'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?': Ryan Lochte Explains How His Brain Works (VIDEO)

"666 Park Avenue"

<strong>"666 Park Ave.," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/666-park-avenue-canceled_n_2147290.html">ABC pulled the plug</a> on this supernatural drama earlier in the season.

"The Bachelor"

<strong>"The Bachelor," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: While ratings may have dropped, "The Bachelor" will likely see another season on ABC as tabloids and viewers still care about the comings and goings of contestants.

"Body of Proof"

<strong>"Body of Proof," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: ABC is keen on this Dana Delany drama, but the ratings for this upcoming third season will be the true test.

"Castle"

<strong>"Castle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed. <strong>Why</strong>: Strong ratings and a dedicated viewership will keep "Castle" on the schedule.

"Dancing With the Stars"

<strong>"Dancing With the Stars," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series is hurting in the ratings ... by "DWTS" standards. It's still a strong player for ABC, but the new season hasn't premiered yet.

"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23"

<strong>"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/apartment-23-canceled-dont-trust-the-b_n_2528858.html">ABC pulled the low-rated comedy</a> from it schedule and the stars took to Twitter to announce the cancellation.

"Family Tools"

<strong>"Family Tools," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: This ABC comedy has yet to debut, but a May 1 premiere date doesn't look great.

"Grey's Anatomy"

<strong>"Grey's Anatomy," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: America still loves McDreamy and the goings on at Seattle Grace. Expect "Grey's" to return.

"Happy Endings"

<strong>"Happy Endings," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Always the bubble show, never the surefire renewal hit. "Happy Endings" has suffered from many ratings ailments, including bad scheduling (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/happy-endings-friday-abc_n_2683091.html">it's moving to Friday night</a>) and lack of promo. But this ahmahzing show has some serious fans that could keep it afloat for another season ... maybe on another network (a la "Cougar Town.")

"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)"

<strong>"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The ABC comedy starring Sarah Chalke has yet to debut, but its late season bow doesn't exactly bode well for its future.

"Last Man Standing"

<strong>"Last Man Standing," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers still love Tim Allen! Paired with "Malibu Country," "Last Man Standing" has been performing well on Friday nights and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/jonathan-taylor-thomas-last-man-standing-home-improvement_n_2686307.html">will soon see Allen's "Home Improvement" co-star Jonathan Tyler Thomas</a>.

"Last Resort"

<strong>"Last Resort," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/last-resort-canceled-abc_n_2147316.html">ABC killed the Shawn Ryan drama</a> in late 2012.

"Malibu Country"

<strong>"Malibu Country," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "Malibu Country" has been performing well on Friday nights. Lesson: Never underestimate the star power of Reba.

"The Middle"

<strong>"The Middle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its fourth season, "The Middle" is still pulling in more than 8 million viewers an episode as the anchor of ABC's Wednesday comedies.

"Mistresses"

<strong>"Mistresses," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The drama, which is based on the UK series of the same name, just got a Monday, May 27 premiere date. Though the scheduling struggle doesn't bode well, the ABC drama does have Alyssa Milano and "Lost" alum Yunjin Kim leading the foursome.

"Modern Family"

<strong>"Modern Family," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A fan favorite and Emmy darling, "Modern Family" will be back and will make ABC lots of money in syndication.

"Nashville"

<strong>"Nashville," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Critical acclaim doesn't always equate to rating success. The show has stabilized in Nielsen ratings, but its future really depends on the strength of ABC's drama pilots.

"The Neighbors"

<strong>"The Neighbors," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the few "hits" of the season, "The Neighbors" has found an audience and kept it pretty steadily week after week (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/abc-shows-fall-tv-2012-2013_n_1581796.html">much to our dismay</a>).

"Once Upon a Time"

<strong>"Once Upon a Time," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A ratings hit in its second season, "Once Upon a Time" is almost sure to be back for a third season full of fairytale adventures.

"Private Practice"

<strong>"Private Practice," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Ended <strong>Why</strong>: The "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff said goodbye in January 2013.

"Red Widow"

<strong>"Red Widow," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The show has a late February debut on ABC.

"Revenge"

<strong>"Revenge," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: "Revenge" has fallen out of critical favor and seen lower ratings in its new Sunday night home. But none of ABC's freshman dramas are doing well, so that works in the show's favor.

"Rookie Blue"

<strong>"Rookie Blue," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Canadian co-production will return for a fourth season on ABC during the summer of 2013.

"Scandal"

<strong>"Scandal," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Shonda Rhimes has another hit on her hands. Now in its second season, "Scandal" has benefited from word-of-mouth and has been rising in the ratings (even recently beating out its lead in "Grey's Anatomy"). A likable star -- Kerry Washington -- and continued buzz will keep "Scandal" on the schedule.

"Suburgatory"

<strong>"Suburgatory," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The series started Season 2 off strong in the ratings, but its audience has slowly eroded. Its not the worst-performing ABC sitcom, but its buzziness has died down as well.

"Zero Hour"

<strong>"Zero Hour," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: The Anthony Edwards vehicle debuted to 6.3 million viewers with a 1.3 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, making it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/zero-hour-ratings_n_2695800.html">the least-watched premiere for a scripted series in ABC's history</a>. Things only got worse from there.

"2 Broke Girls"

<strong>"2 Broke Girls," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS renewed "2 Broke Girls" in March of 2013.

"The Amazing Race"

<strong>"The Amazing Race," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As an Emmy and fan favorite, "The Amazing Race" has been a strong player for CBS.

"The Big Bang Theory"

<strong>"The Big Bang Theory," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its sixth season, "Big Bang" is reaching series-high ratings. Even up against reality powerhouse "American Idol," "The Big Bang Theory" has been delivering with crazy high numbers in the 18-49 demographic, beating out what was once Fox's juggernaut.

"Blue Bloods"

<strong>"Blue Bloods," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Tom Selleck-fronted police drama is a strong ratings performer for CBS on Fridays.

