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Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Clinton announces $10 million in Thailand flood relief aid, Bangkok distracted by politics
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a $10 million aid package for Thailand flood relief during a visit to Bangkok Wednesday.
Both US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid visits to Bangkok today as a fierce political debate threatens to destabilize the flood-ravaged country.
Skip to next paragraphMrs. Clinton announced more than $10 million in extra flood relief assistance, telling media in Bangkok that she ?admired the resilience of the Thai government and people.?
Areas of the capital, Bangkok, are still under water almost four months after the Thailand's worst-ever floods grabbed headlines worldwide. The official death toll is now at 564, and several neighborhoods of Bangkok were today ordered to evacuate as water slowly drains through Bangkok toward the sea.?
The night before the high profile arrivals, however, the Thai government discussed an official pardon for some 26,000 felons, possibly including fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a September 2006 coup and faces two years jail time for corruption in office.
The mere hint of his return to Thailand has riled the country's opposition.
The pardon was discussed by the Thai cabinet on Tuesday and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ? Thaksin's younger sister ? will present the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej with a list of names for pardon to mark the monarch's 84th birthday on Dec. 5.
While the focus of the Clinton visit was on the disaster and on the upcoming Asia-Pacific summit meetings in Bali, Indonesia, the pardon eventually came up.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra sidestepped the issue, however, reminding journalists that she wasn't present when the pardon was discussed and suggested that the matter was in the hands, for now, of Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung.
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajjiva said today that any move to pardon Thaksin would undermine the rule of law in Thailand. He is expected to take up the issue in parliament.
Clinton made no comment on the pardon issue, but praised the work of the truth and reconciliation body set up by the former Thai government to investigate the Thaksin-backed "redshirt" street protests that turned ugly in 2010, killing 91 people.
The latest pardon attempt increases the possibility of new protests in the country.
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
World stocks up as Europe stabilizes, Japan grows (AP)
BANGKOK ? World stocks rose Monday after Japan's economy grew for the first time in four quarters and Europe moved closer to resolving a debt crisis that threatens to hurl the region into recession.
Benchmark oil hovered near $99 per barrel while the dollar gained against the euro but fell against the yen.
European stocks were higher in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.1 percent at 5,551.35, while Germany's DAX gained marginally to 6,059.49. France's CAC-40 added 0.1 percent to 3,154.03.
Wall Street was headed for a higher opening, with Dow Jones industrial futures gaining 0.2 percent to 12,141 while S&P 500 futures rose 0.1 percent at 1,263.30.
Asian markets posted solid gains earlier in the day. Japan's Nikkei 225 index added 1.1 percent to close at 8,603.70. Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 2 percent to 19,508.18 and South Korea's Kospi climbed 2.1 percent to 1,902.81
On mainland China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.9 percent to 2,528.71 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index jumped 2.5 percent to 1,083.04. Benchmarks in Singapore, Australia, and Indonesia were also higher.
Hopeful signs emerged over the weekend from Europe after Silvio Berlusconi reluctantly bowed to market pressure and resigned as Italy's premier. His successor, economist Mario Monti, faces the monumental task of enacting profound reforms aimed at preventing Italy from defaulting on its huge debts.
Unlike Greece, Portugal and Ireland ? which have received emergency financial help from international lenders ? Italy is considered much too big to bail out. Its next government must push through austerity measures to deal with euro1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion) in debt.
"There is a silver lining from the past two weeks of political uncertainties in Greece and Italy," analysts at DBS Bank Ltd. in Singapore said in a report. "Both countries now have leaders who are not only closer to the European Union, but are also moving towards forming technocratic governments better suited to implement much needed reforms."
Investment confidence was also boosted after Japan released data showing its economy ? sent into recession by a record earthquake ? had surged in the latest quarter. The economy jumped 6 percent, the first expansion for the world's No. 3 economy in four quarters.
The surge comes as Japan claws its way out of a crisis stemming from an earthquake and tsunami that decimated factories across the country's northeast on March 11.
Since then, the country has steadily restored its factories, helping the economy rebound despite the threats of a financial crisis in Europe, slowing global economy and a strong yen.
In Greece, there was good news Friday, as former central banker Lucas Papademos was sworn in as interim prime minister following a political crisis that jeopardized the country's ability to continue receiving emergency loans.
Papademos must now get his government to agree to a debt deal that will net the country billions of euros in acutely needed rescue money ? provided that it enacts painful austerity measures including tax hikes and sharp cuts in public spending.
Without the rescue money, Greece's faces insolvency and a massive default on its debts ? an event that experts believe could set off a banking crisis and eventually blow up into an all-out European recession.
But some analysts suggested Europe's crisis was already beyond repair and that no realistic amount of budget-cutting or aid could revive Greece's comatose economy or relieve Italy of the mountain of IOUs that it is sitting on.
"I am not very optimistic. All those who think the euro has stabilized or that Europe has stability, I think they are wrong," said Tom Kaan of Louis Capital Markets in Hong Kong. "The risk is still very much out there."
Rising energy prices helped lift resource shares. Hong Kong-listed China Coal Energy Co. rose 4.6 percent. China National Offshore Oil Corp. gained 2.3 percent.
High-tech shares also advanced. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing rose 3.4 percent and South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, added 3.5 percent.
A resumption of service by bullet trains that had been recalled following a deadly crash in July sent Chinese rail shares bounding. Hong Kong-listed China Railway Group soared 8.6 percent and China Railway Construction Co. surged 9.3 percent.
State-owned Xinhua news Agency quoted a Ministry of Railways official as saying that the trains have been repaired and would start entering service on Wednesday.
Still, plenty of uncertainty hangs over financial markets as traders await U.S. economic data. Reports on October retail sales, inflation and housing data are due this week, starting Tuesday.
