Slower US growth might lead Fed to delay tapering

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. economy may not be strong enough for the Federal Reserve to slow its bond purchases later this year.

That's the takeaway from economists after the government cut its estimate Wednesday of growth in the January-March quarter to a 1.8 percent annual rate, sharply below its previous estimate of a 2.4 percent rate. The main reason: Consumers spent less than previously thought.

Most economists think growth will remain low as consumers and businesses continue to adjust to federal spending cuts and higher taxes. Growth is expected to reach an annual rate of only about 2 percent in the April-June quarter. Even if the economy improves slightly, it would be hard to meet the Fed's forecast of 2.3 percent to 2.6 percent growth for 2013.

Chairman Ben Bernanke rattled investors last week when he said the Fed will likely slow its bond-buying this year if the economy continues to strengthen. The bond purchases have helped keep interest rates low. Bernanke added that if the economy weakens, the Fed won't hesitate to delay its pullback or even step up its bond purchases again.

Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said that if the April-June quarter proves tepid, the Fed will be looking at three straight quarters of subpar growth.

"The Fed won't taper (its bond purchases) under these conditions," Lee said. "They need convincing signs of a pickup."

Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisers, said he suspects the Fed will wait until next year to slow its bond buying. Like most economists, Naroff thinks growth will pick up in the October-December quarter and strengthen in 2014.

"If the Fed doesn't take notice of this revision to growth, they would run the risk of being perceived as largely clueless about the economy," Naroff said.

Stocks surged Wednesday, a sign that many investors also suspect the economy may prove too weak for the Fed to begin scaling back its stimulus later this year. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up nearly 150 points. Broader stock indexes also surged.

Most of the revision to last quarter's growth was due to a decline in consumer spending to an annual rate of 2.6 percent. Though that pace is the fastest in two years, it's sharply below the 3.4 percent rate previously estimated .

A key factor was weaker spending on services, such as travel, legal services, health care and utilities. Spending on long-lasting manufactured goods, considered a barometer of consumers' confidence in the economy, was stronger than previously estimated.

Some economists said the lower estimate suggests that an increase in Social Security taxes that took effect this year might be squeezing consumers more than expected. The tax increase has reduced take-home pay for most Americans. A person earning $50,000 a year has roughly $1,000 less to spend. A high-earning couple has up to $4,500 less.

"There was still acceleration in the growth of consumer spending ? just not as much," said Paul Edelstein, director of financial services at IHS Global Insight.

The government's revisions also pointed to less export growth and weaker business investment spending, due mainly to less spending on buildings than previously estimated.

For each quarter, the government issues three estimates of growth as it collects increasingly precise data on the nation's gross domestic product. GDP reflects the economy's total output of goods and services, from haircuts to aircraft carriers.

In Wednesday's third and final estimate of first-quarter growth, for example, the government lowered its figure for consumer spending based on newly available data from a quarterly Census Bureau survey of services spending.

Edelstein cautioned that the government has trouble calculating spending on services. The estimate could change further next month, when the government will issue the revisions it makes to GDP every five years. These revisions incorporate data from the Census Bureau, Internal Revenue Service and other agencies.

Wednesday's revision of 0.6 percentage point was larger than the government usually makes in its third estimate of GDP. From 1983 through 2009, the average change from the second to third estimate was 0.2 percentage point, the department says.

But the change from the first estimate to its third one ? from an annual rate of 2.5 percent growth to a 1.8 percent rate ? was close to the average: 0.6 percentage point.

"We do not want to overreact to the Q1 data," said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank Securities. He noted that the government has tended to revise up its monthly employment data ? a trend, that if it continued, would "suggest on balance that real GDP growth could be understated."

The biggest drag on the economy remains government spending. It fell during the first quarter at an annual rate of 4.8 percent. That shaved 0.9 percentage point from growth.

Economists expect steep federal spending cuts to continue to weigh on growth in the second and third quarters. Edelstein predicts annual growth rates of just 1.5 percent in the current quarter and 1.8 percent in the July-September quarter.

Naroff is more optimistic than most: He's forecasting annual growth rates of 2.5 percent in both quarters.

Still, both think the Fed is unlikely to scale back its bond purchases until annual growth moves closer to 3 percent.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said he suspects the Fed will wait until its December meeting to slow its bond purchases, rather than in September as many have been predicting.

Zandi thinks the unemployment rate should reach 7 percent by the middle of next year, in line with the Fed's projections. It's now 7.6 percent.

The latest economic reports have been encouraging. U.S. factories are fielding more orders. Higher home sales and prices are signaling a steady housing recovery.

Spending at retail businesses rose in May. And employers added 175,000 jobs last month, which almost exactly matched the average increase of the previous 12 months.

Stable job growth has gradually reduced the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent from a peak of 10 percent in 2009. And it's lifted Americans' confidence in the economy to its highest point in 5? years.

"If growth accelerates in the fourth quarter, and that is followed by better growth next year, that would be the development that is necessary to convince everyone on the Fed that there are minimal risks to the economy from starting to taper the bond buys," Naroff said. "I don't see that happening until the spring."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-26-US-Economy-GDP/id-42e7f7392b324f4d85b4c762802c93ac

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Snowden whereabouts unknown as Russia resists U.S. pressure

By Lidia Kelly and Katya Golubkova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden's whereabouts were a mystery on Monday as Russia resisted White House pressure to send him back to the United States or stop him continuing on his journey to escape U.S. prosecution.

Snowden, whose exposure of secret U.S. government surveillance raised questions about intrusions into private lives, was allowed to leave Hong Kong on Sunday despite Washington asking the Chinese territory to arrest him on espionage charges.

Julian Assange, the founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks which is assisting Snowden, said the 30-year-old had fled to Moscow en route to Ecuador and was in good health in a "safe place" but did not say where he was now.

There are no direct flights to Ecuador from Moscow and reports that he would fly there via Cuba were put in doubt when witnesses could not see him on the plane, despite tight security before take-off. A WikiLeaks spokesman muddied the waters by saying an approach had also been made to Iceland for asylum.

Ecuador, which is already sheltering Assange at its London embassy, said it was considering Snowden's request for asylum and that human rights were its main concern.

"He didn't take the flight (to Havana)," a source at Russia's national airline Aeroflot told Reuters.

As speculation grew about where he would go next, Washington was stung by Russian defiance.

Snowden's flight to Russia, which like China challenges U.S. dominance of global diplomacy, is an embarrassment to President Barack Obama who has tried to "reset" ties with Moscow and build a partnership with Beijing.

The White House said it expected the Russian government to send Snowden back to the United States and lodged "strong objections" to Hong Kong and China for letting him go.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said during a visit to India that it would be "deeply troubling" if Moscow defied the United States over Snowden, and said the fugitive "places himself above the law, having betrayed his country".

But the Russian government ignored the appeal and President Vladimir Putin's press secretary denied any knowledge of Snowden's movements.

Asked if Snowden had spoken to the Russian authorities, Peskov said: "Overall, we have no information about him."

He declined comment on the expulsion request but other Russian officials said Moscow had no obligation to cooperate with Washington, after it passed legislation to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russians accused of violating human rights.

The Russian news agency Interfax quoted an unnamed source as saying Moscow could not arrest or deport Snowden because he had not entered Russian territory - suggesting he had remained in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

U.S. HYPOCRISY

"Why should the United States expect restraint and understanding from Russia?" said Alexei Pushkov, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament.

