'Borgias' finale to be released as eBook

TV

Lesley Goldberg Hollywood Reporter

22 hours ago

Jim Fiscus / SHOWTIME

The Borgias: Coming to an e-reader near you very soon.

"The Borgias" fans are getting closure after all.

More than two months after Showtime canceled the Jeremy Irons drama after three seasons, the premium cable network announced Monday that creator Neil Jordan's script for a two-hour movie follow-up would be released this week as an eBook.

More from THR: Showtime boss to protesting 'Borgias' fans: try Kickstarter

"Breaking #Borgias News! SHOWTIME and THE BORGIAS creator Neil Jordan are excited to announce the release of his new e-book, THE BORGIA APOCALYPSE, based on his original script for THE BORGIAS two-hour finale," the network announced via Twitter. "THE BORGIA APOCALYPSE will be available this week via major e-retailers. We're thrilled that the series' loyal fans will have the opportunity to read Neil's final farewell to one of history's most infamous families."

The eBook comes weeks after fans of the period drama sent a message to Showtime entertainment president David Nevins to save the series, using a paid protester and flying a banner over the network's time at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour.

More?from THR: Showtime cancels 'The Borgias'

Nevins told The Hollywood Reporter at the time that he would have loved to have done the two-hour film but had to put the company's resources behind "things that you think have future growth." ?

Showtime canceled "The Borgias" in June after three seasons. The series, which stars Irons as Pope Alexander VI, was originally planned to run four seasons to parallel the duration of its predecessor at the network: The Tudors.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/borgias-finale-be-released-ebook-6C10902023

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Sony VAIO Pro 13 Vs. Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch

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*Service, software and related technologies protected by U.S. Patent No. 8,117,545.

Source: http://contentmagnified.magnify.net/video/Sony-VAIO-Pro-13-Vs-Apple-MacBo

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Investing in The Future | The Sauce | Bringing you the BPO news ...

By Matthew Franceschini, CEO, Entity Solutions.

The shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills within the workforce has been the source of growing local disquiet since the closing years of the last century. It was then, as the first of the children of the science-led space age began to approach retirement that the lack of qualified replacement workforce skills began to garner attention.

The issue was raised again recently with the release of Lifting our Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Skills, a 2013 report from the Australian Industry Group. The study noted that an estimated three quarters of Australia?s fastest growing occupations require STEM skills, yet approximately one quarter of job applicants do not have the necessary skills and the same number lack workplace experience.

The issue is far from unique to Australia. All across the western world, the ageing population and a declining interest in STEM careers are causing concern among governments and industry.? How can companies and economies continue to grow if the requisite skills aren?t there to keep the wheels of industry in motion?

To add to the problem, advancements in technology and changes to business practices are raising new challenges and creating demand for new skills. It?s arguable that now, more than ever before, workforce education and training have become ongoing necessities.

A problem with many solutions

It is widely acknowledged that to solve the STEM problem, action will need to be taken on a number of fronts. First and foremost, at a national and state level, we need to encourage more graduates with the right training.? To do this, we will need to make STEM careers more attractive. From early childhood on, within our infants and primary schools we need to engage our youngsters in maths and science, just as we already do for literacy.

As students reach move from secondary to tertiary education, we must also find a way of combining learning and training with greater workplace experience, perhaps by expanding our vision of the apprenticeship model, so that our graduates are more experienced, better prepared and more attractive to potential employers.

While some action is already under way, all of the proposed measures will take time and it will be years before we start to see any significant increase in the number of STEM graduates coming through the education system.? In the meantime, businesses need a solution now.

Therefore, they must plan; they must be prepared to undertake their own initiatives to source the right people and to encourage employees as they build a corporate skills bank.

Strategies for companies

A skills gap analysis is essential if an organisation is to understand what skills it currently has, the skills it requires, and if it is to have any chance of planning skills development for future needs.

When it comes to employing new skills, the shortage of appropriate candidates means that companies need to make their employment offers stand out if they want to attract the best possible people. Competitive remuneration is a good start, but flexibility in hours and work location can also play a major role.? Other factors that may tip a candidate?s decision in a given direction include the ability to work with leading technologies, access to mentors, training courses or an allowance of time for external study, and the very nature of the work challenge.

To increase skills levels among existing employees, companies should encourage study by offering incentives such as bonuses, co-payment of course fees and/or the offer of study time for approved courses.

Contractors help manage the workload

Encouraging staff to undertake additional training almost inevitably brings change to work hours and workloads due to employee time being diverted to classes, study or exams.? Organisations will need to accommodate the changes (within reason), and this is where white collar contractors (referred to as Independent Professional or IPros by Entity Solutions) can help.

IPros provide an overflow workforce that is available to step in when employees are engaged in training. Whether the employee is attending a one-off private course or chooses ongoing study at a tertiary institution, the IPro can be there for the duration to ensure none of the day-to-day work suffers.

A well-chosen IPro will also bring new expertise in systems, methodologies or practices. When this is the case, rather than leaving it to chance, the employer should consider how best to capitalise on the expertise, perhaps by formalising a skills transfer or mentoring role as part of the contracting relationship.? Such an arrangement adds value and challenge for the IPro at the same time as benefiting employees and the employer.

Specialised help when needed

One of the biggest problems facing employers right now is the loss of senior employees due to retirement. These are the employees who may have several decades? worth of experience and knowledge about the company, its clients and the industry.? They are people who can?t easily be replaced, especially by a new graduate.

Once again, a seasoned IPro, can help fill the gap, guiding the remaining staff until they are ready to operate as a functional team on their own. In some instances, IPros provide mentoring to the chosen successor, helping the person to gain the confidence and experience that will allow them to grow into the role.

In the years to come, industry groups and governments will continue to refine their ideas on how to best address the STEM skills gap.? New incentives will emerge to encourage students to take up studies in STEM.? The way we teach these subjects will change due to increased industry input.? And hopefully, we will see a growing number of STEM graduates coming out of Australia?s tertiary institutions.

Until that time however, businesses need to plan more actively for the skills they wish to acquire and develop. They will need to invest directly in education and training of their staff, and they will need to find new, flexible and creative ways to fulfill their workforce needs.? As they do so, experienced IPros are likely to become an important part of the skills development solution.

