Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/322769019?client_source=feed&format=rss
glock 121212 Concert Columbine shooting Ryan Lanza Facebook Connecticut shooting Nancy Lanza school shootings
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Why are so many people outraged at Manning's guilty verdict?
Pfc. Bradley Manning's conviction yesterday for violations of the Espionage Act and theft of government property was inevitable the moment his defense settled on a position of moral righteousness, rather than a denial of the specific actions, as the best way to achieve an acquittal.
Fair enough. Army prosecutors had him dead to rights as the leaker of a trove of classified diplomatic cables and military battlefield reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. So from the position of the defense, an argument that it was someone else was never going to fly after hacker Adrian Lamo dobbed him in with incriminating online chats.
But the outrage of many antisecrecy activists and fellow travelers over the conviction (Manning was acquitted on the most serious and frankly absurd charges of "aiding the enemy") isn't that the wrong man has been tried. It's that the US government, and particularly the US Army, are punishing him for revealing secrets he was sworn to protect. In the view of his supporters, the secrets themselves are the crime, not the man who revealed them.
Consider the comments of Wikileaks boss Julian Assange on Democracy Now this morning. "The verdict is clearly an attempt to crush whistleblowers. It will not crush whistleblowers," he said.
Mr. Assange referred to what he calls a system of "information apartheid" in which agents of the "deep state" provide access to information to a select group of insiders, leaving the majority of the people as second-class citizens. "We have a situation now that young people like Edward Snowden (and Manning)... don't like that. They don't accept that, that the US Constitution can be violated, that international human rights norms can be violated, that this system of information apartheid can exist."
"At the very minimum I think he could have been charged with mishandling classified information," Assange continued. "Of course, I think he should be acquitted of such a charge because under the First Amendment and a number of other obligations we all have he should be free to break one obligation to fulfill another, the higher obligations of exposing crimes and satisfying the Constitution."
Snowden is the leaker of National Security Agency information, primarily to Glenn Greenwald at The Guardian, that has invigorated a dormant debate in the US about the extent and appropriateness of US government surveillance. There are legitimate concerns that some of the NSA programs he disclosed violate the US Constitution's Fourth Amendment on unreasonable search and seizure (both the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are pursuing constitutional challenges to NSA activities revealed by Snowden).
But in the case of Manning, it's not clear that anything was revealed in his leaks beyond the horrors of war and reams of fairly routine diplomatic collection and reporting. The First Amendment, which guarantees free speech in the US? It doesn't now and never has protected soldiers or anyone else who violate their oaths. Human rights norms? Well, in the view of Assange and the many people who agree with him, it does appear that the mere existence of secrecy is some kind of human rights violation. It's an extreme pose, a blend of libertarianism and anarchism, that has grown in popularity of late, particularly among the young and computer savvy, and a position that Manning appears to hold.?
In May 2010, Manning told Lamo, shortly before Lamo turned him in to the authorities, that he'd provided documents to Wikileaks because "it belongs in the public domain. Information should be free."
That's an echo of Stewart Brand's comment in the early 1980s that "information wants to be free" that has been taken up by a variety of anarchist and techo-utopian cliques who oppose secrecy. Manning clearly thinks he was doing a public good - everything that's known about him points to a purity of motive, a troubled young man disturbed by the reality of war. And to supporters like Assange, he's a hero. As Assange said this morning: "Bradley Manning is a martyr... Manning is being put into a position quite unjustly where he's facing 136 years that brings disrepute upon the United State's government and its system of judgement."
For Manning, Snowden, and many of their supporters the belief is that a public interest defense trumps all. They revealed things that the public had an interest in knowing, some of it (in their view) illegal. Therefore, the judgment of the leakers should be substituted for the rules and laws they agreed to abide by and that the government relies on to compel compliance from employees in sensitive national security positions.
In the case of Manning, subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) as a soldier, that means he didn't have rights to things that civilian Americans assume as a matter of course. He wasn't tried by a jury of his peers and the judge in his case, Judge Denise Lind, is a direct employee of the branch of government that was demanding he be sent to jail (she's a Colonel in the army). And he was treated abominably in detention - the nine months he was kept in solitary confinement after his initial arrest is and was an unconscionable abuse.
This is unfair, right? Well, it may be unfair. Or not. "Fair" is relative. It's certainly foreign to civilians. But there are strong arguments for the difference.
