First day of summer 2013 has nothing on northern Norway's 60 days of sun

The first day of summer 2013 in the United States, the longest day of the year, still has less sunlight than northern Norway right now. Territories in the arctic circle have, effectively, 60 first days of summer.?

By Saleha Mohsin,?Guest Blogger / June 21, 2013

The first day of summer 2013 is the year's longest day in terms of sunlight, but it still pales in comparison to the amount of sun in northern Norway. This photo was taken in North Cape at exactly midnight.

Courtesy of Saleha Mohsin

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Today the sun will shine for 18 hours, 50 minutes and 1 second.

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Saleha Mohsin is an American journalist living in Norway with her British husband, Faisal, and their two-year-old son, Mazen. She grew up in Ohio and worked in London, where she wrote for the popular British tabloid?The Daily Mirror and?Businessweek. Her experiences as an expat living in Oslo are the basis of her Edge of the Arctic blog.

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Now I realize that in December, when the days are short and the imposing darkness begins to wear on me, I?ll regret having said this: I?m tired of the sun. My body needs the kind of peace that only a dark, starry night can provide.

At first I was looking forward to being in Oslo on June 21, the longest day of the year. The best remedy for a grim Norwegian winter is the buildup to the summer solstice. But I went on a whirlwind trip with the Foreign Press Association into the?Arctic Circle?where, for five days, I didn?t see a cloud in the sky. Just the intense, bright yellow sun. In northern Norway towns like?Kirkenes,?Honningsv?g,?and?Vard?, the sun doesn?t set for 60 days. Even when the peak of the midnight sun has passed, twilight increases by just 40 minutes each day. There isn?t a proper dark night from April through August.

The first two days I was charmed by the whole thing. Sunshine all the time! Having to wake up about four hours earlier than I?d like?didn?t feel so tough because the brightness and surprisingly warm weather lifted my spirits.

After a few days I started to feel tired. The sun was there when I got up at 6am for a press conference with the prime ministers of Russia and Norway, and at 2pm when we drove to the Norwegian-Russian border for a ceremony. When I clambered into bed at 11pm, I could see the sunshine bursting through the ineffective hotel curtains. My eyes opened for a moment around 3am and the blazing sun made me feel like I had fallen asleep watching television in the middle of the day. Even after eight hours of sleep I still felt like all I?d had a power-nap.

By the end of the week I was programmed to fall asleep when the lights were simply turned off. I nearly nodded off during a Power Point presentation by an oil company executive.

Fortunately for them, localers are used to 60 days of sunshine in the summer and 60 days of darkness in the winter. I spoke to a native of Finnmark County in the High North and he said besides being a little more tired than usual in the summer, he didn?t find it too challenging. ?We aren?t depressed drunks in the winter, nor are we hyperactive in the summer,? he said, debunking ubiquitous myths. ?It?s really not a big deal.?

I was lucky enough to have the chance to go to?North Cape?(Nordkapp?in Norwegian), a 1,007-foot-high cliff with a plateau that attracts tourists from around the world to see the midnight sun in the summer and?northern lights?in the winter.

North Cape is the second northern-most point of Europe, a mere 2,102.3 kilometers from the North Pole. It has restaurants, a small chapel for weddings, a museum, a theater with a short video about the natural beauty of the High North, and a cheesy souvenir shop.

North Cape offers panoramic views of the point where the?Norwegian Sea,?which is?part of the?Atlantic Ocean, meets the?Barents Sea, part of the?Arctic Ocean.

The midnight sun can be seen from 14 May to the 31st of July. The sun reaches its lowest point from 12:14 ? 12:24am during those days.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Fs9zy2UzoXk/First-day-of-summer-2013-has-nothing-on-northern-Norway-s-60-days-of-sun

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Flooding forces 75,000 from western Canadian homes

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) ? Flooding forced the western Canadian city of Calgary to order the evacuation of its entire downtown Friday, as the waters reached the 10th row of the city's hockey arena.

Overflowing rivers washed out roads and bridges, soaked homes and turned streets into dirt-brown waterways around southern Alberta. Police say as many as four people might have died.

About 350,000 people work in downtown Calgary on a typical day. However, officials said very few people need to be moved out, since many heeded warnings and did not go to work Friday.

Twenty-five neighborhoods in the city, with an estimated population of 75,000, have already been evacuated due to floodwaters in Calgary, a city of more than a million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and serves as the center of Canada's oil industry.

Outside the city, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said two men were seen floating lifeless in the Highwood River near the hard-hit community of High River on Thursday, but no bodies have been found. They also say a woman who was swept away with her camper has not been located. And it wasn't clear whether a man who was seen falling out of a canoe in the High River area was able to climb back in.

In downtown Calgary, water was inundating homes and businesses in the shadow of skyscrapers. Water has swamped cars and train tracks.

The city said the home rink of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames flooded and the water inside was 10 rows deep.

"I think that really paints a very clear picture of what kinds of volumes of water we are dealing with," said Trevor Daroux, the city's deputy police chief.

At the grounds for the world-famous Calgary Stampede fair, water reached up to the roofs of the chuck wagon barns. The popular rodeo and festival is the city's signature event. Mayor Naheed Nenshi said it will occur no matter what.

About 1,500 have gone to emergency shelters while the rest have found shelter with family or friends, Nenshi said.

Nenshi said he's never seen the rivers reach so high or flow so fast, but said the flooding situation was as under control as it could be. Nenshi said the Elbow River, one of two rivers that flow through the southern Alberta city, has peaked.

The mayor suggested that levels on the Bow River ? which, in Nenshi's words, looked like an ocean ? would remain steady for the rest of the day as long as conditions didn't change.

Police urged people to stay away from downtown and not go to work.

The flood was forcing emergency plans at the Calgary Zoo, which is situated on an island near where the Elbow and Bow rivers meet. Lions and tigers were being prepared for transfer, if necessary, to prisoner holding cells at the courthouse.

Schools and court trials were cancelled Friday and residents urged to avoid downtown. Transit service in the core was shut down.

Residents were left to wander and wade through streets waist-deep in water.

"In all the years I've been down here, I've never seen the water this high," resident John Doherty said.

"I've got two antique pianos in the garage that I was going to rebuild and they're probably under water," he said. "We're shell-shocked."

Alberta Premier Alison Redford promised the province would help flood victims put their lives back together and provide financial aid to communities that need to rebuild. The premier said at a briefing that she had spoken to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who travelled to Calgary and promised disaster relief. Harper met with the premier and mayor.

Redford urged people to heed evacuation orders, so authorities could do their jobs. She called the flooding that has hit most of southern Alberta an "absolutely tragic situation."

The premier warned that communities downstream of Calgary had not yet felt the full force of the floodwaters.

