Mob Wives: Up Close & Personal with Lana, Renee and Jennifer Graziano

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0lSDKq8MtsBqHTuTUN29-A73Si-Q6bBoUiP8V1LGjIoF_QyjRBGmjY8A4nqFrT8pFqbogTA2HHFLbzArk2aty1J58WHKcPHeVTc8zl5x8-OpIklK7xCZvl9e-r_if_I3UMebNMm493M/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0lSDKq8MtsBqHTuTUN29-A73Si-Q6bBoUiP8V1LGjIoF_QyjRBGmjY8A4nqFrT8pFqbogTA2HHFLbzArk2aty1J58WHKcPHeVTc8zl5x8-OpIklK7xCZvl9e-r_if_I3UMebNMm493M/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Monmouth, New Jersey Book Signing!</b></div><br />As blog "MobChef," I had the pleasure of chatting with Lana about her collaboration in the cookbook "How To Use a Meat Cleaver." Lana co-wrote the book with her two sisters, Renee and Jennifer. Lana, the elder of this thriving threesome, certainly has shared her passion for cooking in this book. She has owned and operated a few restaurants and she says she worked hands on and did everything herself. Lana's cooking style comes from her Italian roots and claims she is old-school. She is currently looking for a prime location to open a new restaurant with her sisters. Here are a few questions I asked:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Embedded image permalink" height="274" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bf9nBU8CIAAoatB.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Lana Graziano</b></div><br />Thanks for taking the time out to chat with me. It looks like “How To Use a Meat Cleaver” is getting a great response.  Congratulations.<br /><br />Tell me, what region of Italy did your family come from, and are the recipes from there?<br /><br /><b><i>We came from Sicily, from the region known as Sciacca, pronounced "Shaka."</i></b><br /><br />Who was the most influential person who taught you to cook?<br /><br /><b><i>That would be my grandmother Nora. I learned a lot from her at a young age.</i></b>       <br /><br />What motivated you to write a cookbook?<br /><br /><b><i>I wanted to take my love of cooking and share it with everyone.</i></b><br /><br />I know Jennifer mentioned that you, being the older sister, cooked for her and Renee when they were younger. Did you teach them to cook?<br /><br /><b><i>Yes, when I was younger and I babysat my sisters, I would tell them to help with whatever meal I was making. As they got older they would often ask me how do you make this dish or that dish, and it went on from there.</i></b><br /><br />If there’s one recipe everyone should try, which one would it be?<br /><br /><b><i>I have so many that I love, but I think the Sunday gravy fulfills everybody from the meatballs to the pasta.   </i></b><br /><br />What did you find most challenging about writing the cookbook?<br /><br /><b><i>The most challenging thing was having to figure out how much of everything was needed when it came to ingredients because I do everything by eye and taste.</i></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPswr3u3iZQgC9e_f_btmYhMBRExePTQ1r6UpD8LMnEuNZTD9bxImkvAsOTdbLRsGuG22ZvVxxAtm9yzwg-zxaSm9-ifYuOhMNBCfTyDeRWcsSLXJ5gmq2M4USJuGGkXlAPkrQOHQL_Y/s1600/filet+mignon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPswr3u3iZQgC9e_f_btmYhMBRExePTQ1r6UpD8LMnEuNZTD9bxImkvAsOTdbLRsGuG22ZvVxxAtm9yzwg-zxaSm9-ifYuOhMNBCfTyDeRWcsSLXJ5gmq2M4USJuGGkXlAPkrQOHQL_Y/s1600/filet+mignon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Who will "whack" that filet mignon?</b></div><br />What recipe is your personal favorite?<br /><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>My stuffed filet mignon. I think it's because you can get really creative. Other than the breadcrumb mixture you can make it with mozzarella or without, you can add mushrooms or spinach, really it's to your personal liking and it will always be tasty. I promise. </i></b><br /><br />Tell me about how food has influenced your life.<br /><br /><b><i>I center food around my whole life. Everyday I think about what I'm gonna make and who is coming for dinner. I love company and family all getting together. </i></b><br /><br />As the most private of the Graziano sisters can you tell me something that the fans may not know about you?<br /><br /><b><i>I'm a very simple person, I love my family and friends, and really love to cook.</i></b><br /><br />Jennifer mentioned you owned a few restaurants and the lines were out the door; I grew up in a restaurant so I am always curious about other experiences. Tell us about that...<br /><br /><b><i>I'm now looking into opening my next restaurant along with my sisters. That's something I would love to do again so my fans can come in, eat, and be merry.  </i></b>         <br /><br />Is there anything you would like to add that we haven't discussed?<br /><br /><b><i>Something I would love to add is:  I'm so very proud of both of my sisters. Renee for her sharing herself with everyone whether it was good or bad because I know she has helped a lot of people out there. I would've to see more of her funny side, that's the side I Iove. I get the biggest kick out of her. And Jenn well I'm </i></b><b><i>amazed at her how she has become this successful business woman and how much she has accomplished. I'm truly speechless. </i></b><br /><br />Thanks so much!<br />Carmela<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">**********</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoHpcYRG6iddA_kLn6HK-I1MISVmMFN1xmM0milbS6BeDb6khtMAk5xaE6teb1z6noeD02G3C3ABzsMeVWQSNWrN1OrN7-JdT8mt_Cpl-HDI83XR8dJCiZ7erBu5OllMKTf8iirm8HxY/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoHpcYRG6iddA_kLn6HK-I1MISVmMFN1xmM0milbS6BeDb6khtMAk5xaE6teb1z6noeD02G3C3ABzsMeVWQSNWrN1OrN7-JdT8mt_Cpl-HDI83XR8dJCiZ7erBu5OllMKTf8iirm8HxY/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Meat" the Graziano sisters!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I got to attend the book signing in New Jersey on Thursday, February 6th, where the girls got one on one with the audience. Clearly they sat in sibling birth order. I say that because Lana was reserved while Renee proved her ownership of  being the middle-child. She brought her huge personality with her and is just as we see her on Mob Wives. Jennifer, who is usually quiet, sat and tried to make her points, but Renee usually ended her sentences. Jennifer says Renee aggravated her as a kid, but she found some ways to get back at her. For example, they treated their food as a test of loyalty. Jennifer hid a meatball for herself and Renee found it. While she attempted to eat it, Jennifer stabbed her. Well Renee says stabbed and Jennifer says "it was only a fork."  Another time, Jennifer got even smarted and took a spoon, heated it over a candle and burned Renee with it. They share such great memories of their childhood that came from sitting at the table eating.  These are the memories that stay with you. I asked Jenn which recipe from the book was hers and she said, the "stuffed artichokes." "Sure," Renee said, "everything is yours." We all had a laugh. Jenn said they are hers, she tweaked the recipe. The girls went on to talk about the inspiration that came from their grandmother, Nora. Learning the basics from their mom, Veronica, and they even talk about their father's cooking. Mom cooked the basics like meatloaf, mashed potatoes and stew, while dad jarred his own caponata and made gravy (yes, I said it) from tomatoes that he boiled. Very old school to say the least.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Embedded image permalink" height="385" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bf9nimlCMAAd8kQ.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Jennifer Graziano</b></div><br />The group asked about the show whether or not it was staged. Jennifer answered by saying that the production talks to the girls, looks for things that will get the audience's attention, they clear the location and then whatever happens happens. Renee talked about her Mob Candy line and said it's doing excellent. They asked if Natalie was still the model for it, and the answer was flat out NO! Someone asked if we would be seeing any of the other Mob Wives again. Jenn said, Ramona, no; Carla & Love, no and Karen, well it's a possibility. I was especially interested in the last part of this comment and hoped that the possibility becomes a reality. Jennifer talked about a new business they are embarking on, The Graziano Macaroni Company, that will feature foods and wine.<br /><br />The cookbook holds lots of old Italian recipes, some with a modern-day twist. The Graziano family is from Sicily, as is my family, so our styles are very similar. I will try some of these recipes and blog them.  I hope you all got your own copy so you can enjoy their style of cooking from their home to yours.<br /><br />Congrats to the Graziano sisters. I wish you all continued success. <br /><br />Written by: Carmela Corleone follow me on Twitter @carmelacorleone<br /><br />Picture Credit Manny from MTC Photography Twitter Account

