Source: http://www.jobsinworld.com/jobs-search.php?Jobs-Senior-Land-Development-Engineer-Canada&jid=4642883
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Thursday, August 8, 2013
Senior Land Development Engineer Jobs
Friday, June 28, 2013
It's complicated: Lots to sort out on gay marriage
Renata Moreira, right, and partner Lori Bilella embrace at San Francisco's City Hall shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The couple plans to marry. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Renata Moreira, right, and partner Lori Bilella embrace at San Francisco's City Hall shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The couple plans to marry. The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits. The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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 are likely to resume there in about a month.
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.
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Thursday, June 27, 2013
Where to Drink Coffee in New York City Right Now ... - Eater NY
There are a lot of places to get good coffee in New York right now, but a truly great cafe experience is also about the vibe, location, and personalities of the people that work there. With the high-profile openings of a couple of big-time coffee shops in Intelligentsia and Stumptown, plus the onset of iced coffee season, it's time to update the Eater Coffee Heatmap.
As always, this list is made up of places that opened in the last year. So here it is, a guide to the best new cafes and coffee-focused restaurants in New York.
Source: http://ny.eater.com/archives/2013/06/coffee_heatmap.php
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Girls In STEM: Pictures, Videos, Breaking News
www.huffingtonpost.com:
The home of The Huffington Post's Girls in STEM Mentorship Program. Join the discussion as we explore STEM education and careers, the issues facing women in STEM, and what it takes to be a mentor to females in these fields. Need to get in touch? Email STEM@huffingtonpost.com.
Read the whole story at www.huffingtonpost.com
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
News from Headquarters | The Wildlife Society News
TWS Member Portal?
On June 11, The Wildlife Society made a huge leap with the conversion from our old associated management system (iMIS) to our new system (MemberNation). We firmly believe that this change will have a positive impact on our enterprise solutions and will create a better user experience for our members as well as more robust reporting and analysis for staff.
In the coming weeks and months, you will see additional enhancements to the member portal. If you have not activated your member portal, follow these instructions:
- Visit wildlifer.org,
- Click the Member Portal link in the upper right-hand corner,
- Enter the email address you have on file with TWS,
- Click retrieve password.
If you are still having difficulties, please contact Danielle Prete, Membership Coordinator, at dprete@wildlife.org.
In Memory
TWS member Kristina Norstrom, a biologist with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD), died in a helicopter on May 29, 2013, in northern Alberta, Canada. She was surveying for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) and collecting radio collars that had fallen off the animals when the Bell 206B JetRanger helicopter crashed in a remote wooded area in northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the?cause of the crash. Kristina was a member of the Alberta Chapter and the Canadian Section. Our deepest sympathies to her family and colleagues on this tragic loss.
Source: http://news.wildlife.org/the-wildlifer/the-wildlifer-2013-june/news-from-headquarters-13/
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Barbara Hannah Grufferman: Life After 50: Why We Love Kale
I love kale.
I eat it, drink it, and write about it whenever I can. Kale articles can stop me in my tracks, especially those with recipes (most of which I've tried).
Not only is it a super-food, it's super-hip: Hollywood has embraced this humble, versatile dark, leafy green as only Hollywood can, resulting in a huge increase in the consumption of kale by some of the world's top celebrities. Good!
I ingest so much kale that my husband thinks I'm addicted. True, I do mix some with brown rice for lunch almost every day, sneak this green wonder into my family's nightly salads (they still can't tell the difference between kale and lettuce), and yes, a bottle of my "green juice" is with me at all times. But still. Addicted? No, I just think I'm onto something: kale is good for you. And here's why:
- Kale builds better bones: Calorie for calorie, kale has more calcium than milk and calcium is essential for building strong bones. Just as important, it's really high in magnesium which, along with vitamin D, helps the body absorb calcium. Check out this short video for a look at all the best foods for building better bones for life:
- Kale builds a better immune system: Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders.
- Kale builds better eyes: Kale is rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds, which could help reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
- Kale builds a better body: It's low in calories, has zero fat, and can be prepared in a variety of ways, including raw in a salad or as a smoothie.
Is there anyone who shouldn't eat kale? Alas, possibly yes. If you're taking any kind of blood thinner (like warfarin), check with your doctor before eating kale because it's high in vitamin K which helps blood to clot and eating it could interfere with the drugs. Kale also contains oxalates, which can keep calcium from being properly absorbed. Nutrition experts recommend not eating kale at the same time as calcium-rich foods.
If you're just now jumping on the kale bandwagon . . . take it slow: eating too much kale right away could be a little hard on your digestive system (I speak from experience).
I'd love to hear from you! Post your favorite kale recipes in the comments section below.