It had been a rainy week throughout much of Alberta, but on Thursday the Bow River Basin was battered with up to four inches (100 millimeters) of rain. Environment Canada's forecast called for more rain in the area, but in much smaller amounts.

Calgary was not alone in its weather-related woes. Flashpoints of chaos spread from towns in the Rockies south to Lethbridge.

More than a dozen towns declared states of emergency. Entire communities, including High River and Bragg Creek, near Calgary, were under mandatory evacuation orders.

Some of the worst flooding hit High River, where an estimated half of the town's residents experienced flooding in their homes.

Military helicopters plucked about 30 people off rooftops in the area. Others were rescued by boat or in buckets of heavy machinery. Some even swam for their lives from stranded cars.

A spokesman for Defense Minister Peter MacKay said 354 soldiers are being deployed to the entire flood zone.

Further west, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, photos from the mountain town of Canmore depicted a raging river ripping at house foundations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flooding-forces-75-000-western-canadian-homes-205858183.html

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Beagle-boxer-basset wins World's Ugliest Dog

PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) ? A huge-headed, duck-footed mix of beagle, boxer and basset hound was the upset winner Friday at the 25th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

Walle (WAHL-ee), a 4-year-old mutt from Chico, Calif., who was entered at the last minute, was judged most unsightly of 30 dogs at the Northern California competition.

"This dog looked like he's been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals," judge Brian Sobel said.

Walle overcame the dominance in recent years by nearly hairless Chihuahuas, Chinese cresteds, or combinations of the two.

Owner Tammie Barbee got the dog when he was three months old.

"People come up to me and say that dog is not right," Barbee said, "but I love him."

Judges said they were especially impressed by Walle's bizarre waddle of a walk.

Walle wins $1,500 and will make several network TV appearances next week, including NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

The contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with media from around the world traveling to Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.

Organizers say the dogs are judged for their "natural ugliness in both pedigree and mutt classes."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/beagle-boxer-basset-wins-worlds-ugliest-dog-034143349.html

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Milan moves to reinvent fashion week

MILAN (AP) ? Burberry has packed up for London, abandoning Milan after a decade of menswear fealty. Giorgio Armani has scolded Italian designers who regularly show in other fashion capitals. And Donatella Versace even called for a fashion summit in a bid for unity.

Concern that Milan is losing prestige to London, Paris and New York is starting to crack the composure of the city's usually reserved fashion world.

The Italian National Fashion Chamber has been moved to action, announcing a reorganization this spring and making Prada's outspoken CEO Patrizio Bertelli the chamber's No. 2 with the goal of revitalizing Milan fashion.

Bertelli's first act: a letter to restaurants to stay open late during this week's menswear fashion previews that start Saturday. That may seem a small step, but consider that the fashion world spent 120 million euros ($157 million) in Milan over four fashion weeks in 2009, according to Bain & Company figures, a slow year as the key U.S. market was mired in crisis at the time.

Milan may have built-in fashion pedigree, but it does not have the same inherent tourist appeal as the other fashion capitals, which is reflected in their luxury sales that eclipse Milan's ?4.5 billion ($5.9 billion) in 2012. New York was four times that, Paris double and London more than one-third higher, according to Bain.

As for the source of the malaise, the economic crisis that has now stalled over Italy has zapped resources from the fashion houses, local government that might otherwise provide a boost and the world of fashion media and fashion buyers that feed the system.

Fashion insiders and analysts say Milan doesn't do as much as other fashion cities to integrate cultural and artistic events and promote new designers to create buzz.

"For sure, some cities have invested more in creating a very powerful setting," said Claudia D'Arpizio, a Bain partner who analyzes the luxury goods market. "I think that is what the new fashion chamber is going to do, to make Milan very visible."

More recently, designer spats, not cooperation, have been the norm. The summit called by Versace apparently never took place, pre-empted by the fashion chamber's own reorganization.

Armani has put pressure on Italian designers to regularly show their collections in Milan, and not in other fashion capitals, reportedly making their return a condition for his participation on the policy-setting fashion chamber board.

The remarks targeted Prada's second line, Miu Miu, which shows in Paris, along with Valentino's ready-to-wear and couture collections.

Armani pointed out that he has done his part, long taking the last major fashion week slot at the chamber's request to keep the fashion crowd from rushing off to Paris. "Of course, this over time has brought various problems, such as, in some cases, the absence of some of the most important writers," Armani was quoted by Corriere della Sera as saying recently.

He also debunked any logistical difficulties that other fashion houses might have showing two lines in a single week, pointing out that he does it with the Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani collections, four times a year.

The fashion chamber's long-time president Mario Boselli expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved and Armani would join the board.

"We are confident that with the relaunch of Milan, and some brands will come home," Boselli said in an interview.

He is not promising quick fixes to what are very complex problems, and won't give hints of what's to come, but says some changes will be in place by the September preview shows.

As an early sign of progress, Boselli points out that there will be 78 designers showcased at this week's menswear shows ? more than in previous editions ? and they include runway shows by four new names: two Italians, a German and a Chinese. Armani has opened up his theater to one of them, Andrea Pompilio.

Boselli also was understanding of the Prada Group's decision to show Miu Miu in Paris, especially at a time when many fashion houses, from Versace to Dolce&Gabbana, have abandoned their second lines. In Milan, Miu Miu risks being overshadowed by Prada. "By going to Paris, it's as if there were two first lines, each with its own identity," he said.

As for Burberry's decision to decamp, Boselli accepts it as part of the business. But he takes it as a victory for Milan that British designer Vivienne Westwood did not follow, despite apparent attempts to woo her.

"The people who decide to stay in Milan, do so because they believe in Milan, period," Boselli said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/milan-moves-reinvent-fashion-week-203525610.html

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Big explosion at Quebec fireworks factory kills 2

MONTREAL, Quebec (AP) ? A massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse killed two workers Thursday, police said, leaving a huge plume of smoke blanketing an area west of Montreal.

A series of explosions spread from the charred building after the initial blast at B.E.M. Fireworks near Valleyfield, Quebec. Images from the scene showed a building near a major highway completely destroyed.

Provincial police said two bodies were found in the wreckage but they did not identify them.

Nearly two hours after the blast, fireworks could still be heard exploding at the scene of the fire that continued to burn out of control hours after the explosion, according to witnesses.

Local fire chief Stephane Massicotte said since the warehouse was filled with pyrotechnics it was difficult to battle the blaze.

"This caused a huge amount of flames and very intense heat," Massicotte told reporters.

He said 150 firefighters were used to battle the flames, which were under control by early Thursday afternoon. Reporters on the ground also indicated that there were no fire hydrants in the vicinity.