"Criminal Minds"

<strong>"Criminal Minds," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As one of CBS's strong procedural players, the series has been steady in the ratings and will likely be renewed to help anchor a night and launch a new drama.

"CSI"

<strong>"CSI," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Of the two "CSI" shows on the air, "CSI" is the stronger player in the TV landscape. The show is nowhere near its earlier ratings, but Ted Danson signed on for more and the show will be back.

"CSI: NY"

<strong>"CSI: NY," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The spinoff series will be entering Season 10 in the 2013-2014 season. The ratings have faded over the years, but they're still pretty stable, especially for Fridays. It's a toss up, depending on how well CBS's development slate goes.

"Elementary"

<strong>"Elementary," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the very few freshman series hits during the 2012-2013 TV season, CBS is very keen on this modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. The audience has been steady and the network even gave it the post-Super Bowl timeslot.

"Golden Boy"

<strong>"Golden Boy," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: CBS certainly has a handsome star at the front of this cop drama, but its late season entry and Friday timeslot could be a hint toward CBS's confidence in the show.

"The Good Wife"

<strong>"The Good Wife," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A former ratings champ, "The Good Wife" has slipped to series low ratings on Sunday nights. Blame football overrun, fan-detested storylines or too many guest stars, but "The Good Wife" has star power and critical praise, plus its nearing a good syndication sweet spot.

"Hawaii Five-0"

<strong>"Hawaii Five-0," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: In March, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/the-good-wife-renewed-season-5_n_2965829.html" target="_hplink">CBS announced "Hawaii Five-0" received an early renewal along with several of its other popular programs</a>.

"How I Met Your Mother"

<strong>"How I Met Your Mother," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS handed out a ninth and final season to this comedy with the entire cast returning. Expect to meet the mother, finally.

"Made In Jersey"

<strong>"Made In Jersey," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS pulled the plug on this legal drama very early on in the season because of low ratings.

"The Mentalist"

<strong>"The Mentalist," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "The Mentalist" has fallen to mediocre ratings -- by CBS standards -- but it was nonetheless renewed in March of 2013.

"Mike & Molly"

<strong>"Mike & Molly," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The ratings are down a little bit from last year, but Melissa McCarthy's star continues to rise.

"NCIS"

<strong>"NCIS," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS reached a deal with series star Mark Harmon in early 2013, keeping the No. 1 show in America around for a Season 11.

"NCIS: LA"

<strong>"NCIS: LA," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers love their "NCIS," in any form. The ratings have been strong and the network is producing a backdoor spinoff pilot for this spinoff show. A full night of "NCIS" could be in CBS's future.

"Partners"

<strong>"Partners," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: Low ratings and unfavorable reviews led to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/partners-canceled-cbs_n_2145832.html">early demise</a> of this CBS comedy.

"Person of Interest"

<strong>"Person of Interest," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series has developed a nice-sized audience, bigger than its first season.

"Rules of Engagement"

<strong>"Rules of Engagement," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Honestly, who knows <strong>Why</strong>: This comedy has been on the bubble since it premiered ... yet is now in its seventh season. It's too soon to look at the numbers for this season, but the show has been a midseason success for CBS in the past. However, series co-star <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/07/cbs-orders-comedy-pilot-starring-patrick-warburton/">Patrick Warburton is attached to star in a new pilot</a> ... for CBS.

"Survivor"

<strong>"Survivor," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A strong player for the last 13 years, "Survivor" will be back. But due to its <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/survivor-ratings-lowest-premiere-ever_n_2687591.html">most recent premiere ratings</a>, we might not see it during the fall season, though a midseason or summer return -- with some new gimmick -- is definitely in the cards for the reality series.

"Two and a Half Men"

<strong>"Two and a Half Men," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS wants another season of this bawdy hit, it's just a matter of getting its stars to sign back on.

"Undercover Boss"

<strong>"Undercover Boss," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The show is enjoying life in syndication and its Season 4 numbers are better than most of its third season.

"Unforgettable"

<strong>"Unforgettable," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Uncanceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS canceled the Poppy Montgomery drama last season ... and then revived it! Season 2 premieres Sunday, July 28.

"Vegas"

<strong>"Vegas," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Despite star power, the series hasn't been a breakout hit in the ratings. CBS previously canceled "Unforgettable" (then uncanceled it) last season when it was doing about the same as "Vegas."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/what-would-ryan-lochte-do-brain-banana-video_n_3176327.html

irs forms kevin hart oklahoma city bombing Audrie Pott Bombing In Boston Rebel Wilson Patriots Day

Pre-K programs take biggest state funding hit ever

Pre-K study finds that states' total spending on early childhood education dropped by more than $400 per pupil for the 2011-12 school year ? and about $1,100 per pupil over a decade.

By Amanda Paulson,?Staff writer / April 29, 2013

Bryan Calvario (r.) and Jeramia Smith from the Anderson Grove Head Start program in Caledonia, Miss., ring hand bells to accompany patriotic songs at a Feb. 26 rally at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., by early childhood education supporters, who called for support of the Mississippi Pre K Collaborative Act.

Rogelio V. Solis/AP/File

Enlarge

The 2011-12 school year was not a good one for pre-K funding, for enrollment, or for quality, according to a major new survey.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

States' funding overall dropped by more than half a billion dollars ? its biggest one-year drop ever. After a decade of growth, enrollment in state-funded pre-K programs stalled. State funding per child fell by more than $400; counting previous drops, state per-pupil spending decreased by more than $1,100 over the prior decade. And quality also slipped in a number of state programs.

?What was surprising was not that the recession hurt [pre-K programs], but that it hurt so much,? says Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, which released the annual ?State of Preschool? 2012 yearbook Monday. ?The one indicator that increased was inequality, because some states have continued to move ahead, while other states are moving backwards.?

The report comes at a time when early childhood education is getting more attention than ever, at least at the federal level. In his State of the Union message, President Obama highlighted the importance of quality pre-K and urged a major expansion.

?Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on ? by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime,? Mr. Obama said in his speech. In his budget, he requested $75 billion over 10 years to help states dramatically expand preschool options for low-income children.

?If ever there was a report that makes the case for the need for President Obama's preschool-for-all proposal, this report is it,? said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaking at a release of the NIEER report on Monday.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/TeWU_i4u9cE/Pre-K-programs-take-biggest-state-funding-hit-ever

chomp national enquirer kate gosselin helicopter crash matt jones whitney houston in casket photo resolute

FILM CAMP for kids make movies! - Annapolis, MD Patch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4/26/13

FILMSTERS Academy, a summer film program for kids is set to begin it?s 12^th year this summer. Celebrating digital literacy and creativity through the art of filmmaking, this film camp allows kids 11-20 years of age to pitch, write, produce, shoot, edit, and act in their own short films. This year, everyone will gather once again for film camp on the campus of Key School in Annapolis, MD. from July 27^th through August 9^th. There are three levels of instruction Beginners (11-15), Intermediates (13-16) and Advanced (16-20) to explore. Limited enrollment.

Led by award-winning filmmakers Patti O. White and K. Lee Anderson (www.filmsters.com), along with several young professional staff and industry guest instructors, ?Film camp provides a collaborative, creative environment where kids can learn through hands-on experience the art of filmmaking,? says Co-founder K. Lee Anderson. ?The program has an 85% return rate,? stated White and Anderson, Co-Creative Directors of the Annapolis Film Festival.

Graduates of FILMSTERS Academy have gotten into top film schools such us; NYU Tisch, Emerson College, University of Texas at Austin, Savannah College of Art and Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Northwestern, Boston College, Ithaca, and Chapman University. ?Many of our FILMSTERS Academy alumnae are now actively working in the business in NY and LA,? says White.?

If you have a creative child who would like to explore the world of music, acting, screenwriting, cinematography, production design, film editing, producing and directing FILMSTERS Academy will be a wonderful experience to try out many aspects of visual storytelling.

Registration is available on our website along with over 80+ short films made by young people.?

For more information visit www.filmstersacademy.com email us at Filmsters@filmsters.com or call 410-263-3023.

Source: http://annapolis.patch.com/announcements/film-camp-for-kids-make-movies

bloom energy franklin graham jambalaya taylor swift and zac efron basketball wives manny ramirez easter 2012

How to Control Inflammation with Diet | Body Health ? Bodybuilding ...

Inflammation ?n th? body h?? b??n associated w?th many different ailments ?n? diseases, b?t m??t people ?? n?t understand th?t th??r diet ?n? nutrition ??n h??? ?n effect. Inflammation ??n come w?th injury ?r illness, ?r ?t ?? sometimes a result ?f unhealthy weight ?n? eating habits. N? matter wh?r? ?t comes fr?m, eating ??rt??n foods w??? h??? keep inflammation t? a minimum.

Healthy Weight

Keeping ???r ideal healthy weight w??? ?? a long way towards avoiding high inflammation levels. Excess body f?t secretes hormones th?t actually add t? increased inflammation ?n th? body. Therefore, th? heavier ??? ??t, th? more ??? suffer fr?m th?? unhealthy condition. J??t eating less food w??? ultimately h??? th? effect ?f lowering th??? levels ?n m??t overweight people ?? th?? shed pounds ?f body f?t. Th? r??ht diet ?n? nutrition ??n bring th?? change t? pass.

Fats

Th?r? ?? n? need t? ??t fats completely out ?f th? diet t? reduce inflammation. C?rr??t diet ?n? nutrition m?k?? ?t ?m??rt?nt t? stay away fr?m saturated ?n? trans-fats such ?? those found ?n many fried food ?n? ?n margarines. Avoid Omega-6 fatty-acids ?n? try t? ??t more Omega-3 fatty acids such ?? those found ?n fish oil ?n? fatty fish ??k? salmon. Even extra virgin olive oil ??n b? used ?? a healthy f?t ?n a low-inflammation diet.

Protein

Proteins ?h???? b? carefully monitored t? ??t th? best diet ?n? nutrition f?r avoiding high levels ?f inflammation. Red meats ?r? particularly harmful ?n th?? respect, ?n? extra-lean protein such ?? fish ?r chicken ?? th? best. Getting high quality protein w?th low unhealthy fats ?? a key concept t? remember.

Carbohydrates

Refined sugars ?n? processed carbohydrates ?r? very ???? ?t adding t? high levels ?f inflammation. Th?t m?k?? adding more whole grains ?n? reducing processed foods ?n ?m??rt?nt target ?n diet ?n? nutrition f?r people wh? want t? reduce th??? levels. Brown rice, bulgur wheat, ?n? steel ??t oats ?r? ???? choices ?f healthy carbohydrates.

Vegetables ?n? Fruits

Fruits ?n? vegetables generally belong t? a low-inflammation category ?f foods. Th?t being ????, ??m? ?r? better th?n others. Especially ???? ?r? green onions ?n? garlic; broccoli, cauliflower ?n? Brussels sprout; ??? types ?f greens, bell peppers, cabbage ?n? spinach. Citrus fruits, apples, tropical fruits ?n? berries ??n ??? h??? th? effect ?f lowering inflammation.

Herbs ?n? Spices

Seasonings ?r? ?? ?m??rt?nt t? lowering inflammation th?t many people h??? experienced improved levels without changing anything ????. Herbs th?t h??? w?th th?? diet ?n? nutrition project include oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme ?n? mint. Spices ??k? cayenne ?r chili peppers, cloves ?n? cinnamon ??n improve levels ?? well.

Eating f?r ???? diet ?n? nutrition ???? n?t need t? mean eating b?r?n? ?r tasteless foods. B? exploring ??? th? variety ?f choices available, ??? ??n even come up w?th a more fun menu w?th more exciting foods. In th? meantime, ?f ??? eat t? lower ???r inflammation levels, ??? w??? ??k??? arrive ?t ?r maintain a healthy weight. An? changes ??? need t? m?k? t? ???r diet w??? pay ?ff ?n dividends ?f improved health ?n? a more enjoyable life.