For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70...) check out The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you're doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and "tweeting" me on Twitter at @BGrufferman. Check out the full video series-The Best of Everything-on the AARP YouTube Channel.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
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Follow Barbara Hannah Grufferman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BGrufferman
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Saturday, June 15, 2013
Jeb Bush: Immigrants are ?more fertile?
Jeb Bush speaks Friday at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington, D.C. (Mary F. Calvert/Reut??
Jeb Bush, a former governor of Florida, had a lot to say at Friday's Faith and Freedom Coalition conference. But the thing that has everyone talking: his description of immigrants as "more fertile" than native-born Americans.
Bush, a recurring potential candidate for president, is fluent in Spanish, married a Mexican-born woman and has a strong contingent of Hispanic support in Florida. When he said at the annual meeting in Washington, D.C., that immigrants are "more fertile," and so can replenish the country's population with young people, he likely misspoke, although it's true that immigrant women have a higher fertility rate than women born in the U.S.
The line overrode his other remarks?even one suggesting that the United States model itself after Canada on immigration.
Noting that immigrants create more businesses than do individuals born in the United States, he said, "Canada is the place that we might want to look to"?referring to a country often attacked by conservatives as an example of a socialist state. "They have more economic immigrants, and they have seen sustained economic growth because of it."
Bush in general championed reform ideas not held by most of the conservatives who shared the stage. And unlike the speaker who preceded him?tea party conservative Michele Bachmann?Bush offered full support for immigration reform.
Perhaps not surprisingly, he was greeted with tepid and sometimes absent applause from the mostly evangelical Republican audience at the J.W. Marriott hotel.
"The one way we can build the demographic pyramid is to fix a broken immigration system to allow more people to come to learn English, to play by our rules, to embrace our values and to pursue their dreams in our country with a vengeance to create more opportunities for all of us," Bush said. "This is a conservative idea. And if we do this, we will rebuild our country in a way that will allow us to grow. If we don?t do it ? we will be in decline."
Bush drew the most applause during his speech for unrelated comments on the value of education.
Bush's speech was in sharp contrast to Bachmann's remarks. The congresswoman stridently argued against the bipartisan immigration effort working its way through Congress and warned of what she described as a dangerous fast-tracking of the bill, noting the July 4 target date for Senate passage and August target date for the president's signature.
"That's a breathtaking speed to get a bill of this magnitude through the United States Congress. Why is it of such great magnitude? Because we are looking at the legalization of over 30 million illegal aliens," Bachmann said.
The bill, yet to be hashed out by the full Senate, includes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrations living in the U.S.
Bachmann also argued that the system to check for legalization status would be destroyed under the bill and that blacks and Hispanic-Americans would suffer the most if the bill passed because of increased job competition.
"This is not an anti-immigrant speech," she said.
Republican former Rep. Allen West, who spoke after Bush and Bachmann, also railed against the immigration reform bill, saying it would further "exacerbate problems" in the beleaguered black society of America.
One additional speaker advocated for immigration reform on Friday: the evangelical Rev. Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. He warned the audience not to "drink the Kool-Aid" about the current immigration bill and pressed for more conservative outreach to Hispanics.
In an interview with Yahoo News after his speech, Rodriguez offered support for Bush, saying "Jeb Bush gets it." And he used Bachmann as an example of the wrong path forward on immigration for the Republican Party.
"If her argument wins this day, she will be responsible along with [former Colorado Rep.] Tom Tancredo, [Wisconsin Rep.] James Sensenbrenner?those names will go down in history as the reason why Hispanics voted Democrat, not the other way around, for the next 57 years," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Bachmann's speech on Friday did serve to highlight conservative concerns including what Rodriguez believes is a "great mischaracterization" of facts related to the legislation, including that the border will be more porous.
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Telus drops its attempt to acquire Mobilicity
Telus' bid to acquire Mobilicity was primarily a play for more spectrum, and the Canadian government's obligation to block the related frequency deal largely killed the merger's reason for being. However, the carrier isn't fighting that fatal setback to the bitter end, AT&T-style -- instead, it's backing out entirely. That's undoubtedly a relief for Canucks wanting a competitive cellular marketplace, although we wouldn't cheer too loudly. Mobilicity was partly hoping the deal would eliminate its financial woes, and it now has to fend for itself once again. There's also no guarantee that we'll avoid an eventual repeat: it could be open season on Mobilicity when there's no longer a moratorium on spectrum transfers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Via: MobileSyrup
Source: Canada Newswire
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Mayor to discuss prepping NYC for warming world
Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the Real Estate Board of New York on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in New York. Two threatening letters containing traces of the deadly poison ricin were sent to Bloomberg in New York and his gun-control group in Washington, police said. The anonymous letters were opened in New York on Friday at the city's mail facility in Manhattan and in Washington on Sunday at an office used by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the nonprofit started by Bloomberg, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the Real Estate Board of New York on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in New York. Two threatening letters containing traces of the deadly poison ricin were sent to Bloomberg in New York and his gun-control group in Washington, police said. The anonymous letters were opened in New York on Friday at the city's mail facility in Manhattan and in Washington on Sunday at an office used by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the nonprofit started by Bloomberg, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
NEW YORK (AP) ? The projections paint an unsettling picture of New York's future: a city where by the 2050s, 800,000 people could be living in a flood zone that would cover a quarter of the land, and there could be as many 90-degree days as is now normal for Birmingham, Ala.
