Judge Sees 'Different Person' in Arizona Gunman

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Judge Sees 'Different Person' in Arizona Gunman

By BOB CHRISTIE and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. August 7, 2012 (AP)

Jared Loughner sat looking relaxed and attentive in a packed courtroom as he pleaded guilty to a deadly shooting rampage in an agreement with prosecutors that will send him to prison for life. He even cracked a smile when a court-appointed psychologist talked about the special bond that he formed with a prison guard.

Bill Clinton slams new Romney welfare ad, says it is disappointing

Bill Clinton slams new Romney welfare ad, says it is disappointing

Published August 08, 2012
FoxNews.com
NEW YORK – Former President Bill Clinton is leaping to President Obama's defense after a new Romney attack ad accused the president of tearing down one of the signature bipartisan accomplishments from Clinton's term.

Early Retirement Will Impact Your Social Security Benefit

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Early Retirement Will Impact Your Social Security Benefit

By Joe Udo | U.S.News & World Report LP – Thu, Aug 2, 2012
Many people strive to retire early. But retiring early could reduce your Social Security benefits, which means you have to save even more on your own. Here's how early retirement impacts your Social Security payments, even if you delay receiving benefits until the full retirement age of 67.
Eligibility. You need 40 credits of work in order to receive Social Security benefits. For 2012, you can earn one credit for every $1,130 you earn, up to a maximum of four credits each year. If you worked for at least 10 years and paid Social Security taxes, then you probably will be eligible for Social Security.
Average earnings. Social Security payouts are typically calculated using your average indexed

Microbial Life In An Undersea Volcano, New Limits Of Life Defined

Microbial Life In An Undersea Volcano, New Limits Of Life Defined

AUGUST 7, 2012 BY NATHAN
A third of Earth’s organisms by mass are estimated to be the ones that live in the Earth’s rocks and sediments, but until now hardly anything has been known about them. Their lives and ecology are mostly a mystery.
That’s beginning to change though, a new study headed by microbiologist James Holden at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has provided “the first detailed data about a group of methane-exhaling microbes that live deep in the cracks of hot undersea volcanoes.”
Holden says, “Evidence has built over the past 20 years that there’s an incredible amount of biomass in Earth’s subsurface, in the crust and marine sediments, perhaps as much as all the plants and

Facebook ventures into online gambling

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August 7, 2012

Facebook ventures into online gambling

By Christopher Thompson in London and April Dembosky in San Francisco
Facebook is venturing into the world of online gambling with the launch of its first application where punters can stake real money.
Starting on Tuesday, Facebook will offer users in the UK aged 18 and over the opportunity to play online bingo and slots for cash prizes.

“Gambling is very popular and well regulated in the UK . . . for millions of bingo users it’s already a social experience [so] it makes sense [for us] to offer that as well,” said Julien Codorniou, Facebook’s head of gaming for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

There has long been speculation among investors as to whether Facebook and other social networking

'Completely heartbroken' Gary Barlow and wife Dawn plan 'beautiful funeral' for stillborn daughter Poppy

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'Completely heartbroken' Gary Barlow and wife Dawn plan 'beautiful funeral' for stillborn daughter Poppy

By SARA NATHAN
7 August 2012
Take That star Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn last night spoke of their devastation at losing their fourth child, a daughter they had named Poppy.
Mrs Barlow, 42, a former dancer, went into labour on Saturday, but Poppy was delivered stillborn.
In a statement last night, X Factor judge Barlow, 41, said: ‘Dawn and I are devastated to announce that we’ve lost our baby.
‘Poppy Barlow was delivered stillborn on August 4 in London. Our focus now is giving her a beautiful funeral and loving our three children with all our hearts. We’d ask at this painful time that our privacy be respected.’
The couple are parents to Daniel, 11, Emily, nine, and three-year-old Daisy.
Last night, a close friend told the Mail: ‘Gary and Dawn are just heartbroken. This is completely senseless. They just want time to grieve now and be with their children.’
Composer Lord Lloyd-Webber, who worked with Barlow to compose the official diamond jubilee

Italy Economy Shrinks For A Fourth Quarter As Slump Deepens

Italy Economy Shrinks For A Fourth Quarter As Slump Deepens

By Chiara Vasarri and Andrew Frye - Aug 7, 2012
Italy’s economy contracted for a fourth straight quarter in the three months through June as manufacturing slumped and the euro-area debt crisis intensified.
Gross domestic product declined 0.7 percent in the second quarter, Rome-based national statistics institute Istat said in a preliminary report today. The contraction was less than the median forecast for a 0.8 percent decline in a survey of 22 economists by Bloomberg News. GDP fell 2.5 percent from a