Mob Wives: Up Close & Personal with Lana, Renee and Jennifer Graziano

Monmouth, New Jersey Book Signing! As blog "MobChef," I had the pleasure of chatting with Lana about her collaboration in the cook...

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What Are The White House's Choices On Syria?

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p7Hlk8V_CzU" width="420"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Washington Faces Difficult Choices On Syria -- Voice of America</b></span></div><br />As the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and exiled opposition leaders prepare for a second round of peace talks in Geneva on Monday, U.S. officials are seeing a growing terrorism threat and a regional spillover from the conflict in Syria<br /><br />Washington has been pushing hard for a negotiated end to the nearly three-year long civil war. But expectations are low after the sides failed to make any progress during the previous round of discussions in Geneva.<br /><br />In the meantime, the fighting has continued increasing pressure on the Obama administration, which has given indications in recent weeks that its view of the conflict may be changing.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.voanews.com/content/washington-faces-difficult-choices-on-syria/1847692.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: The White House had already indicated (last year) that they were not even going to respect their own red lines on Syrian chemical use .... so why assume that they still have options available now. Bottom line .... everyone knows that the U.S. has zero interest to become actively involved in the Syrian civil war .... so the push to convince us that they are pondering some options is nothing more but a PR push to convince us that they are doing something.

What Are The White House's Choices On Syria?

Washington Faces Difficult Choices On Syria -- Voice of America As the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and exiled opposition ...

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Hoffman's alleged drug dealer says he's a 'scapegoat' (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ76yPrlNuGYKFk6Diq3VyHjeXe9C3M2kd0_GGSimNK0J-_lASnMQgCfxLiqv4Rid7lECsJ91_6rMqL9_3tGr4qy43rZeXdDGWKhCBddAxqUUAA32k16jUabSXOD0A2cn9Ksqvc7oR3k/s1600/philip+seymour+hoffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ76yPrlNuGYKFk6Diq3VyHjeXe9C3M2kd0_GGSimNK0J-_lASnMQgCfxLiqv4Rid7lECsJ91_6rMqL9_3tGr4qy43rZeXdDGWKhCBddAxqUUAA32k16jUabSXOD0A2cn9Ksqvc7oR3k/s1600/philip+seymour+hoffman.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Helvetica Nueue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5;">I </span><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 25.5px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5;"> kill him — and I could’ve saved him, insists Philip Seymour Hoffman’s accused heroin dealer, breaking his silence for the first time since the actor’s death last Sunday.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“He was my friend,” jazz musician and admitted junkie Robert Vineberg told <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/02/09/hoffmans-accused-dealer-i-couldve-saved-him/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s linear; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a5d80; cursor: pointer; outline: none 0px; transition: color 0.2s linear;" target="_blank">The New York Post</a> in a jailhouse interview on Rikers Island.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“I could’ve saved him,” Vineberg said, wearing a gray prison jumpsuit and hunching pensively at a red table in a jail visiting area.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“If I knew he was in town, I would've said, ‘Hey, let’s make an AA meeting.’ If I was with him, it wouldn't have happened. Not under my guard.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBd_X_1i5fHStZWaZ1DxOgRTgLDKLA_vjGB-IXlJx7IEZSmQfhRXU8O95cBtmYie-R_aug3dU1t7oXGQo-ti3kBeKH1rSAvJkk8_vW1lubr82tFsvPBSaXIDH8MQ90QgbbwABpNLvq6o/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBd_X_1i5fHStZWaZ1DxOgRTgLDKLA_vjGB-IXlJx7IEZSmQfhRXU8O95cBtmYie-R_aug3dU1t7oXGQo-ti3kBeKH1rSAvJkk8_vW1lubr82tFsvPBSaXIDH8MQ90QgbbwABpNLvq6o/s1600/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Vineberg who claims to have been friendly with the 46-year-old actor for approximately a year denies selling him the 73 bags of heroin found in his Greenwich Village apartment. However he declined to respond when asked if he had ever sold the troubled actor drugs.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“When we got together, we talked about books. And art. He was a normal guy. You wouldn’t know he was an Oscar winner,” Vineberg told the paper. “He loved his kids. I offer my condolences to his family.”</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">The last time he saw Hoffman – high - was in October at his apartment where police discovered 300 bags of heroin during a raid there last week.  After that, Hoffman went to rehab for a month and then began filming the “Hunger Games” movie in Atlanta.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Their last contact was by e-mail and text claims the 57-year-old.<br style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />“He left me a voicemail in December saying, ‘I’m clean,’” claims Vineberg. But by the end of the month the two had lost touch.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Vineberg estimates that Hoffman’s habit was 10 bags a day.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“How much was he found with? Seventy bags. You do the math . . . That’s a one-week supply,” he explains. That amount is double what experts estimate the average addict uses.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Vineberg was charged with felony drug possession but insists that he did not supply Hoffman with his fatal dose. Another two men and one woman have been charged with drug offences possibly connected to the narcotics found in Hoffman's home at the time of his death.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">“Don’t you understand? I’m a scapegoat,” he groused.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Vinberg, an accomplished saxophone player has penned horn arrangements for artists including Madonna, Wyclef Jean and Amy Winehouse but allegedly turned to drug dealing as work dried up.</div>

Hoffman's alleged drug dealer says he's a 'scapegoat' (BLOG)

I  didn't  kill him — and I could’ve saved him, insists Philip Seymour Hoffman’s accused heroin dealer, breaking his silence for the fir...

