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Decision 3012
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Season 7 episode Broadcast season 9 episode | |||||
Decision 3012 | |||||
No. | 117 | ||||
Production number | 7ACV03 | ||||
Written by | Patric M. Verrone | ||||
Directed by | Dwayne Carey-Hill | ||||
Title caption | Made from 100% recycled pixels | ||||
First air date | 27 June, 2012 | ||||
Broadcast number | S09E03 | ||||
Title reference | "Decision 2012", a media nickname for the 2012 U.S. presidential election | ||||
Opening cartoon | The Family Album (1930) | ||||
Additional | |||||
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Season 7 | |||||
"Decision 3012" is the one hundred and seventeenth episode of Futurama, the third of the seventh production season and the third of the ninth broadcast season. It aired on 27 June, 2012, on Comedy Central. Leela becomes a campaign manager for a presidential candidate whose birth certificate is missing.
Act I: "I'm going to get involved in the political process and make my voice heard!"
Richard Nixon's head runs for a third term as president of Earth. The crew, with the exception of Leela, are set on voting for Nixon, especially Bender, who has been swayed by the free beer given by Nixon to citizens for his campaign. They point out that they would rather stick to a candidate they have already experienced rather than face the possibilities of a new candidate. Leela decides to become a campaign manager for one of Nixon's opponents, Senator Chris Travers, whose good-hearted views are disliked by the general public. She helps him reinvigorate Travers' faltering campaign by making promotional stops to help him socialize with the people. Travers is eventually named a nominee against Nixon. The crew decide to help Leela in Travers' campaign, with the exception of Bender, who collaborates with Nixon in helping sabotage Travers' campaign.
Act II: "We voters demand you release your Earth certificate!"
At Travers' presidential headquarters, Bender attempts to find some incriminating info about Travers, but only succeeds in finding positive information about him. When he reads out Travers' middle name, "Zaxxar", Nixon points out how the name sounds like that of an alien and how voters hate aliens. Despite the fact that Travers is a human, Bender and Nixon decide to spread a rumor that Travers is an alien. At one of Travers' campaign stops, Bender questions whether Travers was actually born on Earth and demands his "Earth certificate". Leela plans to release the certificate to prove he was born on Earth, but Travers dismisses the rumors as distractions from the real issues and tells Leela not to look for the certificate. Nonetheless, Leela, Bender and Fry travel to Our Lady of Patriotism Hospital in Kenya, where Travers claims he was born, to find the certificate. They find a file labelled "Travers", but fails to find an Earth certificate. Travers then arrives at the scene. Leela examines the file more, and finds that Travers' mother was admitted to the hospital that morning. Travers then reveals that while he was in fact born on Earth, he will only be born tomorrow, for he is actually from the future.
Act III: "It really doesn't matter who you vote for!"
Travers explains that he was sent back from the year 3028 to prevent Nixon from getting elected. He goes on to explain the series of events that follows after Nixon's election. Nixon's promise to build an alien-proof fence around the solar system eliminated cheap alien labor from Earth. Without the aliens to perform these jobs, the economy collapsed. Starvation and civil unrest became widespread around Earth. Nixon then eliminated working-class humans, turning them into a food product named Soylent Majority. With the working class gone, robots were forced to do all of Earth's labor, and they eventually rose into revolt, led by Bender. The last remnants of humanity hid underground and sent Travers back in time to oppose Nixon and prevent him from getting elected. As he has not yet been born, he has no certificate. Leela then comes up with the plan of broadcasting his birth on live television. His mother eventually gives birth and his certificate is printed. The election results are announced, and Travers is declared the winner. When Amy asks Bender why he is not upset over Nixon's loss, he replies that he does not really care. Travers starts to fade away as Bender points out that since Nixon never won the election, the robot uprising never occured and Travers was never sent back in time to begin with. All mentions of Travers are erased as he disappears, and Morbo announces that Nixon has won the election. Back at the Planet Express headquarters, the crew realize that it does not really matter who one votes for. Leela points out that they at least tried to make a difference, but forgets Travers' name. Hermes points out that they never even left the building. At the end, Nixon says that he always wins.
According to the commentary, the episode was written in April 2011.
In 2012, two revelations concerning the episode were made. On 29 February, CGEF revealed the episode's title, its writer to be Patric M. Verrone and its director to be Dwayne Carey-Hill.[1][2] On 25 April, MSN TV revealed the episode's plot and air date.[3]
In May, Countdown to Futurama released five items of promotional material for the episode: concept art of Bender dressed as Napoleon on 13 May,[4] concept art of Senator Chris Travers on 14 May,[5] a video clip featuring Morbo as the host of a political debate and suggesting that the presidential candidate mentioned in the MSN TV plot was Travers on 15 May,[6] a promotional picture featuring a Robot army consisting of Bender dressed as Napoleon, Destructor, four Killbots and several other machines on 16 May[7] and part of the storyboard showing both Bender break into a cave full of Humans and the portion of the video clip where Morbo addresses Travers for the last time[8] and the announcement of the second Futurama podcast - which confirmed that the presidential candidate mentioned in the MSN TV plot was Travers - on 17 May.[9] A preview of the episode aired on 20 June during the credits of the episode "A Farewell to Arms".
The episode was watched by 1.452 million viewers.[citation needed]
Additional information
- This is the first episode in which the opening sequence continues directly into the episode itself.
- This marks the first time the full opening sequence was used in season seven.
- Various sections of the episode borrow from La Jetée, a 1962 sci-fi featurette that deals with elements of time travel and mankind's demise.
- The episode's title is a reference to "Decision 2012", a media nickname for the 2012 U.S. presidential election.
- The music that begins Nixon's speech is "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Phillip Sousa, considered to be the official march of the United States of America.
- Chris Travers is a reference to U.S. president Barack Obama - in that he is a Harvard educated senator and former community organizer from Hawaii, raised by his grandparents, with a middle name that sounds 'foreign', and there are conspiracy theories about his Earth certificate.[9]
- Also, Travers is born in Kenya, which is where many 'birthers' claim Obama is really from.
- The female candidate - who says "We have a saying up in Alaska..." - is likely a reference to former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin.
- One of the candidates says, "Enviro-mite!", a clear parody of Jimmie Walker's character J.J. Evans from Good Times, whose catchphrase was "Dy-no-mite!".
- The music heard during the news montage of Travers is a parody of Louis Prima's composition "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" as made famous by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.
- Scoop Chang now works for Fox "News". This is a reference to the infamous conservative bias and high amount of editorial and opinion-based shows that exist on said network.
- Hedonismbot's role as "Big Throat" is an obvious parody of Mark Felt's role as "Deep Throat".
- The fence constructed by Nixon along the southern border of Earth is a reference to the controversial Mexico – United States barrier. The Earth border fence mimics the barricade constructed in the Star Trek episode "The Tholian Web".
- The Dyson Fence is a reference to a Dyson Sphere, a hypothetical structure that completely encompasses a star and hence captures most or all of its power output.
- The product Soylent Majority is a reference to both soylent products, and to Richard Nixon's famous 1969 political phrase "silent majority".
- The human race being taken over by robots in the future and being forced to live underground to survive is a direct reference to the Terminator movies.
- And sending somebody back to the past from the future using time travel to attempt to alter history.
Nations at the convention
There are several nations which were represented at Travers' nominating convention, including:
- Atlanta
- Belarus
- eHIO
- iOwa
- Kardashistan
- References the Kardashian family
- Lo'ihi
- New New York
- Old Zealand
- Panem
- References the setting of The Hunger Games
- R'lyeh
- References the sunken alien city in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos
- Skyrim
- References the setting of the 2011 video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Svalbard
- Tri-State Area
- Waterworld
- References the setting of the 1995 science fiction film Waterworld
- Bender has previously worn a Napoleon hat and briefly joked with the others that he believed he was Napoleon in the HAL Institute during "Insane in the Mainframe". He was also seen dressed up as Napoleon in a portrait in "Godfellas".
- Bender's sunglasses were last seen in Bender's Big Score.
- Bender was also using the same rifle he was using in Bender's Big Score.
- Travers traveled back in time to 3012 thanks to the Machine language time code, thought destroyed in Bender's Big Score, but is revealed to have survived on a photocopy of Fry's rear end. He was erased from time shortly after his infant duplicate was born. This is because in Bender's Big Score none of the paradoxes stopped themselves from getting the time code in the first place, however, Travers erased the point in time where he used it, therefore he never did at all.
- This slightly conflicts with a point made in Bender's Big Score that the code itself is paradox-correcting. Based on the logic in "Decision 3012", a number of events stemming from Bender's numerous thefts in the past (including the construction of several golden Death Stars and subsequently, the final battle of the movie) would have never happened due to the final Bender inviting the others to stay underground rather than present their treasure to the scamming aliens.
- A presidential election was last featured in "A Head in the Polls".
- Ironically, Bender and Nixon were enemies in "A Head in the Polls", but now they've joined forces in this episode. An allusion to this reversal is seen early on in this episode where Bender shows off reelect Nixon bumperstickers he used to repair his ass, while at the end of "A Head in the Polls", Bender struggles to get the elect Nixon bumperstickers off of his ass.
- A sign at the convention says Atlanta, which was shown to be both under the ocean and its own nation in "The Deep South".
- The state of eHIO was previously mentioned in "Bendin' in the Wind".
- The fact that Bender was a convicted felon so he couldn't vote was previously mentioned in "A Head in the Polls".
- The time code Chris Travers used to go back to 3012 was the same "paradox correcting" time code we were introduced to in Bender's Big Score. Yet, a paradox occurred and erased Travers even though the time code used is supposed to be a special time code that prevents this from happening.
- If Chris Travers never came to the past (3012), Nixon wouldn't have been running unopposed. Instead, Mr. Greenland, the first runner-up, would've gone against Nixon in the election.
- Maybe Mr. Greenland dropped out in that timeline thereby Nixon was unopposed. If this happened, the next candidate would've then taken over, but maybe that candidate was forced to drop out as well because of Nixon's underhanded tactics.
- If Travers hadn't been born yet, and as such named, then why did he have a file in the hospital?
- Adult Travers may have put that there, as he did anticipate the crew going there.
- This is unlikely, as he didn't want anyone to find out about him.
- Travers is his last name, the file Leela finds is only label "Travers". It's possible it's his mother's file as she was admitted to the hospital that morning.
- Adult Travers may have put that there, as he did anticipate the crew going there.
- This episode contains a paradox, if Chris Travers had caused himself to cease to exist, then his future would occur, then he would exist, and then he would go back, and then cause himself to cease to exist and so on, so there would be no actual solution.
- Travers used a paradox correcting time code, so there technically couldn't be a paradox, although there were also possible paradoxes in Bender's Game.
- Technically, it's a "Paradox Correcting Time Code". The correction in this instance was Travers disappearing, instead of a time duplicate being killed (Travers never disrupted the flow of time besides his election).
- There's also the possibility that Travers created an alternate timeline. Since the main issue was Nixon's Earth border fence starting the events leading to Travers's future, when the time sphere corrected the paradox it also altered the timeline so Travers would never have travelled to the past, thus preventing the causality loop.
- Bender's Reelect Nixon ass stickers disappear after they are first shown.
- In the montage of the future, one of the aliens shown disappearing as a result of the Dyson fence is a Neptunian, however the fence is said to surround the solar system, so presumably migration from Neptune would be unimpeded.
- Perhaps he was not a native Neptunian and still forced to leave.
- When Leela, Bender and Fry travel to Kenya, the hospital appears to be in the middle of a jungle. However in "Mars University" Farnsworth hints that jungles no longer exist on Earth, exclaiming "Jungles? On Earth? Ha!".
- When Travers talks about the future, he says that he escaped just as the robots arrived. However, he could not have known what occurred after he left.
- He could have been anticipating the robots' arrival to take place at the moment that he escaped.
- If the Earth Constitution is identical to the United States Constitution (except for substituting "Earth" for "United States"), and since Travers was born just before the election, he would legally be less than a year old, and therefore ineligible to run as a candidate in the election, as the Constitution has a minimum age requirement of thirty-five. Furthermore, Travers should never have even gotten any votes, or won (before the paradox occurred and erased him) on Election Day, as he would have been disqualified for not meeting the age requirement.
- Nixon is running for a sixth term, as the banner he is standing under mentions he will be elected for 4 more years. However, in "A Head In the Polls" a reporter mentioned that the Earth Consitution still limits presidents to 2 terms.
- He is most likely using the same loophole he originally used to become Earth President, wherein no "body" can be elected more than twice.
Chris Travers: Look, let's be honest here. No one likes taxes. But they pay for our basic needs. Roads, schools, defence. If we hope to realise our aspirations as a great planet, we must each pay our fair share to achieve those noble goals.
[Cut to: The audience. They all lean forward and boo, except for Leela, who stands up and claps slowly. They quiet down, leaving Leela left standing and clapping alone. She makes an angry face and sits down, crossing her arms.]
Morbo: Thank you, Senator. A thoughtful and lucid answer. [angrily] You will be destroyed!
Bender: All right, I'm low on bullets. Everyone scooch together.
Richard Nixon's head: I promise to cut taxes for the rich and use the poor as a cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel!
[The audience applauds.]
Fry: That'll show those poor!
Leela: You're not rich.
Fry: But someday I might be rich, and people like me better watch their step!
Bender: Is that you Big Throat?
Hedonismbot: In the flesh.
Bender: Listen I need some dirt on Senator Chris Travers.
Hedonismbot: How quaint, but I suppose I should do my part for political intercourse. Come closer, and I'll expose what I know.
[Bender walks up to him, and leans down to his mouth.]
Hedonismbot: There's nothing. He's as clean as a freshly waxed buttock.
Bender: Hey did you put your tongue in my ear?
Hedonismbot: Certainly not, I don't have a tongue.
Bender: Oh good, cause I don't have an ear.
Leela: This is crazy! You're from the future?
Travers: Yes. I was sent back from the year 3028 to prevent Nixon from getting elected.
Fry: I was sent forward from the year 2000, but you don't hear me gassing on about it.
Leela: But, why would it be so important to stop Nixon?
Travers: Because of the horrific events he's going to set in motion. [Travers begins to cry.] Oh God... I can't bring myself to describe it.
Fry: Oh well, wanna hear about how I got frozen?
Travers: [He wipes his nose.] Not really.
Bender: Wait, I know a robot named B.B. Rodriguez. Wait, I am a robot named B.B. Rodriguez!
Bender: You want my opinion, Nixon's only chance to defeat Travers is with filthy lies, dirty tricks and good old Quaker thuggery! [The scene zooms out, revealing that Bender is with Nixon in the Oval Office.] And I'm just the guy for the job! [Bender and Nixon laugh evilly.]
Bender and Nixon's Head: AROOOOO!
- Amy
- Mrs. Astor
- Debut: Backwoods septic tank
- Bender
- Calculon
- Censored couple (woman only)
- Scoop Chang
- Cowardman
- Debut: Chris Travers
- Debut: Chris Travers' mother
- Destructor
- Professor Farnsworth
- Fry
- Gearshift (cameo, unknown moment)
- Hattie
- Headless clone of Agnew
- Hermes
- Hedonismbot
- Hoschel
- Hydroponic farmer
- Hypnotoad
- iZac
- Killbots
- Leela
- Linda
- Morbo
- Debut: Mr. Greenland
- Mayor Poopenmeyer
- Michelle (cameo, unknown moment)
- Richard Nixon's head
- Nixon's campaign manager
- Petunia
- Queen of Yonkers
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg's head
- Sal
- Judge Whitey
- Zoidberg
- Australia (mentioned in speech only)
- Eurasia
- Kentucky
- ^ Episode Guide: 7 ACV. (CGEF.) 29 February 2012. Retrieved on 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Just Fan" (29 February 2012). "Futurama: Futurama News (pre-season 7)". (PEEL.) Retrieved on 29 February 2012.
- ^ Futurama - Episode Guide. (MSN TV.) Retrieved on 26 April 2012.
- ^ Matt Tobey (13 May 2012). Countdown to Futurama: Bender as Napoleon Sketch. (Comedy Centrl.) Retrieved on 13 May 2012.
- ^ Matt Tobey (14 May 2012). Countdown to Futurama: Senator Chris Travers. (Comedy Centrl.) Retrieved on 14 May 2012.
- ^ Matt Tobey (15 May 2012). Countdown to Futurama: Crowded Field of Candidates Clip. (Comedy Centrl [sic].) Retrieved on 15 May 2012.
- ^ Matt Tobey (16 May 2012). Countdown to Futurama: Robot Army. (Comedy Centrl.) Retrieved on 16 May 2012.
- ^ Matt Tobey (17 May 2012). Countdown to Futurama: Scooch Together and You Will Be Destroyed Storyboard. (Comedy Centrl.) Retrieved on 17 May 2012.
- ^ a b Comedy Central (15 May 2012). iTunes - Podcasts - Futurama: Countdown to Futurama by Comedy Central (Week 2). (iTunes Store.) Retrieved on 22 May 2012.