Despite its 2.5 percent growth rate last quarter, the U.S. economy remains fragile. The Federal Reserve recently lowered its economic outlook for 2012. The central bank predicted that the economy will grow at a rate of about 2.7 percent next year. That is a full percentage point below a forecast from June, and below the 3 to 5 percent annual growth rate that is considered healthy.
On Wall Street, stocks surged Friday after Italy and Greece moved closer to getting their financial crises under control.
The Dow Jones industrial average jumped or 2.2 percent to 12,153.68. The S&P 500 rose 1.9 percent to 1,263.85. The Nasdaq composite rose or 2 percent to 2,678.75.
Benchmark crude for December delivery was down 10 cents at $98.89 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.21 to settle at $98.99 in New York on Friday.
In currency trading, the euro fell to $1.3726 from $1.3747 late Friday in New York. The dollar fell to 77.01 yen from 77.17 yen.
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Iran exile group claims blast hits missile base (AP)
WASHINGTON ? An Iranian exile group claims that a blast at a military installation near Tehran has resulted from the explosion of rockets at a base for the missile forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A former spokesman for the Mujahedin-e Khalq or MEK in Washington, citing reliable sources inside Iran, said Saturday that the explosion hit the Modarres Garrison of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps west of Tehran. Alireza Jafarzadeh said the garrison belongs to the IGRC's missile unit and the blasts "resulted from the explosion of IRGC missiles."
Iranian officials said the blast was the result of an accidental explosion at an ammunition depot. They said it killed at least 27 soldiers.
Iran has been hit by several mysterious explosions in recent years but an Iranian lawmaker ruled out sabotage.
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Monday, November 7, 2011
Jobs report hints at some improvement (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? U.S. hiring slowed in October but the unemployment rate hit a six-month low and job gains in the prior two months were stronger than previously thought, pointing to some improvement in the still-weak labor market.
The employment report on Friday was the latest data to suggest the economy was gathering a bit of momentum and a further indication recession risks were fading.
Nonfarm payrolls rose a tepid 80,000 last month, the Labor Department data showed, below economists' expectations for a gain of 95,000 and a slowdown from September.
But employers added 102,000 more jobs than previously estimated in August and September, and the jobless rate edged down to 9 percent from 9.1 percent, taking the sting out of the report.
"Hiring is not booming, but I don't think there is any sign of recession. The risk of the economy falling into a second recession over the next six to 12 months has been reduced, but we still have a very long way to go," said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester Pennsylvania.
The household survey, from which the unemployment rate is derived, showed strong job gains for a third straight month, more than offsetting an increase in labor force as more Americans resumed the hunt for work.
For financial markets, the report was overshadowed by developments in Europe where rich nations appeared to back away from a plan to broaden a euro zone bailout fund. Stocks on Wall Street were down more than 1 percent in morning trade.
Prices for U.S. Treasury debt rose and the dollar firmed across the board, tapping flight to quality bids.
SLOW PROGRESS
The labor market remains the Achilles heel of the U.S. recovery, and progress putting the 13.9 million unemployed Americans back to work remains painfully slow.
The slight improvements in the labor market hinted at by Friday's report will likely do little to take the pressure off President Barack Obama, who faces a tough fight for re-election next year.
However, they may be enough to keep the Federal Reserve on the sidelines as it considers whether the economy could benefit from a further quantitative easing of monetary policy.
"The labor market data suggest that growth may be strengthening even as Europe may be slipping into recession," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York. "As impatient as the Fed may be, it will be difficult to round up a consensus for QE3 as long as the employment data are pointing to an improving economy."
The U.S. central bank on Wednesday lowered its growth forecasts, raised projections for unemployment, and said it was considering additional mortgage debt purchases. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said officials were eyeing Europe warily.
LACKLUSTER JOB GROWTH
Even though the economy is in its second year of recovery, only about a quarter of the more than 8 million jobs lost during the recession have been recovered.
The economy needs to expand at an annual rate of at least 2.5 percent over a sustained period and consistently add roughly 125,000 jobs a month to keep up with new people entering the workforce.
The Obama administration has struggled to come up with policies to generate sufficient employment amid stiff opposition from Republicans over more spending.
Bernanke took lawmakers to task on Wednesday. "It would be helpful if we could get assistance from some other parts of the government to work with us to help create more jobs," he said after a two-day Fed meeting.
There are signs of progress. A broad measure of unemployment, which includes people who want to work but have given up looking for jobs and those working only part time for economic reasons, fell last month after scaling a nine-month high in September.
The average duration of unemployment retreated from a record high of 40.5 weeks hit in September.
Last month, private employers added 104,000 workers, more than offsetting a drop in government payrolls of 24,000. Public employment has fallen nearly every month this year as state and local governments grapple with budget constraints.
In the private sector, job gains last month were almost across the board, though construction fell 10,000 after a surprise addition of 29,000 jobs in September.
Manufacturing payrolls rose 5,000 after a slight decline in September. In the service sector, retail employment added to the prior month's gains.
There were also gains in professional and business services, and temporary employment, which rose 15,000. Economists often look to temporary hiring as a harbinger of increased permanent employment.
Hiring in the healthcare and social assistance sector, which has been boosted by the swelling ranks of retirees, rose 16,300. However, the gain was less than the prior months.
The average workweek was steady at 34.3 hours and hourly earnings rose 5 cents.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Neil Stempleman)
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Sunday, November 6, 2011
Watchdog group: Cain campaign broke campaign-finance laws
By NBC's Michael Isikoff
In a legal complaint filed today, a public watchdog group charged that Herman Cain's top campaign aide illegally used corporate funds to pay for iPads and charter flights for Cain's fledgling presidential campaign.
The charges are based on documents -- first disclosed this week by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- showing that funds from a non-profit founded by Cain campaign Chief of Staff Mark Block (called Prosperity USA) were used to pay early expenses for Cain's presidential campaign.
