com

News assistant Batsheva Sobelman in The Times' Jerusalem bureau contributed to this report.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latimes/news/nationworld/world/~3/RhCaEQNRWwc/la-fg-israel-divorce-problems-20130726,0,2378868.story

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How Can Local Real Estate Lawyers Assist You? | The Board ...

By Unnah Mitchels

If you reside or have a property or home in an area and you want to sell, rent or buy properties or lofts in the city, then it is advisable that you secure the services of a real estate attorney in that specific place. Having them around will make sure that you will have the right selection for you. And considering that they are skilled they can take care of your best interest with regards to selling, purchasing or leasing.

Being a buyer or a seller you have to learn the real estate law hence, contacting a real estate lawyer will allow you to feel comfortable because you could be sure that your legal rights are protected. What you have come to understand from talking to with real estate attorneys will also be useful in any future real estate deals which you will make. You will feel confident in your selection of homes and also in your selection of the suitable buyer for your property or home.

When in search of a legal professional to assist you with your real estate property selection or an individual to speak for you with real estate property case, you need to bear in mind that you need to employ a local real estate lawyer not just any individual. Why should you go local? Let us discuss some of the most amazing reasons why:

Local attorneys are versed in real estate regulations of the city which means he could better use his understanding and skills regarding the laws and apply this to your case. Local assistance means that he understands the details of local real estate laws and regulations and puts no compromise to folks who disobey it too.

Local real estate lawyers are up to date of properties and familiar with the local market. Therefore, he / she can help you select the most suitable one when choosing to buy a property. If you?re selling off your real estate property, however, real estate attorneys will be able to give you the perfect ways to enhance the worth of your property and to address any legal concerns relating to the sale of your property or land.

Local real estate lawyers are associates of a local bar organization which enhances their alliances with other attorneys of the same field. This is a positive gain for you. Why? Because there is a better chance that your case will be approved by the presiding judge who may be acquainted with the lawyer dealing with your case!

Local real estate lawyers will help you save cash. You won?t find charges for gas or mileage which will help you save a great deal money. Local assistance is furthermore very quick to get hold of or to visit by way of their local office or law firm; you do not need to wait for an email message reply or a mailed response from your attorney particularly for urgent instances.

And so when legal real estate issues arise, don?t hesitate to hire the services of a real estate attorney within the city ? Chicago real estate lawyers. Bear in mind that a real estate is going to be very easily selected or sold if it is devoid of any legal issues and well taken care of. Kindly read more here for more details.

Source: http://theboardmagazine.com/2013/07/how-can-local-real-estate-lawyers-assist-you/

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NYC Restaurant Evicts Christian Church

A popular New York City barbecue restaurant that came under fire for renting space to a Christian church, has evicted the congregation because of a sermon about same-sex attraction, the pastor told Fox News.

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Freddy Wyatt, the pastor of?The Gallery Church, said they had been renting space in a restaurant to hold their worship services for several months. That agreement was cancelled after local residents barraged the restaurant with complaints.

?There was backlash from the neighborhood toward the restaurant for hosting a Christian church in their space,? he told Fox News.

Wyatt declined to name the restaurant because they did not ?want to throw them under the bus.??

?We want to maintain good relationships with the people in our neighborhood,? he said.

However, Fox News has learned the church had been renting space from?Hill Country Barbecue, a popular eatery in Manhattan. Owners of the restaurant did not return calls seeking comment.

Wyatt said the trouble started when they began promoting a sermon series about sexuality.

?This particular sermon series struck a nerve in the neighborhood,? he said. ?There was an enormous amount of backlash. We don?t know specifically what that was. The restaurant said if it had only been a couple of phone calls it would have been one thing ? but it was more than that.?

As a result,?Hill Country Barbecue?ended their relationship with the church ? giving them just two months to find another place to worship.

The church had been paying the restaurant $25,000 per year to use the space on Sundays before it opened for and had been paying the restaurant?s sound engineer $150. ?Pastor Wyatt also said on average about ten people stayed after the service to eat dinner in the barbecue joint.

But it turns out money was not the motivating factor.

?Disassociating from a Christian church was more valuable to them,? Wyatt wrote on the church?s website.

The small congregation, made up of artists and aspiring Broadway actors, was eventually able to find another location to worship ? but it costs $15,000 more.

In spite of their eviction, church members are rather upbeat, Pastor Wyatt said.

?When we shared with the church the news, there were a few employees from the restaurant there,? he said. ?One approached us and they said they were really struck by our kindness. I think we left with a good taste in their mouths.?

