Dems: GOP fails to show scandal in Benghazi deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Politicians love few things better than a scandal to trip up their opponents, and Republicans hope last year's fatal attack on U.S. diplomats in Libya will do exactly that to Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democrats.

History suggests it might be a tough lift. The issue is complex, the next presidential election is more than three years away, and a number of reports and officials have disputed criticisms of Clinton's role when she was secretary of state.

Still, Republicans and conservative talk hosts are hammering away at Clinton's and the Obama administration's handling of the 8-month-old tragedy. A daylong House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday starred three State Department officials invited by Republicans. Security was poorly handled in Benghazi, Libya, they said, and administration officials later tried to obscure what happened.

But the three men offered little that has not been aired in previous congressional hearings. Afterward, Republicans all but acknowledged they're still seeking a knockout punch.

"This hearing is now over, but this investigation is not," said Darrell Issa of California, the hard-charging Republican chairman of the House committee. He urged "whistle-blowers" and "witnesses who have been afraid to come forward" to step up and "tell us your story, and we will make sure it gets public."

Aside from crippling Clinton in 2016, Republicans hope public anger over the Benghazi attacks and their aftermath will besmirch congressional Democrats in next year's midterm elections.

By late Wednesday, Democrats expressed confidence.

"The unsubstantiated Republican allegations about Benghazi disintegrated one by one," said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the House committee's top Democrat. "There's no evidence of a conspiracy to withhold military assets for political reasons, no evidence of a cover-up."

Clinton, seen by many as the early Democratic favorite for president in 2016, generally drew strong reviews for her four-year stint as secretary of state. Her darkest moment was the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.

Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed. Top administration officials initially said the attackers were spontaneous protesters, angry about an anti-Islamic video. They later acknowledged the attackers were well-equipped terrorists acting under plans.

A major independent inquiry largely absolved Clinton of wrongdoing.

The findings incensed many GOP leaders and conservative news outlets, who portray Benghazi as a simmering scandal about to erupt.

"The people back home are standing with you to get to the truth of this, and they will not sit down until they get the answers," Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., told relatives of the Benghazi victims.

Ethical lapses and even full-blown scandals have a mixed record of influencing U.S. elections. Watergate not only forced Richard Nixon from the White House in August 1974; it also triggered crushing losses for congressional Republicans in midterm elections three months later.

President Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon may have ended any hope he had of defeating Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Other scandals, however, did far less political damage. The Iran-Contra affair of Ronald Reagan's second term, and Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky did not prevent either man's vice president from winning the popular vote in the next presidential election.

More recently, Virginia Democrats were crowing about news that Gov. Bob McDonnell ? a potential presidential contender ? accepted large, unreported gifts from a businessman. A short time later, a Washington Post poll showed high approval ratings for McDonnell and scant public interest in the budding "scandal" that titillated the state's political elite.

Some Democratic campaign veterans say the Benghazi affair is too complex and too muddled to swing national elections next year and in 2016.

"The Republicans are pulling out the stops to manufacture a scandal, but it's not likely to stick on Hillary Clinton or Democrats in general," said veteran Clinton strategist Doug Hattaway.

Republican consultant Steve Lombardo said: "The impact on 2014 is likely to be minimal. However, there are a few 2016 Democrat White House aspirants who are feeling a little better about their chances today," especially Vice President Joe Biden.

GOP activists seem determined to push on. The Republican National Committee floods social media sites almost hourly with headlines such as "So many questions about Benghazi."

Soon after White House press secretary Jay Carney was forced again on Wednesday to defend the administration's record in the Benghazi attacks, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner issued a point-by-point rejoinder.

A Boehner aide said the speaker will call on the State Department to release internal emails from last September, regarding political fallout from the Benghazi attacks, that were described in part at Wednesday's hearing by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.

Gowdy said he will find the truth, "and I don't give a damn whose career is impacted."

Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin showed little concern. "I don't think there's a smoking gun today," he told the panel. "I don't think there's a lukewarm slingshot."