Putin has missed few chances to champion public figures who challenge Western governments and to portray Washington as an overzealous global policeman. But Russian leaders have not paraded Snowden before cameras or trumpeted his arrival.

Since leaving Hong Kong, where he feared arrest and extradition, Snowden has been searching for a country that can guarantee his security.

Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, said during a trip to Vietnam that Quito would take into account a U.S. request about Snowden and is in "respectful" contact with Russia about him. He gave no details of the U.S. request.

"We will consider the position of the U.S. government and we will take a decision in due course in line with the (Ecuadorean) constitution, the laws, international politics and sovereignty," Patino told a news conference in Hanoi.

A source at Aeroflot said on Sunday Snowden was booked on the flight due to depart for Havana on Monday at 2:05 p.m. (1005 GMT). But a correspondent aboard could not see him and the seat he was supposed to occupy, 17A, was taken by another passenger.

It was not immediately clear whether the plane had a crew section where Snowden might have been concealed.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said Putin had probably known about and approved Snowden's flight to Russia, and saw "the hand of Beijing" in Hong Kong's decision to let Snowden leave.

But taking the higher ground after being accused of hacking computers abroad, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed "grave concern" over Snowden's allegations that the United States had hacked computers in China. It said it had taken up the issue with Washington.

CHILL

Some Russians have praised Snowden's revelations. Others fear a new chill in relations with the United States.

"We are a pretty stubborn country and so is the United States. Both are mighty countries, so I would say this has a good potential to turn into a big fuss in bilateral relations," said Ina Sosna, manager of a Moscow cleaning company.

"I guess it would be best if they just let him move on from Russia to avoid any more controversy over him being here."

WikiLeaks said Snowden was supplied with a refugee document of passage by Ecuador and that a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group had accompanied him.

Ecuador, like Cuba and Venezuela, is a member of the ALBA bloc, an alliance of leftist governments in Latin America that pride themselves on their "anti-imperialist" credentials. The Quito government has been sheltering Assange at its London embassy for the past year.

Snowden, who had worked at a U.S. National Security Agency facility in Hawaii, had been hiding in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, since leaking details about secret U.S. surveillance programs to news media.

He has been charged with theft of federal government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person, with the latter two charges falling under the U.S. Espionage Act.

(Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and Alexei Anishchuk in Moscow, Martin Petty in Hanoi, Sui-Lee Weein in Beijing,; Andrew Cawthorne, Mario Naranjo and Daniel Wallis in Caracas, Alexandra Valencia in Quito and Mark Felsenthal, Paul Eckert and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Writing by Timothy Heritage and Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Mark Heinrich and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-warns-countries-against-snowden-travel-014740817.html

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'I Am Legend' author Richard Matheson dies at 87

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Richard Matheson, the prolific sci-fi and fantasy writer whose "I Am Legend" and "The Shrinking Man" were transformed into films, has died. He was 87.

A spokesman for the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films said Matheson died Sunday in Los Angeles. No other details were provided.

With a career spanning more than 60 years, Matheson crafted stories that deftly transitioned from the page to both the big and small screens. Several of his works were adapted into films, including 1953's "Hell House," 1956's "The Shrinking Man," 1958's "A Stir of Echoes" and 1978's "What Dreams May Come."

Matheson's 1954 sci-fi vampire novel "I Am Legend" inspired three different film adaptations: 1964's "The Last Man on Earth" starring Vincent Price, 1971's "Omega Man" starring Charlton Heston and 2007's "I Am Legend" starring Will Smith.

Matheson was also responsible for writing several episodes of "The Twilight Zone," as well as editions of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," ''Rod Serling's Night Gallery," ''The Martian Chronicles" and "Amazing Stories." His "Twilight Zone" installments included "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," which featured William Shatner as an airplane passenger who spots a creature on a plane's wing, as well as "Steel," which inspired the 2011 film "Real Steel" starring Hugh Jackman.

"I loved Richard Matheson's writing, and it was a huge honor getting to adapt his story 'Button, Button' into a film," posted "Donnie Darko" and "The Box" director Richard Kelly on Twitter on Monday.

Matheson influenced several generations of storytellers. Among them were Stephen King, who dedicated his 2006 novel "Cell" to Matheson, and Steven Spielberg, whose first feature-length film was the made-for-TV movie "Duel," based on the Matheson short story of the same name.

"Richard Matheson's ironic and iconic imagination created seminal science-fiction stories and gave me my first break when he wrote the short story and screenplay for 'Duel,'" said Spielberg in a statement. "His 'Twilight Zones' were among my favorites, and he recently worked with us on 'Real Steel.' For me, he is in the same category as (Ray) Bradbury and (Isaac) Asimov."

Matheson was scheduled to receive the visionary award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films' Saturn Awards on Wednesday. The organization said the award will be presented posthumously and the 39th annual ceremony would be dedicated to Matheson.

"We are heartbroken to lose a writer of towering talent, unlimited imagination and unparalleled inspiration," said Robert Holguin, the academy's president. "Richard was a genius whose visions helped bring legitimacy and critical acclaim to science fiction and fantasy. He was also a longtime supporter of the academy, and everyone associated with the Saturn Awards feels emptier today to learn of this enormous loss."

Matheson is survived by his wife and four children.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/am-legend-author-richard-matheson-dies-87-011242928.html

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Red panda goes missing from National Zoo

Rusty the missing red panda (National Zoo's Twitter feed)

A red panda named Rusty has pulled an Edward Snowden and gone missing. No word on whether he's bound for Ecuador.

Rusty was last seen in his exhibit at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. And then?abracadabra!?Rusty vanished.

The zoo posted this alert to its Twitter feed on Monday morning:

In a series of Twitter updates, the zoo wrote that zookeepers have scoured trees but have not been able to find him. "Red pandas are wild animals, & will bite if cornered or scared," the zoo warned. "If you do see Rusty, don?t try to approach him. Stay where you can safely keep an eye on him & alert the Zoo (202.633.4888) immediately."

The World Wildlife Fund lists the population of the red panda as fewer than 10,000.

The parallels between Rusty and NSA whistle-blower Snowden are too obvious to ignore. Both are being sought by authorities, and both are memes just waiting to happen. Snowden's disappearing act already has led to a slew of online memes. Should Rusty draw the attention of Secretary of State John Kerry, we're sure the memes will lead to, well, pandemonium.

Several months ago, a different red panda showed off what the species is capable of when it practiced its pullups in front of a crowd in Fuzhou, China.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/rusty-red-panda-goes-missing-national-zoo-165736563.html

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FAA investigating jets' close call over NYC

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why two airplanes came too close to each other over New York City last week.

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport came close to a Shuttle America Embraer E170 departing from LaGuardia Airport at around 2:40 p.m. on June 13, the FAA said in a statement Friday.

The planes were about a half-mile apart horizontally and 200 feet vertically, the FAA said. The required separation is 3 miles horizontally or a thousand feet vertically.

The FAA said the aircraft were "turning away from each other at the point where they lost the required separation." Both aircraft landed safely.

Delta declined to give details, including the number of passengers on board, pending the FAA investigation. The Shuttle America jet was operating as a Delta Connection flight and is equipped for 69 people. The Delta 747 can hold 376 passengers.

Jason Rabinowitz, editor of the aviation news website NYC Aviation, reviewed air traffic control audio and radar tracking data and concluded the pilots and controllers acted professionally in an unusual sets of circumstances brought on by strong winds.

"The traffic controllers did a very good job," he told The Associated Press, noting that traffic is extremely heavy at the two airports. "It was handled very well. ... They did take immediate action to prevent anything from happening in very unusual circumstances."

