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Monday, July 30, 2012

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Posted by Designer Eric on Jul 30, 2012 in Ezine | 0 comments

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Source: http://www.webgraphicsmembership.com/blog/5087/try-to-have-an-excellent-web-design-in-surrey/

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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Romney voices aggressive stance toward Iran

Israel's President Shimon Peres, left, and US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney walk during a meeting at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 29, 2012. Romney would back an Israeli military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability, a top foreign policy adviser said early Sunday, outlining the aggressive posture the Republican presidential candidate will take toward Iran in a speech in Israel later in the day. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney meet at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 29, 2012. Romney would back an Israeli military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability, a top foreign policy adviser said early Sunday, outlining the aggressive posture the Republican presidential candidate will take toward Iran in a speech in Israel later in the day. (AP Photo/Lior Mizrahi, Pool)

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney walks out with Israel's President Shimon Peres after their meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney meets with Israel's President Shimon Peres, in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Mitt Romney would respect an Israeli decision to make a unilateral military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability, a top foreign policy adviser said Sunday as he outlined the aggressive posture the Republican presidential candidate will take toward Iran in a speech in Israel later in the day.

Romney has said he has a "zero tolerance" policy toward Iran obtaining the capability to build a nuclear weapon.

"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the capability, the governor would respect that decision," foreign policy adviser Dan Senor told reporters ahead of the speech, planned for late Sunday near Jerusalem's Old City.

Senor said Romney is careful to note the governor believes preventing nuclear "capability" ? not just a nuclear weapon ? is critical.

He later clarified his comments in a written statement, saying: "Gov. Romney believes we should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is his fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so. In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded."

Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama has also affirmed the right of Israel to defend itself, but in contrast to Romney, Obama has warned of the consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran.

"Already, there is too much loose talk of war," Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March. "Now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in and to sustain the broad international coalition we have built."

Pentagon officials have spoken publicly about the difficulty of such a strike and American officials have expressed concern about the destabilizing effect such military action could have in the region, even if carried out successfully.

Romney, like Obama, believes the option of a U.S. attack should also be "on the table." He has said he will do "the opposite" of what Obama would do in his approach to Israel.

"Make no mistake: the ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object, and who will look the other way," Romney plans to say later Sunday in a speech in Jerusalem. "My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one and the same: I will not look away; and neither will my country."

The Obama administration hasn't ruled out the military option, but Obama has so far been relying on economic sanctions and diplomatic negotiations to discourage Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

For its part, Iran says it is not interested in nuclear weapons and its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.

The Israelis are considering a strike because they fear Iran could be moving its nuclear enrichment sites further underground, out of reach of the weapons Israel has available.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed Romney as "a representative of the United States" and told the Republican presidential candidate he agrees with his approach to the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Netanyahu said he listened to Romney's speech in Reno, Nev., where the likely GOP nominee said that Iran possessing nuclear capability is the greatest danger facing the world.

"Mitt, I couldn't agree with you more," Netanyahu told Romney.

"We have to be honest and say that all the sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian program by one iota. And that's why I believe that we need a strong and credible military threat coupled with the sanctions to have a chance to change that situation," Netanyahu said.

Romney's verbal support for unilateral Israeli military action represents a break from Obama administration policy.

Iran's nuclear program has become the most pressing problem for the U.S. and Israel and Republicans have consistently criticized Obama for putting too much pressure on Israel in the peace process and being too weak on Iran.

Obama rejects the criticism, and his aides point to what they call unprecedented U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.

Senor was previewing the speech Romney plans in Jerusalem after he spends the day meeting with Israeli officials.

Over the course of the day, Romney will confront some of the world's most difficult peace and security challenges as he looks to demonstrate to Jewish and evangelical voters back home that he's a better friend to Israel than Obama.

Romney faces high stakes as he begins his talks with top Israeli officials and meets with the Palestinian prime minister. Mindful of polls back home that show a tight presidential contest, the former one-term Massachusetts governor is looking to burnish his foreign policy credentials and prove his mettle as a possible commander in chief.

