Raw results: Cena conquers Punk and Triple H returns to draw first blood

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-02-25/wwe-raw-results

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Fiscal nightmare looms at 'bloated' Pentagon

By Tom Curry, National Affairs Writer, NBC News

While Chuck Hagel?s quest to become defense secretary was a long and painful ordeal, he?ll be facing a different kind of pain once he?s confirmed - likely on Tuesday - and replaces Leon Panetta at the Pentagon.

In addition to the spending cuts required by the Budget Control Act, which will trim the Defense Department?s budget resources by 8 percent in the current fiscal year, Hagel faces a nightmarish budget challenge.

He will be running a department with nearly 1.4 million people serving in uniform and nearly 800,000 civilian employees.

Hagel?s department is bigger than several major U.S. corporations, but its finances remain deeply troubled, obscure and impenetrable ? even to budget experts and even after more than 20 years of warnings from the federal government?s accounting watchdog, the Government Accountability Office.

Just two weeks ago, the GAO kept the Pentagon on its annual "High Risk List" of departments whose books are so mysterious and opaque that they're at high risk of fraud, waste and mismanagement.

Related: After seven-week struggle, Hagel poised for defense confirmation

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Former Senator Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of defense on Capitol Hill January 31, 2013 in Washington, DC.

The GAO said that the Defense Department ?is one of the few federal entities that cannot accurately account for its spending or assets.? The report added, ?Without accurate, timely, and useful financial information, DOD is severely hampered in making sound decisions affecting its operations.?

As one specific example, the accounting watchdog cited the department?s supply-chain management which as of late 2011 had amassed $9.2 billion worth of excess inventory on hand and had already ordered $523 million worth of inventory which was purchased but likely unnecessary.

And the GAO noted that it had first put the Pentagon?s supply-chain management problem on its "High Risk List" in 1990.

Outside observers agree that the Pentagon?s finances are troubled and that it costs taxpayers too much money to get each aircraft carrier, missile, drone and other weapons system.

Retired Army Gen. David Barno, the former U.S. commander in Afghanistan and now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, told a Council on Foreign Relations panel discussion earlier this month, ?We're delivering capability in the military sense for more and more overhead cost year after year after year? due to an ?egregiously inefficient Defense Department that's leaking money.?

He said the Pentagon?s method of operating is comparable to driving a 1985 Oldsmobile which is leaking oil, ?and every time we go out on the highway at 65 miles an hour, we come back after another day, there's more and more oil on the floor of our garage in the morning. And our solution has been to buy more oil, to put it in the engine and go drive it at 65 miles an hour.?

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee engage in a sharp discussion regarding Chuck Hagel's nomination as defense secretary and his disclosure of personal income.

And Hagel himself said in August of 2011 that the Defense Department ?in many ways, has been bloated. Let's look at the reality here. The Defense Department's gotten everything it wanted the last 10 years and more.?

Despite the warnings from GAO and others, the Defense Department?s financial morass wasn?t a major focus of the questioning?last month at Hagel?s confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Hagel did field some queries on the department?s finances from Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Angus King, I-Maine.

But apart from referring to the need for giving his subordinates in the Pentagon ?flexibility? and ?direction and expectations,? Hagel supplied little insight on what plans he might have in mind to make the Pentagon more accountable. And he more often asked questions than supplied answers.

Hagel did say that in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Defense Department inspector generals had uncovered ?billions and billions of dollars that are unaccounted for. Corruption, fraud, waste, abuse, it really is quite astounding.?

But he added, ?When you think about the universe of money that went into both those wars, no one should be surprised.?

Then he asked ?How do we fix it? What we do? How do we learn from this??

He added more questions later in the hearing, ?Why aren't we auditing these programs? Where's the accountability? That's certainly an area that we're going to have to take a look at.? And within days Hagel will have his chance to begin that accountability and to reduce the bloat he saw in his department.

This story was originally published on Tue Feb 26, 2013 4:34 AM EST

Source: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/26/17089943-fiscal-nightmare-looms-at-bloated-pentagon?lite

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As college costs rise, parents raiding retirement

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Graduating students at the University of Michigan commencement ceremony in Ann Arbor, Michigan in this May 1, 2010 file photograph. American families are failing to meet their college savings milestones as short-term needs and emergency savings take priority in family budgets.

By Sharon Epperson, TODAY

Paying for your child's education is a laudable goal, but may not be realistic for some parents who could wind up jeopardizing their own financial future in order to help put their sons and daughters through college.

Parents who are saving for college frequently raid retirement funds ? or plan to do so ? to pay their child's skyrocketing tuition bills, according to a new study released today from the nation's largest student loan provider Sallie Mae. More parents are currently saving for their retirement than for their children's education, but these families often plan to draw from retirement savings to help cover the costs of college, especially as other goals ? from building up a "rainy day" fund to increasing general savings ? take priority. "The economy is putting pressure on families in terms of whether they're saving, how much they're saving and where they're saving," said Sarah Ducich, senior vice president for public policy at Sallie Mae.

The report "How America Saves For College" surveyed more than 1,600 parents with children ages 18 or younger and found half of parents said they were focused on college savings, while 60 percent were focused on saving for retirement. But if they have to choose, parents are opting to boost their retirement savings ? 42 percent of parents who are not saving for college said they are saving for retirement.

The good news: More than three-quarters of those parents surveyed who are saving for college are also focused on saving for retirement.

The bad news: Many of those families who say they are saving for college also admit that they are doing so through their retirement fund. One-third intend to use these savings for college. The other two-thirds say that they would use their retirement savings to pay for college, only if necessary.

Families are more likely to use retirement savings to fund college as their children get older and the urgency intensifies. Less than half (44 percent) of families with children under age 6 would use retirement savings to pay for college, while more than seven in 10 (74 percent) families with teens would use their retirement for college, the survey found.

How much retirement money are they putting toward tuition and other college expenses?

Nearly 6 percent of parents in the thick of paying for college are drawing on retirement funds by taking a loan or withdrawal of about $6,475 on average, according to a 2012 Sallie Mae survey.

Unforeseen consequences
But here's the problem: Most parents don't realize paying for college with money withdrawn from a retirement account can result in a double whammy. First, the withdrawal can count as income, which is taxable. Plus, with that additional income, you'll reduce your financial aid eligibility the following year.

"Between the tax impact and the reduction in aid eligibility, the family may net very little return on their investment," said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb.com, a free scholarship matching service. "It also sacrifices retirement funds," he said.

By borrowing from your 401(k) or IRA, parents not only reduce their retirement balance, but also miss out accruing interest. And if you're under age 59 1/2 and take a loan from your 401(k), you'll have to pay back the loan with interest in five years, or immediately, if you change employers.

Jump start your college savings
So how can parents avoid raiding their retirement funds for college? It sounds very simple. Make a plan to save. The Sallie Mae study showed 70 percent of families with a set goal to save for college are confident they will save 10 percent of future college costs.