Facing those new projections of the effects of global warming on the nation's biggest city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was scheduled to talk Tuesday about what to do about risks that Superstorm Sandy brought into stark relief.
"We have to look ahead and anticipate any and all future threats, not only from hurricanes and other coastal storms but also from droughts, heavy downpours and heat waves ? many of which are likely to be longer and more intense in the years to come," an excerpt from the mayor's planned speech says.
Two top Bloomberg aides who oversaw the study underlying the speech, Seth Pinsky and Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway, wouldn't hint Monday at what the suggestions would be, what they might cost or how they might be financed. Many key decisions likely will come after Bloomberg's third and final term ends this year.
Bloomberg said last winter the study would examine the pros and cons of building berms, dunes, levees and other coast-protection structures. But he has historically been cool to the idea of massive sea walls ? and emphatic about not suggesting that people retreat from coastal communities.
The recommendations will draw from updated predictions from the New York City Panel on Climate Change, a scientists' group convened by the city.
The average day could be 4 degrees to nearly 7 degrees hotter by mid-century, the panel estimates in data Pinsky and Holloway discussed Monday. A once-in-a-century storm would likely spur a surge 5 or more feet higher than did Sandy, which sent a record 14-foot storm tide gushing into lower Manhattan.
And with local waters a foot to 2? feet higher than they are today, 8 percent of the city's coastline could see flooding just from high tides, the group estimates. Most of that coast is in a relatively undeveloped area near a bay.
City Hall, the state government and others have released warnings over the years about climate risks. The city has required some new developments in flood zones to be elevated and has restored wetlands as natural barriers, among other steps.
"Sandy, obviously, increased the urgency of dealing with this and the need to plan and start to take concrete steps," Holloway said.
The new projections echo 2009 estimates from the climate change panel, but the timeframe for some upper-end possibilities has moved up from the 2080s to mid-century.
"The overall numbers are similar, but we have more compelling evidence now that (a more severe scenario from 2009) is looking like a more realistic possibility now," due to improved computer models and more evidence that some ice sheets are melting, said Radley Horton, a climate scientist with Columbia University's Earth Institute and a researcher with the city climate panel.
Scientists have reached a consensus on global warming but still debate how severe the effects will be.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released revisions Monday to proposed new flood zone maps for the city. About 218,000 people and 35,000 buildings are in the current once-in-100-year flood zone, drawn in the 1980s. The new maps roughly double those numbers, though the revision shifts about 5,800 structures from a subset called the V zone ? the area expected to suffer the worst damage ? to a less stringent zone.
A roughly two-year review is expected before new maps become official. They can affect building regulations and insurance.
___
Associated Press writer Meghan Barr contributed to this report.
___
Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz
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Monday, June 10, 2013
10 Things to Know for Today
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. WHY NSA CONTRACTOR OUTED HIMSELF AS SOURCE
Edward Snowden, 29, says he revealed classified documents on surveillance programs because "I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good."
2. WHAT HE RISKED
Experts say Snowden could face decades in prison for the disclosures, if the U.S. can extradite him. He said he had fled to Hong Kong.
3. TALIBAN ATTACKERS KILLED NEAR KABUL AIRPORT
All seven insurgents died in a battle with security forces after trying to attack NATO's airport headquarters with grenades, assault rifles and at least one large bomb.
4. MANDELA'S FAMILY VISITS HIM AT HIS HOSPITAL BEDSIDE
The South African government says the 94-year-old leader's condition is "unchanged" as he spent a third day in the hospital with a lung infection.
5. ZIMMERMAN TRIAL TO BEGIN
Jury selection begins in Florida today in the case of the neighborhood watch volunteer, who says he shot and killed high school student Trayvon Martin because he feared for his life.
6. RIVAL KOREAS TO COME TO TABLE
North and South Korea agreed to senior-level talks this week on stalled cooperation projects, hoping to ease tensions after Pyongyang's recent nuclear threats.
7. GUNMAN IDENTIFIED IN CALIF. SHOOTINGS
Police say 23-year-old John Zawahiri killed his father and older brother, set their house on fire and then shot three others to death in the streets of Santa Monica.
8. HEAT REBOUNDS IN NBA FINALS
LeBron James overcame a terrible start to finish with 17 points as Miami beat San Antonio 103-84 to tie the series at 1-1.
