text:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 6/1/10
MR. GIBBS: Mr. Feller.
Q Sir. Two topics I'd like to ask you about, Robert. On the Mideast, does President Obama condemn Israel's raid of the aid ship headed to Gaza?
MR. GIBBS: Well, Ben, let me simply restate what the international community and the United States supported early this morning at the U.N. Security Council through a presidential statement. The Security Council deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza. The Council in this context condemns those acts, which resulted in the loss of at least 10 civilians and many wounded, and expresses its condolences to their families. The Security Council requests the immediate release of the ships, as well as civilians held by Israel.
Q So that would seem to cover President Obama's personal feeling, while some of the allies are looking for a stronger statement from him directly.
MR. GIBBS: Again, this is supported not just by the United States but by the international community.
Q And does the President feel like he is still in a position of gathering facts about what happened or have you ascertained enough to --
MR. GIBBS: Well, the Security Council, the statement that I read, calls for an investigation that is prompt, impartial, credible and transparent, conforming to international standards of exactly what happened. And we're obviously supportive of that.
Q On oil, on the spill, was this latest attempt to try to contain the well one that BP came up with or is this an administrative directive?
MR. GIBBS: Is this the top cap?
Q Yes.
MR. GIBBS: I believe in conjunction with a number of scientists, this was one of the options that has been before us for quite some time. Obviously any action undertaken by BP to deal with the wellbore and to deal with the well itself requires the signoff of the federal on-scene coordinator.
Q What's the President's level of confidence about this effort given the lack of success of the ones before it?
MR. GIBBS: You know, I'm not in the odds prediction business in terms of this, as Carol Browner said on television this morning. Obviously this has gone on far too long. I think everybody is enormously frustrated with that, and rightfully so. We are closely monitoring the events as they start and are hopeful that this is a situation that will contain the oil coming from the well.
Obviously we're in a little different situation. This is -- this procedure -- and I don't know if you all had a chance to listen to Admiral Allen's briefing a little while ago; the transcript will be put out by the Joint Information Center and we will forward that around as well.
The solutions for -- the solution with the top kill, first in stabilizing the well with heavy drilling mud, ultimately would lead to the cement capping of that well. We're now working on something slightly different in terms of containing, through this cap, what is coming out of that well.
Q Just a couple more quick ones on this. The President said when the top kill procedure failed over the weekend that the leak was as enraging as it is heartbreaking. Have you seen the President enraged about this?
MR. GIBBS: Throughout this process, absolutely.
Q Do you think that that has come through to the American people?
MR. GIBBS: I think the American people are frustrated. I think the people of the Gulf are frustrated. I think the President is frustrated. I think the White House is frustrated. I don't see how anybody could look at what's happening in the Gulf and not be frustrated and heartbroken -- absolutely.
Q And is there any consideration given to the President cancelling his foreign trip?
Q We can't hear you.
Q Your mic isn't on.
MR. GIBBS: My mic's not on?
Q I don't think so.
MR. GIBBS: I said all those really important things and you guys --
Q Start from the beginning.
MR. GIBBS: Okay, so I was going to tell you tomorrow's lottery numbers, but -- (Laughter.) Can somebody figure out -- did it work now? Are you sure? This is sort of awkward. This never happens to Bill at karaoke.
Q And you complain we all ask the same question over and over again.
MR. GIBBS: Exactly right. (Laughter.) Now there's at least a good excuse. (Applause.) First time anybody has ever clapped for what I said. Go ahead, I'm sorry. Yes, exactly -- don't start from the top. Lord knows I'll -- Bill will lip-sync the transcript when it comes out, so you can -- go ahead, I'm sorry.
Q I'll just go to my last question, which was, is there any consideration being given to postponing or canceling the President's upcoming foreign trip to deal with this?
MR. GIBBS: Let me check on that. I don't know the answer to that.
Q Before returning to the Gaza flotilla incident, quick question about the oil spill. The President said that if laws were broken, then justice would be done for those responsible. Can you give a sense of when a criminal probe might emerge in the spill case?
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, obviously the Attorney General is in the Gulf today to meet with U.S. attorneys and state attorneys general. I would refer you to the Department of Justice for those answers.
Q Okay, and in light of what happened with the Gaza aid flotilla, is the President considering at least backing international calls to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces?
MR. GIBBS: No. Well, look, obviously, as we have said before, we are concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and continue to work with the Israelis and international partners in order to improve those conditions. And as the U.N. Security Council statement says, obviously it's an untenable situation.
Q Should the blockade be lifted?
MR. GIBBS: Again, we're working with those to improve the humanitarian conditions. I do think it's helpful to understand that this is a blockade of -- to not allow weapons to get into the hands of Hamas.
Q And humanitarian aid.
MR. GIBBS: And we have said that -- well, I'll just leave it at that.
Q And what are the President's concerns that the Gaza incident -- the flotilla incident might -- has poisoned the atmosphere to the extent that indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians won't go forward? Will there be delay of some sort here?
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I would say, obviously we're
-- the President spoke on three occasions yesterday with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and obviously we regret that but understand completely why he went back to Israel and had to cancel the meeting.
The schedule for Mr. Abbas coming is still the same. And we think more than ever we need a comprehensive Middle East peace plan.
Q Mitchell is back in the region tomorrow, I believe --
MR. GIBBS: He is.
Q -- for the Palestine Investment Conference. Will he be shuttling between Abbas and Netanyahu for talks?
MR. GIBBS: Let me get -- I don't off the top of my head know his schedule, but I'll -- let me see if I have anything additional to --
Q But you expect indirect talks will go forward?
MR. GIBBS: Yes.
Q Okay.
MR. GIBBS: Yes, sir.
Q Does President Obama believe the Israelis' version of events?
MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry?
Q Does President Obama believe -- does he believe the Israeli government's version of events?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Jake, I'd refer you to the U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an investigation so that everybody knows exactly what happened.
Q Let's talk about that investigation. Is it important that it be run by the Israelis? Does the President want the international community to be involved in the investigation?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I would say that -- obviously what I said earlier, the resolution calls for a prompt and transparent investigation. Obviously we are open to ways to assure a credible investigation, including international participation.
Q And there were Americans on the flotilla. Has there been any -- do you have any information about whether any of them were hurt? There was an unconfirmed report that an American student lost an eye in the incident. Do you know anything?
MR. GIBBS: I think we're in contact with the Israelis in order to get an accounting as to whether any American citizens -- obviously American citizens were -- acting as private citizens -- were on some of these ships. We're working with the Israelis to determine if any of those individuals were injured, and as the resolution says, would call on the Israelis to release both the ships and any of those people.
Q Is the President concerned at all that after all his work to repair relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world that a situation like this destroys it overnight?
MR. GIBBS: The U.S. relationship with the Muslim --
Q The U.S. relationship with the Muslim world by standing so steadfastly with Israel?
MR. GIBBS: No, again -- again, I would point you to
-- I think it was a pretty clear statement by the international community that the United States --
Q I wouldn't call it that -- I mean, it condemns acts that were taken that led to the loss of life, but it doesn't say whose acts. It could have been the flotilla's acts, or it could have been the IDF's acts. It's not clear from that statement.
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think our opinion is this is a pretty clear statement, and obviously --
Q Whose acts -- whose acts are you talking about in that statement? Is it the IDF or is it the --
MR. GIBBS: Again, we're talking about series of facts that will be determined by an appropriate investigation as I just said.
Q Okay, so there's no specificity as to whose acts it's condemning?
MR. GIBBS: Well, maybe you have information as to exactly how this went this down that the rest of the international community may not be completely clear on, Jake. But, again, I'm saying, and let me get --
Q Well, it looks like you don't even know what -- you don't know what happened.
MR. GIBBS: We can play circular ball all day long, Jake. Obviously we condemn the loss of life and we regret it deeply. I think that is knowable, correct?
Q That's correct.
MR. GIBBS: Okay, good. So I would simply say -- reiterate what is in the statement. In terms of our relationship with the Muslim world, I think the President has obviously spent a lot of time on improving our relationship with countries throughout the world, and special time and care on our relationship with the Muslim world. I do not think that this will have a great impact on that.
Q Thank you. I just wonder -- I wanted to talk about oil a little bit. You mentioned Thad Allen briefed earlier today. Why did it take until day 43 for the administration to decide that you have to speak with one voice and have Thad Allen doing it, not BP briefing?
MR. GIBBS: Well, first of all, I think there were joint briefings that were held at the Joint Information Center in Robert that had a component of both BP and the Coast Guard. Today is the beginning of hurricane season. Rear Admiral Landry, who was the federal on-scene coordinator, has naturally rotated back to her position of hurricane preparedness in the Gulf. Obviously, given the prediction by NOAA that this is likely to be a more active season than we've seen in the past, those preparations are enormously important.