"All of a sudden I heard, 'boom, boom, bang,'" Mario Cramerstetter said from his office, which is just over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away from the site.

"Initially I thought it was a bulldozer or a tractor but then we saw a big puff smoke. We kept on hearing popping, fireworks going off all the time."

Cramerstetter said it looked like a small building caught fire first and then spread to a larger storage unit.

"We got really, really, really scared," said Ginette Liboiron, who runs a convenience store across a highway overpass.

"I thought my store was falling to the ground. It shook like you can't imagine... We all went outside to see and saw the big, incredible smoke," she said. "It went high up in the air, then it became black, black, black."

Police ordered the surrounding community of Coteau-du-Lac evacuated. A nearby highway was also closed in both directions.

Police also said low traces of metal materials were found in the surrounding area.

Video captured by a news helicopter showed fireworks igniting inside the remnants of the smoldering building.

According to its website, B.E.M. has been designing and manufacturing pyrotechnics and fireworks for 25 years.

Robert Sauve, the mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, said the business has about 20 employees and the owner lives in the community, less than an hour's drive southwest of Montreal.

"This was a very respectable business, and it seems what happened this morning was an accident," he told reporters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-explosion-quebec-fireworks-factory-kills-2-193633963.html

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'Mad Men' ending season with Don Draper at new low

This TV publicity image released by AMC shows Linda Cardellini as Sylvia Rosen, left, and Jon Hamm as Don Draper in a scene from "Mad Men." The season finale airs Sunday, June 23, on AMC. (AP Photo/AMC, Jordin Althaus)

This TV publicity image released by AMC shows Linda Cardellini as Sylvia Rosen, left, and Jon Hamm as Don Draper in a scene from "Mad Men." The season finale airs Sunday, June 23, on AMC. (AP Photo/AMC, Jordin Althaus)

This TV publicity image released by AMC shows Jon Hamm as Don Draper, left, and Jessica Pare as Megan Draper in a scene from "Mad Men." The season finale airs Sunday, June 23, on AMC. (AP Photo/AMC, Michael Yarish)

This undated publicity image released by AMC shows Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, left, and Kevin Rahm as Ted Chaough in a scene from " Mad Men." Rahm's character appeared in a handful episodes in past seasons as the boss of a competing advertising firm. But the recent merger of his and Don Draper's companies _ along with a shocking kiss with Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) _ has thrust Ted to the forefront of the 1960s ad world drama. (AP Photo/AMC, Michael Yarish)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Breaking up is hard to do. That is, unless you're "Mad Men," which this season has been free-and-easy in its fragmentation.

By now Peggy Olson and her radical beau are splitsville. So are Pete Campbell and wife Trudy, who caught him philandering one too many times.

Twice-wed Roger Sterling, currently solo, saw his knotty relationship with his mom torn asunder with her death this season, and he's alienated from his daughter and grandson.

And don't forget the latest romantic entanglement of Don Draper, whose marriage to winsome Megan seemed on suicide watch as, every chance he got, he scorched the sheets with downstairs neighbor Sylvia (wife of Don's presumed friend Dr. Arnold Rosen).

The only notable coming-together: the stormy merger of Sterling, Cooper, Draper and Pryce with former rival ad agency Cutler, Gleason and Chaough, which has assembled a bickering band of ad execs only slightly more collegial than either house of Congress.

Is the unmoored zeitgeist of 1968 to blame for this season's pattern of upheavals? Does the Vietnam War, the assassinations and riots help account for the turmoil on the show? Or the '60s drug culture (they smoke pot at the office, and on one episode, a Dr. Feelgood arrives with a hypodermic needle to keep everybody energized)?

Whatever, the psyches on "Mad Men" in this, its sixth and penultimate season, seem to be unraveling as the season finale approaches (Sunday at 10 p.m. EDT on AMC). The male psyches, anyway.

On the other hand, the sisters increasingly are doin' it for themselves.

Peggy Olson is stronger, more clear-eyed and outspoken than ever. (In last week's episode, she read Don the riot act: "You're a monster!")

Tough, pneumatic Joan Harris, who since the series began has fashioned an unlikely rise from office manager to agency partner, has truly come into her own in recent weeks, notably when she went rogue and landed a major account all by herself (a no-no for a woman in this Alpha Male shop).

Don's ex, the remarried Betty Francis, seemed to step outside her pouty state of victimhood in a recent episode to forcefully remind Don that he still has feelings for her.

But who knows what awaits Megan, Don's devoted wife? In love with Don but unsettled by his growing detachment (even as she remains oblivious to his cheating), she seems poised to become the latest Draper roadkill.

"That poor girl," said been-there Betty to Don. "She doesn't know that loving you is the worst way to get to you."

All in all, it's been a satisfying, illuminating season well served by the superb cast, including Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks and Jessica Pare.

In his new supporting role, Harry Hamlin as a courtly, quirky agency partner has been a delight in his every scene. Likewise, eager-beaver enigma Bob Benson (James Wolk) has been fun to watch while raising questions from the audience (Just what's his game at the agency?) and inspiring wild speculation (a government spy?!).

And Linda Cardellini has been a revelation as Sylvia, the latest woman Don believed he had to have, and did, with a calamitous outcome.

"Mad Men," which arguably has never really been about advertising, seems this season to have taken a step further back from the nuts-and-bolts of Madison Avenue. At the office, the internecine bickering, politics and posturing seem to leave little time for creating ads. Even conference-room sparring about butter versus margarine seemed more about one-upmanship than selling a product.

This season, as usual, "Mad Men" stuck to its elliptical ways, rarely saying too much or gobsmacking the viewer with an OMG moment.

All the more shocking, then, when in a recent episode ? by the worst mischance ? Don's teenage daughter, Sally, caught Don in the sack with Sylvia.

For a girl already alienated by her parents' divorce, by her own roiling adolescence and perhaps ? who knows? ? by the youth rebellion the '60s are fomenting, this sight is clearly traumatic (and perhaps all the more so, since Sally was nursing a crush on the Rosens' teenage son). It's a lot to bear for this member of the youth generation already conditioned not to trust anybody over 30.

And Don knows it. Throughout the season, he seems to have hastened a downward slide. Not only has his private life been extra messy, he has also sabotaged his agency's campaigns and messed up a stock offering that stood to make him and his partners rich.

Now, after Sally barged in on him, his shame is beyond measure. At last week's fade-out, viewers left him in a state of surrender: on his office couch, curled in a fetal position.

Among the questions for the season finale: How can Don begin the process of redeeming himself? And will he?

___

Online:

http://www.amctv.com

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier

Associated Press

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Floods strand pilgrims in India, deaths could rise

LUCKNOW, India Monsoon flooding that has stranded thousands of people and caused landslides in northern India has killed almost 120 people, and the prime minister said the toll could rise substantially.