Non-profit groups are barred by law from contributing to political campaigns.
The Cain campaign has said it has retained an outside counsel to investigate the allegations. Cain's campaign lawyer told NBC this week, "We take these allegations very seriously," but declined further comment or to identify the outside counsel.
The complaint alleging election law violations was filed with the Federal Election Commission by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) in Washington. Melanie Sloan, the group's executive director, said:
"As hard as Mr. Cain is trying to prove himself a different kind of candidate, he still has to play by the same rules as everyone else. It is not sufficient for the Cain campaign to investigate itself. Rather, the FEC-- the federal agency charged with enforcing campaign finance laws -- must look into the matter."
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Non-profit groups like Prosperity USA are not required to disclose their donors. But Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group for whom Block once worked, said Thursday it is reviewing "financial dealings" it had with Prosperity USA.
Americans for Prosperity -- at whose annual meeting Cain is speaking today -- also does not disclose its donors. It was founded by David and Charles Koch, of Koch Industries, and it's closely affiliated with the Tea Party.
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Strategies Your current Auto Insurance Business Doesn't Want One ...
Many motorists rely on good faith and may certainly not expect to be required to take legal action against his or her car insurance organization in order to receive payment with regard to expenditures as a result of an accident. Generally, nearly all simply want to have their own auto restored along with their medical bills paid.
Regrettably, the actual auto insurance Temecula ca legal professionals regarding Mich Automobile Legislation deal with many automobile insurance firms on a regular basis that take advantage of their potential customers by reducing their benefits without having reason or recognize. Some insurance agencies additionally place individuals ?under investigation?- the actual reason with regard to ending payment coming from all medical bills and salary reduction. Folks are becoming dismissed, endangered, unnerved and in many cases lied to by their particular insurance coverage statements adjusters.
The following are typical techniques used by many auto insurance businesses to either steer clear of as well as reduce their own affiliate marketer payouts in order to consumers. Tips tend to be included about how you?ll be able to shield you to ultimately stay away from or even lessen issues with your car insurance provider.
One. Many constraints along with restrictions are usually laid to rest inside your policy?s details in it
Understanding how to see as well as understand the fine print regarding vehicle insurance guidelines isn?t simple. Vechicle accident attorneys have observed too many people forget critical benefits because they had been not aware of crucial declaring requirements smothered in their plans. As an example, several auto insurance plans cause stringent notice specifications, including 30 days observe with regard to hit-and-run injuries. A lot of legal agreements have got individual circumstances with regard to without being insured and also under-insured cars protection requiring really quick recognize, and also insurance carriers can alter his or her policy declaring requirements anytime. While motor vehicle accident sufferers tend not to reply to notice demands punctually, they could drop his or her insurance coverage.
The best way to shield on your own:
Inform your current insurance company right after any kind of crash. Ensure you get your total car insurance plan, which include just about any notification associated with insurance coverage adjustments coming from year upon year. This may also include catalogues as well as records which might be mailed along with restoration claims, exhibiting any kind of insurance plan conditions as well as changes. Nearly all policies incorporate terms, problems, protecting contracts along with relegations together with situations.
It?s also important to check out insurance policies for virtually any rewards in which overlap with your own health and impairment insurance policy; also to evaluate any extra insurance (including without insurance and also under-insured cars insurance coverage). Whenever obtaining continuous medical care regarding motor vehicle accident accidental injuries, having a reliable understanding of insurance policies can help make sure that health care providers expenses correctly.
If you are mistaken for your own automobile insurance coverage and have questions, make sure you speak to a legal professional that concentrates on auto accidents the majority are happy to provide advice along with direction for the defense.
Only two. Insurance providers don?t usually recommend the very best insurance coverage
Carrying out a car crash, there is several concerns along with difficulties moving medical insurance strategies, been able care ideas, retirement living strategies including ERISA, and coordinated/uncoordinated policies. In addition, insurance coverage agents may well prevent mentioning essential insurance coverage alternatives and applicable savings due to payment deficits or even lower monthly premiums which decrease their commission rates.
Lots of people choose to have far more insurance plan in order that they are not privately accountable should they create a severe car accident. Nevertheless, some individuals pay only the actual lowest insurance coverage high quality to resume his or her licenses denture every year, and then permit the automobile insurance mistake. With no uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance plan, a person or perhaps loved ones greatly injured by simply a good without being insured motorist could have absolutely no way to obtain legitimate restoration for their accidents besides processing a case up against the uninsured motorist for his or her personal belongings. Most of the people would not have ample individual net worth to compensate somebody who they?ve got significantly harmed.
The way to guard your self:
In case you are hurt in an vechicle accident, contact an seasoned vechicle accident attorney at law that is most qualified to deliver guidance on troubles of which insurance coverage is major, along with who is financially responsible medical bills which can be sustained from a lock up.
In case you have ERISA health insurance, uncoordinated or main coverage may be the safe and sound shift. An covered with insurance particular person along with both ERISA along with coordinated insurance may end upwards recovering nothing at all for their pain and suffering in the eventuality of an accident.
Check your insurance policies pertaining to uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance coverage of at least $100,000 every particular person as well as $300,Thousand for each incident. If this type of coverage can be lacking, speak to your insurer to incorporate the idea the charge is minimal as well as recommended to guard you and your family.
Elevating your deductibles in order to at the very least $500 or higher can also lessen your automobile insurance payments by simply 15 % to Forty percent. Consider dropping impact and/or complete protection about elderly vehicles. Should your vehicle may be worth less than 10 x the particular high quality, reducing individuals insurance coverages could help you save income, if you don?t even now must pay back cash for your automobile. Last but not least, if there is any kind of decrease in the quantity of a long way a person generate every year, get hold of your insurer with regard to estimates about reduced usage special discounts.