Source: http://thesauce.net.au/investing-in-the-future/

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ASU Alumni Association: 16th Annual West Central Wireless Golf Tournament

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Source: http://www.angelo.edu/content/events/14995-asu-alumni-association-16th-annual-west-central

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Handle Internet Outages Like a Pro with These Three Backup Plans

When your power or internet goes out, it can be anything from a mild inconvenience to a productivity-destroying nightmare. Before the next outage happens, have these backup plans in place so you don't have to scramble at the last minute.

As someone who works from home, I've had my fair share of internet outage disasters, and it's never fun. After a few stress-filled days, though, I've set up a few different backup plans so I'm never caught in a bind again. Here's what I do.

Tether Your Phone or Get a Cheap Mobile Hotspot

When the internet all of a sudden disappears, you'd ideally like to continue your work without getting up and moving. So, I recommend tethering your phone or getting a mobile hotspot. You can pay for tethering directly from your carrier, but that's expensive, especially if you don't use it often. For a cheaper option, try one of these solutions for Android and iOS.

Unfortunately, tethering can have its own share of problems. Maybe you have very limited data, or maybe you have an unjailbroken iPhone and don't want to pay exorbitant tethering fees. In that case, I highly recommend a pay-as-you-go mobile hotspot like the Karma, or (if you don't need a ton of data) a free hotspot like Freedompop. I have a Karma hotspot for emergencies, and it's fantastic: I just flip it on, connect to its Wi-Fi, and continue working without a hiccup. Since it's pay-as-you-go, I only ever pay for what I use in these "emergency" situations. Check out our guide to mobile hotspots to read more about these devices.

Set Up a Contingency Plan with a Relative or Neighbor

If a mobile hotspot just won't cut it, your next option is using a neighbor, relative, or nearby friend. If they trust you, they'll usually let you have their Wi-Fi password?in fact, you may already have it?and you can use their Wi-Fi when yours goes out (provided theirs didn't go out too). If you're friends with your neighbors and their Wi-Fi reaches your house, that's obviously ideal, but walking or driving to a nearby friend's place is pretty easy too. Make sure you have their password before the internet goes out next time, so you don't have to worry about it at zero hour.

Know the Nearest Businesses with Good Wi-Fi

Your last option is to use a public Wi-Fi hotspot. Don't just rush off to the nearest Starbucks, though: if my travels have taught me anything, it's that not all coffee shop Wi-Fi is created equal. Before you have another outage, find out which nearby spots have reliable, fast, and free Wi-Fi, so you know exactly where to go. Use a tool like 4sqwifi to get passwords for local hotspots on a map, or create your own. You're better off driving for an extra five minutes if the internet is fast and reliable. Remember, coffee shops aren't the only hotspots either: lots of public libraries have free Wi-Fi, and other restaurants (like McDonalds) have free Wi-Fi that may be closer. Be sure to stay safe on those public Wi-Fi networks, and have a secondary browser ready and optimized for slow connections. Photo by ?Florian.

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Internet and power outages are never fun, but if you prepare for the inevitable beforehand, you'll save yourself a lot of grief when disaster strikes. With these three backup plans in place, you'll be able to smoothly transition to a new network and continue working without scrambling around.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/54ikxKWEQC4/handle-internet-outages-like-a-pro-with-these-three-bac-1108902041

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Safety fears spur regulations for trampoline gyms

PROVO, Utah (AP) ? Stephen Merrill was finishing his freshman year of college two years ago when he and a group of friends went to an indoor trampoline park in Utah for a day of flipping, jumping and bouncing.

At one point, Merrill leaped from a platform into a pit full of foam blocks, and he shot right through them and landed on his head. He broke a vertebra in his neck, and was left paralyzed from the neck down.

Merrill's injury underscores recent warnings from doctors and government officials about the dangers of the jump gyms amid a heightened effort to regulate the indoor trampoline parks as they have become a popular rain-or-shine suburban entertainment for birthday parties and summer camps.

"Anything where something like that can happen, I mean, it's such a devastating injury," the 22-year-old Merrill said of his mishap in Provo. "It doesn't seem like things are properly regulated if something like that is possible."

Citing broken necks, shattered leg bones and one death, some doctors say the parks are dangerous and can lead to serious injuries that eclipse any benefits. Governments are starting to take notice, with proposed regulations in Utah and California among the first attempts in the country to address concerns about safety in the burgeoning industry.

Operators of the trampoline gyms say severe injuries are rare and safety fears are overblown.

They claim an injury rate lower than organized sports such as baseball or soccer and point out the gyms offer a place for adults and kids to have fun and get much-needed exercise.

The parks are typically giant warehouses filled with a series of trampolines that allow customers to bounce every which direction, slam-dunk basketballs and do gymnastics moves. Some parks feature angled trampolines sloping up the sides and pits filled with brick-size foam blocks. The industry has grown rapidly, from a handful of centers in the Western U.S. in 2007 to about 160 throughout the world, according to ASTM International, a standards-development organization.

For safety, many of the gyms post staffers around trampolines like lifeguards to enforce rules and require jumpers to first sign a waiver.

Emergency room doctors in one Utah county say that's not enough, and they've asked the health board to step in.

"You'll see a lot of these very severe, open wounds that you don't see unless you're in a high-velocity type of injury," Dr. Craig Cook, trauma director at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. "This is like a war type of injury or a motor vehicle crash."

Trauma staff at the hospital say they saw 52 injuries requiring multiple doctor visits from area jump gyms from May 2011 to November 2012, according to their emergency room records. Most of the patients are young men around 19 years old, they say, and have had injuries such as dislocated feet, brain hemorrhaging and paralysis.

Misty Uribe, who manages Lowes Extreme Air Sports in nearby Provo, said her gym already follows many of the health board proposals, but she's concerned the industry has been unfairly targeted.

Uribe said her center sees few injuries compared to the number of people that participate, citing one major injury for every 20,000 visitors. That was Merrill, and she said his jump violated the facility's rules but that the location still took steps to make the pits safer.

"My concern is, once they start with this, where is it going to end?" she said of the proposed regulations.

The Utah County Health Board is considering proposals that stipulate gyms must supervise the activities, report their injury rates to the county and warn jumpers about the risks beyond having them sign a waiver. The board will have a public discussion on the proposals this fall.

"We do feel like we have an obligation to inform the public about safety risks out there, especially when it's just open to general public," said Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah County Health Department.