The close call happened because the Delta jet and an American Airways flight preparing to land on a parallel runway broke off their approaches to JFK almost simultaneously, he said.

The American flight was instructed by the control tower to make a right turn and attempt another landing. When the Delta pilot seconds later said he needed to circle, the tower told him to make a left, Rabinowitz said.

That left turn put the Delta jet closer to departing traffic from LaGuardia. The Delta pilot then turned right hard, but 747s aren't "the most nimble aircraft in the sky," Rabinowitz wrote, and that allowed the Delta and Shuttle America airplanes to wind up too close to each other.

Rabinowitz said there was a moment the two aircraft were at nearly the same altitude and headed for each other, but the controllers and both pilots were aware of the conflicting traffic and both jets were turning away from each other.

The Delta flight originated in Narita, Japan; the Shuttle America was heading for Jacksonville, Fla.

Rabinowitz said he doubted passengers were aware of the situation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faa-investigating-jets-close-call-over-nyc-171640270.html

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Stocks recover on Wall Street after a 2-day plunge

Traders decided that the stock market has suffered enough, at least for now.

After a two-day plunge, stocks ended the week with an advance on Friday, suggesting that Wall Street may be successfully weaned from the Federal Reserve's easy money after all.

"Saner heads are prevailing," said Jim Dunigan, chief investment officer at PNC Wealth Management. "People are looking a little deeper into the message from the Fed ? the economy is getting better," he said. "At the end of the day that's a positive."

The Fed's move also pushed up the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to the highest level in almost two years as investors bet that U.S. interest rates will rise.

Investors had known that sooner or later the Fed would quit spending $85 billion per month pumping money into the U.S. economy.

That money has been a big driver behind the stock market's bull run the last four years. It led to low interest rates that encouraged borrowing for everything from factory machinery to commercial airplanes to home renovations. Has the economy been great? No. Unemployment is still high and U.S. growth has been anemic. But it could have been worse. Investors were confident enough in a growing economy that the Standard & Poor's 500 index hit an all-time high of 1,669 on May 21.

Then on Wednesday, the Fed said it would aim to turn off that spigot by the middle of next year as long as the economy is strong enough.

Just because investors knew it was coming didn't mean they liked it. The Dow dropped 560 points on Wednesday and Thursday.

Investors recovered their mojo on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 41.08 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 14,799.40. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.24 points, or 0.3 percent to close at 1,592.43.

The gains were led by the kinds of stocks that investors favor when they want to play it safe. Makers of consumer staples, utilities, and health care companies rose the most of the 10 industries in the S&P 500 index. The only two categories that fell were technology stocks and companies that make basic materials.

Friday's gain wasn't enough to erase the market's loss for the week. The S&P 500 fell 2.1 percent for the week, and the Dow was down 1.8 percent. Stocks have now fallen two weeks in a row, and four of the past five.

The real question will be whether the sell-off continues next week, said Frank Fantozzi, CEO of Planned Financial Services. So far, the market's swoon this week appears to be more of an adjustment than the beginning of a long-term rout. "If the flow out of equities starts to increase, this might be the pullback we've been waiting for," he said.

Many investors have been predicting some kind of pullback in the market following its nearly unbroken advance since last fall. The S&P 500 index rose for seven straight months through May. So far in June it's down 2.1 percent.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note hit 2.54 percent, up from 2.42 percent late Thursday. It has risen sharply since Wednesday as investors sold bonds in anticipation that the Fed would slow, and eventually end, its bond purchases, if the U.S. recovery continues.

The yield, which is a benchmark for interest rates on many kinds of loans including home mortgages, was as low as 1.63 percent as recently as May 3.

Technology shares lagged the market after business software maker Oracle reported flat revenue late Thursday, even though analysts expected an increase. Oracle plunged $3.07, or 9 percent, to $30.14, the biggest drop in the S&P 500 index. Oracle is struggling to adapt as customers shift away from software installed on their own computers toward software that runs remotely.

The Nasdaq composite index, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, fell 7.39 points, or 0.2 percent, to 3,357.25. Apple, the biggest stock in the index, fell $3.34, or 0.8 percent, to $413.50. Microsoft fell 23 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $33.27.

The price of gold recovered after plunging the day before. Gold rose $5.80, or 0.5 percent, to $1,292 an ounce. Crude oil fell $1.45, or 1.5 percent, to $93.69 a barrel in New York.

The dollar rose against other currencies as traders anticipated that U.S. interest rates would rise as the Fed winds down its bond purchases.

Among other stocks making big moves:

?Darden Restaurants, which runs Olive Garden and Red Lobster, fell $1.11, or 2 percent, to $50.12 after rising expenses hurt its fourth-quarter earnings.

? Spreadtrum Communications jumped $3.62, or 16 percent, to $25.91 after the Chinese smartphone chip maker said its board is considering a buyout offer valued at about $1.39 billion from Tsinghua Holdings.

? Facebook rose 63 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $24.53 after saying it will add video to its popular photo-sharing app Instagram, following on the heels of Twitter's growing video-sharing app, Vine.

A Fed policy statement and comments from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke started the selling in stocks, bonds and commodities Wednesday. Bernanke said the Fed expects to scale back its bond-buying program later this year and end it by mid-2014 if the economy continues to improve. The bank has been buying Treasury and mortgage bonds, which has made borrowing cheap for consumers and businesses. The program has also encouraged investors to buy stocks instead of bonds.

The S&P 500 is still up 11.7 percent, for the year, not far from its full-year increase of 13.4 percent last year.

___

AP Business Writer Bernard Condon contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-recover-wall-street-2-day-plunge-205821850.html

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Brazil: Thousands protest anew, but crowds smaller

SAO PAULO (AP) ? Thousands of anti-government demonstrators again took to streets in several Brazilian cities Saturday after the president broke a long silence to promise reforms, but the early protests were smaller than those of recent days and with only scattered reports of violence.

Police estimated about 20,000 demonstrators gathered in a central square in the city of Belo Horizonte, largely to denounce legislation that would limit the power of federal prosecutors to investigate crimes in a country where many are fed up with the high rate of robberies and killings. Many fear the law also would hinder attempts to jail corrupt politicians and other powerful figures.

Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla who was tortured under Brazil's long military dictatorship, made a televised 10-minute appearance on Friday backing the right to peaceful protest but sharply condemning violence, vandalism and looting.

She also promised to be tougher on corruption and said she would meet with peaceful protesters, governors and the mayors of big cities to create a national plan to improve urban transportation and use oil royalties for investments in education. Much of the anger behind the protests has been aimed at costly bus fares, high taxes and poor public services such as schools and health care.

Many Brazilians, shocked by a week of protests and violence, hoped that Rousseff's words would help soothe tensions and help avoid more violence, but not all were convinced by her promises of action.

Still, a rapidly growing crowd blocked Sao Paulo's main business street, the Avenida Paulista, to press their demands.

Victoria Villela, a 21-year-old university student who joined a rapidly growing crowd of demonstrators blocking Sao Paulo's main business street, the Avenida Paulista, said she was "frustrated and exhausted by the endless corruption of our government.

"It was good Dilma spoke, but this movement has moved to far, there was not much she could really say. All my friends were talking on Facebook about how she said nothing that satisfied them. I think the protests are going to continue for a long time and the crowds will still be huge."

Around her, Fathers held young boys aloft on their shoulders, older women gathered in clusters with their faces bearing yellow and green stripes, color of brazil flag.