The trip is a chance for Romney to draw implicit contrasts with Obama and demonstrate how he would lead America on the world stage.

But Romney arrived in Jerusalem Saturday night after a difficult few days in Britain, where he made the mistake of criticizing the country's Olympic Games and raised the hackles of his hosts. The gaffe undermined the stated goal of his weeklong journey through Britain, Israel and Poland: emphasizing America's ties with longstanding allies.

Romney has pledged not to criticize Obama while on foreign soil, honoring longstanding American tradition of leaving politics at the water's edge. But his aide's announcement of Romney's willingness to express support for an Israeli strike while in Jerusalem represents an effort to contrast the two presidential opponents.

In addition to Netanyahu, Romney met with other Israeli officials and will also sit down with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

"Like you we are very concerned about the development of nuclear capabilities on the part of Iran and feel it is unacceptable for Iran to become a nuclear armed nation," Romney said at a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres. "The threat it would pose to Israel, the region and the world is incomparable and unacceptable."

Romney planned to spend the evening dining at Netanyahu's home ? the Israeli leader invited Romney and his wife to break the fast for the Jewish holiday Tisha B'Av. The holy day, celebrated Sunday, commemorates the destruction of two temples in Jerusalem.

Romney and Netanyahu have known each other since both were young businessmen at Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s.

While Romney is left to implicit contrasts with his Democratic opponent, Obama has been focusing on Israel, signing legislation on Friday increasing military and civilian ties between the U.S. and Israel. And he authorized the release of an additional $70 million in military aid for Israel, a previously announced move that appeared timed to Romney's trip.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-29-Romney-Israel/id-ceaabe6724794107a19d743794f529fc

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Phelps-Lochte matchup highlights day 1 of swimming

LONDON (AP) ? The retiring star with more gold medals than anyone. The friendly rival who intends to be the biggest star in London.

Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte.

What a way to start eight days of swimming at the Olympic pool!

The two Americans will go head-to-head Saturday in the 400-meter individual medley, a grueling race encompassing all four strokes, an appropriate way for one or the other to fire the first salvo in this most intriguing of rivalries.

"A very rough race," said Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, smiling at the possibilities. "It will be a coach's dream, but also a spectator's dream. It will be fantastic."

For Phelps, it's a chance to add to his record total of 14 gold medals and become the first male swimmer to win the same event at three straight Olympics. But Lochte is the defending world champion and defeated Phelps rather easily at the U.S. trials last month.

Lochte is certainly not lacking for confidence.

"Right after Beijing, I had a four-year plan for getting here to London," he said. "I thought I could go a lot faster. I knew I could, just because of the training I've done. That's why I knew this was going to be my year."

Lochte started following the same training regimen used by burly athletes who can compete in Strongman competitions ? rolling large tires, tossing kegs, dragging chains. He believes it's made him stronger than anyone else in the pool. He believes it's the edge he needs to beat Phelps, and everyone else.

"It's going to pay off," Lochte said. "I just know it."

The Phelps-Lochte showdown won't be the only event on the opening night of swimming.

The home crowd will be cheering on Britain's Hannah Miley in the women's 400 IM, where she'll be competing against American teenager Elizabeth Beisel and California-based Katinka Hosszu, the latest in a long line of Hungarian medley specialists. The men's 400 freestyle figures to be a tussle among China's Sun Yang, South Korea's Park Tae-hwan and France's Yannick Angel. Ranomi Kromowidjojo leads the Flying Dutch in the women's 4x100 free relay, an event the Netherlands won at the last Olympics and the past two world championships.

The Americans will look to challenge with a relay squad that potentially includes Natalie Coughlin, who won six medals in Beijing but didn't even qualify for an individual event for these games. The 29-year-old was knocked off at the U.S. trials by an emerging wave of teenage stars, including Missy Franklin, but managed to claim a spot on the team as a possible relay swimmer by finishing sixth in the 100 free.

