NBA Free Agency: Analyzing Five Options for Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard will be the center of attention when NBA free agency begins on July 1st (Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images).

NBA Free Agency will begin at 12:01am Eastern Time on July 1st. The most sought after player in this year?s free agent class will be Lakers center Dwight Howard who will meet with five teams this week? in Los Angeles to decide his future. Here is a breakdown of each of those teams chances in the D12 sweepstakes.

Atlanta Hawks

There has been a lot of speculation for the last several months about Dwight Howard and Chris Paul coming to Atlanta to form a big three with Al Horford. Those chances are all but gone now that CP3?s representatives are telling other teams that he is a lock to resign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Howard will still meet with Danny Ferry and Hawks management this week in Los Angeles, but its hard to imagine him returning to his hometown now that Paul is staying on the West Coast. The Hawks Plan B could include resigning Josh Smith and pursuing Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson.

Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban will have the chance for a second straight summer to bring a superstar to the Metroplex. He wasn?t able to convince Deron Williams to return to his hometown a year ago, but he will be in Los Angeles this week with Dirk Nowitzki making a pitch to Dwight Howard. He and Nowitzki (who just turned 35) would form arguably the best center/power forward duo in the NBA. If the Mavericks are able to get Howard, the biggest question remaining is who else would be signed (for likely league minimum deals) to join the core of an aging team. Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, and Vince Carter would have been an upcoming trio to team up with in 2003, not so much in 2013.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors were the breakout team of this year?s NBA season. Stephen Curry reached superstar status and helped Golden State win their first playoff series in six years. Curry along with Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes is part of one of the league?s upcoming teams, however the Warriors are a long shot to sign Dwight Howard this summer, with the team well over the salary cap. Any chance that they have to get him would have to be through a sign and trade agreement, something the Lakers would be hesitant about doing with a team in their own division. Golden State may be entering the Dwight Howard sweepstakes a year too early with the combined $34 million+ salaries of Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson, and Andris Biedrins not coming off the books until next summer. The Warriors will be in a better position to sign a top free agent next summer.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets were unsuccessful in their attempts to trade for Dwight Howard last year, but are now in a much better position to get him this summer. Sometimes one year makes all the difference. 12 months ago, the Rockets were in the midst of a three season playoff drought and were a young team that lacked a superstar presence. 12 months later, the acquisition of James Harden has transformed the Association?s youngest team in to quite an intriguing option for the Howard to consider. Unlike the Mavericks and Hawks, the Rockets would not have to fill out their roster with ancillary players if they can get Howard. James Harden, Chandler Parsons, Omer Asik, and Jeremy Lin is a better group of core players that what he would be joining in Dallas or Atlanta. The Rockets will also be the first team to meet with him once free agency begins.

Los Angeles Lakers

The 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers looked like a team for the ages and a championship contender, after pulling off deals for Dwight Howard and Steve Nash last summer. This past season was a complete bust for a team with such expectations beginning when Mike Brown got fired after five games, continuing with Kobe Bryant?s season ending injury, and concluding with getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. While there is a lot of speculation and rumors that Dwight Howard will sign with one of the teams in Texas, its hard to completely rule out the possibility of him staying with Los Angeles. The Lakers can offer him a guaranteed $118 million contract for five years, while the other teams can offer him up to $88 million over four years. That alone is 30 million reasons why he could decide to play with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol again.

Source: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2013/06/30/nba-free-agency-analyzing-five-options-for-dwight-howard/

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Obama meets Mandela's family, praises ailing anti-apartheid leader

Jerome Delay / AP

President Barack Obama delivers remarks and takes questions at a town hall meeting with young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus in South Africa, on Saturday, June 29.

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

President Barack Obama met privately Saturday with relatives of critically ill anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the midst of a three-nation tour through Africa.

Obama praised the former South African president as a towering historical figure who paved the way to social justice and racial reconciliation in a nation turn asunder by generations of white-minority rule.

"I also reaffirmed the profound impact that his legacy has had in building a free South Africa, and in inspiring people around the world -- including me," Obama said in a statement.

Obama also spoke by telephone with Gra?a Machel, Mandela's wife, while she remained at the 94-year-old former statesman's beside.

"I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones, and also expressed my heartfelt support for the entire family as they work through this difficult time," Obama said, referring to Mandela by his honorary clan name.

The White House announced earlier that Obama, "out of deference to Nelson Mandela's peace and comfort and the family's wishes," would not visit the Pretoria hospital where the ailing leader has spent three weeks being treated for a lung infection.

Meanwhile, police officials fired off stun grenades Saturday to break up a group of about 200 protesters who had congregated outside the Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg, where Obama spoke at a town hall meeting with students. Some demonstrators carried signs depicting Obama with an Adolf Hitler mustache.

54-year-old Ramasimong Tsokolibane told the Associated Press that a host of trade unions and civil society groups protesting outside the university object to Obama's conduct as commander in chief.

Marco Longari / AFP - Getty Images

Shadows are reflected on a wall where a portrait of visiting US President Barak Obama is displayed outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is hospitalized in Pretoria on June 29, 2013.

"People died in Libya. People are still dying in Syria," Tsokolibane told the AP. "In Egypt, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, drones are still killing people. So that's why we are calling him a Hitler. He's a killer."

A June Pew poll found that Obama enjoys widespread popularity among the South African people.

