More dinosaur-smuggling cases likely

Mongolia's claim to a tyrannosaur skeleton that experts agree was smuggled out of the country has captured international attention. However, this dinosaur's situation does not appear unique.

Other fossils from the same species of Mongolian dinosaur, as well as other specimens linked to that fossil-rich country, are not difficult to find in auction house catalogs or on eBay.

They may not be for long: According to Robert Painter, the Houston-based attorney representing the Mongolian president in the tyrannosaur case, the Mongolian government is putting plans in place to monitor sales such as the $1.1 million purchase in May of the tyrannosaur at auction, in the hope of intercepting material taken illegally from within its borders.

Not the only one
The dinosaur skeleton, which Heritage Auctions put up for bid May 20 in New York, is a type of tyrannosaur called Tarbosaurus bataar. Its remains are plentiful in the Nemegt Formation within Mongolia's share of the Gobi Desert, where the only clearly identifiable Tarbosaurus fossils have been found. [ Up For Auction: A Natural History Gallery ]

Mongolian law in place since 1924 declares vertebrate fossils excavated within its borders to be state property and makes smuggling valuable artifacts, including fossils, a crime.

In the same auction, Heritage offered Tarbosaurus teeth and the skull of an armored dinosaur, called an ankylosaurid, which paleontologists said are also likely from Mongolia.

Mongolia's president, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, recently enlisted the U.S. Attorney's Office in his fight to have the skeleton returned to his country. No other items have been drawn into the court case.?

Easy to find
A cursory scan of recent catalogs from auction houses with a presence in the U.S. revealed that these sorts of offerings are not unusual. The auction house I.M. Chait offered the skull of a Tarbosaurus, also known as Tyrannosaurus bataar, for sale March 24, 2011, and a Tarbosaurus leg this past May 6. Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers in Los Angeles offered two dinosaur eggs from Mongolia's Gobi Desert on June 2. Bonhams offered a Tarbosaurus skull on May 17, 2011, and, later in the year, on Dec. 11, offered a frilled Protoceratops skeleton found in the Djadokhta Formation, which is located primarily in Mongolia. (The remainder of the formation is in China, which also forbids the export of fossils.)

LiveScience attempted to contact these auctions houses. The only reply came from a representative of ?Skinner. "I can tell you that Skinner consignors are contractually obliged to state that they have free and clear title to the material they consign with us," Skinner's marketing director, Kate de Bethune, wrote in an email.

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Asked for comment on the Tarbosaurus teeth and the ankylosaurid skull, Heritage Auctions? co-Chairman Jim Halperin released a statement, saying: "Numerous unsupported allegations regarding these fossils have been reported in the news media ? all of which Heritage Auctions hopes will soon be clarified."

As for the Tarbosaurus skeleton, Heritage Auctions has defended Eric Prokopi, the Florida fossil dealer who sought to sell it through the auction house, and cooperated with the Mongolian investigation into the origin of the dinosaur. Prokopi has questioned whether the fossils truly came from Mongolia. "Other than (from) the diggers, there is no way for anyone to know for certain when or where the specimen was collected," Prokopi said in a statement. [ Image Gallery: Dinosaur Fossils ]

Auction houses aren't alone. A search for "dinosaur fossils mongolia" on eBay Wednesday yielded about 20 results, most of them claws.

Not a shock
While it's impossible to be 100 percent certain the Tarbosaurus fossils sprinkled around public auctions and eBay are from Mongolia, "we can be reasonably certain," said Mark Norell, a paleontologist with the American Museum of Natural History in New York who worked in Mongolia in 1990.

"I see it all the time, so it is not anything terribly shocking that some place would have Mongolia fossils for sale," Norell told LiveScience. While other specimens have not provoked attention from the Mongolian government, the nearly complete Tarbosaurus skeleton was too big to pass by unnoticed, he said.?