Three or more. Accident Pay out Offers Will almost always be Lacking
Think about you only experienced destructive accidental injuries from the car accident and are now recuperating in your house, in pain, and also being concerned about how exactly you?re going to pay your bills. A coverage agent knocks on your door having a look for $100,500 on your crash. With all the physical and emotional trauma after a car accident, a great deal of income appears excellent, and a few patients hurry straight into accepting the 1st negotiation supply. Nevertheless identifying the need for an auto accident circumstance will go beyond an easy calculation of injury kind, upcoming expenditures not really protected by no-fault insurance coverage as well as the wrongdoer?s coverage limit. Supplying to be in is actually the backdoor approach by simply insurance agencies to conserving lawsuits costs on the expense of a car accident victim?s to the full restoration.
How to guard on your own:
This never is painful in order to get in touch with a car accident attorney at law and ask for advice. Many lawyers could describe automobile accident legislations, what you are eligible to and be sure your individual insurance carrier will be paying almost everything these are supposed to * without fee or even duty.
Several. Releases and Registered Claims Are generally Sent Ahead of time in order to Overwhelm Automobile accident Subjects
Several sufferers hurry directly into signing adjusters? papers without having the language analyzed simply by a vehicle accident legal professional, thinking these are simply simple verifications of the automobile accident. As a result, they will often get rid of their particular to prosecute any negligent new driver for accident-related injuries. Boasts adjusters typically try to obtain documented assertions earlier, hoping to lessen your individuals discomfort and accidental injuries for later in the courtroom. Perhaps car or truck damage produces can contain not related words that may endanger the various other statements.
How you can protect your self:
Never ever give statements to a incident promises insurance adjuster and never indicator a new release or even allow the claims adjuster to check out the automobile damage. Simply explain to the insurance adjuster you?ll want to evaluate the paperwork with your criminal defense attorneys in los angeles and will return to these with the reply. Regardless of how desperate you may sense after suffering your economic problem regarding healthcare expenses, lost pay and also disabling soreness, including a car accident legal professional will guarantee your current rights are protected. Remember that the actual boasts adjuster utilizes the insurer, and it has the welfare in mind ? not your harmed victim.
Your five. Standard practice is always to refuse or perhaps delay claim affiliate marketor payouts
Most of the people suffering accidental injuries coming from a car wreck get in touch with his or her car insurance company to learn what to do up coming. That they feel that whenever they follow the method, they?re going to get honest, timely pay out pertaining to accidents resulting from your vehicle automobile accident. In the end, these people taken care of your vehicle insurance plan because of this ? being coated in case of an accident.
Nevertheless numerous insurance providers take part in common delay methods which includes denying boasts, not necessarily going back calls, positioning folks on hold pertaining to considerable times, necessitating any target for you to frequently accumulate information, along with moving you against one insurer to another location. Shortly the fiscal problem of time off operate and also installation health care bills drives not guilty motor vehicle accident patients to call a lawyer. Or even more serious, commemorate these people eager ample to just accept an extremely lower pay out supply, decreasing any future recuperation regarding damage.
The best way to protect your self:
In case you are encountering these typical hold off techniques, contact an car crash criminal lawyer Chicago who are able to assist you with getting your assert prepared and the benefits you are eligible to beneath your state legislations.
Bottom Line:
If the auto accident requires accidental injuries to you and/or all your family members (also apparently minimal incidents), check with an accident attorney immediately. You won?t just better understand what advantages you might be eligible for, but you will have the comfort realizing that an individual acquired the entire valuation on advantages and also pay out accessible to harmed drivers.
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Friday, November 4, 2011
Jury begins considering fate of Jackson doctor
Dr. Conrad Murray listens as defense attorney Ed Chernoff, not pictured, gives the defense's closing arguments during the final stage of Conrad Murray's defense in his involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
Dr. Conrad Murray listens as defense attorney Ed Chernoff, not pictured, gives the defense's closing arguments during the final stage of Conrad Murray's defense in his involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren delivers his closing arguments during the final stage of Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/ Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
Defense Attorney Ed Chernoff addresses the jury during the defense's closing arguments during the final stage of Conrad Murray's defense in his involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
Dr. Conrad Murray prepares to leave for lunch recess after the prosecution had delivered its closing arguments during the final stage of Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/ Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren projects a calendar on screen to chronicle events for the jury during his closing arguments during the final stage of Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of singer Michael Jackson at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 in Los Angeles. Murray has pleaded not guilty and faces four years in prison and the loss of his medical licenses if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. (AP Photo/ Kevork Djansezian, Pool)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? After six weeks of listening, jurors in the involuntary manslaughter case of Michael Jackson's doctor began deliberations Friday morning.
Their discussions behind closed doors in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse could lead to the conviction or acquittal of Dr. Conrad Murray, whom the panel has heard described alternately as an inept and opportunistic physician or a na?ve outsider granted access into Jackson's inner realm.
The seven-man, five-woman panel listened intently Thursday as prosecutors and defense attorneys argued over whether Murray should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for Jackson's death in June 2009. The physician's attorneys attacked prosecutors and their witnesses, saying they had over time developed stories and theories that placed the blame for Jackson's death squarely on Murray.
Media were camped outside the courthouse and in the courtroom where the jury's decision will eventually be read. There was no sign of Murray or attorneys handling the case, but they will receive a two-hour notice when a verdict is reached. Murray waived the need for his presence if the panel asks any questions, but must be present when a verdict is reached.
Jackson died from a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol; Murray has acknowledged giving Jackson propofol to help him sleep.
The real reason Jackson died, defense attorney Ed Chernoff argued, was because he craved the powerful anesthetic so much that he gave himself a fatal injection when Murray left his bedside.
"They want you to convict Dr. Murray for the actions of Michael Jackson," Chernoff said.
"Poor Conrad Murray," prosecutor David Walgren replied in his final speech to jurors. "Michael Jackson is dead. And we have to hear about poor Conrad Murray and no doctor knows what it's like to be in his shoes."