The US military (and other militaries) exists for one, brutal purpose: To destroy foreign enemies ("enemy" to be defined by civilian politicians, elected by the people). Young soldiers and marines are expected to go into combat where some of them will almost certainly die or be maimed, to endure hardships and risks when called on that the vast majority of Americans simply can't fathom, and to follow orders at the snap of the figure in the middle of these chaotic and dangerous environments.
Soldiers in the rear like Manning are expected to manage information flows - and keep information secret that could put the mission and the soldiers at the sharp end of the spear in harm's way.
The military simply can't tolerate individuals substituting their own judgment for that of their superiors about what's best for the mission, or best for the US. Yes, the Nuremberg Trials established a precedent of sorts that soldiers should refuse unlawful orders, as regards to crimes against humanity. But Manning didn't refuse an unlawful order as that's commonly understood. His choice was to leak a vast trove of a material under various classifications to a multinational group of activists who released it all wholesale to the world.
As a reporter, I'm torn about this. I'm glad for the leaks and have used the diplomatic cables in reporting from time to time. In April 2010 I wrote approvingly about the first leak from Manning (unknown at the time) via WikiLeaks - the video from a camera of an Apache helicopter in Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists and about nine other Iraqis in 2007.
I knew some of the Reuters journalists who had spent years trying to get to the bottom of the incident against Pentagon stonewalling, and was glad that a greater degree of truth about the incident had finally come out, though I was also trouble by Assange's editing of the video and decision to brand it "Collateral Murder" - as it allowed no consideration, and betrayed no understanding, about how these things sometimes happen in war zones. I remain curious about Wikileaks' assertion at the time, now scarcely remembered, that the source of the video was "military whistleblowers" (plural).
In the long-run it turns out Manning's leaks changed very little. No crimes have been brought to light - nor any great long-term damage done to US interests. Did people see more of the horrible toll of America's war thanks to his releases? Yes. But does that therefore mean that soldiers have the right to ignore the chain of command and release vast amounts of classified information to the public, based on how they feel about it? Remember, that Manning's leaks ended up doing little harm to US interests is a far different thing than knowing they would do little harm at the time he made his decision.?
Sentencing for Manning is yet to come. A long stretch in prison is virtually assured, and the US Army will be pleased with that, as something that will make the next would-be Manning think twice. But there are growing numbers of young people who view secrecy as inherently suspect, ones that are precisely the sort of people the military and US intelligence agencies are looking for to man their increasingly computer-intensive operations. That there will be another Manning, some day, seems assured.
Related stories
Read this story at csmonitor.com
Become a part of the Monitor community
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-many-people-outraged-mannings-guilty-verdict-185832355.html
What Time Does The Superbowl Start 2013 Psalm 91 Super Bowl 2013 Commercials Evasi0n Superdome Iron Man 3 Trailer Super Bowl 2013
Chris Christie and Rand Paul Reveal a Huge GOP Divide
(Left) Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul speaks with reporters at the 114th annual VFW National Convention on Monday, July 22, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. (Right) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative America's meeting Friday, June 14, 2013, in Chicago, Ill.
The spat between New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul defines, in a way, the fundamental issue that divides the country: that of the role of government in protecting, monitoring and bailing out the American public.?
Unfortunately for the GOP, the fight is between two Republicans who are being discussed as possible contenders in the 2016 presidential nomination race. Not only does the snit expose campaign-damaging, election-losing divisions within the party itself, but the fight has such a schoolyard quality to it that it doesn't much end up benefiting either possible candidate.
It started when Christie, the blunt-talking defender of all things New Jersey, questioned the approach by some of the party's ardent libertarians, of whom Paul is a leader. Such pols don't want to use government funds for much of anything, and especially not to help the needier in society. Said Christie:
[See a collection of political cartoons on the Republican Party.]
You can name any number of people and he's [Paul's] one of them. These esoteric, intellectual debates ? I want them to come to New Jersey and sit across from the widows and the orphans and have that conversation. And they won't, because that's a much tougher conversation to have
Fighting words, even by New Jersey standards. Paul responded without a trace of Southern gentility, saying:
They're precisely the same people who are unwilling to cut the spending, and their 'Gimme, gimme, gimme ? give me all my Sandy money now.' Those are the people who are bankrupting the government and not letting enough money be left over for national defense.
Paul, to his credit, has been intellectually consistent on this theme, arguing against spending across the board. But it's a stretch to say the money Congress approved (after unprecedented opposition from non-northeastern Republicans) to help victims of the superstorm is somehow what broke the federal budget. That serious problem ? and Paul should be commended for taking it seriously ? has been building for decades, surely long before the storm left thousands homeless and traumatized. And it's the coldest way to argue against federal spending. If we can't help people who have been left with nothing through no fault of their own, whom can we help? Wall Street created its own mess and got bailed out anyway.