Still, Wyatt said it?s not surprising the message on sexuality caused such an?uproar.

?God?s word promises us that fiery trials will come upon us,? he said. ?And we shouldn?t be surprised when they do. Jesus said we will be hated, for He was hated.?

And while the subject of sexuality his polarizing, the pastor said he likes to take a page from the writings of noted theologian Francis Schaeffer.

?Francis Shaeffer once said the ultimate apologetic is love,? he said. ?We really want to soften people?s hearts and stereotypes with the love of Jesus as we live that out in authentic relationships.?

He said the episode shows that the exclusivity of the Gospel is ?incredibly offensive to people and they hate that message.?

?When we are faithful, there are seasons of challenge ? there are seasons of persecution that come,? he said. ?We?ve got to be willing to show that our allegiance belongs to Christ.?

And for what it?s worth, Pastor Wyatt said he still plans on eating dinner at?Hill Country Barbecue.

?We love our neighbors,? he said. ?And we love good food.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FoxNewsInsider/~3/OJuQ_3MUCI0/nyc-restaurant-evicts-christian-church

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Orders for US durable goods rise 4.2 pct. in June

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Orders for long-lasting U.S. factory goods rose in June, bolstered by a surge in aircraft demand and more business spending. The increase suggests companies are more confident in the economy and could boost economic growth in the second half of the year.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that orders for durable goods increased 4.2 percent last month. That followed a 5.2 percent gain in May, which was revised higher.

Most of the gain occurred because aircraft orders, which are volatile month to month, jumped 31.4 percent. Boeing said it received orders for 287 planes in June, up from 232 in May. Excluding autos and airplanes, orders were unchanged.

Orders that signal planned business investment, which exclude volatile transportation and defense orders, increased in June for the fourth straight month. The 0.7 percent gain last month was buoyed by more machinery demand. And orders in May were much stronger than previously reported.

Even with the gain, business investment is not likely to help economic growth in the April-June quarter, economists said. That's because the government measures shipments, rather than orders, when calculating business investments' contribution to growth. Shipments fell in June. But the increase in orders this spring suggests shipments will rise in the July-September quarter and add to growth.

Jonathan Basile, an economist at Credit Suisse, said rising orders are a "recipe for a speed up in manufacturing and business investment" in the third quarter.

Durable goods are items meant to last at least three years. They include everything from computers to industrial machinery to refrigerators.

U.S. manufacturing has struggled this year, in part because a weaker global economy has slowed demand for American exports. And businesses reduced their spending on machinery and equipment in the first quarter, holding back economic growth.

The economy grew at a tepid 1.8 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter and most economists expect growth slowed to a rate of 1 percent or less in the April-June period. Figures for the second quarter will be released next week.

Many economists are hopeful that growth is starting to pick up. Some predict growth at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the second half of the year, aided by steady hiring and more consumer spending

There are also signs that overseas demand is recovering. A survey of purchasing managers in the 17 countries that use the euro currency found that business activity expanded in July for the first time in 18 months. That adds to other evidence that the eurozone may be climbing out of recession.

U.S. manufacturing output rose in June for the second straight month as factories cranked out more business equipment, autos and electronics, the Federal Reserve said last week.

And a survey by the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group, found that factory activity expanded in June after shrinking the previous month. New orders and export orders rose, a positive sign for future growth.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/orders-us-durable-goods-rise-4-2-pct-124034962.html

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Discussing violence acts as 'a stronger bond than blood ties' for gang members

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gang members trust one another more than their own family members if they have shared incriminating information about a violent act they are planning, says a new Oxford University study. Researchers analysed phone conversations between gangs wiretapped by the police in the 1990s. They found that the more contact two members had over the phone, the higher the level of cooperation they had on future tasks. The findings are published in the journal Rationality and Society.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/VAla4KUM9xk/130726075352.htm

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'International beam team' solves Martian meteorite-age puzzle

[unable to retrieve full-text content]By directing energy beams at tiny crystals found in a Martian meteorite, geologists have proven that the most common group of meteorites from Mars is almost four billion years younger than many scientists had believed -- resolving a long-standing puzzle in Martian science and painting a much clearer picture of the Red Planet's evolution that can now be compared to that of habitable Earth.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/qAQDo1w2V5U/130724200607.htm

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Ex-Chicago cop who looted his union gets sentence cut by a third

By RUMMANA HUSSAIN Cook County Courts Reporter rhussain@suntimes.com July 24, 2013 12:06PM

Suspended Chicago police Sgt. John Pallohusky is being sentenced Tuesday for stealing more than $1 million from a police sergeants union and using the money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

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Updated: July 25, 2013 2:15AM

A Cook County judge Wednesday reduced the sentence of a former Chicago Police sergeant from 12 to eight years in prison for stealing $1.1 million from his union.