Obama earlier Saturday conducted bilateral talks with South African President Jacob Zuma at the historic Union Buildings. The two leaders held a press conference that touched on a wide range of political issues, from global trade to U.S. immigration reform.

But the focal point of the conference was Mandela's failing health and powerful legacy.

Zuma told assembled reporters that Mandela was in critical but stable condition Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

Obama called on African leaders and political actors across the globe to follow in Mandela's footsteps and put patriotism ahead of personal concerns.

?We as leaders occupy these spaces temporarily and we don?t get so deluded that we think the fate of our country doesn?t depend on how long we stay in office,? Obama said.

Obama honored Mandela again at an official dinner, toasting the iconic leader.

"I propose a toast, to a man who has always been a master of his fate, who taught who that we could be the master of ours, to a proud nation and South Africa's unconquerable soul," he said.

Obama is slated Sunday to visit Robben Island, the former penal colony where South Africa's first black president spent 18 of the 27 years he was locked up in apartheid jails, Reuters reported. He is due to head to Tanzania on Monday.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Obama said the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with Nelson Mandela, who remains hospitalized with a lung infection. NBC's Lester Holt reports.

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Personal Development App for Android - NLP and Hypnosis Audio ...

Personal Development, NLP, Hypnosis, Self Help, Guided Imagery, and Meditation with Michael J. Emery ? Be Confident, Happy, Peaceful ? Exceed Goals, Create Success and Experience Achievements ? Find Motivation, Think Positive, Make Wise Choices and Live!

Source: http://www.michaeljemery.com/apps-2/personal-development-app-android/

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Endorsement watch: The firefighters still don?t like the Mayor (Offthekuff)

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Chrome OS dev channel gains Quickoffice powers, lets users edit native Excel and Word files

Chrome OS hardware continues to proliferate, and on the software front, Google continues to add features to the platform in the hopes of persuading more folks to exit the traditional PC paradigm. Today marks a significant step in achieving that latter goal, as the dev channel of Chrome OS has received the ability to edit Excel and Word files thanks to Quickoffice integration. While it's not ready for public consumption just yet, it shows that Google's getting close to fulfilling its promise to deliver native doc editing to the Pixel and other Chromebooks.

Should you be among those on the dev channel of Chrome OS, you can enable the functionality now by going to chrome://flags, enabling document editing and restarting your machine. According to developer François Beaufort -- the man who discovered the functionality -- editing's still a glitchy process, but the more folks that use the feature now, the faster the problems can be found and fixed. The power of productivity is in your hands, people, so get cracking squashing those bugs!

Filed under: Software, Google

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Fran?ois Beaufort (Google+)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/lbi5dXCPYsA/

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James Bond Lotus Esprit submarine car headed to auction [w/video ...

BOND CAR SURFACES! ICONIC 007 LOTUS ESPRIT 'SUBMARINE' CAR TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER AT RM'S FORTHCOMING LONDON SALE

- RM Auctions lifts the gavel on the one and only functional submarine car, used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, at its eagerly awaited central London sale, 8?9 September
- Fully functioning submarine car was designed and fitted to propel underwater
- The actual car seen, on screen, driving underwater; one of the most famous movie cars of all time
- Never before offered for sale
- Amazing story of 'lost and found'

LONDON (at a top secret location) 28 June, 2013 ? "Pay attention, 007, RM Auctions is about to sell one of my most ingenious creations and we wouldn't want it to fall into enemy hands". Well, 'Q' might be a little concerned that his incredible Lotus Esprit Series 1 'Submarine' Car is due to be sold at auction, but for millions of movie fans out there, the appearance of this iconic Bond car on the open market represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

No Bond car has ever done anything as outrageous as transform itself into a submarine. Used to incredible effect in the film The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore, the white Lotus commonly tops the polls when generations of movie fans are asked to vote on their favourite film cars of all time. Like all the best Bond cars, the Lotus was a veritable war chest of weaponry and gadgetry, all designed to fox and foil the enemy, whilst also helping Bond to another hard-won victory for Queen and country.

The vehicle to be offered by RM Auctions at its forthcoming London sale, 8-9 September, in Battersea Park, is the one and only fully functioning car especially designed and built for the famous underwater sequence seen on screen in the 1977 film. Abundantly authenticated, and known as 'Wet Nellie' on the set, it was developed from one of six Esprit body shells used in the making of the film. As the only car to be built into a fully operational, self-propelled 'submarine', by Perry Oceanographic, based in Riviera Beach, Florida, it is the vehicle which claimed the most screen time in the film. The driver of the car was Don Griffin, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL and test pilot for Perry, who operated the vehicle utilizing its motorized propellers while manoeuvring with levered steering mechanisms. At the time, the car was said to have cost over $100,000 to create (equivalent to nearly a half million dollars today).

Subsequent to filming the underwater scenes in the Bahamas, the vehicle was shipped to Long Island, NY, where it was kept in an unassuming storage unit on a ten year rental, paid in advance. Fate later intervened when, in 1989, the then rent delinquent unit was put up 'blind' for public auction. A modest winning bid from an area couple brought surprise and wonder when the blankets were removed to reveal the iconic 007 'Submarine' Car. After positive authentication, the Lotus was shown occasionally ? including a stint at the Petersen Automotive Museum ? but mostly kept closely under wraps, until now.

Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Auctions, Europe, says: "We have a great track record in selling incredible and iconic movie cars, and this particular Lotus is certainly up there amongst the most famous cars of all time. Over the years, millions of moviegoers have stared in awe as the Lotus transformed itself into a submarine, and now, perhaps one of them will have an opportunity to own it. Her Majesty's Secret Service aside, it surely is the ultimate beach accessory"!

RM Auctions sold "the most famous car in the world", the Aston Martin DB5 used by Sean Connery in the enormously popular Goldfinger and Thunderball movies, for an incredible ?2.9 million during its 2010 London sale.

For further information on RM Auctions' forthcoming London sale, or to view a frequently updated list of entries, visit rmauctions.com or contact RM's London office at +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.

About RM Auctions

RM Auctions is the world's largest auction house for investment-quality automobiles. With over three decades of experience in the collector car industry, RM's vertically integrated range of services, from restoration to private treaty sales, auctions, estate planning, and financial services, coupled with an expert team of car specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM proudly holds five of the top ten all-time records for the most expensive motor cars sold at auction. RM's restoration division has achieved unprecedented accolades, earning Best of Show honours at the world's top concours events. For further information, please visit rmauctions.com, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @rmauctions.

Media Information

If you are interested in attending RM's London auction as a member of the media, please visit www.rmauctions.com/credentials to register for media credentials. For further information, hi-res images, and interview opportunities, please contact

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/28/james-bond-lotus-esprit-submarine-car-headed-to-auction-w-video/

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AP Interview: Moniz sees coal's 'significant role'

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says coal will continue to play a role in meeting America's energy needs even as the Obama administration seeks to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Moniz refuted claims by Republicans and some coal-state Democrats that the president's climate plan would cripple the coal industry.

Moniz said Thursday that the administration plans to offer up to $8 billion in loan guarantees for technologies that can keep carbon dioxide produced by power plants from being released into the atmosphere. Several "carbon capture" demonstration projects are now underway, and Moniz said he expects them to be completed by the end of the decade.

He also said the administration would move more aggressively to make factories and appliances more energy efficient.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-27-US-Climate-Change-Moniz-Interview/id-83c05991f91e469f8a3f1559506ae523

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Bonus Quote of the Day (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Have a brain injury? You may be at higher risk for stroke

June 26, 2013 ? People who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be more likely to have a future stroke, according to research that appears in the June 26, 2013, online issue of Neurology?, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Both stroke and traumatic brain injury are common, costly, and leading causes of severe disability in adults, and approximately 20 percent of strokes occur in adults under age 65," said study author James F. Burke, MD, MS, of the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "A large proportion of stroke risk is unexplained, especially in the young, so if we can identify new risk factors, we have the potential to prevent more strokes and improve outcomes."

For the study, researchers looked at the records of adults who went to the emergency department or were admitted to a hospital for TBI or other trauma with no brain injury in the state of California during a five-year period.

A total of 435,630 people with traumatic brain injury were studied, along with 736,723 people with trauma with no brain injury. Over an average of 28 months following the injury, 11,229 people, or 1 percent, had an ischemic stroke. A total of 1.1 percent of those with TBI suffered a stroke, compared to 0.9 percent of those with trauma with no brain injury. With an ischemic stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is blocked. Eighty percent of strokes are ischemic.

After adjusting for factors that can affect stroke risk, such as age, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as other disorders such as heart disease and the severity of the trauma, the researchers found that people with traumatic brain injury were 30 percent more likely to develop a stroke than those with trauma with no brain injury.

"While the stroke risk of one person with TBI is small, the overall link between TBI and stroke was substantial -- as large as the link between the strongest stroke risk factor, high blood pressure, and stroke," Burke said. "If further research establishes TBI as a new risk factor for stroke, that would stimulate research to help us understand what causes stroke after TBI and help us learn how to prevent these strokes." The study was supported by an advanced fellowship through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/uGaGMsBWMnA/130626162618.htm

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It's complicated: Lots to sort out on gay marriage

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Two landmark Supreme Court rulings that bolster gay marriage rights don't remove all barriers to same-sex unions by a long shot. Where gay couples live still will have a lot to do with how they're treated.

Some questions and answers about Wednesday's court rulings:

Q: Can you boil down these two big rulings ? 104 pages in all ? to the basics?

A: In one case, the court said legally married gay couples are entitled to the same federal benefits available to straight couples. In the other, it cleared the way for gay marriages to resume in California, where voters banned them in 2008.

Q: What type of benefits are we talking about?

A: More than you'd expect. There are more than 1,000 federal laws in which marital status matters, covering everything from income and inheritance taxes to health benefits and pensions. In states where gay marriage is legal, same-sex couples may actually be looking forward to filing their income taxes next April ? married, filing jointly.

Q. Why does it matter where a gay couple lives?

A: Even with Wednesday's ruling, where legally married gay couples live still may affect the federal benefits they can obtain, at least for now. Social Security survivor benefits, for example, depend on where a couple is living when a spouse dies. If that happens in a state that bans or does not recognize the union, it's not for sure that the surviving spouse will be entitled to the payments. Immigration law, meanwhile, only looks at where people were married, not where they live. It's complicated.

Q: What does the U.S. marriage map look like right now?

A: It's a patchwork. Same-sex marriage is legal in 12 states and the District of Columbia ? representing 18 percent of the U.S. population. When gay marriage resumes in California, the figure will jump to 30 percent. Twenty-nine other states have constitutional amendments that ban gay marriage. Six states have laws that ban it. Two states neither allow gay marriage nor ban it.