"It may not be a smoking gun or a warm slingshot," Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said in the hearing's final hour. "But we have four dead Americans," and Georgians "are looking for the truth."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dems-gop-fails-show-scandal-benghazi-deaths-071505986.html

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The more feathers a male sparrow carries to the nest, the more eggs the female will lay

The more feathers a male sparrow carries to the nest, the more eggs the female will lay

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

An international team lead by the University of Granada has found that female sparrows will invest more energy into laying eggs according to the male's ability to fill the nest with feathers which serve to insulate the chicks from the cold and keep them alive.

Scientists from the University of Granada, in collaboration with the South African University of the Witwatersrand and the Percy FitzPatrick Institute at the University of Cape Town, have discovered that the female house sparrow (Passer domesticus) invests more energy into laying eggs when the male brings more feathers to the nest.

"We conducted an experiment with two types of treatments and a control group. In total, we observed the behaviour of 50 pairs of sparrows," said Lola Garc?a L?pez de Hierro, the study's main researcher.

According to their results, carrying feathers could be a result of sexual selection by the females as they put more energy into reproduction if they have more feathers in the nest. "They provide excellent insulation and the females know that less chicks will die if the male brings more feathers," the expert stated.

The experiment was conducted in the natural environment of Dassen Island (South Africa) and this is the first time this behaviour has been documented in the house sparrow.

Taking away and adding feathers

The researchers took away and added feathers to the nests of the fifty pairs of sparrows during these birds' different mating seasons.

A first stage in the treatment consisted of spending an hour observing the behaviour of the pairs with chicks less than five days old in order to register diverse variables and watch their behaviour if a series of feathers were taken away or if these feathers were left in the nest. The experiment was then repeated with chicks over ten days old.

"We had film recordings of the nest where we gathered information on sparrow behaviour and, using a table of variables, we were able to conclude that the more feathers in the nest, the more eggs the sparrows laid," Garc?a-L?pez de Hierro pointed out.

They also observed that when the females noticed there were feathers missing they animatedly called the males and the male sparrows responded by bringing more feathers and dancing around the female on his return to the nest.

Monogamous birds

Ninety per cent of sparrows mate for life and keep the same partner from one year to the next; however, numerous factors influence the choice of mating partner. For example, the size of the black patch on the males' chest, commonly known as the bib, indicates their biological quality. "The bigger the patch, the higher the quality, an aspect that females can easily select for," the scientist explained.

Other factors that demonstrate the male's biological capacity are the redness of the head, in other words, "the more carotene they invest in the colour of their feathers, the more reproductive success they will have," and the ratio between the size of the beak and the size of the tarsus.

###

Lola Garc?a L?pez de Hierro, Marcos Mole?n y Peter G. Ryan. "Is Carrying Feathers a Sexually Seleted Trait in House Sparrows?" International Journal of Behavioural Biology, 119: 199-211, 2013.

FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology: http://www.fecyt.es/fecyt/home.do

Thanks to FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128163/The_more_feathers_a_male_sparrow_carries_to_the_nest__the_more_eggs_the_female_will_lay

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Monica's Dollhouse On 'Friends' Was Awesome, But Not As Cool As Phoebe's (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Friends

FRIENDS -- Pictured: (clockwise from bottom left) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- Pictured: (clockwise from bottom left) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt Le Blanc, Lisa Kudrow, And David Schwimmer Star In The Latest Season Of 'Friends.' (Photo By Getty Images)

"Friends"

Actors Matt Le Blanc (L), David Schwimmer (C) and Jennifer Aniston are shown in a scene from the NBC series 'Friends'. The series received 11 Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences July 18, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images)

"Friends"

Actors Jennifer Aniston (L) and David Schwimmer are shown in a scene from the NBC series 'Friends'. The series received 11 Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences July 18, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images)

"Friends"

Actors Matt Le Blanc (L), Jennifer Aniston (C) and David Schwimmer are shown in a scene from the NBC series 'Friends'. The series received 11 Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences July 18, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television/Getty Images)

"Friends"

Guest-star Winona Ryder, left, acts with Jennifer Aniston in a scene in NBC's television comedy 'Friends' in a 2001 episode called 'The One With Rachel's Big Kiss.' (Photo by NBC)