The Utah proposals are partly modeled after legislation pending in California that would create an inspection program for the parks akin to regulations for amusement park rides, in addition to requirements about insurance, employee training and injury reporting. The bill has been promoted by a Coronado woman whose 30-year-old son died days after breaking his neck at an Arizona trampoline park in 2012.

In Orem, the jump gym Get Air Hang Time has posted signs warning of rules and risks of "serious catastrophic injury or death" from the activity. In addition to requiring participants to sign a waiver, the gym requires jumpers to watch a safety video.

"We try to make sure that people understand what this activity is all about and that the risks are there just like any other recreational activities," owner Aaron Cobabe said.

Cobabe said his gym saw more than 150,000 visitors from July 2012 to July 2013, but during that time had about 11 major injuries that required multiple doctor visits.

"The vast majority of people that come in our facility," he said, "enjoy the activity and leave without any injuries."

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Laura Olson in Sacramento, Calif., contributed to this story.

___

Follow Michelle Price on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michellelprice .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-08-12-Trampoline%20Park%20Safety/id-c286716c1f644de4b068979e953326ce

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One man's meat, another man's poison : Insects Arthropods Arachnids

INSECTS, spiders and bugs are not halal and cannot be consumed by Muslims.

Malaysian Islamic Development Depart?ment (Jakim) director (halal hub division) Hakimah Mohd Yusoff says these animals, including pests, flies, lice and so on, are considered repulsive and hence not allowed.

?Other animals that are not allowed are the poisonous kinds such as bees, scorpions, wasps, snakes and the like,? she explains, adding that Islam treats human beings as very special creations by Allah.

?You are obliged to eat food that is halal and good. There are good things that you can eat and there are bad things that you should avoid.

?These (the rules) are set for the good of humans, to protect them from danger and (bad) consequences of consuming such animals.?

The FAO in its recent report titled ?Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security? is promoting entomophagy.

In simple English, the FAO is calling on the civilised world to grow up, get over the ?yucky factor? and dine on insects and arthropods (think spiders and scorpions) like our ancestors used to!

Released in May, the report reassures that people throughout the world have been eating insects as a regular part of their diets for millennia, with the earliest citing of entomophagy found in biblical literature.

From ants to beetle larvae ? eaten by tribes in Africa and Australia as part of their subsistence diets ? to the popular, crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed in Thailand, it is estimated that insect-eating is practised regularly by at least two billion people worldwide, the report read.

For non-Muslims, more than 1,900 insect species have been documented in literature as edible, most of them in tropical countries with beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cicadas, leaf and planthoppers, scale insects and true bugs, termites, dragonflies and flies coming in as the most commonly eaten insect groups.

Icky or delicious?

According to the report, insects are a class of animals within the arthropod group that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and two antennae.

Grossed out yet? There?s more.

Insects reproduce quickly and their respiratory systems are tolerant of air and vacuum pressure, high-altitude flight and radiation.

The total number of insect species is estimated at six million to 10 million and if the FAO has its way, the exoskeleton ?armour? that protects these cold-blooded critters from the environment won?t save them from hungry chopsticks and forks.

Urging consumers to think with their heads rather than their tummies, the FAO points to the undeniable benefits ? insects are healthy, nutritious alternatives to mainstream staples such as chicken, pork, beef and even fish.

Many insects are rich in protein and good fats, high in calcium, iron and zinc and are particularly important as a food supplement for undernourished children.

Also, insects are environmentally friendly. They emit considerably fewer greenhouse gases than most livestock, and are ?extremely efficient? in converting feed into edible meat. It also makes economic and social sense because insect harvesting or rearing is a low-tech, low-capital investment option that offers entry even to the poorest sections of society, such as women and the landless, according to FAO.

So why the hesitation in tucking into a bowl of bugs?

Following the FAO report, the Royal Netherlands Embassy hosted a discussion where a panel of experts looked at how insects could be used as a food source for a world population estimated to reach eight billion by 2025.

The panel cited two main problems with the FAO?s recommended diet: insects are still expensive to get and people, generally, are bugged by the idea of eating insects.

But it also predicted that the demand for livestock would be too great for the land available eventually and when that time comes, ?people will have to turn to other, more sustainable sources of food ? however icky they may be?.

Even China, despite being one of the largest insect-consuming countries, is not ready for the mass consumption of insects, Gao Xiwu, an entomologist at Chinese Agricultural University who specialises in the economic value of insects, told China Daily.

He called for a clear and comprehensive food safety standard to pave the way for promoting insects as food as some insects carry toxins, pesticide residue and bacteria, and the method of preparing them as food is not sufficient to prevent potential risks.

In 1996, more than 30 health products containing ants were approved by the Chinese government but despite years of research, the Kunming Institute of Zoology has failed to come up with any scientific results on edible insects, according to China Daily.

Senior lecturer Dr Azidah Abdul Aziz from UM?s Institute of Biological Sciences (Faculty of Science) who recently co-wrote the ?Diversity and Abundance of Insect Species at Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve? academic article, says arthropods are one of the largest animal groups (in the world) and insects are among the biggest groups within the Arthropoda family.

?Most of the world?s insect groups, namely the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants), Coleoptera (beetles), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets), Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) and Isoptera (termites), can be found in Malaysia although the species may differ.

?Beetles and wasps are abundant in Malaysia and they can be found anywhere ? in your backyard, playgrounds and places with plants like Taman Negara, forests or recreational areas. (In fact) you can even find them in places where there are no plants!?

Despite the nutritional benefits, Dr Azidah does not see her fellow countrymen making a beeline for the nearest insect cafe ? at least for now.

?For the time being, we have sufficient food supply, so I don?t think Malaysians will opt for insects. Bak kata pepatah Melayu, tepuk dada, tanyalah selera (One man?s meat is another man?s poison),? she shrugs.

Article source: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/11/One-mans-meat-another-mans-poison.aspx

Source: http://themurphygroup.ca/one-mans-meat-another-mans-poison.html

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Centrica chief criticises green energy plan

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Source: www.ft.com --- Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sam Laidlaw says government?s initiative requiring Energy groups to fund home improvements is ?complicated? and will cost his company ?100m this year ...