This has been a little bit of a difficult situation because, as I've explained here on a number of -- a number of times, there are a lot of different agencies that go into what's made up of the larger federal response. When Admiral Allen was here last week we talked about some of the commitments that he had last week in his retirement from the Coast Guard as he even -- as he remains the National Incident Commander. The briefings that he has won't be at a regular time, they won't be at a regular location. They'll be wherever he is, whenever they're conducive to his schedule, given the enormous amount of work that he has to do in ensuring our response.
Q Administration officials are also telling us today that part of the problem was that BP was not always giving accurate information in their briefing.
MR. GIBBS: Well, no, administration officials didn't tell you that today, they told you that on Sunday when Carol Browner on two news shows wanted to ensure that people adequately understood the possible risks involved to the top cap procedure which --
Q So, but --
MR. GIBBS: Let met finish this -- when we --
Q -- why did it take until day 41 at that point?
MR. GIBBS: When we cut the cap, our scientists, as part of the flow rate group, estimate you could see a 20 percent increase in the overall outflow of hydrocarbons. This was something that our scientists and others had told us about. Obviously we were uncomfortable with Saturday's briefing when somebody from BP didn't acknowledge that.
Q Right, but people have -- critics have been for weeks saying that BP's information was not adding up. You had outside experts saying that it was leaking far more than 5,000 barrels a day. They were saying that --
MR. GIBBS: Which is why we set up a flow rate group to determine adequately using the best technology possible, Ed --
Q Right, but then it took until Sunday, day 41, for Carol Browner to say, you know what, BP's information is not accurate. Why did it take so long?
MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no, let's not -- I think you're confusing about eight issues into one. Let's understand -- no, the flow rate is an important aspect to talk about, and let's discuss it because I'm not sure we've briefed since the flow rate group talked about this.
The initial estimates that were done used overhead photography to measure the amount of oil on the surface, right? We know that through the use of subsea dispersants it's likely that not everything is going to the top, right? So -- and even with the picture that many of you guys are using on television, it's a -- it's not sufficiently of the dimension to fully measure the flow, right?
We've never been dependent upon BP for information about the flow. In fact, I think you've heard many in the administration discuss accurately that -- because fines for BP will largely be determined by the amount of pollution emitted, that they may not altogether have the same transparent public interest that we do in ensuring the public knows exactly -- to the best of our scientific ability -- what's coming from the well.
Q The President today in the Rose Garden talked about throwing more resources at it, the personnel, something he talked about in the region on Friday, about tripling the personnel along the coast, et cetera, in key areas, and yet it still hasn't been capped, despite all those resources. Are you worried --
MR. GIBBS: Well, those -- again, let's understand, Ed, I don't -- those are resources -- the tripling of resources are in the parishes in which we see the greatest -- where we're seeing the greatest amount of oil hit land, right? So obviously there continues to be a frustration with the well not being capped, even as we try to do everything in our power.
I think it is important, as many administration officials have said, our interests line up on this, the American people's interest and the company's interest line up on trying to do everything humanly possible to plug that leak.
Q Right, but I'm acknowledging the President is saying he's throwing unprecedented resources at it, and yet you still can't solve it -- does that cut into the administration's credibility? The President ran in part on this idea of competence in government, being able to solve these big problems. I understand it's unprecedented --
MR. GIBBS: But I think I'm hearing you --
Q But you're throwing unprecedented resources and you can't solve it.
MR. GIBBS: No, again, you're -- the unprecedented resources that are referred to are the resources that are on land to deal with the oil that's coming in. Ed, I think that inherent in the premise of your question is somehow we're not -- there's something that we know that we could do that we're not doing to cap the well. I can dissuade you of that.
Q So the American people basically are told nobody really knows how to fix this thing?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Ed, I don't know if the premise of your question is that somebody in and around this room knows how to do it and we're not doing it.
Q Okay, last thing, the President at his news conference was talking about how from day one the administration has essentially been in charge, that any big decision you've got to sign off on. But the previous week when various people here, starting with Jennifer Loven, were pressing you on why doesn't the government step in, you repeatedly said the government can't, that this is BP's, that the federal government is not in control, legally you can't really be in control. So which one is it?
MR. GIBBS: Well, no -- we've always -- no, we've always directed those resources. And as -- whether it was the top kill, whether it was the top cap, any of the exercises that needed to be signed off on by the federal on-scene coordinator in order to make happen, those were done.
Ms. Thomas.
Q The -- our initial reaction to this flotilla massacre, deliberate massacre, an international crime, was pitiful. What do you mean you regret when something should be so strongly condemned? And if any other nation in the world had done it, we would have been up in arms. What is the sacrosanct, iron-clad relationship where a country that deliberately kills people and boycotts -- and we aid and abet the boycott?
MR. GIBBS: Look, I think the initial reaction regretted the loss of life as we tried and still continue to try to gather the relevant --
Q Regret won't bring them back.
MR. GIBBS: Nothing can bring them back, Helen. We know that for sure because I think if you could, that wouldn't be up for debate. We are -- we believe that a credible and transparent investigation has to look into the facts. And as I said earlier, we're open to international participation in that investigation.
Q Why did you think of it so late?
MR. GIBBS: Why did we think of --
Q Why didn't you initially condemn it?
MR. GIBBS: Again, I think the statements that were released speak directly to that.
Q You said earlier that the President is enraged. Is he enraged at BP specifically?
MR. GIBBS: I think he's enraged at the time that it's taken, yes. I think he's been enraged over the course of this, as I've discussed, about the fact that when you're told something is fail-safe and it clearly isn't, that that's the cause for quite a bit of frustration. I think one of the reasons that -- which is one of the reasons you heard him discuss the setting up of the oil commission in order to create a regulatory framework that ensures something like this doesn't happen again.
Q Frustration and rage are very different emotions, though. I haven't -- have we really seen rage from the President on this? I think most people would say no.
MR. GIBBS: I've seen rage from him, Chip. I have.
Q Can you describe it? Does he yell and scream? What does he do? (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: He said -- he has been in a whole bunch of different meetings -- clenched jaw -- even in the midst of these briefings, saying everything has to be done. I think this was an anecdote shared last week, to plug the damn hole.
Q Does the President still have confidence in BP? Is he losing confidence in BP? Is he trying to separate himself from BP?
MR. GIBBS: Based on what?
Q Well, based on, number one, Thad Allen basically taking over the daily briefings. Number two, today, that shot across the bow about prosecution; Eric Holder being sent down there. I mean, he's getting tough with BP. Is that because he is separating himself from BP and making clear it's their problem?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I would say this, Chip, we have -- it has been their problem since day one. It is also our problem, and we're doing everything that we can to both plug the leak as well as to respond at the subsea and on the surface to the pollution that's coming out. Let's understand the reason that Thad is doing this -- again, I spoke about this with Ed -- in terms of being uncomfortable with the nature of their answer as it related to the increased amount of flow --
Q Well, they kind of lied, didn't they? Why would he be just uncomfortable? That would -- there I can imagine rage. I mean, they said nothing more was going to come out but the experts say --
MR. GIBBS: Well, Chip, I think that if you look at what Carol said on Sunday, despite the fact that it is not our oil well, we believe that it's tremendously important that the American people have the best information as accurately and as quickly as possible, which is why she said clearly that, one, there was -- there could be an increase of 20 percent of hydrocarbon coming from the riser when it's sheared off. We discussed -- I mean, look, I think that's the prime example of what she said on Sunday.
She also said, I think obviously very accurately, that the long-term solution to this is the drilling of relief wells, right? And that's likely to take until mid-August.
Q Right, so I'm saying you've got this difference over the 20 percent, which the administration, you say they're uncomfortable -- it seems like that's a pretty mild response to it. And then at the press conference, the President said that they have an interest in minimizing things.
MR. GIBBS: I just said that.
Q It sounds like you're suggesting --
MR. GIBBS: I just said that.
Q But it sounds like you're suggesting BP is lying to the administration. Wouldn't you have a stronger response then than saying you're uncomfortable?
MR. GIBBS: Do I think that BP was forthcoming on what the impact would be of cutting the riser off? No, obviously.
Q Do you think they're intentionally misleading -- in other words, lying to the administration?
MR. GIBBS: I'm not in their meetings on what their scientists are telling them. I'm simply conveying to the American people precisely what our scientists are telling us is likely to be the result of cutting the top of the riser.
Q Does the President overall trust BP?
MR. GIBBS: We will continue to push BP to do whatever we feel is necessary to respond to the leak and to adequately respond to the spread of the oil and to ensure that they pay for all of it so that taxpayers don't bear any of this cost.