To ramp up college savings, start funding or add more money to a?529 college savings plan.?A 529 college savings plan allows you to save money for college and then withdraw the funds for qualified college expenses tax-free. Studies show that people who use 529 college savings plans are more successful college savers than those without 529 plans.

The College Savings Foundation's 2012 parent survey found that 22 percent of 529 owners have saved between $10,001 and $25,000, while only 9 percent of non-529 account owners have saved a similar amount. Likewise, 18 percent of 529 plan owners reported saving between $25,001 and $50,000. Only 4 percent of non-529 account owners managed to save as much. Overall, parents who have not opened a 529 plan are the least effective college savers ? nearly half have no college savings.

To help jump start your college savings, here are a few tips from Kantrowitz, who is also publisher of the financial aid information site FinAid.org:

• Make savings automatic, so you don't have to think to save.
• Increase the amount you save each year. You will quickly get used to not having the money in your checking account.
• Whenever you get a windfall, such as a big income tax refund or inheritance, contribute all or part of it to the college savings plan.
• When expenses change, resulting in some savings, devote the savings to college. "When your child no longer needs diapers or daycare, for example, redirect the savings to their college fund," Kantrowitz says.
• Use a rebating program, like?Upromise, to help build your 529 plan faster.
• Finally, get grandparents and other relatives involved. Have them contribute to your children's 529 plans instead of giving gifts on birthdays and holidays.

Make college savings a true, family affair.

?

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/02/26/17101997-as-college-costs-rise-parents-fall-short-on-savings-goals?lite

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Cone of learning or cone of shame? - Daniel Willingham

A math teacher and Twitter friend from Scotland asked me about about this figure.
I'm sure you've seen a figure like this. It is variously called the "learning pyramid," the "cone of learning," "the cone of experience," and others. It's often attributed to the National Training Laboratory, or to educator Edgar Dale.

You won't be surprised to learn that there are different versions out there with different percentages and some minor variations in the ordering of ac

Certainly, some mental activities are better for learning than others. And the ordering offered here doesn't seem crazy. Most people who have taught agree that long-term contemplation of how to help others understand complicated ideas is a marvelous way to improve one's own understanding of those ideas--certainly better than just reading them--although the estimate of 10% retention of what one reads seems kind of low, doesn't it?

If you enter "cone of experience" in Google scholar the first page offers a few papers that critique the idea, e.g., this one and this one, but you'll also see papers that cite it as if it's reliable.

It's not.

So many variables affect memory retrieval, that you can't assign specific percentages of recall without specifying many more of them:

• what material is recalled (gazing out the window of a car is an audiovisual experience just like watching an action movie, but your memory for these two audiovisual experiences will not be equivalent)
  
• the age of the subjects
  
• the delay between study and test (obviously, the percent recalled usually drops with delay)
  
• what were subjects instructed to do as they read, demonstrated, taught, etc. (you can boost memory considerably for a reading task by asking subjects to summarize as they read)
  
• how was memory tested (percent recalled is almost always much higher for recognition tests than recall).
• what subjects know about the to-be-remembered material (if you already know something about the subject, memory will be much better.
  

This is just an off-the-top-of-my-head list of factors that affect memory retrieval. They not only make it clear that the percentages suggested by the cone can't be counted on, but that the ordering of the activities could shift, depending on the specifics.

The cone of learning may not be reliable, but that doesn't mean that memory researchers have nothing to offer educators. For example, monograph published in January offers an extensive review of the experimental research on different study techniques. If you prefer something briefer, I'm ready to stand by the one-sentence summary I suggested in Why Don't Students Like School?: It's usually a good bet to try to think about material at study in the same way that you anticipate that you will need to think about it later.

And while I'm flacking my books I'll mention that When Can you Trust the Experts was written to help you evaluate the research basis of educational claims, cone-shaped or otherwise.

---

Source: http://www.danielwillingham.com/1/post/2013/02/cone-of-learning-or-cone-of-shame.html

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Waltz wins supporting-actor prize for 'Django'

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Christoph Waltz really owes Quentin Tarantino. Waltz won his second supporting-actor Academy Award on Sunday for a Tarantino film, this time as a genteel bounty hunter in the slave-revenge saga "Django Unchained."

In a choked voice, Waltz offered thanks to his character and "to his creator and the creator of his awe-inspiring world, Quentin Tarantino."

Waltz also offered gracious thanks to his supporting-actor competitors, who included two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and Oscar recipient Tommy Lee Jones, who had been considered a slim favorite over Waltz for the prize.

A veteran performer in Germany and his native Austria, Waltz had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood when Tarantino cast him as a gleefully evil Nazi in 2009's "Inglourious Basterds," which won him his first Oscar.

Waltz has since done a handful of other Hollywood movies, but it's Tarantino who has given him his two choicest roles. Backstage, Waltz had a simple explanation for why the collaboration works.

"Quentin writes poetry, and I like poetry," Waltz said.

The Scottish adventure "Brave," from Disney's Pixar Animation unit, was named best animated feature. Pixar films have won seven of the 12 Oscars since the category was added.

The story of an dauntless princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who balks at her parents' attempts to marry her off, "Brave" won out over a strong field that included Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Frankenweenie."

"I just happen to be wearing the kilt," said "Brave" co-director Mark Andrews, who took the stage in his trademark Scottish garment.

Oscar host Seth MacFarlane opened with a mildly edgy monologue that offered the usual polite jabs at the academy, the stars and the industry. He took a poke at academy voters over the snub of Ben Affleck, who missed out on a directing nomination for best-picture favorite "Argo," a thriller about the CIA's plot to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis.

"The story was so top secret that the film's director is unknown to the academy," MacFarlane said. "They know they screwed up. Ben, it's not your fault."

William Shatner made a guest appearance as his "Star Trek" character Capt. James Kirk, appearing on a giant screen above the stage during MacFarlane's monologue, saying he came back in time to stop the host from ruining the Oscars.

"Your jokes are tasteless and inappropriate, and everyone ends up hating you," said Shatner, who revealed a headline supposedly from the next day's newspaper that read, "Seth MacFarlane worst Oscar host ever."

The performance-heavy Oscars also included an opening number featuring Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum, who did a classy dance while MacFarlane crooned "Just the Way You Look Tonight." Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt then joined MacFarlane for an elegant musical rendition of "High Hopes."

Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron lined up a top-notch cast of stars as presenters, including "The Avengers" co-stars Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner. They presented two prizes that went to the shipwreck tale "Life of Pi," cinematography and visual effects.

"This movie was quite a beast to make," said cinematographer Claudio Miranda, who shot dazzling images for the story of a youth adrift on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger.

Miranda's win marked another round of Oscar futility for revered cinematographer Roger Deakins, who was nominated for the James Bond adventure "Skyfall." Deakins has been nominated 10 times but has yet to win.

Halle Berry introduced a tribute to the James Bond franchise in which she has co-starred as the British super-spy celebrated his 50th anniversary on the big-screen last year with the latest adventure "Skyfall." Shirley Bassey sang her theme song to the 1960s Bond tale "Goldfinger."

