New York City's Metro Transit Authority is still plugging away on its giant project to bring the the 7 train into far west Manhattan, and the scope of the construction is just as awe-inspiring as ever. The MTA just put out a crop of new pictures on Flickr, and we just can't help but see a slight comparison to a certain, classic Half-Life level of old.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gestures while making a speech that was in part about climate change at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi, India on Sunday, June 23, 2013, on his first visit to India as secretary. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gestures while making a speech that was in part about climate change at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi, India on Sunday, June 23, 2013, on his first visit to India as secretary. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, is greeted by Aman Puri, with the Indian protocol office, upon arrival in New Delhi, India on Sunday, June 23, 2013, on his first visit to India as secretary. At right is U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to the traveling press on board the airplane as he leaves Doha, Qatar en route to New Delhi, on Sunday, June 23, 2013. In Qatar Kerry spent time discussing Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry makes a speech in part about climate change at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi, India on Sunday, June 23, 2013, on his first visit to India as secretary. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
NEW DELHI (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged fast-growing India to work with the United States on global warming before it's too late. "The irreversible climate challenge is speeding towards us, crying out for a global solution, " he said.
Kerry spoke on climate change in a speech in New Delhi, the second stop on his two-week swing through the Mideast and Asia, just two days before President Barack Obama is to unveil his long-awaited plan for the United States on the issue.
"The world's largest democracy and its oldest one must do more together, uniting not as a threat to anyone, not as a counterweight to a region or some other countries, but as partners building a strong, smart future in a critical age," Kerry said in a reference to how India is often viewed as a counterbalance to China.
People consulting with White House officials on Obama's plan say they expect the president to put forth regulations on heat-trapping gases emitted by coal-fired power plants that are already running. Environmental groups have been pleading with Obama to take that step, but the administration has said it's focused first on controls on new power plants.
More than half of India's power comes from coal and while the U.S. has emission issues of its own, it wants to see India and other nations in the region rely less on old, coal generation facilities. The U.S. is backing a Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline that would bring energy to a power-starved region.
Speaking at a convention center to a crowd of several hundred businessmen, students and others, Kerry noted that federal scientists in May reported that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passed 400 parts per million ? a level never before experienced by man.
"When the desert is creeping into East Africa, and ever more scarce resources push farmers and herders into deadly conflict ... then this is a matter of shared security for all of us. ... When the Himalayan glaciers are receding, threatening the very supply of water to almost a billion people, we all need to do better," he said.
During his first trip to India as secretary of state, the top U.S. diplomat was expected to discuss a myriad of other topics, including enhancing security in the region and prospects for finding a political resolution to the war in Afghanistan.
As NATO troops leave, India fears the country could fall into the hands of a Taliban-led regime, endangering many of India's interests there. Kerry reassured India, which has invested more than $2 billion to reconstruct Afghanistan, that the U.S. commitment to the Afghan people will not end at the close of next year when NATO-led combat troops complete their withdrawal.
In meetings before Kerry heads to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the U.S. expects Indian officials will want to query Kerry about prospects for peace talks with the Taliban. U.S. talks were scheduled to begin in coming days, but a last-minute diplomatic rift over how the Taliban rolled out their new political office in Doha, Qatar, has threatened to scuttle the talks.
"Obviously, we are very realistic about the difficulties of making progress. Making peace is never easy, and a final settlement may be long in coming," he said.
"And let me be clear: Any political settlement must result in the Taliban breaking ties with al-Qaida, renouncing violence and accepting the Afghan constitution, including its protections for all Afghans, women and men. Afghanistan cannot again become a safe haven for international terrorism."
Kerry also spoke about India's archrival, Pakistan.
There is widespread hope that Pakistan's new President Nawaz Sharif will try to improve relations with its Indian neighbor, thus reducing the chance of a fourth major war between the nuclear-armed foes.
But India has been frustrated by Pakistan's failure to crack down on Islamic extremists, which have strong historical links with Pakistani intelligence. Kerry called on Pakistan to continue normalizing trade relations with Pakistan. "Just last year, bilateral trade increased 21 percent," he said.