Walgren noted that several doctors who testified ? including two who were called by Murray's attorneys ? said they would have never given the singer anesthesia in his bedroom.
Murray is solely to blame for Jackson's death, Walgren argued, saying Murray had purchased more than four gallons of propofol to administer to Jackson and had been giving him nightly doses to help him sleep.
Walgren repeatedly described Murray's treatments on Jackson as unusual and called his actions on the day of the singer's death ? including not calling 911 and not mentioning his propofol doses to paramedics or other doctors ? "bizarre."
Murray was essentially experimenting on Jackson, Walgren said. Murray should have known Jackson might die from the treatments, yet he lacked the proper life-saving and monitoring equipment.
"What is unusual and unpredictable is that Michael Jackson lived as long as he did under the care of Conrad Murray in this situation," Walgren said.
The prosecutor repeatedly invoked the singer's children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, and said Murray's actions left them without a father. The children, who range in ages from 9 to 14, were not present, but Jackson's parents and several of his siblings attended closing arguments.
The Houston-based cardiologist's culpability will be decided by jurors, who heard from 49 witnesses and have more than 300 pieces of evidence to consider. They were given lengthy instructions about how to deliberate and interpret the case.
If Murray is convicted, he faces a sentence that ranges from probation to four years behind bars, and he would lose his medical license. The sentence will be decided by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor and not the jury; the judge will receive input from attorneys for both sides and probation officials if necessary. A recent change in California law means that Murray, 58, might serve any incarceration in a county jail rather than a state prison.
If acquitted, Murray would be free from criminal prosecution, but will likely be pursued by medical licensing authorities in the states of California, Nevada and Texas.
In order to convict Murray, jurors will have to determine the cardiologist was substantially responsible for Jackson's death.
Despite days of scientific testimony about what likely happened in Jackson's bedroom from experts for Murray and the prosecution, Walgren acknowledged that some things about the events in the King of Pop's bedroom that led to his death will never be known.
"The people won't prove exactly what happened behind those closed doors," he said. "Michael Jackson could give answers, but he is dead."
___
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.
___
McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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Video game playing tied to creativity
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Both boys and girls who play video games tend to be more creative, regardless of whether the games are violent or nonviolent, according to new research by Michigan State University scholars.
A study of nearly 500 12-year-olds found that the more kids played video games, the more creative they were in tasks such as drawing pictures and writing stories. In contrast, use of cell phones, the Internet and computers (other than for video games) was unrelated to creativity, the study found.
Linda Jackson, professor of psychology and lead researcher on the project, said the study appears to be the first evidence-based demonstration of a relationship between technology use and creativity. About 72 percent of U.S. households play video or computer games, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
The MSU findings should motivate game designers to identify the aspects of video game activity that are responsible for the creative effects, Jackson said.
"Once they do that, video games can be designed to optimize the development of creativity while retaining their entertainment values such that a new generation of video games will blur the distinction between education and entertainment," Jackson said.
The researchers surveyed 491 middle-school students as part of MSU's Children and Technology Project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. The survey assessed how often the students used different forms of technology and gauged their creativity with the widely used Torrance Test of Creativity-Figural.
The Torrance test involved tasks such as drawing an "interesting and exciting" picture from a curved shape, giving the picture a title and then writing a story about it.
Overall, the study found that boys played video games more than girls, and that boys favored games of violence and sports while girls favored games involving interaction with others (human or nonhuman).
Yet, regardless of gender, race or type of game played, greater video game playing was the only technology to be associated with greater creativity.
The study appears online in the research journal Computers in Human Behavior.
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Michigan State University: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu
Thanks to Michigan State University 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/114869/Video_game_playing_tied_to_creativity_
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
Why the 'paranormal' is merely normal
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Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/31/8565902-why-the-paranormal-is-just-normal
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Understanding emotions without language
ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2011) ? Does understanding emotions depend on the language we speak, or is our perception the same regardless of language and culture? According to a new study by researchers from the MPI for Psycholinguistics and the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, you don't need to have words for emotions to understand them.
The results of the study were published online on October 17 in Emotion, a journal of the American Psychological Association. The study provides new evidence that the perception of emotional signals is not driven by language, supporting the view that emotions constitute a set of biologically evolved mechanisms.
The study compared German speakers to speakers of Yucatec Maya, a Mayan language spoken in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. In Yucatec Maya, there is no word for the emotion 'disgust', explains co-author Oliver Le Guen, an anthropologist based in Mexico. When Yucatec Mayan subjects were shown photographs of emotional faces and asked what they thought the person in each photo was feeling, they used the same words to describe angry and disgusted faces. German-speaking subjects, however, used different words for angry and disgusted faces. This showed that the two languages differ in which words speakers have access to for these emotions.
Mix of emotions
The participants from the two language groups were also asked to perform a task using photographs of people showing mixed emotions. The photographs were digitally manipulated to control the mix of emotions in the faces so that the two photos were always equally different across all pairs. Subjects were shown a photo of a mixed-emotion face, which was then replaced by a pair of photos. One of the members of the pair was the original photo, the other featured the same person, but with a slightly different mix of emotions. In some pairs, the dominant emotion in the two photos was different, while in other pairs, the dominant emotion was the same. The participants were asked, for many pairs of photos, which of the two pictures they had just seen.
"Earlier research has found that people who have different words for two emotions do better on this task when the dominant emotion in the two photographs is different, like when one is mainly angry and the other one is mainly disgusted," explains Disa Sauter. "But is this because they internally label the faces angry and disgusted, or is it because emotions are processed by basic human mechanisms that have categories like anger and disgust regardless of whether we have words for those feelings?"
Basic human categories
The crucial test provided by Sauter and colleagues' study was how the Yucatec Maya speakers would do, since they only have one word for both disgust and anger. Their results showed that they did the same as the German speakers, performing better on the task when the two faces they had to choose between were dominated by different emotions.