The torrential rain and landslides since Sunday have stranded pilgrims at four revered Hindu shrines, washed away bridges and roads and caused other damage in Uttrakhand state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after returning from an aerial survey Wednesday that the death toll there was 102. "It is feared that the loss of life could be much higher," he said.

An additional 17 people died in collapsed homes in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state, said R.L. Vishwakarma, a state police officer.

The annual monsoon rains sustain India's agriculture but also cause flooding that claims lives and damages property.

The latest rains have affected several states and the capital, New Delhi, where nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated to government-run camps on higher ground. Authorities there said the Yamuna River was expected to start receding Thursday afternoon.

After Singh's comments, Uttrakhand's Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna told the New Delhi Television news channel that hundreds of people have lost their lives but that the exact number would be known only after a survey.

A joint army and air force operation evacuated nearly 12,000 Hindu pilgrims stranded in the area but nearly 63,000 people remained cut off, according to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. He said the flooding washed away roads and nearly two dozen bridges and demolished 365 houses and partially damaged 275 others in Uttrakhand.

A three-story apartment building toppled into a river and was carried away by the flood waters, said Amit Chandola, a Uttrakhand government spokesman, adding that a helicopter on its landing pad also was swept away. The government also said 40 small hotels on the banks of the Mandakini river in the Gaurikund area were destroyed.

Describing the situation as grim, Bahuguna said his administration was not equipped to tackle such a massive disaster, and asked for federal assistance. The region is 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.

Most of those stranded in Uttrakhand are Hindu pilgrims to four revered shrines. Bahuguna said the Kedarnath temple - one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, located atop the Garhwal Himalayan range - had escaped major damage, but up to 10 feet (four meters) of debris covered the area around it.

"We are fully engaged in rescuing people who have been stranded in the higher reaches," Bahuguna told reporters earlier. Nearly 600 people were evacuated by air force helicopters and the rest by the army using land routes.

With the sky over Uttrakhand clearing up Wednesday, the helicopter operation concentrated on the worst-hit Kedarnath temple area, which received 380 millimeters (14 inches) of rain in the past week, nearly five times the average for that time period, said R.P.N. Singh, junior home minister.

Air force spokeswoman Priya Joshi said 22 helicopters have dropped food packets and other relief supplies in addition to ferrying stranded tourists. More than 5,000 soldiers helped bring thousands of homeless people to relief camps and provided them with food and medical supplies.

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/06/19/4115708/monsoon-floods-kill-69-in-india.html

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Navy football players charged with rape

If found guilty of sexually assaulting a schoolmate, three United States Naval Academy midshipmen could face court-martial. The allegations came following an investigation into an off-campus party last year.

By Ian Simpson,?Reuters / June 19, 2013

This file photo shows the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Three members of the academy's football team have been accused of sexually assaulting a female midshipman at an off-campus house last year.

AP Photo/Kathleen Lange, File

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Three?U.S. Naval Academy?football players have been charged with raping a female midshipman and making false statements, the school said on Wednesday, the latest in a string of sexual assault allegations in the U.S. military.

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The midshipmen will face an Article 32 proceeding, similar to a preliminary hearing in civilian law. The hearing will kick off a process similar to a grand jury to determine if a general court-martial is warranted.

"This case is still in the pre-trial phase, so any further comment on this ongoing investigation would be inappropriate," said?John Schofield, a spokesman for the academy.

Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral?Michael Miller?reviewed the probe carried out by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and approved seeking the charges, the academy said.

The investigation was touched off by allegations of an incident at an off-campus party in April 2012 in?Annapolis,?Maryland, site of the elite school. The woman's attorney, Susan Burke, has said her client got drunk at the party and passed out.

"She woke up at the football house the next morning with little recall of what had occurred. She learned from friends and social media that three football players were claiming to have had sexual intercourse with her while she was incapacitated," Burke said in a statement late last month.

Burke said one of the football players pressured the woman not to cooperate with an initial investigation. She followed the advice but was "ostracized and retaliated against by the football players and the Naval Academy community," she said.

The woman was also disciplined for drinking. She sought legal help in early 2013 and the Navy?reopened the investigation, Burke said.

Naval Academy students are known as "midshipmen." Reuters generally does not publish the names of sexual assault victims.

The charges come amid a spate of high-profile military sexual assault cases, including some involving personnel whose jobs were to prevent sexual abuse.

An annual?Pentagon?study last month estimated that unwanted sexual contact, from groping to rape, jumped by 37 percent in 2012 to 26,000 cases.

President?Barack Obama?spoke at the Naval Academy's graduation ceremony on May 24 and urged the new officers to stamp out sexual assault among their ranks.

The wave of sex-related incidents has embarrassed the U.S. armed forces and prompted members of?Congress?to introduce legislation to toughen the?Pentagon's handling of sex crimes.

A U.S. Senate panel last week backed draft legislation that would let prosecutors, rather than a victim's commander, decide if a sex offense should go to trial.

Defense Secretary?Chuck Hagel?and military service chiefs have opposed taking sexual assault prosecution decisions out of the chain of command.

(Additional reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/usa/~3/gis8jxtbmvE/Navy-football-players-charged-with-rape

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Saudi to expel Hezbollah supporters over Syria war

BEIRUT (AP) ? In the latest sign of the fissures growing in the Arab world over the Syrian civil war, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Beirut has announced that the kingdom plans to deport Lebanese who supported Hezbollah, one of Damascus' key allies.

The warning comes as the Lebanese Shiite militant group takes an increasingly prominent role in the Syrian war, fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's troops in a key battle earlier this month. Saudi Arabia is a strong backer of the mostly-Sunni Syrian opposition trying to remove Assad from power. Assad belongs to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

It follows the decision earlier this month by the Gulf Cooperation Council ? which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates ? to crack down on Hezbollah members in the Gulf and limit their "financial and business transactions."

Hezbollah says it has no businesses in the Gulf nations. However, there are more than half a million Lebanese working in the Gulf Arab nations, including tens of thousands in Saudi Arabia, some of whom have been living in the kingdom for decades. Many of those Lebanese are Shiites.

Saudi Arabia will deport "those who financially support this party," Ambassador Ali Awad Assiri told Lebanon's Future TV late Wednesday. He did not elaborate on whether other actions could be also considered support for Hezbollah.

"This is a serious decision and will be implemented in detail," Assiri said, without specifying when the deportations would begin. "Acts are being committed against innocent Syrian people."

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour told reporters Thursday he was in contact with Gulf officials over the matter. Hezbollah and its allies dominate Lebanon's current government, which resigned March 22, but continues to run the country's affairs in a caretaker capacity.