"Friends"

Actress Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green and Eddie Cahill as Tag Jones act in a scene in NBC's comedy series 'Friends.' Episode: 'The One With Rachel's Assistant.' (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

"Friends"

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Kristin Davis as Erin, star in NBC's comedy series 'Friends' episode 'The One With Ross's Library Book.' Phoebe and Rachel befriend Joey's new love interest, 'Sex and the City's' Kristin Davis guest-stars. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

"Friends"

Actress Jennifer Aniston star as Rachel Green of NBC's comedy series 'Friends.' (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

"Friends"

Actors (L-R): Kristin Davis As Erin And Jennifer Aniston As Rachel Green In Nbc's Comedy Series 'Friends.' Episode: 'The One With Ross's Library Book.' (Photo By Getty Images)

"Friends"

Cast members of NBC's comedy series 'Friends.' Pictured (l to r, seated): Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry (standing left) David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow (right) talk show host Conan O''Brien (center). Episode: 'Friends Out-takes & Bloopers Special.' (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

"Friends"

David Schwimmer,Jennifer Aniston, Bruce Willis (who plays Paul) guest starring on 'Friends' (the one where Ross meets Elizabeth''s dad). Photo Credit: Paul Drinkwater NBC

"Friends"

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in 'Friends' (1999-2000 season, 'The One With Rachel's Sister'). Photo credit: Warner Bros. (Photo by NBC, Inc./Online USA)

"Friends"

David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston star in 'Friends' Year 5 ('The One In Vegas, Part 2) 1999 Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. All Rights Reserved

"Friends"

Matt Le Blanc and Jennifer Aniston star in the latest season of 'Friends.' (1999)

"Friends"

Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, and Courteney Cox star in the latest season of 'Friends.'

"Friends"

Matt Le Blanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, And Lisa Kudrow Star In The Latest Season Of 'Friends.' (Photo By Getty Images)

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Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, and Courteney Cox in Year 4 of 'Friends' (1998)

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The Cast in Year 4 of 'Friends' (1998)

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Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan in 'Friends' ('Rachel's Crush'). (1997)

"Friends"

Jennifer Aniston (1996)

"Friends"

The cast of "Friends" (1996)

"Friends"

David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston on "Friends" (1996)

"Friends"

Friends Special Episode, 'The One That Could Have Been, Part One' From L-R: Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox Arquette And Matt Leblanc. All The Friends Ponder What Might Have Been If Each Had Taken A Different Path In Life And They Imagine: That A Frustrated Ross (Schwimmer) Stays With His Wife Carol (Jane Sibbett) And Ignores Her Disinterest In Him; A Married Rachel (Aniston) Is Starstruck When She Meets Hunky 'Days Of Our Lives' Star Joey (Leblanc) Who Never Lost His Job As Dr. Drake Ramoray; Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) Is A Corporate Stockbroker; And A Portly Monica (Cox Arquette) Frets About Losing Her Virginity While Chandler (Perry) Is A Struggling Writer Who Stoops To Working As Joey's Lowly Assistant Just To Make Ends Meet. (Photo By Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One with Chandler in a Box' Episode 8 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One After Ross Says Rachel' Episode 1 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One with Chandler in a Box' Episode 8 -- Pictured: (l-r) David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One After Ross Says Rachel' Episode 1 -- Pictured: (l-r) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One Hundredth' Episode 3 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One with Chandler in a Box' Episode 8 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

"Friends"

'The One with the Embryos' Episode 12 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with Joey's Big Break' Episode 22 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with Joey's Big Break' Episode 22 -- Pictured: (l-r) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Michael Monks as Dr. Miller (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One After Ross Says Rachel' Episode 1 -- Pictured: (l-r) David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with the Embryos' Episode 12 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with the Embryos' Episode 12 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with Joey's Big Break' Episode 22 -- Pictured: (front, l-r) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, (back, l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with the Embryos' Episode 12 -- Pictured: (l-r) David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One with the Embryos' Episode 12 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Debra Jo Rupp as Alice Knight Buffay, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene, Giovanni Ribisi as Frank Buffay Jr., Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (Photo by J. Delvalle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- Pictured: (l-r) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, (Photo by Jon Ragel/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