Without a strong showing in the preliminaries, she might not even get a chance to swim the evening final. But, if the Americans finish on the podium, a morning swim would be good enough to give Coughlin the 12th medal of her career, tying Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson as America's most decorated female Olympian.

But those races are mere warmups to the main event.

Phelps is chasing more history at these games, having already claimed the record for most golds ? five more than anyone else ? and knocked off Mark Spitz's iconic Olympic standard with eight wins in Beijing. Next up: Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who is two ahead of Phelps with 18 career medals. It shouldn't be too much of a challenge for him to take down that record, since he's got seven events in London and figures to win a medal of some color in every one of them.

Lochte doesn't mind Phelps winning silver or bronze. Those colors don't interest the laid-back Floridian in the least.

"You should be going in with the mindset of winning," Lochte said. "That's what I'm going to be doing each race. I'm going up there to win. I'm not going for silver or bronze, I'm going for gold."

The winningest Olympian ever will certainly have something to say about that. Phelps struggled to stay motivated after Beijing, and some lackluster training showed at last year's world championships, where he was beaten by Lochte in both the 200 free and 200 individual medley. But Phelps has clearly regained his racing edge, wanting to go out in style at what he insists will be the final meet of his career. He intends to retire as soon as his final Olympic race is done.

"Last workout ever," Phelps tweeted Friday morning, joking that he wouldn't have to do anymore "garbage yardage" and thanking his coach for guiding him throughout his career. "Now let's have some fun this week."

Phelps showed he means business by beating Lochte in both the 200 free and the 200 IM at the U.S. trials. While Lochte took the 400 IM, Phelps only restored that event to his program earlier this year, after vowing to give it up after Beijing. He figures to be faster in London than he was in Omaha.

"It's always a challenge to have things go perfectly," Phelps said. "For the very first night, it is going to be a challenging race. It's going to be an exciting race. Bob and I have changed a few things over the past few weeks, and we'll see what's going to happen in that race. I feel confident. Everything feels good."

Lochte vows he'll also be a lot faster than he was at the trials.

"I knew that wasn't my meet," he said. "That was just a little appetizer, I guess. This is the big show. This is what I've been working for. I wasn't working for trials. I was working for the Olympics."

Because of his unique training program, he believes he's got an edge on everyone at the pool ? Phelps included. Lochte is convinced that flipping an 850-pound tire 20 or 30 times down a lonely Florida road is just what he needed to knock off the guy with all those gold medals.

"That Strongman stuff, it helped me out a lot," Lochte said. "I knew no other swimmer was doing the stuff I was doing. I knew I had an edge. That gave me the confidence that I needed."

Now, we'll see if that's enough.

What an opening night indeed.

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/phelps-lochte-matchup-highlights-day-1-swimming-041131689--oly.html

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Classic Card Games - Waveney Valley Blog - Herrera Branden78's ...

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EYES ON LONDON: British anti-climax, hidden flame

LONDON (AP) ? Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:

___

IT WASN'T TO BE

The excitement near the road course finish line outside the palace fell flat as Great Britain and favorite Mark Cavendish failed to win a medal.

"I was there when he didn't win it!" shouted Richard Jones of London.

He'd been watching the race on television with his wife and another couple when they decided with an hour to go to hustle over to Buckingham Palace for the finish.

"We practically did a triathlon to get here," said Jane Carson of Chester. "And we didn't even get very close ? but neither did Cav."

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

___

STAG DO

A rowing regatta isn't the usual place to start a bachelor party.

It worked out just fine for husband-to-be Martin Stanning, though, as he watched sister Heather romp to victory in the women's pair with partner Helen Glover at Dorney Lake? setting a Olympic best time in the process.

Martin was under orders in the "stag do" ? as it's called in Britain ? from his older brother Alistair, who was organizer-in-chief. His parents were there, too.

Glover and Stanning are big favorites to win the final of the women's pair on Wednesday after going through this season unbeaten. If they win gold, they'll become the first British women to do so.