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Here is what a trip to the dentist will look like
Dental practices have been told they can reopen from June if they put in place appropriate safety measures.
Research reveals that nearly a third of Brits are reluctant to return to their dental practices post-lockdown so dentists are reassuring the public that practices will be one of the most sterile environments in the country.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn a letter to all practices, NHS England's chief dental officer Sara Hurley, said: "We are asking that all dental practices commence opening from Monday June 8 for all face-to-face care, where practices assess that they have the necessary IPC and PPE requirements in place."
At the moment any patient with an emergency dental problem is supposed to be referred to an Urgent Dental Care hub. More than 550 centres have been created to provide emergency treatment while meeting social distancing requirements.
How will going to the dentist be different?
Going to the dentist is likely to be a very different experience once practices reopen.
The virtual or remote consultations we have become accustomed to will continue even after reopening to aid convenience and reduce the need for contact in a surgery, with those in need of treatment then invited into practice.All patients in need of treatment may be called and briefed on the new procedures in place and details of their appointment before visiting the practice.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThey may also be asked to complete and return a new medical history form digitally ahead of their appointment.
It is crucial that people come to the practice alone where possible, with the exception of young children and those with carers.
Ms Hurley has written to dentists about the sort of measures practices will need to consider before reopening, including:
Limiting use of waiting areas, with patients waiting outside if they arrive early
Waiting rooms chairs spaced two metres apart
Screening staff daily
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdInstalling physical barriers, such as a plastic shield, in reception areas
Some dentists are already putting in place new measures. "We will arrange regular deep-cleanings of the entire surgery, and probably be including UV-light cleaners as well," said Alexandra Germain, a dentist based in Marylebone, London.She also says that hand sanitiser, masks and gloves will be mandatory for patients in the waiting area.
Their messages were echoed by Catherine Tannahill, director of clinical dentistry at Portman Dental Care, which has more than 130 practices across the UK.
"She said: "As practitioners we want to reassure patients that a trip to the dentist in the new normal will mean they will be visiting one of the safest environments in the UK.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"It's vital as a profession that we reopen and provide treatments once again to those in need, to help curb any potential dental health crisis in the future, such as a spike in oral cancer, one of the UK's biggest causes of cancer related deaths."
How do I get dental treatment right now?
If symptoms are serious, local dentists can prescribe medication, such as painkillers and antibiotics, over the phone. In such cases, dentists can contact local pharmacies, which can then prepare medication for patients to pick up.
If a patient has an urgent dental problem, they should be referred to a hub by their dentist. Other emergency treatment may also be available at some hospitals.
However, if a patient cannot reach their local dentist then the advice is to use the 111 online service.