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Miley Cyrus Responds to High School Prom Invitation from Teen Matt Peterson (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4NnVbvA0FXleylLOBYZBVdy1i0rEeH55MqUuANxl58cqtX9ogXPGWl38Lh8bWI52da2DH5UGvm1b2WSDEEBPgEBCivHWA_sXniBMu2MWzk7NsOP4DgkXacmcCwYSMeLA6NJqe6MEYAw/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4NnVbvA0FXleylLOBYZBVdy1i0rEeH55MqUuANxl58cqtX9ogXPGWl38Lh8bWI52da2DH5UGvm1b2WSDEEBPgEBCivHWA_sXniBMu2MWzk7NsOP4DgkXacmcCwYSMeLA6NJqe6MEYAw/s1600/0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392048530966_5965" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Miley and Matt, sittin' in a tree? High school teen <strong id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392048530966_5971">Matt Peterson</strong> recently posted a viral video inviting <strong><a data-rapid_p="8" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/miley-cyrus" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Miley Cyrus</a></strong> to be his high school prom date come May 3 -- but she gently declined on Saturday, Feb. 8.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392048530966_6006" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"Miley, I have been a fan of yours from the beginning," Peterson wrote in the message posted under his YouTube video uploaded Jan. 31. "You've changed my life, and I want to repay you by giving you the best night of your life. In order to do that, allow me to take you to my Prom on May 3, 2014."</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392048530966_6018" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The 17-year-old fan, wearing a black "Team Miley" shirt in the clip, later stripped down naked carrying only a foam finger and a bouquet of roses to invite the pop sensation to prom. "I promise you, we will have a great time," he said in the video. "And after our first encounter, I won't cry on your dress. I hope you will tell me yes when I'm sitting with roses in the 6th row at your BANGERZ tour in Phoenix on Febuary 27th!"</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Peterson's crying reference was a nod to their first meeting at a radio show back in 2009. The youngster was taped breaking down into tears after meeting the Disney star. The two met again when Cyrus stopped a concert six months later in Arizona simply to say hello to him from onstage.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Despite their long history, Cyrus kindly declined Peterson's invitation Saturday, Feb. 8. "Dear Matt Peterson, I don't think I'll be able to make it to prom," the <a data-rapid_p="13" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/bangerz-review-miley-cyrus-new-album-gets-four-stars-is-titillating-pop-explosion-2013110" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>Bangerz </em>hitmaker</a>, who is scheduled to be in Amsterdam that night, tweeted with her more than 17 million followers. "BUT why don't you come to my AZ show & hang w me? Don't forget a corsage."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The enthusiastic teen responded, "I need a tongue tuxedo made by the the 27th. THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE!!! #mileyprom," he wrote.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><a data-rapid_p="15" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/miley-cyrus-adore-video-leak-superstars-naked-simulated-masturbation-20132612" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"Adore You" crooner</a> Cyrus is meanwhile gearing up for her <em>Bangerz </em>tour, which kicks off Sunday, Feb. 16 in Tacoma, WA. The twerking sensation <a data-rapid_p="16" href="https://twitter.com/MileyCyrus" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">previewed her costumes</a> and dance routine in a series of photos uploaded to her Twitter last weekend.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392048530966_6035" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: <a data-rapid_p="17" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/miley-cyrus-high-school-prom-invitation-teen-matt-peterson-2014102" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Miley Cyrus Responds to High School Prom Invitation from Teen Matt Peterson</a></div>

Miley Cyrus Responds to High School Prom Invitation from Teen Matt Peterson (BLOG)

Miley and Matt, sittin' in a tree? High school teen  Matt Peterson  recently posted a viral video inviting  Miley Cyrus  to be his high ...