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2f019938-0041-11e3-ba6b-00144feab7de.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/home_us/feed//product

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Skype update brings HD video calls to the iPhone 5 and iPad 4

Skype has pushed an update out into the App Store specifically focused at the iPhone 5 and iPad 4. Both updates add support for HD video calling, which is only possible on the latest iPhone and iPad due to hardware restrictions. It's a welcome update too, or at least it'll be a welcome update for your friends and family who will now be able to see your happy smiling face in much higher quality than before.

Otherwise it's all about a bunch of general fixes and improvements. Both updates are live in the App Store now, and if you've taken it for a spin, let us know how you're finding the extra quality.

• Free - Download Now - Skype for iPhone
• Free - Download Now - Skype for iPad

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/dLBj8b5Ctr4/story01.htm

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Cashing in on health scares, China online food sales boom

By Dominique Patton

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese consumers are responding to a powerful new marketing tactic that plays to a widespread fear of food contamination - the promise of safe groceries sold online.

Pledging produce direct from the farm, vendors have found food is becoming one of the fastest-growing segments of Internet retailing as they cash in on scares from cadmium-tainted rice to recycled cooking oil.

The trend is adding momentum to a Chinese online retail boom driven by a rapidly expanding middle class, with companies such as COFCO Ltd and Shunfeng Express betting that a decent slice of a 1.3 billion population will pay for the peace of mind they say their services offer.

"I think people are willing to pay a higher premium than in the West. In other markets, like the UK, food e-commerce is about convenience. Here, there's going to be a higher quality and safety premium," said Chen Yougang, a partner at consultancy McKinsey.

But convincing some skeptical Chinese consumers on food quality will remain a battle. Shanghai-based Zhang Lei expressed doubt on the credentials of some products being touted as organic.

"Everyone knows that in China organic is not the real thing," said the mother of one.

Nonetheless, total online sales of fresh produce in China could rocket to 40 billion yuan ($6.5 billion) in five years from about 11.5 billion yuan this year, said Zhou Wen Quan, a senior analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consulting.

Research firm Euromonitor has more modest expectations, but still sees growth comfortably beating major overseas markets. It looks at volumes rather than values of online purchases of fresh food, with the Chinese market expected to grow by around 8 percent by 2017 from 664 million tonnes this year, compared to U.S. growth of about 5 percent from 77 million tonnes.

So far, most food sold on China's largest online shopping sites such as Yihaodian, majority owned by Wal-Mart, and Jingdong Mall has been packaged items or fruit with a relatively long shelf-life.

But a wave of new businesses are focusing on fresh and premium produce, using the Internet to target higher-income consumers than supermarkets, which typically serve a broader customer base, analysts say.

"The vegetables are really fresh," said Beijing resident Lei Na, who shops on websites such as Womai.com, owned by China's top food processor and trader COFCO.

"Supermarket food doesn't look that fresh, especially if you only get there in the evening."

Shunfeng Express, China's largest delivery company, last year launched Shunfeng First Choice offering a range of food to around 500,000 consumers. About 70 percent are imported products such as wine and milk powder, but it also sells local seafood, meat and vegetables.

"We go directly to the farms to pick the produce, and then using our own logistics, deliver straight to the consumer. So from the tree to the consumer's dining table, we'll remove all the sectors in between," said Yang Jun, director of sales and marketing.

DELIVERING ON PROMISES?

Persuading customers they can meet promises on food safety is crucial for online retailers.

"If I'm busy I use websites. But if I have time, I prefer to drive to the supermarket and choose vegetables myself," said Zhang in Shanghai.

But vendors say that cutting out middlemen increases freshness and makes food more traceable, while packaging barcodes that can be read by smartphones help consumers verify the origin of items.

And companies go to some lengths to describe their products online. Customers looking at free-range chickens on the Benlai Shenghuo website, a 2012 start-up whose name roughly translates as 'original life', get details on the breed they are selecting and its diet, along with photos of the birds wandering on farms.

Online customer reviews and ratings are also key in convincing potential buyers of quality, said Chen Liang, a senior research expert at Alibaba, owner of China's biggest online marketplace Taobao.

With its 10 million users per minute, Taobao has ridden the e-commerce boom in China, with its customers moving from non-essential items such as books and electronics to clothes and recently food. Its sales of meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables grew 42 percent last year to nearly 1.3 billion yuan.

"Before, people thought the Internet wasn't suitable for selling clothes. But now it's the most suitable channel. I think food will follow this trend," Chen said.

Another major challenge facing e-commerce food firms is the cost of developing nationwide cold chain logistics, with McKinsey's Chen suggesting players work together to connect suppliers with a network of cold storage facilities.

But with food scandals hitting Chinese shoppers thick and fast - products from the world's largest dairy exporter Fonterra have just been recalled from Chinese shelves - firms are confident they can overcome hurdles in the market.

"During the bird flu outbreak, our chicken sales exploded," said Steve Liang, founder of Shanghai-based online retailer Fields, referring to a jump in sales after a new strain of the virus discovered in February that killed over 40 people in China and Taiwan. ($1 = 6.1192 Chinese yuan)

(Editing by Joseph Radford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cashing-health-scares-china-online-food-sales-boom-011203963.html

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Ron Hershco Says Israel Mobile Marketing Going Up, Up, Up

Mobile marketing? global performance marketing company Matomy Media Group announced the beta launch of Mobit, its new media buying tracking and analytics tool for mobile performance campaigns. Mobit will be publicly unveiled at Affiliate Summit East, Aug. 18-20, in Philadelphia,?Pennsylvania? The new product offers a one-stop shop to manage all mobile advertising campaigns.

?The Start-up nation of Israel continues to unveil amazing companies, despite the perceived political conflicts that exist in the region. From the recent sale of WAZE for over $1 Billion to many others, the truth is that Israel continues to innovate in many different technology arenas, including of course mobile development,? said entrepreneur Ron Hershco.

?Mobit offers affiliates, advertisers and media buyers a comprehensive solution for enhancing their mobile media buying campaign margins and profits through exceptional tracking, reporting and insights. Mobile is the future of online advertising,? said Ofer Druker, CEO of Matomy Media Group.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EverythingPR/~3/krcX7LqMsRs/

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Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup | Watts Up With That?

[unable to retrieve full-text content]In a different post, using criteria discussed at an AAAS workshop, Curry grades the climate statements by the Royal Society, the American Meteorological Society, and the American Geophysical Union. Under its new ...

Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/08/11/weekly-climate-and-energy-news-roundup-99/

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IK?s Special iPhone Apps Sale

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Source: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/news/index.php?item_id=2808

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Medal haul continues to climb for Richmond athletes at Canada Summer Games

Richmond swimmer Magnus Batara is having himself quite the Canada Summer Games.

The talented 22-year-old set a Games' record in winning his first gold medal at the Games Monday, topping the Special Olympics men's 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 36.80 seconds. Then on Tuesday he added a second gold medal by winning 100-metre backstroke.

Also Monday, UBC Dolphins' ace Luke Reilly of Richmond added to Team BC's winning ways with a gold-medal performance in a new meet record of 4:24:26 in the men's 400-metre individual medley.

Hoalong Fan boosted Richmond's medal count to five Thursday, earning gold and silver in men's tennis. He won gold in the men's doubles final versus Ontario and silver in the team event, also versus Ontario.

The Games continue through Aug. 17 in Sherbrooke, Que.

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Source: http://www.richmondreview.com/sports/218916491.html

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Russia and Iran deepen political and military cooperation

Russia and Iran deepen political and military cooperation

By Clara Weiss
8 August 2013

Against the background of continuing fighting in Syria, Russia and Iran have expanded their political and military relations significantly in recent months. The offensive led by the US and its allies in the Middle East, which has destabilised the entire region and threatens to spread to Russia and Iran, is driving both countries into an alliance.

Although Russia, in recent years, opposed preparations for war against Iran by the western allies, Moscow avoided any open orientation towards Tehran. Vladimir Putin, like his predecessor Boris Yeltsin, rejected invitations for an official state visit on several occasions. A deterioration in bilateral relations occurred in 2011, when then-President Dmitri Medvedev refused to supply the S-300 defence system to Iran, even though a contract had been agreed.

Russia and Iran are also competing in the Caspian region and Central Asia for economic and political influence. However, since the third presidency of Putin, amidst the intensification of war in Syria, there are indications of a shift in Russian-Iranian relations.

In 2012 the exchange of diplomatic delegations between both countries reached a high point of 170. Among these were a number of meetings between high-ranking government officials. A key issue in the meetings was collaboration on security issues in Central Asia, the Caucasus and above all in the Syrian crisis.

In January 2013, Vladimir Kolokoltsev became the first Russian interior minister to travel to Iran since 1979. Both countries agreed on a security pact, which includes the exchange of intelligence information on international issues. Moscow is also to support Teheran through the building of a 500,000-strong paramilitary unit modeled on the troops of the Russian interior ministry, which will be able to deal with domestic unrest.

The two nations announced an agreement on cooperation in the building of new nuclear power stations in Iran. Nonetheless, economic relations between the two countries are limited. According to official figures, trade between the two was just $3 billion in 2011, compared to $100 billion between Russia and China and $40 billion between China and Iran. Russian-Iranian trade fell 40 per cent last year to $2 billion, not least as a result of the brutal economic sanctions spearheaded by the US and imposed by imperialist Europe and North America.

Both countries have expanded their cooperation in military matters, particularly in the Caspian Sea. At the end of June, high-ranking Iranian military officials announced plans for joint military exercises in the Caspian Sea during the second half of the year. According to the commander of Iran?s northern fleet, the exercises took place from July 8-12, although there was no confirmation of this from the Russian side.

The first joint military exercises by Russia and Iran took place in the Caspian Sea in 2009. The Russian navy?s participation was limited to only one ship, however, and the Russian army denied claims from Iranian officers that the actions amounted to joint military exercises in the strict sense of the term.

Last year, Russia and Iran significantly deepened the cooperation of their navies in the Caspian Sea, exchanging warships on several occasions. Admiral Gholam Reza Khadem Beqam of the Iranian navy announced, ?We should expect this trend to be maintained, and more fleets to be sent to Russia.?

The intensification of their military cooperation is the response of Russia and Iran to growing national tensions in the region. The interventions of the United States in the nearby Middle East and the war preparations against Iran have dramatically sharpened the numerous conflicts between the states bordering the Caspian Sea in recent years.

Since 2011, Russia has strengthened its troops and naval forces stationed in the Caspian Sea, Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and made the expansion of the Russian navy a centrepiece of the rearming of the military. Iran is likewise acting to strengthen its navy, and in March this year it stationed a Jamaran II long distance destroyer in the Caspian Sea for the first time.

Along with the growing danger of a military assault by the United States and Israel, Iran is also arming itself for potential conflicts with Azerbaijan and other neighbouring states over raw materials in the Caspian Sea. The legal situation over the demarcation of borders between the neighbouring states has been disputed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which has caused permanent conflicts over the ownership of deposits of raw materials.

The other states bordering the Caspian Sea have also massively upgraded their militaries in recent years. The expansion of the Azerbaijani navy was supported mainly by the United States and Israel.

In a comment entitled ?The anti-NATO alliance in the Caspian Sea?, Vladimir Muchin of the liberal Nezavizimaya Gazeta wrote at the beginning of July, ?Russia and Iran have a political interest in the area of national security and to resist outside influence in the Caspian Sea.?

Muchin warned that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan were building military relations with NATO in the region. Both countries had made their harbours in Baku and Aktau available for the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan.

While Iran, which has been isolated on all sides by the United States, is seeking to build an alliance with Russia to keep control of the situation in Syria and arm itself in preparation for a threatened attack by the US and Israel, the Kremlin is attempting to avoid a conflagration across the region. Although there are sharp differences within the Russian ruling elite over closer alliances with China and Iran, the Kremlin?s foreign policy is currently determined by the fear of an explosion of the military and ethnic conflicts in the Middle East and the Caucasus.

Russian defence minister Dmitri Rogozin warned in January, ?Should anything happen to Iran, should Iran be drawn into any sort of political or military difficulties, it would be a direct threat to Russia?s national security.?

Andrei Arashev, the deputy director of the influential think tank Strategic Culture Foundation, wrote at the end of June that the intervention of US imperialism in central Asia and the Middle East endangered the territorial integrity of Russia, China and Iran.

Arashev therefore appealed for a ?strategic alliance? between Iran and Russia: ?The destruction of Arab states in the immediate vicinity of Iran and on the distant periphery of Russia and China, the perspective of a military intervention and the collapse of the (Syrian) state and the fall of Syria into chaos will have a direct impact on the national security of our countries. To put it another way, in order to prevent combat on the streets of Iran and then on Russian streets, we must stand on the side of our ally Syria.?