"Our results show that understanding emotional signals is not based on the words you have in your language to describe emotions," Sauter says. "Instead, our findings support the view that emotions have evolved as a set of basic human mechanisms, with emotion categories like anger and disgust existing regardless of whether we have words for those feelings."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Disa A. Sauter, Oliver LeGuen, Daniel B. M. Haun. Categorical perception of emotional facial expressions does not require lexical categories.. Emotion, 2011; DOI: 10.1037/a0025336
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/GXFOXj8uhPg/111102093045.htm
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Does Herman Cain Also Have A Campaign Finance Problem?
On top of the story that Politico broke last night, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal is out today with what could be a violation of campaign finance laws in the form of in-kind contributions from a private company:
Herman Cain?s two top campaign aides ran a private Wisconsin-based corporation that helped the GOP presidential candidate get his fledgling campaign off the ground by originally footing the bill for tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for such items as iPads, chartered flights and travel to Iowa and Las Vegas ? something that might breach federal tax and campaign law, according to sources and documents.
Internal financial records obtained by No Quarter show that Prosperity USA said it was owed about $40,000 by the Cain campaign for a variety of items in February and March. Cain began taking donations for his presidential bid on Jan. 1.
Prosperity USA was owned and run by Wisconsin political operatives Mark Block and Linda Hansen, Cain?s current chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, respectively.
The authenticity of the records was verified by two individuals close to the firm.
It is not known if Cain?s election fund eventually paid back Prosperity USA, which now appears defunct. The candidate?s federal election filings make no mention of the debt, and the figures in the documents don?t match payments made by the candidate?s campaign.
In addition to picking up these expenses at least initially, Prosperity USA also paid as much as $100,000 to the Congress of Racial Equality, a conservative black organization, shortly before Cain was a featured speaker at the group?s annual Martin Luther King Jr. dinner in mid-January.
Cain, who has surged to a top-tier presidential candidate in the past month, apparently was not paid for the appearance. The personal financial disclosure forms for the former CEO of Godfather?s Pizza list no honorariums for speeches.
Election law experts say the transactions raise a host of questions for the private organization, which billed itself as a tax-exempt nonprofit, and the Cain team.
?If the records accurately reflect what occurred, this is way out of bounds,? said a Washington, D.C.-based election lawyer who advises many Republican candidates and conservative groups on campaign issues. The lawyer asked not to be identified because of those affiliations.
Michael Maistelman, a Wisconsin campaign attorney, agreed.
?The number of questionable and possibly illegal transactions conducted on behalf of Herman Cain?is staggering,? said Maistelman, a Democrat who has represented politicians from both parties on campaign issues.
Block and Hansen have not returned numerous calls in recent days.
There are potentially two problems here. One involves the FEC regulatory and legal violations inherent in receiving this kind of in-kind contribution from a corporation of any kind. Even after Citizens United, it is not legal for a corporation to simply give tens of thousands of dollars to a political candidate, or to make an in-kind contribution of the kind that this entity apparently did. The second legal problem is between the IRS and Block/Hansen. Since Prosperty USA is a non-profit tax exempt entity, the tax code forbids it from making any contributions of any kind, in any amount, to a political campaign. It?s also worth noting that Block, now known as The Cigarette Smoking Man on YouTube, has a history of doing things like this:
According to a report by The Associated Press, Herman Cain?s chief of staff Mark Block ? the man America came to know from his appearance smoking a cigarette in the presidential candidate?s viral Web ad ? has a troubled past that includes arrests for drunken driving and a suspension from campaigning in Wisconsin after accusations of breaking election rules.
In 1997, Block was accused of coordinating campaign activities between a state supreme court justice?s reelection campaign and a special-interest group that promoted school vouchers, in violation of campaign laws. Four years later, Block agreed to a settlement that included a $15,000 fine and a 3-year suspension from running campaigns in the state, but did not require him to admit guilt.
Ed Morrissey suggests that this mess, which is exactly what this is, can be attributed mostly to the inexperience on the part of Team Cain when it comes to things like this. Perhaps that?s true, although I?ve got to say that Block?s involvement in all of this does raise an eyebrow at the very least, but that just adds yet another piece of evidence to the question of how seriously Cain has been viewing this campaign. When you?re running for a Federal office, whether it?s Congress, the Senate, or the Presidency, the most important people you need to hire are a campaign manager, a communications director, and an attorney well-versed in campaign finance laws. If you think you?re going to learn something that complicated on the fly, you?re going to end up making mistakes even if there?s no nefarious intent involved.
Will anything come from this? It?s hard to tell. The Federal Election Commission won?t get involved typically unless a complaint is filed alleging a violation of a law or regulation. Even then, unless it?s a serious violation on the level of what John Edwards is alleged to have done, the typical result of an investigation is either a determination of no wrongdoing, or a fine. The IRS is a different story, of course, but that really depends on what Prosperity USA?s tax returns say and could take years to develop. This story isn?t nearly as sexy as the Politico story, so it?s unlikely to get the same amount of coverage. In terms of the law, however, it strikes me as being far more serious.
Source: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/does-herman-cain-also-have-a-campaign-finance-problem/
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CRS ? Funding Emergency Communications: Technology and ...
Funding Emergency Communications: Technology and Policy Considerations
(PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists)
The United States has yet to find a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. Since September 11, 2001, when communications failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. The 111th Congress considered pivotal issues, such as radio frequency spectrum license allocation and funding programs for a Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN), without finding a solution that satisfied the expectations of both public safety and commercial network operators. Congressional initiatives to advance public policies for Next Generation 911 services (NG9-1-1) also remained incomplete. The 112th Congress is under renewed pressure to come to a decision about the assignment of a block of radio frequency spectrum licenses referred to as the D Block, and to provide a plan for federal support of broadband networks for emergency communications. The cost of constructing new networks (wireless and wireline) is estimated by experts to be in the tens of billions of dollars over the long term, with similarly large sums needed for maintenance and operation. Identifying money for federal support in the current climate of budget constraints provides a challenge to policy makers. The greater challenge, however, may be to assure that funds are spent effectively toward the national goals that Congress sets.