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I Tried One of the First Booze Delivery Apps for iPhone. Here's How It Went. (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt36mjwta1nT-GFkAym5Y8n8m2wF0IerIGISFYyOBog9OHyCBakIXRPK2feUaBukfzB6aINlHosW_BFR2_CZWy7Py8mwdobSKdTS96PkQrFvS92NgLqdYBHDCbN_fY4q0UIthc3EGDKEc/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt36mjwta1nT-GFkAym5Y8n8m2wF0IerIGISFYyOBog9OHyCBakIXRPK2feUaBukfzB6aINlHosW_BFR2_CZWy7Py8mwdobSKdTS96PkQrFvS92NgLqdYBHDCbN_fY4q0UIthc3EGDKEc/s1600/a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1098" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">It’s astonishing that in an era when <a data-rapid_p="113" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://www.seamless.com/food-delivery/" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">restaurant food,</a> <a data-rapid_p="114" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="https://www.freshdirect.com/welcome.jsp" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">groceries</a> and <a data-rapid_p="115" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://www.plated.com/" id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1099" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">full meal ingredients</a> can be delivered straight to your door, an essential food group has been largely left out of the app-to-table boom: booze.</div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1097" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">That jaw-dropping exclusion may change, however, with the arrival of a new app and service called <a data-rapid_p="116" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="https://minibardelivery.com/" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Minibar</a>. Minibar promises to let you order and pay for alcohol using a smartphone app and get that alcohol delivered to your home within an hour. Launched Wednesday, it is currently available only in New York City.</div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1100" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I tried Minibar this week, and it worked as promised. It landed me a bottle of Pinot on my doorstep with a few simple taps on my iPhone.</div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1101" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">But despite the solid idea, and the gracefulness of the Minibar app, there are a few flaws in the mix, including the question of checking ID and providing more convenient delivery windows for patrons. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Here’s my Minibar experience: I was at an old co-worker’s downtown apartment, post-dinner, when we became thirsty. He had beer, and (weirdly) champagne, but no wine. I wanted wine, because I need to drink at least one glass of wine a day to continue living.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">The Minibar iOS app uses your location to determine what liquor stores are around you and then arranges delivery — removing the hassle of searching for a place, calling in and paying for your order. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I went to download the app, <a data-rapid_p="117" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/minibar-delivery/id720850888?mt=8" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">which you can get here,</a> and was promptly reminded that I needed to be at least 17 to do that. That’s way below the U.S. drinking age, but it’s usually the default message for any Apple Store app containing age-restricted material. Surely, I thought, there would be greater identification hoops to jump through.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><img alt="image" height="437" src="https://s2.yimg.com/cd/resizer/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w500/0746c1accc0a071ce171f3e0c3ef09a022395aaa" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="500" /></div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1102" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I opened the app and was immediately asked to enter my delivery ZIP code and, this time, confirm that I was of drinking age. I’m over 21, though I couldn’t help but think how easily an underaged drinker could manipulate this system. I concluded that there’d be something more solid than that. Drizly, <a data-rapid_p="118" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://recode.net/2014/01/22/drizly-lands-2-25-million-to-have-booze-delivered-to-your-door-in-nyc-and-boston/" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a competing alcohol-delivery ap</a><u>p,</u> provides its couriers with ID-scanning technology. Would Minibar? We’ll return to that in a moment. </div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1103" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Age verification worries aside, the app runs smoothly, and ordering is intuitive. After you enter your ZIP code, the app generates a list of alcohol, divided by type — rather than a list of nearby liquor stores. I like that approach, because unlike restaurant food, booze is booze, no matter where it comes from. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><img alt="image" height="750" src="https://s.yimg.com/cd/resizer/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w423/fcd2c1e654c03ab8b6ba83dbb7b3988df7f4d397" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="423" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I went to <strong>Wines > Red </strong>and scrolled through my options. To simplify things, Minibar assigns just one liquor store to each area on a map. So far, it has about 14 providers in the city and services most of Brooklyn, too.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Our selection was pretty varied in both price and type. Obviously, your choices will depend on where you live and the quality of the liquor stores in your neighborhood. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><img alt="image" height="750" src="https://s3.yimg.com/cd/resizer/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w423/03c24d96142d670be0d457752fc58c013ab1c5ef" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="423" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Ordering from one store assigned to your geographic location reduces the amount you have to think, but it also affects the window of time you can receive deliveries. In my case, our store took orders between noon and 9 p.m., meaning that our 8:45 p.m. order was just in the nick of time. But I also imagine that might get tricky if, say, 10 more people had the same idea to order wine at the same time, or if the app becomes widely popular. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">We decided to select a nice $25 Spanish wine, because $25 is the minimum price ($5 more than Drizly’s).</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I added the bottle to my order and then tapped the cart in the upper-right corner of the screen to check out. If you haven’t already entered your billing info, the app will prompt you to do that and then bring you to checkout.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><img alt="image" height="750" src="https://s.yimg.com/cd/resizer/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w423/82f03a6ad11a249f37ecff9760ffa5c0b72dcfe0" style="border: 0px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" width="423" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Delivery is supposedly “free,” but we all know that nothing in life comes without a price (meaning you also have to pay tax and tip). Minibar includes a default $3 tip in your subtotal, which you can tap to edit and adjust at checkout.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">After I finished up with those details, I was given one last warning, that if I wasn’t able to present a valid ID that proved I was of age at the time of delivery, my order would be revoked. I was sent a confirmation email, and almost exactly an hour later, a guy came to the door and gave us — two 20-somethings — our expensive wine without hesitation.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">So obviously that’s a problem. What if we were reckless high school students? Minbar co-founders Lara Crystal and Lindsey Andrews told me they understand this is a potential issue.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">“Anyone can press a button,” Andrews says. “But we’ve built in monetary disincentives for underage people to order: a $20 restocking fee. Our service is merely a marketing platform for liquor stores around the city, and it’s always the responsibility of the company that makes a sale to confirm ID.”</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">I get that. I also get that most delivery guys in New York are not full-time employees but are working for tips, and that checking for ID is probably more of a pain than it’s worth for part-timers. It should be more of a concern for both the liquor stores and Minibar, though. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">Crystal and Andrews say they’re doing extensive research to tackle this issue. Meanwhile Minibar’s main competitor, Drizly, has equipped its delivery guys with the technology to scan IDs as a way of cutting down on the chances of underage liquor purchases. Minibar should consider the same measures.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;">So, yes, there are some problems with the app, most troublingly with the lack of age verification for potential teen drinkers. But on a snowy 15-degree Friday night, I probably wouldn’t think twice about using Minibar. Bottoms up.</div><div id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1115" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em;"><em id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1118"><em id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1117">You can email the author <a data-rapid_p="119" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://%22alyssab@yahoo-inc.com/" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a>. <em id="yui_3_12_0_1_1392048138747_1116">Yahoo Tech is a brand new tech site from David Pogue and an all-star team of writers. <a data-rapid_p="120" data-ylk="elm:itm;elmt:link;g:93786b81-5fe2-3b52-9263-bde268ae6360;ct:1;t1:a5;t4:18;itc:0;" href="http://www.facebook.com/yahootech" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Follow us on Facebook</a> for all the latest.</em></em></em></div>

I Tried One of the First Booze Delivery Apps for iPhone. Here's How It Went. (BLOG)

It’s astonishing that in an era when  restaurant food,   groceries  and  full meal ingredients  can be delivered straight to your door, an e...