Q Recognizing you're in fact-ascertaining mode, let's take some facts not in dispute -- the ship was boarded in international waters. Do you think Israel violated international law in doing that? Does the administration think so?
MR. GIBBS: I have not asked -- I'm not an international law expert.
Q Correct. Does the administration have a position on that?
MR. GIBBS: I don't know the answer to that.
Q Was it appropriate, do you think -- does the administration think for a humanitarian ship to attempt to break a blockade?
MR. GIBBS: Look, I'm not going to get into the international law implications of all this, Savannah. I think the administration --
Q I'm just asking was it appropriate for a humanitarian ship --
MR. GIBBS: -- and international community has spoken on the actions and look forward to a full accounting of the facts.
Q So rather than the U.S. having an independent reaction, you're aligning yourself entirely with the U.N. Security Council's statement. Does that mean the U.S. ratifies and accepts everything coming out of the Security Council in this regard?
MR. GIBBS: Things we vote for, yes. I mean, we supported the -- what came out of the U.N. Security Council.
Q So verbiage about there being a humanitarian crisis in Gaza --
MR. GIBBS: Yes.
Q -- and the blockade needs to be looked into?
MR. GIBBS: There's not -- we didn't -- we don't always support the first several paragraphs. We supported and voted for the entire resolution, yes.
Q Would you concede that the notion of boarding a vessel in order to stop it from breaking the blockade was poorly conceived?
MR. GIBBS: Savannah, you're asking me to be a -- I am many things; I am not an international law expert and I am not a military tactician.
Q I'm just trying to get the administration's position.
MR. GIBBS: Again, I serve some roles but neither -- I've never been in a military where I've been asked my opinion on either international law --
Q Well, obviously I'm asking for the administration's position.
MR. GIBBS: I don't have anything to add.
Q Can I follow?
MR. GIBBS: I'll come around.
Q Has the administration considered invoking the Stafford Act regarding the oil spill to speed resources to --
MR. GIBBS: Well, the Stafford Act is a set of -- is what is typically done when there is not a responsible party for a disaster, right? So if a hurricane has caused flooding in Tennessee, governors normally request a Stafford Act declaration to cover damages. As I understand it in discussing this with the lawyers, the appropriate set of responses is contained in the Oil Pollution Act.
Obviously I would say -- let me just add, there are aspects of different types of Stafford responses such as the program that SBA has began I think the 10th of May offering low-interest loans and providing loan forgiveness for people that have been hurt as an economic consequence of a disaster.
Q You spoke earlier about the balance of responsibility between the federal government being in charge and -- or perhaps earlier indications they were relying on BP to run this. Has there been any shift in your mind in the balance between who was controlling this operation between the federal government and BP since this started?
MR. GIBBS: No, again, I would refer you to what the President said last week.
Q So you're saying that there has not been any shift since the beginning?
MR. GIBBS: No, we have, again -- and as Thad Allen said here a week -- not a week ago, I guess a week and a day ago -- if there are things that he needs BP to do, then he calls BP. And if they don't -- ask them to do them, requires them to do them, and that has the force of law.
Q Thank you. It's pretty obvious that there was tragic over-reaction on both sides, but could you please look into two competing conflicting reports -- one report says Hamas and some terrorist groups provided the financing for this flotilla; another report claims that Israel has actually been giving a lot of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. If you could look into both of those before --
MR. GIBBS: Let me see if there's any direction that we have on either one of those.
Yes, ma'am.
Q Did the U.S. know in advance about the Israel raid on the --
MR. GIBBS: No.
Q And part of the Indonesia trip is going to be about Muslim outreach. How will that be shaped given this latest news?
MR. GIBBS: Look, obviously Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. It is important to our efforts and we work in conjunction with them on counterterrorism and a whole host of issues of mutual concern. That trip -- I'm not aware of any change in the planning for what will be done on that trip as a result of this.
Q And Robert Reich says BP should be put under a temporary receivership to ensure that the President is in charge. What do you think of that idea?
MR. GIBBS: What law would that -- I'm not entirely sure what legal mechanism one would have to do that. Do you --
Q But do you think there should be an effort --
MR. GIBBS: Well, I don't -- maybe I misunderstood -- what did he -- under what law did he ask that be done?
Q I'm not sure legally, but there's --
MR. GIBBS: Well, before I wade in -- I just told Savannah I was -- a fact she I think readily knew -- that I was not an international expert. I'm probably not a domestic law expert either, but I'm happy to look at whatever Mr. Reich has.
Yes, sir.
Q Robert, on the flow rate projections you guys put together, is it possible that if this maneuver doesn't succeed and the cutting of the riser, could that increase for some period of time the flow rate by 20 percent if it doesn't work?
MR. GIBBS: I think there is --
Q Is that a possibility that the American people should brace themselves for?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think as Carol said clearly on Sunday, that -- well, the flow rate group estimated -- I think this is right -- 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil a day. We believe that that could increase, say, 20 percent with the cut of the riser. So that puts the bottom at -- I can do that math quicker than I can the other -- 15,000 for the bottom end of that. I think cutting -- and, again, we'll send out Admiral Allen's briefing -- there will be a time between the cut of that riser and the placement of a cap.
So I've seen varying estimates, but let's assume several days of increased hydrocarbon pollution in the time in which it takes to install some sort of top cap. Some of that, again, as Thad Allen said, is based on the cut that's made by the saw.
Q Right, but it's possible, considering the history of all the other efforts undertaken technologically so far, that the cut won't be as clean as they need, there will be too much push, there will be too much --
MR. GIBBS: Well, there's -- I think there's a couple -- as Thad said, there's a couple of different caps, again, based on that cut, that may seal more hydrocarbon pollution than the other. Again, this is not without risk in terms of --
Q Is it without risk in making things worse?
MR. GIBBS: No, it's not without risk at all, no. It's very -- I mean, I think as the President's statement said on Saturday, that -- look, there's very little that is done now based on where we are in the efforts to contain the well, again, understanding that obviously we have done things in varying degree of risk. If this was less risky than, say, the top kill, we would have done that before.
Again -- and I think just to be completely transparent, I think you've seen Admiral Allen say today that there is also some concern about the condition of the well and the wellbore relating to the explosion that happened on the 20th of April.
Q Would you say this disagreement over the flow rate is the only incident in which BP has not been as forthcoming as the federal government would prefer, or part of a series of incidents where it has not been as honest as you would --
MR. GIBBS: I forget exactly what Tony Hayward said last week in terms of the degree to which -- whether or not there was any real pollution involved. Obviously I don't see anybody -- how anybody could come to that conclusion. We -- I clearly on Saturday did not feel comfortable with their explanation on the possible increase in flow.
Q Yesterday it was noted in the daily assessment of things that the -- one of the relief wells being drilled is 10 days ahead of schedule.
MR. GIBBS: Yes.
Q Are you satisfied with BP's efforts in that regard?
MR. GIBBS: Well, as I understand it, that well is 12,000 -- about, as of last night, about 12,000 feet down. That includes the roughly 5,000 feet of ocean. As you said, that's ahead of schedule and that is the long-term, permanent solution to the problem that we have at the well site right now. So regardless of the success of the operation currently ongoing, that's the permanent solution, which is -- again, in top kill, forcing the mud down and creating the stabilizing pressure ultimately would have led to the cementing of the well. Drilling that relief well, placing another blowout preventer obviously on that well as it's drilled and ultimately cementing it is the long-term solution for what's going on now.
Q Can you tell us the degree to which internally the conversations come from the President -- hey, can you sketch out for me what this is going to look like if we have to wait until August for this relief well to be the final, ultimate solution; what kind of ecological damage are we talking about? And is there a point at which we have calculated, no matter how much we legitimately and legally we hold BP, Transocean, Halliburton responsible, there may not be enough money to deal with all this and we may need a federal response, a taxpayer response that deals with this --
MR. GIBBS: I've not heard the latter, because the responsible party per the law will pay that back. We have, in sending legislation to improve a number of the regulatory structures around the relationship between oil and the government, one of the things that we called for was a lifting of the economic liability cap to an unlimited level that we feel comfortable -- that's where we feel comfortable at given the enormity of the disaster that we're looking at right now.
In terms of the --
Q So, wait, are we talking about both sides of Florida, parts of the Mid-Atlantic -- I mean, all these sorts of things, has that been conveyed to the President?
MR. GIBBS: I don't know the degree to which the full -- a full damage assessment has been worked up to that level based on the Loop Current and the wind direction and things like that. Obviously, Major, we can -- taking the flow rate figures that the group came out with last week, understanding, again, the floor now at 15,000 after the riser is cut, look, you can begin to quickly do the math to figure out the millions of gallons of oil that will be in the Gulf and could spread, and I think that's a -- those are sobering figures. And you can understand, as the President said today, we are dealing with the largest environmental disaster in our country's history.