Q: How many same-sex couples in the U.S. have been legally married?

A: The numbers are squishy. The Pew Research Center estimates there have been at least 71,000 legal marriages since 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize them, but says there are almost certainly more. The Williams Institute, a UCLA-based think tank, says approximately 114,000 couples are legally married and more than 108,000 are in civil unions or registered domestic partnerships. In California alone, 18,000 same-sex couples were married during the 142-day period when gay unions were legal there in 2008.

Q: What's all this talk about DOMA?

A: DOMA is the federal Defense of Marriage Act, enacted in 1996. The court on Wednesday struck down a section of that law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman for purposes of federal law. That's what had denied legally married gay couples access to a host of federal benefits and programs that are available to straight couples.

Q: Why all of the focus Wednesday on California?

A: The second case that the court addressed related to a 2008 state ballot proposition that added a ban on gay marriage to the California Constitution. The court didn't rule on the merits of that ballot proposal, but it left in place a trial court's declaration that the proposition is unconstitutional. That means same-sex weddings could resume in California in about a month, although a federal appeals court there said it may continue to bar gay marriages even longer if proponents of Proposition 8 ask for a rehearing.

Q: What more could the Supreme Court have done?

A: Tons. It could have given gay Americans the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. Instead, it sidestepped the looming question of whether banning gay marriage is unconstitutional.

Q: What's President Barack Obama's take on all of this?

A: He welcomed the ruling striking down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and directed Attorney General Eric Holder to make sure federal laws are in sync with the ruling. (Obama, who endorsed gay marriage last year, broke with his Republican and Democratic predecessors and declined to defend the law in court.) Already, the Defense Department says it is beginning the process to extend health care, housing and other federal benefits to the same-sex spouses of members of the military.

Q: How does the public feel about gay marriage?

A: Public support has grown dramatically in the last few years, with a majority now favoring legal marriage for gay couples. There's even broader support for extending to gay couples the same legal rights and benefits that are available to married straight couples. An Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll last fall found 63 percent favored granting gay couples the same legal benefits straight couples had. And 53 percent favored legal recognition of same-sex marriages.

Q: What happens next?

A: Supporters of gay marriage will keep pressing to legalize same-sex unions in all 50 states. That means more battles in individual states, and more visits to the Supreme Court.

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/complicated-lots-sort-gay-marriage-204458634.html

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Video and Computer Games: A Growing Cultural Force | The ...

Articles

Published on June 26th, 2013 | by Arron Cook

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I am young enough to have been born around the time that video game consoles for the home began to become popular. We had a Sega Megadrive at home, and I played Sonic the Hedgehog with my Dad ? those were fun times.

Over the last 20 years, the kind of content and quality of video games has changed dramatically. Modern game releases are filled with complex story lines, engaging characters and ? like all artistic human expressions ? meanings and meta-narratives.

In 2012, a game was released called Fable 3, a quintessentially English game that falls into the Action/Adventure Role-Playing Game category. The basic premise of the series of games is a typical hero story: a young character (the gamer can choose male or female) experiences some sort of loss in their early life, and must then discover the power within themselves to overcome impossible odds and save the world. Not to put it too dramatically.

The game itself was a landmark in modern video gaming for a number of reasons. The first is that it is a combination of genres and a compilation of experiences. The game has everything from the nitty-gritty of gruelling battle and warfare, to the owning and running of a home, a marriage, a family and friends. The game creates an interactive alternate reality based around moral decision making and the growth of the character that the player controls. The character changes in many ways based on the decisions made, aligning himself or herself as ?good? or ?bad?.

The moral decision aspect of this game is quite interesting. The game can progress in literally hundreds of different ways with numerous endings and consequences, based solely upon the player?s choices. The tag line of the Fable Series (of which I enjoyed both the first and second installments also) has always been, ?For every decision, a consequence?. It is this aspect of the game that I find most stimulating as someone who generally tries to objectively understand and interpret the culture around me.

The game contains a dualistic approach to morality, where actions can be defined as ?good? or ?evil? based upon the consequences they create. This system of moral decision making has always been a hallmark of the series, and makes for engaging playing. But whereas previous Fable games have been almost overly-simplistic in the approach to morality that they have contained, the most recent installment is far more complex it?s outlook and thought. I watched this interview with Peter Molyneux, the chief bod and brain behind the Fable series and found his reflections quite interesting.

As you listen to him describing his vision for the game, it?s clear that he brings to the table a postmodern view of life, where morality is relative and certainly subject to our impulses and desires, rather than imposed upon us from Above. The result is that the kind of decisions the player is faced with in Fable 3 are tougher, far less dualistic questions of moral choice. Early on in the game, the player is forced to decide between the death of a love interest and close friend, or the leaders of a demonstration against a tyrannical ruler (the chief antagonist for most of the game). Neither party appears to deserve death in the context of the choice ? all that the player has left to fall back upon is preference. The concept is intriguing, isn?t it? That in this virtual and alternate reality, people are being faced with moral decisions and moral consequences.