Washington wants New Delhi to speed up economic reform to increase U.S. business and trade opportunities with India. In the past decade, bilateral trade has increased five-fold, but Kerry is expected to share the concerns of the U.S. business community about trade and about other problems American businessmen are facing in India.
More than 150 U.S. lawmakers teamed up with American business groups last week to press the Obama administration to further press India to ease policies they claim are bad for American exports, jobs and innovation.
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Brewers closer Francisco ?K-Rod? Rodriguez earned the 300th save of his career this afternoon, wrapping up a 2-0 victory over the Braves. He becomes the 25th member of the 300-save club. It was his sixth save of the year and he lowered his ERA to 0.59 (in 15.1 innings) in the effort. However, the Brewers had planned to make Jim Henderson the closer once Rodriguez achieved his milestone.
At 31-42 and just one game out of the cellar in the NL Central, the Brewers should draw interest from contending teams looking to bolster their bullpen, such as the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/22/k-rod-notches-300th-career-save/related/
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June 21, 2013 ? People have an innate need to establish close relationships with other people. But this natural bonding behaviour is not confined to humans: many animals also seem to need relationships with others of their kind. For domesticated animals the situation is even more complex and pets may enter deep relationships not only with conspecifics but also with their owners. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna) have investigated the bond between dogs and their owners and have found striking similarities to the parent-child relationship in humans.
Their findings are published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Domestic dogs have been closely associated with humans for about 15,000 years. The animals are so well adapted to living with human beings that in many cases the owner replaces conspecifics and assumes the role of the dog's main social partner. The relationship between pet owners and dogs turns out to be highly similar to the deep connection between young children and their parents.
The importance of the owner to the dog
One aspect of the bond between humans and dogs is the so-called "secure base effect." This effect is also found in parent-child bonding: human infants use their caregivers as a secure base when it comes to interacting with the environment. Until recently the "secure base effect" had not been well examined in dogs. Lisa Horn from the Vetmeduni's Messerli Research Institute therefore decided to take a closer look at the behaviour of dogs and their owners. She examined the dogs' reactions under three different conditions: "absent owner," "silent owner" and "encouraging owner." The dogs could earn a food reward, by manipulating interactive dog toys. Surprisingly, they seemed much less keen on working for food, when their caregivers were not there than when they were. Whether an owner additionally encouraged the dog during the task or remained silent, had little influence on the animal's level of motivation.
When the owner is replaced by a stranger
In a follow-up experiment, Horn and her colleagues replaced the owner with an unfamiliar person. The scientists observed that dogs hardly interacted with the strangers and were not much more interested in trying to get the food reward than when this person was not there. The dogs were much more motivated only when their owner was present. The researchers concluded that the owner's presence is important for the animal to behave in a confident manner.
Why do adult dogs behave like human children?
The study provides the first evidence for the similarity between the "secure base effect" found in dog-owner and child-caregiver relationships. This striking parallel will be further investigated in direct comparative studies on dogs and children. As Horn says, "One of the things that really surprised us is, that adult dogs behave towards their caregivers like human children do. It will be really interesting to try to find out how this behaviour evolved in the dogs with direct comparisons."
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/8SeaNXWOkGA/130621095502.htm
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is preparing to unveil his long-awaited national plan to combat climate change in a major speech, he announced on Saturday.
"There's no single step that can reverse the effects of climate change," Obama said in an online video released by the White House. "But when it comes to the world we leave our children, we owe it to them to do what we can."
People consulting with White House officials on Obama's plan, to be unveiled Tuesday at Georgetown University, say they expect him to put forth regulations on heat-trapping gases emitted by existing coal-fired power plans. They were not authorized to disclose details about the plan ahead of the announcement and requested anonymity.
Environmental groups have been pleading with Obama to take that step, but the administration has said it's focused first on controls on new power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency, using its authority under the Clean Air Act, has already proposed controls on new plants, but the rules have been delayed ? to the chagrin of states and environmental groups threatening to sue over the delays.
An administration official said last week that Obama was still weighing whether to include existing plants in the climate plan. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.