Q The long-term, permanent solution -- is August the outside date by which that is expected to work, or could it be even later?
MR. GIBBS: I assume it could be both earlier and later. I think the target date was mid-August in terms of drilling to the level at which you would need to go in order to construct that relief well.
Q Let me ask you, there are credible reports that the al Qaeda number three has been killed in Pakistan. How important a blow is that? Some have described it as being as important or even more important than getting bin Laden.
MR. GIBBS: Well, in talking with -- obviously al Qaeda has commented on the loss of this individual and we welcome his demise. In speaking with John Brennan and others today, I didn't ask specifically the question of in comparison. John was quite clear in saying this is the biggest target to be either killed or captured in five years and is somebody who intricately understood and was on top of the financing of al Qaeda. So it is a -- unquestionably is a severe blow.
Q When was the President informed?
MR. GIBBS: I believe the answer to that is sometime yesterday, but I will double-check on that.
Q Robert, I wonder if you could talk about whether the President is worried that the spill is going to so consume everything until August that the rest of his agenda is hobbled to some extent. He's got a lot of things on his plate. He promised at one point that this year would all be about jobs, jobs, jobs. He's obviously spending --
MR. GIBBS: Look, the truth is we'll get -- before you -- look, I think we sort of periodically obviously get economic figures in order to gauge where we are in the recovery -- today an increase in the manufacturing index above what had been expected, and the largest spending increase in construction in 10 years aided by the Recovery Act. And we'll get a sense of where we are in the continuum of that jobs recovery with the new figures on Friday.
Q Is there an opportunity cost on all the different things that the President had in mind for this year that may be --
MR. GIBBS: I don't -- I mean, look, I was asked several weeks ago, what did this particular incident do to the likelihood of a clean energy bill or a comprehensive energy bill. Look, I think you -- it becomes clearer -- and the President said this last week in visiting a solar factory in California, that it becomes clearer that we can -- if we are going to be less dependent on foreign oil, then we're going to be more dependent on domestic oil. In order to not be -- not simply take the dependence of one and move it to a proximity closer, we have to invest heavily in a clean energy economy, largely what was done through the Recovery Act, but creating a marketplace for that to continue is tremendously important.
So I don't think it -- I think it adds to the urgency of getting something done on energy. And I would say this, Peter -- one of the things we have learned throughout our time here is you do not get to pick what events you deal with. And the President doesn't have that luxury -- including rain yesterday.
Q Can I ask on a different topic then? On Friday, after our last chance with you last week, we received this memo from Bob Bauer on the Sestak matter. In three months -- this is the response after three months of questions. I'm just wondering, if it's not a big deal, as you guys are saying, then why did we wait for three months to answer that question?
MR. GIBBS: I'd have to ask Counsel for a better answer on that. I don't know the answer.
Q Don't you have something to do with that as the chief spokesman for the White House? You were asked on a number of occasions and don't you think that that kind of created --
MR. GIBBS: If I bear some responsibility for that, I can understand that.
Q When President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, did he just suggest the time has come to either change or alter the embargo --
MR. GIBBS: I can check on that. I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head.
Q And was the United States blind-sided by this incident? Certainly a lot of other countries including Turkey knew that this flotilla was headed --
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the question that I took earlier, just to be clear, was, did we have knowledge of the military operation. And the answer to that was no. Obviously, this is not the first flotilla that has happened. So, again, my answer previously was based on previous knowledge of the military operation, which the President did not have.
Q And when do you think Prime Minister Netanyahu might come back? And what -- and how about President Abbas' visit next week?
MR. GIBBS: Well, that's on schedule I think the 9th of June, if I'm not mistaken.
Q There's no reason to cancel that?
MR. GIBBS: No, not at all. That schedule is moving forward. For the Israeli answer, obviously, he's got an open invitation. But I would direct the scheduling -- the particulars of that schedule to their government.
Q Egypt has apparently opened the -- one of the entrances to Gaza now in response to this to allow more traffic in and out. Does the United States think that's a good idea?
MR. GIBBS: Let me check with NSC. Again, I understand that we have -- we do have concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Q Can I follow on that?
MR. GIBBS: Sure.
Q The aid ship the Rachel Corrie is scheduled to arrive in Gazan waters tomorrow.
MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry --
Q The aid ship the Rachel Corrie is scheduled to arrive in Gazan waters tomorrow and the Israelis are planning to intercept it. Would you consider calling on them not to do that?
MR. GIBBS: Let me get some information on the extent of that --
Q Will you get back to us on that?
MR. GIBBS: Sure, I will find that answer out.
Q Thank you, Robert. Two questions. One, there is a big delegation from India in town for a U.S.-India strategic dialogue to be held at the State Department starting tomorrow with Secretary Hillary Clinton and India's Foreign Minister Krishna. And I understand President Obama will be the guest of -- guest at the reception on Thursday at the State Department. Do you think the President will have a special message for this U.S.-India relations? And also, if U.S. is supporting India's entry in the United Nations Secretary Council?
MR. GIBBS: Well, let me get -- I don't know what the remarks are for Thursday, but I'll take a look at that.
Q And second, as far as this oil spill is concerned, I understand State Department said that there's many nations who has offered help in this connection. It's too long, and I understand President is frustrated and Americans are frustrated, but you think there is no technology who can help? So many scientists are there and are you seeking really international outside help?
MR. GIBBS: I think as Admiral Allen said today and has said in the past, we have -- several countries have offered, and we have taken their help -- some on boom, some on additional skimmers -- and so obviously throughout this process, if there are those that can aid in the disaster in the Gulf, we have accepted.
Q If I may, as far as presidential trip to Indonesia is concerned, do you think President feels that now there is a need for another clear-cut message which he had in Cairo and in Turkey for the Muslim world now in the largest Muslim country, in Indonesia?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, let me -- I don't want to get too far ahead on the foreign trip. We'll have a chance to talk about that.
Q Thank you, Robert. Does the United States have support for additional sanctions against North Korea?
MR. GIBBS: Do we support additional sanctions?
Q Yes.
MR. GIBBS: Obviously South Korea and others have taken the concern about them, the investigation that was conducted, to the United Nations for further actions. We're obviously in close communication with the South Koreans and are supportive of their efforts to respond.
Q Robert, Robert, can I just ask one two-part question?
MR. GIBBS: If your name is Margaret.
Q Will you come back to me?
MR. GIBBS: I will.
Q Does the President believe that Israel is becoming a burden politically to the United States --
MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry, what was the question?
Q Does the President believe that Israel is becoming a political burden to the United States?
MR. GIBBS: Based on? Based on? No. Let me be clear here. The United States and Israel -- as I have said on countless occasions, we have a trusted relationship. They are an important ally and we are greatly supportive of their security. That's not going to change.
Q How about the Palestinians' security?
Q A quick follow. Does the President believe that Mr. Netanyahu is in control of his government? And finally, what does this situation --
MR. GIBBS: That's not for me to talk about, Margaret. I'm happy to try to convey information but I don't have an answer to that.
Q Well, what does the situation do to U.S. relations with Turkey, specifically? Can you talk about that?
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, the President spoke with Prime Minister Erdogan seven to 10 days ago. They had a good conversation about things like Iran. I anticipate that in the coming days the President and Prime Minister will talk again. Obviously they're an important friend in all this and a relationship that we value greatly.
Q They have not spoken in the wake of this?
MR. GIBBS: They have not spoken, no. I know that they have not.
Q Thanks, Robert. Just a couple of quick things on the Sestak thing again. The counsel's memo on Friday said that efforts were made in June and July of 2009. Were there multiple efforts and were all those made by President Clinton?
MR. GIBBS: Whatever is in the memo is accurate.
Q Okay, but, I mean, with regards to June and July, I mean, were all those President Clinton or --
MR. GIBBS: I think the relationship on how that happened, yes, is explained in the memo.
Q Joe Sestak said he had one conversation with President Clinton.
MR. GIBBS: Let me check.
Q And just one more. As far as -- it said this is an unpaid position. Does that make a difference in the view of the White House, that it would be an unpaid position as opposed to a paid position?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. The situation was an unpaid position and didn't constitute a lot of what you're hearing.
Q Okay, and just one more -- sorry. But the Intelligence Advisory Board, which most reports said this offer was for, that would be a position a member of the House could not serve on. Is that --
MR. GIBBS: That's how I understand the way the PIAB is written.
Q But the memo, it said that this would be a position to serve in the House and serve on a presidential advisory board.
MR. GIBBS: Correct.
Q Well, how could he sit on the board?
Q Yes, how would that work?
MR. GIBBS: He couldn't.