Paleontologists note that China and other countries have laws similar to Mongolia's that prohibit the export of fossils. However, fossils of Chinese origin are also easily found in the pages of auction catalogs and on eBay.

A watershed case?
The removal of fossils has been a problem for Mongolia during the last 15 to 20 years, amid the "chaos, poverty and corruption" during the country's transition from communism and a planned economy to democracy and a market economy, according to Puntsag Tsagaan, senior adviser to the Mongolian president.

"But now Mongolia has successfully overcome the transition, and it is one of the most fastest growing economies and maturing democracies in this part of the world," Tsagaan told LiveScience.

This loss of dinosaur fossils is likely to be a national priority in the wake of the parliamentary election that took place Thursday, Tsagaan said by email.

Work to that effect has already begun, according to Robert Painter, the Houston-based attorney representing Elbegdorj in the tyrannosaur case.

Elbegdorj has put together a working group to monitor auctions by well-known auction houses and eBay sales in the United States and elsewhere, Painter told LiveScience in an email.

"We hope that vigorous enforcement will help close this global marketplace for illicit fossils smuggled out of Mongolia," Painter wrote.

Follow Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry or LiveScience ?@livescience.? We're also on Facebook and ?Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48014513/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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91% I Wish

All Critics (47) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (4)

What a kind and wise movie this is.

[The] film is built around performances by two real-life brothers who are as unaffected, spirited and lovable as I can imagine, and one of the pleasures of "I Wish" is simply spending time with them.

Transforms the commonplace into the extraordinary.

It's about the wonders of everyday life, and of childhood imagination.

The sort of small film of real consequence that, as a kid, I remember seeing and completely losing myself in: That was my life.

A wistful heartbreaker from the Japanese master of quiet observation, Hirokazu Kore-eda.

A film that's both entertaining and illuminating, no matter your age.

Like a train, "I Wish" is slow to build momentum, then it carries us away in a wondrous rush.

You watch it remembering the days when you should have walked but simply had to run, and when you believed that, if you wished hard enough, your dead pet just might come back again.

Despite its youthful perspective on adult concerns, the feature generates a few profound moments of basic need in the midst of an atypical men-on-a-mission film.

The lives of the children in "I Wish" seem to be expanding in front of our eyes, as evidenced by their changing wishes, which become bigger and more beautiful as their plan proceeds.

A flurry of details that reveal a grand canvas of love and loyalty if we take a step back.

A film that moves a bit too slowly for its own good but has remarkable cumulative strength by its emotional finale.

At its worst, I Wish is static. At its best, it has the warmth and subtlety of classic Asian works by Edward Yang and Yasujiro Ozu.

Koreeda's like a modern Ozu, documenting the trickle down effect of global economic changes on once strongly held traditions of Japanese family life.

Wistful, light and sweet.

A lovely, authentic exploration of family bonds tested by separation. Though the film is overlong at 128 minutes, it is a warm and wise winner.

If the Dardenne brothers were Japanese instead of French-Belgian, or perhaps set out to craft a homage to Yasujiro Ozu that was crossed with a whimsical yet melancholic version of The Parent Trap, it might well resemble this.

All of the kids in "I Wish" come across as real and believable, a tribute to Koreeda's directing skills working with children.

More Critic Reviews

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_wish_2012/

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Video: Greenspan on How to Fix the Economy

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48019446/

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PFT: Bruschi would pick Super Bowl over Hall any day

Getty Images

The Saints reportedly are poised to make Drew Brees the highest-paid player in NFL history, and the Saints allegedly aren?t negotiating with Brees in good faith.

We?d hate to see how much money the Saints would be offering Brees if they were acting in good faith.

Lost in the contention that Brees? role in the 2011 labor talks are being used against Brees in his contract talks is the fact that the Saints have repeatedly made very significant offers to Brees.? In 2011, they made an offer that would have put Brees in the Peyton Manning/Tom Brady ballpark.? In February 2012, they applied the exclusive version of the franchise tag, which put Brees in line for $16.371 million this season, more than $1 million per game.? In March 2012, they offered another deal that would have made him the highest paid player in the league.? In June 2012, they upped the ante once again.