9. 'KINKY BOOTS' TRIUMPHS AT TONYS
The feel-good pop musical won six awards, including best score by Cyndi Lauper, beating its closest rival, British import "Matilda."
10. WHO'S SEEING DOUBLE AT CHICAGO-AREA SCHOOL
There are 24 sets of twins in the fifth grade at Highcrest Middle School, which wants recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-today-101340019.html
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Xbox One Instant Switching Turns The Console Into A Voice ...
Now leading the pack in gaming consoles, Microsoft?s future growth lies outside the gaming sphere. We?ll surely see tons of games at E3 in a few weeks, but at the big reveal of the Xbox One, the company chose to focus on non-gaming features, such as media streaming and Skype conversations.
But what makes streaming and entertainment a true upgrade on the Xbox One, which already has access to almost all streaming platforms? Instant Switching. It allows you to switch between inputs, games, menus, internet explorer, and almost anything else almost instantly. And what?s more, it lets you layer the power of Microsoft partnerships and information across live TV.
The Xbox responds to the voice; saying ?Xbox On? turns on the console to the homescreen. The UI is familiar, and lets you see what you were doing last, along with trending content from friends, and other panels like games, tv, etc. But then you say ?Xbox watch TV?, and live TV pops on. ?Xbox show Guide?, and the guide pops up letting you see what?s available on Live TV. ?Xbox watch ESPN?, and bloop, ESPN is on. Instant Switching at its best.
And here?s where it gets interesting:
?Xbox show Fantasy,? and instantly, along the right side of the screen showing a Knicks vs Celtics game you?ll see a run-down on your fantasy league, letting you access further information and even make alterations in real-time, right alongside the game itself.
The company also announced a new partnership with NFL which will offer exclusive content and access to Fantasy leagues in Snapmode in real-time.
This is thanks to a feature called Snapmode, which will offer new interactive experiences for Live TV. This includes social, applications, and more.
Because Xbox is now tapping into your live TV, it offers a more targeted and complete entertainment UI, with favorites showing all of your favorite content in a single destination.
And it?s all powered by your voice, should you like. What?s that? Is that the voice of Microsoft telling the hundreds of thousands of Xbox 360 owners out there, who proudly revel in their ownership of what?s considered the most popular gaming console out there, that they should maybe think about upgrading?
Of course, Microsoft wouldn?t upgrade software without hardware (which you can read more about here), and that includes the addition of a Blu-ray player.
Alongside announcing the Xbox One, Microsoft also announced a partnership with 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg to develop a live action TV show about Halo. They didn?t go into much detail, but how much you want to bet there?s some awesome Snapmode features and Xbox SmartGlass features?
April 4, 1974
NASDAQ:MSFT
Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is a veteran software company, best known for its Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. Starting in 1980 Microsoft formed a partnership with IBM allowing Microsoft to sell its software package with the computers IBM manufactured. Microsoft is widely used by professionals worldwide and largely dominates the American corporate market. Additionally, the company has ventured into hardware with consumer products such as the Zune and...
? Learn moreThe Xbox 360 is Microsoft?s 2nd generation game console.
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Lafarge rejects watchdog criticism of UK market
PARIS (Reuters) - French cement group Lafarge rejected criticism of the level of competition among peers in the UK by the local watchdog on Tuesday, saying there was already "effective competition in the sector".
The UK Competition Commission said it was considering measures such as requiring one or more of the top three producers to dispose of some plants or reduce their cement production capacity to boost competition.
"We strongly disagree with the Commission's provisional findings and proposed remedies and will be making strong representations to the Commission during the next phase of the process," a Lafarge spokeswoman said.
She added that Lafarge would continue to assist the Commission.
(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Astrid Wendlandt)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lafarge-rejects-watchdog-criticism-uk-market-094358002.html
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'Scandal's' Kerry Washington on Olivia's Shocking Family Affairs
ABC
"Scandal's" Kerry Washington
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Thursday's season two finale, "White Hats Back On," episode of Scandal.]
Holy Scandal reveals, Batman!
During Thursday's season two finale of ABC's breakout hit Scandal, the Defiance team welcomed a shocking new member as Olivia was forced to make a heartbreaking decision about her relationship with Fitz. But welcoming the president into the scheming illuminati wasn't Olivia's biggest reveal. At the end of the hour, D.C.'s top fixer was revealed to be the president's mistress, and was rudely escorted into a nearby limo to meet Rowan, the head of B613 and her father.
The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Scandal star Kerry Washington to discuss the nature of Olivia's relationship with her father, playing that scene opposite Joe Morton -- an actor she's been a fan of for years -- and more.
PHOTOS: The Couples of Shondaland: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Private Practice,' 'Scandal'
The Hollywood Reporter: Olivia gets a very Star Wars reveal: Rowan is her father!