Q So why was your offer --
Q So that wasn't the offer, then?
MR. GIBBS: I'd refer you to --
Q What position, what board, was it then? Do you know?
MR. GIBBS: I'd refer you to the memo.
Q But the memo didn't specify.
MR. GIBBS: Right. Thank you. (Laughter.)
Q Carol Browner said that BP had a financial interest in keeping the numbers on the flow rates low so that they would avoid fines. Do you think that that raises the possibility of any sort of fraud or criminal misstatement? And BP's stock --
MR. GIBBS: On BP's part?
Q On the part of BP.
MR. GIBBS: Again, let me, before I -- again, there were estimates that they made, there were estimates that NOAA made, again based on surface photography, that we had always felt was important to get a better understanding of, when we got a better look at what was happening 5,000 feet below the surface of the ocean. So we stood up the flow rate group in order to get a better accounting and we'll continue to look at as we make cuts --
Q But she made this connection between them saving some money and --
MR. GIBBS: Because, again, as she said and I've said, the penalty that will be given to BP is based off not only on the environmental record, but based -- or can change based on the environmental record, but is also impacted by the amount of ultimate pollution entered into, in this case, the Gulf.
So as we've said, they have -- while they may have a financial incentive to have a lower number, the estimates that we made were based on a group -- a team of scientists that had been peer-reviewed by other scientists in order to come up with as accurate a gauge as we can. Understanding -- and this is not to minimize, but we are -- again, we're talking about something that's happening 5,000 below. It is not something that you can see and touch except using a remotely operated vehicle.
Q And the other thing is BP's stock price took a big hit today and there's been some speculation that if this thing turns out to be as big as folks think, this could really hurt the company, perhaps, some folks have speculated, that it might have to be broken up. Would it concern the administration that the price would become so onerous to BP that they would either go bankrupt or be broken up?
MR. GIBBS: I have not heard that expressed because I believe you've got a company with the type of market capitalization that can -- and will -- fully pay for the damage caused on the disaster that they're responsible for.
Yes, sir.
Q Some Senate Democrats have said that they were told by the White House that the President would be making recess appointments. Will there be any appointments this week? And are you just talking about a handful or --
MR. GIBBS: Let me -- I have not gotten any guidance on that, George, thus far, but let me take a look into that.
Q Robert, Robert --
I'll go with Lester and then I'll go --
Q Thank you very much. A two-part question relating to yesterday, Memorial Day. As a graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law School, the President has never protested --
MR. GIBBS: He didn't graduate from Harvard, Lester. He graduated from Harvard Law School, but he graduated from Columbia undergrad.
Q I'm sorry, I correct that. Thank you very much.
The President has never protested the memorials to Harvard's war dead in World War I and II, which include the names of Harvard alumni designated as "enemy" because they were soldiers of the Kaiser and of the Fuhrer. Has he -- he's never protested that, has he? (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: You know, Lester, I honestly don't have -- I don't have any knowledge.
Q Does the President believe it is right for Harvard to have memorials mentioning these three German enemies, but no memorial at all to 71 Harvard alumni who died in the Confederate Army? (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: Wow.
Q Thank you, Robert.
MR. GIBBS: Thanks, guys. (Laughter.)


text:
White Mountain Puzzles What a Beach! - 1000pc Jigsaw Puzzle
Product Description
White Mountain Puzzles Inc. is proud to manufacture their products here in the USA and call Jackson Village, NH � in the heart of the actual White Mountains � their home. Their puzzles are now printed on blue chip board; a thicker and more high quality material. This adds a comfortable heft to the pieces and provides additional sturdiness to keep your puzzles looking great for years to come.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Die Ständer für Waschmaschine/Trockner sind innovative Elemente, die speziell für eine komfortable und ergonomisch sinnvolle Nutzung von Geräten wie Waschmaschine oder Trockner konzipiert und ausgelegt wurden.
Die Elemente sind besonders robust, um den Vibrationen der Geräte auch nach Jahren standzuhalten. Außerdem verfügen einige Elemente über ausziehbare Ablagen, auf denen Sie den Wäschekorb bequem abstellen können. Ihr Rücken wird Ihnen dankbar sein!
Alle Elemente sind werkseitig zusammengebaut und sofort nach der Installation vor Ort einsatzbereit.
Grundkonstruktion: veredelte Feuchtraum-Spanplatte mit Kantenumrandung mit ABS-Band
Untergrund für Haushaltsgeräte: 50 mm dicke, veredelte Spanplatte für Feuchträume mit Kantenumrandung mit ABS-Band
Auszugsboden: veredelte Nassbereich-Spanplatte mit mit ABS-Klebeband eingefassten Kanten
Fachbodenführungen ausziehbar: Schubladen mit Dämpfung
Beine: höhenverstellbar
- Schubladeninnenteil:
- Weiß W 908 ST2
- Fronten und Arbeitsplatten aus melaminbeschichteter Platte:
- Weiß W 908 ST2
- Korpus und Seiten:
- Graphitschwarz U961 ST2
- Steingrau U727 ST9
Kompozicija I
Kompozicija IV
The use of cookies
We wish this web page to function properly and have the obligation to improve it further. This and our intention to improve your experience, requires for the page to store a small amount of information (cookies) onto your computer. Over 90% of all web sites use cookies. However, in accordance to the EU regulations from March 23rd 2011, we are obliged to ask for your approval before storing cookies onto your disc. By using our web site you agree to use cookies. If you wish to block cookies you can still access the site, but some of its features will not be available to you.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a piece of information stored onto your computer by the web site you visit. Cookies in principle store your settings, the settings for web site you visit, such as preferred language and address. Later on, when you re-visit the same site, internet browser sends back the cookies belonging to the site. This enables the site to present the information adapted to your needs.
Cookies can store a wide range of information, including personal ones (such as your name of e-mail address). Still, this information can be stored only if you permit it to be stored – web sites cannot approach the information you have not made available and cannot reach other data (files or otherwise) on your computer. The process of data storing and sending cookies to you cannot be seen. However, you can change your settings on internet browser so as to be able to choose whether the request for storing cookies will be approved or refused, to erase stored cookies automatically when closing the internet browser etc.
How to disable the cookies ?
Disabling the cookies you decide whether to let the cookies be stored on your computer or not. Cookies setting can be controller and configures in your web browser. To get the information on cookies settings, select the browser you use. • Chrome • Firefox • Internet Explorer 9 • Internet Explorer 7 i 8 • Opera (English page) • Safari (English page) If you disable the cookies you will not be able to use some of the web site functions.
What are temporary cookies ?
Temporary cookies, or session cookies, are removed from the computer by closing the internet browser. They are used by web-sites to store temporary data, such as settings in an e-buying basket.
What are persistent cookies ?
Persistent or stored cookies remain on the computer after closing the internet browser programme. Web-sites use them to store the data, such as user name and password, so that you do not need to login every time you visit a particular site. Persistent cookies will remain on your computer for days, months, even years.
What are first-party cookies ?
First-party cookies come from the web-site you are currently visiting, and can be persistent or temporary. Web-sites use these cookies to store the data to be used at your next visit to the particular web-site.
Does Aquaestil.hr use cookies ?
Yes, wishing primarily for out web-sites to provide a more satisfactory user experience for you.
What kind of cookies Aquaestil.hr uses and why ?
- Session cookies are temporary cookies which are used (and deleted automatically) when you close your internet browser. We use session cookies to enable access to our contents and enable comments (which you have to do when you register with your data on out web-site).
- Persistent cookies usually have closing date far in the future, meaning they will remain in your browser until such time or until you delete them manually. We use persistent cookies with functions like "Stay registered"tickbox, which offers registered users easier access. We also use persistent cookies to understand better our users' habits, so as to be able to improve our web site following your habits and wishes. This information is anonymous, meaning we cannot see the individual data belonging to our users.
Are there any third-party cookies on our web-site ?
There are some outer services which store limited cookies to the user. These cookies have not been set by this web-site. However, some are used to enable normal functioning of some options, enabling users easier access to the contents. Presently, we enable:
- Measuring visiting frequency
Aquaestil.hr uses a few services for measuring visiting frequency, such as: Google analytics.
If you wish to disable these services to store cookies on your computer, you can do it using the following links:- Google Analytics - https://tools.google.com/ dlpage/gaoptout
Additional information of disabling cookies
There are currently few sites to help you disable storing cookies for various services.
Additional information can be found at the following web-sites;


text:
The final chapter in the awesome, epic story of the Malazan Empire.