Judge Diane Cannon resentenced John Pallohusky, 57, after his attorneys told her he could pay back $465,000 to the Chicago Police Sergeants Association.

Pallohusky, who appeared in court wearing a prison uniform, did not comment at the brief hearing.

Pallohusky pleaded guilty in April 2012 to stealing the money from the organization he headed for years.

Prosecutors said Pallohusky duped the 1,200 sergeants who entrusted him with their money and used their hard-earned dues to pay for steak dinners, gambling sprees and a down payment on a Northwest Side home.

Months after he was ordered behind bars, his attorneys filed a motion to reconsider his sentence.

When Pallohusky was arrested for the crime in 2009, he was suspended without pay and relieved of his police powers.

He resigned the day after he pleaded guilty.

Last year, union officer Paul Bilotta told the Sun-Times the money Pallohusky stole ?crippled? the union and nearly drove it into bankruptcy.

?He hurt his friends who trusted him, and he hurt his co-workers who believed in him, . . .? Bilotta said at the time.

?We have begun putting the pieces back together again. We are not whole. We will not be whole for a very long time.?

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/21507096-418/ex-chicago-cop-who-looted-his-union-gets-sentence-cut-by-a-third.html

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Couple to speak about Zimmerman's help after crash

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? A husband and wife who were assisted by George Zimmerman after their SUV flipped over on a Florida highway will speak about their encounter with the former neighborhood watch volunteer, who was acquitted of all charges in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Mark and Dana Gerstle plan to speak Wednesday at the Orlando law office of Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara.

Zimmerman and another man helped the couple and their two children out of a flipped SUV off the road near Interstate 4 last week. The family wasn't hurt.

It was the first time Zimmerman was seen publicly since his acquittal earlier this month.

The verdict prompted nationwide protests and Zimmerman's parents and his attorneys have said they fear for his safety.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/couple-speak-zimmermans-help-crash-150923281.html

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Former director blows the lid off of Winston-Salem State University cheating scandal

I worked at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) for more than four years, rising to the post of director of academic technology in the school?s Information Technology Department. My first position at the school was that of instructional designer in the?Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, which had been formed to address growing concern over student failure rates.

?

During my first year at WSSU (which is one of five historically black colleges and universities in the UNC system), several troubling issues became apparent.

Many of the entering students were not prepared for college and required remediation before they were able to take regular college courses. Thus, many of these students were unable to make it through to graduation and that put pressure on the university and faculty to increase success rates. The university?s four-year graduation rate for the university was a mere 14 percent.? Since funding from the state is based on graduation rates and a school?s accreditation can be jeopardized by low rates, campus officials were extremely concerned.

Because of WSSU?s low graduation rate, school officials had to decide whether to change its admission standards and move to attract a higher quality of student, or to lower course standards to make it appear that students were more successful. During faculty and staff meetings, this was discussed and the chancellor stated that he did not want to change the ?look? of WSSU. Raising admission standards would mean fewer students on campus and therefore less state money flowing in.

The path the administration took was to make it seem as though students were doing better. Of course, there was no official statement to that effect, but I realized that was the case after faculty members began to share their concerns and frustration with me.

Many stated that they were under pressure to decrease the material in the courses and increase the passing rates. They feared that they would be released if they didn?t. Other faculty members expressed concern that students were held to different standards depending on their race. Some said that they thought school officials were changing grades they had entered.

?

I witnessed this blatant cheating on several occasions and reported it to my supervisor and the associate provost. They told me that it was none of my business. That didn?t surprise me, since I had made complaints previously about academic dishonesty and had been told that I was not my concern. Apparently, the administration was more interested in students getting good grades than whether they earned those grades honestly.

Before I could learn more about the erosion of academic integrity at WSSU, I was fired. In 2011, after I had been promoted to director of academic technology, one of workers in the department, unhappy that a white person had been chosen, repeatedly attacked me verbally. After mediation with her failed to bring results, and because of other complaints about her performance, I recommended that she be released. I was stunned when, shortly thereafter, I was notified that I had been terminated.

?

One faculty member who contacted me stated that not only did she have knowledge of the administration?s practice of raising student grades, but she could prove it because she?d been able to leave the university with her records intact. At first I was skeptical, knowing what I did about the university?s exit practice. The person to be fired would be called into a meeting while his computer, records, and belongings were confiscated by WSSU employees.

?