Fans have pondered how far MacFarlane the impudent creator of "Family Guy," might push the normally prim and proper Oscars. An hour into the show, the answer was, not that far. MacFarlane was generally polite and respectful, showcasing his charm, wit and vocal gifts.

MacFarlane may be a wild card, but as for the show itself, predictability could be the Academy Awards' middle name. This time looks the same, with clear favorites in the main categories.

Affleck's "Argo" looks like it will be an uncommon film to claim best picture without a directing nomination, while "Lincoln" filmmaker Steven Spielberg and star Daniel Day-Lewis are favored to join exclusive lists of three-time Oscar winners.

Affleck was not counting on anything, though.

"We don't expect to depart with anything but our integrity," Affleck said on the Oscar red carpet before the show.

"Argo" has won winning practically every top prize at earlier honors. Hollywood was shocked that Affleck was snubbed for a directing nomination, possibly earning the film some sympathy votes, particularly from actors, who love it when one of their own succeeds behind the camera.

The story of how Hollywood, Canada and the CIA teamed up to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis, "Argo" would become just the fourth film in 85 years to claim the top prize without a best-directing nomination and the first since 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy."

The best-picture prize typically ends the Oscar show, but this time, MacFarlane and Kristin Chenoweth will perform a closing number on the Dolby Theatre stage that producers Zadan and Meron called a "'can't miss' moment."

___

Online: http://www.oscars.org

___

AP writers Christy Lemire, Sandy Cohen, Beth Harris and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/waltz-wins-supporting-actor-prize-django-020404313.html

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Dan Epstein on Radio America | Cause of Action

About Cause of Action

Cause of Action is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that uses investigative, legal, and communications tools to educate the public on how government accountability and transparency protects taxpayer interests and economic opportunity.

Source: http://causeofaction.org/2013/02/15/dan-epstein-on-radio-america/

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UPDATE 1-Pistorius, girlfriend were planning future - uncle

(Adds details, background)

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 16 (Reuters) - South African athlete Oscar Pistorius was planning a future with girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who he is accused of shooting in cold blood this week, his uncle said on Saturday.

"We are in a state of total shock - firstly about the tragic death of Reeva who we had all got to know well and care for deeply over the last few months," Anthony Pistorius said in a statement released by his nephew's agent.

"They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time," he said.

Pistorius, 26, was charged on Friday with murdering Steenkamp in the early hours of the previous day. He broke down during a 40-minute bail hearing at a Pretoria court but was not asked to enter a plea.

Prosecutors alleged the shooting was premeditated - a charge that could put Pistorius behind bars for life if he is convicted.

Anthony Pistorius reiterated the family's belief that the track star - a double amputee who became one of the biggest names in world athletics - had not deliberately shot Steenkamp, a 30-year-old model. Initial reports suggested he may have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder.

(Reporting by Ed Cropley; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/1-pistorius-girlfriend-were-planning-future-uncle-144109626--sector.html

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California Eases Tone as Latinos Make Gains

? As Congress begins debating an overhaul of the immigration system, many in California sense that the country is just now beginning to go through the same evolution the state experienced over the last two decades. For a generation of Republicans, Gov. Pete Wilson?s barrages on the impact of immigration in the 1990s spoke to their uneasiness with the way the state was changing. Now many California Republicans point to that as the beginning of their downfall. ?

?The fact that the Republican Party got identified with anti-immigration has made things very difficult for them,? said Mark Baldassare, the president of the Public Policy Institute of California, which closely monitors shifts in the state. ?It is what is going on nationally now, but California started much earlier.? [cont.]

Jennifer Medina, New York Times

Source: http://opiniontoday.com/2013/02/16/california-eases-tone-as-latinos-make-gains/

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Video: 20 years of love

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50816497/

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How to Watch Asteroid 2012 DA14 Zoom Past Earth ... - Astronomy

How to Watch Asteroid 2012 DA14 Zoom Past Earth Today

Earlier today, a meteorite flew over the Chelyabinsk region of Russia, triggering a shock wave that injured hundreds of people and caused damage to buildings and vehicles in the area. Witnesses describe seeing a bright ball of light streak through the sky followed by a loud boom as the 10-ton meteorite entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded.

While this is a fairly uncommon event, it does happen about once a decade and it's nothing to panic over. However, the meteorite isn't the only thing space is throwing our way today, although luckily it's the only one that's actually going to hit us.

How to Watch Asteroid 2012 DA14 Pass Earth

Later today (Feb. 15th), asteroid 2012 DA14 will fly past the Earth at about 17,200 miles away, which is close enough for observers in Australia, Asia and Europe to see with binoculars or a telescope.

It's about half the length of a football field, and while NASA says we have nothing to worry about (this time), if an object that size did hit the planet, it would have about the same impact of a 2.5-megaton atomic bomb, which is enough to wipe out a city if it hit in the right spot.

The asteroid will be above the eastern Indian Ocean starting at around 2:25 p.m. EST, and several websites will be hosting live feeds later in the afternoon/evening.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is hosting a live stream on Ustream, which started at noon EST.

The JPL will host a thirty-minute program with commentary, real-time animation to show the asteroid's position as related to Earth, and any other near real-time photos and video feeds from observatories in Australia. You can watch the feed on NASA's website or Ustream.

The Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 will be hosting a live feed of the asteroid from Italy.

• 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. PST (6 p.m. to 4 a.m. EST)

The Clay Center Observatory in Massachusetts will be streaming a real-time high-def video on Ustream, which will be provided by a team of high school students with "extensive experience tracking and imaging asteroids."

The SLOOH Space Camera will be hosting several programs with video from Arizona and the Canary Islands. The shows will feature commentary from SLOOH's Paul Cox, astronomer and author Bob Berman, and Prescott Observatory manager, Matt Francis. You can watch on SLOOH's website.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center will be streaming a three-hour feed on Ustream where viewers will be allowed to ask the center's researchers questions via Twitter or Ustream chat.

Will you be watching? If anyone manages to catch any photos or videos of their own, be sure to share the with us!

Cover image by NASA/JPL

Source: http://astronomy.wonderhowto.com/how-to/watch-asteroid-2012-da14-zoom-past-earth-today-0142538/

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Running Together, Not Apart: Couples exercise means physical ...

Aline Potvin

It?s not just the candy companies that seek to target couples this Valentine?s day. One of the hottest new topics in medicine and primary care is the impact social interactions can have on our overall health and health behaviors. It can?t be denied that our most intimate romantic relationships can greatly impact our overall activity, self-esteem, and motivation. What they are learning now is that we affect our significant others in a measurable way and can influence overall success in physical health and weight loss. So how exactly does exercising with your partner make the process that much easier?

• You actually stick to your exercise regimen: A 2007 study proposed that couple and family oriented approaches to physical health and weight loss in primary care had the potential to be much more successful in reaching objectives. Anyone that has a gym buddy knows sticking to a routine is much easier when you have someone keeping you accountable.