subset: commoncrawl


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148Apps 2013 Holiday Shopping Guide for Gamers
The week is almost over, and the holidays are that much closer, but those gifts won't find/buy/wrap/give themselves now will they? Thankfully there are people like us putting together handy-dandy holiday shopping guides for you! Whether you're looking for new hardware and accessories, or just something a bit less impersonal than an iTunes gift card, we've got you covered.
Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Heath Nuts] [Socializers] [Creative Types] [Power Users]
Today's guide centers around iOS gamers. These are the folks who love their portable games and spend most of their morning commute matching pieces of candy or fighting immortal titans. If you'd like to make the gamer(s) in your life have an overall more pleasant and convenient gaming experience, or simply get them some really cool stuff to play, check out our list below for some ideas.
MOGA Ace Power Gamepad
The MOGA Ace Power Gamepad ($99 - iPhone/iPod Touch) has several distinct advantages over the other controllers in this list: it's collapsible so it's easy to carry while still acting as an extension of the iOS device, it's the first official MFi gamepad for iOS devices, it uses dual analog sticks in addition to buttons and a D-pad, and it comes with its own battery that will help to extend the amount of time iOS gamers can play things while away from home - or at least a charger. The noticeable downsides are that it's rather heavy thanks to the internal battery, and it doesn't support portrait orientation. [Our Review]
While you're considering the MOGA Ace Power Gamepad, you should probably also think about software to go with it. I'd recommend Oceanhorn ($8.99 - Universal), Dead Trigger 2 (Free - Universal), and Silverfish ($1.99 - iPhone) since all three are not only good games in their own right but also confirmed to be compatible. I'm sure there are plenty of other games out there that will work with it as well, but if you're trying to put some sort of package together it would probably be best to stick with what you know will work.
MOTO TC Rally
There's also the option to mix things up and use and iOS device as the controller for something else, rather than attaching a physical controller to it - hence the MOTO TC Rally ($99 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch). This is more than just a RC car with an iOS controller: the free app used to control it adds quite a few gaming elements to the physical racing. Users can race their friends and cause virtual damage -that actually affects performance- through special impact sensors, use power-ups, customize their car's performance and more.
LEGO Mindstorms EV3
The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit ($349 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch) is another great option for those looking to venture a little off the beaten path. I mean it lets users basically build whatever the want, then control it with their iPhone or iPad. How cool is that? It's got the universal LEGO appeal, the remote control angle, and taps into those creative juices for potentially limitless amounts of fun. [Our Review]
iKit NuCharge Battery Case for iPhone 5
The iKit NuCharge Battery Case ($89 - iPhone) is certainly something to consider for the iPhone 5 or 5s gamers in your life. The lightweight case doesn't block any ports, and it allows users to recharge their phone on the go. Perfect for lengthy trips or holiday visits with relatives where someone (not naming any names here) inevitably forgets to bring their charging cable. [Our Review]
What games go best with a phone-charging battery case? Battery hogs. There are a fair number of them out there and they can usually be picked out by their super-pretty graphics. A couple of great-looking (and just plain great) games you might want to consider are Warhammer Quest ($4.99 - Universal) and, of course, Infinity Blade III ($6.99 - Universal). However, XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($19.99 - Universal) is by far the biggest battery-muncher and would definitely benefit from something like the iKit NuCharge case.
Mophie Juice Pack Pro
The Mophie Juice Pack Pro ($129 - iPhone) may not be the most elegant-looking case, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in functionality. This is one very durable charging case that will keep batteries going longer and protect the phone from minor splash, dust, and more serious impact hazards. It's a good fit for camping trips or gamers who are particularly brutal with their devices. [Our Review]
The Mophie Juice Pack is another charging case, sure, but it's also quite durable. So it should be able to stand up to a little punishment when you toss your phone across the room after a particularly rough game of Tilt to Live 2 ($2.99 - Universal) or Pivvot ($2.99 - Universal), and will let World War II turn-based airplane strategy buffs like our own Andrew Stevens keep playing Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies ($4.99 - Universal) through just about any harsh weather conditions.
Ultimate Ears Mini Boom
Doubtless we all know at least one audiophile, and the Ultimate Ears Mini Boom speaker ($99 - iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch) is definitely something to consider for them. It's easy to connect to any device via bluetooth, is durable, a good size for travel, and produces some impressive sounds even by itself. It's a great way to enhance anyone's iOS gaming experience. [Our Review]
Of course if you're looking to get some nice speakers, you may want a game or two to go with it that put the enhanced sound to good use. I'd recommend The Last Door - Chapter 2: Memories ($1.99 - iPad) for those who love a good scare as it's a ridiculously creepy game without any audio enhancement whatsoever, so you can imagine what some high-quality speakers will do to it. Home ($2.99 - Universal) is another excellent choice for the same reason. LEGO Lord of the Rings ($4.99 - Universal) is another good option because, come on, who doesn't want to hear that epic score and the official movie dialogue on something more substantial than their iPhone/iPad speaker?
Feel free to peruse our Editor's Choice selections for more top-rated game ideas.


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More muscle in every millimeter.
Now equipped with seventh-generation Intel Core processors, MacBook is snappier than ever. From daily tasks like launching apps and opening files to more advanced computing, you can power through your day thanks to faster SSDs.
A Retina display that takes everything to the edge.
The stunning 12-inch Retina display on MacBook is truly something to behold. With over 3 million pixels and edge-to-edge glass, every image leaps off the screen in rich, vibrant detail. All on an amazingly thin Retina display.
To deliver the gorgeous Retina experience, we designed the pixels to create a larger aperture. This lets more light pass through, allowing us to use more energy-efficient LED backlighting, yet achieve the same vivid brightness.
A keyboard refined for an even better hands-on experience.
We believe that a comfortable, full-size keyboard is an essential part of any notebook. To fit one into MacBook, we designed a keyboard from the ground up — including each key and its underlying mechanism. This makes the whole keyboard not only much thinner, but also more comfortable and precise, so your fingers feel right at home.
Enhanced butterfly mechanism. Key to the keyboard.
Now, with our second-generation butterfly mechanism, the keyboard experience is refined for greater comfort and responsiveness. So when your finger strikes a key, it goes down and bounces back with a crisp motion that you'll appreciate the moment you start typing.
The Force Touch trackpad. Press a little deeper, do a lot more.
The pressure-sensing capabilities of the Force Touch trackpad allow you to tell your MacBook what you want it to do based on subtle differences in pressure. Click anywhere to perform a variety of actions in different apps, all on the same surface, without lifting a finger. And the Taptic Engine provides haptic feedback that adds a sense of touch to what you see on the screen.
Multi-Touch. Precise control at your fingertips.
Multi-Touch gestures make it easy and intuitive to interact with your MacBook. Scroll in any direction, swipe through web pages, pinch, rotate, or Force click to unlock other useful capabilities.
Connect to everything you love. Anywhere you go.
With powerful technologies in an incredibly compact enclosure, MacBook is designed to fit perfectly into a world where just about anything you do with a notebook can be done over the air. For those moments when you do need to plug in, USB-C packs a ton of capability into one small and convenient port.
USB-C. Singularly versatile.
The USB-C port puts everything you need in a port all in one place. It provides charging, speedy USB data transfer (up to 5Gb/s), and video output in a reversible design that's one-third the size of a USB 3 port, giving you the flexibility to easily connect your favorite devices.
Fully equipped for a wireless world.
MacBook takes full advantage of the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technologies — and with innovative Apple software and services that let you get the most out of them, you can wirelessly connect to the web, transfer files, organize your photos, listen to music, and more.
Includes Photos, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Siri, Safari, Mail, FaceTime, Messages, Maps, Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Reminders, Photo Booth, Preview, iTunes, iBooks, App Store, Time Machine and more.
1.2GHz dual-core 7th-generation Intel Core m3 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.0GHz, with 4MB L3 cache
8GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
256GB PCIe-based onboard SSD1
Intel HD Graphics 615
Charging and Expansion
USB-C port with support for:
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
Video Support and Camera
480p FaceTime camera
Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors
Power and Battery
Up to 10 hours wireless web3
Up to 12 hours iTunes movie playback3
Up to 30 days of standby time3
Built-in 41.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
29W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C power port
Stereo speakers
Dual microphones
3.5 mm headphone jack
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Size and weight
Height: 0.14-0.52 inch (0.35-1.31 cm)
Width: 11.04 inches (28.05 cm)
Depth: 7.74 inches (19.65 cm)
Weight: 2.03 pounds (0.92 kg)2