Related Articles:

from your own site.

Source: http://mybodyhealth.net/how-to-control-inflammation-with-diet/

taco bell Breezy Point Seaside Heights nj transit PSEG hocus pocus hocus pocus

Rolling Stones rock small LA club ahead of tour

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? For one night only, the Rolling Stones were an up-and-coming band again.

The legendary group rocked a small club in Los Angeles on Saturday night for a miniscule crowd compared to the thousands set to see them launch their "50 and Counting" anniversary tour a week later on May 3 at the Staples Center.

The band kicked off Saturday's hush-hush 90-minute concert at the Echoplex in the hip Echo Park neighborhood with "You Got Me Rocking" before catapulting into a mix of new and old material, as well as their blusey covers of classics from Otis Redding ("That's How Strong My Love Is"), Chuck Berry ("Little Queenie") and The Temptations ("Just My Imagination").

"Welcome to Echo Park, a neighborhood that's always coming up ? and I'm glad you're here to welcome an up-and-coming band," lead singer Mick Jagger joked after the second song of the evening, "Respectable."

Despite clocking in several decades as band, Jagger, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood showed no signs of slowing down Saturday.

Jagger, who promptly ditched a black-and-white track jacket emblazoned with the band's logo after the first few songs, worked the crowd into a sing-a-long frenzy with "Miss You," complete with a harmonica solo from the strutting frontman.

Tickets to the Echoplex concert were sold earlier in the day for $20 each ? a fraction of what tickets to the tour cost.

Hundreds of fans lined up outside the El Rey Theatre across town earlier Saturday for a chance to attend the spontaneous show. Buyers were limited to one ticket, and they were required to pay with cash, show a government-issued ID, wear a wristband with their name on it and be photographed. Their names were verified at the venue, which has a capacity of about 700.

Cameras and smartphones weren't allowed inside the Echoplex, which usually plays host to hipster bands and mash-up dance parties. The lack of personal recording devices made the Stones' performance feel even more exclusive and old school, freeing concertgoers' hands of the gizmos that have become commonplace at concerts nowadays, and further bonding the crowd, many of whom built up camaraderie during the confusing ticket lottery earlier in the day.

Toward the end of Saturday's show, the band was joined by former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor for their version of Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain," as well as "Midnight Rambler."

The band, which was backed by Darryll Jones on bass, Chuck Leavell on keys, Bobby Keys on sax and Bernard Fowler and Lisa Fischer as back-up singers, encored with the hits "Brown Sugar" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

"(This is) the first show of the tour, probably the best one," Jagger said at the end of the 90-minute set.

Bruce Willis, Gwen Stefani and Skrillex were among the famous faces in the sold-out crowd.

Rumors of the surprise show spread across social networks last week after the band teased the appearance on their Twitter accounts. The dance-pop band New Build, which was originally scheduled to play the Echoplex on Saturday, was first to leak details about the performance.

"Our gig got shifted b/c the Rolling Stones are playing Echoplex," the band posted Friday on Twitter. They joked that they were looking forward to "having it out" with the Stones.

The Rolling Stones performed a few dates together in London, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Newark, N.J., last winter, but didn't announce a tour until earlier this month. They will play 17 dates in the United States but said they may add more down the line. The lowest price for tickets to the show at the Staples Center, which has a capacity of about 20,000, is $250.

___

Online:

http://www.rollingstones.com

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rolling-stones-rock-small-la-club-ahead-tour-125211752.html

chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national blake griffin pau gasol

The Sounds of Thirsty Trees

A team of physicists at Grenoble University in France discovered that trees make different sounds when they are starved for water versus when they are simply thirsty. We hear from Dr. Alexandre Ponomarenko, the lead researcher, and hear a bit of the thirsty tree sounds.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/28/179675435/the-sounds-of-thirsty-trees?ft=1&f=1007

Katie Ledecky Aaron Ross Sikh temple Nastia Liukin Gabby Douglas hair Kayla Harrison Mars landing

Mormon Church to accept gay Boy Scouts

In a major step regarding openness in the Boy Scouts of America, Mormon Church officials have approved the scout organization's acceptance of gay scouts. Still, the new ruling remains controversial because it bans gay scout leaders.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / April 27, 2013

James Oliver, left, hugs his brother and fellow Eagle Scout, Will Oliver, who is gay, as Will and other supporters carry petitions to end the ban on gay scouts and leaders in front of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

Tony Gutierrez/AP

Enlarge

For the Boy Scouts of America, a new effort to chart a middle ground on the issues of sexual orientation is proving controversial.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

The proposed policy by the Boy Scouts, announced recently, is to welcome youths into the organization, regardless of sexual orientation, but to maintain a ban on gay adults serving in the organization. The proposal must be approved by the Scouts?National Council at a meeting in Texas the week of May 20.

It?s an effort to quell rising controversy, but it comes with its own ability to stir passionate arguments.

On the one hand, an important ally of the Boy Scouts, the Mormon church, has given an important welcome to the move. Important because of the reiligion?s large involvement in Scouts, along with other churches.

On the other hand, many groups and individual Americans are voicing criticism of the Scouts? proposal as not going far enough. If a young man earns his way to be an Eagle Scout, they ask, is it fair to bar him from becoming a troop leader later in life, based on sexual orientation?

The Boy Scouts of America is walking a line more difficult than many a woodland ropes course: Any position it takes will come in for significant criticism.

Among Boy Scouts members in the heavily Mormon Great Salt Lake Council, some 4 in 5?Scout?leaders and parents said they're opposed to lifting the ban on gays, the Associated Press reported. Nearly half of some 4,700 respondents to the survey said they would quit the?Scouts?if the ban on gays is lifted.

But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Thursday that ?while the Church?has not launched any campaign either to effect or prevent a policy change, we have followed the discussion and are satisfied that BSA has made a thoughtful, good-faith effort to address issues that, as they have said, remain ?among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today.?