FRIENDS -- Pictured: (clockwise l-r) Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (Photo by Jon Ragel/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Friends

385848 20: Actors, left to right, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller star in NBC's comedy series 'Friends' episode 'The One with the Holiday Armadillo.' In this corner, hailing from the north pole Santa Claus. In this corner, hailing from Texas the Holiday Armadillo. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

Friends

385848 19: Actors Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller and David Schwimmer as Ross Geller in NBC's comedy series 'Friends' episode 'The One with the Holiday Armadillo.' Not to be outdone by Chandler's Santa, Ross invents his own mascot, The Holiday Armadillo. (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

Friends

385848 12: Actors (l-r): Courteney Cox Arquette as Monica Geller and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay star in NBC's comedy series 'Friends' Episode: 'The One Where Chandler Doesn''t Like Dogs.' (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

Friends

385848 28: Cast members of NBC's comedy series 'Friends.' Pictured (l to r): Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay. Episode: 'The One Where They All Turn Thirty.' (Photo by Warner Bros. Television)

Friends

368221 Friends 'The one with the proposel'1999-2000 Courteney Cox Arquette, Matthew Perry, Tom Selleck. Photo Credit: Paul Drinkwater NBC/Deliverd by Onile USA Inc.

Friends

E364703 05: David Schwimmer and Courteney Cox Arquette star in Friends during year 6. (Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Friends

Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry star in 'Friends' Year 5 ('The One In Vegas, Part 2) 1999 Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. All Rights Reserved

Friends

1998 Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox in Year 4 of Friends

Friends

FRIENDS -- 'The One After 'I Do' -- Episode 1 -- Aired 09/27/2001 -- Pictured: (l-r) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller-Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green-- Photo by: Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/monicas-dollhouse-friends_n_3223986.html

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T-Mobile Targets Small Businesses With New Business Connect ...

T-Mobile, fresh from the completion of its merger with MetroPCS and new NYSE listing, is now sharpening its focus on new customers and new products, beginning with small businesses and cloud-based, software-as-a-service phone deals. We?ve been passed a letter that T-Mobile is sending out to a selection of small companies (copied below), targeting those with 20 or fewer employees and offering them free business phone service for the remainder of 2013, with half price on phone services in 2014. The plan, called Business Connect, also has a dedicated website.

This looks to be a direct competitor to other hosted services like those offered by?8?8 and RingCentral, which effectively offer small businesses a cloud-based solution that gives them telephony features like voicemail, CallerID, conference bridges and other features that have been hallmarks of services for larger companies.

From what we understand, this is being developed in conjunction with ChooChee, whose site, if you visit it, still indicates it is in stealth mode but also notes that it is working ?in close partnership with one of the world?s largest global telephony providers?. Our source tells us that ChooChee has in fact been quietly acquired by T-Mobile. (We have reached out to the company to confirm this, plus the news about Business Connect. In any case, someone last year created a profile on CrunchBase called Deutsche Telekom/ChooChee, which points to them at least working together.)

From what we understand, what?s going out to select users today is an early beta, and that there will be a soft launch later this year, with a bigger launch later in the year. This could be part of a bigger strategy targeting SMBs: just last week (prior to the MetroPCS announcement) T-Mobile also announced a new plan for small businesses called ?Simple Choice.? This is effectively the business equivalent of the ?un-carrier? deals that T-Mobile has been selling to consumers. In this case it?s low-cost mobile plans for unlimited talk, text and mobile?web access without an annual contract, along with offers for smartphones at discounted prices. On top of that, T-Mobile is also selling additional services like IT support and billing automation in a new ?Business Extras? plan.

The Business Connect service, however, appears to be separate from this and aimed at a converged fixed/mobile phone service.

T-Mobile, even with the added heft of MetroPCS, is still the U.S.?s smallest mobile carrier, with 43 million subscribers, compared to Verizon at 109.8 million subscribers, AT&T at 103.9 million subscribers and Sprint at 55.8 million subscribers.