[See a collection of political cartoons on the budget and deficit.]
Christie was ready with the trump card, noting that New Jersey is, in fact, a "donor state," meaning that the state's residents send far more money in taxes to the federal government than they get back in services. Paul's old Kentucky home, meanwhile, is a beneficiary, getting, Christie noted, more than a buck and a half for every dollar it sends to Washington.
And here is where the GOP's troubles lie. It tends to be the more anti-government states that actually benefit from the redistribution of resources engineered by the federal government they so distrust. And it's the donor states that tend to lean more Democratic. In Mitt Romney's makers-and-takers view of the world, the "takers" are the ones lambasting the redistribution to begin with.
There's a serious and important conversation to be had over what we want our government to do, and how much we're willing to pay for it. But the tenor of the Paul-Christie fight doesn't anything more than remind voters that the GOP does not have a unified and clear idea of what that is.
Malaysia Building Society Bhd achieves pre-tax profit of RM484.7mil ...
KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 ? Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) achieved a pre-tax profit of RM484.7 million, an increase of 107.9 per cent, for the six months period ended June 30, 2013, from RM233.1 million chalked up the
same period last year.
The improved financial results were mainly due to increased net income from Islamic banking operations.
?The improved financial results were contributed by retail business.
?Nevertheless, our corporate business lending activities have also shown marked improvements with disbursements for the first six months of this year up 42.1 per cent as compared to last year,? said President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Ahmad Zaini Othman in a statement today.
The strong results also improved the group?s net return on equity of 38.0 per cent, as at June 30, 2013, from 37.6 per cent as at March 31, 2013, respectively.
As at June 30, 2013, net loan advances and financing stood at RM29.2 billion, an increase of 20.2 per cent, compared with RM24.3 billion registered as of Dec 31,2012.
?The group?s non-performing loans ratio stood at 3.2 per cent as at June 30, 2012, from 4.5 per cent recorded on Dec 31, 2012,? he said.
On deposits from customers, Zaini said it stood at RM26.6 billion as at June 30, 2013, up 23.8 per cent, from RM21.5 billion chalked up as of Dec 31, 2012.- BERNAMA
blackhawks Antoni Gaudà Bobby Blue Bland Zara Hartshorn SCOTUS nadal Nina Agdal
Toyota: we sell 6 out of 10 hybrids in California
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Source: www.greencarcongress.com --- Monday, July 29, 2013
As Ford has rapidly gained hybrid marketshare in the US?and become even more aggressive about pointing that out especially vis-?-vis Toyota ( earlier post )?Toyota has swung back with an analysis pointing to its sales strength in California?the leading hybrid market in the US?as well as its leading position with the technology. The hybrid industry has become competitive, but our wide-range of hybrid vehicles continue to deliver high value and strong attributes to both new and loyal customers. With sales of 5.3 million hybrids globally and over 2 million in the U.S., we the are undisputed leader in hybrid vehicle technology and remain committed to building on our momentum and growing the acceptance of hybrid technology throughout the U.S. ?Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. Ford?s share of the US electrified vehicle market has grown to nearly 16% in the first half of 2013?a 12-point gain over last year. According to data from R.L. Polk capturing registration year-to-date through May 2013, Californians bought five times more Toyota hybrids than its nearest competitor, Ford, Toyota said. General Motor?s Chevrolet brand came in third with 6%. California registration data year-to-date through May 2013 shows Californians bought more Toyota hybrids than Ford sold passenger cars within its entire line-up. ...
Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/07/toyota-20130730.html
9/11 Jerry Lawler Samsung Galaxy S3 bachelor pad bachelor pad Green Coffee Bean Extract september 11
Humane Society University Opens Registration for Fall 2013 Online ...
July?30,?2013
Anyone interested in advocacy and making a difference for animals can register for Humane Society University Fall 1 2013 classes.
Humane Society University's School of Continuing Education provides career enhancement and skill development for professionals and volunteers in the dynamic and growing fields of animal welfare and animal sheltering, as well as law enforcement, the non-profit sector, and advocacy or education work.
Online courses will include topics such as:
- ?Non-Legislative Targets: Changing Corporate Policies,? which will provide students with the strategies to be an effective animal advocate in the corporate arena;
- ?Managing Conflict and Resolving Problems,? which will help students address the interpersonal challenges faced in the field of animal welfare; and
- ?Small Animals: Care and Adoption,? which will focus on how to address the needs and habits of a range of small and exotic animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters and who are the best matches for these animals.