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Sochi drone shooting Olympic TV, not terrorists (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheefFukHtOVrrDYkWOf8cbYEUv6R6BdYuTqSmpmDwyJhM2ln6UKAvuOOieL2XQc6R4n-IQ2G21dKWiTz4ycjUzGYRw-sn6IboufGG5GBym9KllU40xJvmgAW19Cxrbmb3kImUM_ne1Qvg/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheefFukHtOVrrDYkWOf8cbYEUv6R6BdYuTqSmpmDwyJhM2ln6UKAvuOOieL2XQc6R4n-IQ2G21dKWiTz4ycjUzGYRw-sn6IboufGG5GBym9KllU40xJvmgAW19Cxrbmb3kImUM_ne1Qvg/s1600/1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30476" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">SOCHI, Russia (AP) — That drone you might have spotted hovering and zipping around the Sochi Olympic slopes isn't searching for terrorists or gay rights activists hiding behind the fir trees.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.307693481445313px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediacontentrelatedstory_container"></div></div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30488" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">It's being used to transmit live video of snowboard and ski jump competitions to a screen near you.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30497" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Unlike military drones, which often look like a remote-controlled airplane, the creature floating around Sochi resembles a huge flying spider. Drones are increasingly common at sporting events, and these Olympics is the highest-profile showcase yet for their use in broadcasting.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30507" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Here's a few questions and some answers about the drone and its place at the Sochi Games.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30517" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="8" data-uuid="e097ec93-bd7a-32d9-a1b6-7b32bd750d25" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/spider-camera-records-nordic-combined-training-ski-jumping-photo-122108326.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="A spider camera records the nordic combined training&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 192px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="A spider camera records the nordic combined training&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="192" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/sodv6aErNtLGRywzzPbAiQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE5MjtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7b29956dc8a76c054b0f6a706700e075.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">A spider camera records the nordic combined training in the ski jumping stadium at the 2014 Winter O …</div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30527" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: Why use a drone to film Olympic events?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: "We can go really, really close. And we are really quiet, so nobody is distracted," said pilot and cameraman Remo Masima, who has used drones to film skiers in Switzerland for commercials.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">And it's cheaper than a camera crew on a helicopter.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A drone with mounted camera can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $37,000 for a top-of-the-line Ikarus from Britain's Heliguy, which is advising broadcast clients in Sochi on using drones, said Heliguy's Justin Pringle.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="9" data-uuid="0bcc5d94-79a1-3ac9-acb4-9a6080448db4" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/friday-feb-7-photo-drone-camera-flies-slopestyle-photo-140302323.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="In this Friday Feb. 7 photo, a drone camera flies about&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 353px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="In this Friday Feb. 7 photo, a drone camera flies about&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="353" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/LyWkS.o8EEkYSe72o9AdBQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM1MztxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/c1c23489c9046e054b0f6a7067006d8d.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">In this Friday Feb. 7 photo, a drone camera flies about the slopestyle course during a freestyle ski …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">That compares with the cost of a few thousand dollars an hour to rent a helicopter with pilot, not including the camera crew and equipment.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Flexibility is key. Drones allow unique angles and "allow more height than a crane, but are able to get lower than a helicopter," said a statement from Olympic Broadcasting Services, which provides the official world feed of all the events at the games and is using one drone in Sochi.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Broadcasting live from a remote-controlled device is more complicated than recording, but not hugely so. It requires an extra transmitter to send back live video, which adds weight and limits how fast the drones can fly. But Masima, who is not involved in the Olympic footage, said he can still fly a drone at up to 40 mph while transmitting a high-definition, live image.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: How does the drones work?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: The legs of this flying spider hold the rotors that spin around to keep it airborne. The drone then has a flight deck that holds the flight control system with GPS for navigation, sensors and receivers. Then there's the camera, which can be mounted in the middle or suspended below the flight deck.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Drones are being used to film major movies and television shows — Heliguy has provided drones for filming of the HBO series "Game of Thrones." As demand grows, cameras are being designed with drones in mind.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Back on the ground, the pilot has a control deck, with monitors that show a real-time view of what the camera is capturing, as well as flight details including altitude, speed, rate of descent and ascent, and how much power is left in the battery.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="efa01efe-421b-3d2e-b8bc-483e23f10eaf" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/technicians-prepare-spider-camera-prior-nordic-combined-training-photo-122141960.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Technicians prepare a spider camera prior to a nordic&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 435px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Technicians prepare a spider camera prior to a nordic&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="435" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/11WsBgsVEAxri908NpaB9g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQzNTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/ff0ea745c8a76c054b0f6a7067002bc7.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Technicians prepare a spider camera prior to a nordic combined training session in the ski jumping s …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Battery capacity is a limitation. Most drones can only run 40 minutes before they need to be recharged. But recharging video drones is still quicker and cheaper than refueling a helicopter.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Also appearing in Sochi are cameras running on cables. They're also above the action, but have a more limited ability to move around a venue than does a free-flying drone.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: Couldn't a drone crash onto the crowd?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: It could, but so could a much heavier helicopter.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Masima said chances of drone crashes are close to zero when a drone is handled by an experienced pilot, because the drones are programmed to return to base at the slightest problem — such as a low battery, rough winds or a malfunction.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">There have been mishaps, however. In one case last year, a drone filming an imitation version of Spain's running of the bulls in Virginia crashed and injured a few spectators.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: Could hackers divert a drone?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: It's possible. While military drones use encrypted GPS signals for navigation, the GPS signals used by civilian drones don't have that protection.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A team at the University of Texas successfully hacked a drone in an experiment in 2012 through something called "spoofing," or sending the drone incorrect information about its location. Todd Humphreys, head of the school's Radionavigation Lab, told a Congressional hearing it would be very difficult for an ordinary person to spoof a drone, although it might be within the capability of a terrorist or criminal network.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Cybersecurity has been a fear in Sochi, given the huge numbers of people in a relatively compact space and the sharp reputation of Russian hackers.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But since the video drones are not armed, there's a limit to the damage a hacker could do with them.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: Are drones legal to fly?</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: Local laws vary widely in terms of who can fly drones, where and for what purpose. Many countries impose restrictions for reasons of security and privacy, and so they won't interfere with airplanes.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">For the Sochi Games, Olympic Broadcasting Services said a flight plan must be filed with the Russian civil aviation authority and permission obtained from local Russian police and the FSB, the successor to the KGB.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The Russian government also bought a fleet of drones to help spot terrorists or troublemakers in the Sochi area, operated by its security services.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">In some countries, it's illegal to fly over crowds. Some countries require civilian users to keep the drone within sight of the pilot. Others have altitude restrictions. In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration is working on rules for civilian drones.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Q: So, is this the future of sports video?</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30592" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">A: Masima doesn't hesitate. "For sure."</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30582" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047661340_30572" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Follow Angela Charlton on Twitter at http://twitter.com/acharlton</div>

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U.S. Complaints On Syria Not Meeting It's Chemical Surrender Deadline Falls On Deaf Ears

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXggIXDoHGjA5BzKw8qp4Z8ofW2bGTLxeFlXfxN24LIOXO_RfWSw03LeFI-Pq-p6ExcefHdEvG7BIDu-IDtfWZNem9aLEpAOzPQ3aLmVL2Dm9-kIVmULCmhWExtky0VAG2_0OotebwLxnk/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXggIXDoHGjA5BzKw8qp4Z8ofW2bGTLxeFlXfxN24LIOXO_RfWSw03LeFI-Pq-p6ExcefHdEvG7BIDu-IDtfWZNem9aLEpAOzPQ3aLmVL2Dm9-kIVmULCmhWExtky0VAG2_0OotebwLxnk/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Norway and Denmark are providing transport to take the weapons from the port of Latakia. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26124161">BBC</a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Syrian Chemical Weapons Stalling Tests Limits Of U.S.-Russian Deal -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - At a closed door meeting, Western governments led by the United States took Syria to task for failing to surrender its chemical weapons under ambitious deadlines agreed with Russia after a poison gas attack in August.<br /><br />Speaker after speaker stood up to berate Damascus at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), until it came to Russia's turn and Moscow took a much more lenient view - the international split over Syria writ large.<br /><br />Russia defended President Bashar al-Assad and said his government needed more time to ship the chemicals safely through territory where it is fighting rebels.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/10/us-syria-crisis-chemical-idUSBREA1904320140210">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26124161">Third shipment of chemical weapons leaves Syria - UN</a> -- BBC<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>:  The Syrians are doing everything at their own pace because they know that the U.S. and the EU are not in a position to do anything but complain.