Russia and Iran deepen political and military cooperation - World Socialist Web Site

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/iranian-defence/270464-russia-iran-deepen-political-military-cooperation.html

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Broad Street Market board president Jonathan Bowser optimistic about market's future

"When people talk about the market being like the good old days, I think we can get back to those days." - Jonathan Bowser

Jonathan Bowser welcomes talking about pest control.

Even if the topic makes regular shoppers and vendors at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg uneasy.

"I live by the motto when you have a crisis, it creates a great opportunity to tell your story. I think we have a great story to tell," said Bowser, who in February stepped into the role of president of the Broad Street Market Corporation.

Bowser of Susquehanna Twp. offers a glimmer of hope for the historic market, which for years has suffered from mismanagement and debt. Vendors have come and gone. So have market managers and board members.

Worse yet, the market was shut down, not once but twice in the past three years for pest control issues, creating a public relations nightmare for the vendors who say business still has not completely recovered.

And no one is in disagreement that stone and brick buildings that comprise the market require updates. To say the least, it is rough around the edges. Window screens are ripped and walls in need of a fresh coat of paint.

According to Bowser, things are about to turn around, thanks a revamped board, acquisition of grant money and addition of new vendors.

"I just see it being vibrant again. When people talk about the market being like the good old days, I think we can get back to those days," he said.

Vendors like Tito Tep of Tep's Fresh Seafood say they are happy to have Bowser on the board.

"I'm really impressed, really impressed. He doesn't pull any punches," Tep said. "He's got his hands in everything which I like."

"No animosity, just trying to get people on the right track," said Nadine Graham, owner of Porter's House Jamaican Cuisine.

This spring, six new members arrived on the Broad Street Market Corp.'s board, all strategically picked for their areas of expertise, Bowser said. New board members include an engineer, attorney and two marketing/public relations people.

Bowser said his background in economic development - he is director of Cumberland County Economic Development and corporate vice president of Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation - will allow him to research more avenues to acquire grant money for renovations and repairs to the market.

In fact, the city of Harrisburg recently approved $47,000 in federal Community Block Development grants for the market. The money, along with $200,000 from several other previous grants, is being used to install new doors, clean the market's internal systems and install a cooling component. The market is not air conditioned.

The Central Market in York recently underwent renovations using grant money. There ?is federal and state money the Broad Street Market could tap into but first the right structure has to be in place and that means having a well-defined plan for the market, Bowser said. It is something the board has tapped into as a top priority, he added.

In the meantime, the board also is looking to split from the non-profit Historic Harrisburg Association which has overseen the board since the mid 1990s under former Mayor Stephen Reed's administration. HHA works with the city to manage and maintain the market.

"To tell you the truth, it's going to be a very simple process. They have been a very great partner for many many years ... but to tell you the truth they have been out of the day-to -day operations of the Broad Street Market," Bowser said.

David Morrison, immediate past president of HHA, said he agrees it's time to severe the relationship.

"It got to the point we became an extra layer. We were the parents the adult no longer needed. We realized either we need to resume active oversight and really get involved or we need to spin it off," Morrison said.

Then there is the issue of vendors. Some say the market looks empty, something Bowser disputes.

Harvest recently opened in the brick building with organic produce and products ranging from sweet corn and bell peppers to jars of pickles and jams. The Cornerstone Eatery, focused on healthy wraps and southern style cooking will open soon in the stone building.

"The way I see it right now we have about three to four available spots, and I think when you compare that to some of the local malls or some of the other local strip centers you'll spot more vacancies," Bowser said.

He said people look at the market as a viable food source. It's also located at a key address near other areas of growth in midtown that include the new federal courthouse, Harrisburg Area Community College and residential housing.

"I really see the Broad Street Market being kind of that co-anchor of what is happening in midtown," Bowser said.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/08/broad_street_market_board_pres.html

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No Jennifer Aniston Wedding ? Just Justin Theroux?s Birthday

Los Angeles paparazzi and gossip reporters were on full throttle Saturday for what they thought would be the wedding of the year starring Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux.

The photographers got their zoom lens cameras and rented helicopters to hover above Jennifer?s Bel Air mansion.

PICTURES: Justin Theroux?s Birthday Bash

Why? Because they got a tip that the street in front of her house was closed from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m ? and because her hairstylist was seen going to her home.

Really?!? Because maybe there?s a wedding going on at my house every Thursday between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. when they do street cleaning there.

Plus, hasn?t anyone seen Jennifer doing press to promote We?re The Millers?? I could have saved the paparazzi thousands of dollars, because she said, ?We have yet to set any date ? We just want to do it when it?s perfect, and we?re not rushed, and no one is rushing from a job or rushing to a job. And, you know, we already feel married.?

In any event the paparazzi pictures gave us Jennifer Aniston fans a peak into their tastefully decorated home, which obviously has retractable doors.

And, it turns out the party was for Justin?s 42nd birthday party. By the way, it?s also the one year anniversary of their engagement.

The guest list was impressive: Tobey Maguire, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia De Rossi, Will Arnett, Laura Dern, John Krasinski, Dax Shepard and Jason Bateman.

Source: http://rumorfix.com/2013/08/no-jennifer-aniston-wedding-just-justin-therouxs-birthday/

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Google Glass for just $299? Let?s not get ahead of ourselves here.

Just a few days ago, about every tech site on the planet (Android Authority included) seemed to be buzzing about the idea of Google Glass hitting an ultra-low launch price of around $299. As you might already know, if?something seems too good to be true, it often is.

Eager to find the truth, reporter Jason Gilbert reached out to folks that were ?close to Google?s Glass team?. The verdict? The price will be higher than $299, though the sources didn?t get into an specifics as to how much more.

To be fair, using anonymous sources means that Gilbert is essentially?debunking one rumor with yet another ? so keep that in mind.?The headset might certainly be $299, despite what these sources say. Heck it could be even lower.

That said, I wouldn?t be all that surprised if Glass does end up costing more.

There are plenty of unknown factors involved here.

As much as many of us would love to get our hands on Glass for just $299, the originally quoted price of $299 was reached based on looking at the device?s hardware costs. Topology Research Institute?s Jason Tsai didn?t stop to consider the costs involved that go way beyond parts.