After years of debate, a majority in the public safety community has agreed to implement common technologies using Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled networks and the wireless technology known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) to build the nationwide PSBN. IP-enabled networks are also considered essential to the introduction of NG9-1-1. The adoption of the Internet Protocol for emergency communications represents a significant advance in the technologies available for response and recovery operations. IP-enabled technologies are faster and smarter, capable of analyzing and directing communications as they move through networks. Achieving the transition to a leading-edge, broadband network powered by the next generation of IP technologies requires significant changes in operations and long-standing agency traditions, major investments in infrastructure and radios, and the development of enabling technologies.
The need appears increasingly urgent for timely decisions by policy makers on new infrastructure for emergency communications and spectrum allocation for public safety radios. Commercial deployment of wireless networks using LTE standards that might also support public safety use are out-pacing the planning efforts of public safety and government officials.
Legislation that has been introduced in the 112th Congress to address some of these issues includes the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act (S. 28, Rockefeller), the Broadband for Public Safety Act of 2011 (S. 1040, Lieberman), the Broadband for First Responders Act (H.R. 607, King), and the Strengthening Public-safety and Enhancing Communications Through Reform, Utilization, and Modernization (SPECTRUM) Act (S. 911, Rockefeller, as amended), the Public Safety and Wireless Innovation Act (H.R. 2482, Dingell), and parts of Title II of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (S.Amdt. 581 of S. 1323, Reid).
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Rebecca Shambaugh: 6 Ways to Refocus and Recharge
I just finished a long run of travel with a number of leadership lectures along with my continued book tour for "It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's A Sticky Floor," and I'm getting ready to set out soon on another tour with my new book on the balanced leadership factor. These events are very time-consuming; and while I love meeting and hopefully inspiring people, I know from experience that the events/travel will be exhausting and that I will have to be careful not to let this work shut out the other aspects of my life that are so important.
And I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. Many people I speak with today feel as though their life is a marathon, pushing themselves at work until they have little energy left to focus on their family and friends, their health or even good old fun and recreation. Some people believe that the busier they are, the more important they are and that other people share this perception of them. If you have been working at this kind of extreme pace without taking breaks, be careful! Eventually this can become additive without you even being aware of it and you can actually lose the capacity to get back in control of your life. This workaholic pattern can also result in burnout, physical breakdown and an encompassing inability to focus on the top priorities in both your personal and professional life.
I am very passionate about the work that I do and I'm also wired to be a serial entrepreneur. Consequently, I have to work that much harder to disconnect from my work and commit to my "renewal" retreats such as skiing with family, hiking in my favorite mountains of Telluride, or just spending quality time with good friends. But when I do take these kinds of breaks, I return back to work with a healthy and fresh perspective. I am more creative and better able to tackle business issues.
Beyond my own personal formula for staying focused and energized, there are also many studies that indicate that the more people engage in the multi-dimensional aspects of their life, the more effective, focused, and resilient they will be -- and the more energy they will have!
When I'm coaching very busy executives, I tell them that they will be a much better leader if they take the time to reassess their priories and then rethink the choices they are making. This means taking time to visit those aspects of your "whole" life that are most important to you. If you don't, you will leave it up to someone else to decide what your life will look like!
Here are some great tips for regaining your energy and focus. If you want to learn more about each one, they are explained in detail in my books titled, "It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor" and "Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton."
1) Don't Go Another Day Without a Life Plan: Developing a life plan forces us to think through what we want to accomplish over the course of our life and to set specific goals to ensure our ultimate success. It's a way to determine, and also be clear about, what is really important to you. Do you already have goals set in different aspects of your life? Are you setting your priorities based on them? Are you spending your time and energy in the right places, doing the right things? If you're not sure, you need a life plan!
2) Fill Your Whole Tank: Look at your life in a systematic way -- consider the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. When these four components are in harmony, you will find a flow and doors will start to open. Ask yourself what you are doing daily to nurture these four aspects of your life. If one is being neglected, look at ways to concentrate on it. This will help you to stay focused and intentional about what you are doing personally and professionally.
3) Be Intentional About Having Healthy Disruptions in Your Life: Take periodic breaks from your daily routines at work and at home. Read a magazine at lunchtime instead of working at your desk or run on your home treadmill while you watch the sun rise instead of racing to the gym! This kind of "change of pace" will actually increase your energy and renew your spirit. It also feels pretty darn good once in awhile!
4) Create a Revised Time "Budget" That Reflects Your Real Priorities: Treat the time that you work like you treat your financial budget. As an example, if you want to save more of your money, a financial planner will ask you to look at how you currently spend your money and then help you determine where you are getting your greatest ROI and where you might be able to cut back. Try this same approach with the hours in your day. Looking at how you spend your time each day will show you places where you can gain some time before you even begin to reallocate your attention.
5) Establish Your Boundaries and Communicate Them: Remember that you are the one making changes in how you prioritize your activities and live your life. No one else will set those important boundaries for you. And don't expect everyone to know what your goals and priorities are. It's important to be transparent about what you want and need. This sets healthy expectations for everyone.
6) Build Your Support Network and Actually Use It: Surround yourself with people who fill your tank -- that give you energy just by being with them, inspire you to stay focused on what's really important to you, and provide the moral support you need to keep your priorities straight. These relationships can also help fill any voids you have in your life from an emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual perspective. Reach out and build those relationships with old colleague friends, nieces and nephews, or with new friends you meet at a photography class, at church, on a community outreach board or even on one of those dreaded committees you said you'd never join.