Usain Bolt sets out to win 200-meter race, become 'living legend'

Usain Bolt sets out to win 200-meter race, become 'living legend'

Published: August 7, 2012 5:08 AM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON - Get ready for more of The Bolt Show.
Usain Bolt dropped by Olympic Stadium for a brief visit Monday night and did things his way, as usual, jumping to the top step of the medal podium to collect his second consecutive gold for the 100 meters.
When the Jamaican sensation returns to the track on Tuesday, it'll be for the first round of the 200 meters, an event he's planning to win, too, as part of his quest to become what he calls a "living legend."

Curiosity's landing on Mars gives NASA's scientists a reason to high-five

Curiosity's landing on Mars gives NASA's scientists a reason to high-five

Published: Tuesday, August 07, 2012
PASADENA, Calif. — NASA celebrated the precision landing of a rover on Mars and marveled over the mission's first photographs Monday — grainy, black-and-white images of Martian gravel, a mountain at sunset and, most exciting of all, the spacecraft's white-knuckle plunge through the red planet's atmosphere.
Curiosity, a roving laboratory the size of a compact car, landed right on target late Sunday night after an eight-month, 352-million-mile journey.
Cheers and applause echoed through NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and engineers hugged, high-fived and thrust their fists in the air after signals from space indicated the vehicle had survived the harrowing descent through Mars' pinkish atmosphere.
JPL Director Charles Elachi likened the team to Olympic athletes: "This team came back with the gold."

YouTube app vanishes from Apple's next version of iOS

7 August 2012

YouTube app vanishes from Apple's next version of iOS

By bbc.co.uk

The app for video sharing YouTube is currently missing from the next version of Apple's iOS6 operating system.

Apple said the app had been removed because its licence to produce the program had expired.

The Apple-made version of the YouTube app has been a staple on the iPhone's iOS since the device was first launched in 2007.

Apple said Google was developing its own version of the app which should appear soon.

'Worse experience'
The fourth test, or beta, version of iOS6 was released by Apple on 6 August. The final public version is expected to be ready in September prior to the rumoured launch of a new iPhone.

Soon after the software was released many tech news sites noticed it lacked the YouTube app, even

Federal Agency Warns About New Pig Flu That Could Spread to Humans

http://sirifarm.com/index.htmlFederal Agency Warns About New Pig Flu That Could Spread to Humans

Published August 06, 2012
Fox News Latino
Atlanta, Ga. – The Centers for Disease Control is warning people to be careful around pigs because of a new flu found in them that can spread to people.
The agency is highlighting state and county fairs, which are common at this time of year and often feature pigs.

Chemotherapy can inadvertently trigger cancer resistance

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Chemotherapy can inadvertently trigger cancer resistance

Published August 06, 2012
FoxNews.com
Scientists may have a better understanding as to why some people become resistant to chemotherapy treatment, the BBC News reported.
According to a new study in Nature Medicine, researchers found the therapy can cause healthy wound-healing cells around tumors to “go rogue” and produce a protein that helps the cancer to resist the chemo.

Jeremy Lin says being Asian is 'an advantage' in the NBA

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Aug 06, 2012

Jeremy Lin says being Asian is 'an advantage' in the NBA

By Reid Cherner, USA TODAY
Jeremy Lin surprised the NBA world last year and he says part of that comes from who he is.

"I think the advantage of being an Asian basketball player in America is that no one expects anything from you, and no one thinks you are going to be good," Lin told a press conference in Taipei.

"The reason why I said it was an advantage is because everyone takes you lightly, and the minute you step out on the court, you give it to them and you immediately earn their respect, but no one is going to give it to you right away, not in America at least."

Lin averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists last season with the Knicks before being sidelined with a knee injury. In the off-season he signed a deal with the Rockets.

Houston's Asian population had a hero in Yao Ming and Lin says he doesn't see himself supplanting Yao's legacy.

"What I have done is nothing compared to what Yao has done," Lin said. "I have always looked up to Yao, but I don't see myself as having to fill his shoes. My goal was very simple,

Garrett Reid, Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Andy Reid's oldest son, found dead

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August 6, 2012

Garrett Reid, Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Andy Reid's oldest son, found dead

By Crimesider Staff Topics Daily Blotter ,Missing
(CBS/AP) BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Garrett Reid, the oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, was found dead Sunday morning in his room at the club's training camp at Lehigh University. He was 29.
The police chief at Lehigh, Edward Shupp, said a 911 call was made at 7:20 a.m., and that Garrett Reid was deceased upon a policeman's arrival at the campus dormitory.