Over the holiday break in 2012, however, I met with a faculty member who had the records to back her story.

She stated that before leaving WSSU, a student came to her office and thanked her for ?giving? her an ?A? when she knew that she had barely earned a ?B? in a nursing course. The professor was stunned to hear that and decided to go back into the student record keeping system to see if she had made a mistake.

Looking at the records, she saw that four of her grades had been changed from B to A, and one from an F to an Incomplete. In each instance, the student who benefited was black. Also, white students who had higher averages than those whose grades were raised all remained at the lower, correct, grades. She documented all of the changes on her records.

When this professor complained to the administration about the grade changes, officials took no action except to create such a hostile work environment for her that she quit.

Source: http://topconservativenews.com/2013/07/former-director-blows-the-lid-off-of-winston-salem-state-cheating-scandal/

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Google Edition Phones Aren't the Answer You Were Hoping For

Google Editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4?phones devoid of manufacturer skins, running pure Android?were supposed to be the solution to one of Android's biggest problems. No longer would premium hardware be left behind when platform updates happen. That was the idea, anyway. But today we found out that's not quite the case.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/QlGU_TyzcFQ/google-edition-phones-arent-the-answer-you-were-hoping-896768531

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Essential Search Engine Optimization Tips For Website Owners ...

Optimizing your website only requires time and a little guidance. Here are some great tips to optimize your site.

Proper keyword density is essential to search engine optimization. Do not include more than 20 percent of keywords on your page.

Select a keyword specific domain name. You want people to be able to find your site easily. Ads do not give you all of your visitors; some visitors get to your site by looking for products that you might have.

Proper keyword density is essential to search engine optimization. Be sure not to overdo keyword usage. A good rule of thumb is to keep it under 20%.

When you link your site you need a viable anchor tag. You should avoid vague and generic text links like ?click here? because it is not helpful in increasing your search engine ranking. Crawling spiders will notice you if you use the correct keywords for anchor text.

When designing your website, it?s important to know that spiders cannot read dynamic language or session ID names. Incorporate a keyword into a naturally flowing URL for best results.

Increasing your PageRank depends upon increasing the amount of site traffic you have, as well as keeping visitors on your site for an extended period of time. There is evidence that the quantity of time spent on a site influences the ranking a site gets. Optimizing your search engine results is the best way to improve your online visibility. You can use discussion groups and forums to convince visitors to stay logged in to your site for a longer time.

Pay-per-click strategies can be great ways to practice affiliate marketing. This service is easy to provide, but the pay can be modest. Even with modest pay though, revenues can build quickly.

To expand your customer base and bring more traffic to your site, use a product feed to boost your presence online. Your feeds should include detailed descriptions of your product offerings or services, along with prices and pictures. Send these to the larger search engines and online consumer assistance websites. Customers will also be able to use a feed reader to subscribe to the feed.

Once you have decided on the keywords or key phrases that are most relevant to your website, use them in the title of your web page. Your title should be relevant, it will be the first impression that you leave with users who may or may not visit your site. This will help your site get clicked since it will fit searches better.

Use an accurate title tag to make sure that search engines will understand your page content. However, do not go past sixty characters, as most engines do not even bother displaying anything after that. They will also give text or terms coming after that point less weight.

AP Style is generally a much more effective tool than SEO style. To maximise the SEO style, repeat the important keywords as many times as you can without ruining the flow or quality of writing. As the search engines do their job by finding keywords and putting a value on their density, you will find your rankings improving.

Site Map

Make a site map to help the search engines index your site?s pages. A site map is also known as the navigation bar. This part of your web site will let search engines know how many pages your web site has and what each one contains. When your site is not very large, you still want to have a site map to help raise your search engine rankings.

Include transcripts of any streaming media like audio or video on your site in order to help the search engines rank your content. When you have a transcript a search engine will pick that up too.

Choose a domain name that is key-word rich. Make your website simple to find when potential visitors are looking for it. Your website visitors will come from a variety of sources. It may be advertising or it may be from a random online search.

Take the time to become knowledgeable about strong and weak keywords. Before building your website, know which keywords should be included in the titles. By researching certain keywords, you will be able to find out exactly what people search for in your category. Mention these keywords often to increase your site traffic.

You need to go through your site for errors, some forget to do this. Take the time to look over your website and make sure that everything is legible and correct for your readers, and for the search engines. Make sure that you proofread all of your work, as a misspelled keyword is useless.

Site Map

It is important to be patient while enduring the process of boosting your SEO. You will not see an immediate increase in traffic to your website. It may take several months, especially if you have a new website. Online business is no different from offline business. Either way, it is going to take time to build your brand.