?Steve Douglas ? Twitter http://twitter.com/sdouglas80

___

HOT VENUE

Although the ExCel venue is well south of the Olympic Park, the venue is shaping up as a surprisingly good place to catch the Olympic spirit.

ExCel is hosting boxing, weightlifting, judo, fencing and table tennis in separate spaces, but the sprawling complex is connected by a central hall that has turned into a pedestrian mall where the combined crowd can mingle amid a large array of dining options.

With thousands of fans pouring off trains Saturday, ExCel had a remarkable vibe as each of its sports except wrestling got underway. The venue's only obvious flaw is a lack of seating in that central hall, where hundreds of people are just sitting on the ground to eat their baked potatoes and curries.

? Greg Beacham ? Twitter http://twitter.com/gregbeacham

___

HERE COMES THE SUN

Another day in often-soggy London, another healthy dose of blue skies and bright sunshine. With a cool breeze blowing gently, it's hard to imagine a better start to these games from a weather perspective.

How did we get so lucky? Maybe Sir Paul asked John and George to put in a good word for a little help from above.

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

___

GYM INTRIGUE

There's intrigue at the men's gymnastics.

China, which hasn't lost a major competition since the 2004 Olympics, is already second after a dismal performance this morning.

The U.S. has got through its worst event ? pommel horse ? in decent shape while Japan, runner-up to China at both the Beijing Olympics and the last two world championships, had to count a fall on high bar, one of its better events.

? Nancy Armour, Twitter www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

KAZAKH GOLD

After a sprint finish, Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan wins the Olympic gold medal in the men's cycling road race. Britain's high hopes of a medal have been dashed.

___

CANADA PROUD

"This is only my second one since 1972, so I am a rookie to opening ceremony, but one word: Proud!" ? "Captain Canada" Ian Millar, 10-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic silver medallist in team show jumping

?Danica Kirka ? http://twitter.com/danicakirka

___

OLYMPIC SPIRIT

Putting aside their rivalry here, football players from Brazil, Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand are sharing the same hotel in Manchester and are getting along just fine.

The Brazilian federation has posted photos of the teams playing table tennis together and says players from the four teams have been mingling in activities throughout the hotel. The teams are playing in Group C of the men's Olympic tournament.

? Tales Azzoni ? Twitter http://twitter.com/tazzoni

___

SECOND BEST

Greg Munford, 31, applied for "loads" of tickets but didn't get a single one. "I was gutted," he says.

So he came from his home in the English city of Bath to London's Hyde Park, where thousands of people are sprawled on wood chips (the grass fell victim to a concert series and wet weather) watching five big screens showing everything from handball to cycling.

"If I can't get to the venues this is the second-best place to be," says Munford. "I'm soaking up the spirit." He admits he didn't understand much of the dressage on the screen, but offered: "It all looks very elegant!"

? Niko Price ? Twitter http://twitter.com/nikoprice

___

BUSTLING PARK

Tourist Time.

Olympic Park is hustling and bustling. The pathways are filled with foot traffic, the merchandise stores bursting with visitors.

Everyone appears to be getting the lay of the land, and the benches and tables appear to be very popular as folks grab a rest from all the walking.

?Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

___

CHAOS AT THE PALACE

There's chaos outside Buckingham Palace where the men's road course race will zoom by at the finish.

Thousands are surging toward the barricades, as security is imploring people to back up into Green Park or move further down the course.

Nobody wants to move, though, as everyone is eager to see Great Britain possibly win its first medal.

?Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

___

HIDDEN FLAME

It's a shame you can't see the Olympic flame. That was the reaction from visitors to London's Olympic Park and across Twitter on Saturday, as the intricate cauldron and its copper petals remained out of sight in the middle of the stadium.

All recent Olympics have featured a flaming cauldron, visible across the Olympic precinct.

But in London, only spectators lucky enough to have a ticket for events inside the main stadium will actually see it. Other park visitors will only be able to see an image beamed onto big screens.