Tens of thousands of years of ice is melting, and the land of Assail, long a byword for menace and inaccessibility, is at last yielding its secrets. Tales of gold discovered in the region's north circulate in every waterfront dive and sailor's tavern and now countless adventurers and fortune-seekers have set sail in search of riches. All these adventurers have to guide them are legends and garbled tales of the dangers that lie in wait -- hostile coasts, fields of ice, impassable barriers and strange, terrifying creatures. But all accounts concur that the people of the north meet all trespassers with the sword. And beyond are rumoured to lurk Elder monsters out of history's very beginnings. Into this turmoil ventures the mercenary company, the Crimson Guard. Not drawn by contract, but by the promise of answers: answers to mysteries that Shimmer, second in command, wonders should even be sought. Arriving also, part of an uneasy alliance of Malazan fortune-hunters and Letherii soldiery, comes the bard Fisher kel Tath. And with him is a Tiste Andii who was found washed ashore and who cannot remember his past life, yet who commands far more power than he really should. Also venturing north is said to be a mighty champion, a man who once fought for the Malazans, the bearer of a sword that slays gods: Whiteblade.
And lastly, far to the south, a woman guards the shore awaiting both her allies and her enemies. Silverfox, newly incarnated Summoner of the undying army of the T'lan Imass, will do anything to stop the renewal of an ages-old crusade that could lay waste to the entire continent and beyond. Casting light on mysteries spanning the Malazan empire, and offering a glimpse of the storied and epic history that shaped it, Assail is the final chapter in the epic story of the Empire of Malaz.
Based on previous information, Assail serves as an epilogue to both Ian Cameron Esslemont's Malazan Empire books and Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
Assail is currently listed for release on 24 December this year, though that date may be subject to change. It will be followed on 4 January 2014 (also a working date) by Steven Erikson's Fall of Light, the second in the Kharkanas Trilogy, a prequel work set hundreds of thousands of years before the main series.


text:
Pest Control Gulfview Heights
Do you have a problem with creepy crawling spiders in your house or office? You need to call pest control Gulfview Heights service who will do spider control treatment on them. Pests are accountable for causing damage to your property as well as impacting the health of your family or employees. As a result, getting rid of them should be your first goal. When looking for the finest Pest Control Gulfview Heights near me, be sure to pick specialists who specialise in pest management. At Pest Control Gulfview Heights, we offer inexpensive pest control treatment for both residential and commercial premises. We offer a safe and sanitary atmosphere by employing expert pest control procedures and solutions. Our pest control solution includes everything from a thorough assessment to ongoing prevention. Call us at 0480013674 now!
Request Callback
Pest Control Gulfview Heights
Bright Pest Control is one of the top choice companies in Gulfview Heights. Our outstanding professional team can deliver swift and impressive service to both residential and commercial sites.
We can provide termite removal, rodent eradication, spider removal, ant extermination, wasps removal, cockroaches eradication, and a lot more. Certified technicians like us are tailored up with adequate information and advanced equipment to get rid of infestation effectively. Our goal is not only to get rid of vermins but to meet our customer's demands until they are satisfied with the results.
Professional Pest Control Services In Gulfview Heights
Our authorised technicians can provide professional pest control in Gulfview Heights. We have professionals available that hold certified expertise on the infestation.
- Specialists from our company undergo advanced and complete training to efficiently provide quality outcomes.
- We can assist on the very same day when the consultation is confirmed.
Emergency Pest Control Services Gulfview Heights
Safeguarding your residence, family, and pets by keeping a neat and safe space is important for a much healthier life. We provide emergency pest control services for both commercial and residential premises. In choosing the appropriate strategy, we are careful to decide which is more fitting to apply.
Our team can immediately address emergencies like handling dangerous insects. We are constantly dedicated to delivering secure and safe results for your home.
About Us
Bright Pest Control is a sought-after pest management company in Gulfview Heights. Our team has complete technical expertise and supports the usage of eco-friendly products in eliminating harmful insects. Our company is made up of competent certified experts as we adhere according to pest control standards.
Through our vast expertise and knowledge of dealing with a variety of harmful vermins, we can assure you quality results you have yet to experience with us.
Domestic Pest Control Services Gulfview Heights
Rodents, ants, mice, and other vermins inside your home can lower your productivity and health. We extensively examine your home and use a suitable technique for managing the vermin invasion inside your household.
Our experts will undergo a complete inspection and treatment to ensure that there is no recurrence of infestation in your abode. We take pride in our quality domestic pest control that never fails to satisfy your demands.
Effective Pest Control Inspection And Treatment In
- We are effective in utilising advanced equipment and efficient procedure to guarantee complete protection to you and your family.
- We have been providing effective outcomes in Gulfview Heights.
- As we understand your needs, we continuously provide effective services.Our professionals utilise ideal techniques for desired outcomes.
Thorough Building Checkup And Pest Protection
A step-by-step procedure is important to conduct a complete eradication. By doing this, we can guarantee a safe, and secure place for you.
Inspecting your entire location contributes to discovering the intrusive vermins and their nests. In this way, we will know what ideal method should be done for extermination.
Revisits And Also Post-Inspection
We intend to make positive long-term results and maintain your premises safe from infestation. We examine and assess your place to make sure no vermins are left.
Ideal Strategy
Right after analysing your site, we use effective solutions onto vermin prone locations. We decide on a suitable cure for those harmful pests.
Our Pest Protection Services For Gulfview Heights Residents
We deliver complete building checkup and pest protection in Gulfview Heights. Our approved experts will examine the condition of the infested area, write about the findings, and formulate the right solution in eradicating all types of vermins dwelling at your residence and commercial buildings.
Check out our competent pests control services as follows:
Ants Control In Gulfview Heights
Rats Eradication
Cockroaches Control Gulfview Heights
Rodent Eradication Gulfview Heights
Mice Eradication In Gulfview Heights
Wasps Removal Gulfview Heights
Spiders Removal Gulfview Heights
Bedbugs Removal Gulfview Heights
Beetles Removal Gulfview Heights
Tick Treatment Gulfview Heights
Maggots Removal Gulfview Heights
Ants Control In Gulfview Heights
- Ants are simply among one of the usual insects we see around in our house. Sometimes, leaving them unattended can give you an unexpected worst-case scenario.
- Considering that our experienced professionals use eco-friendly chemicals to get rid of ants, you do not have to experience harmful side effects from the typical hazardous substances.
Bedbugs Removal Gulfview Heights
- Bedbugs often attack their victims at night, which can cause itch and severe annoyance from their bites.
- Leaving bedbugs unattended can give you severe itchiness and allergic reactions.
- May it be morning, evening, or midnight, ring our hotline, and we'll set up an appointment right away to have your area checked and disinfected with the use of our safe chemicals.
- You can get back to your quality sleep right away!
Cockroaches Control Gulfview Heights
Cockroaches are one of the popular creepy-crawlers that lurk any moment in our home and even the workplace. They bring bacteria and a horrible infection that makes our skin swollen when bitten. These harmful insects hinge on locations where there are good deals of food and moisture.
We utilise practical tools for deodorising, sanitising, and disinfecting things that do not damage your health. We specialise in cockroach removal and use environmentally-safe solutions for complete eradication.
Rodent Eradication Gulfview Heights
Residing in a house with rodents can trigger extreme troubles, not just to you but also to your house. They corrupt home furnishings and produce unwanted health conditions. To avoid additional damages, get in touch with our rodent removal technicians.
You can trust us in providing quality performance in removing rodents because we are one of the leading rodent extermination service providers. We will leave you worry-free from these rodents at the end of the procedure.
Rats Eradication Gulfview Heights
Along with the mice, rats are a handful to take care of. These are the troublemaker vermins that can harm nearly anything in your industrial, residential home.
- As we want to prevent further destruction, call us at 0480013674 to handle them is the best way to go.
- Our team of experts are trained to apply a thorough approach to stop these rats from damaging your home.
- We are highly experienced and qualified in providing swift and dependable service.
Mice Eradication In Gulfview Heights
- It's no doubt that mice bring danger to your health as it carries a lot of diseases when you are infested inside your home. Calling a team of professionals can help you resolve this issue.
- Our experts take urgent action to eradicate mice most efficiently without imposing risk to you and your family.
- We'll be right at your doorstep in an hour after you confirm your appointment with us.
Wasps Removal Gulfview Heights
- It is dangerous and risky to single-handedly deal with wasps as they are aggressive. Some individuals can get allergies from their sting.
- Therefore, hiring an expert is a wise decision to remove the harmful insect appropriately.
- We can remove wasp nests of any kind in the most effective procedure. With our same-day fast services, we can attend to your wasps' dilemmas on the same day of your appointment with us.
Maggots Removal Gulfview Heights
- We offer premier maggot removal services in Gulfview Heights.
- We can assure you dependable and timely performance as we value your health and safety.
- As experts, it's a pleasure to witness the relief from our valued customers after maggots removal service.