In the northeastern city of Salvador, where Brazil's national football team was set to play Italy in a match for the Confederations Cup, some 5,000 protesters gathered about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the stadium, shouting demands for better schools and transportation and denouncing heavy spending on next year's World Cup.

Rodrigo Costa, a 32-year-old civil engineer in the city, said that it was good just to see a popular movement force "a head of state to go on TV and talk about the problems of the country."

"She didn't touch in all the issues that the people want to see improved," Costa said. "But I think that just in general it was a good message."

Brazil's news media, which had blasted Rousseff in recent days for her lack of response, seemed largely unimpressed with her careful speech, but noted the difficult situation facing a government trying to understand a mass movement with no central leaders and a flood of demands.

With "no objective information about the nature of the organization of the protests" wrote Igor Gielow in a column for Brazil's biggest newspaper, Folha de S. Paulo, "Dilma resorted to an innocuous speech to cool down spirits."

At its height, some 1 million anti-government demonstrators took to the streets nationwide on Thursday night with grievances ranging from public services to the billions of dollars spent preparing for international sports events.

Social media and mass emails were buzzing with calls for a general strike next week. But Brazil's two largest unions, the Central Workers Union and the Union Force, said they knew nothing about such an action, though they do support the protests.

At the protest in Salvador, 32-year-old public worker Mariana Santos said that demonstrators would Rousseff and the rest of Brazil's government accountable if they fail to keep their promises.

"Dilma said she was going to make a pact with unions, students, with everyone, to fix things," Santos said. "If they hold the World Cup and she has not done what she said she will do, the people may decide they don't want the Cup."

___

Associated press writers Tales Azzoni and Ricardo Zuniga in Salvador, Brazil, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brazil-thousands-protest-anew-crowds-smaller-190708200.html

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What really caused TWA Flight 800 crash?

The reconstruction of TWA Flight 800's fuselage. (Daniel Brooks/Epix)

The producers of an upcoming documentary on TWA Flight 800?which exploded and crashed into the waters off Long Island, N.Y., on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 people on board?claim to have proof that a missile caused the Paris-bound flight to crash. And six former investigators who took part in the film say there was a cover-up and want the case reopened.

"There was a lack of coordination and willful denial of information," Hank Hughes, a senior accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said on Wednesday during a conference call with reporters. "There were 755 witnesses. At no time was information provided by the witnesses shared by the FBI."

Jim Speer, an accident investigator at the time of the crash for the Airline Pilots Association, who sifted through the recovered wreckage in a hangar, said he discovered holes consistent with those that would be formed by a high-energy blast in the right wing. He requested it be tested for explosives. When the test came back positive, he said, he was "physically removed" from a room by two CIA agents.

The investigators would not speculate on the reasons for the alleged coverup or who would have fired the missile that they believe took down the plane.

After a four-year investigation, the NTSB concluded the plane was destroyed by a center fuel tank explosion likely caused by a spark from faulty wiring. But according to Tom Stalcup, a co-producer of the documentary, the film presents new "radar and forensic evidence proving that one or more ordnance explosions outside the aircraft caused the crash." The film will premiere on EPIX on July 17, the 17th anniversary of the disaster.

"These investigators were not allowed to speak to the public or refute any comments made by their superiors and/or NTSB and FBI officials about their work at the time of the official investigation," a news release announcing the documentary said. "They waited until after retirement to reveal how the official conclusion by the (NTSB) was falsified and lay out their case."

The investigators filed a petition with the NTSB on Wednesday calling for a new probe. The NTSB had said it would review any petition related to the 1996 crash, which touched off one of the most complex air disaster investigations in U.S. history.

The CIA and FBI conducted a parallel investigation to determine if a bomb or missile had brought down the plane.

Dozens of eyewitnesses in the Long Island area "recalled seeing something resembling a flare or firework ascend and culminate in an explosion," the CIA said in a 2008 report. "Had the crash been the result of state-sponsored terrorism, it would have been considered an act of war." Also from the report:

The CIA responded to the FBI?s request within 24 hours of the crash. This support consisted primarily of help from the Counterterrorist Center in the Directorate of Operations and from a small group of analysts in the Office of Weapons, Technology and Proliferation in the Directorate of Intelligence.

But after an eight-month investigation, the CIA "concluded with confidence and full substantiation that the eyewitnesses had not seen a missile."

The CIA's deputy director of intelligence wrote in a 1997 memo,"Our analysis demonstrates that the eyewitness sightings of greatest concern to us?the ones originally interpreted to be of a possible missile attack?took place after the first of several explosions aboard the aircraft."

"We went back and interviewed these people and found them to be quite credible," Hughes said on Wednesday.

He added: "We have no hidden agenda here; we just want the truth."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/twa-flight-800-crash-investigation-ntsb-141624708.html

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Estrogen is a new weapon against urinary tract infection in postmenopausal women

June 19, 2013 ? Estrogen stimulates the production of the body's own antibiotic and strengthens the cells in the urinary tract, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The results, which are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, show that estrogen supplements may help menopausal women to ward off recurrent urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections are among the most common diseases, affecting over half of all women at some point in life and repeatedly in 25 percent of these. Menopausal women have an increased risk of recurrent urinary tract infections, which has been associated with low estrogen levels.

Infecting bacteria first come in contact with the inside of the urinary bladder. The bladder lumen is covered with epithelial cells, acting as a fence protecting the vulnerable tissue as well as producing antimicrobial peptides -- the body's self-made antibiotic. These peptides act as rapid front line soldiers fighting infecting microorganisms. By the early action of the antimicrobial peptides, the number of bacteria can be reduced before they have a chance to multiply. In the postmenopausal woman, however, the epithelium is fragile and often damaged with occasional gaps between cells, which in turn affect the ability to resist infection.

In the current study, the researchers treated post-menopausal women with estrogen for 14 days, and then analyzed cells excreted in the urine. They found that estrogen acts on the epithelium in a way that the gaps between the cells lining the bladder lumen are healed, i.e. estrogen is gluing them together. This makes it more difficult for bacteria to break this protecting shield and reach the underlying cells.

"During menopause, women have low levels of estrogen, and therefore also low levels of antimicrobial peptides as well as a damaged lining of the lumen in the urinary tract," says study leader Dr. Annelie Brauner at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology of Karolinska Institutet. "This will give the bacteria opportunity to reach the underlying tissue, where they can hide and stay until they are triggered to cause a new infection. By treating postmenopausal women locally with estrogen the cells lining the bladder are strengthened and the body's own defense against infection is improved, making women better suited to fight infections."

This research has been funded through grants from the Swedish Research Council, ALF and the Swedish Cancer Foundation, amongst others.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/i7VC7Cqxa1I/130619164620.htm

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GivingUSA Reports Slight Increase in American Philanthropy

by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin

Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy, issued today by the Giving USA Foundation and its research partner, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, is considered the most definitive and prominent resource for information about directions and trends in charitable giving in the United States. The Report reviews and discusses giving by all types of donors, and while it does not focus on or feature any special groups or geographical parts of the U.S., we like to look at the Annual Report with a Jewish perspective and apply its relevant findings to our work with Jewish nonprofits across America and around the world.

GivingUSA has determined that overall giving increased slightly from 2011 to 2012; that Americans donated an estimated $316.23 billion to charitable causes in 2012. This encompassed gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Charitable giving in the United States increased in real dollars in 2012 by 3.5%, reflecting the third consecutive year of aggregate higher charitable support from donors living and dead, according to the annual landmark report that has tracked philanthropy for 58 years. Three years of consecutive increases indicate that there is some growing, albeit incremental, financial confidence by donors; that Americans may be feeling better about re-engaging or increasing their philanthropic activity.