At a news conference Saturday, cauldron creator Thomas Heatherwick defended the decision, saying organizers had tried to resist the temptation of creating a cauldron that was bigger, fatter or higher than at previous games.

"There was the complete precedent of the 1948 (London) Games of the cauldron set within the stadium... to one side with the spectators and with the technology we now have that didn't exist in 1948 it can be shared with everyone in the Park with screens," Heatherwick said.

The cauldron design was backed by the UK prime minister, but some members of the International Olympic Committee are said to be privately critical of the concept.

? Sandy Macintyre and Mark Davies

___

HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

Seems even the queen can't resist the opportunity to act with Daniel Craig.

The British monarch didn't need much persuading to take part in the brief flick that electrified the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, says Jackie Brock-Doyle, the spokeswoman for the organizing committee.

"She liked the whole concept Danny brought together," she says ? presumably right down to the detail of having the queen's corgis, Monty, Holly and Willow, similarly take starring roles.

The matter was presented to her majesty by organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe last year.

? Danica Kirka ? http://twitter.com/danicakirka

___

CLOSE SHAVE

British gymnast Louis Smith knows a thing or two about making a statement. The eccentric 23-year-old ? the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist on pommel horse ? is known as much for his well-coiffed hair and elaborate tattoos as his elegant routines.

A couple of days before the biggest ? and perhaps final ? meet of his life, Smith slipped out of the Olympic village to his home in Peterborough to visit his barber.

"I could have used one in the village, but I didn't want to tell him he was doing it wrong," Smith said.

He returned with a distinctive do, with shaved sides and a meticulously groomed flowing flattop.

Smith says the "hip" cut is designed to grab the kind of attention he thinks the sport needs.

?Will Graves ? Twitter http://twitter.com/WillGravesAP

___

AN AMAECHI MOMENT

Strolling through security to enter Olympic Park, former British basketball star John Amaechi says he has been quite pleased with how his home country has opened these games.

The center paired with gymnast Nadia Comaneci to take the torch to the roof of the North Greenwich Arena earlier this month and is eager to see how Britain opens against powerful Russia in its men's basketball opener on Sunday.

"It's been wonderful so far, but the real work hasn't even started," Amaechi says. "That will tell the tale."

?Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

___

I SEE BY YOUR OUTFIT ...

Dressed head to toe in the British flag ? or, rather, AS the British flag ? Mick Burn wanted to find a spot along the road course to cheer cyclist Mark Cavendish.

But his outfit was so extreme, the man from Watford in Hertfortshire couldn't make it more than a few feet (meters) at a time without being stopped by fans wanting to pose for a picture with him.

"I've been mobbed all day," he says. And he's delighted by that fact.

It took him almost two years and 200 pounds (more than $300) to assemble the outfit, which consisted of everything from "posh golf pants," a waistcoat, his watch, eyeglasses and even his underwear. The toughest item was the sport coat, which cost him 50 pounds (about $75) on eBay.

Burn had thought his niece, rower Lucinda Gooderham, would be competing in these games. She didn't qualify, but he vowed to keep fine-tuning the outfit for Rio.

See a picture of him here: http://pic.twitter.com/IxF6WM7y

?Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

___

SMOOOOOOOOOOTH

"Louis Smith as smooth as strawberries and cream on pommel horse. It's like he's in slow motion, control in amazing." ? AP's Will Graves tweets from the gymnastics venue. A spectacular pommel horse by Britain's Smith capped the day for the British, who finished almost 2.5 points ahead of China with at a total of 272.420. Team finals are Monday.

?Will Graves ? Twitter http://twitter.com/WillGravesAP

___

GHOST TOWN

On a Saturday lunchtime, London's main shopping area, Oxford Street should be packed. Saturday afternoon, it is surprisingly empty of the usual crowd of Londoners and tourists. Were there a lot of late nights last night at opening ceremony parties or are the crowds in different parts of London enjoying the events?