So where?s the bad faith?

Not giving a guy everything he wants isn?t bad faith.? Not blowing out a team?s salary cap for one player isn?t bad faith.

If the Saints aren?t happy with their most important player because of his role in the labor talks, then the other 31 teams presumably like him even less.? So bad faith would have been, at a minimum, using the non-exclusive version of the franchise tag, since no other team would have signed him to an offer sheet and given the Saints a pair of first-round picks if the Saints hadn?t matched.

Bad faith also would have been giving him no franchise tag at all, thrusting him onto a market full of teams that would have collectively lowballed him, as their way of blackballing him.

Drew knows deep down that the Saints aren?t sticking it to him, because of his role in the CBA talks or for any other reason.? That?s why the initial report from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com regarding the union?s contention that the Saints are discriminating against Brees contains the ludicrous suggestion that ?The quarterback did not play a role in the decision . . . with the union moving forward of its own accord.?? Brees wants to squeeze the Saints with an unfounded claim without getting his hands dirty, so he?s hiding behind the notion that the NFLPA has decided on its own, without regard to the wishes of a member of its Executive Committee, to make an outlandish charge that the Saints, by offering consistently to make him the highest-paid player in the league, are screwing him.

Brees has built up plenty of equity in New Orleans and elsewhere over the years.? If Saints fans take the time to see through this one, it could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

None of this changes the fact that the Saints foolishly have delayed getting this deal done.? With coach Sean Payton suspended for the year and with the franchise otherwise in disarray, Brees? presence during the entire offseason program should have been regarded as critical to a successful effort in 2012 ? especially since the Saints? postseason performance hinges on home-field advantage unlike any other team in the league.

The Saints also had been leaking that Brees wants more money than he actually has demanded.? Stupid, yes.? Bad faith, no.

The Saints need Brees.? The Saints love Brees.? But his role in the CBA talks is irrelevant to the ongoing inability to work out a long-term deal, and Brees knows it.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/28/for-bruschi-choice-between-super-bowl-ring-and-hof-is-a-no-brainer/related/

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Voters knock off another incumbent

While high profile lawmakers like Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah survived tough primary challenges, voters on Tuesday night knocked off another member of Congress, as a five term Oklahoma Republican became the latest Congressional casualty.

Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) wasn't well known outside of his Tulsa-based district, so he wasn't on the radar of many election experts as voting began Tuesday - but by the time the votes were counted, Sullivan was the eighth sitting lawmaker to be dumped by primary voters in 2012.

Compare that to 2010, when only four members lost primary races - or to 2008, when only three were defeated in a primary, and just two in 2006.

Some of the higher numbers in 2012 are directly related to redistricting, which has thrown members into new districts, or even into races involving two sitting lawmakers.

Lawmakers like Jason Altmire (D-PA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Steven Rothman (D-NJ) lost those type of primary races to a colleague - and there will be more member vs member races this year.

But others like Sullivan, Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) were also bounced out by the voters for a fresh face - two from each party - indicating a level of discontent that can't be ignored when 19 other states still need to hold their primaries before the November elections.

Sullivan acknowledged recently that he had ignored warning signs from back home about the severity of the challenge; it's a common story of an incumbent who realizes too late that he might be in trouble.

"Biggest lesson of the night for incumbents: Run a campaign," tweeted political analyst Nathan Gonzales, who hit the nail on the head for Sullivan.

We'll see whether the carnage grows the rest of this primary season or not, as members in both parties need to realize, they could end up on the Congressional scrap heap in a hurry.