We see this as good news and bad news, filled with challenges to nonprofit organizations seeking support from the Jewish community. While the levels of giving grew again in 2012, the numbers of tracked volunteer hours dedicated to America?s charities declined. Even with stronger levels of consumer confidence, donors are not being as generous as they once were and while the concept of charitable intent that has distinguished American donors still exists, Americans are not as generous today as they once were.

In advance of the release today of the Report, we spoke with both Dr. Patrick Rooney, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, plus several other experts involved with data gathering and interpreting the results.

?Individual giving is closely linked with income and wealth, and the willingness to give is associated with donors? financial confidence,? Dr. Rooney observed. ?Individuals are more likely to support charities when they have the resources and confidence to purchase products.?

The ?best year? for giving ever was 2007, when GUSA reported $344.48 billion in charitable support. The 2012 results are the closest that total giving has been to $300 billion since 2008. Dr. Rooney estimates that it will take another six to seven years for charitable giving to once again reach that high mark (when adjusted for inflation.)

Three other critical observations about the findings have relevance to Jewish as well as non-Jewish nonprofits:

1. The slow pace of giving in 2012 possibly reflects donor attitudes about transformation and impact. Donors do not seem convinced that the cases for supporting many Jewish nonprofits are compelling enough yet, even though significant financial resources exist for more aggressive giving.
2. The percentage of household income dedicated to charitable giving in 2012 fell ? again ? to only about 2% of available household dollars, reflecting a reluctance of donors to give generously, even though support for Donor Advised Funds accelerated to an all-time high.
3. Support for the traditional ?umbrella campaigns? (United Way, Catholic Charities, Jewish Federations, and others) continues to wane as donors increasingly state their desires to ?touch? and directly impact the organizations they support.

?

Among the other highlights of the GUSA Report for 2012 are several key observations that may be relevant to Jewish donors and organizations serving the global Jewish community. Most notably we highlight several critical trends and implications:

Giving to Religion Goes Down Again

While giving to houses of worship in the U.S. remains the largest single category attracting donor support, this sector experienced a decline in both total dollars given and as a percentage of overall giving for the third consecutive year. Giving to religion, making up 32% of all giving, dropped by 0.2% in real dollars and 2.2% in inflation-adjusted dollars.

This decline is less concerning when compared to last year?s 4.7% decline in inflation-adjusted dollars. However, the downward trend could indicate that continuing decreases in participation in religious life are resulting in decreased giving for religious organizations, which will free up new charitable dollars for other sectors, such as education and social services. (Note: this category reflects support for all types of houses of worship only.)

Mainline Protestant denominations and the Catholic Church are cited in the report as experiencing the greatest declines in giving to religion in America, but we know firsthand that many Jewish congregations are experiencing declines in giving as a result of lower affiliation rates and a competitive philanthropic arena.

We expect to see better analyses of Jewish giving reflected in next year?s GUSA report, based on findings in a landmark study focused on Jewish giving. Indiana University is also spearheading that study.

Giving to Education Remains Strong and on the Rise

With a 7% increase in giving in 2012, Education remains the second largest sector that donors support. The majority of donations within this category (approximately 75%) are giving in support of four-year colleges and universities. Large capital and endowment campaigns continue to dominate college campus fundraising efforts in 2012. Two notable examples are Stanford University, which became the first university to raise more than $1 billion in pledges in a single year, according to the Council for Aid to Education, and the University of Pennsylvania, which raised $4.3 billion over the total of its ?Making History? campaign, which concluded in 2012.

Support for America?s Jewish day schools is included in this category but the numbers are neither tracked nor segregated ? yet.

Corporate Contributions Increase

Corporate giving rose 12.2% in 2012 (9.9% adjusted for inflation), to an estimated $18.15 billion. This total includes gifts from both corporations and their foundations of cash, in-kind donations, and grants. This increase in giving may be credited to the strengthening economy, as corporate pre-tax profits surged upward 16.6% in 2012, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Experts at the Giving USA Foundation posited that the 10% inflation-adjusted growth in corporate giving was driven by strong gains in corporations? pre-tax profits and a moderate rise in the GDP.

Corporate support represents an overemphasized proportion to the nonprofit community. While corporate donations increased last year, corporate philanthropy represents only 6 percent of total giving. And hidden in these figures are significant gifts-in-kind, especially from the pharmaceutical and technology companies, where they received some tax deductions because of donated drugs and computers.

We emphasize, too, that 80% of total giving continues to come from individuals and their estates. Plus, when giving by family foundations is included in this total, it is clear to see that individuals are truly driving American philanthropy, bringing the total up to 86% of all charitable giving.

Giving to Arts & Culture Increases Significantly

Giving to arts, culture, and humanities experienced significant growth in 2013, garnering an estimated $14.44 billion in charitable contributions, a 7.8% increase from 2011 (5.7% adjusted for inflation). This is one of the sectors that experienced a significant decrease during the Great Recession! Notably, giving to the environment and animal causes saw an estimated 6.8% increase in 2012 (4.7% adjusted for inflation), up to $8.30 billion.

?Both types of organizations were impacted by the economic downturn as some donors shifted their giving toward what they viewed as essential services to help others in need,? said Una Osili, Ph.D., director of research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

?The growth in giving to arts- and environment-related organizations may be an indicator that donors began returning to their personal giving priorities amidst an economy that they perceived as recovering,? she added.

How to Find the Annual Report

Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy has detailed America?s annual estimated charitable contributions ? and how they are used ? since 1956, making it the longest running study of its kind. The complete GUSA report plus an executive summary are both available at givingusareports.org.

Robert I. Evans, Managing Director, and Avrum D. Lapin, Director, are principals of The EHL Consulting Group, a prominent fundraising consulting firm located in suburban Philadelphia. They are frequent contributors to eJewishPhilanthropy.com. Mr. Evans serves on the GUSA Foundation Board and as a member of the editorial review board for GUSA. The EHL Consulting Group is one of only 38 member firms of The Giving Institute. EHL Consulting works with dozens of nonprofits on fundraising, strategic planning, leadership development, and nonprofit business practices and strategies. Learn more at ehlconsulting.com.

EHL Consulting Group Blog; on Facebook; TWITTER: @EHLConsultGrp; Pinterest

?All rights reserved.

images courtesy Giving USA Foundation

Source: http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/givingusa-reports-slight-increase-in-american-philanthropy/

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Evelyn Lozada Bloody Head Photo Released; Chad Johnson Out of Jail

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Jack Johnson pulls off the switch at Bonnaroo

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) ? Nicely done, Jack Johnson.

Johnson and his band overcame tough odds and thorny logistics to headline the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Saturday night, replacing late cancellation Mumford & Sons. Despite the short notice, they produced a set filled with good humor, mellow vibes and a ton of hits.

"We want to dedicate this whole set to Ted Dwane and all of Mumford & Sons," Johnson said after taking the stage before tens of thousands of fans. "And we wish we could all be here playing music together. Maybe that will be next year."

Mumford & Sons was forced to pull out of its much-anticipated headline slot on Thursday after bassist Dwane underwent a surgical procedure earlier in the week to treat a blood clot on his brain. The group had hoped to keep the date in Manchester. Though Dwane is recovering, he was not ready to perform and the group was unwilling to take the stage with a replacement, leaving a large amount of money on the table.