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Lewis Carroll rightly stated, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there," but luckily for Sanjay Gupta, MBA '00, someone from Sprint International showed him the path to success way back in 1996 by encouraging him to pursue an MBA in the United States.
After several years of working for Sprint in India, Gupta traveled to the United States to receive an award for the previous year's highest revenue achievement for Sprint's joint venture in India. The plan was to pursue an MBA at a reputed school that would prepare him for greater responsibilities at the telecommunications conglomerate. The final destination did not turn out as planned; instead, after receiving his MBA from the School of Management in 2000, he launched a highly successful career in project management in digital media software development.
While Gupta admits that, as an international student, cost was a consideration when choosing the UB School of Management, he says he had more compelling reasons for his decision. "The most important factors were the program, ranking, diversity and faculty," Gupta says. "I was confident that the School of Management would put my work experience into action in a class setting." His beliefs paid off. The course materials helped him understand the concepts, the class settings put them into practice, and the cohorts helped build teamwork skills that he has used in his professional life to deal with real-life business situations.
After graduation and during the dot-com boom, Gupta started as a business analyst at Lotus Interworks, a New Jersey-based internet incubator and earned certification as a Project Management Professional. Experience at Lotus Interworks and his MBA education together provided him a springboard to take on development and management of business-critical applications for an international corporate investment bank in New York City. He spent five years in corporate systems there, until opportunity knocked and it was time to venture into an industry that had intrigued him since he started working in India.
In 2009, Gupta made a career transition into healthcare advertising. The learning curve was steep and challenging, but the promise of using and developing his skills made the challenge worth pursuing. He set up and managed digital development at Torre Lazur McCann and Echo Torre Lazur for their major pharmaceutical clients. Possessing marketable skills that are hard to find in the healthcare agency industry, Gupta was offered an opportunity that was hard to pass up. In June 2012, he joined The CementBloc as associate director, project management, and quickly moved to his current position, director of multichannel project management, within four months of his assignment.
Gupta now manages execution of projects for some of CementBloc's major pharmaceutical clients. He oversees and mentors a team of strong project managers and is part of the leadership team that is responsible for setting up and supporting efficient delivery at The Bloc. Located in Manhattan's historic Flatiron district, CementBloc is the second-largest, independent, multichannel health/wellness creative agency in the United States with a client list that includes Pfizer, Novartis Celgene and UCB.
The best part of his job? "Collaboration with creative minds to develop some of the best healthcare communication campaigns," he says. "I manage execution for digital tactics and this gives me a great opportunity to not only bring to life some of the best-in-industry creative campaigns, but also to mentor project managers to become strong project leaders. The opportunity to share experiences and knowledge that enhances team skills and deliver solutions makes it all worth it."
"I am also proud to have gotten an opportunity to give back to the School of Management by sharing some of my experiences with MBA students," Gupta says. This year, Arun Jain, Samuel P. Capen Professor of Marketing Research, invited Gupta to speak to his classes on digital communications for healthcare and Gupta hopes to continue this in years ahead.
In his spare time, Gupta loves spending time with his two young sons, watching movies and traveling to new places. His best experience was walking over a live volcano in Hawaii. "I wouldn't dare do it now," he says. Active on social media, he is connected to Barack Obama (no, he does not know him personally) and is still looking for a reason to be on Twitter. An avid cricket fan, he is always looking forward to the action when India is playing—when he has some time off from giving life to creative campaigns, that is.
Written by Cathy Wilde