The statement is significant, because of the strong role that Mormon churches and families nationwide play in sponsoring scout groups. The church sponsors 25 percent of all local Cub?Scout?and Boy?Scout?groups, and accounts for 15 percent of the Boys Scouts? total membership of 2.7 million, according to a Saturday news report in the New York Times.

The Boy Scouts of America, defending its proposed policy, said in a recent statement that ?while perspectives and opinions vary significantly, parents, adults in the Scouting community, and teens alike tend to agree that youth should not be denied the benefits of Scouting.?

At the same time,?many people involved in scouting nationwide are reluctant to change the current policy on adults in the group. The group?s current policy is that ?While the BSA does not proactively inquire about sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/NmmqeDVGUv8/Mormon-Church-to-accept-gay-Boy-Scouts

ridiculously photogenic guy amanda bynes dui ghost ship tiger woods masters jet crash virginia beach petrino clayton kershaw

Missy Elliott likes literature classes (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302071602?client_source=feed&format=rss

nurse jackie peeps nhl playoffs 2012 masters shroud of turin the borgias the masters

The Shameful Sequester Vote: Bad for Democrats, Worse for Democracy (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301857930?client_source=feed&format=rss

colts big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired notorious big biggie smalls lyrics azores

2 policemen shot in Rome as Italy gets new govt

ROME (AP) ? An unemployed bricklayer shot two Italian policemen in a crowded square outside the premier's office Sunday just as Italy's new government was being sworn in, investigators said.

The gunman's intended target was politicians but none were in the square so he shot at the Carabinieiri paramilitary police, Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani told reporters, citing what he said were the suspect's own words.

Mired in recession and suffering from soaring unemployment, Italy has been in political paralysis since an inconclusive February election. Social and political tensions have been running high among voters divided between center-left, conservative and anti-government political parties.

Sunday was supposed to be a hopeful day when the debt-ridden nation finally got new government to solve its many problems. But shots rang out in Colonna Square near a busy shopping and strolling area shortly after 11:30 a.m. just as Premier Enrico Letta and his new ministers were taking their oaths at the Quirinal presidential office about a kilometer (half mile) away.

The suspected gunman, dressed in a dark business suit, was immediately wrestled to the ground by police outside Chigi Palace, which houses the premier's office and other government offices. The politicians went to the palace later Sunday for their first Cabinet meeting.

Laviani identified the alleged assailant as Luigi Preiti, a 49-year-old from Calabria, a southern agricultural area plagued by organized crime and chronic unemployment.

The shooting panicked tourists and locals in the square, whose centerpiece is a towering, second-century ancient Roman column honoring Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Rome was packed Sunday with people enjoying the last day of a four-day weekend.

Fanuel Morelli, a cameraman working for AP Television, said he was struck by the gunman's firm, calm stance.

"When I heard the first shot, I turned around and saw a man standing there, some 15 meters (50 feet) away from me. He held his arm out and I saw him fire another five, six shots," Morelli said. "He was firing at the second Carabiniere, who was about 4 meters (13 feet) in front of him.'"

Laviani said Preiti, who was taken to the hospital for bruises, confessed to the shooting and didn't appear mentally unbalanced.

"He is a man full of problems, who lost his job, who lost everything," the prosecutor said. "He was desperate. In general, he wanted to shoot at politicians, but given that he couldn't reach any, he shot at the Carabinieri" paramilitary police.

One policemen who shot in the neck was in critical condition. The other, shot in the leg, suffered a fracture, doctors said.

A woman passing by during the shooting was slightly injured, Rome's mayor said. It was unclear if she was grazed by a bullet or hurt in the panic sparked by the gunfire.

The 46-year-old Letta had produced a coalition deal only a day ago between two bitter political enemies ? his center-left forces and the conservative bloc of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Letta will speak to Parliament on Monday, laying out his strategy to reduce joblessness while still sticking to the austerity measures needed to keep the eurozone's No. 3 economy from descending into a sovereign debt crisis. He will then face confidence votes.

A video surveillance camera on the Parliament building caught the attacker on film just before and during the shooting, Italian news reports said.

The shooter was walking at a steady pace along a narrow street that leads from the square outside Parliament's lower house to the square outside the premier's office when police officers appear to have stopped him to ask where he was going.

Shortly after police approached him, he began firing, according to the surveillance camera.

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the alleged gunman wanted to kill himself after the shooting but ran out of bullets. He said six shots were fired in all. The gunman used a semi-automatic pistol whose serial number had been scraped off, according to Sky TG24 TV.

The interior minister said security was immediately stepped up near key venues in the Italian capital, but added authorities were not worried about possible related attacks.

"Our initial investigation indicates the incident is due to an isolated gesture, although further investigations are being carried out," he said.

The ministers were kept briefly inside for security reasons until it was clear there was no immediate danger.

Doctors at Rome's Umberto I Polyclinic said a 50-year-old brigadier had been hit in the neck by a bullet that damaged his spinal column and was lodged near his shoulder. The doctors said it wasn't yet known if the spinal column injury had caused any paralysis.

The head of St. John's Hospital, Gianluigi Bracciale, told Sky TG24 TV the second officer suffered a broken leg from a gunshot. He said Prieti didn't appear to have any injuries other than bruises.

Preiti's uncle, interviewed by Sky, said the alleged gunman had moved back to his parents' home in Calabria because he could no longer find work as a bricklayer. "He was a great worker. He could build a house from top to bottom," said the uncle, Domenco Preiti.

The shooting sparked ugly memories of the 1970s and 1980s in Italy, when domestic terrorism plagued the country during a time of high political tensions between right-wing and left-wing blocs.

Among well-wishers for the new Italian government was President Barack Obama. The White House press office said Obama was looking forward to working closely with Letta's government "to promote trade, jobs, and growth on both sides of the Atlantic and tackle today's complex security challenges."