All registrations must be received by August 1.
Source: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news_briefs/2013/07/HSU-opens-fall-2013-registration-073013.html
pope shenouda bolton muamba crystal cathedral sxsw st. patrick s day brandon lloyd brandon lloyd
A Fuelband-like Collar Shows You What Life Is Like As a Polar Bear
Those nifty Fuelbands and activity trackers can measure pretty much anything you do
Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-fuelband-like-collar-shows-you-what-life-is-like-as-a-970431674
mermaids Memorial Day Quotes Epic Tim Curry bridge collapse Fast And Furious 6 Tony Kanaan
Wendi Deng hires attorney William Zabel to handle Murdoch divorce
murdoch 
6 hours ago
Matt Sayles / AP
In this Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, file photo, Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng arrive at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.
Wendi Deng is bringing in the big guns.
Deng has hired the well-known New York attorney William Zabel to represent her in her divorce from Rupert Murdoch, CNBC has learned.
Zabel, a founding partner of Schulte Roth & Zabel, is one of the top trust and estate attorneys in the country, and he's helped settle a lot of high-profile divorces involving wealthy clients such as former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and radio shock-jock Howard Stern.
Deng's side expects this will be an "amicable divorce," sources told CNBC.
Zabel likes to do things quietly without a lot of public motions and litigation. The Murdochs had pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.
Under the terms of the pre-nup, Deng would receive less than $20 million, according to sources familiar with the agreement. Murdoch's wealth is estimated around $11 billion.
(Read more:The world's most expensive divorce settlements)
But her team is looking at three broad areas for negotiation to possibly get more. First is child support and the custody of their two young daughters, Grace and Chloe.
There is also the issue of joint property. The Murdochs owned a co-op in New York at 740 Park Avenue, which is valued at over $90 million. They have the two homes in California, a home in Beijing and property in London. There is also their yacht, the 180-foot boat called Rosehearty. It remains to be seen which properties are held in both of their names.
Another big issue is the trust. This is the family trust that controls News Corp through its voting shares. Murdoch's four children will control the trust after his death, while Chloe and Grace have just an economic interest. Their interest is equal to one-sixth each, which is worth billions.
But what Deng's legal team is looking at is whether the kids' equity is adequately protected, whether there are provisions for dilution and other possible changes in the company, or if Murdoch ever has other children.
A spokesperson for the 44-year-old Deng and the 82-year-old Murdoch did not immediately return calls for comment.
(Read more: Rupert Murdoch files for divorce)
Murdoch filed for divorce from Deng in June after 14 years of marriage. It is his third marriage and her second. There was no reason given in the public divorce filing other than the standard language indicating that the "relationship between husband and wife had broken down irretrievably."
The divorce also came as Murdoch was is in the middle of splitting News Corp. into two separate companies, with one focusing on print media and the other focused on entertainment, television and film.
?By CNBC's Robert Frank. Follow him on Twitter @robtfrank.
? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved
Great Tips For Making Commercial Real Estate Decisions ...
July 30th, 2013 by abnAdmin
Finding the right type of commercial property to start your business can be difficult unless you know where to look. Read through this article to gain some helpful advice.
Be sure to negotiate on the fact of what you are, the seller or buyer. Make certain that your voice is heard, and do what it takes to find a fair property price.
TIP! Location is crucial when it comes to commercial property. Consider how the neighborhood will affect business.
Use a digital camera to document the conditions. In the ?before? photos, especially, make sure that the pictures clearly show defects such as stains on the carpet, discolorations in the tub and sink, and holes in the walls.
Purchasing commercial real estate is a much more lengthy and complicated process than that of buying a home. Understand, however, that the intensity and duration of the process is necessary to achieve the higher return on your investment.
When choosing brokers with whom to work, find out the amount of experience they have dealing with commercial properties. Look for brokers who specialize in commercial real estate. Then if they meet the criteria you are looking for, you can agree to work with that broker exclusively.
TIP! If you are in a situation where you have to choose between two attractive commercial properties, remember that size matters. Regardless of whether the property you decide on has twenty units or fifty, the process of obtaining financing will be the same, and in both cases will require substantial effort.
If inspections are included in your real estate transaction, as they usually are, make a request to see the inspectors? credentials. Pest removal companies should be closely checked because many non-professionals do this work. Ultimately, this can help you to bypass larger, more expensive problems.