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Only thing is, how practical is it to meet someone in a public place with a couch or other large piece of furniture? Most of them don't offer to deliver.
In the past two years that I've written for Wise Bread, I've suggested Craigslist as an excellent means of finding a quick side gig to make extra cash, renting out extra space in your home to tourists, promoting your local business, and selling used furniture and electronics, among other things. I've used the site for all of the above and then some, and I maintain that it's a very helpful resource. (See also: The 25 Best Things to Buy on Craigslist)
However, many of us have also heard stories about scams that take place on the site, or about dangerous people like the infamous Craigslist Killer who robbed and murdered at least one woman who posted her massage services on the site.
I'm not trying to use scare tactics; the vast majority of the time, Craigslist is a great, safe way to exchange goods and services, meet new people, or land a job. But given these well-publicised incidents, I decided to ask a few experts their take on Craigslist, how they feel about its overall safety, and their tips and tricks for helping to prevent unfortunate incidents.
Mary Jo Fay is the author of "The Seven Secrets of Love," and she's used Craigslist to find dates. She says that sometimes Craigslist lacks the level of decorum and respectful tone between its users demanded by regulated sites, but it's still a viable source for anyone looking for love.
"In my book, I specifically talk about Craigslist in terms of a possible dating site, although without the screening that sites like Match.com have it tends to be pretty vulgar, yet there are still some great folks you can meet out there and I never felt unsafe with any of them," she says. "In fact, I generally can get tons more replies on Craigslist without even posting a photo if I just write a unique and appealing ad as opposed to the typical cookie cutter template of many dating sites, where everyone looks alike."
The most important aspect of staying safe, May Jo says, is to never let your guard down.
"Being smart about things is absolutely important, she says. "Whether you're selling a couch or meeting a mate, reading between the lines is crucial to determining ahead of time if someone might be a bit iffy. Always meet at a neutral place. Never have someone pick you up on the first date. And when selling or buying something off Craigslist, always have an extra support buddy with you as back up for anyone weird showing up."
Scott Bernstein, CEO of Falcon Investigations, a private investigation company, completely disagrees with Mary Jo. He warns against using Craigslist as a dating site as thousands of people do every day. He suggests that there's more criminal activity on Craigslist, including sex trades, stalking, and pedophiles, that any other social site, and that many users are deviants.
"When I get hired to do a job that might be related to the Internet, I always check on my target's PC hard drive to find any Craigslist correspondence," Bernstein says. "This is tricky, as these grifters know how to hide their identities — but they're not smart enough for me to con them back and get them arrested."
Craigslist might not be recommended for dating, but it can be very useful for selling unwanted stuff. However, it is essential that you take some personal safety tips into account before using it. Never wire or transmit funds online, and only buy items that you can pick up in person. Meet in a well-lit, public place, and take along a friend if possible. Never agree to go to someone's home — and if you're a seller, never disclose your home address.
Practicing caution when meeting someone from Craigslist is only the start of the safety checklist when using the site. Craigslist is notorious for helping facilitate (not actively, but because it's not a regulated community) scams that could result in identity theft and a compromise of your financial information.
Practicing Safe Craigslist
To make these expert safety tips more digestible, author Robert Siciliano, McAfee Online Security Expert, breaks the basics into bullet points and provides even more valuable, practical information to stay safe when using Craigslist.
ID Pre-Meeting
"Get their name and cell phone number ahead of time," says Siciliano. "And call them back to verify. Tell them your brother, the cop, will be there so they shouldn't be alarmed when they pull up and see a police cruiser."
Never Meet in Private
A public location with lots of people around is always best.
Trust Your Gut
If something seems wrong, it probably is wrong. If that's the case, it's generally better to be safe and cancel.
Enlist a Friend Whenever Possible
"There is strength in numbers," says Siciliano. "Predators thrive on isolation. By paring up, you reduce the chances of being attacked."
Look Street Smart
Leave expensive-looking clothing and accessories at home, and wear shoes that you can run and kick in.
Not Knowing Creates Risk
Siciliano notes, "Unfortunately, there is risk in meeting someone you don't know. Being guarded can keep you from getting into a vulnerable situation."
Stay in Communication
Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back, and make sure to keep your cell phone with you.
Do you have a Craigslist horror story? Any tips to add to safely using Craigslist? Let me know in the comments below.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Only thing is, how practical is it to meet someone in a public place with a couch or other large piece of furniture? Most of them don't offer to deliver.
I just emailed this article to a person who struck me as very odd, and literally insulted me and had contacted me about furniture items for sale on Craigslist. This was the second "Odd' Inquiry I received this week, and the approach was very similar. My feeling is that they were both acquainted. I had a set of vintage furniture listed on CL. The first person who contacted me asked me many questions, but none had to do with the furniture. He asked me "are you a dealer,where is the furniture located,Is this a hobby, or a business? Then he said his girlfriend like this type furniture, but worked until 5:00, so he would be coming to look at the furniture, first, and then they would make an appointment together later.I was really caught off guard by all of the questions about me, and none about the actual furniture. He also said" I will take exact measurements( the measurements were in the a) and take "pictures" when I come. I thought, this is weird as the ad has several great photos of the items. I told him i would call him the next day, to set an appointment after 5:00, as I had other people coming to look at it around 11:00 a.m. I also suggested that both his girlfriend and he could come at once. My time is valuable and so was his, or so I thought. The next morning, he called my phone number, right before 11:00 a.m. and apologized, saying that he " was trying to reach his accountant, he had told me he was off work that day the eve. before.One of the items sold and I called to inform him. He started in, with unrelated questions, and I stopped him, informing him that I wanted to stay focused on the sale of the furniture. He did not make an appointment.He did email me and asked me to keep in mind if i found another set of this type furniture. Several days later, i got an email from a different person, for an ad that featured one item, but there was on epic that had more than just that item in the picture, and the other items were ones that sold. This guy was the same, he immediately wanted to know, do you have other furniture for sale, are you a dealer, do you refinish furniture, etc.. ? i asked him if he needed furniture refinished and he said "No." I asked him I what he was looking for, and he said at first, a king sized bedroom furniture set, then he said a queen sized furniture set, then he said he needed to furnish 3 bedrooms with furniture.. and also asked me where the furniture was located. I just told him straight up that the phone call was weird, and that I could not understand his inquiry. I told him what items I had left, but he seemed uninterested in that, and just kept the conversations scrambled. Finally he called me "hostile", 3x and hung up, I thought it was so odd, I wrote him back an email explaining that was unclear as to what he really wanted, and that insulting me and calling me hostile was because he wanted information that was not provided to him. Within 3 minutes, he called me back, and said" sorry wrong number," really kooky. For what it is worth, the items partially pictured with the one item of the original set I had left, were part of a set that sold, that the first person inquired about, Now, if you are not totally confused, the point of all of this is to tell you that if people are not specifically interested in your items, and they have not read the ad, to see if you provided measurements, or they have unrelated questions about you, what you may do for a living, the location of the items, and just more or less interview you, beware. I agree with the expert mentioned in the article above, if it feels wrong, it probably is.I am still unclear what this was all about, but what my instincts tell me, is that both of these parties knew one another, that they may be not interested in buying vintage furniture, and that for some reason, they wanted to know more about me personally than they did the items, with the exception of wanting to know where they were located. the second party that called me "hostile" , had one line in his email. "Where can i see your Furniture?" off as i was only advertising ONE piece at that time. This could be about identity theft, a robbery or something that just is not legit. While CL is a cool thing, I totally agree, that you have to use caution. any responses here would be appreciated.
I've decided that Craigslist isn't worth the risks anymore.
We actually bought a couch off Craigslist and went to the person's house. He said that over 50 people had called about the couch and said they were coming to see it, but we were the ONLY ones who had shown up.
I don't much like the idea of giving out my address to that many people I don't know, and you certainly can't load up the furniture for a public place meeting, for 50 no-shows!
Also, meeting in public places only offers a measure of safety. We actually had a guy here who met a buyer in a Walmart parking lot. The two men who showed up forced him back into his car, made him withdraw money from an ATM, and then dumped him out and stole the car.
Let's be honest, when you're in a huge parking lot you aren't really paying attention to whats going on around you. It only takes a few seconds to force someone back into a car and drive off with no one the wiser.
It's just not worth it.
You have some good points but tbh if your idea of "public" is a walmart car park then you need to stop and think. A car park is not public. A public dog park is. A smart person would meet away from there vehicle in person before exposing there car and wallet and personal safety to a complete unknown. Meet on foot at a small but crowded cafe or a park with many people then after dissing them out go back to your vehicle for business
Drive 300 miles to meet a man and wife , they were selling a car hauler for $750, I told my husband this price was too low, mans number was from California, wife's number from Texas, long story short we arrived at our destination, man was adamant of where his wife would be, our truck broke down, lucky us, he never responded only to say he was working and his wife would only drive to meeting place, we went to Firestone to get truck fixed, I think we were gonna be robbed , I think God had a plan when we broke down


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Halloween is right around the corner and then Thanksgiving. As soon as you know it, you are scurrying around to find deals for holiday gift exchange. If you are like me, you need to start budgeting now! That's why I rely on a few of my favorite drugstore/budget staples to keep my wallet in one piece, I also shop my current cosmetic stash to keep me from the Sephora counters!
In no particular order, I give my Top 10 under $10:
1. Batiste dry shampoo, Blush scent. Price varies per store that carries the brand. I bought mine at Walgreens where the full size bottle (6.73 fl) retails for $8.29/USD and the On the Go purse sized version (1.6 fl) retails for $3.99/USD. I love this brand because it sops up the sweat and grease that my have resulted from heavy duty lunch time boot camp workout sessions. Shake vigorously and do not spray directly in the roots. Spray about inches away from scalp. If you have dark hair like me, you may experience some white residue but it quickly dissipates once you rake your fingers through your hair. My hair feels clean and it leaves a fresh floral scent to my hair. I have the purse sized version to keep in my bag at all times.
2. Aveeno Continuos Sun Block, SPF 30. Sadly, this has been discontinued. I appologize for the oversight. I loved this moisturizer because it hydrated nicely, was unscented and never made me break out since I layered this on top of my serum and under another moisturizer and primer. It retailed for 9.99/USD. Again, apologies for the oversight. I am currently using Neutrogena Clean Face Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30. I like this one but it does have that slight sunscreen scent and falls over the $10 price point.
3. Kiehl's Lip Balm #1. I have written about my love for this lip balm. It has yet to fail me. I love coating my lips with a thick layer before going to bed and right after a shower. I wake up with soft lips and they are ready to be coated with lipstick and gloss for the rest of the day. The unscented version retails for $7/USD and the scented (what I always use) goes for $9/USD. Cranberry is a great scent for the holiday season. My go-to's are coconut and pear.
4. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I have tried the store brand versions,as well as pricey department store removers, and it still doesn't hold a candle to the Neutrogena formula but it comes very close! This unscented liquid takes off my stubborn eye liners and mascara. I don't use waterproof formulas so I can't honestly attest to ease of removing waterproof mascaras. It does feel a bit oily, even after a good shake but it really does the job for me just as good if not better than a pricier version. I have tried the wipes and I still prefer the liquid version with a good ol' cotton ball. This doesn't sting my eyes, nor do I have to pull or tug at my delicate eye area to remove my eye makeup. It also dissolves my lipstick just as easily. This retails for $7.99/USD (5.5 fl oz).
5. Red Cherry false eye lashes. Fake lashes really run the gamut from $1.99 at a dollar store to over $25 for fancy 100% mink lashes. If you aren't in the market for falsies that Beyonce and JLo sport then check out Red Cherry falsies. They are made of human hair and hold up really well. You can get them in a pack of 3 through Amazon under $6/USD and for you can find them sold by itself for about $2.19/USD. Um….sold! I learned about these from a friend that's a freelance makeup artist. She does photo shoots and weddings galore - she swears by these. Okay…I'm really sold! I used a pair for three wearings. I could stretch it for a fourth time but I think I'll buy a new pair and for that price, I don't feel guilty! The only thing I hate is that I have never seen these in a store, you have to order them online. I got mine as a gift but I'm planning to order a set through Amazon.
6. Clear Eyes eye drops. Yes, eye drops are part of my beauty arsenal. Not glamorous but the quickest way to wake up my eyes at 5:45 AM when I get out of my shower and start getting ready for work. I suffer from yearlong allergies, sucks, and this helps relieve itchy, red eyes. Nothing worse than red zombie eyes to compete with your safe for work, smoky eyes! This retails for $6.99/USD. I always make sure I have this on my bathroom counter and also in my travel makeup pouch.
7. Wet n'Wild Color Icon Collection single eye shadow, Nutty. This has great buttery, softness to the touch. The biggest surprise is the pigment and staying power - full eight hours on top of a good lid primer. Nutty is a beautiful, soft satin finish taupe. It's a great one pan wonder for the mornings when you barely have time to coat your lashes with a layer of mascara. This beautiful neutral shadow retails for $1.99/USD. Yes, you need this!
8. Essie Nail Polish. I really don't need to go into the details of how awesome this polish is. I can't really pick my favorite shade, that's a bit Sophie's Choice cruel but I will say there's no nude pink shade like Mademoiselle for me!
9. Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss. Easily my favorite brand (drugstore) when it comes to gloss. This packs great amount of pigment, light sweet scent and keeps my lips soft. I usually stock up on these when they go on sale at Walgreens or Target. I'll be sporting Bordeaux soon since I am beginning to feel the sharp chill of winter coming soon. Yes, I know that was very Game of Thrones of me. Retails for $7.99/USD.
10. L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eye liner. I recently reviewed this liner and I still stand by it. I like that the grey I own is a deep charcoal and not a light grey. It smudges beautifully and stays on pretty impressively, especially along my bottom water lines. It comes off easily with a good makeup remover (see above). I need to own it in black. Retails for $9.49/USD.
These aren't earth shattering products but they are part of arsenal that I replenish often. I know I sometimes report on pricey cosmetic and skincare but honestly I'm a high-low kinda of gal!
What are some of your favorite items under $10? I love to learn more about cost efficient products that I often miss.
Prices varies depending on the individual stores that sells these items.