Spiders removal Gulfview Heights
- Not everyone can handle spiders. Also, the thought of handling alone is enough to get yourself curious if there are more. Call an expert for complete removal of spiders.
- Our specialists are knowledgeable in removing spiders safely. We use specialised devices as well as advanced tools to get rid and detect all of the spiders infesting in your residence.
Tick Treatment Gulfview Heights
Ticks are a bloodsucker that preys on warm-blooded mammals. You might notice inflammation from tick bites that can result in extreme health issues like Lyme conditions. To prevent these damaging moments, our team is one of the best tick treatment firms to head to!
Our eco-safe cure work 100% that remove ticks. Our experts can carry out a thorough assessment and revisit to make sure that there is no recurrence of ticks in your location. We are committed and tireless experts to provide the top quality services for you.
Spiders removal Gulfview Heights
- Beetles can be found in the wall surface of your house.
- Initially, they came from the bird's nest, which is the source of the beetle that has to be gotten rid of too.
- We can remove them promptly as you confirm your consultation. Our team of experts will not hesitate to give a hand to this concern.
- We want our customers to be secure and safe, which is why we only offer premier and desired service for our customers.
Same-Day Fast Pest Control Services In Gulfview Heights
Same-day pest control helps you eliminate problematic infestation that is troubling you the day you confirmed your appointment with us.
We will accommodate you at your most convenient time to ensure quality treatment. We are always available to help you get rid of the infestation.
Industrial Pest Control Experts Gulfview Heights
We are competent and reliable in providing industrial pest control in Gulfview Heights. When it comes to termites, rats, mice, and rodents that can seemingly be found in restaurants and other commercial facilities, we are one of the best choices to take at an affordable price.
We will give you complete details about preventive tips and post-evaluation at the end of the procedure.


text: Two functions which I think could be beneficially added to l3fp without straining its role as a kernel module (in the way that, say, the gamma function would) are the signature function (sgn) and a unit step function (Heaviside? -- the difficulty is what value to assign at 0). Given the numerical values assigned to true and false in l3fp, it is easy to mimic these with simple inequalities (e.g. (#1 > 0) - (#1 < 0) for sgn) but perhaps the functions should be there in the first place? I found myself wanting these when considering a table of fp values where it made sense to blank cells containing negative values which "got in the way". The code creating the table contained the option of blanking zero-value cells, so I multiplied the tabulated formula by 1 - (#1 < 0). Andrew --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus


text:
To Georgia now. That's where the U.S. Justice Department is opening an investigation into Georgia's state prison system because of possible civil rights violations. Officials say staff shortages are leading to violence and sexual abuse, as Lisa Hagen from member station WABE reports.
LISA HAGEN, BYLINE: The Justice Department says it'll focus on both violence inmates face from other inmates, as well as sexual abuse directed at gay and trans prisoners.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke is with DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
KRISTEN CLARKE: In 2020, at least 26 people died in Georgia prisons by confirmed or suspected homicide. There have been a reported 18 homicides so far in 2021.
HAGEN: She says her office has also seen countless reports of stabbings and assaults. In previous years, Georgia had built a reputation for leading the way in prison reforms in the South. The Justice Department's investigation now comes as some facilities are experiencing what Clarke calls devastating staffing shortages.
CLARKE: It can lead to inadequate supervision and violence. It can also prevent people from being able to access necessary medical and mental health care.
HAGEN: In a lawsuit filed last week by the Southern Center for Human Rights, it's alleged correctional officer vacancies are higher than 70% in one Georgia prison. Inmates there say special isolation cells are unsanitary, vermin infested and often unmonitored.
Here's acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Peter Leary.
PETER LEARY: Our criminal justice system must allow wrongdoers to serve their sentences in a safe and civilized environment. In fact, that's a constitutional guarantee.
HAGEN: Assistant Attorney General Clarke says the Justice Department began an investigation into Georgia prisons in 2016. She couldn't comment on its status, and there have been no public updates on the Civil Rights Division's work until now. Georgia's Department of Corrections says it's cooperated with the Justice Department and denies it's violated prison or civil rights.
For NPR news, I'm Lisa Hagen in Atlanta.
(SOUNDBITE OF RACHEL ZEFFIRA SONG, "THE DESERTERS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
90% of the families we reach are within 40 days of diagnosis
Donate Learn More
I created BlueLoop after my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes - I needed a better way to stay on top of her care. My daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January 2003. Once the initial shock wore off, my maternal instincts took over.
Today, BlueLoop works for any medical condition. Whether it's logging medical information, getting reminders, or keeping caregivers in the loop, the solution I created for me, can work for you.
Mom and Founder
We're now everywhere you need to be with our new mobile apps for the iOS and Android platforms.
With our new mobile apps you can keep up your families active lifestyle while still tracking your child's vital medical information.
You're never out of touch with our communication and notification features.
Everything we do is ultimately to provide you with peace of mind that comes from being kept abreast of your child's care throughout the day.


text:
Like most Web site operators, we find it useful to gather certain personal and non-personal information to improve our products, services, and this Site. The types and amounts of information we collect may vary from time to time depending on our needs.
Personal Information – "Personal Information" is data that can be used to uniquely identify or contact you, as more fully defined in California Civil Code §§ 1798.80-1798.84. Saving Hawai'i's Forestsmay receive and gather the following Personal Information:
- User Account Registration – Information you voluntarily provide while using a user account registration process, including your name, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, birth date, gender, weight, health conditions, medical information, exercise regimens, dietary regiments, types of articles you prefer reading, and contact preferences. (Note: in order for you to receive certain benefits or purchase products through our Site, you may first need to register a user account by voluntarily supplying such Personal Information).
- Transactions – Information gathered as a result of any purchases you make on or through the Site, including financial information, credit card numbers, payment amounts, shopping cart contents, and history of purchased goods or services.
- Discussions – Information you voluntarily provide by participating in a discussion, commentary, ratings, review, or feedback feature on this Site such as a product ratings feature, blog, forum, discussion board, comment section, chat room, survey, or poll, including your age, gender, weight, health or medical conditions, lifestyle preferences, and other demographic information.
- Promotional Participant Information – Information gathered as a result of your voluntary participation in any promotions, coupons, competitions, contests, sweepstakes, or giveaways on or through this Site, including your age, gender, weight, health or medical conditions, lifestyle preferences, and other demographic information.
- Correspondences – All communications you engage in with Saving Hawai'i's owners, managers, agents, employees, contractors, webmasters, or customer service representatives;
- Searches – Your search queries conducted on or through the Site; and
- Online Behavior – Information we learn about your online behavior, activities, trends, or preferences each time you visit or use our Site or any third-party sources like social networking sites Facebook.com, Twitter.com, and Pinterest.com, such as advertisement click-through rates, titles of articles you read, time you spent reading certain articles, age, gender, weight, health or medical conditions, lifestyle preferences, and other demographic information.
Non-Personal Information – We may also gather certain other information that does not identify you personally ("Non-Personal Information") and store it in log files, including: your Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, browser type and language, operating system, referring and exit pages, activities within publically viewable discussions on the Site, access date/time stamp, Web pages and advertisements viewed, links that you click on within the Site, bandwidth speed and software programs, aggregated data about email click-through rates and user video viewing, clickstream data, and server log information.