"There were no suspicious activities," Shupp said.

The Eagles practiced after gathering for a team prayer, but Andy Reid was not present. Assistants Marty Mornhinweg and Juan Castillo ran the team's walkthrough, and will oversee the Eagles until Reid returns.

NEWS/Elton John Reignites Feud With Madonna: "Her Career’s Over"

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NEWS/Elton John Reignites Feud With Madonna: "Her Career’s Over"

by Alexis L. Loinaz
2012/8/06
Gun-wielding, nipple-baring, swastika-flashing Madonna has a new person to add to her list of detractors. Or rather, an old one: Elton John.
The "Rocket Man" singer has once again fired up his ongoing feud with the controversy-courting pop star, slamming her for her on- and offstage antics while labeling her a "f--king fairground stripper."
Oof.

Miley Cyrus Had 'No Input' on Her Engagement Ring

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Miley Cyrus Had 'No Input' on Her Engagement Ring

Monday August 06, 2012
Miley Cyrus is used to being in control, but when it comes to the sparkler she's wearing from fiancé Liam Hemsworth, she admits it was all him.

"I had no input," she tells Marie Claire in the September issue cover story, of her 18-karat Neil Lane bauble, hand-cut in the late 1800s. "I saw it online at one point and thought it was really pretty. I just love that it's old and has a story. And I'm happy because it doesn't look like anything else I wear."

Cyrus, 19 – whose engagement was announced by PEOPLE on June 6 – has no reservations about her decision to tie the knot, but notes that she isn't walking down the aisle soon.

"Life is too short not to be with the person you want to be with," she explains. "I don't really care about the wedding or the piece of paper as much as I do the promise we've made to each other. And we want to have a long engagement."
Part of what makes Hemsworth, 22, "the one" for the former Disney starlet is the couple's mutual trust.

Amanda Bynes accused of a hit-and-run

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Amanda Bynes accused of a hit-and-run

Published August 06, 2012
TVGuide
Amanda Bynes' car trouble continues.

The actress has been accused of a hit-and-run after allegedly rear-ending a woman in the San Fernando Valley and then driving away without giving the woman her insurance information, TMZ reports.

Natalie Portman is now married to Benjamin Millepied

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Natalie Portman is now married to Benjamin Millepied

By Jen Chaney
08/06/2012
In case you missed the news, Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied — longtime fiance, choreographer of “Black Swan” and the guy Portman thanked during her 2011 Oscar acceptance speech — got married over the weekend.

People reported the wedding news Sunday afternoon; because Portman is a private person who doesn’t tweet compelling anecdotes about her personal life, only a few details are known. We know the wedding happened Saturday night in Big Sur, Calif. We know that Portman, 31, and Millepied, 35 — who have a 14-month-old son, Aleph, together — were wed in a Jewish ceremony. And we know that, apparently, Ivanka Trump was there.

In terms of other details, really, the best we can do to fill them in is to borrow from the titles on Portman’s filmography.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1, 4G LTE version later this year

http://sirifarm.com/index.htmlSamsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1, 4G LTE version later this year

The device comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), according to Samsung.

by Don Reisinger August 6, 2012
After a long wait, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 is finally launching.
The device, which was first unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The most notable advancement over its predecessor, however, is the device's screen, which measures 10.1 inches. The

Romney raises $101 million in July

August 6, 2012                                                   http://sirifarm.com/index.html

Romney raises $101 million in July

By Leigh Ann Caldwell
CBS News) Mitt Romney's campaign and a joint fundraising committee with the Republican National Committee raised a combined $101.3 million during July, the Romney campaign announced Monday. This is the second consecutive month that Romney has raised more than $100 million in a month, having first broken his own monthly fundraising record in June by bringing in $106 million.
"Americans are clearly looking for a change in the White House," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement Monday morning. "Mitt Romney has a plan that will create jobs, grow the economy, and build a stronger middle class - that is why he is seeing such strong support."