U.S. Complaints On Syria Not Meeting It's Chemical Surrender Deadline Falls On Deaf Ears

Norway and Denmark are providing transport to take the weapons from the port of Latakia. BBC Syrian Chemical Weapons Stalling Tests Limits O...

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George Zimmerman and rapper DMX's boxing match cancelled (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBWK7kzDlTcqf5X06CcHPgkwnP0W_8s5e2Z_fT13xWqUj7bUfAuOkOO2z5Oi3CGFp1TIFx3a0Tk2o3fDcGFF6C4HopYfaiVubz34MVY79_5lIrU20-te4Eu_d0VPkJSV_cExvNSsmULY/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBWK7kzDlTcqf5X06CcHPgkwnP0W_8s5e2Z_fT13xWqUj7bUfAuOkOO2z5Oi3CGFp1TIFx3a0Tk2o3fDcGFF6C4HopYfaiVubz34MVY79_5lIrU20-te4Eu_d0VPkJSV_cExvNSsmULY/s1600/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">DMX and George Zimmerman will no longer face off in a boxing match, celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman announced on his Twitter Saturday reports<a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/George-Zimmerman-DMX-Boxing-Canceled-1077462.aspx" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s linear; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a5d80; cursor: pointer; outline: none 0px; transition: color 0.2s linear;" target="_blank">TVGuide.com.</a></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">"Done with George Zimmerman," he wrote. "If you had a major payday sitting in front of you, I know no one else would walk away like I did. ***Next!!"</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">DMX was recently selected out of 15,000 applicants who submitted their names after Zimmerman issued an open challenge. The fight was announced on what would have been the 18th birthday of Trayvon Martin, the teenager Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering in July.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">"I made the right decision," Feldman followed up on Sunday. "I could of made big $$$, but I would rather be happy."           </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Like many others, DMX still bears anger toward Zimmerman and his acquittal. DMX told <a href="http://www.tmz.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s linear; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a5d80; cursor: pointer; outline: none 0px; transition: color 0.2s linear;" target="_blank">TMZ</a> earlier this month he was "going to beat the living f--- out of him. ... I am breaking every rule in boxing to make sure I f--- him right up."</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">The date, the time and location of the match was set to be announced this week.</div>

George Zimmerman and rapper DMX's boxing match cancelled (BLOG)

DMX and George Zimmerman will no longer face off in a boxing match, celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman announced on his Twitter Saturda...

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Killing of zoo giraffe raises questions of science, ethics and education (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNQkfOagYvR3QywuFUoZXOmVpn3ZOe24D1wvYmTsZbeP03EIr68dDLUQ6xSqmciNNBxw-_ExtVwXzpwuldljSbA1v-pOa-q4PcIuH02TPMaKHi8joATCpA8WRVCOzwQzE0nr2veCvY8o/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNQkfOagYvR3QywuFUoZXOmVpn3ZOe24D1wvYmTsZbeP03EIr68dDLUQ6xSqmciNNBxw-_ExtVwXzpwuldljSbA1v-pOa-q4PcIuH02TPMaKHi8joATCpA8WRVCOzwQzE0nr2veCvY8o/s1600/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047200960_4497" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Saying it needed to prevent inbreeding, the Copenhagen Zoo killed a 2-year-old giraffe and fed its remains to lions as visitors watched, ignoring a petition signed by thousands and offers from other zoos and a private individual to save the animal.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.307693481445313px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediacontentrelatedstory_container"></div></div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047200960_4515" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Marius, a healthy male, was put down Sunday using a bolt pistol, said zoo spokesman Tobias Stenbaek Bro. Visitors, including children, were invited to watch while the giraffe was then skinned and fed to the lions.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047200960_4525" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Marius' plight triggered a wave of online protests and renewed debate about the conditions of zoo animals. Before the giraffe was killed, an online petition to save it had received more than 20,000 signatures.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But the public feeding of Marius' remains to the lions was popular at Copenhagen Zoo. Stenbaek Bro said it allowed parents to decide whether their children should watch what the zoo regards as an important display of scientific knowledge about animals.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"I'm actually proud because I think we have given children a huge understanding of the anatomy of a giraffe that they wouldn't have had from watching a giraffe in a photo," Stenbaek Bro said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">He said the zoo, which now has seven giraffes left, followed the recommendation of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria to put down Marius by because there already were a lot of giraffes with similar genes in the organization's breeding program.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="8" data-uuid="eca32164-bf6a-39be-a397-f6d89999307d" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/children-watch-marius-male-giraffe-dissected-copenhagen-zoo-photo-140628471.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Children watch as Marius, a male giraffe, is dissected,&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 200px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Children watch as Marius, a male giraffe, is dissected,&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="200" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yE_5Z3wH2o8GujGKNgKxHQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/635b8f0ba4fb56054b0f6a706700dda5.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Children watch as Marius, a male giraffe, is dissected, at the Copenhagen Zoo, in Denmark, Sunday, F …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The Amsterdam-based EAZA has 347 members, including many large zoos in European capitals, and works to conserve global biodiversity and achieve the highest standards of care and breeding for animals.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Stenbaek Bro said EAZA membership isn't mandatory, but most responsible zoos are members of the organization.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">He said his zoo had turned down offers from other ones to take Marius and an offer from a private individual who wanted to buy the giraffe for 500,000 euros ($680,000).</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Stenbaek Bro said a significant part of EAZA membership is that the zoos don't own the animals themselves, but govern them, and therefore can't sell them to anyone outside the organization that doesn't follow the same set of rules.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">He also said it is important for the breeding programs to work.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="9" data-uuid="0fdf243b-4bbf-356e-adb1-a21a106ddf2a" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/carcass-marius-male-giraffe-eaten-lions-put-down-photo-140745198.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="The carcass of Marius, a male giraffe, is eaten by&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 219px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="The carcass of Marius, a male giraffe, is eaten by&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="219" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ZrmTFN1wSgRYTF1v6OCsVg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIxOTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/99c41e11a4fc56054b0f6a706700cf5a.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">The carcass of Marius, a male giraffe, is eaten by lions after he was put down in Copenhagen Zoo on  …</div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047200960_4534" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo's scientific director, said it turned down an offer from Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Britain, which is a member of EAZA, because Marius' older brother lives there and the park's space could be better used by a "genetically more valuable giraffe."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Yorkshire Wildlife Park said it called the zoo on Saturday with a last-minute offer to house Marius in a new giraffe house with room for an extra male. It said it was saddened by the killing of Marius, but "without knowing the full details it would be inappropriate to comment further."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Copenhagen Zoo also turned down an offer from a zoo in northern Sweden, because it was not an EAZA member and didn't want to comply with the same high standards, Holst said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"I know the giraffe is a nice looking animal, but I don't think there would have been such an outrage if it had been an antelope, and I don't think anyone would have lifted an eyebrow if it was a pig," said Holst.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Copenhagen Zoo doesn't give giraffes contraceptives or castrate them because that could have unwanted side effects on their internal organs, and the zoo regards parental care as important, said Holst.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="cd46f94b-f97b-39d9-bfd0-651e6777bbd7" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/marius-male-giraffe-lies-dead-being-dissected-put-photo-144917714.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Marius, a male giraffe, lies dead before being dissected,&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 200px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Marius, a male giraffe, lies dead before being dissected,&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="200" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/P_6i1KhnixvOnGAAplaPpw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/919ece76a52256054b0f6a7067003e0a.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">Marius, a male giraffe, lies dead before being dissected, after he was put down at Copenhagen Zoo on …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">EAZA said it supported the zoo's decision to "humanely put the animal down and believes strongly in the need for genetic and demographic management within animals in human care."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">However, the organization Animal Rights Sweden said the case highlights what it believes zoos do to animals regularly.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"It is no secret that animals are killed when there is no longer space, or if the animals don't have genes that are interesting enough," it said in a statement. "The only way to stop this is to not visit zoos."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"When the cute animal babies that attract visitors grow up, they are not as interesting anymore," said the organization.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Elisa Allen, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the U.K., said Marius' case should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who "still harbors the illusion that zoos serve any purpose beyond incarcerating intelligent animals for profit."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">She said in a statement, "Giraffes rarely die of old age in captivity, and had Marius not been euthanized today, he would have lived out his short life as a living exhibit, stranded in a cold climate, thousands of miles away from his true home."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">---</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1392047200960_4549" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Malin Rising reported from Stockholm, Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.</div>