There was much speculation among Bonnaroo organizers and watchers about how fans would react to the switch ? the first headliner cancellation in 12 years of Bonnaroo. But Johnson quickly won over the crowd and kept its fickle attention with a light touch and his easygoing persona.

"Give us that one," Johnson joked after a flub late in the set. "We practiced for a couple of hours."

Bonnaroo 2013 turned out quite differently from what Johnson was expecting. He hasn't played the festival since 2008 and was in town to do a little light promotion for his new album, "From Here To Now To You," out in September, and to appear with his friends in ALO.

He got a phone call Thursday as he drove to the festival from organizers wondering whether he'd be interested in upping his involvement.

After thinking about it, Johnson flew in his band, rehearsed some Friday night, attended a breakfast with fans in Nashville on Saturday morning and then prepped for the show. It's been two years since the four-piece played a long set, convening for just 45 minutes last year at Farm Aid.

About the only thing that seemed the worse for wear were the 38-year-old Hawaiian singer's trademark curls, which unraveled in middle Tennessee's oppressive humidity.

Heck, Johnson even had time to write a new song called "Bonnaroo" for the set, singing in part: "I had a late-night gig with ALO/It was very low stress, it was very low pro/But then the phone rang and things got strange/And my low pro was about the change/Can you get the band together in two days to play a show up on the big stage?/But I don't know, it's been a year or two since we played these tunes/What the hell, it's Bonnaroo."

A little later in the set he incorporated Mumford's "The Cave" into a medley with his song "Go On," telling the crowd: "Maybe you guys can help us with this part."

For those not into Johnson, there were plenty of other options on an exceedingly busy Saturday night that included appearances by British punker Billy Idol, Weird Al Yankovic and the Rock 'n' Soul Dance Party Superjam with Jim James and John Oates.

Mumford & Sons' folk-rock cousins The Lumineers drew one of the festival's largest crowds before Johnson took the stage. It was so large, in fact, fans on the edge of the crowd couldn't hear the band's mostly hushed, acoustic songs.

"Everybody be quiet, I'm trying to hear the band," one fan yelled as The Lumineers possibly performed a Bob Dylan song.

R&B singer R. Kelly had no trouble getting attention, though. He began his post-Johnson set by bringing dozens of chorus members on stage for a rendition of his song "Ignition." Suddenly the lights went dark and Kelly was illuminated 40 feet above, standing in the basket of a crane that hovered over the Which Stage's distinctive question mark symbol.

"They told me back stage there's no cursing here," Kelly told the crowd a little later. "I just laughed. I can't (expletive) curse?"

___

Online:

http://bonnaroo.com

____

Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jack-johnson-pulls-off-switch-bonnaroo-053418146.html

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NYC-bound plane from Egypt diverted to Scotland ... - World News

A flight that originated in Cairo was diverted to Glasgow, Scotland after a suspicious note was found onboard. A BBC reporter on the flight said she found the message written on a napkin, which said in English, "I'll set this plane on fire," with a seat number. NBC's Maria Schiavocampo reports.

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

A commercial aircraft en route to New York City from Cairo was forced to go off course and land in Scotland on Saturday after a passenger found a hand-written note in a bathroom, the state-owned EgyptAir said in a statement.

A British Royal Air Force fighter jet guided EgyptAir Flight 985 to an emergency landing at Glasgow?s Prestwick Airport at 2:25 p.m. local time, where approximately 300 passengers disembarked, according to Carol Gable, an NBC News producer who was on board the Boeing 777 bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport.

?There were snipers all around the plane when we landed. Local police patted down every passenger,? Gable said.

Andy Buchanan / AFP - Getty Images

Police escort passengers off the Egyptair Boeing 777 flight from Cairo that was forced to land at Glasgow Prestwick airport in Scotland en route to JFK airport in New York.

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The passengers were sequestered in a building adjacent to the airport. Local authorities are expected to conduct interviews and take DNA samples, according to Gable.

The sudden diversion four hours after takeoff was prompted by a passenger?s discovery of an allegedly threatening note in the airplane's bathroom, EgyptAir confirmed in a statement Saturday afternoon. An EgyptAir flight staffer told Gable that the note was ?carefully and legibly? written in English.

Gable said she learned the note made references to fire and that it ?was not about a bomb.?

Carol Gable / NBC News

Nada Tawfik, a reporter for the BBC,?told the broadcaster that she found the note in a bathroom.

?I found this note by the sink, basically saying, ?I?ll set this plane on fire? with a seat number written on it, so I immediately went to the plane crew,? Tawfik told the BBC.

?It was a hard napkin and written in pencil and the pencil was there with the note,? Tawfik said. ?It almost looked like a child?s handwriting; someone with very sloppy handwriting.?

Passengers eventually reboarded the plane and it left for New York before 10 p.m. ET.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/15/18977308-nyc-bound-plane-from-egypt-diverted-to-scotland-after-note-found?lite

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Google's Project Loon proposes internet distributed by hot air balloon (video)

No, we're not joking. Google is seriously proposing hot air ballon-powered internet access, and has already launched a pilot project in New Zealand with 50 testers trying to connect via a helium-filled, solar powered balloon. One of the Google[x] moonshot projects, there are a couple of videos embedded after the break explaining the issue, and the technology Google wants to use to address it. Project Loon's playful logo reflects the custom designed antennas users will use to receive their signal from balloons floating twice as high as commercial airplanes fly. The signal goes from ground based antennas, up to the balloon, which use their high-altitude placement to broadcast much further than other methods. In the future, the company envisions cell phone users connecting to the balloons to extend service where none exists today.

According to Google, in "more than half" of the countries in the southern hemisphere and for two out of three people on earth, internet access is far too expensive. It's trying to set up pilot projects in other countries on the same latitude as New Zealand, so interested 40th parallel south residents should forward this info to the appropriate officials immediately. Meanwhile, curious Kiwis can sign up to take part in the project on its website, or attend the Festival of Flight in Christchurch on Sunday to meet the team and learn more about it.

Update: Check out another video of the launch of the first balloons embedded after the break, shot via Google Glass by Trey Ratcliff and see even more photos on his site Stuck in Customs.

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Men with prostate cancer should eat healthy vegetable fats, study suggests

June 10, 2013 ? Men with prostate cancer may significantly improve their survival chances with a simple change in their diet, a new study led by UC San Francisco has found.

By substituting healthy vegetable fats -- such as olive and canola oils, nuts, seeds and avocados -- for animal fats and carbohydrates, men with the disease had a markedly lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and dying from other causes, according to the study.

The research, involving nearly 4,600 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer, could help with the development of dietary guidelines for men with the disease. While prostate cancer affects millions of men around the world, little is known about the relationship between patients' diets following their diagnosis and progression of the disease.

The study was published online on June 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"Consumption of healthy oils and nuts increases plasma antioxidants and reduces insulin and inflammation, which may deter prostate cancer progression," said lead author Erin L. Richman, ScD, a post-doctoral scholar in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

"The beneficial effects of unsaturated fats and harmful effects of saturated and trans fats on cardiovascular health are well known," Richman said. "Now our research has shown additional potential benefits of consuming unsaturated fats among men with prostate cancer."

Analyzing Intake of Fats from Various Sources

Nearly 2.5 million men in the United States currently live with prostate cancer and another quarter-million men are expected to be diagnosed this year. One in six men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime.

In recent years, evidence has indicated that diet might be an important way for men with prostate cancer to take an active role in determining their disease outcome and overall health. Research on advanced prostate cancer has suggested that fat intake may be relevant to disease progression, but this is the first study to examine fat consumption post-diagnosis in relation to risk of lethal prostate cancer and overall survival.