Syria's 2-year civil war, which has killed nearly 93,000 people, is increasingly pitting Sunni against Shiite Muslims and threatening the stability of Syria's neighbors. Assad draws his support largely from fellow Alawites as well as other minorities including Christians and Shiites. He is backed by Shiite Iran, Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiites.

U.S. officials estimate that 5,000 Hezbollah members are fighting alongside Assad's regime, while thousands of Sunni foreign fighters are also believed to be in Syria ? including members of Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida affiliate that is believed to be among the most effective rebel factions. Public opinion in Sunni states is often sympathetic to the rebels.

Fighting between pro- and anti-Syrian groups has broken out in Lebanon, and Hezbollah's involvement in Syria is deepening tensions at home.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, who has been increasingly critical of the group recently, said in remarks published Thursday that he is against Hezbollah's involvement in Syria and that Hezbollah fighters should return to Lebanon.

"I told them from the start that I am against this act," he was quoted by al-Safir daily as saying.

In Syria, activists reported violence between government forces and rebels in different parts of the country on Thursday, mostly near the capital Damascus and in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest urban center and its commercial hub.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 rebels were killed in a battle with government troops in Aleppo, where the opposition has controlled whole neighborhoods and large swathes of surrounding land since last summer.

Pro-regime media outlets announced earlier this month that troops had launched an offensive to build on the momentum of their Qusair triumph to retake Aleppo and other areas of the north.

Another activist group, the Syria-based Aleppo Media Center, said rebels launched an attack on army positions in the city's Suleiman al-Halabi neighborhood. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the government side in the fighting.

Amateur videos showed gunmen shooting and firing rockets at army positions in the neighborhood. The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

Meanwhile, Syria's main Western-backed opposition group said 40,000 civilians in two northern districts of Damascus in which government forces have been operating are suffering food shortages and lack medical supplies.

"After six months of continuous siege, (and ) military checkpoints ... the neighborhoods of Qaboun and Barzeh are at risk," the Syrian National Coalition said in a statement. It said the government forces conduct frequent raids in the two districts and there is fear that such army operations will result in a "massacre."

Also on Thursday, the Observatory urged the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations to intervene and take medicine and food to Aleppo's central prison. Heavy fighting around the prison has raged for weeks and there have been casualties among the prisoners, the activists said.

The Observatory, which has a network of activists around the country, said three detainees died this week from tuberculosis and that scabies was spreading in the jail, which holds thousands of prisoners.

The prison, which is besieged by rebels, relies on food and medicine brought in drop-offs by army helicopters. The Observatory said more than 100 detainees have been killed since April when the fighting around the prison began.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels and Kurdish gunmen reached an agreement to end a rebel siege of the northern predominantly Kurdish region of Afrin that triggered a shortage of food and medicine there, the Observatory said.

The Afrin flare-up began when rebels wanted to pass through it to attack the predominantly Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahra, controlled by Assad loyalists, the head of the Observatory, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said. After Kurdish groups refused, rebels attacked Kurdish checkpoints and laid siege beginning on May 25.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-expel-hezbollah-supporters-over-syria-war-093852965.html

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Wambach breaks Hamm's mark for career goals

United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, celebrates with Abby Wambach as teammates rush in after Wambach scored a goal against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal, Wambach broke Mia Hamm's national goal-scoring record. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, celebrates with Abby Wambach as teammates rush in after Wambach scored a goal against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal, Wambach broke Mia Hamm's national goal-scoring record. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

United States' Abby Wambach, center right, reacts after scoring a goal against South Korea as United States' Heather O'Reilly (9) and Crustal Dunn (6) and South Korea's Jeoun Eunha (18) look on during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

United States' Abby Wambach, left, reacts after scoring a goal against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal Wambach ties for most scored goals with former US player Mia Hamm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

United States' Abby Wambach kisses a soccer ball after scoring against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal, Wambach broke Mia Hamm's national goal-scoring record. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

United States women soccer players mob Abby Wambach after she scored a goal against South Korea during the first half of an international friendly soccer match at Red Bull Arena, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Harrison, N.J. With the goal, Wambach broke Mia Hamm's national goal-scoring record. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) ? Abby Wambach broke Mia Hamm's record for international career goals by a soccer player, scoring four times in the first half against South Korea to push her total to 160.

Wambach tallied three times in the first 29 minutes to break Hamm's mark of 158 international goals, and she added another in injury time to give her a nice round number.

The historic 159th came on a line-drive header that ripped into the twine in the back of the net off a corner kick by Megan Rapinoe.

The 33-year-old Wambach turned and ran a couple of steps in the direction of the U.S. bench, then stopped as Rapinoe jumped into her arms. The Rochester, N.Y., native was then mobbed by teammates on the field and those who streamed off the bench as the crowd at Red Bull Arena cheered wildly.

After the hugs, Wambach turned to the stands and blew a kiss toward her parents, Judy and Peter.

Chants of "Ab-bee, Ab-bee, Ab-bee," cascaded through the stadium as officials got the ball and gave it to the U.S. bench.

"I'm just so proud of her," Hamm said. "Just watching those four goals, that's what she is all about. She fights for the ball, she's courageous and she never gives up. Her strength and perseverance is what makes her so great and it's what defenders and opposing teams fear.

"From being her teammate early in her career, I know all she ever wanted to do was win, and she continues to do that. I'm just glad I got to share 158 with her. It was short, but it was fun."

Her first goal Thursday came on a shot in the box past South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi in the 10th minute. The second came nine minutes later in the friendly on a flicking header.

Lauren Cheney set up the first two goals on crossing passes on plays that Wambach eluded Korean defender Shim Seo-yeon.

Wambach's fourth goal was an easy tap-in after Alex Morgan made a run down the right side and centered the ball to the on-rushing Wambach, the 2012 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

Wambach had a chance for a fifth goal, which would have tied her single-game record, but she could not get her head on a cross early in the second half.

Wambach was given a standing ovation by many in the crowd when she was replaced in the 58th minute by Christen Press.

Before leaving the field, she exchanged hugs with long-time teammates Rapinoe, Heather O'Reilly and Carli Lloyd and a few other players. As she got to the sideline she applauded the crowd and then hugged her coaches and teammates.

Wambach said on Tuesday she wanted to get the record and stop being the center of attention. On Thursday night she held the spotlight and no one was going to take it away.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-20-SOC-Wambach-Record/id-d9413b92ceb2468cb16516dc6df2ad2b

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CSN: Zimmermann, Desmond lead Nats past Rox

Game in a nutshell: After an extra innings win against the Phillies on Wednesday night, the Nationals entered Thursday trying to build off the thrilling victory. Stringing wins together has been a tough task for the Nats this year, but having Jordan Zimmermann on the mound certainly helped their cause. Zimmermann was brilliant and carved up the Rockies all evening, retiring 14 consecutive batters at one point. He threw eight innings with one run allowed (zero earned) and put little pressure on Washington's lineup to hold up their end. But the Nats' offense also carried their weight with five runs to complete an all-around impressive victory for the team.