T-Mobile has been slowly turning things around. In its last quarterly earnings, it reported its first customer growth since 2009, with numbers up 0.6%, and now it?s finally carrying the iPhone on its network, as well as building out its LTE network. Services like this show that it?s also looking to try to grow by being innovative and shifting the playing field ? it looks like this might be the first SaaS telephony offering of this kind from one of the major U.S. carriers.

Text of the email sent out to businesses below:

T-Mobile Business Connect

************************************************

SAY ?CHEERS? TO A BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEM
YOU WON?T REGRET IN THE MORNING

************************************************

[xxx],

Why do phone companies still make business phone
systems so complex?

************************************************

Good question. We?ve selected your company to be one of the first
to get a new business phone system built for a world that expects
even powerful technology to be easy to use. And you can try this
new system without paying one penny.

http://www.tmobilebiz.com

************************************************

That?s right, you?ll pay nothing for a brand-new phone system,
including service through 2013.

************************************************

T-Mobile Business Connect is what a phone system should be,
and it?s ready for your landlines, mobile phones, tablets,
computers and just about anything else. No special equipment
needed. No gotchas, no surprises, no kidding.

************************************************

We?re only offering this unique program to 200 specially
selected businesses, so grab your spot now.

***********************************************

? The T-Mobile Business Connect Team

***********************************************

GET A COMPLETE PHONE SYSTEM, ON US.

Space is limited. Claim your spot today and get complimentary
business phone service for the rest of 2013, 50% off for all
of 2014 and a desk phone, on us.

GET STARTED >>
http://www.tmobilebiz.com

T-Mobile is a mobile telephone operator headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. T-Mobile has 101 million subscribers making it the worlds sixth largest mobile phone service provider globally.

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/06/t-mobile-targets-small-businesses-with-new-business-connect-saas-phone-service-partnering-with-stealth-choochee/

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Varsity Show delivers laughs, shows off array of student talent ...

From start to finish, the 119th Varsity Show, ?The Great Netscape,? is the most fun you?ll have in Lerner?or anywhere else on campus?this year. The talented principals and ensemble, the hilarious book, and the original score?all brought together under the direction of Chris Silverberg, CC ?13?make the show a testament to the talent found at the school and a hilarious skewering of its culture.

With lines like ?Go down on me like Courseworks? and a performance by a boy band formed in Wien called N?Sink In My Room, the jokes punctuate and move along the plot, without distracting from it.

The plot centers around Kat, a School of Engineering and Applied Science student played by Rebecca Farley, CC ?16. Kat built her own computer, which isolates her from her friends, Millie (Molly Heller, GS/JTS ?15), a Barnard student who is deathly scared of leaving the Morningside bubble, and Julian (Jonah Weinstein, CC ?16 and a Spectator arts and entertainment columnist), a cross country runner who spouts ?90s references and can?t figure out how to adequately express his attraction to Kat.

Mike Discenza/ Senior Staff Photographer

VEESH | Scott Bacon (l.), GS ?13, and Cole Hickman, CC ?16, perform at this year's Varsity Show, "The Great Netscape."

When the Internet goes out?a side effect of University President Lee Bollinger?s secret weather machine, which he uses to make it sunny for Days on Campus?Millie and Kat have to figure out how to fix it, lest they have to actually interact with people. Throwing a wrench into their plans is Kat?s RA, Vivica (Olivia Harris, CC ?14), who coerces people?s attendance at study breaks with the help of her rider, Dylan (Ethan Fudge, CC ?15).

The quest to find the weather machine and fix the Internet is almost stopped by Kat?s feelings of inadequacy, which she sings in ?Little Fish, Big SEAS,? and the Columbia bureaucracy, which prompts the most entertaining number of the show, ?The Administrative Runaround.? ?Little Fish, Big SEAS? is incredibly poignant, highlighting a common concern among Columbia students?not feeling as good as your peers?while still evoking laughter. ?The Administrative Runaround? tackles the absurdity of dealing with administrators with spot-on satire that?s hilarious only because it?s so accurate, from the difficulty in getting straight answers to the ennui that possesses many a Columbia desk clerk.