The new paper analyzed intake of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats as well as fats from animal and vegetable sources.

The data were derived from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which began in 1986 and is sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health and is funded by the National Cancer Institute.

The fat intake study involved 4,577 men who had been diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between 1986 and 2010. During the study timeframe, 1,064 men died, primarily from cardiovascular disease (31 percent), prostate cancer (21 percent) and other cancers (nearly 21 percent).

The authors uncovered a striking benefit: Men who replaced 10 percent of their total daily calories from carbohydrates with healthy vegetable fats had a 29 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer and a 26 percent lower risk of dying from all causes.

More Study Needed on Potential Benefits of Healthy Fats

Adding a single serving of oil-based dressing a day (one tablespoon) was associated with a 29 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and a 13 percent lower risk of death, the authors found. And adding one serving of nuts a day (one ounce) was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer and an 11 percent lower risk of death.

The study adjusted for factors such as age, types of medical treatment, body mass index, smoking, exercise and other dietary factors, elevated blood pressure, cholesterol at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis and other health conditions.

The researchers say further research is needed on the potential benefits of healthy fats among prostate cancer patients.

"Overall, our findings support counseling men with prostate cancer to follow a heart-healthy diet in which carbohydrate calories are replaced with unsaturated oils and nuts to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality," said Richman.

The senior author is June M. Chan, ScD, a professor in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Department of Urology. Co-authors include Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD, an assistant adjunct professor in the UCSF urology department. The research was conducted with collaborators at the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/G0tm6Yt-2KI/130610192948.htm

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Game of spoilers: Social media is killing DVR culture

Game of Thrones

Helen A.S. Popkin NBC News

12 hours ago

via Know Your Meme

A week ago, "Game of Thrones" broke the Internet, and the DVR lost all meaning. Like winter, we should?ve seen it coming.

The Internet is lousy with "GoT" tributes: Pouty Jon Snow GIFs, ?Stupid Game of Thrones Characters? memes, King Joffrey Bieber, a Siamese cat auto-tuned to sing the "Song of Ice and Fire" theme, lost pet signs asking "Where are my dragons?" ? even fan fiction creating romance between adversaries Robb Stark and Jaime Lannister. Post "Hodor" as your Facebook status, and more than a few of your friends will respond in kind, like the huge stable boy who can only say his name.

Not everybody watches "GoT," but those who do watch the heck out of it. Torrent Freak reports that it was the most pirated show of 2012. When the third season premiered, 5.5 million viewers watched the episode's first airing, breaking a prior record. Add in DVRs and HBO Go, plus repeat showings, and the weekly average has been a none-too-shabby 13.6 million viewers. On Twitter, #GameofThrones and #GoT trend every Sunday night.

Still, as the season wore on, the number of people who tuned in for the episode's debut began to dip. Then came the "Red Wedding." Now, no "GoT" fan would dare miss watching it Sunday ? or at least let it sit unwatched on the DVR for long.

The VCR, DVR and video on demand have freed us from the tyranny of TV schedules but the Internet imposes its own dictatorship ? at least if the show is worth it. Raging at tweets for spilling the beans, or shouting "Shut up! I haven't watched it yet!" at your co-workers, proves increasingly futile.

This marks a return to "appointment television," says Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at Syracuse University. Before VCRs, missing Ed Sullivan or "Roots" meant missing out on a cultural experience. "You needed to watch the show, at least to know what the fuss was about."

A sports fan can TiVo the game, but seeing a "Hail Mary" pass you already know is coming doesn't compare to the excitement of witnessing the unexpected. Now the same is true for smart, hot TV series like "Game of Thrones."

Vine

A Vine video reaction to the "Red Wedding," posted by Maisie Williams (the show's Arya Stark) received more than 1,830 tweets within 24 hours.

Not all shows created equal
Those who missed their appointment with the "Red Wedding" ? the episode actually titled "The Rains of Castamere" ? will never experience the dramatic shock of seeing major characters violently murdered at a wedding reception. The spoiler-rich rending of garments by real-time viewers on Twitter, Facebook or Reddit took that away.

The closest the procrastinators will ever come to virgin "Red Wedding" surprise is a six-minute video of reactions on YouTube ? a compilation of horrified "GoT" viewers screaming profanities at the TV, filmed (apparently) by friends or family who read the books and knew what was coming.

Spoiling "Big Bang Theory" is never an issue, says Thompson, even though its got a far larger audience than "Game of Thrones" ? 18.68 million vs. 13.6 million, according to Nielsen.

"Nobody's going to say, 'Wasn't that interesting how Sheldon was socially inept?'" Thompson points out. Such shows are "formulaic and fun, but they don't give you the meat to sink your teeth into."

Case in point: A Tumblr search for "Big Bang Theory" returns approximately 191,000 results. Searching "Game of Thrones" yields 1.3 million. "Big Bang" viewership may be wider, but the "GoT" audience is deeper.

It?s the blue chip shows that don?t play well with DVR culture. "And lets face it, these shows are finite," says Thompson. "Homeland," "Breaking Bad," these are the kinds of shows that people talk about like they're sporting events. (Can you imagine what watching the first run of "The Wire" would be like today?)

Parody is sincere flattery
"It's like the '80s all over again," says Erin Gibson, writer and director of the increasingly popular (though not safe for work!) "Gay of Thrones" episode recap show on FunnyorDie.com. "If you didn't watch the show, you don't get to talk about it the next day."

Gibson's Web series stars real-life California hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness, who subjects a new client each week to his over-the-top run-throughs. Van Ness calls the platinum haired Mother of Dragons "Christina Aguilera," tells customers they're "serving Winterfell realness," and enviously describes Jaime Lannister's severed hand necklace as "fetch."

FunnyorDie.com

Alfie Allen and Jonathan Van Ness in Ep. 3, "Gay of Thrones."

As silly as it sounds, this is high-quality comedy with gravitas. In one episode, Jonathan?s client is none other than Alfie Allen, who plays Theon Greyjoy on the actual show. Each episode is funnier than the next.

"You can't do this kind of recap with 'Duck Dynasty,'" Gibson says. "GoT" works "because there's so much meat, it gives us something to talk about." She adds, "So much comedy makes fun of how stupid things are ? it's great to celebrate something that's actually good."

And many are getting in on the celebration. Along with "Gay of Thrones," FunnyorDie.com also posted "Where Are My Dragons?," a reality show spoof about Daenerys as a mom. And there was "School of Thrones," a Degrassi-style mashup with a "Prom is coming" theme. Following the "Red Wedding," Second City gave grievers an "It Gets Better" parody, not for bullied gay teens, but anyone who endured the horrific violence . It gets better, "GoT" fans are told.

SPOILER ALERT! ... It does not get better.

But "GoT" fans should know that by now. If last week's episode reinforced anything ? other than the fact that bad things continue happening to good characters ? it's this: If cyberspace spoils another episode of your favorite show, you have only yourself to blame.

Helen A.S. Popkin is Deputy Technology & Science editor for NBCNews.com and TODAY.Follow her onTwitter and Facebook.