Hitting highlight: Adam LaRoche gave the Nats a nice cushion in the fifth inning with a two-RBI triple into the gap in right field. Denard Span led off the inning with a double off the scoreboard in right-center and Anthony Rendon followed with a single. Both were then brought home by LaRoche who hit his second triple of the year.

Pitching highlight: Zimmermann put in another masterful performance in a long line of them this season. The Nats' right-hander went eight innings with six hits, nine strikeouts, and one walk. He was efficient with his pitch count and relentless in attacking the strike zone. Zimmermann's threw 15 pitches, for instance, in the first inning, all of them strikes.

Key stat: Anthony Rendon has 25 hits on the season in his first 21 games as a pro. Danny Espinosa had 25 in 44 games before heading to the disabled list.

Up next: The Nats and Rockies continue their four-game series with Stephen Strasburg (3-6, 2.50 ERA) and Tyler Chatwood (4-1, 2.33) facing off. Chatwood drew many comparisons to Oswalt coming up through the minors, so the Nats may see similar stuff in Game 2 as they did on Thursday.

Source: http://www.natsinsider.com/2013/06/instant-analysis-nats-5-rockies-1.html

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University of Colorado Weighs Discrimination Protection for Conservatives

College campuses are known for proudly proclaiming their refusal to tolerate discrimination against any minority group, but try telling that to a conservative.

Few would disagree that conservative professors are an endangered species on campus, which is why the University of Colorado Board of Regents is scheduled to consider Thursday a resolution that would prohibit discrimination based on ?political affiliation or political philosophy.?

Regent James Geddes said the proposed policy change is aimed at bringing more diversity of intellectual thought to the university, which has a reputation as a bastion of liberalism in its faculty and student body.

?It?s my view that academic freedom is of paramount importance, and unfortunately in many disciplines at the University of Colorado, they end up with high-quality people who think alike,? Mr. Geddes said. ?If the other side is not present, then the environment for a rich exchange of ideas is simply not there.?

The board also is slated to consider a resolution to conduct a survey on whether its campuses have implemented a previous resolution calling on them to ?respect diversity in all of its forms, including diversity of political, geographic, cultural, intellectual, and philosophical perspectives.?

The liberal Boulder campus may be the last place anyone would expect to find a conservative revolt in academic thought, but the University of Colorado has drawn national attention for attacking liberal bias since Republicans gained a 5-4 majority on the board in 2011.

In March, the University of Colorado Boulder appointed Steven Hayward as the inaugural visiting scholar in conservative thought and policy in an effort to bring underrepresented ideas to campus.

The drive for more conservative voices on campus is encountering some resistance from faculty members, who say they worry that the effort amounts to intellectual quotas that could hinder the university from attracting top talent.

?The university should be trying to hire the best faculty, and that should be the only criterion,? said Oliver McBryan, professor of computer science emeritus at the Boulder campus. ?If you start trying to interject other criteria, you?re not going to get the best candidates, and you may even drive some of them away.?

Mr. McBryan agreed that college professors tend to lean left ? ?There?s definitely a weighting toward liberalism at universities? ? but said the reason may be that liberals are better suited for the world of academia, while conservatives are more at home in the field of business.

?Researchers are people whose minds are very open to new ideas, which means they aren?t conservative,? Mr. McBryan said. ?Conservatives are more likely to prefer the status quo. ? Professors are more likely to be liberal-oriented because they search for and are open to new ideas.?

Other faculty members are expected to testify Thursday both for and against the resolutions, including University of Colorado School of Law professor Robert Nagel, who has criticized the lopsided liberal majority in the humanities.

The proposed resolution on discrimination would apply to hiring and academic policies, and would include a ?mechanism for investigating any complaints of discrimination based upon political affiliation or political philosophy.?

Mr. Geddes said he expects a spirited debate. ?I?ve been a regent for 4? years, and this is the biggest deal since I?ve been here,? he said.

University of Colorado Boulder has had a major ideological fight over a faculty member, but the professor was no conservative. In 2007, ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill was fired on charges of academic dishonesty in the aftermath of years of controversy over an essay on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, in which he compared the World Trade Center victims to Nazi war criminals ? ?little Eichmanns.?

? Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC

Source: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/colorado-discrimination-conservatives/2013/06/20/id/510903

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Video on Instagram: Facebook's New Vine-Like Video Sharing

You're about to be able to cloak short video clips in vintage filters. Facebook just added video to Instagram, similar to Twitter's Vine app, only smarter. It has many more features than Vine?it looks like video sharing done right.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9k3A81Xr4BE/video-on-instagram-facebooks-new-vine-like-video-shar-518952358

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Does your salad know what time it is? Managing vegetables' 'internal clocks' postharvest could have health benefits

June 20, 2013 ? Does your salad know what time it is? It may be healthier for you if it does, according to new research from Rice University and the University of California at Davis.

"Vegetables and fruits don't die the moment they are harvested," said Rice biologist Janet Braam, the lead researcher on a new study this week in Current Biology. "They respond to their environment for days, and we found we could use light to coax them to make more cancer-fighting antioxidants at certain times of day." Braam is professor and chair of Rice's Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

Braam's team simulated day-night cycles of light and dark to control the internal clocks of fruits and vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, squash and blueberries. The research is a follow-up to her team's award-winning 2012 study of the ways that plants use their internal circadian clocks to defend themselves from hungry insects. That study found that Arabidopsis thaliana -- a widely used model organism for plant studies -- begins ramping up production of insect-fighting chemicals a few hours before sunrise, the time that hungry insects begin to feed.

Braam said the idea for the new research came from a conversation with her teenage son.

"I was telling him about the earlier work on Arabidopsis and insect resistance, and he said, 'Well, I know what time of day I'll eat my vegetables!' Braam said. "That was my 'aha!' moment. He was thinking to avoid eating the vegetables when they would be accumulating the anti-insect chemicals, but I knew that some of those chemicals were known to be valuable metabolites for human health, so I decided to try and find out whether vegetables cycle those compounds based on circadian rhythms."

Arabidopsis and cabbage are related, so Braam's team began their research by attempting to "entrain" the clocks of cabbage in the same way they had Arabidopsis. Entrainment is akin to the process that international travelers go through as they recover from jet lag. After flying to the other side of the globe, travelers often have trouble sleeping until their internal circadian clock resets itself to the day-night cycle in their new locale.