?Fergus Bell ? Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item, and get even more AP updates from the Games here: http://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eyes-london-british-anti-climax-hidden-flame-153944500--oly.html

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Asian-American soldier faced punishment before he shot himself, trial told

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina (Reuters) - A Chinese-American soldier in Afghanistan was forced to crawl about 50 yards (meters) as punishment while his superiors yelled and hurled rocks at him hours before he took his own life, a fellow soldier testified on Friday in a court-martial hearing.

Private Danny Chen killed himself by a gunshot in a guard tower in southern Afghanistan last October.

One of his superiors, Sergeant Adam Holcomb, is standing trial in Fort Bragg on allegations his physical mistreatment and racial harassment pushed Chen to commit suicide.

Holcomb, 30, has pleaded not guilty and faces nearly 18 years of confinement and a dishonorable discharge if convicted on charges that include negligent homicide.

On Friday, Holcomb's defense lawyers called a dozen witnesses in an attempt to shift the focus from his conduct to what some described as Chen's shortcomings as a soldier.

The soldiers described harsh conditions at the remote combat outpost where stress ran high, politically incorrect nicknames were used and soldiers endured physical discipline when they failed to measure up.

A service member who served with Chen, Specialist Nicholas Sepeda, said Chen was not physically fit when he arrived in Afghanistan and their superiors frequently put him through "corrective training" involving push-ups, squats and other harsher measures.

He described the scene of Chen being forced to crawl to a guard tower while several non-commissioned officers threw rocks at him and yelled, "Incoming!"

"I didn't think it was right they were throwing rocks at him," Sepeda said.

On one occasion, Holcomb pulled Chen out of his bunk and dragged him across sharp rocks, lacerating his back, Sepeda said. Sepeda took photographs of the injuries.

"He was treated like dirt, wasn't he?" a military prosecutor asked Sepeda on cross-examination. "Yes he was," Sepeda replied.

But Sepeda said non-commissioned officers at the outpost disciplined or "smoked" other solders, including himself.

Sepeda said he did not think Chen was targeted for harassment as much as he initially thought immediately after Chen's suicide.

'HAD TO PROD HIM TO LEARN'

Sergeant William Zade, another defense witness, said Chen often showed up late for guard duty and frequently fell asleep in the guard tower and could not be trusted to go out on patrols.

"Basic skills ? he was deficient in all of them," Zade said. "We had to prod him to learn."

Specialist Zachary Bolin, a medic assigned to the outpost, said anytime he saw Chen being disciplined, he thought there was a reason for it.

Bolin said he heard Chen referred to as "dragon lady."

Holcomb is accused of using racial slurs and failing to stop his subordinates from using similar offensive language.

"It was just a nickname," Bolin said. "It wasn't said with anger or disrespect."

Private First Class Timothy Carner described what he called bizarre behavior by Chen, including a time when Chen chose to sleep in a portable toilet.

"I asked him about it," Carner said. "He didn't feel like he deserved to sleep in a bed, so he went and slept in a port a-potty. I felt it was a very strange decision to make."

Holcomb's lawyers plan to call three more defense witness on Saturday, the fifth day of the trial.

Seven of Chen's other superiors from the Alaska-based 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, are also charged in the case and will be tried separately.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-american-soldier-faced-punishment-shot-himself-trial-025143952.html

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Saturday, July 28, 2012

BMW's C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph

All things considered, we think it's safe to say BMW very rarely disappoints with its latest road-friendly creations, and one of the outfit's most recent concoctions is this eco-friendly C Evolution electric scooter. According to the German company, the prototype two-wheeler's quite close to hitting its final production stages, noting "it might soon become a part of everyday road traffic in cities throughout the world" and that it is "outstanding in terms of performance, functionality and design." On paper, the C Evolution appears to be rather promising, with BMW also claiming the environmental hog can ride out about 62 miles on a single charge -- all while being able to reach max speeds of around 75 mph. No word yet on how much you'll have to save up for one of these, but for now, there's a video of the C Evo in action waiting on you just past the break.

Continue reading BMW's C Evolution electric scooter does 62 miles on a charge, maxes out at 75 mph

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