• Your intimate life can be improved: It?s no secret that physical activity has many health benefits, and that couple intimacy can be greatly improved when both partners are feeling healthy and vital. When individuals are stressed out or are experiencing low self-esteem, typically sex drive is the first thing to fall off the wagon.

• You?ll increase your odds of losing/maintaining your weight: Marriage or cohabiting with a partner has the potential to increase one?s waistline, several studies have observed. In fact, as of 2006 approximately 70 percent of married men and 54 percent of married women were overweight. Luckily, exercising together and implementing healthy dietary habits can just as easily allow us to lose weight.

• You?ll get all the other benefits of exercise: Stronger than any pill or supplement, exercise is, in most cases, the real ticket to increasing overall energy, regulating sleep, enhancing cognitive ability, and managing stress. It?s measurable too. A 2007 study showed significant decrease in female heart rate and cortisol (stress hormone) levels when couples were physically active and in contact with each other.

But let?s take a trip back to reality. Everyone knows people have busy lives, kids to take care of, and schedules to align. What are some quick tips for couples trying to integrate more exercise into their mutual activity list?

• Start small: Sometimes it?s impossible to integrate earth-shattering schedule changes to a bustling family. If you and your partner can only afford a 20 minute walk when you?re talking about the latest fuel bill, it?s better than nothing. Over time, you?ll still notice a difference in your overall wellbeing. Start with small goals, like walking/running a local 5K together that benefits your kids school or a favorite charity.

• Find a mutual activity: Sometimes its difficult to find activities you both will enjoy, and you may have to try multiple things. It?s important to remember, however, that you will be more successful if you can support each other in your efforts.

• Don?t compete: When couples work out together, sometimes it?s tempting to start having a ?weight loss race.? However, it?s important to remember that love and support will provide much more long-term benefit than bragging to your spouse about your superior athletic abilities. The effort should be mutual and have a foundation of respect.

• Value your rest time: If you?re both working so hard, remember your weight and physical health is greatly influenced by how well you are both sleeping. Research has shown a strong correlation between sleep duration, quality, and weight gain. Make sure your nest provides all the right conditions for restorative rest. Create a room with total darkness, minimal background noises, and have at least a half hour of wind-down time free of tv and internet surfing before you try to hit the hay.

So as many celebrate Valentine?s Day this week, consider what impact you and your partner can have on each others? health. What better way to honor a relationship than to ensure you both are happy, healthy, and supported.

Any other thoughts or questions on couples health? Leave a comment below or email Dr. Potvin at arp.naturod@gmail.com. Cheers!

Source: http://www.dailybulldog.com/db/health/running-together-not-apart-couples-exercise-means-physical-fitness-success/

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Spice up your wedding day with some sexy lingerie - ArticlesWide.com

The wedding is the most special occasion in any womans life, and a lot of sentiments are attached to it. Needless to say, every woman needs to look and feel absolutely the best on this very special day, and insists on getting everything absolutely perfect. There can be no doubt, therefore, that every woman spends a lot of time going over the details of her dress for this particular occasion. Starting from the wedding garter to the wedding shoes, it is of the utmost importance that everything is in absolutely perfect order, so that there is nothing that can act as a dampener on the joy and spiritedness of the occasion. It should also be kept in mind that there is actually a lot that needs to be taken care of on this particular day, and there can be no doubt whatsoever that a lot of considerations have to be taken care of as well. Naturally, it should also be kept in mind that not only the dress, but the bride also needs to be given sexy lingerie as well.

Most people go for wedding dresses that are highly traditional: white, long and elegant. This is, for most people, an absolutely safe option, and the perfect method of ensuring that you platy safe with your looks and still look absolutely gorgeous. Of course, what really imparts the look is the glow of happiness on the face of the bride; something that cannot be substituted for by any wedding garter, no matter how fashionable that might look. However, the happiness indeed is a lot enhanced if the bride is completely and fashionably dressed up in just the way she had always pictured herself to look in the most special day of her life. If you really want to be a little more playful with your looks but still be on the safe side, then you could always wear some sexy lingerie underneath your wedding dress to make the occasion little more spicy and interesting.

While you are choosing your bridal wear, you need to make sure that you have everything in perfect order. If you are the adventurous kind, then you can always go for the different looking ones. Experiment with the colours and the cuts; although bridal wear is, as a tradition, white, you can always choose to mix and match your favourite colours. It is advisable, however, that your wedding garter and the wedding veil all match with one another; and do not neglect your shoes either. On the other hand, you should also take care of getting some sexy lingerie as well, so that the entire ensemble is absolutely complete.

Dabbling with bold cuts is also a good idea as far as experimenting with your bridal wear is concerned. If you are not that comfortable with the idea, you can always wear some sexy lingerie to spice up things a bit; alternatively, you can also add some boldness to the other parts of your ensemble, like the wedding garter. Wearing unconventional shoes is also a great idea to make things a lot more fun.

Looking for the most unconventional wedding garter for your special day? Or are you thinking of spicing things up with some sexy lingerie on the special night? With us, you will find anything and everything you need to make this day the most memorable ever.

Source: http://www.articleswide.com/article/16602-Spice_up_your_wedding_day_with_some_sexy_lingerie.html

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Video: Teen ?Jeopardy? winner plays it cool, wins $75,000

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50807897/

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Miss America heads back to Atlantic City, NJ

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2013 file photo, Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan reacts as she is crowned Miss America 2013 in Las Vegas. Gov. Chris Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak on Wednesday night, Feb. 13, 2013 confirmed news of the Miss America pageant's return to Atlantic City. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is scheduled make a formal announcement Thursday on Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2013 file photo, Miss New York Mallory Hytes Hagan reacts as she is crowned Miss America 2013 in Las Vegas. Gov. Chris Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak on Wednesday night, Feb. 13, 2013 confirmed news of the Miss America pageant's return to Atlantic City. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is scheduled make a formal announcement Thursday on Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) ? The Miss America pageant is headed back to Atlantic City.

The pageant, a staple in Atlantic City for decades before it was moved to Las Vegas in 2006, is making a return, Gov. Chris Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak confirmed Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was scheduled to make a formal announcement Thursday at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.

News of the pageant's return to Atlantic City came as a surprise to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which sponsored the pageant on the Las Vegas Strip in January, spokeswoman Courtney Fitzgerald said in a telephone interview. In a subsequent statement, she said the tourism organization wished the pageant well in its new home.

"Las Vegas is honored to have hosted the Miss America pageant for the past seven years," she said. "We understand that moving the televised event to various cities showcases America's diverse destinations which represent our great country."

Pageant officials didn't immediately respond to after-hours phone and email messages seeking comment Wednesday.

Many details remained unclear, including whether the pageant would return to the elaborate show it had been for decades at Boardwalk Hall or continue as more of the reality show it became with its move to Las Vegas. Also unknown was where it would be broadcast and whether it is returning permanently or for a limited run.