Generate a keyword-oriented site map for added SEO optimization. A site map gives your viewers an easy way to locate what they need on your website, by listing all the areas of your site. Site maps are also useful indexing tools for search engines, as accessibility is a highly desirable trait.

Now that you are better informed from this article, you should see the revisions that need to be made on your own site. Make your website better by utilizing the information presented here.

About the Author:

Emmanuel Adegbola was online for four miserable years (according to him), without any proven result,  he had no mentor, no focus, no serious marketing system in place until he stumbled across MLSP that has literally changed his business almost overnight. He is now a leader in the industry helping many people to reach their goals and making full potential dream income from the comfort of their homes. He is called the King of Lead Generation. Emmanuel generates leads online like water and growing in his business across the globe daily.

If you?re sick and tired of not getting the type of result you desire in your business, click here now to discover the new cutting-edge technology Emmanuel uses to generate leads daily, sponsor Reps into his primary business and creating wealth on a fast track.

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Email: info@emmanueladegbola.com

Tags: search engine optimization, search engines, site map, site traffic, web site

Source: http://emmanueladegbola.com/essential-search-engine-optimization-tips-for-website-owners/

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There's never been a better time to consider an offset mortgage: 'Cinderella deal' works hardest to control your debt

PUBLISHED: 16:22 EST, 20 July 2013 | UPDATED: 03:53 EST, 22 July 2013

If you want to bring your monthly mortgage bills under control, clear your loan years ahead of schedule, or supercharge the return on your savings, you can do all three with an offset mortgage ? which could be why many lenders keep such deals firmly under wraps.

Offsets have been dubbed ?Cinderella mortgages? ? hardworking and effective, but overshadowed by glitzier rival deals. They come into their own when savings rates are low. And there?s never been a better time to consider one.

How do they work?

Offsets deduct the value of any linked savings accounts from your mortgage before working out how much monthly interest you need to pay.

Committed: Elliot Jones and Andrea Widdows have an offset mortgage

If you have a ?150,000 loan and ?30,000 in linked savings, say, then you will have to pay interest only on the difference ? a much lower ?120,000.

If you need to cut your monthly outgoings, then you can ask to pay this lower amount. But if you want to live mortgage-free years ahead of schedule ? and save thousands of pounds in the process ? then keep paying interest on the full ?150,000.

The maths is complicated, but overpaying like this on a mortgage costing 3.5 per cent will bring your balance down to zero three years and eight months before the standard 25-year? term. And clearing the mortgage that much earlier will knock? about ?30,000 off your total interest bill.

What are the downsides?

Critics point to the fact that interest rates on offset mortgages are typically higher than those on best-buy conventional mortgages.

But with savings rates so much lower than mortgage rates, those with substantial savings often end up far better off putting them in offset accounts and saving on mortgage interest repayments.

Few easy access savings accounts pay more than 1.65 per cent gross interest and none pays more than inflation.

Put ?30,000 into a best-buy savings account paying 1.65 per cent and a basic rate taxpayer will have ?396 a year after tax, and a higher rate taxpayer just ?297.

?

Put the same money in an offset savings account and if mortgage rates stay at 3.5 per cent you will have made ?1,050 worth of over-payments by the end of the first year alone.

David Hollingworth, mortgage expert at London & Country Mortgages, in Bath, Somerset, says: ?The effective return on savings is certainly better than that available from standard deposit accounts, especially considering there is no tax to pay.?

We?ll get hitched ? and pay off our home loan 11 years early

Soon-to-be married couple Elliot Jones and Andrea Widdows decided to take out an offset mortgage when they bought their first home ? a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Warrington, Cheshire ? in May.

Elliot, 26, who is a mechanic, and Andrea, 24, a veterinary nurse, have a three-year fixed offset with Yorkshire Building Society where they pay a rate of 4.54 per cent.

Elliot says that it was his future in-laws who spurred them to get an offset mortgage after they had used one in the past.

The couple, who are tying the knot in November, have ?20,000 of savings offset against their mortgage debt of ?103,000. But instead of paying reduced monthly repayments, Elliot and Andrea pay the amount they would have paid without their savings, effectively overpaying by roughly ?100 each month.

Or put another way, their offset mortgage also means that the ?20,000 in savings spares them more than ?1,000 a year in interest payments.

Elliot says: ?We?re on a 35-year term but by paying the higher rate we can pay off our mortgage 11 years early.?

He adds: ?It was the flexibility of the deal that really did it for us.

?If we are having a bad month financially, or if one of us gets sick, we can make a lower payment as well.?