Kerry Washington: Looking back, Joe and Shonda were so excited to see me so excited because they knew where [the story] was going. I'm really excited to see how it unfolds.
THR: We don't know much about Olivia's upbringing. How did you play the scene considering that the nature of their relationship is so unclear?
Washington: When we were playing the scene, we kept asking [director] Tom Verica and Shonda what their dynamic was and even they didn't know. It was like a crazy game in acting class where every time I'd get into the car, we would each make a bold choice about the relationship, but we didn't tell each other what it was. When they were editing the episode, they had 20 different ways to play that scene -- if not more -- just based on the intonation of how we said those words to each other. We played it a lot of different ways. It was really fascinating to see which of those acting choices they went with because I do think it says something about the relationship between the two of them, but not with any clarity or definitive specificity.
THR: What were some of the ways you played it?
Washington: There were some ways that I did it that were much more "Oh, thank God, I'm happy to see you" or "Oh, I love you so much; I thought you were dead." The one that aired has some anger to it that's really interesting. I wonder what Shonda sees in it and what audiences will see in it. It's a really layered response, and it's not a simple one; it's a really complicated exchange.
STORY: 'Scandal' Case Study: Shonda Rhimes on Season 3, Olivia and Fitz's Future
THR: Olivia's identity as Fitz's "mistress" has been revealed, but we don't know who leaked it. Theories?
Washington: We were theorizing the other day at work about who could have done that. People have such vastly different theories about it. Every time we think of somebody who it could be -- "Oh, well maybe it was Mellie" -- there are reasons why it wouldn't be Mellie. Or maybe it was Billy before he gets sent away. But there are two reasons why that isn't right, either. It's really tricky. Even when you think you know, there's always this one-two punch where you thought you saw something coming but then they one-up your expectation.
THR: Might the fact that her identity as the president's mistress went public change her decision about Olivia and Fitz's romantic future?
Washington: That's part of what makes her relationship so complex is that she's always felt torn, she's always felt complicated feelings of both "I wish this never happened" and "Thank God I met someone that I love this much." That will continue to have the complexity that it has. Maybe the stakes are higher in terms of how that plays out because everybody knows now. Internally, it's not all that different. Externally, how that's navigated is different. It's an enormous cliffhanger right up there with "Who Is Quinn Perkins?"
THR: Mellie takes Fitz back and avoids the race issue coming up when Olivia's identity as Fitz's mistress is revealed. How might she use this to her advantage?
Washington: One of the things that upset me so much when we did the table read and even watching the finale was that Olivia has worked so hard on this plan and how it's all going to unfold, and because she gets caught up in the moment of wanting to prove to the first lady that there's a plan, Fitz shows her my hand. The thing about your strategy that makes it work is that it's your strategy and other people don't know about it. But in that hospital room, Fitz shows her Olivia's hand completely so she can now build a counter-strategy, whereas if she didn't have that information, she wouldn't have been able to.
PHOTOS: Broadcast TV's Returning Shows 2013-14
THR: Fitz is welcomed into the Defiance fold. How will Olivia work to protect him now that she's aware that he killed Verna?
Washington: I have no idea (laughs). She has a pretty big crisis of her own on her hands now, so I don't know. I feel like her world just got turned upside down, but it's hard to imagine her extricating herself from it completely.
THR: Gov. Reston (Tom Amandes) is back and was working with Billy to prove Fitz rigged the election that cost him the presidency. How much of the election rigging is he aware of?
Washington: I think he's been fully briefed [about the election rigging], but I don't know. I'm sure that Billy held on to some information for leverage, so we'll have to see.
THR: David proves that he does indeed wear the white hat -- getting his job back when he gives the Cytron card to Cyrus and giving Olivia the smoking gun to have Billy arrested. Can we expect him to continue working with OPA now or could we see him return to being a foe?
Washington: There are no simple relationships on this show, so I can't imagine that their relationship will be lovey-dovey and easygoing now. They've always had history and they now have more history than ever before. It's not going to be simple.
THR: Rowan tosses Jake into the hole where Huck was held. Will Olivia seek him out again?
Washington:?Isn't that crazy? When I read that, half of my heart was really broken because I didn't want that to happen to Jake, and the other half was so excited because he's not dead and may not go away. We all love Jake so much, and Scott Foley is such a great member of our cast. It's definitely nice to leave things open-ended. I specifically said to Shonda at the end of season one, "That elevator door closed and we never saw anything happen," and she just smiled. It was because we all love working with Matty so much, and we were looking for hope and, yeah, that's where they were going all along.
THR: Looking at season three, would you like to see a focus on Fitz's re-election? It's one thing that we've only seen thus far in flashbacks.