Other high points include Kat and Mollie?s run-in with Alice (of Go Ask Alice! fame), Solitaire-solving Public Safety officers, and the hilarious ways the characters deal with life offline. One student, played by Cole Hickman, CC ?16, takes to selling Nutella on the black market. Hickman is a standout member of the ensemble, stealing every scene he?s in, especially when he reveals his trenchcoat lined with Nutella wrappers. Another student, played by John Fisher, CC ?16, can?t figure out how people found pornography before the Internet, but Alice helps him. Fisher, like Hickman, is another bright spot in an already bright ensemble. Other standouts include Paulina Pinsky, BC ?15, and Ankeet Ball, CC ?16, who bring big laughs with every different character they play.

Farley and Heller both gave fine performances, though at times it sounded like they were shouting into their microphones and singing louder than necessary, which sometimes translated to missed notes. Harris gives probably the best performance of all the principal cast members, displaying an impressive vocal range and just enough villainous laughter to cement her character as opposed to Farley?s and Heller?s cheerful ones.

The plot sometimes got bogged down in places it didn?t need to, like the unnecessary and short-lived break between Kat and Millie in the second act. The writers, Eric Donahue, CC ?15, and Isabel Lopez, CC ?13, were smart not to dedicate too much time to the romantic subplot, focusing instead on packing the show with jokes, especially a greater-than-expected number of extra-timely ones (including a hilarious shoutout to columnist and former Spectator editorial page editor Lanbo Zhang?s column about merging Barnard and Columbia). These nicely balance out the more stale ones, specifically a reference to Robert, made infamous online for waiting by Alma Mater for a girl he met at 1020.

While many of the songs were excellent, ?the standouts were concentrated largely in the middle and end of the first act, with the first song, ?Columbia Let?s Connect,? trying to do too much exposition work to really take off. ?Or Else? would have similarly fallen flat if it weren?t for Harris? singing. And while some songs try to do too much with plot, the music, composed by Max Druz, CC ?15, and the lyrics, by Nick Parker, CC?14, never fall short.

?The Great Netscape? comes to a satisfying conclusion, with everyone but Vivica getting what they want. Though the show packs in the comedy, it doesn?t overwhelm the main thrust of the play: that nothing on the Internet can connect you with your peers quite as well as actually spending time with them.

Correction: An earlier version of this article listed the incorrect class year for Skylar Gottlieb, BC??16.?Spectator regrets the error.

david.salazar@columbiaspectator.com | @davidj_salazar

Source: http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2013/05/03/varsity-show-delivers-laughs-shows-array-student-talent

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daydaily ? Blog Archive ? Finance lease a No Risk Choice When ...

Written on May 2, 2013 ? 2:56 pm | by sachin |

Any type of company whether just about to start in a business or trying to boost the venture in order to give it more drive, should seriously consider a direct finance lease. You should be able to provide all the material and equipment your newly acquired clients requires, therefore you must stock up on a wide ranging inventory in order to meet their needs.

Financing leases are the most affordable choices when having to spend considerable amounts of money, providing a no risk option as opposed to other capital leases or expensive loan plans. So, why is finance leasing a better option?

This type of leasing plan differs from the other above mentioned, as in you can purchase equipment through a leasing agent. This means that your company does not purchase the equipment directly, but it is leased from a third party who actually owns the equipment.

The great advantage is that, not only are you keeping your capital in the business, you are also profiting from equipment and reaping the profit without having to actually buy it directly. You will benefit from the income stream by leasing the equipment to your clients instead.

Another advantage is that the equipment you hold on lease will not be a load on your investment should you not find sufficient clientele prepared to lease it from you. Which company can afford to purchase equipment that simply lies about in storage for lack of clients able to lease it from you?

Now that the advantages are clear, let us take a closer look on some special aspects to consider when choosing this type of finance plan. In order to be able to conclude the agreement with a leasing agent, a company has to provide some type of assurance. Additional documents and personal collateral may be required from you to insure the payments can be met and on time.