Killing of zoo giraffe raises questions of science, ethics and education (BLOG)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Saying it needed to prevent inbreeding, the Copenhagen Zoo killed a 2-year-old giraffe and fed its remains to lio...

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Streaker clad in animal-print G-string interupts fashion show (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVTXeXD04rsjdcz5zEui-ZBTJs45yZiknVXVtrVGe6BcTdqsUBMQD5cpaqAUDdbZQQNIANrtOLa1koKi4Q75HOTmTQw-mRe0vVkLh4TbyTm7Pw8WpiuxUeH_Lsbn7kcCJntj6zZtZDbY/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVTXeXD04rsjdcz5zEui-ZBTJs45yZiknVXVtrVGe6BcTdqsUBMQD5cpaqAUDdbZQQNIANrtOLa1koKi4Q75HOTmTQw-mRe0vVkLh4TbyTm7Pw8WpiuxUeH_Lsbn7kcCJntj6zZtZDbY/s1600/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">There were opulent gongs, mood music and richly colored coats on Prabal Gurung's Himalayas-inspired runway Saturday at New York Fashion Week.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Oh, and something unusual: a streaker in an animal-print G-string, crown and bright red socks!</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">The vibe was briefly disrupted by the cheeky (and we do mean cheeky) guy in loafers and overcoat as he ran onstage at a cavernous space in a shuttered post office and knelt before one of Gurung's models as she walked.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">But she was a pro, never breaking her model stare. She simply walked around him as he was chased back to where he had come from, behind stage near risers where a throng of photographers snapped away, along with Twitter-crazed guests in the audience.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">And for the record, his skimpy piece of cloth included animal ears, googly eyes and a red tongue sticking out.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">So, back to the lovely clothes, and that they were.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Opera coats came in deep crimson red and cantaloupe colors with mohair. Chunky turtleneck knit sweaters perfect for ski lodge or base camp had mixed patterns, high slits and embracing sleeves. One coat was a grey mink paired with snow white Mongolian lamb.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Gurung, a Nepalese American designer, embroidered organza for draped looks in blouses. He embellished chiffon with sequins and Swarovski crystals with more draped-detail in a Bordeaux red.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">His finale was all about the gowns and more draping: in crimson, Bordeaux and midnight black. One dress had ostrich feathers embroidered on a tulle train.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Gurung said in a backstage interview he was inspired by a tiny former kingdom in mountainous Mustang and the indigenous culture and textures found there. He visited on a recent trip home to Nepal and it "gave me this sense of calm and serenity."</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Sandra Bullock, Zoe Saldana and Cate Blanchett have all worn Gurung gowns on recent red carpets, including a colorblocked look for Bullock at the Golden Globes.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">For an up and comer like Gurung, the thrill is tangible.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">"I know how many options they have and I know the impact that it had and I'm forever grateful," he said.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">On Gurung's front row was Carolina Herrera, his mentor after he won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2010, including a $300,000 prize.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">Sitting at a show for another designer was an unusual treat for Herrera, whose Fashion Week show is scheduled Monday.</div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Nueue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 36px; padding: 0px;">"I never get to go to shows and I'm always in the backstage, so I don't see anything. So I'm very happy to be here."</div>

Streaker clad in animal-print G-string interupts fashion show (BLOG)

There were opulent gongs, mood music and richly colored coats on Prabal Gurung's Himalayas-inspired runway Saturday at New York Fashion ...

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Second Round Of Syrian Peace Talks Begin With More Acrimony And Accusations Of War Crimes