Washington: It would be really exciting because I feel like we've had some elections where there's been record-breaking numbers of voter turnout in this country, and it would be really fun for people to feel more invested in and familiar with the process than ever before. It would be really exciting, not only for us, but for audiences to go there. If not season three, then hopefully eventually.
What do you want to see in season three? Hit the comments with your thoughts. Scandal returns in the fall on ABC.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
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Monday, May 20, 2013
96% Stories We Tell
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (2)
Sarah Polley's documentary is a startling mixture of private memoir, public inquiry, and conjuring trick.
Polley was right to follow her instincts, though, in not attempting to tie everything up. She recognizes that family histories are necessarily contradictory, crazymaking, and essentially unfathomable.
What unfolds is a riveting drama that grows even more so as it plays out.
Don't be fooled by its deceptively simple title or the hesitant, unassuming way it begins. Writer-director Sarah Polley's "Stories We Tell" ends up an invigorating powerhouse of a personal documentary, adventurous and absolutely fascinating.
A brilliant, thought-provoking documentary.
A fascinating variant on the documentary form that examines what we see, and how we see it.
Polley imaginatively fills in the past through a hybrid of documentary and fiction [for] knowing relevance to oral history, testimonial evidence, and what makes a family.
What I can say is that the movie is dramatically compelling, journalistically fascinating, cinematically profound, and intellectually challenging.
Sheds fascinating light on Polley's art.
Polley mines her own life to strip naked the essence of storytelling, and what it is about folklore that makes it so essential in shaping our perceptions about who we are and where we come from.
Stories We Tell starts out as a simple investigation into the life of a mother that director Sarah Polley barely knew and slowly turns into a documentary that is as good as any movie you will see this year.
Where Polley's work goes from mere family movie to something much greater is in how she uses her own quest for answers to illuminate why & how we tell stories in the first place, especially in the form of film.
Polley's compassion and curiosity again mark her as both a heartfelt and unforgiving filmmaker.
Suspenseful, unpredictable, mature, tender and funny. A triumph.
The movie is convincingly built around the essential truth that we are ultimately defined by our loved ones' memories and perceptions.
A genre-twisting documentary with a fictional vibe that playfully bares the elusive truths about a family of storytellers.
Sarah Polley has blossomed as an actress and, more recently, as a daring and original filmmaker with an Oscar nomination to her credit.
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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stories_we_tell/
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Obama exhorts good deeds by Morehouse graduates
President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama smiles during prayer at the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama waves to a crowd gathered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on his way to give the commencement speech at Morehouse College, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)
ATLANTA (AP) ? President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.
The president said his success was due to "the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had ? because there but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me."
Noting the Atlanta school's mission to cultivate, not just educate, good men, Obama said graduates should not be so eager to join the chase for wealth and material things, but instead should remember where they came from and not "take your degree and get a fancy job and nice house and nice car and never look back."
"So yes, go get that law degree. But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the rich and powerful, or if you can also find time to defend the powerless," Obama said. "Sure, go get your MBA, or start that business, we need black businesses out there. But ask yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood."
"The most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making money. Rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed," he said.
For those headed to medical school, Obama said, "Make sure you heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too."
Before Obama arrived in Atlanta, thunderstorms drenched hundreds of people who gathered on the campus lawn for the outdoor ceremony, forcing many guests to wear clear plastic ponchos over what amounted to their Sunday-best clothes. Rain began falling again, accompanied by more thunder and lightning, minutes after Obama began to speak.
"I also have to say you all are going to get wet," he said. "I would be out there with you if I could. But Secret Service gets nervous, so I'm going to have to stay here, dry. But know that I'm with you in spirit."
Obama urged graduates to "inspire those who look up to you to expect more of themselves."
Obama used the speech to once again share his personal story of growing up without a father, confessing that along the way he made unspecified bad personal choices "like too many men in our community."
"Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down," he said. "I had a tendency to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is, there's no longer any room for excuses."
Speaking in personal terms as he often does when addressing predominantly black audiences, particularly of black males, the nation's first black president also spoke intimately of his desire to be a better father to daughters Malia and Sasha than his absent father was to him, and to be a better husband to his wife, Michelle.
He told the graduates to pay attention to their families, saying success in every other aspect of life means nothing without success at home.
"I was raised by a heroic single mother and wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And I know there are moms and grandparents here today who did the same thing for all of you," he said. "But I still wish I had a father who was not only present, but involved. And so my whole life, I've tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father wasn't for my mother and me. I've tried to be a better husband, a better father, and a better man.
"It's hard work that demands your constant attention, and frequent sacrifice. And Michelle will be the first to tell you that I'm not perfect," he continued. "Even now, I'm still learning how to be the best husband and father I can be. Because success in everything else is unfulfilling if we fail at family.