Can I withdraw my savings if I need to?

Yes. The beauty of an offset mortgage is that you still have access to your cash ? which is why the deals are great for self-employed people who want a useful home for the money they are saving to pay their next tax bill.

Pay the cash into an offset savings account all year and you can enjoy the benefit until the tax bill is due. Offsets are also good for anyone with a decent amount of rainy day money that is languishing in low paying accounts.

Some offset providers also link any money in your current account into the deal, so the more you have on deposit the faster your mortgage value will fall.

Are my savings safe?

Offset savings accounts are treated in the same way as any other type of deposit account, with any savings of up to ?85,000 (?170,000 for joint accounts) protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if an institution goes bust.

Homeowners with more than ?85,000 in savings could also enjoy added protection should an offset provider become insolvent. This is because savings above the FSCS protection limit would be automatically set off against the mortgage debt. So while you would not get your savings back, your mortgage would be reduced by the equivalent amount.

Who sells offset mortgages?

Most banks and building societies now provide offset deals ? but many keep quiet about them as they know the deals benefit customers more than shareholders.

Barclays and First Direct do promote them, as do new players such as Virgin Money and customer-focused building societies such as Yorkshire, Chelsea, Coventry and Norwich & Peterborough.

Deals vary and while you may pay a premium, the gap between offset and ordinary rates is narrowing. Yorkshire Building Society?s offset deals are only 0.2 of a percentage point more costly than its traditional deals. Other good offset deals include First Direct?s lifetime tracker at 2.49 percentage points above the Bank of England base rate (at 0.5 per cent) for borrowers with a 35 per cent deposit. The fee is ?499.

Ray Boulger, of broker John Charcol in London, says longer-term fixed rates also look good for offset borrowers. Best buys include Yorkshire Building Society?s five-year fix at 2.64 per cent. It is available to those with a 35 per cent deposit, but has a ?1,475 fee.

Want to know more?

Offset mortgages do not suit everyone. They can take a bit of getting used to and high interest rates can take away much of the benefit of the offset terms.

But the right deals can transform homeowners? finances ? so take a look at the offset calculator function at thisismoney.co.uk to see if they will work for you.

Share or comment on this article

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2371532/Theres-better-time-consider-offset-mortgage-Cinderella-deal-works-hardest-control-debt.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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Anthony Pettis says Benson Henderson does ?does just enough to win the round?

Anthony Pettis is fighting UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC 164. Pettis has fought -- and beat -- Henderson in the past. Since that loss, Henderson is undefeated, but Pettis isn't impressed with the way Henderson wins his fights.

"He's the champ, and he knows he needs to win five rounds to keep that belt. GSP does it the same way," Pettis told MMA Junkie. "These guys are intelligent fighters, and they know they have to win the rounds to keep their belt. I'm expecting him to do what he's been doing. He's going to come out, do just enough to win the rounds, and keep his belt. That's his game plan, and that's never my game plan. I'm always looking to finish."

Pettis is right that Henderson is a decision-winner. He hasn't won a fight by a stoppage since April 24, 2010, when he submitted Donald Cerrone in the WEC. Of his 19 wins, nine are decisions, eight are submissions and two are knockouts. Finishing fights hasn't been his forte for a long time.

But just looking at those straight numbers doesn't tell the whole story. The people Henderson has fought are really, really difficult to stop. Take a look at the last four men he has faced.

Gilbert Melendez has never been knocked out or submitted. Nate Diaz was submitted once in his career, and it happened in 2006. He was knocked out by Josh Thomson after he fought Henderson. Henderson beat Frankie Edgar in two straight decisions. Decisions are the only way Edgar has lost a fight. Clay Guida, who Henderson fought before he was the champ, has been finished more than any of Henderson's opponents. Guida is 30-13, and only one of his losses came by decision.

The lightweight division is traditionally one of the toughest in the UFC. Getting decision wins doesn't mean Henderson isn't a great fighter. It means that he is fighting in well-matched fights.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/anthony-pettis-says-benson-henderson-does-does-just-172916965.html

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FAMU preseason football magazine available

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

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130721/FAMU02/307200032/1028/RSS12

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Terrence Malick Fires Back at Financier's Lawsuit Allegations

Terrence Malick?s Sycamore Pictures LLC fired back back at a London-based film financing firm?s lawsuit, calling the allegations that the director diverted funds for a documentary project to others at the company? ?without merit? and weak.

Seven Seas Limited Partnership sued Sycamore on Friday in U.S. District Court in New York, seeking $3.3 million they say they invested in a project called ?Voyage of Time? but that Malick failed to complete. According to the suit, the project was to include two IMAX films and a feature length movie.