The Miss America pageant started as little more than a bathing suit revue. It broke viewership records in its heyday and bills itself as one of the world's largest scholarship programs for women. But, like other pageants, it has struggled to stay relevant as national attitudes regarding women's rights have changed.

According to the Miss America Organization's website, the contest originated in 1920 as the Fall Frolic, which became the Inter-City Beauty Contest the following year. In 1921, a high school junior named Margaret Gorman was one of approximately 1,000 entrants in a photo contest held by the Washington Herald. She was chosen as the first Miss Washington, D.C., and her prize was a trip to Atlantic City, where she won the top prize: the Golden Mermaid Trophy.

The next year, Gorman was expected to defend her title. But when the Washington Herald selected a new Miss Washington, D.C., Atlantic City pageant officials didn't know what new title to award Gorman. Since both titles she won in 1921 ? Inter-City Beauty, Amateur and The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America ? were considered somewhat awkward, it was decided to call her Miss America.

The pageant was conceived by the Businessmen's League of Atlantic City as a way to extend the summer tourism season in Atlantic City for another week, being held the weekend after Labor Day weekend, when temperatures were generally still warm.

___

Associated Press writer Hannah Dreier in Las Vegas contributed to this story.

___

Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-14-US-Miss-America/id-2e758b5ca703447b88dae166fc99984c

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Tracking System Could Fight Fake Drugs

Fighting the problem of fake drugs will require putting medications through a chain of custody like U.S. courts require for evidence in a trial, the Institute of Medicine reported Wednesday.

The call for a national drug tracking system comes a week after the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors, for the third time in about a year, that it discovered a counterfeit batch of the cancer drug Avastin that lacked the real tumor-killing ingredient.

Fake and substandard drugs have become an increasing concern as U.S. pharmaceutical companies move more of their manufacturing overseas. The risk made headlines in 2008 when U.S. patients died from a contaminated blood thinner imported from China.

The Institute of Medicine report made clear that this is a global problem that requires an international response, with developing countries especially at risk from phony medications. Drug-resistant tuberculosis, for example, is fueled in part by watered-down medications sold in many poor countries.

"There can be nothing worse than for a patient to take a medication that either doesn't work or poisons the patient," said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of health law at Georgetown University who led the IOM committee that studied how to combat the growing problem.

A mandatory drug-tracking system could use some form of barcodes or electronic tags to verify that a medication and the ingredients used to make it are authentic at every step, from the manufacturing of the active ingredient all the way to the pharmacy, he said. His committee examined fakes so sophisticated that health experts couldn't tell the difference between the packaging of the FDA-approved product and the look-alike.

"It's unreliable unless you know where it's been and can secure each point in the supply chain," Gostin said.

Patient safety advocates have pushed for that kind of tracking system for years, but attempts to include it in FDA drug-safety legislation last summer failed.

The report also concluded that:

?The World Health Organization should develop an international code of practice that sets guidelines for monitoring, regulation and law enforcement to crack down on fake drugs.

?States should beef up licensing requirements for the wholesalers and distributors who get a drug from its manufacturer to the pharmacy, hospital or doctor's office.

??Internet pharmacies are a particularly weak link, because fraudulent sites can mimic legitimate ones. The report urged wider promotion of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's online accreditation program as a tool to help consumers spot trustworthy sites.

The Institute of Medicine is an independent organization that advises the government on health matters.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/report-tracking-system-needed-fight-fake-drugs-18489204

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Tesla vs. The Times: What one review means for the future of auto news

It's been hard to miss, this brouhaha that's been boiling over between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and The New York Times -- specifically with reporter John M. Broder. Broder published a piece over the weekend called "Stalled Out on Tesla's Electric Highway" in which he panned the Model S for inaccurate range estimates and drastically reduced range in cold weather. In fact, about the only thing he didn't hate was the tow truck driver who was ultimately dispatched to pick up him and the charge-depleted Tesla he had been driving through Connecticut.

Musk, likely still stinging from an even more vitriolic 2011 takedown by Top Gear, was quick to take to Twitter and call the article "fake." He later backed that up with comprehensive data logs recorded, apparently, without Broder's knowledge. That data, at least at surface value, shows the Times piece is at best misleading -- at worst libelous.

Case closed? Oh no, this is just beginning. In posting this data, and in chastising Broder's driving habits, Musk inadvertently refocused the situation onto himself. Instead of asking how the Times allowed this piece to be published, many are instead asking whether it's right for Tesla to be placing any sort of expectations on reviewers. And then, of course, there's the disconcerting Big Brother aspect of the whole case. Who's in the right? Who's in the wrong? Let's try to find out.

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/musk-vs-times/

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New Kid on the Block: My Carpet Pal to Provide Home Carpet Cleaning Services to the Greater Southern California

Whittier, CA (PRWEB) February 12, 2013

My Carpet Pal has just opened and is now able to provide home carpet cleaning services to customers located in the Greater Southern California region.

My Carpet Pal specializes in the following carpet cleaning services: regular steam cleaning, deep cleaning, and maintenance cleaning for both business and residential accounts.

All of the My Carpet Pal technicians are trained to provide excellent customer service and quality cleaning. Each carpet and floor technician must undergo a weekly special class room training in order to ensure that the company is up to date with the constant changes in the carpet and floor cleaning industry. Furthermore, My Carpet Pal uses green friendly products to clean all floor surfaces in order to help protect the environment.

In order to celebrate their grand opening, My Carpet Pal is offering lots of specials on business and home carpet cleaning jobs. Customers can have any two rooms cleaned for $85. In order to take advantage of this special offer, customers can call 1-888-Steam-85 or visit the website for a free quote.

About My Carpet Pal:
My Carpet Pal is based out of Whittier, California. Technicians provide home and business office carpet cleaning to the Greater Southern California area. They also provide a 24 hour emergency response team for water damaged homes and business offices. The company provides a 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed policy. My Carpet Pal also offers additional cleaning services through its subsidiary, Jerry?s Carpet Care. Additional services include the removal of pet stains, upholstery stains, and tile and grout mildew or soap scum stains, as well as car and boat cleaning services. Jerry's Carpet Care is a member of the My Carpet Pal company.

My Carpet Pal is a licensed and bonded cleaning company. For more information, please contact a representative at 1-888-Steam-85 or visit the website below. Like us on Facebook , follow us on Twitter, or check out our equipment on YouTube.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/home_carpet_cleaning/02/prweb10381976.htm

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How come when i watch youtube on my ipad i have to stay on the link to listen to it?

I want to listen to music on my ipad and facebook at the same time, how come when i go on another link it stops playing? If anyone knows please let me know because its super irritating.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IpadAppsAndNews/~3/P6qHQTKyoj0/how-come-when-i-watch-youtube-on-my-ipad-i-have-to-stay-on-the-link-to-listen-to-it.html

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Fox hires Scott Brown as contributor

NEW YORK (AP) ? Fox News Channel is hiring former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown as a contributor, and the Republican is making his debut in prime time on Wednesday.