"I know that when I'm on my deathbed someday, I won't be thinking about any particular legislation I passed, or policy I promoted. I won't be thinking about the speech I gave, or the Nobel Prize I received," said Obama, 51. "I'll be thinking about a walk I took with my daughters, a lazy afternoon with my wife, whether I did right by all of them."
The speech was Obama's second commencement address of the season, following remarks last Sunday at Ohio State University in Columbus. His third and final graduation address will come Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
About 500 students received undergraduate degrees on Sunday and became "Morehouse Men."
After the speech, Obama joined about 100 people at a fundraiser at the office of the foundation of Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. It was the first of six money events that officials say he will headline for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is recruiting candidates and strategizing to keep control of the Senate in next year's midterm elections. Democrats will be defending more Senate seats than Republicans, including six held by long-serving Democratic senators who have decided not to seek re-election.
After briefly discussing the economy, early childhood education, energy independence, climate change and infrastructure, Obama said "the good news is we've got good, common-sense solutions that we can implement right now," on those issues. "The bad news is there's a shortage of common sense in Washington."
He told the donors, who paid anywhere from $10,000 per couple to $32,400 per couple to attend the fundraiser, that their support is important because it will help elect more non-ideological senators like Michael Bennet, D-Colo., "who don't come at this thinking there's just one way of doing things." Bennet chairs the campaign arm for Senate Democrats and introduced Obama at the event.
"That kind of approach, if we get a critical mass in the Senate, and we can potentially get a critical mass of folks like that in the House, means that the sky's the limit," Obama said. "Nothing can stop us."
___
Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
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Powerball jackpot lures last-minute players
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? It's all about the odds.
With the majority of possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone is almost sure to win the game's highest jackpot during Saturday night's drawing, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes.
The problem, of course, is those same odds just about guarantee the lucky person won't be you.
The chances of winning the estimated $600 million prize remain astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimate about 80 percent of those possible combinations have been purchased, so now's the time to buy.
"This would be the roll to get in on," said Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. "Of course there's no guarantee, and that's the randomness of it, and the fun of it."
That hasn't deterred people across Powerball-playing states ? 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands ? from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.
At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.
"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.
Workers at one suburban Columbia, S.C., convenience store were so busy with ticket buyers that they hadn't updated their sign with the current jackpot figure, which was released Friday. Customer Armous Peterson was reluctant to share his system for playing the Powerball. The 56-year-old was well aware of the long odds, but he also knows the mantra of just about every person buying tickets.
"Somebody is going to win," he said. "Lots of people are going to lose, too. But if you buy a ticket, that winner might be you."
The latest jackpot is the world's second largest overall, just behind a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. The $600 million jackpot, which could grow before the numbers are drawn at 10:59 EDT Saturday, currently includes a $376.9 million cash option.
Charles Hill of Dallas says he buys lottery tickets every day. And he knows exactly what he'd do if he wins.
"What would I do with my money? I'd run and hide," he said. "I wouldn't want none of my kinfolks to find me."
Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot ? people are interested in the easy investment.
"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."
That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.
"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."
Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station has purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.
"I work very hard ? too hard ? and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."
Officials will conduct the drawing live Saturday night from Tallahassee, Fla.
___
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, Texas, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., John Rogers in Los Angeles and Verena Dobnick in New York contributed to this report.
___
Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez .
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-minute-fortune-seekers-buy-powerball-tickets-185535895.html
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Looking for realistic roleplay partner
I don't have any real demands of you per say. I'd like you to be able to write a paragraph minimum as a response and not have a gender preference when it comes to role playing, although if your a guy who prefers playing guys or vice versa thats ok.
I've set up a role play and would just like a partner to join me. It's a realistic one and I'd require you to play 2 characters one of each gender. If your interested pm me :)
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/kLv_mDkaxrI/viewtopic.php
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
Edwards grabs poll for Sprint All-Star race ? Artesia News
Danica Patrick climbs into her race car before practice for the NASCAR Sprint Showdown auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Friday, May 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ? Carl Edwards captured the pole for the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Edwards, the 2011 winner in the exhibition event, completed three laps and a four-tire pit stop Friday night in 1 minute, 51.297 seconds.
Kurt Busch will start alongside Edwards on the front row Saturday night. Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Joe Logano round out the top five.
For the first time since 2000, NASCAR waived the pit-road speed limit, allowing drivers to enter and leave the pits at high rates of speed.
That caused problems for several drivers.
Defending All-Star race champion Jimmie Johnson was among a handful of drivers who skidded past his pit stop when his breaks locked up. He was forced to back up, losing valuable time.
Johnson will start 18th.
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The Legend of Soria: The Sacred Swords
@Eli: Definitely, I'll be sure to let people know as soon as more spots open up.
@Keen: Absolutely, your character is awesome!
@Dylan: Your character is great as well, but I will have to pm you tomorrow about some editing I might have to get you to do, due to some conflicting plot details.