The White House wouldn't disclose any details Saturday about what steps Obama may call for. But his senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said last week that controls on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants would be a major focus. She also said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy.
Putting a positive spin on a contentious partisan issue, Obama said the U.S. is uniquely poised to deal with the serious challenges posed by climate change. He said American scientists and engineers would have to design new fuels and energy sources, and workers will have to adapt to a clean energy economy.
"We'll need all of us, as citizens, to do our part to preserve God's creation for future generations," Obama said.
Environmental groups have for months been pushing Obama to make good on a threat he issued to lawmakers in February in his State of the Union address: "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will." Obama's move to take the matter into his own hands appears to reflect a growing consensus that opposition in Congress is too powerful for any meaningful, sweeping climate legislation to pass anytime soon.
"They shouldn't wait for Congress to act, because they'll be out of office by the time that Congress gets its act together," Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in an interview.
Environmental groups applauded the announcement that Obama was finally releasing a plan for executive action, but made clear they want to see firm proposals ? including controls for existing power plants.
"Combating climate change means curbing carbon pollution ? for the first time ever ? from the biggest single source of such dangerous gases: our coal-fired power plants," said Frances Beinecke, president of the National Resources Defense Council. "We stand ready to help President Obama in every way we can."
Another key issue hanging over the announcement ? but unlikely to be mentioned on Tuesday ? is Keystone XL, a pipeline that would carry oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. A concerted campaign by environmental activists to persuade Obama to nix the pipeline appears to be an uphill battle. The White House insists the State Department is making the decision independently.
Obama's speech on Tuesday will come the day before he leaves for a weeklong trip to three African nations.
___
Online:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcL3_zzgWeU
___
Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
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By Claire Davenport and Ilona Wissenbach
BRUSSELS/LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - European Union health ministers agreed on Friday to ease tough planned restrictions on tobacco products to overcome opposition from some governments to the draft rules.
The ministers rejected a ban on slim cigarettes proposed by the bloc's executive, the European Commission, but said they should be sold in normal-sized packets to reduce their appeal. They also agreed to outlaw menthol cigarettes and other tobacco flavorings.
The bloc's health commissioner said that, despite the need for compromise in order to reach an agreement, the spirit of the Commission's original proposals has been retained.
"The main thrust is that tobacco should look like tobacco - not like perfume or candy - and that it should taste like tobacco as well," the Maltese commissioner Tonio Borg told a news conference in Luxembourg after the ministerial talks.
Cigarette sales in the 27-nation EU bloc have fallen sharply in recent years but - at about 33 percent - Europe still has a higher proportion of smokers than any other region of the globe, according to data from the World Health Organization.
The Commission proposed a crackdown on attractive tobacco branding in December, saying such branding was designed to recruit a new generation of younger smokers to replace the estimated 700,000 Europeans who die of smoking-related illnesses each year.
The discussions pitted western European nations that favor tough tobacco controls against a group of central and eastern member states led by Poland - one of Europe's top cigarette producers - who fear the impact on tobacco industry jobs.
The Commission's proposal that graphic visual and written warnings should cover 75 percent of the surface of all cigarette packets in future - leaving just 25 percent or less for the brand - was weakened to 65 per cent by ministers on Friday.
Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic did not support the compromise, but their opposition is not enough to prevent the law from being adopted.
Irish Health Minister James Reilly, who led Friday's talks, dismissed economic arguments against tougher tobacco controls.
"It can never be - never - a choice between jobs and lives," he told reporters.
Holding up a slim metallic cigarette packet designed to look like a lipstick, Reilly said: "That is advertising. That is entrapment of young people."
In 2010, the world's four leading tobacco companies - British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco, and Philip Morris - produced more than 90 percent of the cigarettes sold in Europe, the Commission said.
PLAIN PACKAGING
Last month, Ireland became the first European country to agree a ban on all branding on cigarette packs in favor of plain packaging and uniform labeling, following the example of Australia.
While the EU proposals stop short of a full ban on branding, ministers agreed that countries such as Ireland should be free to impose plain packaging if they choose.
The proposals must also get the approval of the European Parliament before becoming law, and the lawmaker leading the debate in the assembly has called for a total ban on branding.