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZMAHr52-Lbg" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second Round Of Syria Talks Makes Faltering Start -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - A second round of Syria peace talks got off to a shaky start on Monday with the international mediator meeting the two sides separately after violations of a local ceasefire and an Islamist offensive set back his efforts.<br /><br />Ahead of the talks, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told delegates to commit first to discussing both ending the fighting and setting up a transitional government. The government side said combating "terrorism" - its catchall term for the revolt - should be agreed first.<br /><br />The second round was intended to follow quickly after no substantive progress was made last month at the first round of talks in nearly three years of civil war.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/10/us-syria-crisis-idUSBREA1912Z20140210">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On The Start UN Brokered Syrian Peace Talks</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/syrian-negotiators-return-to-geneva-for-peace-talks-with-little-expectations/article16772642/">Second round of Syria peace talks quickly bogs down </a>-- Globe and Mail/AP<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/10/syrian-regime-and-opposition-begin-new-round-of-talks-in-geneva">Syrian regime and opposition begin new round of talks in Geneva</a> -- The Guardian<br /><a href="http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/10/round-two-of-geneva-peace-talks-start-after-hundreds-of-syrians-flee-besieged-/">Round two of Geneva peace talks start after hundreds of Syrians flee besieged Homs</a> -- Euronews<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j9zJef5nyqKn5oeNfKxHa5odhGSA?docId=f17be7e0-774b-4dff-96c0-31145f430bd7">Syria's warring parties kick off new round of talks</a> -- AFP<br /><a href="http://www.dw.de/two-sides-trade-blame-at-opening-of-latest-syria-peace-talks/a-17422185">Two sides trade blame at opening of latest Syria peace talks</a> -- Deutsche Welle<br /><a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/2/10/un-brokered-syriatalksresumeingeneva.html">UN-brokered Syria talks resume in Geneva</a> -- Al Jazeera<br /><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-09/traitor-puppet-insults-in-geneva-set-tone-for-new-syrian-talks">Syrian Factions Try to Move Beyond Insults as Talks Restart (2)</a> -- Bloomberg Businessweek<br /><a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/10/syria-crisis-russia-idINDEEA190CO20140210">Russia seeks meeting with U.S., U.N., Syrian delegations in Geneva</a> -- Reuters<br /><br /><b>My Comment: </b>What's my take .... the Turkish PM's assessment is right (see above video) .... there is no reason to be optimistic in these talks.

Second Round Of Syrian Peace Talks Begin With More Acrimony And Accusations Of War Crimes

Second Round Of Syria Talks Makes Faltering Start -- Reuters (Reuters) - A second round of Syria peace talks got off to a shaky start on Mon...

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NY cockfighting ring raid rescues over 3,000 birds (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjWS9o6utd9jftf8HV3xFgeR7umbzCkR-NnAntxPRwsug83CZGVErAgIvoRLPmGTbEv3-_m8mOJWfSAT6-jrSSg_6l38nyDSL9xYwP2y31a7uIYwdVK8RByJNT_3I_YYG2Tdpxn3P_o4/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjWS9o6utd9jftf8HV3xFgeR7umbzCkR-NnAntxPRwsug83CZGVErAgIvoRLPmGTbEv3-_m8mOJWfSAT6-jrSSg_6l38nyDSL9xYwP2y31a7uIYwdVK8RByJNT_3I_YYG2Tdpxn3P_o4/s1600/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="dateline" style="border: 0px none; clear: none; color: #999999; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">NEW YORK –  </span>More than 3,000 birds were rescued in a three-county cockfighting takedown in New York this weekend that resulted in nine felony arrests, according to the state Attorney General's Office.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a statement released Sunday night, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said it was the largest cockfighting takedown in New York state and among the largest in U.S. history.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Operation Angry Birds" simultaneously targeted locations in Queens, Brooklyn and Ulster County with assistance from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Ulster County Sheriff's office, Schneiderman said.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Cockfighting is a cruel, abusive and barbaric practice that tortures animals, endangers the health and safety of the public and is known to facilitate other crimes," Schneiderman said.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the cockfights, spectators were charged admission fees and an additional fee for a seat within the secret basement location that housed the all-night fights, authorities said. Alcohol was sold without a permit and owners and spectators placed bets on the fights with individual wagers reaching $10,000.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Queens, authorities raided a cockfighting bimonthly event where 70 people were taken into custody, including six who were arrested on felony prohibition of animal fighting charges. The ASPCA took control of 65 fighting birds, authorities said.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Brooklyn, a pet shop was raided where 50 fighting birds were rescued from a basement beneath the pet shop. The pet shop's owner was arrested on a felony charge and cockfighting contraband, including artificial spurs and syringes used to inject performance enhancing drugs into the roosters, were also found.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The pet shop owner was charged with prohibition of animal fighting, prosecutors said.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Authorities also raided a 90-acre farm in Plattekill, rescuing as many at 3,000 birds. The farm's owners charged rent to cockfighting enthusiasts from various other states, including, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts to board, feed and care for roosters that were bred and trained to fight, prosecutors said. A farm manager and a farm hand at the scene were arrested.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Authorities said the roosters had razor-sharp gaffs attached in place of their spurs and were locked in small pens to be wagered on. The ASPCA has established a temporary shelter to house and care for the animals.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In New York, cockfighting and possession of a fighting bird at a cockfighting location are felonies and each charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in jail and a fine of up to $25,000, according to the attorney general's office. Paying to attend one of these events is a misdemeanor and carries a possible sentence of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FoxNews</div>

NY cockfighting ring raid rescues over 3,000 birds (BLOG)

NEW YORK –   More than 3,000 birds were rescued in a three-county cockfighting takedown in New York this weekend that resulted in nine felon...

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Woman dies in base jumping accident near Utah's Zion National Park (BLOG)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCWmHjFNfiz1WkDtDsx3xZtadPliE7PDwTfbZcxggyDSlwsBYzHzvUYl6hCzMXj9-d3d5KJNw1RwrmrMkOuLxdTlYz0xRfz1cid8ARTCJxOSgJGIyOPlfiBUcMXl1KufcoQLejcxJBLw/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCWmHjFNfiz1WkDtDsx3xZtadPliE7PDwTfbZcxggyDSlwsBYzHzvUYl6hCzMXj9-d3d5KJNw1RwrmrMkOuLxdTlYz0xRfz1cid8ARTCJxOSgJGIyOPlfiBUcMXl1KufcoQLejcxJBLw/s1600/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Utah woman attempting a parachute jump near Zion National Park died when her parachute failed to open, park officials said.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Amber Bellows fell about 2,000 feet to the ground Saturday afternoon. The 28-year-old had been attempting the jump from Mount Kinesava, in the southern part of the park famous for its soaring red rock formations.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bellows hiked to the top of the mountain Saturday morning with her husband, 29-year-old Clayton Butler. The Salt Lake City couple had married just two weeks before.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bellows jumped first, around 4 p.m., but her parachute did not open. Her husband jumped after her, but could not reach her body. It took him another two hours to hike down the mountain and notify park officials.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Officials began a helicopter search on Sunday morning and found Bellows' body by 10 a.m.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Park officials said Bellows had been an experienced BASE jumper. BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth -- the different platforms used by jumpers.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BASE jumping is banned in Zion, and this is the first time a jumper has died.</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"It is just really sad and our condolences go out to her family and friends," Acting Superintendent Jim Milestone said in a statement. "BASE jumping is so dangerous. Even for those that are experienced, like Amber Bellows. That is one of the reasons it is not allowed in the park."</div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FOX</div>

Woman dies in base jumping accident near Utah's Zion National Park (BLOG)

A Utah woman attempting a parachute jump near Zion National Park died when her parachute failed to open, park officials said. Amber Bellows ...

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