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This one's for you, Mikey: Our Sa Watch 2008 begins with the duo of Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa — locals — winning the Brazil Open doubles trophy over Albert Montanez and Santiago Ventura. Leave it to Andre to wear yellow socks on the court. Cute.
Meanwhile, it was a battle of the lankies as British fourth seed Andy Murray took out Croatian Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4, at the ATP Open 13 in Marseille, France.
In Delray Beach, Kei Nishikori surprised everyone (including finalist James Blake) with this impressive 6-3, 1-6 and 4-6 upset. Our buddy Ichizo took this video of Kei while playing against Zack Fleishman in Japan last October.
By the way, look out for Ichizo to launch his japanese language tennis blog sometime soon. This is one of the few times I'm sad that I don't know Japanese. That, and everytime I can't read anything in Men's Non-No aka the best magazine in the world.
And we are sure that Mama Murray is proud of her other son, Jamie, who teamed with Max Mirnyi to upset the top seeded Bryan Brothers. (Watch: See Jamie use finger code to communicate with Max.)
A beaut! The Proximus Diamond Games tops itself with a racquet encrusted with 2008 diamonds (get it?) totalling more than $1.5 million. 1,611 of those diamonds are on the ball itself. Unfortunately for Justine Henin, who beat Italy's Karin Knapp, 6-3, 6-3 in the final match, she has to win the tournament three times in five years before she takes home that puppy. It's not an impossible feat, though; Amelie Mauresmo did the same last year and took home the first diamond trophy.
Singles: Sorry, guys. I was too crushed by the early loss of Guga Kuerten in singles (and doubles, actually) at the Brasil Open to care about who won. Props to Nicolas Almagro for besting mainstay Carlos Moya 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-5.
Lastly, Flavia Pennetta wore her multi-collared Sergio Tacchini all the way to a title at the Vina del Mar tourney in Vina del Mar, Chile. Her opponent: Klara Zakopalova.
(Mirnyi/Murray video via ATP; photos by Getty Images)
>> TSF's trophy watch
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Without unity flat tax is flat-out dead
Published 10:21 am Thursday, October 27, 2011
Despite the recent chatter about a flat income tax — a tax that every income earner pays regardless of their level of income — the idea is dead unless its supporters figure out a way to get together and support the idea that a flat tax is a fair tax.
I believe we can unite.
In a system of flat taxation there is only one level of taxation. Everybody pays the same rate no matter how much money they earn. Taxpayers are not punished for having succeeded by being taxed at rates higher than that paid by the lowest earners of income.
It's not a new idea. My dad was a supporter of the flat tax proposal, but he recognized the problems inherent in passing it into law.
One problem has to do with uncertainty and political opportunism.
There's an old adage that says only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. And just as likely is the fact that any proposal to change the tax code — even change for the better — is bound to create uncertainty as people examine proposals in light of their own finances. This creates a wedge for Democrats to use against us.
Democrats and the liberal media are now trying to turn uncertainty into chaos as they highlight every situation that might affect somebody in some obscure way as the result of the various Republican proposals.
But we should not lose sight of the fact that their agenda has nothing to do with fairness, and has everything to do with punishing Americans for the "crimes" of earning money, providing jobs, and not wanting to be dependent on the state.
As my dad saw it, the entire federal tax system needed to be revised. I agree that's still the case. But there is work to be done, and we must not allow ourselves to feed the liberal narrative that Republicans will be unable to unite behind a candidate or a tax plan.
One place to start is to reconcile the Flat Taxers and the Fair Taxers, those who support some sort of national sales tax as in Herman Cain's 9-9-9 Plan. If neither side will support the other, we will be exactly where the IRS and the administration want us to be — split on an important issue.
If we don't come together on this issue, Washington and the IRS can sit back and laugh, and keep their hands in our pockets. And they'll be laughing at us.
Just remember that a flat tax is a fair tax. Nobody gets penalized for earning more than the average wage earner. No matter how much money one earns, one pays the same rate of taxation everybody else pays.
That doesn't mean they pay the same amount of taxes everybody else pays — merely that they pay the same percentage of their income everybody else pays. Nobody gets punished for making more than the average wage earner.
Unfortunately, there is a segment of our population that recoils in horror at the sight of somebody who, by dint of their efforts, earns more than the average worker or even aspires to do so.
Democrats believe that people must be penalized for their success by being forced to pay ever-increasing taxes. In their eyes, success breeds contempt.
This is the group that opposes a flat tax, and they must be defeated in 2012. I have no doubt that Republicans can unite to make sure that happens.
Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant,and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution." Visit his website at www.reagan.com, or e-mail comments to email@example.com.


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Asian Seafood Raised on Pig Feces Approved for U.S. Consumers
Asian Seafood Raised on Pig Feces Approved for U.S. Consumers
October 10, 2012 — 10:00 PM MDT
Shrimp farmers in Ca Mau province in Vietnam, use ice made from tap water that the government says isn't safe to drink without boiling it, Sept 10, 2012. Photographer: Viet Dung Tran/ Bloomberg Markets via Bloomberg.
Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) — At Ngoc Sinh Seafoods Trading & Processing Export Enterprise, a seafood exporter on Vietnam's southern coast, workers stand on a dirty floor sorting shrimp one hot September day. There's trash on the floor, and flies crawl over baskets of processed shrimp stacked in an unchilled room in Ca Mau.
Elsewhere in Ca Mau, Nguyen Van Hoang packs shrimp headed for the U.S. in dirty plastic tubs. He covers them in ice made with tap water that the Vietnamese Health Ministry says should be boiled before drinking because of the risk of contamination with bacteria. Vietnam ships 100 million pounds of shrimp a year to the U.S. That's almost 8 percent of the shrimp Americans eat.
Using ice made from tap water in Vietnam is dangerous because it can spread bacteria to the shrimp, microbiologist Mansour Samadpour says, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its November issue.
"Those conditions — ice made from dirty water, animals near the farms, pigs — are unacceptable," says Samadpour, whose company, IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group, specializes in testing water for shellfish farming.
Ngoc Sinh has been certified as safe by Geneva-based food auditor SGS SA, says Nguyen Trung Thanh, the company's general director.
No Record
"We are trying to meet international standards," Thanh says.
SGS spokeswoman Jennifer Buckley says her company has no record of auditing Ngoc Sinh.
At Chen Qiang's tilapia farm in Yangjiang city in China's Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong, Chen feeds fish partly with feces from hundreds of pigs and geese. That practice is dangerous for American consumers, says Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety.
"The manure the Chinese use to feed fish is frequently contaminated with microbes like salmonella," says Doyle, who has studied foodborne diseases in China.
On a sweltering, overcast day in August, the smell of excrement is overpowering. After seeing dead fish on the surface, Chen, 45, wades barefoot into his murky pond to open a pipe that adds fresh water from a nearby canal. Exporters buy his fish to sell to U.S. companies.
Yang Shuiquan, chairman of a government-sponsored tilapia aquaculture association in Lianjiang, 200 kilometers from Yangjiang, says he discourages using feces as food because it contaminates water and makes fish more susceptible to diseases. He says a growing number of Guangdong farmers adopt that practice anyway because of fierce competition.
"Many farmers have switched to feces and have stopped using commercial feed," he says.
Frequently Contaminated
About 27 percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from China — and the shipments that the FDA checks are frequently contaminated, the FDA has found. The agency inspects only about 2.7 percent of imported food. Of that, FDA inspectors have rejected 1,380 loads of seafood from Vietnam since 2007 for filth and salmonella, including 81 from Ngoc Sinh, agency records show. The FDA has rejected 820 Chinese seafood shipments since 2007, including 187 that contained tilapia.
To contact the reporters for this story: Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen in Hanoi at uyen1
William Bi in Beijing at wbi
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonathan Neumann at jneumann2


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Meet The Needs Of Your Skin With These Tips
One of the things people see first about you is your skin. A good skin will improve your looks right away. While many products promise all sorts of miracles, there are an equal number of effective, affordable products and techniques that can produce the desired effect. You should never shave skin that is dry. Also, do not shave without a good shaving cream. Shaving without water irritates skin and creates ingrown hairs, as well as razor burn. Once you have shaved, you should put lotion onto the shaved area. This will reduce irritation and make you feel much better. Applying moisturizer daily is a simple yet effective way to promote healthy skin. Moisturizers help you to maintain a youthful look and prevent your skin from becoming dry. Winter time is the prime time to be using moisturizer regularly. Your skin is more susceptible to drying in the winter. Moisturizer can help retain a youthful appearance. Avoid wearing too much makeup. Oftentimes powdered makeup and foundations are not go