Friday's agreement means the rules could be finalized before the start of European Parliament elections next May, allowing them to enter force in 2016.
The draft rules have been in development for more than two years and were the focus of intense lobbying by the tobacco industry.
They played a part in the October resignation of former EU Health Commissioner John Dalli, after one of his associates was accused of seeking bribes from Swedish Match, a producer of moist oral-snuff known as "snus", in return for lifting a sales ban on the product outside Sweden.
Under the agreement, the sale of snus would remain illegal across the EU except in Sweden. But a proposal that would have forced snus producers to reformulate their products to remove distinctive flavorings was dropped.
As concerns grow over the unregulated use of increasingly popular electronic cigarettes, ministers tightened proposed controls by agreeing that those containing 1 milligram (mg) of nicotine or more would be classified as medicinal products requiring prior EU marketing approval.
That also applied to e-cigarettes containing 2 mg or more per milliliter for those that mix nicotine with water.
(Writing by Charlie Dunmore; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/governments-weaken-eu-tobacco-curbs-secure-agreement-155350620.html
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Until now, complaining in Brazil has served as a common outlet for dealing with issues like high crime and corruption. Will protests morph into a larger movement? Spread to other countries?
Crowds gather along Paulista Avenue to celebrate the reversal of a fare hike on public transportation after days of protest in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, June 20. Protesters gathered for a new wave of massive demonstrations in Brazil on Thursday, extending the protests that have sent hundreds of thousands of people into the streets since last week to denounce poor public services and government corruption.
Nelson Antoine/AP
Enlarge? A version of this post ran on the author's blog, Riogringa. The views expressed are the author's own.
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Now that numerous cities have decided to cancel transportation fare hikes as a result of the protests, the question remains if Brazil's protests will find a new course, and if they will have a long-term impact.
There's a lot in the media, both domestic and international, that Brazilians surprised political leaders with the demonstrations. But the truth is, I think they surprised themselves. After putting up with so much for so long, the spell was finally broken: The spell of bread and circuses, of soccer and novelas. They were capable all along of putting aside the homem cordial and the culture of compromise, and turning daily complaints into action. When police attacked innocent people, and importantly, members of the media, it was the final straw.
The shift in public opinion was swift, and critically, even Globo ? the dominant news network ? changed its tune to some degree. And attempts by soccer heroes Pel? and Ronaldo to appeal to protesters by telling people to "forget" the protests and saying that the World Cup cannot be held in hospitals, have backfired spectacularly in a testament to how deeply people relate to demonstrators' demands.
Until now, complaining has served as one of the most common outlets for dealing with realities like high crime, corruption, and poor public services. "Wake up, Brazil!" was a frequent lament. A typical example is that of a viral video earlier this month featured a Brazilian visiting the United States and noting the differences in prices and quality of life. It made a lot of people angry, though it garnered fans, too. In the video, he complains Brazilians "fight for stupid rights, but don't fight for the basics, like the right to health, quality of life." While one can argue that no rights are "stupid," these protests have certainly brought things back to the basics.
But now, many wonder where this is going, especially given that leaders conceded on bus fares in the country's two biggest cities that saw the largest protests. And with an explosion of international coverage, there seem to be more questions than answers.
Here, I think, are some of the important questions to think about going forward.
Will it translate, for example, into votes during next year's election?
Maybe, maybe not. But perhaps that matters less than people think. The fact that the protests have started a dialogue means there's a chance that Brazilians have a greater stake in public policy moving forward, and that maybe government accountability ? sometimes woefully lacking ? will improve. By talking about the varied demands of protesters, there's a chance more people will feel they have a greater stake in what's happening in politics. ?Democracy is noise,? wrote Vladimir Safatle, a philosophy professor at the University of S?o Paulo, in Folha this week. ?Those who like silence prefer dictatorships.?
On his blog, Carioca Roberto Cassano wrote that it doesn't matter that protesters don't have unified demands, or a leader. "We've created a collective Batman," he wrote, "of whose mere memory of sudden attacks and bat wings make the bad guys think twice." Politicians will now have the symptoms of those who have had their homes broken into, Cassano said. (And in a way, they did, given the protest on the roof of Congress.) They'll always be wondering if it could happen again.