Best Buy founder submits bid to buy the company

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Best Buy founder submits bid to buy the company

By Staff and wire reports
2012/8/06
Best Buy's founder, Richard Schulze, said Monday that he wants to take the electronics retailer private by buying up all the outstanding shares he doesn't already own for $24 to $26 each.
Best Buy shares (BBY) jumped 22% on the news.
Schulze stepped down as Best Buy's chairman in May after an investigation found that he knew CEO Brian Dunn was having a relationship with a female employee. Dunn resigned in April.
MORE: Schulze statement, letter to Best Buy board
Schulze's buyout offer represents a 36% to 47% premium over Best Buy's Friday closing stock price

Hillary Clinton Meets with Nelson Mandela

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Hillary Clinton Meets with Nelson Mandela

By BAZI KANANI (@bazikanani)
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa Aug. 6, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's first order of business on her three day visit to South Africa is a trip to Nelson Mandela's ancestral village of Qunu for a private meeting with the anti-apartheid hero and former president.

The State Department said she is going to "pay her respects" to Mandela before a series of meetings focused on strengthening the U.S. trade relationship with South Africa.

IOC defends NBC for tape-delayed coverage of Usain Bolt winning Olympics 100-meter final

IOC defends NBC for tape-delayed coverage of Usain Bolt winning Olympics 100-meter final

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, August 6, 5:40 AM

LONDON — The International Olympic Committee has defended NBC for not showing the men’s 100-meter final live on its main network.

Usain Bolt dashed to victory in the signature event of the London Olympics on Sunday at 4:50 p.m EDT. NBC broadcast the race hours later on tape-delay in prime time.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams says “it’s certainly not for us to tell them how to reach their audience.” Adams says NBC live-streamed the race for online viewers, so “if you wanted live, you could get it

Baby-picture zapping plug-in is well Liked on Facebook

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Baby-picture zapping plug-in is well Liked on Facebook

Unbaby.me performs the useful social task of removing baby pictures that narcissistic parents post on your Facebook newsfeed. In less than four days, it has 44,000 Likes. Next stop: a reduced birth rate?
by Chris Matyszczyk August 4, 2012 12:51 PM PD
People generally have children in order to reproduce their own imperfect selves and try to make them more perfect.
This is a legitimate, if slightly warped, activity -- yet we tolerate it for what we imagine is a social good.

Iran Says Test-Firing Of Missile a Success

Iran Says Test-Firing Of Missile a Success

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 4, 2012
TEHRAN (AP) — Iran said Saturday that it had successfully test-fired an upgraded version of a short-range ballistic missile with improved accuracy, increasing its capacity to strike land and naval targets.

Iran’s defense minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, said the solid-fueled Fateh-110 missile had a range of 185 miles. He also said the weapon could strike with pinpoint precision, making it the most accurate weapon of its kind in Iran’s arsenal.

“By reaching this generation of the Fateh-110, a new capability has been added to our armed forces

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins 100 meters, seizes Jamaica’s spotlight, at least for a day

http://sirifarm.com/Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins 100 meters, seizes Jamaica’s spotlight, at least for a day

By Rick Maese, Saturday, August 4, 6:05 PM

LONDON — Back home in Jamaica, when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce visits the neighborhood supermarket, inevitably the questions will arise. Sure, she’s recognized across the small island, but they don’t ask about her Olympic gold medal from the Beijing Games.

Southwest Airlines customers billed many times for half-price tickets due to computer glitch

http://sirifarm.com/Southwest Airlines customers billed many times for half-price tickets due to computer glitch

By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, August 4

DALLAS — Southwest Airlines’ attempt to thank its Facebook friends with a half-price ticket sale backfired when customers were inadvertently billed multiple times for a single flight — they’re not feeling the “luv.”

“No, it wasn’t a hack, it was just a technology glitch in our system that caused that,” duplicate bookings and billings to customers’ debit and credit cards, Ashley Dillon, a Southwest spokeswoman said Saturday.
The company became aware of the problem around 5 p.m. Friday, she said, when they experienced website slowdowns and saw that customers were having to repeatedly refresh pages to take advantage of the airlines’ one-day “luv2like” promotion.

Phelps ends Olympic career with 18th gold

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Phelps ends Olympic career with 18th gold

Originally published: August 4, 2012 9:12 PM

By JEFF WILLIAMS jeff.williams@newsday.com
Michael Phelps made one last climb to the top of the Olympic podium Saturday, made one last bow to have a gold medal ribbon wrapped around his neck and made one long, last glorious goodbye to the adoring fans at the London pool where he became the greatest Olympian of all time.
The Americans' 4x100 medley team won the gold medal Saturday with Phelps, competing in the final event of his career, swimming his typically dominant butterfly leg.
That gold medal was Phelps' 18th in the three Olympic Games beginning in 2004, and boosted his medal total to 22. Both are records for any Olympic sport and athlete.