?The claims of Seven Seas are without merit,? said Maura Wogan, attorney at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein Selz, who is representing Sycamore, said in a statement on Monday. ?The film was on budget, on schedule, and all funds were used appropriately. Additionally, Seven Seas? decision to file this lawsuit under the cover of darkness and go public with accusations before presenting Sycamore with a copy of the suit itself speaks to the weakness of the allegations.?

The suit was filed on Friday, and Seven Seas put out a press release over the weekend announcing that it had filed suit. They claim that Malick had little to show for the project, after they invested nearly $6 million over the last six years.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927915/news/1927915/

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Google buys into semiconductor firm Himax for Google Glass

ADVERTISING BROKER Google has bought 6.3 percent of semiconductor vendor Himax as it gets deeper into developing wearable computers.

Google Glass is the firm's first foray into the wearable computing market and the firm's actions seemed to have fired the starting gun for what is expected to be a major market in the coming years. Now Google has invested in semiconductor firm Himax, which develops liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) chips for wearable computing devices.

Himax designs and makes chips and displays used in most major types of consumer electronics such as televisions and mobile phones. The firm has also developed and built touch sensors and LCOS displays that are used in pico projectors and heads-up displays, something that Google would be particularly interested in.

Himax said that once its deal with Google is completed, the internet giant will own 6.3 percent in Himax Display Inc, with Himax holding a 81.5 percent stake in the firm. Himax said Google will be able to purchase more of the firm through preferred shares at the same price as its initial investment a year from now.

Jordan Wu, president and CEO of Himax said, "Beginning the second quarter of this year, we had already begun expanding capacity to meet demand for our LCOS product line. This investment from Google further validates our commitment to developing breakthrough technologies and state of the art production facilities.

"We look forward to leveraging this investment and our collective expertise with Google to create unique and transformational LCOS technologies for many years ahead."

Intel has already invested in Himax Display, highlighting the firm's potential. Given Google's investment in low-level hardware for wearable computing, it is safe to say that Glass wasn't merely a one-off experiment and Google intends to take the wearable computing market seriously. ?

Source: http://feeds.theinquirer.net/c/554/f/7136/s/2f01b379/l/0L0Stheinquirer0Bnet0Cinquirer0Cnews0C22839450Cgoogle0Ebuys0Einto0Esemiconductor0Efirm0Ehimax0Efor0Egoogle0Eglass/story01.htm

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Tina Turner celebrates her wedding in Switzerland

GENEVA -- Tina Turner is celebrating her wedding to Erwin Bach with a party at her Swiss lakeside estate near Zurich.

Swiss media are reporting that pop stars David Bowie, Sade and talk show impresario Oprah Winfrey are among the more than 120 guests invited to Sunday's Buddhist-inspired event.

Zurich police spokeswoman Esther Surber says authorities are temporarily barring boats on Lake Zurich from nearing Turner's Chateau Algonquin estate in the Kuesnacht municipality to prevent onlookers from causing accidents on the waterway.

About a month ago, the 73-year-old American pop star tied the knot with Bach, a 57-year-old German music executive and her longtime beau, at the town hall in the wealthy community.

Turner's marriage to her former musical partner, the late Ike Turner, ended in divorce.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/21/3512552/tina-turner-celebrates-her-wedding.html

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VINCENT BONSIGNORE: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: NFL to Los Angeles 'as close as it ever has been'

OXNARD - Without putting an exact timeline on when the NFL might return to Los Angeles, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Saturday the reality of professional football returning to the City of Angels is as close as it's ever been.

"I say that not just wishing," Jones said. "I say that technically because I am aware of some things that make sense."

Jones would not elaborate, but seeing as he is one of the most influential owners in the NFL and his son sits on the league's stadium committee, his insight carries enormous weight.

"There are some viable ways for a team, or teams, to be in Los Angeles," Jones said. "And we've got some very talented, very qualified people who want to be a part of it that are not a part of the league right now. And we've obviously got people within the league that want this very much."

Jones being one of them "" he was born in El Segundo and he still has family in the area.

The Cowboys owner is in Oxnard overseeing his club's training camp, which kicks off Sunday. And having spent many a summer between Oxnard and Thousand Oaks - the longtime former training camp home of the Cowboys "" he is keenly interested in the NFL returning to the second-biggest television market in the country.

And he dismisses any thought the NFL is simply using Los Angeles as leverage to motivate current NFL cities to build new stadiums for their teams.