Using controlled lighting in a sealed chamber, Rice graduate student and study lead author Danielle Goodspeed found she could entrain the circadian clocks of postharvest cabbage just as she had those of Arabidopsis in the 2012 study. Following the success with cabbage, Goodspeed and co-authors John Liu and Zhengji Sheng studied spinach, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes and blueberries.

"We were able to entrain each of them, even the root vegetables," Goodspeed said. She and Braam said the findings suggest that storing fruits and vegetables in dark trucks, boxes and refrigerators may reduce their ability to keep daily rhythms.

"We cannot yet say whether all-dark or all-light conditions shorten the shelf life of fruits and vegetables," Braam said. "What we have shown is that keeping the internal clock ticking is advantageous with respect to insect resistance and could also yield health benefits."

In the cabbage experiments, Braam, Goodspeed and Rice co-authors John Liu, Zhengji "Jim" Sheng and Wassim Chehab found they could manipulate cabbage leaves to increase their production of anti-insect metabolites at certain times of day. One of these, an antioxidant called glucoraphanin, or 4-MSO, is a known anti-cancer compound that has been previously studied in broccoli and other vegetables.

Braam's team has already begun follow-up research, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, into whether light and other stimuli, like touch, may be used to enhance pest resistance of food crops in developing countries.

"It's exciting to think that we may be able to boost the health benefits of our produce simply by changing the way we store it," Goodspeed said.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oP-99pOM4Yg

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/jCOBude4zvE/130620132324.htm

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Dispatch call describes Paris Jackson's injuries

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Paramedics were dispatched to Paris Jackson's home on a report that the 15-year-old had taken 20 Motrin pills and cut herself with a kitchen knife, audio of an emergency dispatch released Tuesday shows.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department released audio of a call describing the need for paramedics between one of its dispatchers and a sheriff's department dispatcher who was relaying information from the home.

Paris is the only daughter of pop superstar Michael Jackson and was hospitalized after the June 5 incident.

The teen was described as conscious and breathing during the call, but no other details about her condition or what led to the injuries were given on the call, which lasted approximately a minute.

Perry Sanders Jr., a lawyer for her grandmother and guardian, has said Paris is physically fine and receiving appropriate medical treatment. He did not return a phone message seeking comment Tuesday.

Paris and her brothers, Prince and Blanket, are plaintiffs on a lawsuit filed by their grandmother against concert giant AEG Live LLC. The negligent hiring suit alleges AEG and its top executives failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of administering a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol to Michael Jackson in 2009, and that AEG Live missed warning signs about the entertainer's failing health.

The trial is in its seventh week, with AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips on the witness stand.

Prince and Paris are listed as potential witnesses, although Sanders said last week there was no indication that stress from the trial had led to the teenager's hospitalization.

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, returned to trial on Tuesday, her first day back since her granddaughter's medical emergency.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dispatch-call-describes-paris-jacksons-injuries-195804526.html

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Antec to extend its Bluetooth product range with Pulse, SP1+, SP3 and SPzero (hands-on)

To most people, Antec's probably better known for its desktop-related products, but at Computex, the company made quite a big effort to pimp its A.M.P. (Antec Mobile Products) range of Bluetooth audio devices. You may have already come across the SP1 Bluetooth speaker (pictured above in several colors), but we've been told that an identical-looking SP1+ is coming this October. What's new? Well, the refresh will come with NFC-enabled Bluetooth pairing, as well as CSR's TrueWireless Stereo technology that will let you use one SP1+ as the left channel, and another SP1+ as the right channel (but both drivers in each SP1+ are still active in this case). Do read on to see what else Antec has up its sleeve later this year.

Gallery: Antec SP1 and SP1+ Bluetooth speaker

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables, Wireless

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-ccrE7U7530/

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Blackhawks beat Bruins 4-3 in 3OT Cup opener

CHICAGO (AP) ? Of course, it was Andrew Shaw. The pesky little forward always gets up when he's knocked down.

The three-overtime opener of the Stanley Cup finals came to a thrilling end at the stroke of midnight Wednesday because the tenacious Shaw is a whole lot more than his reputation for irritating opposing players.

Shaw skated in front of the goal at the right time, deflecting Dave Bolland's tip into the net for the winning score in the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in the fifth-longest game in the history of the Stanley Cup.

"We knew it wasn't going to be pretty at that point," Shaw said. "You could tell both teams were physically exhausted. We've preached it: Go to the net, you'll find a way to get a greasy goal. We did a heck of a job of it there in the third overtime."

Shaw was knocked down near the boards but got up as the puck came out to Michal Rozsival, who started the winning sequence with a shot from the right point into traffic. Bolland's tip then went off Shaw's right leg and past Tuukka Rask at 12:08 for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

And just like that, the longest finals game in five years was over. Shaw skated off to the side and pumped his arms furiously, then joined his teammates for a weary celebration.

"The bigger the stage, the bigger the challenge, he rises to the occasion," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "He knows where the front of net is. Doesn't have to be pretty. He's a warrior. He's one of those guys that you appreciate he's on your side and he's relentless."

Milan Lucic had two goals and an assist for the Bruins, who had won five straight and nine of 10. Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal and David Krejci finished with two assists.

"Not disappointed in our effort," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "There's certain things you're going to want to fix for next game. But as far as the game is concerned, it was a hard-fought game."

Rask made an astounding 59 saves in a finals marathon that passed Pittsburgh's 4-3 win over Detroit on June 2, 2008, when Petr Sykora scored at 9:57 of the third overtime.

Game 2 is Saturday night at the United Center.

"That's playoff hockey," Bruins center Rich Peverley said. "It's fun to watch, so we'll think about this until we get out of here and then shake it off and get ready for Saturday."

The Blackhawks won for the eighth time in nine games and improved to 10-1 at home in the playoffs.

Bolland and Johnny Oduya scored in the third period for Chicago, which never would have made it to the third overtime if not for an impressive performance by goaltender Corey Crawford. Brandon Saad had his first goal of the playoffs.

Crawford gave the Blackhawks a chance by standing his ground when the Bruins had repeated opportunities in the extra sessions.

Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille skated in for a 2-on-1 in the first OT, and Crawford turned away Thornton on the doorstep. He denied Peverley and Tyler Seguin in rapid succession, and helped Chicago kill off two power plays when it was whistled twice for too many men on the ice.

Nathan Horton hit the post in the first extra session, and Zdeno Chara's slap shot deflected off Jaromir Jagr and then the inside of the right post at the very end of the second overtime.

"It's exhausting," said Crawford, who had 29 of his 51 saves in the overtimes. "I just try to tell myself to make the next save, and we're going to score on our next shot."

The action was so fast and furious that it took a toll on the players, with Horton skating off during a power play with an injury ? likely a serious one to leave the ice during that pivotal moment.