Also, given that the protests did have a concrete result with a reduction in transportation fares in numerous cities, it sets a precedent that stimulates new demands, said Maur?cio Santoro, a Rio-based adviser to Amnesty International.
It means that not only do individual politicians need to regroup in the short-term, but political parties may need to try to build more concrete, action-based platforms ahead of next year's elections, rather than depending on charismatic leaders. "For decades, the military dictatorship forced political groups into a two-party system," wrote Brazilian journalist Mauricio Savarese on his blog. "It still takes its toil on our democracy. That is because leaders still seem to be much more important than sets of ideas ? that is how politicians would stand out in the middle of the crowd then." It also means that despite historically high approval ratings, President Dilma Rousseff may have more formidable contenders next year.
On the other hand, some still doubt the protests present a threat to political parties and leaders. "At least for now, the movement appears to be far more 'Occupy Wall Street' than 'Arab Spring' in terms of its motives, demographics and likely outcome," says the latest from Reuters.
One of the really interesting things about the protests is that it has implications for the acclaimed Lula model. Many outsiders perceive Brazil as a success story, not only for the region but for the world: low unemployment, rising wages, reduced inequality, lots of foreign investment, and a growing middle class. In spite of rising inflation and sluggish growth, the overall big picture has been a good one in recent years. Much of Latin America has tended to look to Brazil as the star of the region, and to Lula as the inspiration for leaders, combining social inclusion with business-friendly policies.
"The ascent of the middle class, combined with social programs promoted by President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor, Luiz Inacio 'Lula' Da Silva, seemed secure," said a Bloomberg piece yesterday. If voters take heed that Lula's policies ? continued by Dilma ? worked to lift people out of poverty but ultimately failed to address long-neglected problems like public services and high levels of violence, what does that mean for other Latin American countries following this model? It's particularly interesting for countries like Peru and Colombia that have also had economic growth with Lula-esque leaders, working on policies to benefit the poor but also attracting foreign businesses, but struggling with some similar challenges.
? Rachel Glickhouse is the author of the blog?Riogringa.com
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of Latin America bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
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Now that AT&T is willing to offer LTE on budget services like GoPhone, the floodgates are open: it just extended the faster cellular data to its Aio Wireless prepaid brand. An automatic update is rolling out that enables LTE on Aio customers' existing SIM cards when they're in one of the provider's coverage areas. To mark the occasion, the carrier is launching the ZTE Overture, a 4-inch phone packing LTE alongside a 4-inch display, Jelly Bean, a 5MP rear camera and an unspecified front shooter. Aio hasn't divulged pricing for the Overture, but we wouldn't expect a large outlay when the handset ships within the next month.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Source: Aio Wireless
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When you build a monolithic tower that reaches hundreds of feet up into the sky, it's going to cast a shadow. That can be a big problem for those on the ground, if they'd like to occasionally see the sun. But the designers of a new building being planned in lower Manhattan have figured out a way around the problem: An oddly-shaped building that will not only shed light on occupants, but spread it around for neighbors as well.
Designed by Studio Gang, the ?Solar Carve Tower? will sit between the Hudson river and New York's elevated-train-track-now-park, the High Line. The building utilizes a technique the Gang (unsuprisingly) calls "solar carving" where the structure's form is explicity designed to play nice with the particular angles of sunlight that grace the area. The form is based on a close examination of seasonal sun diagrams around the site, which allowed the designers gauge where they should cut away wedges of structure to allow sun to pass unfettered onto the park.
The end result is not only a tower with a bevy of well-lit offices and retail space, but also a heaping helping of redirected sunlight for the High Line?specifically its sundeck area. And the curved angles that let that happen should also afford?or at least not completely block?a view of the river. Of course it helps that the building ain't bad to look at neither. It's due to be finished in 2015. Until then, you'll have to get your sun the traditional way?by standing under it. [Studio Gang via Wired]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-a-slanted-skyscraper-will-share-sunshine-with-the-h-531726059
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By Katharina Urban-Oberberg
LONDON (Reuters) - He may now be a doting dad marketing a range of jams and jellies, but Steve Carell's Gru character in the sequel to the animated supervillain children's comedy "Despicable Me" still longs for a little bit of the old criminal fun.