And notice that I say people ? not children. Originally, video and computer games took their place in society as a pass-time for children that kept them out of trouble. But the reality now is that they have become in my opinion, adult in their themes and content, as well as a significant cultural influence, akin to other forms of media such as newspapers, magazines and television. I think Fable 3 is a persuasive piece of proof that evidences this, in that it?s voice acting for the story line and characters includes an absolutely all-star cast of famous British actors, authors and television personalities, including Jonathan Ross (Presenter), Stephen Fry (Actor, Author and Host), Zoe Wanamaker (Actress), John Cleese (Actor), Simon Pegg (Actor) and others. To have names this big involved in a project of this size (there are over 47 hours of recorded vocals in Fable 3) surely reveals that this product is not intended for just children. If you needed further persuasion, the mature content that the game contains seals the deal.

Christians need to exercise discernment about these issues. We are very foolish if we blanketly pretend that there is no danger and nothing wrong in some aspects of the gaming industry. Some of the content of the games that children are bought by their parents is simply despicable ? content that no Christian of any age could righteously view and enjoy. There are plenty of video games that glorify sinful actions, desires and choices by making them appear to be more enjoyable than choices of a good and wholesome nature. Children need to be protected from the ungodly values portrayed as desirable in many video games today ? parental oversight is absolutely essential to the safe use of these products.

But we go astray also when we swing to the opposite extreme and brand video and computer games as the height of all evil and expressions of the Devil himself. There are plenty of games that can be enjoyed to the glory of God, as we sanctify them by the Word and Prayer ? that is, we use them in accordance with the principles of God?s Word and give thanks to God for them with sincerity (1 Tim. 4:5).

So how then are we to think about these things in a redeemed way?

Unarguably, it?s certainly possible to sin using video games. They can consume too much of time, drain to much of our resources, and generally become an overall waste of life. It is in this way that most young men in our society play them.

Another sin that often uses video games as a means of expression is pride. Plenty of games out there today emphasis the personal greatness and glory of the player, and competition of all varieties can be an opportunity for pride ? the same applies to sport and board games! Christians are not to be boastful or arrogant in any thing they do ? and yet plenty of people play video games in an attitude of selfish, vain-glorying, where all that matters is personal greatness.

Sometimes people plough their energies into video games because it gives them a sense of significance that they cannot find anywhere else. For the Christian, we find our identity in Christ and Him Crucified, and nowhere else. If we will not let Jesus be Lord of how we use our Xbox consoles and PC?s, what hope have we of making any difference to this our generation? When people who seek their identity in video games turn to them for significance, it?s often the reaction of their pride to the reality of their personal failure. Because they don?t feel like they can be somebody in the real world, they have to try and be somebody in a pretend world ? a world where being significant is much easier than in this one.

One way it?s helped me to think about it is this: when I?m gaming, am I being asked to, or doing anything with the character I?m playing that I wouldn?t do in real life? If I were actually in the situation, what would I do? If I can?t do that, then maybe this game isn?t the kind of game I should play, lest I indulge in themes, ideas or actions that are not pure and lovely. Obviously you can take this too far ? but I?ve found it to be a useful litmus test for my heart.

I don?t think the Church can ignore video games for too much longer. We need to start thinking about and asking ourselves if and how we can use video games to God?s glory ? and maybe even for the extension of the Kingdom. We need Christians in this field, producing content, influencing the direction of the industry and standing for what it right, and pure and true and lovely.

And if we want to understand the rising generation of young people, the video games that they play have a tremendous influence upon how they think and feel about life, personal identity, right and wrong, and what really matters. If we want to understand these people, we can?t remain ignorant of what the biggest and best games out there are really all about.

May God help us to do all things to His Glory, and to understand those around us that we might be clearer channels of His Gospel and Grace.

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Do you play video games? Do you agree with Arron?s take? How should Christians engage with video games and the gaming industry? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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About the Author

Arron Cook is 23, married to Georgina and has a one-year-old son called Luke! He was converted in 2006 and is from the North of England, UK. Arron likes reading and writing, basketball, blogging and playing hide and seek with Luke. Arron is an occasional preacher in his local area and works in business development.

Source: http://therebelution.com/blog/2013/06/video-and-computer-games-a-growing-cultural-force/

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NJ archbishop wary of pacts on priest oversight

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Newark is unlikely to enter into any new agreements with civil authorities that require church leaders to supervise priests on restricted duty, the archbishop said.

Rather than oversee a priest who had a case in the legal system, the archdiocese would tell him to "go back for a second trial and clear your name," Archbishop John J. Myers told the National Catholic Register in an interview released Tuesday.

"The state has more resources," he added.

Myers has been under fire for how the archdiocese handled the case of the Rev. Michael Fugee, a priest who violated an agreement between the church and the Bergen County prosecutor's office.

The accord allowed Fugee to return to ministry, but it barred him from having unsupervised contact with minors or a job that required him to oversee or minister to children under 18. The archdiocese and the prosecutor's office signed the deal in 2007 after Fugee's conviction on charges of aggravated criminal sexual contact were thrown out on appeal.

Fugee confessed to police that during a vacation with a parishioner and her son, he wrestled with the boy and "grabbed his crotch." At his trial, lawyers argued his confession was coerced.

Despite the agreement, Fugee became a fixture at a youth ministry in Colts Neck, went on overnight trips with the group and heard confession from teenagers.

Myers said archdiocesan officials did not know Fugee was working with children, and he did not request permission to minister in other dioceses.

Fugee resigned from the ministry in May and cannot present himself as a priest, though he remains one. Prosecutors have charged him with seven counts of violating a judicial order.

A spokeswoman for the Bergen County prosecutor's office did not return a request for comment.