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"Game of Thrones" Internet cheat sheet.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2d0d2999/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cgame0Espoilers0Esocial0Emedia0Ekilling0Edvr0Eculture0E6C10A247266/story01.htm

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Commentary: Making sense of 'Fast' Freddie's uneasy nationals win

• By Ian Dille
• Published 1 day ago

Danny Van Haute was one of a few insiders celebrating Freddie Rodriguez's nationals win on Monday. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.com

At the U.S. professional national championships in 2010, a 21-year old rider on the developmental Livestrong cycling team, Ben King, broke away less than four miles in and held on to win the 115-mile race. In 2011, a former collegiate running star, Mathew Busche, 26, beat 16-time Tour de France finisher George Hincapie, 38, in a whisper-thin sprint. In 2012, Timmy Duggan, 29, who?d suffered a near career-ending head injury four years earlier, won solo, arms wide across the line.

?The three consecutive victories fed a narrative of a domestic cycling scene emerging from an era dogged by doping. The wins seemed to be evidence of a new, clean generation of American pros, whose time had finally come.

?Then, at the 2013 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships on Monday, Jelly Belly-Kenda?s Fred Rodriguez, 39, outsprinted a select group of top domestic racers and up-and-coming European-based pros to win his record fourth national title. ?I?m back!? Rodriguez shouted as he crossed the line. The win inspired a slew of stories about an aging pro, claiming one last major victory. It also left a lingering sense that ghosts of cycling?s past had returned.

In the 2000s, racing for major teams like Mapei and Lotto, Rodriguez had placed second at Milan San-Remo and won a stage of the Giro d?Italia. He had gone toe-to-toe with top European sprinters like Mario Cipollini and Alessandro Petacchi, who?ve since been implicated in doping scandals or suspended outright.

?Though Rodriguez was never publicly implicated or suspended, he competed during an era we now know, especially in the wake of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency?s damning Armstrong investigation, was rife with cheaters from our own soil. And on Monday, when he crossed the line first in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, many people weren?t happy.

One rider crossed the line in a frenzy and yelled, ?Anyone but him.? Another pleaded to his soigneur, ?Please, tell me Freddie didn?t win.? On Facebook, a racer wrote, ?The entire field put their head down in disappointment.?

To be clear, sprinters, especially those who are uneasily shaken by steep hills, are often unpopular in the peloton. They suck wheel. They sit on. They win, a lot.

But in the discontent over Rodriguez?s victory, there was a deeper implication. In the online race recaps, many commenters lauded the victory by ?Fast Freddie.? Others wrote insinuating jabs, like, ?Not normal.?

?I felt a certain sinking in my stomach, too. In this new era of U.S. bike racing, one assumed to be much cleaner, we can?t help but treat impressive performances with a certain level of suspicion. Though I?d rooted for Rodriguez a decade ago, it was hard for me to cheer for him now. I wondered if another young, clean racer had been cheated. But I also wondered, was it fair for me to feel that way about Freddie?

Rodriguez, who?s raced domestically since joining the former bad boy outfit Rock Racing in 2008, had failed to sign with another domestic pro team after Exergy folded last November. Without a pro contract, he competed for the amateur Predator Carbon Repair team, and partook in a handful of national races like the Merco Cycling Classic, Redlands Classic, and Silver City?s Tour of the Gila, where he?d scored a few top-10 finishes.

Three weeks out from nationals, Rodriguez finally came to an agreement with Danny Van Haute, the director of Jelly Belly, who had been courting him since March. ?That?s when I really focused,? said Rodriguez, who told me he?d also been participating in grand fondos and charity rides to maintain his fitness. ?I went back to what?s always worked for me, doing four- to five-hour zone 2 rides, holding upwards of 300 watts at the end of the ride.?

Rodriguez said he?d adopted a vegan diet, which had helped him lower his weight previously in his career, and brought a conservative strategy to racing nationals. ?I knew I would be lacking race intensity, so I made sure to limit the number of accelerations I had to make during the race,? he said.

?I was not at 100 percent of my fitness,? Rodriguez told me.

?When I asked Van Haute about Rodriguez?s victory, he initially berated me for bringing up the fact that, you know, Freddie had successfully competed against this previous generation of dirty racers. ?I did my research before signing him, there?s not one mention!? Van Haute said. ?That era?s over, and so is this conversation.? Then, after he?d cooled down and apologized, Van Haute explained that it was fresh legs and smart team riding that snared Jelly Belly the victory.

?Freddie didn?t make it over the mountain with the strongest climbers,? Van Haute explained. As the leaders raced away, Rodriguez implored his teammates to stay with him. With no cohesion in the front group, Jelly Belly chased them down.

?Finally, on a media conference call hosted by USA Cycling Thursday afternoon, I asked Rodriguez himself about, what I felt, was the elephant in the room. ?As you know, many pro cycling fans are jaded and cynical,? I started.

?After your win at pro nationals, rightfully or wrongfully, there was some suspicion, and I?m wondering how you respond to that?? I continued, anxiously.

?You know, there?s always going to be,? Rodriguez said. Then he stopped. Then he started again. ?I look at this as a social problem, and I hate that just our sport has been thrown under the bus,? Rodriguez said. ?You look at life, you look at politics, you look at business, you look at anywhere there?s been success, and there?s always going to be people willing to take it to the next level.?

?Our goal as people, as athletes, as the majority,? Rodriguez said. ?Is to show there?s better ways of doing it.? (I later found Rodriguez gave a very similar response on Competitor Radio, only more eloquently, and less taken by surprise.)

Rodriguez went on to explain how his European victories had been hard fought, and described his work with the Fast Freddie Foundation to instill kids with life lessons through cycling. ?It?s hurtful what?s happened in our sport, and it?s made me doubt what?s real,? Rodriguez said. Then he asked, ?What is real??

?I feel lucky I was able to compete at a high level,? Rodriguez said.

?Are you upset that people might view you as being part of this generation of dirty racers, even though you, as you say, weren?t?? I asked.

?Yeah! Of course,? Rodriguez said. ?It?s hurtful. They don?t know how hard I?ve had to fight for everything I?ve done. They don?t know my life.?

Karen from Pedal Dancer piped in to ask Freddie a question, and I was left to contemplate what I?d learned, if I?d learned anything. So I went back and watched the finish of the national road race that Pedal Dancer had posted on its website.

I saw Phil Gaimon?s (Bissell) cadence slowing after a long solo breakaway, and Matthew Busche (RadioShack-Leopard) implausibly sacrificing himself to bring Gaimon back. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Jamis-Hagens Berman) surging early. Rodriguez accelerating for his wheel. A long, downhill sprint. Freddie?s arms in the air. Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) banging his handlebars.

The course was only 100 miles long, and it wasn?t out of the question for a racer without WorldTour miles in his legs to hang at the end. Rodriguez?s performance didn?t make me feel uneasy, only his perhaps unfair implication by association with a now-tainted time in American cycling. A time for which we?ll always be reminded, as much as we want to usher in the sport?s new heroes.

As the conference call with Rodriguez wound to a close, someone asked him if he?d change anything about the Chattanooga course. ?Yes,? he said, make it longer.

Ian Dille is a freelance journalist based in Austin, Texas. A former professional cyclist and graduate of the University of Texas School of Journalism, his areas of interest and expertise include health and fitness, travel, environmental and social issues ? plus, of course, beer. However, he?ll report on just about anything, given the opportunity (bring on the muckraking). He is a contributing writer for VeloNews and Bicycling Magazine, and currently races on the road as an elite-level amateur.

FILED UNDER: Commentary / Road TAGS: doping / Freddie Rodriguez / Lance Armstrong doping / USA Cycling Professional National Championship

Source: http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/05/news/road/commentary-making-sense-of-fast-freddies-uneasy-nationals-win_289301

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