Gru's redemption, in the form of his love for adopted daughters Margo, Agnes and Edith, hasn't spoiled his taste for gadgetry and plotting in "Despicable Me 2", due out next month, U.S. comedy actor Carell told Reuters Television on Wednesday.
"There's a side of him that still wants to be in the villain game, that wants the excitement and is fulfilled by that, if you will, so he's having growing pains as a father," he said.
Carell, 50, is probably best known for his bumbling office manager character Michael Scott in the U.S. version of the hit TV show "The Office". But his big-screen appearances have included starring roles in "Date Night" (2010), 2008's "Get Smart" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005).
As Gru, the former evil genius with the exotic accent who once tried to steal the moon, Carell's character in "Despicable Me 2" struggles with pressure to go on dates as well as something most father with a daughter must eventually face: boys.
"His oldest daughter (Margo, voiced by Miranda Cosgrove) is becoming interested in boys, which is a complication he doesn't really know how to deal with," Carell said. "His kids want him to date and that's an area he has no interest in at all."
The latest film, directed by French duo Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, follows in the footsteps of their endearing 2010 creation that earned $543 million worldwide, according to box-office tracker Boxofficemojo.com.
Carell said his role as Gru amongst his loveable yellow, goggle-eyed minions has earned the actor a lot of credibility with his own children, who loved the minions.
"I think it's impossible not to love the minions," he said. "And in this one the minions have an ever-greater presence.
"Without giving anything away, there are some minions you wouldn't expect in this second one," he added.
Carell said he finally understood how well the formula worked after attending the screening of the first film with a childless adult male friend who laughed and was touched by it.
"One of the things I liked about the first one is that it's not condescending towards children," he said. "It really is a sophisticated kind of humor that I think kids really enjoy."
(Editing by Paul Casciato and Xavier Briand)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/steve-carell-returns-despicable-2-dad-doubts-224835138.html
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"Voice" coach Blake Shelton and season four winner Danielle Bradbery.
Country is once again king. If there?s one takeaway from ?The Voice? this season, that is it. When in doubt, the secret to winning is to stick as close to Nashville radio as possible.
Blake Shelton was the winning coach -- again. Danielle Bradbery was the winning singer, the youngest ?Voice? champion ever and someone her coach swears is the next big thing in country music. Another Blake act, The Swon Brothers, made the finale and finished third.
That?s not all. Adam Levine?s top-finishing singer, Amber Carrington, was a country artist who he tried and failed to make more of a rocker. As if to emphasize that coaching error, both Danielle and the Swon Brothers brought her back as part of their teams for their group finale numbers.
?Secretly, we think she belongs on Team Blake,? the Swon Brothers said. Secretly, she probably agreed.
No fan of the show could be surprised by the result. After all, Danielle?s victory gave Blake his third ?Voice? title in a row. A year ago, Cassadee Pope won by emphasizing country music in the semifinals and the finale. Jermaine Paul was more musically well-rounded in season two, but sang an actual Blake song in the finale to bring it home.
The recipe seems clear. ?The Voice? audience is filled with country music fans, so singing country music is the way to please the crowd?
But is it the music? Or is it all about the coach?
Country artists do well on ?The Voice,? true. But really, it?s Blake who does well. Blake lets the country artists stay in their comfort zone, entertains the crowd with jokes about his ?special lattes,? and laughs all the way to the winner?s circle. We might forget who actually won seasons two or three -? but we remember their coach, and he knows the game enough to put his singers in position to win.
No other coach can say that, even though they know the audience preferences as well. When Adam won Amber for his team at the blind auditions, he chortled that he really wanted to beat Blake at his own game with a country artist. But as he showed, that?s not something he really knows how to do. He?s a rocker. He knows rock.
None of Shakira?s country acts made it out of the knockout rounds, and perhaps not coincidently she had no one singing in the finale.