In reality, we really don't know how much Glass will cost. All we know for fact is that Glass will not cost $1500. Beyond that, Glass could set us back anywhere from a penny to $1499.99.

While Google is known for coming close to at-cost pricing with devices like its Nexus phones and tablets, we have to realize that Google Glass is a significantly different kind of mobile device than any other on the market.?Although many of its parts and even its OS is based on existing tech, Glass still likely incurred quite a few expenses when it came to R&D spending.

There?s also the matter of Google Glass being shadowed by constant controversy and misunderstanding. If Google wants to shake some of its criticisms, it will need to invest in solid marketing in order to demystify its wearable computer, which could help folks realize that its not necessarily as scary as some suggest.

Finally, Google might be planning on trying to get Google Glass onto as many heads as possible, or they could be interested in pricing a little higher so that they can keep the?number of early adopters low as they continue to improve the Google Glass experience.?There are just so many unknowns involved here.

If not $299, how much?

Based on past comments from Sergey Brin, we know Google Glass will come at a price that is significantly lower than the original Explorer Edition devices. We have also heard past reports suggesting Glass will price similarly to off-contract flagship smartphones. If this proves true, that could put the device closer to the $450 ? $800 mark.

In reality, we really don?t know how much Glass will cost.?All we know for fact is that Glass will not cost $1500. Beyond that, Glass could set us back anywhere from a penny to $1499.99.?What do you think of Google Glass, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/google-glass-299-rumor-254892/

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A-Rod, Braun poster boys for baseball?s ills

Before we organize the party for when the Yankees and the unappealing appealer, Alex Rodriguez, come to Tropicana Field on Aug. 23 (proposed: a ?Come as Your Favorite Syringe? contest), let?s go to the poisoned well one more time.

Baseball hammering the Biogenesis crew is, to most people, either the worst or best day in the game?s history. I don?t agree. I think all those days, years and decades of segregation were worse, and Jackie Robinson?s debut was the best.

But Monday will do in a pinch. It beats the Black Sox, at least. Years and years too late, a generation tainted, baseball made its play. Far from being a dark day, I see nothing but sunlight.

Then there was the added bonus of comic relief, namely assorted slugs are coming out from under the garbage pail of history to have their voices heard.

I don?t know which is funnier, The Cincinnati Kid, Pete Rose ? Pete Rose! ? demanding that PED users ?come clean? or Mark McGwire, confessed cheater, wishing aloud that he ?had never been part of it? and that he wishes something had been in place to stop him way back when.

What Mac Daddy never fathomed is that there was always something in place to stop him.

Character, integrity.

Only that cop wasn?t walking his beat.

Nor was it with Ryan Braun, or A-Rod, or any of these other flying pigs.

One day, there will be lifetime bans. I can?t wait. And still, it won?t stop everyone. It hasn?t at the Olympics, or in cycling. But it will be a great day.

And what will make it happen won?t be commissioner Bud Selig or the owners, new rules or no. What?s going to make real change is this light bulb that has finally gone on in players? heads. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria?s Twitter post seems the new norm.

?Today is a sad day for MLB, the fans of this great game, and all players who may have been negatively affected by others selfishness,? Longoria wrote.

Selfishness.

There you have it.

Longoria was mild by comparison to some other major-league players, who have lauded these suspensions, denounced druggies and in some cases called for lifetime bans.

There was a time when you wouldn?t have heard a peep from the players. Their union was the strongest on land, sea or air. Solidarity ruled because of that massive ? and justified ? distrust of ownership, the authority that, until Curt Flood happened along, possessed players forever. Go back six years, to when the Mitchell Report on steroids in baseball made headlines. Players hardly made a peep, unless you count former players, especially Hall of Famers (by the way, A-Rod can kiss that baby goodbye).

Now look at the nearly non-existent defense over Braun?s suspension or the proposed 211-game A-Rod suspension.

I think it has finally occurred to these guys that these cheaters are taking away their jobs and their contracts, money and playoff chances ? and maybe their reputation as a whole, too.

A-Rod? His appeal of his suspension, which is his right, and which is sure to drag everything into the open, is more about playing out this season ? he made his 2013 home debut Friday night at Yankee Stadium ? to show his current employer or other suitors he could still produce after any suspension, no matter how long, even if he?s 40. It?s an audition tape, nothing more.

The show might be over. Maybe the tide has finally turned. Other games lag behind. The money is driving it, but wouldn?t it be great if it worked in tandem with the realization that this game needs to police itself?

Evan Longoria hit on it: selfishness.

It?s that simple, as simple as character or integrity or lack thereof.

You?re in or you?re out.

Right, Pete?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tbo/rays/~3/m3P2R9knQSM/

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In Jamaica, transgender teen murdered by mob

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (AP) ? Dwayne Jones was relentlessly teased in high school for being effeminate until he dropped out. His father not only kicked him out of the house at the age of 14 but also helped jeering neighbors push the youngster from the rough Jamaican slum where he grew up.

By age 16, the teenager was dead ? beaten, stabbed, shot and run over by a car when he showed up at a street party dressed as a woman. His mistake: confiding to a friend that he was attending a "straight" party as a girl for the first time in his life.

"When I saw Dwayne's body, I started shaking and crying," said Khloe, one of three transgendered friends who shared a derelict house with the teenager in the hills above the north coast city of Montego Bay. Like many transgenders and gays in Jamaica, Khloe wouldn't give a full name out of fear.

"It was horrible. It was so, so painful to see him like that."

International advocacy groups often portray this Caribbean island as the most hostile country in the Western Hemisphere for gays and transgendered people. After two prominent gay rights activists were murdered, a researcher with the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch in 2006 called the environment in Jamaica for such groups "the worst any of us has ever seen."

Local activists have since disputed that label, but still say homophobia is pervasive. Dwayne's horrific July 22 murder has made headlines in newspapers on the island and stirred calls in some quarters for doing more to protect Jamaica's gay community, especially those who live on the streets and resort to sex work.

Advocates say much of the homophobia is fueled by a nearly 150-year-old anti-sodomy law that bans anal sex as well as by dancehall reggae performers who flaunt anti-gay themes. The island's main gay rights group estimated that two homosexual men were killed for their sexual orientation last year, and 36 were the victims of mob violence.