@Light: I'll for sure send you a pm back tomorrow, it's getting late and I'm gonna hit the sack.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/7a1lkqf1oHk/viewtopic.php
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Small Talk: Retiring boomers driving sales of small businesses | The ...
In this photo taken Tuesday, May 14, 2013, Roberta Bonoff, owner of Creative Kidstuff, a toy store chain, poses at the store in St. Paul, Minn. The toy retailer based in Minneapolis, just expanded by buying a 26-year-old online and catalog toy retailer, Sensational Beginningsa . Bonoff said the owner was tired and ready to sell. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Baby boomers preparing for retirement are driving a surge in small business sales, as they find more and more buyers confident enough in the improving economy to expand their own businesses through acquisitions.
In the first three months of this year, the number of sales that closed jumped 56 percent from the same time in 2012, according to BizBuySell.com, an online marketplace for small businesses. Retirement was the No. 1 contributor to business sales in the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of 2013, according to a survey by Pepperdine University and two trade groups, the International Business Brokers Association and M&A Source.
"It was almost like a light switch went on in January," says Michael Schuster, a broker with World Business Brokers in Miami. "We started getting a lot of activity with sellers who said, ?I don?t want to go through another downturn or tough time. I want to see if I could sell my business.?"
Sales are so strong in Florida that Schuster?s brokerage is opening two more offices in the state. Three-quarters of the sellers or potential sellers that his company sees are baby boomers, most of whom don?t have family members willing to take over their businesses. Some of these owners want to sell just part of their firms, essentially taking on a partner, because they don?t want to keep carrying all the risk themselves.
Honey Rand fits the category. After 17 years of running her Tampa, Fla., public relations firm Environmental PR Group, she?s starting to think about selling. The 55-year-old wants to get away from the administrative work that goes into running a business, and focus on working with clients.
"Like most people who end up starting a business, I?m really good at the work I do and I?d love the opportunity to wallow around in it," says Rand. She?s optimistic that she?d be able to sell, because she was approached twice by prospective buyers in the last 10 years. And Rand expects that she would remain with the company for a period following a sale to help with the transition to new management ? something that many business owners do.
While she hasn?t definitely decided to sell just yet, she plans to talk to a broker soon.
"I like to think ahead, to understand the process and the things that could affect a sale or sale price. When the time comes, or if it comes, I want to be ready. I don?t want to feel like it?s a fire sale," she says.
In California, the pace of sales is more of a "slow pickup, not a huge spike," says Dave Richards, owner of Keystone Business Advisors, a brokerage in Westlake Village, Calif.
"Baby boomers are where we?re really seeing the growth. It?s pent-up demand," Richards says.
story continues below
One of those boomers is Walt Pocock. In late 2011, Pocock met with a broker to discuss possibly selling his Chino, Calif., business, Palo Verde Landscape Management Co. But he and his wife Dee, who also worked with the company, weren?t quite ready to let it go. However, selling became "something we were thinking about from then on," Pocock said.
Within a year, the 70-year-old decided he was ready to retire and Dee, 78, agreed. The difficult business climate was a factor in their decision.
"The economy had not been good and it had been a struggle and we got tired of the struggle," he said.
The put the company on the market in January, and quickly had several bidders. Pocock got his full asking price, and the deal closed April 1. Now he and his wife are looking forward to traveling around the country in their motor home.
Sellers like Pocock are going to keep the market for small businesses thriving for years to come.
"Trillions of dollars of business value are going to change hands in the next 10 to 20 years," says Bob Balaban, managing director at Headwaters MB, an investment bank based in Denver. He believes so-called ?strategic acquisitions? ? purchases by companies looking to expand ? will be a key factor in that trend. In a tight economy, companies looking to grow feel that it would take years to build up their businesses.
"They have to do acquisitions to continue to grow and grow quickly," Balaban says.
Buyers appear to be ready to step up and are looking for companies that will be good fit with their existing operations. Health-care related businesses like medical billing firms, pharmacies and even medical and dental practices are particularly in demand, says Keystone?s Richards. He?s seeing less interest in restaurants and retailers, industries where profit margins are thinner and where many companies are still struggling. Schuster, the Miami broker, says he sees people who were waiting for the economy to pick up, and they?ve decided that business is good enough for them to take the plunge.
"There?s a lot of people who were sitting the sidelines and could not do that anymore ? the election?s over and things are getting better," he says.
Sellers are benefiting from this trend because buyers are willing to pay more money if a deal will quickly get them into the markets they want to serve, says Mike Carter, CEO of BizEquity, a company that helps businesses calculate their sales price.
"For a growth company, we?re seeing them getting almost 15 percent more than what they were getting four years ago (during the recession)," he says.
Next Page >Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56321348-79/business-says-businesses-sales.html.csp
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