In the interview, Myers defended the decision to allow Fugee back into ministry after an archdiocesan review board cleared him to do so. He said Fugee claimed in court the confession was written "by mistake" and he denied "any wrongdoing several times."

Myers said there are "more grays than black and white," in Fugee's case.

"What I don't think we will do again is enter into an agreement with a civil authority that gives the supervisory function to the archdiocese," he said. "We would not enter into a memorandum of understanding that places a burden on the church."

Myers also said he and other bishops discussed that supervising accused priests is "a problem" under the bishops' child protection policy, formally known as the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

"What if a priest moves to Florida? How do we supervise them?" he asked.

Myers said Fugee is currently living at a rectory. About 16 or 17 priests are currently under supervision in the diocese, Myers said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nj-archbishop-wary-pacts-priest-oversight-183630105.html

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SK Telecom launches the world's first LTE-Advanced network, and the Galaxy S4 LTE-A

Just days after an LTE-Advanced variant of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 leaked, Korean carrier SK Telecom has officially announced it's launching the world's first publicly available LTE-Advanced wireless network. The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is also official (in red or blue) as the first device able to take advantage of the new technology for even faster data transmission speeds. According to the press release, SK Telecom plans to have as many as seven LTE-A devices available by the end of the year, all capable of up to 150Mbps. While SK Telecom is using Carrier Aggregation and Coordinated Multi Point technology to improve speeds right now, it will add Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination in 2014 to go even faster. After that, it suggest carrier aggregation will improve to support higher speeds and faster uploads in subsequent years.

To take advantage of the higher speeds, SK Telecom's Btv IPTV service will begin offering 1080p video streaming in early July. That will be accompanied by enhanced multiview baseball broadcasts, more free videos, an HD video shopping service with six channels on one screen in August and the addition of FLAC audio files via its music package. Right now, the company has Seoul covered in LTE-A, and plans to eventually offer it in 84 cities, all at the same price as existing LTE service. Check after the break for the press release with all the details, plus video of a speed test.

Update: We've just come across another juicy tidbit that makes the Galaxy S4 LTE-A all the more worthwhile -- it'll ship with a Snapdragon 800 SoC that contains a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU, plus 32GB of built-in storage and a 2,600mAh battery. It goes without saying that this phone will be speedy on all angles. As spotted by SlashGear, the new GS4 variant will also see the debut of a new Samsung software feature: ImageON. Explained as a Google Googles-esque app, it'll automatically analyse photos and offer up related videos and "extend access to relevant content on the internet."

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Samsung Tomorrow (1), (2)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/25/sk-telecom-lte-advanced-galaxy-s-4/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Texas abortion bill falls after challenge

Members of the gallery cheer and chant as the Texas Senate tries to bring an abortion bill to a vote as time expires, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Amid the deafening roar of abortion rights supporters, Texas Republicans huddled around the Senate podium to pass new abortion restrictions, but whether the vote was cast before or after midnight is in dispute. If signed into law, the measures would close almost every abortion clinic in Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Members of the gallery cheer and chant as the Texas Senate tries to bring an abortion bill to a vote as time expires, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Amid the deafening roar of abortion rights supporters, Texas Republicans huddled around the Senate podium to pass new abortion restrictions, but whether the vote was cast before or after midnight is in dispute. If signed into law, the measures would close almost every abortion clinic in Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, left, who tries to filibuster an abortion bill, reacts as time expires, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Amid the deafening roar of abortion rights supporters, Texas Republicans huddled around the Senate podium to pass new abortion restrictions, but whether the vote was cast before or after midnight is in dispute. If signed into law, the measures would close almost every abortion clinic in Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, reacts after she was called for a rules violation during her filibusters of an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Davis was given a second warning for breaking filibuster rules. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Hundreds line up to enter the Senate Chamber spills into multiple levels of the rotunda as Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, left, votes against a motion to call for a rules violation during her filibusters of an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. Davis was given a second warning for breaking filibuster rules by receiving help from Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, with a back brace. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Despite barely beating a midnight deadline, hundreds of jeering protesters helped stop Texas lawmakers from passing one of the toughest abortion measures in the country.

As the protesters raised the noise to deafening levels in the Texas Senate chamber late Tuesday, Republicans scrambled to gather their colleagues at the podium for a stroke-of-midnight vote.

"Get them out!" Sen. Donna Campbell shouted to a security guard, pointing to the thundering crowd in the gallery overhead that had already been screaming for more than 10 minutes.

"Time is running out," Campbell pleaded. "I want them out of here!"

It didn't work. The noise never stopped and despite barely beating the midnight end-of-session deadline with a vote to pass the bill, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the chaos in the chamber prevented him from formally signing it before the deadline passed, effectively killing it.

Dewhurst denounced the protesters as an "unruly mob." Democrats who urged them on called the outburst democracy in action.

In either point of view, a raucous crowd of chanting, singing, shouting demonstrators effectively took over the Texas Capitol and blocked a bill that abortion rights groups warned would close most abortion clinics in the state.

"They were asking for their voices to be heard," said Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, who spent nearly 11 hours trying to filibuster the bill before the outburst. "The results speak for themselves."

The final outcome took several hours to sort out.

Initially, Republicans insisted the vote started before the midnight deadline and passed the bill that Democrats spent the day trying to kill. But after official computer records and printouts of the voting record showed the vote took place Wednesday, and then were changed to read Tuesday, senators retreated into a private meeting to reach a conclusion.