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Sparkt Bridges: Young Man and His Art Have Deeper Message
By Anne Linaberger
Jarrod Edson's talent is astounding. It's helping him make a difference, and demonstrating that his disability is actually an asset to his art.
This story is part of a bi-weekly series that celebrates people who are reaching across a divide to "build bridges" with those different from themselves. The Sparkt Bridges series is made possible with the support of UPMC.
At just 20 years old Jarrod Edson is already a successful artist whose digital paintings sell out when he goes to art shows. People are eager to order his pieces on line, and he even has custom commissions (see the image at the bottom).
From Jarrod's "Too Kool to Kill" series.
It's no wonder Jarrod's artwork is so popular. It's powerful: his vibrant colors make you stop and stare, and his whimsical style is nothing short of joyful. But if you look closer, you'll see there's a deeper message, just as Jarrod himself has a deeper story that will make you think — about where talent comes from and what we as a society view as precious.
Jarrod and his family moved to Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 2014. Fortuitously, their new home is just a few minutes away from The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh.
Autism for Arts Fundraiser – and Jarrod's first sale!
"When we first moved here we were desperate because Jarrod was in a really bad place," with pain from migraines and fibromyalgia so bad he couldn't hold a pencil explained his mother Kuhoo. The family looked all over the country for help: John's Hopkins, The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic. They finally found an answer in their own neighborhood. "We ended up at Children's Institute and with therapies they helped him tremendously," said Kuhoo.
No surprise that when the family decided to donate some of the proceeds from Jarrod's art sales to good causes, the place that helped him get back to making art was one of the three organizations they chose:
- The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh where Jarrod was a patient.
- The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh where Jarrod is a volunteer office assistant.
- The Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team because Jarrod is passionate about animals (click here to read our previous story about their Hurricane Dorian rescues).
Kuhoo Edson says it was never a question of giving back. "We're very fortunate. And that's something we wanted to instill in Jarrod. Pay it forward."
And the Edson's generosity is appreciated. "It touches our heart," said Children's Institute President and CEO Dr. Wendy Pardee. "That's a clear indication of how they value the services, the impact we made in his life and his ability to do the artwork he does. It's come full circle."
Jarrod's work on display at the Shadyside Arts Festival.
If you'd like to learn more about Jarrod, his art, and how to support it, click here to go to his website. We're excited to see what other bridges Jarrod and his amazing art will build in the future. We hope you are too!
(Credits: images JarrodEdson.com, videographer JT Mazula)
The Sparkt Bridges Project is produced
with the generous support of UPMC.
Life Changing Medicine.


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Oops! Dinosaur Find Actually Fossilized Wood!
Naming a new dinosaur can be a tricky thing. Although nearly-complete skeletons often make headlines, more often than not new species are based upon fragmentary material. In these cases further discoveries are often needed to determine whether the species really is new, and every now and then it turns out that the fossils really belonged to a previously-known species. This can be frustrating, but it is the way science works, and it is nowhere near as bad as when a 19th century naturalist created a new dinosaur based upon a plant fossil.
In 1887 the naturalist Abbe G. Smets found two fossils in France that he thought represented a new kind of dinosaur. According to Smets, the dark-colored fossils were parts of the jaw of a Hadrosaurus-like dinosaur, and he named his find Aachenosaurus. Obviously there was not a lot to go on, but Smets felt so confident that he even issued a full-scale restoration of what he thought they dinosaur might have looked like.
The paleontologist Louis Dollo and the botanist Maurice Hovelacque disagreed. When they investigated Smets' fossils they discovered that the fossils did not belong to a dinosaur at all. Instead the fragments were just bits of fossil wood!
Smets protested and viciously attacked Dollo in print, but other naturalists saw this as desperation on Smets' part. The findings of Dollo and Hovelacque were much better supported no matter how angry this made Smets. This was the opinion of G.A. Boulenger and Richard Lydekker, who published a note entitled "A Wooden Dinosaur" in the March 20, 1889, issue of the Geological Magazine. As Boulenger and Lydekker wrote, Smets appeared to;
... have followed the Old Bailey maxim, that when you have no case, the only thing left is to abuse the plaintiff and all connected to him.
Indeed, Boulenger and Lydekker were especially aggravated to find that Smets had attempted to use their research to discredit Dollo. This was perhaps the main reason that the two wrote their notice in the first place. Dollo was a well-respected paleontologist and no amount of name-calling by Smets was going to change that. Smets was only making a fool of himself by trying to turn other naturalists upon each other, and his wooden dinosaur had rotted away.


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Bridget Fredericks - Baton Rouge, LA Real Estate REALTOR
Real Estate in Baton Rouge can be a heavy topic just as real estate is anywhere else in the country. Here we discuss current events relating to the Baton Rouge real estate market. You may find listings, Baton Rouge real estate news, information about financing a home in Baton Rouge, or updates about our company, "Home After Home". *Licensed in Louisiana, USA*


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The IFRA U.K. Fragrance Forum 2012 titled "From Flower to Shower" on October 18 at The Royal Society will feature presentation topics ranging from sexual attraction and fragrance to scent, social networking, 'scent pokes' and headspace analysis, with communication about perfume and some fragrance-inspired poetry.
Jenny Tillotson, a senior research fellow at the University of Arts London (Central Saint Martin's) and the University of Cambridge, is scheduled to talk about her vision of: "From Flower To Shower To Empower: the Fragrant Future," which includes information about wearable technology, pioneered by a technique she calls, "Scentsory Design."
Will Andrews, who works as a fragrance scientist within the fragrance design team at P&G's Innovation Center, is scheduled to discuss, "Communicating scent through 'Holistic Design,'" including successfully communicating a fragrance by connecting the story inside and outside the bottle.
Robin Clery of Givaudan plans to speak about a technique known as 'headspace analysis' in which allows one to capture the most elusive scents from nature and make them available for perfumery.
"Smell is a potent wizard" is the message of Tim Jacob, a professor at he School of Biosciences at Cardiff University. He will detail how scent is a response that includes emotions, memory and the endocrine system.
In addition the IFRA UK Fragrance Forum will feature an anthology of poems inspired by fragrance, called Penning Perfumes, which was organized by Odette Toilette of Scratch + Sniff and poet Claire Trévien.
For more information on the event, visit the IFRA UK website.


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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, began Saturday with Iraqis hoping for tranquility but fearful after recent attacks that have shaken the country.
Plastic flowers and banners hang on cars destroyed in Wednesday's bombings in Baghdad.
Al-Iraqia state TV interrupted regular programming Saturday afternoon to broadcast Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's address to Iraqis on the occasion of the start of the holy month.
The prime minister said that as he congratulates Iraqis, his "heart is full of sadness and sorrow."
Four Iraqi soldiers and a government worker were killed Saturday in attacks in Baghdad and Mosul, according to an official of the Interior Ministry.
Gunmen opened fire earlier in the day on an army checkpoint in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya in northeastern Baghdad, killing two soldiers and wounding one. Two more soldiers died and two were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi army patrol in Zummar, about 50 miles northwest of Mosul. Mosul is 260 miles north of Baghdad.
A bomb left inside the district manager's office in the Qahira neighborhood in eastern Mosul killed the manager and two children.
A roadside bomb also exploded near a car and wounded two people in the Saidiya district of southeastern Baghdad.
The holy month of Ramadan, considered to be a time of peace and giving, is when Muslims across the world fast from dawn until dusk, and its observance is one of the five pillars of Islam.
But since the start of the war, Iraqis every year brace for an uptick in violence during the holy month. Some years have seen a rise in suicide attacks.
Extremist attacks during Ramadan are sometimes "fueled by a belief that to carry out violence -- 'jihad,' a suicide bombing -- during a holy month such as this one will gain them more credibility with the Lord," said CNN Correspondent Arwa Damon in Baghdad.
Ramadan "is meant to be a time to show one's devotion to God, a time of sacrifice," said Damon, "Unfortunately, even though it is very much intended to be a time of peace ... it has proven over the last few years in places like here in Iraq to be a time of increased violence."
On Wednesday, more than 100 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded in a series of truck bombings in Baghdad. It was the deadliest day since the United States pulled its combat troops from Iraqi cities and towns nearly two months ago and left security in the hands of the Iraqis. Watch report on bombings of Iraqi ministries »
At least four people were killed and 76 were wounded Thursday in a string of bombings in Babil province, according to the Iraqi government.
It is not just Iraq where extremists see Ramadan as a time of opportunity.
Kuwait's state-run news agency reported earlier in August that security forces had arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who had planned to attack a U.S. military installation. The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan in Kuwait during Ramadan, Kuwaiti security sources told CNN.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.
All About Iraq • Nuri al-Maliki