Usher tried to catch the country wave with Josiah Hawley, but lost him early. Though Michelle Chamuel was as far from a country act as you can get, Usher did his part to ride that wave as well by having her sing ?Trouble? and bringing Taylor Swift by to cheer her on. It was her biggest-selling iTunes download heading into the finals, and he had her reprise it for the finale. She came in second.
But of course, country music isn?t the strength of any of those coaches -- it?s all Blake. Though he turned his chair around for a few singers from other genres and even managed to convince some to join his squad this season, he took only country acts into the live shows. As he said during one of the early rounds, when in doubt, he sticks with what he knows -- and he knows country.
He also knows how the show works. In a lot of ways, it?s all about the coaches. ?The Voice? is the most supportive reality TV contest ever, where everyone isn?t just touting their own singers, but everyone else?s as well. So you don?t get ahead by being snarky -- at least not towards a struggling contestant -- or by getting into arguments with others on the panel. You get ahead because you get the viewers on your side.
While Danielle was the winner, there?s no better proof of that than the Swon Brothers. It?s doubtful that any other judge could have taken them into the battle rounds, let alone the live shows. A country duet? When no duet has ever made it far on the show? Where?s the upside in that?
Adam Levine had his own duet that looked more promising in their audition in Midas Whale, and he paired them against Amber in the knockout round to bounce them out.
Blake, however, saw something in his fellow Okies. Like their coach, they came across as extremely likable. They?re comfortable on camera.
They sing pretty well. And somehow, they outlasted bigger voices to make the finale.
It?s not just about the voice. It?s about knowing the audience and giving them what they want. Blake knows all about that.
The audience loves him. The show loves him. He?s now won three seasons in a row. If you dream of being a country star and all four judges turn around, you have to pick him as your coach. He?s the best at it.
After all, on ?The Voice,? country is king, and Blake?s the show?s king of country. He proved that again in season four.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/country-music-blake-shelton-steal-show-voice-again-6C10378914
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Steve Spooner / The National Trust For Historic Preservation via AP
Mariemont Community Church in the village of Mariemont, Ohio.
A lighthouse built in 1799, an airport terminal that helped launch the 747 and the world?s first domed, air-conditioned sports stadium. Separated by miles, styles and disparate histories, they have one thing in common.
On Wednesday, they were named three of the nation?s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP).
Now in its 26th year, the list spotlights important examples of the nation?s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. This year?s roster reflects sites that are threatened by not-so-benign neglect, encroaching development and the impact of climate change.
?We made a very intentional effort to reach out to diverse groups and communities,? said NTHP President Stephanie Meeks. ?We want to make sure that preservation in this country represents the full range of the American experience.?
For travelers, says Meeks, such places are what make individual destinations what they are.
?People love to visit places that are unique and interesting,? she told NBC News. ?We?re all about preserving what?s unique and special about the U.S. and we believe travelers all over the world are looking for those kinds of experiences.?
Here are five places to have them:
Abyssinian Meeting House
Built in 1828, this brick and clapboard structure in Portland, Maine, has served the city?s African American community as a house of worship, community center and way station on the Underground Railroad. Later turned into apartments and subsequently closed, it?s now being restored in the hopes that it can reopen as a museum.
Katie Uffelman / The National Trust for Historic Preservation via AP
The Abyssinian Meeting House in Portland, Maine.
If successful, the Meeting House will also serve as an anchor for a proposed India Street Historic District, which local preservationists see as a way to balance the rapid redevelopment of the area where Portland was born.
?We?re not looking at keeping development from happening,? said Sally Oldham, a trustee of Greater Portland Landmarks Inc. ?We do hope it will be channeled so that it doesn?t impact the historic core of the area.?
Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle via AP, file
Reliant Stadium, top, and the Astrodome, bottom, in Houston.
Astrodome
As the world's first domed, air conditioned stadium, the Houston Astrodome was called the "Eighth Wonder of the World" when it opened in 1965. ?It was the first of its kind; it set the standard for new stadiums, and it put this city on the map,? said David Bush, acting executive director of Preservation Houston.