Remember, as human beings we run on energy. Occasionally our tank is drained and we need to fill it up again before we can keep going. It's up to us to maintain a level of full engagement in our lives. The more we do what fits into our life plan, the greater energy we will have, the more creative and focused we will be, and great leaders we will be for ourselves and others!
Rebecca Shambaugh, president and CEO of SHAMBAUGH Leadership, thought leader in leadership and organizational transformation, author of "It's Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor."
www.shambaughleadership.com
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-shambaugh/regaining-energy-focus_b_1063594.html
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
HBT: Yanks sign Cashman to three-year deal
We were told that negotiations between Brian Cashman and the Yankees over a new contract were going smoothly. Must have, because the Yankees just announced that Cashman has agreed to a new three-year deal. ?No details have been announced yet, but you can probably assume a bit of a raise was involved and all will proceed as all has proceeded to date.
Quite the drama-free offseason so far for the Yankees, eh? ?Sign Sabathia, extend Cashman, exercise the options on Cano and Swisher. All before noon on Novmember 1st.
Are we gonna get any drama from the Bronx this winter? God, I hope so. Not sure what I?ll do without it. ?Somebody go poke Hank Steinbrenner with a stick or something. Maybe something neat will happen.
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Jay-Z/Kanye Tour Is 'Theatrical,' DJ Green Lantern Says
Producer/DJ recounts his Watch the Throne concert experience, in his own words.
By DJ Green Lantern, as told to Rob Markman
DJ Green Lantern and Jay-Z
Photo: Lenny Santiago
DJ Green Lantern knows a thing or two about high-profile hip-hop tours. With a long production and DJing résumé that includes hitting the road with Eminem and Jay-Z, the Rochester, New York, disc jock took a trip down to Atlanta to see the second show of Hov and Kanye West's Watch the Tour Tour.
Friday night's opening show was a hit, and according to the Evil Genius, who was seated with his son in the second row, Saturday's second show didn't disappoint either. After the concert, Green Lantern checked in with MTV News to give his review. You are now watching the Throne:
Man, it was a real experience. They pulled out all the stops. They got a real crazy production, where it's these big cubes: One is in the middle of the arena, and the other one is right in front of the stage, and they both will be elevated into the air. The cubes have LEDs on 'em, so they're constantly changing colors and video. [Jay and Kanye] are standing on each [cube], and they rise and descend. At certain points in the show, Jay will be in the middle of the arena performing his verse to a song, and Kanye would be on the stage. It's very ill in that respect.
A lot of back-and-forth with their music in the sense of: a Kanye record, then a Jay record. Then they do a set together. They perform most of the album, most of Watch the Throne. It's a long show. It doesn't really seem long, but it's definitely two-plus hours. It's every hit imaginable between those guys, which is a lot. And a lot of stuff off the new album.
The video that goes to the songs, there are certain parts in the show that Jay and Kanye are really just watching the video. So you should watch the video too, because it has something to do with the song that's playing. It's dope.
From the video to the design, it's a lot of Kanye influence. You can see his taste in the set design and in the show, using his band, etc. ... Definitely a lot of Kanye. He gets deep with the artistic side, stuff that I can see, "OK, that's a Kanye thing."
The energy was crazy. They did "N-words in Paris" three times in a row. Three times in a row. Three times! Back-to-back-to-back. There's a piece at the end when they're going back and forth, song for song, and it's got, like, a girl theme to it. I don't want this to be a spoiler, so I'll just say the show is definitely a theatrical presentation.
You know how you saw them at the MTV [Video Music] Awards and they did "Otis"? It looked like they were having such a good time together and just hanging out, how they were just laughing and going on? That's definitely how the whole show was. But this was still literally the second show, so they're still getting the kinks out of it. But the chemistry is definitely 100 percent.
You just get so used to everybody bringing out guests [at their concerts], but when you sit through this show, you don't even feel that anybody was supposed to come out. They definitely didn't need anyone coming out. Being in Atlanta, a lot of people thought Tip might've came out for the "Paris (Remix)," but that wasn't the case. The whole arena was rocking, three times in a row. I saw [record exec] Steve Stoute say somewhere that the whole stadium turned into a club on that song, It definitely did.
I think it's definitely befitting of the two guys out on the tour, as far as the production level of what they're used to doing. Like Kanye, if you see his solo show, it's retarded. The last one he was doing, with the whole white theme onstage. And then Jay's last tour -- they've been upping the ante production-wise, video-wise, LEDs, and this is right there with it. It's on par with it, and they actually upped the ante with the big cubes and how they're using them. It's just ill. It's like those are the thrones, just rising, and they're rapping and it's like, "We are now watching the thrones."
I had my iPhone out, and I was recording during "H.A.M.," and I was going from the middle of the arena back to the stage. I was literally two rows from the stage, so the cube was right in my face. At that point, Kanye was on the stage, so you couldn't even see Kanye, because he's at the top of the cube, but I'm still going back and forth with the camera like, "Man, this is crazy!"
It's dope that they did that; it definitely adds showmanship, creativity, the whole theatrical element to it, and hip-hop needs that. Especially when we're going into an age where the show is paying the bills. The music is free, by and large, and hip-hop shows could really step up the production. If you look at this as an example, this could really motivate you and give you some inspiration if you're a hip-hop artist to say, "You know what? I'm gonna invest some money into a bigger stage show, a better stage show, and really give this show to the world and get booked more because of that."
I had a great time. I brought my [16-year old] son out with me. He said he just lost 10 pounds, sweating and jumping up and down. He had the time of his life. I brought him backstage, he met the guys, and it was a great night. Thumbs up on Watch the Throne live.
Did you see the show? Share your reviews on our Facebook page!
Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1673402/watch-the-throne-tour-jay-z-kanye-west-green-lantern.jhtml
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