There was no direct reference to the shooting in the White House statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-policemen-shot-rome-italy-gets-govt-161126469.html

national enquirer whitney houston arizona republican debate arizona debate enquirer national inquirer knicks vs heat kate walsh

Knicks roll to 3-0 lead over Celtics

BOSTON (AP) ? The New York Knicks quieted the crowd and kept the Boston Celtics silent.

Now only the greatest collapse in NBA history would prevent them from reaching the second round again.

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points and the Knicks moved to the brink of their first playoff series victory in 13 years, routing the Celtics 90-76 on Friday night in Game 3 of the first-round series.

Quickly taking the crowd out of it in the first NBA game here since the Boston Marathon bombings, the Knicks built a 16-point halftime lead and now are on the verge of taking out the Celtics.

"That first quarter on the road, you've got to make sure you take that first punch and we did that," Knicks veteran Jason Kidd said.

Raymond Felton added 15 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who haven't advanced in the playoffs since reaching the 2000 Eastern Conference finals. They will go for the sweep here Sunday afternoon.

They'll have to hope they have J.R. Smith, who inexplicably threw an elbow right into Jason Terry's face with 7:06 left and was thrown out of the game with a flagrant foul 2, an automatic ejection. The league office will review the play and can fine or suspend Smith.

Jeff Green scored 21 points for the Celtics, who will try to become the first NBA team to win a series after trailing 3-0. They own the most titles in league history, but their present looks extremely bleak.

Fans cheered the responders who helped after the marathon but booed the Celtics, who managed only 31 points in the first two quarters, getting their bad half out of the way early this time. They had been held to 25 and 23 points after halftime while dropping the two games in New York.

Smith finished with 15 points for the Knicks, who are loaded with veterans who've had playoff success the franchise hadn't in recent years and weren't fazed by the pregame atmosphere. Once the game started, they simply outplayed the Celtics, as they have while going 6-1 against them dating the regular season.

"I didn't think we showed up not to play well," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I thought overall our effort was there, I thought we did lose our spirit early on."

Everything went perfectly for the Knicks until Smith, while holding the ball on offense with a huge lead, decided to throw his elbow right into Terry's face. Terry charged after him but was stopped by Rivers, while Knicks coach Mike Woodson appeared to be lecturing Smith before the Sixth Man of the Year was sent off.

"He'll learn from it. I don't think he was trying to hurt the kid, I thought he was trying to clear space, but hey, they saw it differently," Woodson said. "I'm going to stay in his ear and make sure he learns from it."

There was a moment of silence before the game for the victims, and that was the last time it was quiet for a while. First responders and other personnel were greeted with loud cheers as they were brought onto the floor during timeouts, and a tribute to the city's strength played on the overhead video board during a first-quarter stoppage.

But the Knicks' dominance wore down even the most spirited supporters, just the way LeBron James did in his 45-point performance in Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference finals in the last playoff game here.

Rivers said he was aware of some of his team's shortcomings, with the absence of Rajon Rondo leaving the Celtics without a point guard. But Rivers ? himself a former point guard ? couldn't have imagined his team would be this unable to get into an offense, finishing with 18 turnovers that led to 26 Knicks points.

He started Terry for forward Brandon Bass, trying to find a way to get another ball handler on the floor. But it couldn't fix the Celtics' shooting and didn't really help much with the ball handling, as Terry had his dribble taken right away from him on one third-quarter possession when Boston briefly looked ready to get back into it.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett missed layups on the same possession to start the game, and it was clear right from there this wasn't the Celtics' night ? or their series.

Pablo Prigioni gave the Knicks a boost with three early 3-pointers as the Knicks positioned themselves to avenge their first-round sweep at the hands of the Celtics two years ago. Boston hasn't been by swept since 2004, by Indiana.

Garnett had 12 points and 17 rebounds, while Pierce missed six of his first seven shots and finished with 17 points.

The Celtics were within three early in the second quarter before Prigioni and Smith hit 3-pointers in an 8-0 run that made it 34-23. The Celtics had held Anthony in check until then, but he got hot late in the half while they remained ice cold.

Back-to-back jumpers had the defense keying on his jumper, so he spun toward the basket to catch an alley-oop pass, and Felton followed with a 3-pointer to make it 47-29 with 58 seconds left in the half. Green made a layup for the final basket of the half, then the Celtics walked off to boos.

Boston cut it to 49-38 and Terry was dribbling up the floor on a fast break when Prigioni stepped in and swiped the ball away from him. The Knicks missed a shot, but Prigioni grabbed the rebound to set up a 3-pointer by Anthony. Felton followed with another basket to make it 54-38, and Boston's momentum was gone for good.

The Knicks later led by as much as 21.

Notes: The Knicks' last sweep of a best-of-seven series was when they beat Atlanta in the 1999 East semis. ... Rivers, on being fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for his criticisms of the officiating in Game 2. "Usually the way it works, once NBA security calls, they're not calling to tell you they love you," he said. "Listen, like I said to them, I didn't get fined for being wrong. I got fined for saying it."

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/knicks-roll-3-0-lead-over-celtics-023840988.html

vanderbilt evan mathis staff sgt. robert bales jason russell norfolk state st patrick s day parade duke

Barbara Bush: 'Enough Bushes' (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301821192?client_source=feed&format=rss

Costa Rica Earthquake sandra fluke costa rica Earthquake Costa Rica Clinton speech Michael Strahan Griselda Blanco

Dell starts selling its XPS 10 Windows RT tablet with an optional LTE radio

The FCC told us that an LTE ready version of the Dell XPS 10 was coming, but there's nothing like official confirmation. In any case, it's here, and it runs on AT&T. Dell officially announced the variant's availability on its blog, identifying the radio the feds uncovered as a Qualcomm Gobi modem, a natural fit for the tablet's 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU. The LTE option is only available for the device's 64GB configuration, and adds $100 to the price. Hey, nobody said getting LTE on your Windows RT tablet was cheap.