Search for buildings that are simply designed and constructed if you?re planning on renting out commercial property. Tenants will be attracted to these spots because they are maintained well. Maintenance is also easier, because these buildings require less repair.
Before making a commitment, you should request tours of any potential properties. Even better, have someone who knows commercial real estate tour the properties with you. Decide on an initial offer and start negotiations. Before you choose, make sure you look over your offers a few times.
Smaller Issues
When you are writing up the letters of intent, keep it simple by going for agreement on the larger issues first and let the smaller issues wait for a later time in the negotiations. The initial negotiations will be less tense and the smaller issues will seem less important later.
Before you move into your new space, it may need to be improved. These changes could simply be cosmetic ones as simple as a new coat of paint or moving the furniture around. In many cases, it may be necessary to move walls or rearrange a floor plan. Negotiate these changes ahead of time with the landlord. He may be willing to share these costs needed in order for you to move in.
TIP! Research local prices similar properties have sold for before setting a price for your commercial real estate. Many things alter the value of your property.
You must know how to deal with an emergency, should it arise. Be sure to find out who takes care of maintenance in the building and also who handles emergency repair situations. Keep the phone numbers in a convenient place, and know how long it will take them to respond if needed. Use the information provided by your landlord to help you prepare a plan for when normal business is disrupted by certain events.
Commercial real estate has many brokers to offer. Some brokers or agents only work with tenants, while others will serve both tenants and landlords. If you hire a broker that only deals with tenants you may be better off, they are more experienced.
Real Estate
TIP! Keep your commercial property occupied to pay the bills between tenants. You are legally responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of unoccupied spaces.
When you are first starting out in real estate investing, the best thing is to keep it simple and start with one investment strategy at a time. Zero in on your favorite type of property and focus solely on that type, for now. It?s better to be very good at one particular type of real estate than to be okay at a lot of different types.
Speak to a tax adviser prior to buying a property. They?ll be able to discuss the long-term cost of the building, and what the tax rate for owning the building will be. You can work with him to narrow down areas where you?ll best invest your money.
Before you choose your real estate broker, find out how they negotiate. You can ask them how much experience and training they actually have. You want to ensure that the broker has good ethics, and is capable of obtaining the best deals possible. Request evidence of previous negotiations, both successes and failures.
TIP! It is important that each property offers unhindered access to utilities. You?ll need to have quick access to water, electricity, gas and the sewer.
Pay attention to the environment your property is in. Should a problem with environmental waste ever occur, it is your obligation to properly clean your building and property. Are you thinking about buying property in a flood-prone area? You may need to think again. There are environmental assessment organizations who can provide information about a specific area if you contact them.
Buying and selling commercial real estate requires the help of an experienced agent. Implement the advice you have learned from this article to stay up to par.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Tags:commercial property,commercial real estate,smaller issues september 11 9/11 Memorial 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike september 11 2001
Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines
Source: http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/sexualhealth
nba playoff schedule rondo morris claiborne clippers lisa lampanelli lisa lampanelli bronx zoo
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Elvis' Palm Springs Home: Ready for Its Encore? | AOL Real Estate
Elvis Presley's Palm Springs getaway may finally open to the public in a way the King of Rock 'n' Roll would have been satisfied with, with tours promised for this fall. Ownership of the home that Elvis and Priscilla Presley bought in 1970 -- and which the singer owned until his death in 1977 -- has been given to one of the investors in the desert property after a months-long court battle.
Reno Fontana and his wife bought the house in 2003 with the help of backers, but Fontana went into bankruptcy several times and was evicted in January, reports Palm Springs TV station KMIR. As described in the video above, a judge decided last week that the place dubbed "Graceland West" belongs to investor Randy Raicevic, who told KMIR that he plans to repair and revamp the tourist landmark so that it looks the way it did in Presley's day. Raicevic told Palm Springs' Desert Sun newspaper said that it will then be open daily for tours, at $20 per person, with a target date of Oct. 1.
The way the home's presence impacts the neighborhood might be different, too. Fontana purportedly irritated neighbors with the large parties and busloads of tourists that he hosted at the house. Raicevic told The Sun that visitors will be kept to a minimum, though, and "We'll not keep busy streets."
Previous stories on Presley homes:
Elvis Presley's Home a Teardown?
Elvis' 'Graceland' Deal: $1,000 Down
Lisa Marie Presley's Home
More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
See celebrity real estate.
Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.
Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/07/29/elvis-palm-springs-home-reopening/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)