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#MIDEM: Music for Everyone – Paul McGuinness, Michel Barnier, Axel Dauchez & More
From Cannes by Stuart Dredge of UK consultancy and blog Music Ally.
Early risers (i.e. 10am) at Midem today were treated to an appearance
by Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for internal market and
services, in a session entitled 'Music for Everyone', with a keynote
from Barnier followed by a panel session.
Barnier kicked off by citing the music industry's importance to
Europe – a 6bn-Euro market that has spawned digital startups including
Spotify, Deezer, Last.fm and 7digital.
But he also talked about the challenges facing the industry.
"Europeans are often frustrated at not being able to access online the
diversity of content offered in other member states, even though they
are prepared to pay for it," he said.
"The availability of some of the most popular online music providers
is still very uneven between member states. How can it be, for example,
that some of them are not available in Italy or Poland? And that only
three out of the 20 most popular operators may be accessible from
certain member states?"
Barnier was keen to stress that there are challenges on all sides of
the digital music ecosystem: labels and publishers invest in artists
only to see their work immediately made available on pirate sites, while
startups trying to launch pan-European services are stymied by "the
compartmentalism of national markets".
"Whether consumers, investors or entrepreneurs, it is
incomprehensible that Europeans are finding on the Internet obstacles
that we have been trying to break down in the physical world for more
than 50 years," said Barnier.
"While it should not be a convenient scapegoat, copyright must no
longer form part of these obstacles. It is not a stumbling block, it
should be a modern effective tool for supporting innovation."
Barnier went on to talk about the European Commission's Licences for
Europe initiative, aiming to get rightsholders and digital services
together to solve challenges including pan-European access to online
music services, and legal questions around user-generated content.
He also talked collecting societies, noting the importance of their
work across Europe, but also the complexity of a market with 30
different societies, all operating under different rules.
Barnier hoped that the EC's directive on collective rights management
will remove the barriers for digital music services looking to operate
across Europe.
"It will mean a step forward not only for the 250-plus online music
service providers in Europe, but also for all those whose services
incorporate music, like TV channels and video-on-demand services," he
said. "All of these players need multi-territorial licences."
Barnier said the EC isn't ignoring the question of piracy: "Copyright
is an essential driver in the creative process, but a right which
cannot be respected is of little use," he said, before moving on to a
pet hate of music rightsholders: piracy sites funded by advertising.
"Is it acceptable to tolerate advertising revenues being gobbled up
by a service provider who foster the free sharing of illegal music
files?" he said.
"Based on the results of a consultation we have launched, we will
decide whether improvements to the European legal framework need to be
proposed… We must find solutions that protect and improve the domestic
market, stressing the fight against infringements on a commercial scale,
in accordance with the principle of 'follow the money'."
Barnier also said that he's keen to drive the "re-legitimisation" of
copyright through dialogue with the music industry and digital services,
as well as through new legislation if necessary.
"We cannot give free rein to the illusion that everything is free,
and we cannot give the impression that in an age where file duplication
is infinite and instant, that unlimited sharing of protected content is a
natural right, particularly when profit is the objective [of the pirate
Songwriter and journalist Helienne Lindvall responded to the speech,
saying that "it's good to hear a voice from Brussels that understands
and supports authors and songwriters, because sometimes we fell a bit
left out in the cold."
She went on to say there are certainly unresolved issues on the
availability of music. "Some collecting societies are a lot better than
other collecting societies. I would welcome more transparency and
accountability," she said.
"I would be happy if there were fewer collecting societies that would
be more efficient and transparent, or at least be accountable to
Brussels or to somebody."
She also talked about the "incredible success" of Spotify in her
native Sweden, where it has helped the industry bounce back from its
sales lows in recent years.
But she also pointed out the need to "make those services thrive by
doing something about illegal services – you cannot have a healthy
market if you have a part of that market which is unhealthy and free… It
doesn't matter how many great licensed services we have if we don't do
anything about the other side."
Lindvall also talked about the personal difficulties she's
encountered trying to get songs she's written taken down from unlicensed
services like Grooveshark, and the brick wall she's come up against
when every takedown seemingly generates more uploads of those tracks.
"I was once told by a politician that I could tke them to court. With
what? Certainly not with the revenues that I make from YouTube," she
said, raising a knowing laugh from the audience.
Andrew Jenkins from Universal Music Publishing gave a major's
perspective, saying the infrastructure in Europe has to be gotten right.
"We had 200 years of national licensing essentially, and then in the
last seven years we've had multi-territory licensing in Europe," he
said. "We've had to make a lot of changes."
Jenkins suggested that initiatives like the Global Repertoire Database (GRD) is trying to tackle these issues.
"The best thing we can do for cultural diversity is to make sure that
everybody who does write works gets paid for writing works," he said.
"We have to as an industry solve those infrastructural problems."
Jenkins also addressed the costs of creating the GRD, saying it will
provide good value for money (unsurprisingly, of course – he's involved
in the project).
"Spending 50m Euros creating a database seems like a lot of money.
Actually, in the scheme of [industry revenues of] 3.6bn Euros a year,
it's tiny."
Music manager Paul McGuinness weighed in next, welcoming the thrust of Barnier's speech, and the work of the EC.
"The truth about collection societies that no one really mentions is
that not only do their tariffs vary enormously around the world, but
also their standards of integrity vary enormously," he said.
"When we talk about the availability of licences not being
sufficient, very often we're using that as a euphemism. Very often the
people seeking licences suffer from let's call it an 'integrity
deficit'. That's the reason they don't get licences, and they should
He also talked about the rise of legal services like Spotify and
Deezer "where there's no question of integrity… where there is a
question, and I include YouTube, these are the main distributors and are
going to become more important in the years to come."
But he echoed the criticism of other managers and artists about the
money coming from these services. "Up until now, even for very big
artists the sums of money passing through those services are quite
trivial… they're very small indeed," he said.
"You could say that these services are mainly a promotional medium. I
hope they grow and prosper, because they are legitimate, but we'll have
to wait and see about that."
And then McGuinness returned to a previous bugbear: Google.
"I don't want to engage in Google-bashing, but there is a sense of
unease across Europe, across the world about Google," he said. "Google
have been making encouraging noises about restricting illegal sites or
directions to illegal sites for acquiring music. The noises are very
encouraging, but I'd like to see some action. It's as simple as that."
McGuinness wasn't just Google-bashing, though, as he said. "Google
have brought so much to civilisation in terms of spreading knowledge and
informing the world. I know they're ingenious, we all know they're
ingenious," he said.
"But they are making money from directing people to piracy sites… I
wish they would apply themselves and their extraordinary ingenuity to
the micro-transactions that occur every time somebody listens to a piece
of music over the internet. They can do it… There is a sense of unease,
and a feeling they're not really doing what they could be doing in this
space. And I would like them to hurry up a level."
Barnier was asked about Google. Cue a long pause.
"We've said how important Google is and other operators – usually
American – they're very important players, they have a positive role to
play in dissemination, in education," he said.
"And in general terms, what I believe is that in the Internet
ecosystem we need to change how values are distributed. What's going on
today is not fair for creators, for authors, for writers. They're not
being paid, and when they are being paid, it's not properly for the work
which they have done. They're not protected."
Barnier also talked about the balance for sharing reveneus from the
digital ecosystem as "a new subject on the table in Brussels", appealing
for input from all quarters. Yes, in other words, he nimbly dodged the
Google question. But then worked his way back to it.
"If we don't stick together [as Europeans] we will be lost. We will
be subcontractors, under the influence of the Chinese and American
Axel Dauchez, CEO of streaming service Deezer was next to speak,
professing himself as a big fan of the new EC initiatives, and of
copyright itself. "It's not only protecting the content, it's protecting
the platforms. We are not protected enough."
However, Dauchez said he was very optimistic about the evolution of
digital music services, but "very pessimistic about the diversity of it –
the number of European platforms is decreasing month after month in
every country… The consolidation has already started, and the risk is
He highlighted some key copyright issues that Deezer is facing.
First, complexity. "We are now live in 180 countries, and we have to
deal with this mess of the publishing world, and it is very, very
complex," he said.
"We are dealing with publishers and collecting societies worldwide,
and they cannot even tell us what we are buying!.. The fees are not
Dauchez focused on the problems facing European digital music
services, as they try to compete against some of the big global players,
particularly Google and Apple.
"I think there is one cancer: it's been said about Google a little
bit before," he said. "What I think the key word is is discrimination…
Am I a competitor to YouTube? Should I have the same deals as YouTube?
Of course. When I am discussing with collecting societies and publishers
can I say 'just give me the deals that YouTube has'? Of course not."
Dauchez said the same applies to iTunes, including the fact that
Apple makes its money from hardware sales rather than just from digital
music – yet a company like Deezer can't ask for the same deals Apple
gets when signing licensing agreements.
"This will kill the innovation, this will kill the local players. We
are already under huge discrimination because of VAT, and because of the
size of our market compared to the US… We need to be protected against
discrimination on copyright."
That, in 1,900 words, is the gist of the discussion.