At 3 a.m., Dewhurst emerged from the meeting still insisting the 19-10 vote was in time, but said, "with all the ruckus and noise going on, I couldn't sign the bill" and declared it dead.

He denounced the more than 400 protesters who staged what they called "a people's filibuster" from 11:45 p.m. to well past midnight. He denied mishandling the debate.

"I didn't lose control (of the chamber). We had an unruly mob," Dewhurst said. He even hinted that Gov. Rick Perry may immediately call another 30-day special session, adding: "It's over. It's been fun. But see you soon."

Many of the protesters had flocked to the normally quiet Capitol to support Davis, who gained national attention and a mention from President Barack Obama's campaign Twitter account. Her Twitter following went from 1,200 in the morning to more than 20,000 by Tuesday night.

"My back hurts. I don't have a lot of words left," Davis said when it was over and she was showered with cheers by activists who stayed at the Capitol to see her. "It shows the determination and spirit of Texas women."

Davis' mission was cut short but her effort ultimately helped Democrats earn a rare victory in a Legislature dominated by Republicans for more than a decade.

"It's a bad bill," said Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin, leader of the Senate Democrats.

The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. Also, doctors would be required to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles ? a tall order in rural communities.

If signed into law, the measures would have closed almost every abortion clinic in Texas, a state 773 miles wide and 790 miles long with 26 million people. A woman living along the Mexico border or in West Texas would have to drive hundreds of miles to obtain an abortion if the law passed. The law's provision that abortions be performed at surgical centers means only five of Texas' 42 abortion clinics are currently designated to remain in operation.

Republicans and anti-abortion groups insisted their goal was to improve women's health care, but also acknowledged wanting clinics to close.

"If this passes, abortion would be virtually banned in the state of Texas, and many women could be forced to resort to dangerous and unsafe measures," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and daughter of the late former Texas governor Ann Richards.

The showdown came after Davis had slogged her way through about 11 hours of speaking while Senate Republicans ? and several House members ? watched and listened for any slipup that would allow them to end the filibuster and call a vote.

Democrats chose Davis, of Fort Worth, to lead the effort because of her background; she had her first child as a teenager and went on to graduate from Harvard Law School.

Rules stipulated she remain standing, not lean on her desk or take any breaks ? even for meals or to use the bathroom. But she also was required to stay on topic, and Republicans pointed out a mistake and later protested again when another lawmaker helped her with a back brace.

Lawmakers can vote to end a filibuster after three sustained points of order. As tension mounted over Davis' speech and the dwindling clock, Campbell, a first-term lawmaker from New Braunfels, made the call on the third violation, sparking nearly two hours of debate on how to handle it.

After much back and forth and senators shouting over each other, the Republican majority forced a vote to end the filibuster minutes before midnight, sparking the raucous response from protesters.

Senate security and several Department of Public Safety state troopers tried to quiet the crowd but were simply outnumbered and had no hope of stopping the outburst.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, blamed the confusion surrounding the final vote on the demonstrators and Democratic senators who urged them on.

"Had that not happened, everyone would have known," what was happening, Patrick said.

Standing next to him was Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, a Democrat.

"This is democracy," Hinojosa said. "They have a right to speak."

___

Senate Bill 5: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=831&Bill=SB5

___

Follow Jim Vertuno on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JimVertuno .

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cltomlinson

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-26-Abortion%20Restrictions-Texas/id-a890e5d586df44e79455be928199b661

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Presidential palace in Afghanistan attacked

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The Taliban say they have hit one of the most secure areas of the Afghan capital with a suicide attack, as a series of explosion rocked the gate leading into the presidential palace.

Smoke rose from the eastern gate of the palace early Tuesday after more than a half dozen explosions and at least 45 minutes of on-and-off small arms fire.

The Taliban sent a quick text-message statement saying "we brought death to the enemy."

The palace is in a large fortified area of downtown Kabul that also includes the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters for the NATO-led coalition forces.

Reporters gathering for an event with President Hamid Karzai counted at least seven or eight explosions starting about 6:30 a.m.

Police had no immediate comment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-attack-presidential-palace-afghanistan-030026459.html

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Finds Its Star

Disney has cast relative newcomer Ed Oxenbould to play the title role in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Disney?s adaptation of the popular kids book.

Oxenbould joins Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner in the production which will be directed by Miguel Arteta.

A classic since it was published in 1972, Bad Day was written by Judith Viorst and centers on a boy (Oxenbould) who has a very horrible day and finds out that other people can have them too.

In the script, written by Lisa Cholodenko and Rob Lieber, the boy has a terrible day and wishes his family experienced his suffering, which they later do.

Oxenbould, who appeared in a Australian TV series titled Puberty Blues, is managed in the U.S. by Dan Spilo and Laura Hersh at Industry Entertainment and in Australia by Sophie Jermyn at Sophie Jermyn Management.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927730/news/1927730/

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Evernote Sharpens Up Its Picture-Annotating App Skitch For Mac

After a rough couple of months last year when users slammed Evernote for updates to image-annotation app Skitch that they believed were for the worse, today the company is releasing a new version of the Mac app. While the company is still taking slow steps for how it integrates Skitch into Evernote -- this was one of the bones of contention for legacy Skitch users in how the app was updated -- it is continuing to add more features like better drawing capabilities, part of Evernote's longer-term strategy to create productivity tools that draw more people to its platform and make Evernote an ever-more useful product.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/me7bx0m36kQ/

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Border security amendment clears hurdle, bolstering chances for immigration bill (Washington Post)

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For second time in 12 hours, suspicious object detonated at ...