The network says Brown will offer commentary across several programs, starting with Sean Hannity on Wednesday. Brown lost his seat to Elizabeth Warren in November and declined to run in a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by now-Secretary of State John Kerry.

Brown says he's looking forward to challenging elected officials to put the country's needs ahead of their partisan interests.

Fox has been remaking its contributor lineup in recent months, cutting ties to Sarah Palin and Dick Morris while hiring Brown and Dennis Kucinich.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fox-hires-scott-brown-contributor-184541255--politics.html

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Transcript: Damian Lillard On The Jim Rome Show

Feb 11

Damian Lillard was a guest on the Feb. 11 edition of The Jim Rome Show. You can listen to the interview here, or read the transcript below. Questions and answers are as close to verbatim as one can get from the radio.

Damian great to have you on the show. How are you?

Damian Lillard: "I'm good. How are you?"

Good. Really good. Coming off a tough loss to Orlando last night, so let me ask you about that. You had, well frankly, your worst shooting night of your young career, 1 of 16. You've had a great year but that was a tough night. I know it's a long year and you've got to keep moving. How tough is it to shake something like that and how long does it take to get our of your system?

Damian Lillard: "Um, I think the biggest thing is just moving on. Any time you think about a bad shooting night or any time something didn't go well it tends to carry over. Might have another night like that because I'm thinking about what happened on Orlando, but we played so many games in an 82-game season so you get a quick opportunity to come out and have a better shooting night."

To that point, what's it like? I mean, you're almost at the All-Star break right now. You're accustomed to playing 30-plus games in college. Like, the half of the NBA season, your first half of your first NBA season, how does that feel compared to an entire college season?

Damian Lillard: "I mean, I think the NBA season is a lot tougher because so much of the travel. We might play a home game then the next day we're in New York, then the next day we're somewhere else. So the travel, playing against the best players in the world. You know, I'm playing a lot of minutes. It's a lot tougher than college, but I think some people underestimate the grind of the college season. You have teams that practice hard every day, travel, not as much as the NBA but it's still pretty tough. But I think the NBA is a way bigger challenge."

That's how I take it. Part of the thing is having most fans say 'Yeah, rough life. Rough life. Give me that life!' Five-star hotels, charter flights, this that and the other but I think anybody who just travels, travel alone is exhausting, but if you travel as much as you guys do and you've got to show up and have these runs every night against the best of the best and practice, I can see how that can take a toll. The travel alone would take a toll.

Damian Lillard: "It does. When you're flying until 1 in the morning, 2 in the morning and you have a game there. It's tough to get up for it because you really don't have enough time to recover. The charter flights, it's a lot better than getting on a normal flight, so we're lucky. People want pictures and autographs, things like that, so charter flights makes it easier on us. But at the same time it's still a flight, we still have to get up and play some times on that next day on a back-to-back. It's tough."

Now you find yourself in the middle of a six-game road trip, a really important six-game road trip. In fact, important enough that LaMarcus Aldridge called it a "make or break" road trip. Is that how you entered into it? is that how it feels you, is it a make-or-break trip?

Damian Lillard: "I knew that it was a big trip for us because it could take us in either direction. We could drop under .500 or we (inaudible). I don't think it will break us, but I think if we could get these next two wins it would be good momentum for us going into the All-Star break."

On this trip you're 1-3, got a couple games left. You've got Miami tomorrow night. Talk about how critical that game is at Miami?

Damian Lillard: "It's really big for us. It'll be tough because of how well they're playing but if we can get that one, that would put us at 2-3 on this trip, going into New Orleans, which I think is a winnable game. Every game is but I think that's a very winnable game. If we could finish this road trip .500, 3-3, then we'll be a game above .500, we'll be sitting pretty."

I'm always fascinated by guys, where they start, where they end up. You look at the year you're having right now and it's even more interesting when you consider what you had to get through and what you had to get to to get here. For instance, you start out in high school at St. Joseph's in Alameda, Jason Kidd's alma mater. You weren't seeing a lot of minutes at that time and your parents were paying good money to send you there, yet you weren't getting to play. At that time, what where you thinking about basketball and your prospects?

Damian Lillard: "I mean, I was getting nervous because I was a really big fan of college basketball. I wanted to play in the NBA as much as anybody. But I kinda stepped away from it because I wasn't getting into the game at all at the time. Some times I'd play two, three minutes and other times I wouldn't see the floor. It was tough for me because, everywhere I've been, I wasn't always the best player, but I played. My parents, they're paying money that they don't have to pay for school and I'm not even getting an opportunity to play. It put me in a a tough spot but I just knew that I wouldn't let myself back down from that challenge. I left the school and went back to a public school and I found my place."

And then you flourished. You ended up going to Oakland High in Oakland and averaged more than 20 per game as a senior, but even at that point, like when it seemed like it was all good and was going to work out you weren't getting a lot of attention in recruiting circles, at that point it seemed like you had proven your point but still you weren't getting that attention. What was going on then? How come?

Damian Lillard: "I just think because of the area I was in, it's not a big time area. We don't have a lot of top prospects. I didn't play on a well-known AAU team, so I didn't get the recognition. It didn't bother me; all I wanted to do was get a scholarship. I got on the circuit over the summer and that's when schools started to recruit me and help schools offer me. I just figure what school I went with, make the most of the opportunity. I was blessed to get a scholarship to Weber State. I think my time there was well spent. They really helped me develop myself as a person and a player and I was able to get draft."

What was that like, both on and off the court, the transition from Oakland to Ogden, Utah?

Damian Lillard: "I mean, the type of person that I am, i think Ogden really fit me. It was a laid back, really laid back city, really good people. I met a lot of friends there. I was comfortable as soon as I got there. I had really good relationships with my coaches. It was a lot slower than what I was used to but it really fit my style, really fit my personality. So I enjoyed my time there."

One more thought about your time there. You had a significant test your junior year. There was some talk you might leave early then nine games into that season you broke your foot and you had a lot of time on your hands. At that point what did you do with all that free time?

Damian Lillard: "For about a week, I pouted. I was feeling sorry for myself because I had never had a real serious injury. At this time I was thinking about the NBA, I'm finally performing, scouts are noticing and you break your foot. I pouted for a little bit and then after about a week, week and a half, I met with my coaches and we developed a plan of what I could be doing while I was hurt to get better. I just started to do ball-handling work. I was in the chair, shot on the gun (the name given to the ball return machine used in basketball) from the chair. I was lifting weights six days a week and I watched film of every game I had played up until that point at Weber State. I came up with a list of what I needed to do better based off what I saw and my coach did the same thing. The summer that I was recovering, we broke it all down and worked on those things and I got better at it."

Made the use of the downtime. I'm listening to this and I'm struck by 1) your honesty and then I watch you on the floor and I'm struck by your fearlessness. And there's a story Damian -- you've got to tell me if this is true -- I'm watching you as a player and it seems you're fearless on the court but you admitted if there's one thing that does frighten you, it's statues. And not just statues, but historic statues and it actually goes back to a bad experience at a wax museum. Is that all true?