Source: http://www.krmg.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2012/jun/26/voters-knock-another-incumbent/

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TechnoBuffalo pits the iOS 6 version of Siri against Jelly Bean?s Google Search

TechnoBuffalo pitted Siri on an iPhone 4S running iOS 6 against Google?s new Android 4.1?voice assistant running on a Galaxy Nexus. Jon Rettinger asked the two voice assistants common questions like what?s the weather and who won yesterday?s baseball game.

The two platforms take different approaches to the feature, with Siri asking more questions to confirm what the user wants to do, while Google just takes the user right where they want to go with very little follow-up voice interaction.? Android Jelly Bean?s implementation also was faster with its responses and the voice was less robotic and more pleasing. Overall, TechnoBuffalo concludes that Google?s voice search outperforms Apple?s improved version of Siri.

Android?s new Voice search will debut with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, while the improved version of Siri will land with iOS 6 this fall. You can check out the head-to-head comparison in the YouTube video embedded below.

[Via TechnoBuffalo]

About The Author

Kelly Hodgkins

Kelly spent the last four years covering mobile technology at places like BGR, Gizmodo and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Before writing, she spent a few years working with and teaching others how to use Adobe Flash and Macromedia Director. Even earlier than that, she spent several years as a Ph.D student in Microbiology. When she's not writing, she can be found fishing the lakes and hiking the mountains of Western Maine with her husband and tribe of children. You can follow her on Twitter @kellyhodgkins.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IntoMobile/~3/aBlxswVETFU/

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Military vet taken in NBA Draft

Bernard James wasn't the first pick of Thursday night's NBA Draft in New Jersey. James didn't even go in the first round. But the Florida State power forward stole the show when his name was called with the 33rd overall pick.
?
James, who will head to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a draft night trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, wasn't expecting to be a lottery pick but he attended the event at the Prudential Center anyway.
?
Following his name being called by NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, the crowd started chanting U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
?
James, 27, served in the United States Air Force for six years before attending FSU. The crowd was simply showing their appreciation for his service. James nodded and thanked the crowd as he made his way to the stage.
?
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban then tweeted: "I love that kid !! USA !!"
?
James also delivered an impressive interview answer when he was asked about teams being concerned about drafting a 27-year-old rookie.
?
"I've been playing a lot less years than most of the guys in the draft, so my body is still fresh, my knees are good, everything," he responded. "And the fact that I'm 27, I've had a career before, I know what it is to be a professional. I'm going to come to work every day and make the best of this opportunity."
?
James [6-10, 230 pounds] played two years at Florida State, averaging 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks last season.
?
The trade included the Mavericks sending the 17th overall pick [Tyler Zeller] and Kelenna Azubuike to the Cavs in exchange for the No. 24 overall selection [Jared Cunningham] and picks 33 and 34.
?
The Mavs used No. 34 ? the fourth pick of the second round ? on Marquette small forward Jae Crowder, a 6-6, 242-pounder that averaged 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds during his senior season.
?
Dallas drafted another Marquette player later in the second round, shooting guard Darius Johnson-Odom. But the 55th overall selection was sold to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to multiple reports.

?
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota

Source: http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/06/28/12/James-a-fan-favorite-at-No-33-in-NBA-Dra/msn_landing.html?blockID=753586&feedID=3577

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California receives financial boost from Supreme Court ruling

With the federal healthcare law upheld, California stands to receive as much as $15 billion a year to extend coverage to millions of the poor and uninsured starting in 2014, and efforts will now intensify to get ready for that influx of new patients.

?It?s a huge undertaking ahead of us,? said Peter Lee, executive director of the California Health Benefit Exchange, which plans to start enrollment in October 2013. ?The biggest challenge is getting reliable information out to the uninsured.?

The state has nearly 7 million uninsured, or about 20% of the population, according to the California HealthCare Foundation.

Under the federal law, nearly 4 million Californians are expected to obtain new or improved coverage by 2019. About half would be covered through an expansion of Medi-Cal, the joint state-federal program for the poor and disabled.