For years, Jamaica's gay community has lived so far underground that their parties and church services were held in secret locations. Many gays have stuck to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy of keeping their sexual orientation hidden to avoid scrutiny or protect loved ones.

"Judging by comments made on social media, most Jamaicans think Dwayne Jones brought his death on himself for wearing a dress and dancing in a society that has made it abundantly clear that homosexuals are neither to be seen nor heard," said Annie Paul, a blogger and publications officer at Jamaica's campus of the University of the West Indies.

Some say the hostility partly stems from the legacy of slavery when black men were sometimes sodomized as punishment or humiliation. Some historians believe that practice carried over into a general dread of homosexuality.

But in recent years, emboldened young people such as Dwayne have helped bring the island's gay and transgender community out of the shadows. A small group of gay runaways now rowdily congregates on the streets of Kingston's financial district.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's government has also vowed to put the anti-sodomy law to a "conscience vote" in Parliament, and she said during her 2011 campaign that only merit would decide who got a Cabinet position in her government. By contrast, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding said in 2008 that he would never allow homosexuals in his Cabinet.

Dane Lewis, executive director of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays, said there were increasing "pockets of tolerance" on the island.

"We can say that we are becoming more tolerant. And thankfully that's because of people like Dwayne who have helped push the envelope," said Lewis, one of the few Jamaican gays who will publicly disclose his full name.

Yet rights groups still complain of the slow pace of the investigation into Jones' murder, despite the justice minister calling for a full probe.

Police spokesman Steve Brown said detectives working the case are struggling to overcome a chronic problem: a strong anti-informant culture that makes eyewitnesses to murders and other crimes too afraid or simply unwilling to come forward.

Even though some 300 people were at the dance party in the small riverside community of Irwin, police have yet to make a single arrest in Dwayne's murder. Police say witnesses have said they couldn't see the attackers' faces.

Dwayne was the center of attraction shortly after arriving in a taxi at 2 a.m. with his two 23-year-old housemates, Khloe and Keke. Dwayne's expert dance moves, long legs and high cheekbones quickly made him the one that the guys were trying to get next to.

Like many Jamaican homosexuals, Dwayne was careful about confiding in others about his sexual orientation. But when he saw a girl he had known from church, he told her he was attending the party in drag.

Minutes later, according to Khloe and Keke, the girl's male friends gathered around Dwayne in the dimly-lit street asking: "Are you a woman or a man?" One man waved a lighter's flame near Dwayne's sneakers, asking whether a girl could have such big feet.

Then, his friends said, another man grabbed a lantern from an outdoor bar and walked over to Dwayne, shining the bright light over him from head to toe. "It's a man," he concluded, while the others hissed "batty boy" and other anti-gay epithets.

Khloe says she tried to steer him away from the crowd, whispering in Dwayne's ear: "Walk with me, walk with me." But Dwayne pulled away, loudly insisting to partygoers that he was a girl. When someone behind him snapped his bra strap, the teen panicked and raced down the street.

But he couldn't run fast enough to escape the mob.

The teenager was viciously assaulted and apparently half-conscious for some two hours before another sustained attack finished him off, according to Khloe, who was also beaten and nearly raped. She hid in a nearby church and then the surrounding woods, unable to call for help because she didn't have her cellphone.

Dwayne's father in the Montego Bay slum of North Gully didn't want to talk about his son's life or death. The teen's family wouldn't even claim the body, according to Dwayne's friends.

They remembered him as a spirited boy with a contagious laugh who dreamt of becoming a performer like Lady Gaga. He was also a street-smart hustler who resorted to sleeping in the bushes or on beaches when he became homeless. He won a local dancing competition during his time on the streets and was affectionately nicknamed "Gully Queen."

"He was the youngest of us but he was a diva," Khloe said. "He was always very feisty and joking around."

Inside their squatter house, Khloe and Keke said, they still talk to their dead friend.

"I'll be cooking in the kitchen and I'll say, 'Dwayne, you hungry?' or something like that," said Keke while sitting on the old mattress in her bedroom, flinching as neighborhood dogs barked outside. "We just miss him all the time. Sometimes I think I see him."

But down the hall, Dwayne's room is empty except for pink window curtains decorated with roses, his favorite flower.

___

David McFadden on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dmcfadd

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jamaica-transgender-teen-murdered-mob-070446416.html

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Arkansas Razorback Football Countdown Day 21: Carroll Washington

After receiving no DI offers out of high school, Washington worked his way up to one of the most coveted junior college players a season ago.

Carroll Washington comes into the program with more experience at cornerback than any other newcomer in the 2013 signing class. He comes byway of Hartnell Community College located in California where he was the No. 1 cornerback prospect out of junior college.

Washington will hopefully reinforce a secondary unit looking to improve on their performance from a year ago. According to the spring depth chart, he finds himself as the backup to Tevin Mitchel. If things go terribly wrong, Washington was a quarterback in high school.

The 6-foot-0, 185-pound committed to the Hogs over Mississippi State, Texas Tech, BYU, San Diego State, and Kansas.

For what it's worth, he had no Division 1 offers out of high school, put in some work and became one of the nation's best at his position. It's easy to root for a guy like that.

This is from his hometown newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, about his commitment to Arkansas. Both he and fullback Kiero Small attended Harnell C.C. and call Baltimore home.

A story told in a piece from Robbie Neiswanger of ArkansasNews.com tells of Washington's surprise when he was issued a pair of cleats that were too big. Washington, and the other junior college commits, had some adjustments to make life in big-time college football.

The first pair of cleats cornerback Carroll Washington got this winter were too small. That was typically a problem from where he came from.

Washington, who recently had transferred to Arkansas, had to buy his own cleats to play football at Hartnell (Calif.) Community College. He didn't exactly realize the shoe dilemma would quickly be resolved now that he was with the Razorbacks.

"I was talking to a teammate and was like, 'Man, these cleats are too big," Washington said Tuesday."He was like, 'Man, take them back and they'll get you a new pair.' So I was like, 'All right.' I got a new pair of cleats right then and there."

Just imagine how good he'll be with shoes that fit...

You can follow Carroll on from his cleverly named Twitter handle here: @No_Fly_Zone4.

Pictured above is former No. 21, running back Michael Smith who amassed 16 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards for the Hogs from 2006-2009.

Source: http://www.arkansasexpats.com/2013/8/10/4604444/arkansas-razorback-football-countdown-day-21-carroll-washington

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