Damian Lillard: "I was at Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas. I'm walking in the wax museum seeing all the celebrities and I happened to walk into the last room and there's the dead presidents. Martin Luther King. Really huge icons. The Jesus statues and all that kind of gave me shivers. When I saw those people and the music that was playing, it just didn't sit right with me. When I see statues, it kind of bothers me."

Source: http://blogs.trailblazers.com/BroadcasterProfile/BroadcasterBlog/tabid/188/EntryID/4691/BroadcasterID/4/Default.aspx

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Tim Cook At The Goldman Sachs Tech Conference - Business Insider

spoke with Goldman Sachs' analyst Bill Shope at Goldman's technology conference this morning. We listed to the interview and our live notes are below.

? Apple doesn't have a "depression-era" mentality when it comes to cash, despite what David Einhorn said. He says Apple has paid out a lot to shareholders and is actively looking at how to do more.

? He thinks Einhorn's lawsuit is a silly sideshow. What Apple is trying to do is make it better for common shareholders, and Einhorn is actually trying to make things worse.

? Apple has done ~6 acquisitions per year over the last few years, and they're mostly small companies. Apple has looked at big companies, but passed because it wasn't a good fit. Apple could do big acquisitions if it really wanted, but it's not going to buy revenue. Only smart people and good products.

? Apple's culture of innovation is based on the fact that it can do hardware, software, and services. At the intersection of these three, Apple has "magic," and its rivals are trying to catch up.

? The iPhone isn't done growing. The smartphone market is big and getting bigger. Apple can grow.

? Don't limit your thinking when it comes to an affordable iPhone. The iPad is an affordable Mac. There is a way for Apple to make a great, inexpensive product.

? Worrying about the iPad Mini killing the big iPad is stupid. Just make a great product before the competition does.

? Apple's services business can help its margins on its hardware sales.

? Cook loves Apple's stores. If he's ever feeling down, he just goes there and it makes him happy. He likes the energy, he likes to see all the people.

10:10 AM | COOK WILL BE SITTING HERE SHORTLY...

10:15 AM | It's starting .... Goldman talking about Goldman right now.

10:17 AM | Lloyd Blankfein is in the house...

10:18 AM | Lloyd: I won't take long, I know why everyone is here this early in the morning (for Tim Cook).

10:18 AM | Blankfein: Always nervous at this conference, because tech changes so quickly, I'm afraid I'll embarrass myself talking about last year's tech.

10:20 AM | Blankfein is introducing Tim Cook, running down all the crazy numbers for Apple...

10:22 AM | Here's Cook... he starts off with Safe Harbor statement

10:24 AM | Reaction to notion that Apple is in depression-era mindset re: Cash

Cook: Apple doesn't have depression era mentality. Apple makes bold product bets. Last year $10 billion CapEx, do the same this year, investing in R&D, new products, supply chain, we're acquiring some companies. I think it's hard ... or at least my definition wouldn't include investing a pair of 10s over two years, and $45 billion back to shareholders, I don;t know how a company with despression era mindest would have done all those things.

Now, we do have some cash, but it's a privlige to be in this position. That we can seriously consider returning additional cash to our sharholders. Management team and the board in very active discussion, we will do so thoughtfully.

10:25 AM | Thoughts on Greenlight secuirty idea?

Cook: It's creative, and we're going to thoroughly evaluate it.

10:27 AM | Disagreement/lawsuit...

Cook: It centers on Prop 2. Right of shareholders. It's not about whether returns additional cash to sharholders, not about how much to return to shareholders, not about mechanism to return it, it's about the right of shareholders. In 2012, we were looking at what we could do to improve goverence, one item that came out was we should eliminate a blank check preferred. Not that Apple can release preferred, but if we do it we need to go to our common shareholders.

Frankly, I find it bizarre that we would be sue for doing something that would be good for shareholders. It's a silly sideshow.

10:29 AM | More Cook ...

You're not going to see a yes on 2 sign in my front yard. It's a waste of shareholder money.

I support prop 2, I think it's the right thing for shareholders to have the right on this, I encourage others to vote on it. but, it's not something we're going to spend cycles on.

The serious thing is the return of cash, how to do it, and we're serious about that.

Prop 2 a silly sideshow. We feel so strongly that for Apple that shareholders should approve an issuance of preferred stock that common shareholders, we would go for a vote regardless. That's the way I see it.

10:33 AM | Question about acquisitions...

We have done 6 acquisitions per year on average. Mostly IP, or something people are working on, and moved the skills to work on something else.

Great example: We bought PA Semi. We were working on designing the engines in all iOS gadgets. This was a skilled group of guys and they could supplement people in Apple. They were working on PowerPC, so move skills to iOS device engines. That's a great example of what we've done.

We will do more of those. Constantly looking in the market for more to do.

We have looked at large acquisitions but passed. We don't feel a pressure to acquire revenue, we want to make great products, that's what we're about. If a large company could do that, we would do it, but deliberate, thoughtful is the way to do it.

10:37 AM | Where is Apple's culture of innovation?

Cook: Never been stronger. A belief there are no limits. Deeply embedded, in the values, in the DNA of the company, I feel fantastic about it. No better place for innovation.

Look at essentials for innovation, there is no formula. Without releasing all magic, for us, it's skills and leadership.

If you look at skills: Unique and unrivaled position. Skills in software, hardware and services. Reality is that hte model that grew PC industry, someone specialized in something, that model is not working for what consumers want today. The customer is at center of experience.

Where you can innovated in hardware, software, services, the real magic happens at the intersection of these. Apple can innovate like crazy and cause magic.

The iPad is magical because a company was doing all of these things.

Some peopel call this vertical integration, for years, was out of favor, people called it crazy. We never did. This isn't something you can go write a check for. You work decades for this. We're unique and unrivaled, there are people trying to catch up.

10:38 AM | Cook on leadership....

I see superstars. People at the very top of their game, I see people like Jony Ive, he has the best taste in the world.

I see Bob Mansfield, top silicon expert in the world.

Jeff williams, phil, dan, craig, so focused on products at the very top of their game.

I look at Apple, and I see culture deeply embedded.

10:43 AM | Is growth at a natural limit in iPhone?

Cook: We don't have limit in our vocabulary. People I work with don't have limits. It's because of that, people can't live without. When I zoom out and look at smartphone market, I see a market that last year was around 700 mill +/-, projected to double to 1.4 billion. More on a longer term basis all phones will be smartphones.

People love to upgrade their phones, I see a market that is great to be in, one of the greatest markets to be in. Apple has enoromus momentum.

Incredible momentum, over period of time an ecosystem, best customer experience on the planet. Incredible economic gain for developers. Look at App economy, money flowing ... all moved to mobile (tablets/smartphones) I see momentum, ecosystem, when I look at what Apple has done in China.

Gone from a few hundred million to $3 bill to $13 billion to $23 billion last year. I also see in markets where we havent done as well, optty.

10:43 AM | More Cook ...