Another 2 million are expected to purchase private policies with federal subsidies earmarked for families earning about $92,000 or less annually.

Zig Fayant, a 59-year-old gas station attendant in Los Angeles, welcomed the news of the Supreme Court ruling. He said purchasing health insurance would cost him most of his paycheck now, so he relies on a county-run medical clinic to help manage his diabetes.

?I really can't afford to pay for insurance and my diabetes is very out of control," Fayant said. ?I won?t be able to see the doctor without some kind of help.?

Meena Duario, a 51-year-old accounting clerk in San Francisco who doesn?t receive health benefits at work, could be eligible for federal subsidies to help her purchase insurance. She incurred about $20,000 in medical bills last year after she suffered a mild stroke and she can only afford to pay $100 a month toward her debt.

?All working people should have insurance,? she said. ?I want that law to protect people like myself.?

California has taken numerous steps to prepare for the federal overhaul. Soon after President Obama signed the healthcare law in 2010, California took the lead and became the first state to enact legislation for an insurance exchange, which is designed to negotiate the best rates with insurers and help millions of consumers shop for policies.

The California Health Benefit Exchange plans to start enrollment Oct. 1, 2013, for coverage that would take effect in January 2014. Strong participation in the exchange is crucial, experts say, so there's a mix of healthy and sick policyholders to keep premiums affordable. Without a diverse pool of customers premiums would escalate, turning off new applicants.

State lawmakers also have passed other laws implementing aspects of the federal law, including provisions that guaranteed coverage for those under age 19, allowed young adults to remain on their parents' policies until age 26 and mandated maternity coverage starting July 1.

For primary-care physicians in California, the federal law is expected to boost annual reimbursements by an estimated $700 million in exchange for treating the influx of new Medi-Cal patients.

Hospitals would bear the brunt of major cuts under the federal overhaul. California?s 430 hospitals face about $17 billion in federal funding reductions over 10 years.

White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles, where about half of its patients are on Medi-Cal, said it expects to lose about $20 million in 2014 under the federal cuts and stands to gain very little from the 5% of its patients who are uninsured gaining coverage.

"We of course appreciate that the 5% will be covered, but it pales in comparison to the money that we are losing," said Beth Zachary, chief executive of White Memorial. ?We are all trying to make this work.?

RELATED:

California to lose big if healthcare law is struck down

Insurers to honor some provisions, regardless of ruling

Health insurers owe rebates to many California policyholders

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latimes/business/~3/v--3CeFKul0/la-fi-mo-healthlaw-calif-20120628,0,4143772.story

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Charlotte Internet Marketing Internet Marketing Mentor ? Juan ...

Charlotte Internet Marketing Internet Marketing Mentor

Article by Jonathan Richarson

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There is no substitute for expertise when looking at the net marketing, many online marketing businesses typically have a set plan that they adopt whenever considering promoting and marketing exceptional items or sites. Should you are looking for a wWW marketing / firm make sure the fact that the firm you are planning on hiring has appreciable expertise and has additionally worked on an internet page such as yours.

Ultimately the best method for a lawyer to go with Internet marketing / and promoting ? the best way that will at the end get their particular needs the best long run outcomes for the cash they spend ? is to focus on getting their site to rank high in natural research results. When all matters are considered, men and women on the World wide web who search for items and services mainly search for web sites to find their answers. They may look to legal Internet directories and portals, and if they do not discover which sort they need they could become ppc listings as a last resort (only about 30% to 40% of customers inconvenience with pay per click) but ultimately individuals who search The net are searching for sites that provide you with their particular needs with the answers they seek.

About the Author

Leopoldo Birchfield is a guru on marketing agency Charlotte at http://checkmatemg.com. >Find out the secrets of Charlotte web marketing here.

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whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

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Source: http://battysslaronda95.typepad.com/blog/2012/06/charlotte-internet-marketing-internet-marketing-mentor-juan-boulter.html

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