"I've never, ever been a part of any meeting or committee, ever, that didn't want "" and as quickly as we could "" a team in L.A." Jones said. "I've heard the same thing - that (L.A.) can be (used) as a threat (for) teams moving out here and what have you. But that's not right.

"I can speak for everyone I've ever talked to, we always preferred to get a team here."

Currently there are two stadium in projects in Los Angeles prepared to lure an existing team here "" Phil Anschutz's Famers Field project adjacent to Staples Center and Ed Roski's City of Industry proposal.

Farmers Field, though, is seen as the preferred site within the NFL.

Jones praised Farmers Field and disagrees with reports that his league might be souring on it.

"I have no misgiving at all about it. It's an outstanding (project) with outstanding people involved in it," Jones said. "Philip Anschutz is an outstanding individual and would be an asset in any way to any group to (he's) involved with."

With the league hesitant to expand, a current team would have to agree to move to Los Angeles.

At this point, the St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are the most likely candidates.

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_23700149/vincent-bonsignore-cowboys-owner-jerry-jones-nfl-los?source=rss

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'R.I.P.D.' is D.O.A. with critics

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "R.I.P.D." is D.O.A. with critics.

The news is not surprising given that the big-budget, special-effects laden buddy film was not screened in advance for most reviewers. That's nearly always a sure-fire sign that a film has secured a one-way ticket to bombs-ville. However, a few critics were able to catch the film in advance of its debut on Friday.

And oh what a critical evisceration was had by all. The movie, which stars Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds as a pair of supernatural cops who are tasked with reining in unruly spirits, eked out an abysmal 10 percent "rotten" rating on the critics aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. That's a lower score than the recent cinematic disaster "Lone Ranger" managed, although it is slightly higher than "Grown Ups 2" and its 6 percent "rotten" rating. Success!

There's still time for it to catch up with Sandler and crew, however, since most major newspapers and magazines have yet to weigh in on the film.

TheWrap's Alonso Duralde declared the film epic...in its mediocrity.

"Everything wraps up with an ending that portends a sequel, but most viewers will forget 'R.I.P.D.' at approximately the moment they dispose of their empty soda cups in the lobby," Duralde wrote.

In the New York Post, Kyle Smith said the film was a craven rip-off of "Ghostbusters" and "Men in Black." The major achievement, he wrote, was that it found so many fresh ways to stink.

"Every movie coming out this year but 'R.I.P.D.' should pause for a big sigh of relief: The possibility of any of them being called the worst cinematic effort of 2013 has, as of today, just about disappeared," Smith wrote.

Roger Moore of McClatchy-Tribune News Service scrolled back through the recent history of on-screen duds to find a few films that rivaled "R.I.P.D." in sheer awfulness.

"Jeff Bridges collects a big paycheck but burns through a good chunk of his reservoir of Oscar-winning good will with 'R.I.P.D.,' the worst comic book adaptation since 'Jonah Hex,'" Moore wrote. "I'd say he drags Ryan Reynolds down with him, but Reynolds is an old hand at mediocre movies adapted from that medium."

Bill Gibron of Film Racket declared the movie "inert," even though he credited Bridges for injecting what little life there was into the picture with his work as a gun-slinging Western sheriff.

"If ever a movie was made for countless repeats on the USA Network, this is it," Gibron wrote.

The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy consigned "R.I.P.D." to the cinematic junk heap and slammed the film as lifeless and humor-free.

"A zombie movie in all but name, this jocular and cheesy adaptation by 'Clash of the Titans' screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi of Peter M. Lenkov's 2001 Dark Horse comic quartet might have been better conceived as the beginning of a lower budget, more modestly aimed franchise along the lines of the Hellboy entries," McCarthy wrote. "But as a major undertaking with clear sequel ambitions, there's just not enough new and exciting here to cut it; when the brief 96-minute running time is one of its two or three only virtues, you know you're in trouble."

Too much bathroom humor and on-screen explosions doomed the film in USA Today critic Claudia Puig's eyes.

"Based on a comic book, 'R.I.P.D.' reinforces the point that not every graphic novel should be adapted to film," Puig wrote.

Scott Foundas of Variety also generally disliked the film, although he was slightly gentler in his condemnation, uttering a few whispers of praise for Bridges and the special effects.

"While the end product still seems all but certain to turn up DOA at this weekend's box office, the pic itself isn't quite the calamity some portended, due largely to Bridges, some genuinely impressive visual effects and one of the few running times of the season well under two hours," Foundas wrote.

When a picture's short running time is singled out as one of its few virtues, it's in trouble.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/r-p-d-d-o-critics-230746632.html

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