As far as your company?s customers are concerned, these are not responsible to the leasing agent, only to you for the payment of any equipment they are going to use. Your company will have to generate enough income through the leasing of equipment to adequately pay back the finance lease and generate profit from the venture.

As far as maintenance of equipment is concerned, you can make a deal with the leasing agent and negotiate this clause, requiring them to carry out maintenance so that you are clear of added charges and expenses.

In conclusion, the obvious benefits of this leasing agreement, is that it is a no risk choice. No huge financing in order to purchase stock, no stagnant equipment lying in store without being leased by your customers, resulting in the best way to launch a new business without large cash expenditure up front. You may also benefit from tax deduction, allowing you to have deductions on your income calculated on the value of the equipment.

If you choose a finance leasing agreement and you carry it out properly, this plan is a winning choice with a minimum risk and effort involved, no doubt one of the best choices when launching a new business.

Source: http://daydaily.com/2013/05/02/finance-lease-a-no-risk-choice-when-launching-a-new-business/

Beasts of the Southern Wild 2013 Oscars

Greek lawmaker accused of trying to punch mayor

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? A lawmaker from Greece's extreme-right Golden Dawn party allegedly tried to punch the mayor of Athens on Thursday, swinging at him but reportedly missing and hitting a 12-year-old girl instead.

The confrontation came hours after police used pepper spray to prevent the nationalist party from distributing free food to Greek citizens only in the city's main Syntagma Square in defiance of a municipal ban the mayor had vowed to uphold.

Once a marginal group, Golden Dawn saw a meteoric rise in the polls in recent years, becoming Greece's third most popular party as the country slid further into financial crisis and unemployment skyrocketed. Its members have been repeatedly accused of involvement in violent attacks against immigrants and others.

"The only thing these people know is the language of violence," Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said after the incident, in which he said lawmaker Giorgos Germenis also tried to pull out a gun before being restrained by the mayor's bodyguards.

Germenis showed up at a municipal charity event where Kaminis was handing out gifts to children of unemployed parents ahead of Sunday's Orthodox Easter.

"This man sneaked in, we didn't notice him ... and he tried to hit me," Kaminis told Vima FM radio. "At the last minute my personal guards stopped him." The mayor said Germenis had a gun tucked into the back of his waist band, and attempted to pull the weapon out.

Television footage showed the mayor's bodyguards struggling with Germenis as a woman carrying a baby scurried out of the room. The security guards pinned the lawmaker against a wall before marching him out of the building.

Greek media said the blow intended for Kaminis ended up hitting a girl, leaving her with a bruised forehead but no serious injuries.

"Extreme actions, especially when their victims are innocent 12-year-old children, do not befit our democracy," said government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou.

Golden Dawn issued a statement denying a girl had been hit and vowing to sue Kaminis and his security guards. For his part, Kaminis intends to sue Germenis for the attempted attack, the municipality's press office said. Police said they were investigating complaints against the lawmaker for threats and brandishing a weapon.

Golden Dawn had announced it would hand out free Easter food to Greeks only on Thursday. Kaminis had banned any such events in the city's main square, and vowed Wednesday not to allow the "soup kitchen of hate" to take place.

But party members with Golden Dawn logo emblazoned across the backs of their black T-shirts arrived more than two hours before the announced time with a truck carrying meat, potatoes and other goods and began handing out bags of food after checking recipients' identity cards.

Scuffles broke out with riot police, who used pepper spray to repel party members wielding Greek flags on thick wooden sticks.

Giving up on the idea of a charity handout in the capital's main square, the party moved the distribution to its own offices in downtown Athens ? not far from where Kaminis later attended the separate municipal charity event.

"Today in Syntagma Square, the law was implemented against the Golden Dawn neo-Nazis who once again displayed their wares: racist hatred, the use of violence and bullying," said Fofi Gennimata, spokeswoman of the Socialist PASOK party that is a junior member of the governing coalition.

Though Golden Dawn rejects the neo-Nazi label, its website shows great fondness for Nazi literature and symbols.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greek-lawmaker-accused-trying-punch-mayor-161816271.html

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