Filed under: Tablets, Dell

Comments

Via: CNET

Source: Dell

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/TrMnLg3lnc4/

transcendental meditation trayvon martin obama care miss universe canada don draper gallagher madmen

Reports Detail Amazon Appstore's Growing Influence, Revenue Potential

Amazon doesn’t share details on how well its Amazon Appstore apps sell, but according to mobile app analytics firm App Annie, the app marketplace is seeing growing traction among developers. The company surveyed over 1,500 developers, and found that 22.5 percent of them were now publishing to the Amazon Appstore, and half of that group (50 percent) cited Amazon as their leading revenue driver. This backs up previous reports which confirm roughly the same thing: Amazon Appstore’s revenue per user tops that of Google Play, or even iOS, in some cases. Last summer, for example, mobile gaming startup TinyCo, was saying that its revenue per user was higher on Amazon than on iTunes or Google Play. However, another report from Flurry?said that iTunes was number one, and Amazon was in second place in terms of its revenue generation capabilities. Flurry had found that for every $1 spent on the iOS store, Amazon’s store generated $0.89, and Google Play $0.23. But this was over a year ago;?App Annie itself said this month that Apple’s was still the store to beat, in terms of revenue. Today’s report also found that top paid iOS and Google Play applications have higher average price points than those on Amazon. Comparing the average price of the top 400 paid apps, the company noted that Amazon’s average was $1.73 compared with $2.21 on iPhone, $3.39 on iPad, and $3.55 on Google Play. However, it might be a little early to paint such a rosy picture, depending on whose data you believe more. For instance, App Annie competitor Distimo also released a report this month, examining similar trends among the two leading Android app marketplaces. Its findings were a bit different. Although it too saw Amazon’s influence growing, it found that overall, Google Play was still beating on revenue. Distimo said that the number of paid downloads in Google Play is twice the size of paid downloads on Amazon, but the revenue gap was smaller.?According to its analysis, the top 200 paid applications in Google Play in the U.S. made $5.2 million in March 2013, making Google Play 1.7 times bigger than the Amazon Appstore by revenue. However, that report noted that there were some examples of applications that did better on Amazon, which essentially backs up the broad strokes of what App Annie is saying here. Simply put, for some developers, Amazon is proving more successful than

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ClSwbVNyFC4/

Mayim Bialik Rich Kids of Instagram felix hernandez julia child Ron Palillo Chad Johnson Twitter Helen Gurley Brown

Stop Worrying, Your Internet Past Is Not Embarrassing

There's something on the internet that you desperately want to keep everyone from seeing. Something you're deeply embarrassed of. That would show all your friends how you're not actually as smart and fashionable and ironically self-aware as you pretend to be. And you really ought to get over it. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sVQyM6oRs58/stop-worrying-your-internet-past-is-not-embarrassing

Democratic National Convention 2012 myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan michael jackson

Clearwire investor Aurelius sues Clearwire directors and Sprint

(Reuters) - Aurelius Capital, a big shareholder in U.S. wireless service provider Clearwire Corp, filed a lawsuit against Clearwire directors and Sprint Nextel Corp over Sprint's December agreement to buy out the portion of Clearwire it does not already own.

Aurelius, which says it owns 17 million Clearwire shares, said Sprint, as Clearwire's majority shareholder, had dictated "manifestly unfair" terms for its Clearwire deal, in a filing at the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware on Friday.

Aurelius is joining a chorus of Clearwire minority shareholders that are unhappy over the terms of the Sprint deal, which requires approval from a majority of the minority shareholders at a meeting scheduled for May 21.

The hedge fund said that both Sprint and Clearwire's directors violated their fiduciary duties to Clearwire's minority shareholders in reaching the deal under which Sprint would buy Clearwire's minority shares for $2.97 per share.

For example, it said Clearwire should not have had Chairman John Stanton lead negotiations with Sprint because Stanton was originally nominated by Sprint for Clearwire's board.

Clearwire and Sprint declined to comment. Stanton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another big Clearwire shareholder, Crest Financial Ltd, is leading a proxy battle aimed at the blocking the deal.

Aurelius filed its suit two weeks after Clearwire said it rejected an $80 million financing offer from Aurelius because Sprint did not give Clearwire its consent to take the financing.

Clearwire said in a regulatory filing on Friday that it will draw on an $80 million financing available from Sprint for May. (http://r.reuters.com/qaw67t)

Aurelius is known as an uncompromising hedge fund that involves itself in high-profile distressed debt cases. It was a major player in Tribune Co's protracted bankruptcy as lenders and junior creditors fought for four years before the newspaper and broadcasting company emerged from Chapter 11.

The fund has also taken on countries - Aurelius sued Argentina for $1.3 billion in payments on defaulted bonds.

Clearwire shares closed 3.9 percent higher at $3.44 on the Nasdaq on Friday. The stock trades well above Sprint's offer price as investors are betting that the company will attract an improved offer, especially since Dish Network Corp made a counter bid of $3.30 per share in January.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew in New York, additional reporting by Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clearwire-investor-aurelius-sues-clearwire-directors-sprint-211600935.html

Malware Monday First Row Sports American flag Happy 4th of July 4th Of July Desserts fireworks fireworks

Delta Air Lines Traders Eye Overhead Resistance | Options ...

Call players heavily targeted Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) yesterday, amid the stock's 10.4% post-earnings pop. However, not all of the day's call volume was of the bullish variety, as 86% of the 6,606 contracts traded at DAL's June 17 call crossed at the bid price. With open interest adding 5,723 positions overnight, it's safe to assume that a number of these contracts were sold to open.

By initiating the short calls, traders expect DAL to remain below the $17 mark through June expiration. If DAL fails to rise the 3.3% from its current perch at $16.45, the calls will expire worthless, and the speculators can pocket the initial net credit, which also represents the full potential profit. As Trade-Alert indicated, traders on Tuesday sold the June 17 calls at a volume-weighted average price of $0.75. However, with DAL sporting an impressive 38.3% year-to-date advance, this could also be part of a larger covered-call strategy, in which shareholders are looking to protect profits against a potential pullback.