When I string it all together, and I consider that today, the iPhone only available to 50% of subscribers in the world, frankly, I see a wide open field.

10:47 AM | But can everyone afford iPhones?

Cook: Good question. Our north star is "Great Products." We would never do something that isn't a great product, not why we're on this earth.

That said, if you look at what we've done to appeal to people that are price sensitive ? lower price of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, in most recent quarter, not enough supply of iPhone 4. Suprised us. We are making moves to make things more affordable.

If you look at Apple's history. Look at iPod. It was $399. Today you can get an iPod shuffle for $49.

Instead of how can you cheapen to get it lower, we were saying how can we make something great.

The same thing in a different way, people said why don't you have a Mac that's less than $1,000? We worked on them, put we couldn't do a great product. What did we do? We invented iPad and it starts at $329.

Sometimes you can take the issue and solve it in different ways, our north star is great product and that has served us well. I think of this one, a track record to show it.

10:47 AM | So we shouldnt think of it as a limit?

Laughs...

10:50 AM | Quesiton about screen sizes, why not bigger?

Cook: I don't want to say what we will do or won't do. The truth is...

Let me compare to PC. Way companies compete were specs and price. They would say I have largest drive or fastest processor, or camera would say megapixels.

Products want great product, and those things have nothing to do with that.

Do you know speed of AX processor? You don't , it doesnt matter. You want a fab experience.

If you look at display. People focus on size.

But there are other things. OLED color saturation is horrible. If you buy something online and want to know color, don't depend on OLED display.

Retina 2X as bright as OLED.

There are many attributions of a display and Apple sweats every detail. Not going to comment on what we do in the future, it's always broader than that which can be defined by a simple number.

10:51 AM | Cook: Only thing we'll never do is make a crppy product. We're going to make a great product. Something bold, something ambitious. We sweat the details. Hopefully we've proven this is something we can do.

10:54 AM | Talking iPad now. Strong on unit basis. How do you think about optty going forward?

Cook: Tablet market will be huge. It is a huge opportunity. It's one of those areas that show integrated experience that is jaw dropping. To put 23 million in some context. HP world's largest PC maker sold 15 million PCs. 50%+ more iPads, and if you look at full year, more iPads last year than HP's entire PC lineup, sea change here. I think we're in the early innings of this game. 120 mill tablets last year, projection is that it will triple in 4 years. Think about that that's more PCs sold around the world and PC growth is contracting.

Tablet attracting people who never owened a PC and people who owne them but wnat better epxerience.

10:56 AM | More Cook ...

Cook: 300,000 apps for iPad. Other guys have a few hundred. We have a significant lead in this area.

You can see the whole of Apple here. If you look at usage, there are companies that have very very good usage.

IBM did a survey of usage on Black Friday. Mobile product that had most shopping was iPad. 2X as every Android device, every phone, every tablet. Why? because iPad an incredible experience.

10:58 AM | More Cook ...

We're in every fortune 500, almost every global 500, in education, a long time for products to engage all of these markets, we've already done that. But I still think we're in the initial innings of this. Profound for industry. Age old model of everyone doing a sliver of something and hoping it comes together, customers aren't buying it.

11:00 AM | Question about iPad Mini and cannibalization.

Cook: I get this question a lot. I remember people asking about the iBook. OMG, you're going to kill the Mac! You're stupid.

We don't think about it that much. Our belief, if we don't cannibalize, someone else will. In iPad, I would argue Windows PC is huge and there is more to cannibalize than Mac or large iPad.

If you ever use cannibalizing as a measure of products, it's the beggining of the end.

11:02 AM | Cook...

Look in Brazil, those people buying iPads don't have Apple stuff. This is a huge introduction. We've found correlation between first Apple product and other Apple products. We saw this with iPod and iPhone and iPad for iPhone. All synergies and stuff. It's not about just a point product. As you can probably tell from my response, I think this is a huge opportunity. It seems perfectly reasonable to me to have an iPad and iPad Mini. I think this is going to be the mother of all markets. Customers voting and buying, we had difficult time satisfying everyone.

11:06 AM | From investor perspective ... revenue growth and gross margin preservation?

Cook: Dont want to project margins beyond what we do in earnings. You can go in and accept a lower margin at any time for a strategic reason. Could be our entry into that and at the background, we know the halo effect plays. We have confidence in our ability to execute supply chain. In area of tablets, market huge, have another product. People wanted full iPad in someting smaller and lighter. Becuase we're not a hardware company, we have other ways to make money and reward shareholders. This doesn't get noticed, but last quarter, services and software was $3.7 billion. If you look at that vs. software and services companies, that's an incredible amount of revenue. Because we're not a hardware company other things we're doing and could to have revenues and profits flow. We don't look at the sales of a product as our last part of the relationship. Our stores do a fantastic job. There's financial benefit, but our focus in on customer. Larger than a hardware company affords us ability to not worry about so much in short term, managing for long term. I know people care about quarters, we care, but decisions are for long term health not for short term, 90-day.

11:09 AM | Platform strategy in emerging markets? China, App Store, iCloud popular, but in emerging markets, customers can't buy music/movies. How do you think about that?

CooK: Last year we put enormous energy in expanding geographically. iTunes over 100 coutnries. iBooks over 50 countries. iCloud in every country. Messages in every country that we can, some goverment restrictions, but only one major country nto selling movies. We advanced last year in getting infrastructure. We advanced the ball. Our intention is to have a great eco-sytem everywhere. We don't believe in limits, keep knocking at the door.

11:15 AM | Question about retail...

Cook: Not for selling, but for service. Get more out of Apple products over life of them. It's a gather place that has important role in the community. If you look at agenda, might be youth program coming in as a field trip or a local musician entertaining people, incredibly exciting what these stores do, not even sure store is the right word. They are the face of Apple for all our customers. They dont think of Cupertino, think of the store.

120 million people last year in our stores and we only have 400 stores.

We're closing 20 stores, making them larger. We're adding 30 more, disproportionatly outside the U.S. First store in Turkey, puts us in 13 countries. 4 stores in China last quarter, add lots more. Serve customers there.

One of the things not understood, we wouldn't have been as successful with ipad if nto for stores. It's a different product. People's view of tablet is something the Hertz guy is holding that no one wanted. Our store is a place to explore and discover. I don't think the launch would have been nearly as successful without the stores. It gives Apple competitive advantage to have these stores. It's not so easy to replicate to launch these products. I'm bullish on the stores.

Avg store last year was over $50 million in revenue, who would have thought a store could do that?

If i ever feel like I'm dropping down (feeling bad) I go into a store, it's like a Prozac. A feeling like no other.

11:18 AM | What are you most proud of over the last year?

Cook: Employees. Have privilege of working with people that want to make the best products in the world.

(He rattles off all the "best things" Apple makes...)

Proud we have largest private solar farm anywhere, proud of all of these things.

11:18 AM | And that's that ...

Cook thanks everyone for showing up early.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-at-the-goldman-sachs-tech-conference-2013-2

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