Today, it sits empty and forlorn, a ?lonely landmark? in desperate need of repurposing before it gets turned into a parking lot for the newer, shinier Reliant Stadium next door. The good news is that the county agency that oversees the Astrodome is currently considering 19 proposals with an announcement expected shortly.
Gay Head Lighthouse
The first lighthouse built on Martha?s Vineyard may not be on Martha?s Vineyard much longer, not because of neglect or redevelopment but because of climate change?induced erosion.
?It?s 50 feet from the edge of the cliff,? said Beverly Wright, selectman for the nearby town of Aquinnah. ?Experts are telling us it could topple into the ocean in a year and a half.?
Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images, file
Tourists wait to ascend Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard, MA.
To prevent that, the town has launched a website, GayHeadLight.org, and campaign to raise $3 million in order to move the lighthouse to a new site. Until that happens, visitors can climb the lighthouse stairs daily through Oct. 14 ($5) or until the sea reclaims it.
Village of Mariemont
Ten miles east of downtown Cincinnati, the Village of Mariemont was one of the nation?s first planned communities, founded after World War I as a ?national exemplar? of tree-lined streets, expansive parks and Tudor- and Norman-style buildings. Today, the village is feeling the squeeze from a proposal that could relocate a four-lane highway across 80 acres of parkland on its southern edge.
?We have the combination of a walkable urban town with a rural, agriculture feel,? said Karen Sullivan, a local resident and architect. ?If the highway goes in, it won?t just detract from the town?s character; it?ll harm local businesses.?
Worldport Terminal
Back in the day when going to the airport was an eagerly awaited adventure, the Worldport Terminal at JFK was as iconic as they come. Its flying-saucer shape was a classic of Mid-Century Modern design; it embodied the global reach of its original tenant, Pan Am, and it turned up in movies and magazines throughout the ?60s and ?70s.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images, file
The Delta Airlines terminal of JFK International Airport, originally constructed in 1960 as the Pan Am Worldport.
As of last month, though, it ended its useful life after its current tenant, Delta Airlines, moved its operations to Terminal 4. It?s now in limbo as preservationists try to get buy-in from Delta and the Port Authority to repurpose the structure.
?The fact that it?s been superseded by more modern structures is a given,? said Anthony Stramaglia of SaveTheWorldport.org. ?We don?t want to stand in the way of progress but we believe it?s important enough ? historically, architecturally and culturally ? to remain standing.?
For those interested in experiencing other endangered sites, the rest of this year?s list is below:
Chinatown House: Once a general store and residence for Chinese American laborers, the house is one of last symbols of the Asian community that helped build modern-day Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Historic rural schoolhouses of Montana: Many of Montana?s historic one- and two-room schoolhouses are still in use but at risk as the state?s population shifts to urban centers.
James River: The river and landscape in James City County, Va., are threatened by a proposed transmission line project that would compromise the scenic integrity of this historic area.
Kake Cannery: This cannery in Southeast Alaska, played a key role in the development of the Alaskan salmon-canning industry but is rapidly deteriorating.
Mountain View Black Officers? Club: A remnant from the days when the U.S military was segregated, this one-time social club at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., faces demolition by the U.S. Army.
San Jose Church: Built in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1532, this Spanish Gothic church is currently closed and threatened by deterioration and structural damage.
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Today we had a chance to play with Qualcomm's latest MDP devices (tablet and phone) which pack the company's mighty Snapdragon 800 SoC (MSM8974). The tablet is slightly larger than last year's MDP and features a 11.6-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display, 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB of built-in flash storage (with microSD expansion) and a 12 megapixel AF rear camera with flash (2MP in front). All of this is crammed into a slim (0.46 inches / 11.7mm) chassis that's powered by a 3400mAh Li-ion battery and incorporates a bevvy of radios (LTE, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 4 LE, GPS, NFC) and sensors (including pressure and humidity).
The phone shares most of the tablet's specs but swaps the screen for a 4.3-inch panel (1280 x 720 pixels) and the battery for a smaller (1500mAh) pack. We put the Snapdragon 800-equipped MDPs through their paces by running our usual suite of benchmarks (plus a few more). The results? Prepare for ludicrous speed. More after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
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