The Minton-Capeheart federal building was evacuated as Indianapolis police bomb detonated a suspicious object Monday, June 24.

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

A woman was in custody Monday after police detonated a suspicious object at a federal building in Indianapolis, only hours after they blew up a suspicious package at a second federal building nearby, authorities told NBC News.

The Minton-Capehart building in downtown Indianapolis houses offices of the IRS, the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies had been evacuated early Monday afternoon after an object registered a possible hit for explosives as it was being scanned through security X-rays about 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), authorities said.

The object was spotted in a woman's bag as it passed through a security X-ray, authorities told NBC News. The woman who brought the object to the building was being questioned by the FBI, NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis?reported.

The explosion came about 12 hours after the Indianapolis police bomb squad detonated a backpack at the U.S. Courthouse about four blocks away.

A police dog "hit" on the package about 3 a.m., police said, and it was detonated after nearby hotels were warned.

Police told WTHR that fireworks and marijuana were found in the bag.

Both facilities were cleared and had been reopened by the middle of the afternoon.

Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/24/19119164-for-second-time-in-12-hours-suspicious-object-detonated-at-indianapolis-federal-facility

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Italy court convicts Berlusconi on sex charges

By Silvia Aloisi and Sara Rossi

MILAN (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi was handed a seven-year jail sentence on Monday for abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor, adding to the complications facing Italy's fragile left-right government.

The former prime minister will not have to serve any jail time before he has exhausted an appeals process that could take years, but the conviction angered members of his centre-right party who questioned whether he should continue to support the coalition.

The 76-year-old media tycoon expressed outrage at the verdict which he said was politically motivated.

"An incredible sentence has been issued of a violence never seen or heard of before, to try to eliminate me from the political life of this country," Berlusconi said in a statement.

"Yet again I intend to resist against this persecution because I am absolutely innocent and I don't want in any way to abandon my battle to make Italy a country that is truly free and just."

Berlusconi's lawyers announced they would appeal against the ruling that also banned him from holding public office.

Berlusconi was found guilty of paying for sex with former teenage nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, better known under her stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", during "bunga bunga" sex parties at his palatial home near Milan.

The panel of three women judges also convicted him of abuse of office by arranging to have El Mahroug released from police custody when she was held in a separate theft case.

The verdict closes a two-year trial that has mesmerized Italy with its accounts of wild sex parties at the billionaire's villa outside Milan while he was premier in 2010.

Several members of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party have urged him to withdraw his backing for the government of centre-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta, which needs the PDL's support.

"It's disgusting, a disgrace," one of his most faithful lieutenants, senior party official Daniela Santanche, told reporters in front of the Milan court.

She said the ruling would not impact the functioning of the government, but other Berlusconi allies were less conciliatory.

"It is absurd to think that the current government can continue to work calmly while the leader of one of the parties backing it is being massacred politically," said PDL senator Sandro Bondi.

Letta's Democratic Party (PD), which was dealt its own blow on Monday by the resignation of Equal Opportunities and Sports Minister Josefa Idem over a tax evasion scandal, said the Berlusconi verdict should be respected and called on the PDL to show restraint.

Berlusconi says the purported sex parties were elegant dinners where the female guests performed "burlesque" shows. El Mahroug denied having sex with Berlusconi.

CALL TO POLICE

In the verdict, the judges said around 30 witnesses in the case, including Deputy Foreign Minister Bruno Archi, should be investigated for perjury for their testimony in favor of Berlusconi.

In May 2010, the then-prime minister called a Milan police station to instruct officials to release El Mahroug, who was being held on suspicion of stealing a 3,000 euro ($3,900)bracelet.

A Brazilian prostitute who lived with El Mahroug had called the premier on his mobile phone to tell him she had been arrested, prosecutors said.

Berlusconi's lawyers have said he made the call to avoid a diplomatic incident because he believed that El Mahroug, who is actually Moroccan, was the grand-daughter of Hosni Mubarak, then the Egyptian president.

The prosecution said he was anxious to cover up the relations he had with her at his sex parties.

The media magnate has recently used his own television stations to promote his version of events, with his flagship Canale 5 channel broadcasting a prime-time documentary on the so-called "Ruby Trial".

The verdict is only part of Berlusconi's legal problems. Last month an appeals court upheld a four-year jail sentence against him for orchestrating a tax fraud scheme in his business dealings - leaving him just one more appeal, at the Supreme Court, which could come within a year.

Despite Berlusconi's professions of loyalty to Letta, he may eventually prefer to gamble on another election, in which he could potentially become prime minister once again.

Even if he opts to keep backing the government, the verdict could make parts of Letta's PD party highly uneasy and increase the coalition's instability, according to Giovanni Orsina, professor of contemporary history at Rome's Luiss University.

"The PD would be in the same majority with a person who has been condemned in the first degree for juvenile prostitution, which is not a trivial issue," he said before the ruling. "It would add up to a difficult situation." ($1 = 0.7637 euros)

(Additional reporting by Manuela D'Alessandro; Writing by Gavin Jones and James Mackenzie; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-court-finds-berlusconi-guilty-sex-charges-153729068.html

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