Widening the sentiment scope reveals that option traders have been bearishly aligning themselves toward Delta Air Lines in recent months. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX, the stock's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 0.46 ranks higher than 64% of other such readings taken in the past year. In other words, puts have been bought to open over calls at a faster-than-usual clip.

Additionally, the equity's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.92 ranks in the 95th percentile of its annual range. Simply stated, short-term speculators have been more put-heavy just 5% of the time within the past year.

As touched upon, Delta Air Lines has put in an impressive performance on the charts in 2013. In fact, the stock tagged a record peak of $17.25 on March 21. However, the $17 mark has emerged as a layer of overhead resistance for the equity, and DAL has only chalked up one daily close north of it.

In today's session, Delta Air Lines is trading lower, despite receiving price-target hikes from both Sterne Agee and Imperial Capital this morning. At last check, DAL has shed 1.6%.

This article by Karee Venema was originally published on Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Below, find some more great content from Schaeffer's Investment Research:

Daily Game Plan ? Chop Chop

Earnings Preview: High Hopes for Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB)

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) Traders Target End-of-the-Week Gains

Twitter: @schaeffers

No positions in stocks mentioned.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/options/articles/Delta-Air-Lines-Traders-Eye-Overhead/4/24/2013/id/49462

kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian DNS Changer ernest borgnine ESPYs 2012 venus williams Freeh Report

California city council finds it can't afford to quit Calpers

By Tim Reid

(Reuters) - The City Council of San Jose, in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, wants to quit the state's public pension fund - which covers its current and former members - because it fears it can't afford the rising contributions.

There's just one problem. It also can't afford the "astonishingly high" termination fee of up to $5.7 million that the California Public Employees Retirement System is demanding.

The catch-22 situation comes at a time when cities and states are struggling to manage budgets because of soaring pension costs.

The San Jose City Council voted unanimously in January 2012 to explore terminating its relationship with Calpers, America's biggest pension system with $256 billion in assets. It asked for a termination figure for the 30 current and former council members subscribed to the plan. In January 2013, Calpers pegged the cost at between $5 million and $5.7 million, a figure just made public.

"I was astonished," said Mayor Chuck Reed. "It was a shock." One year ago, he said, the city council's unfunded liability figure estimated by Calpers was about $500,000. "I was expecting at most two or three times that as a termination figure," Reed said.

He said the quit fee was so high that the city, America's 10th biggest with a population of nearly 1 million, had little option but to keep paying into Calpers for the current and former council members. Newly elected members are already offered a different pension plan with lower costs and benefits, and will not pay into Calpers, Reed said. The city's general workforce pays into different pension funds not managed by Calpers.

Brad Pacheco, a Calpers spokesman, said that when a termination fee is paid, cities get fully funded and guaranteed lifetime pension payments for all members in the plan.

San Jose is not the only California city looking for a way out of Calpers or a way to renegotiate their obligations to the system.

The tiny southern California city of Canyon Lake served formal notice to quit Calpers earlier this month, and Pacific Grove, another small city, on the state's central coast, says it wants to quit the plan but cannot because of the high termination fee.

James Spiotto, a municipal bankruptcy specialist and a partner at law firm Chapman and Cutler in Chicago, said the San Jose city council is just a small example of a wider problem in California where cities simply cannot afford their current pension obligations to Calpers. Something has to give, he said.

"If municipalities can't pay, then they have to be able to negotiate" with Calpers, Spiotto said. "You cannot have a situation where a city says they can't do it, but Calpers says they have to do it. That's an impossibility."

Calpers serves many California cities and counties, including the cities of Stockton and San Bernardino, which filed for bankruptcy last year under the pressure of rising costs for wages and pensions.

RATE OF RETURN A BONE OF CONTENTION

Calpers calculated the San Jose council's termination fee based on annual return rates of 2.37 to 2.5 percent -- compared with a the 7.5 percent return rate it uses to calculate future liabilities for members in the plan.

The higher the estimated rate of return, the less an employer has to pay into the plan. But when a pension fund is closed, contributions from cities and workers stop.

"Calpers can no longer go back to employers to make up shortfalls," Pacheco said. "This is why we adopted a much more conservative investment strategy for the terminated agency pool where the assets are moved."

Critics say that Calpers' 7.5 percent long-term projected return rate, as well as similar rate of returns adopted by public pensions across the country, is artificially high. Some economists suggest that pension funds, including Calpers, should be using a lower rate to reflect risk-free investments such as the yields paid by U.S. Treasury bonds.

When a pension fund's returns do not meet its projected rate, a shortfall is created. The costs are generally passed onto members. This month Calpers' board approved accounting changes requiring state agencies, cities and counties to pay rate hikes of up to 50 percent to cover the fund's shortfall over 30 years.

Critics say the low discount termination rate produces a huge one-time figure that makes it impossible for cities to quit Calpers, and there is little that a single city can do.

"There has to be a number between 7.5 percent and 2.5 percent, but there is no means for a city to challenge that," said Karol Denniston, a bankruptcy attorney with Schiff Hardin in San Francisco who helped draft California's bankruptcy process law.

In San Jose, the council was worried about its rising monthly contribution costs and a growing unfunded liability to Calpers. Last year the city council paid Calpers $130,700 in annual contributions, and this year it paid over $147,000. Next year's projected annual contribution is nearly $165,000, the city said.

Outside of the council, the city's workforce does not pay into Calpers but into a separately administered municipal plan - similar to other large California cities, including Los Angeles. San Jose's workforce has had significant salary and pension reductions imposed by the city council because of rising city debt.

The council decided to look at terminating its own pension plan with Calpers to show the city's wider workforce that it was interested in reining in elected officials' pension costs.

(Reporting by Tim Reid in Los Angeles; Editing by Tiziana Barghini and Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/california-city-council-finds-cant-afford-quit-calpers-182816245--sector.html

Oscar Pistorius Carnival Triumph charles barkley valentines valentines day George Ferris happy valentines day