The Blackhawks trailed 3-1 in the third period before they turned up the pressure on Rask, who stepped up when he faced a similar attack from Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference finals. This time, he coughed up the lead, hurt by one unlucky carom.

First, Bolland converted a nice pass from Shaw for his first goal of the playoffs. Then Oduya's long slap shot went off the left skate of Boston defenseman Andrew Ference and into the net for the tying goal with 7:46 remaining in regulation.

Oduya's shot was going wide if it didn't hit Ference's skate.

"We were up two goals and all of a sudden the game was tied," said Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, who had more than 45 minutes of ice time. "We've got two days to regroup and get ready for the next game."

The sellout crowd of 22,110 cheered as Krejci and Chicago captain Jonathan Toews stared each other down for the opening faceoff of the first Stanley Cup finals between Original Six franchises in 34 years.

And it almost didn't happen.

Game 1 came exactly five months after the official end of a long and bitter lockout. The labor dispute wiped out 510 games, but the sides managed to come together in time to save an abbreviated 48-game season and playoffs.

They were rewarded with a final playoff series between two big-market teams with passionate followings and scores of top players. Led by Toews and a group of skilled forwards, the Blackhawks returned to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since they won it all three year ago. Boston won the title the following season, and the same core of players is at the center of this year's playoff run.

It was enough to attract the attention of President Barack Obama, who has a home in Chicago and made it clear who he was pulling for before the opener. He wished the Blackhawks good luck over Twitter before adding: "hope to welcome you back to the White House again as #StanleyCup champs."

Boston countered with a Rolling Stone: Mick Jagger tweeted a picture of himself holding a Bruins jersey before a show at TD Garden.

The Bruins got off to fast start behind Lucic, who converted a nice pass from Horton for the first goal of the series at 13:11 in the first.

Lucic set up his second goal with a little dirty work. He won the puck in a scrum along the boards, got a pass from Krejci and fired it into the right side just 51 seconds into the second period, extending Boston's lead to 2-0 with his fifth goal of the playoffs.

The two-goal lead looked like a sure bet with Rask in net, but the Blackhawks found a way to get back into the game against the red-hot goaltender. Marian Hossa stole the puck from Dennis Seidenberg in the Boston end and fed Saad, who one-timed it past Rask at 3:08 in the second.

Saad's goal ended a scoreless streak of 149 minutes and 36 seconds for Rask dating to Game 3 of the sweep against the Penguins.

That got the crowd going again, and the Blackhawks drew a pair of penalties in rapid succession to earn a 5-on-3 power play for 1:17. With the prime opportunity to move into a tie, they passed the puck around too much and the Bruins easily killed off both penalties.

NOTES: It was the first game between the teams since Boston's 3-2 shootout victory on Oct. 15, 2011. There were no games against teams from the other conference during the lockout-shortened season. ... This is the first playoff series between the teams since Boston swept Chicago in the 1978 quarterfinals. The Bruins won five of their six previous postseason series against the Blackhawks.

___

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackhawks-beat-bruins-4-3-3ot-cup-opener-051115527.html

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UK proposed legal aid cuts come under heavy criticism - Jurist

? JURIST Legal News and Research Services, Inc., 2013. JURIST is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. E-mail inquiries, changes, news tips, URLs, corrections, etc. to JURIST@jurist.org. This site is not an official site of the University of Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh is not responsible for its content. Nothing on this site is intended as legal advice. If you have a legal problem, please consult an attorney.

Source: http://jurist.org/paperchase/2013/06/uk-proposed-legal-aid-cuts-come-under-heavy-criticism.php

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Kanye West Talks Kim Kardashian, Fatherhood & Family With The ...

Even though I often call Kanye West the angry black man, that dosen?t take away from the fact that I believe that he is incredibly talented.

It has been long time since he did a sit down interview with any media outlets. And just recently he granted the New York times a one on one interview.

During the interview Kanye answered a lot questions without being angry and going into one of his famous rants. He discussed his music career, being un apologetic for the Taylor Swift altercation at the MTV Music Awards, as well as his relationship with his baby mama to be Kim Kardashian.

Check out a few highlights from the interview below:

you?re in a very public relationship, a seemingly long and satisfying relationship: you?re about to have a child.

Any woman that you?re in love with or that loves you is going to command a certain amount of, you know, energy. It?s actually easier to focus, in some ways.

When you?re uncertain about love, it can be such a distraction. It infects all the other areas.

Yeah, that?s what I mean when I say like, ?Yo, I?m going to be super Zenned out like, five years from now.? I?m the type of rock star that likes to have a girlfriend, you know? I?m the type of soul that likes to be in love and likes to be able to focus. And that inspires me.

On ?Keeping Up With the Kardashians,? there?s a really affectionate scene where you go and help Kim sort through her clothes.

That was from a place of love. It?s hard when people read things in a lot of different ways. You know, the amount of backlash I got from it is when I decided to not be on the show anymore. And it?s not that I have an issue with the show; I just have an issue with the amount of backlash that I get. Because I just see like, an amazing person that I?m in love with that I want to help.

Did you think differently about family after your mother passed?

Yeah, because my mother was ? you know, I have family, but I was with my mother 80 percent of the time. My mom was basically ? [pause]

Was your family.

Yeah, that?s all I have to say about that.

What thoughts do you have about parenthood?

That is a really interesting, powerful question. One of the things was just to be protective, that I would do anything to protect my child or my child?s mother. As simple as that.

Have you ever felt as fiercely protective over anything as you are feeling now about those things?

I don?t want to explain too much into what my thoughts on, you know, fatherhood are, because I?ve not fully developed those thoughts yet. I don?t have a kid yet.

You haven?t experienced it yet.

Yeah. Well, I just don?t want to talk to America about my family. Like, this is my baby. This isn?t America?s baby.

Click here and head over to my buddies at Mrs Grapevine to find out what else Kanye West had to say?

Source: http://twanatells.com/2013/06/12/kanye-west-talks-kim-kardashian-fatherhood-family-with-the-new-york-times/

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Comcast's new X2 platform moves your DVR recordings from the box to the cloud

Crying because your DVR's hard drive can't hold an entire season of Antiques Roadshow? If you're a Comcast subscriber, there may be hope on the horizon. At The Cable Show in Washington, D.C., Comcast announced its next Xfinity-branded cloud solution: the X2 set-top box. Available later this year, the X2 will eschew hard drive saves in favor of storing recorded programs online. Additionally, both the forthcoming X2 and soon-to-be updated X1 are said to provide greater interface customization, smarter personalized recommendations, additional web content and enhanced multiplatform integration. If this news tickles your fancy, you can find more screenshots at the source link below or read the press release after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Comcast

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/comcast-x2-platform/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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