We will never sell your information to anyone. We may use and share information gathered from your use of this Site to administer, improve, and personalize our Site, products, and services in the following ways:
- Site Administration – Operate, maintain, and improve this Site;
- Research – Learn about user behavior on the Site for purposes of research, audits, data analysis, quality control, and studying trends;
- Personalization – Customize and personalize marketing, advertisements, offers, content, goods, services you may find more relevant or appealing;
- Correspondence – Contact you by mail, email, fax, or telephone about any administrative, operational or security reasons and provide customer service to you, as well as improve the delivery of our products and services;
- Offers and Newsletters – You may choose to voluntarily opt-in to receiving our offers and newsletters as a registered user (Note: This means you allow us to send you occasional electronically-mailed newsletters, offers, and other commercial communications to inform you about general news, featured articles, product descriptions, and other information. If you choose to receive our electronic newsletter, you may be asked for certain information so that we can customize your newsletter to suit your needs. At any point, if you want to unsubscribe from receiving our newsletters, please follow the directions at the bottom of one of our emailed newsletters to remove your email address from our electronic mailing list.);
- Notices – Send you important notices such as those regarding changes to your account or the Site's Terms of Use; and
- Sharing – While Reforest Hawai'i's and its owners, employees, and agents are committed to maintaining your privacy, your information may be shared with our business partners and other third parties under certain limited circumstances:
- Personal Information – We will not use or share your Personal Information for any purposes other than those listed herein, in the Terms of Use, or for the use of any other party, except to provide the services you request or as required by law. We will only share your Personal Information with our business partners if they agree under contract (i.e., a Non-Disclosure Agreement) to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the information, to protect the Personal Information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure, to not disclose Personal Information to other parties, and to agree that they will not use this Personal Information to solicit;
- Non-Personal Information – We may use and disclose Non-Personal Information in the aggregate (meaning information summarized into large groups of users so that no individual customer is uniquely identifiable) with marketing agencies, advertisers, and our business partners and joint ventures;
- Public Activities – If you participate in public activities or post in any a product review area, blog, forum, discussion board, comment section, chat room, survey, or poll, or other publically-accessible discussion feature on the Site, beware that any personal information you submit or post on such public area of the Site may be shared, read, collected, reproduced, distributed, or used in whole or in part by others. Please note that in any of these situations, the recipient of the personal information may be located in another jurisdiction that may not provide an equivalent level of data protection, data privacy, or data security to the laws in your home country;
- Web Site Administration – We may disclose your information to any third parties we engage if we believe it is necessary for them to perform Site-related services, including maintenance services, studies, analytics, marketing, advertising, data processing, email and text message distribution, and surveys;
- Legal Issues – We may disclose information about you to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety or other rights and interests of any person, violations of the Site's Terms of Use, or as otherwise required by law. For example, we may disclose specific information upon governmental request, in response to a court order, when required by statute, or when we believe it is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud or identity theft, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of our Terms of Use, our or others' rights, property, or safety, or as otherwise required by law;
- Merger or Acquisition – If the Site is acquired by or merged with another company or a similar corporate transaction takes place, we may need to share and transfer information about you to that other company. But if we do, we will first notify you, by posting a notice on this page, if you are subjected to a different privacy policy by updating this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use; and
- Other – We may share information about you for any other purposes disclosed to you at the time we collect information or with your consent.
Whenever you use this Site, we may receive and store "Cookies," which are bits of identifying information sent by a server to a Web browser, which enables the server to collect information from the browser. Some of the Cookies are called "persistent" cookies because they do not expire when you close your browser. Cookies simplify and authenticate the login process for users of this Site, facilitate online shopping, and enable traffic monitoring, among other useful purposes. We may use Cookies to help collect the above information by automatically placing them on your computer's hard drive to help our Servers recognize you each time you visit our Site and track how you found our Site. The Cookies we place will receive and record information on our server logs from your browser, including your IP address, our Cookie information, session time, click path analysis, browsing patterns, and the pages you request. To protect your privacy, we do not use cookies to store or transmit any Personal Information about you on the Internet. Cookies are not used to get data from your hard drive, e-mail account, or any other source of Personal information about you.
Disabling Cookies: You can disable Cookies and remove "persistent" Cookies from your computer by changing your browser settings. If you prefer to limit or eliminate the use of Cookies, please refer to the "Help" function of your browser. Most browsers allow you to either turn off the Cookies function or turn on a "Do Not Track" function. However, if you limit, block, or remover Cookies, it is possible that some Web pages on this Site may not load properly, your access to certain information might be denied, and you might have to enter information about yourself more than once.
We take commercially reasonable precautions to have physical, electronic and administrative safeguards in place to protect information gathered through this Site against unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, misuse, and alteration. This includes compliance with related federal and state regulations and may include the use of industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to prevent loss, unauthorized access or use, destruction, hacking, theft, disclosure, or modification of Personal Information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely 100% safe and secure. As a result, we do NOT represent, warrant, or guarantee the security of any information you transmit to or from our Site. You use this Site AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Unless law enforcement officials determine that prompt notification may impede a criminal investigation, we will expediently notify you of any breach of data security on our Site, information systems, or electronic storage database(s) following our discovery of a breach of data security in the case that your Personal Information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by an unauthorized person in an unencrypted form. Such notice will be given pursuant to California Civil Code § 1798.82.
We will retain your Personal Information in a private electronic database for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When your Personal Information is no longer needed, we will shred, erase, or otherwise modify the Personal Information in our records and databases to make sure it is unreadable or undecipherable through any means.
This Site may contain links, hyperlinks, or advertisements to third-party Web sites not owned or controlled by Reforest Hawai'i's collectively, the "third party Websites"). These include links to resources in related topics and third-party sites that offer other related products. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any of the third-party Websites or their proprietors. You should read the privacy policy and terms of use of each other Web site you visit to see the different ways they may collect your information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected because of you using this Site. Also, beware that operators of those third-party Web sites may place their own Cookies on your computer and we do not have any control over the Cookies of those Sites, even if they are linked to from our Site. We are NOT RESPONSIBLE for the privacy practices or the content of other Web sites that you visit.
Children under thirteen (13) years of age are not allowed to use this Site under any circumstance. Minors between ages thirteen (13) and eighteen (18) must get consent from a parent or legal guardian before using this Site. Because it is difficult to verify a person's age online, parents are responsible for supervising their children online. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children and minors. Please contact us immediately if you believe your child or minor has provided any Personal Information by using this Site. If we learn that we have collected the Personal Information of a child under thirteen (13) years of age, we will delete such information as soon as possible.
If you are accessing or using this Site from a location outside the State of California, United States of America ("California"), please note that this Site is provided and operated out of our business office in Burbank, California. We do not have offices, agents, advertisements, agents for service of process, phone numbers, bank accounts, or any other connections in other States or countries. Any Personal Information gathered, stored, and processed through this Site will be done in California and solely under California law. Beware that California might not provide the same levels of protection as the data protection, data privacy, and/or data security laws of your home State or country. No other laws will govern or have any effect regarding the use of your Personal Information by the owners of this Site. Your use of this Site or submission of any Personal Information constitutes your consent to the transfer of your Personal Information outside of your home country and stipulation to the personal jurisdiction and laws of the State of California (see Terms of Use regarding personal jurisdiction, venue, and choice of law for any disputes related to this Site).
Residents of California who use this Site may request a list of all third parties to which the Site has disclosed certain information for the third parties' direct marketing purposes during the preceding year. If you are a California resident and would like a copy of this list free of charge, please call us at (808) 429-6469 or Saving Hawai'i's Forests 47-079 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744. For such requests, you must include the phrase "My California Privacy Rights" in the body of your email or letter along with the name of this Site, your name, street address, city, state, and zip code. Please note that we will not accept requests via the telephone or by facsimile, and we are not responsible for notices that are not labeled properly, sent properly, or that do not have the complete information as requested herein.
If you want to access, review, correct, or change your Personal Information, you may do so at any time after you register a user account by logging into your user account with your password and proceeding to make changes as you feel necessary. To protect your privacy and security, we verify your identity before allowing access or changes to your Personal Information.
Laws, regulations and company policies change over time. We reserve the right to change, update, amend, or modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please review it frequently before each time you use this Site. We will post this Privacy Policy, with any such changes, on this Site and in a way that is easily accessible through a hyperlink entitled "Privacy Policy" as conspicuously displayed at the bottom of our home page (https://savinghawaiisforests.org). Such updates on this Web page will serve as notice to you of any material changes made herein. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy from time to time for any changes hereto because you will be subject to the privacy policy that appears on the date you visit this Site.
This Privacy Policy document was last updated and is effective as of March 8, 2017.
It would be great to hear from you. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about this policy or our privacy practices, please contact us via email at [email protected].


text:
Medea Benjamin's Capitol Hill townhome is like a life-size version of Barbie's Dreamhouse: pink door, pink cabinets, pink bedspread, pink chairs. It is festooned with peace slogans and painted in hues of salmon and coral. Benjamin, 61, is the co-founder and chief provocateur of the antiwar group Code Pink. At 7 a.m. on Sept. 9, she was preparing for a day of protest against U.S. military intervention in Syria when three women trickled downstairs for breakfast. "Even if we don't win," she says, "we change the game."
Since its inception in 2002, Code Pink has added a colorful page to the protest playbook. Its members have demonstrated topless, hurled shoes at an effigy of George W. Bush, organized dancing flash mobs and donned vagina costumes. But these zany theatrics mask the group's real contribution to the protest canon: Code Pink has figured out a hack for Congress.
For all its flaws, the Legislative Branch is the only arm of government that allows ordinary citizens to show up and watch as the nation's business unfolds, ever so slowly. Opening its doors to even the best-known troublemakers is not a bug in the system but rather a philosophical pillar.
"It's an amazing feature" of Congress, says Benjamin, who has crashed more than 100 hearings. "It's getting harder to reach our government. Maybe Congress is the one exception."
Publicity is the lifeblood of an activist movement, and Congress has proved an ideal spot to generate it. Code Pink's tactic is simple: it shows up at hearings to confront the powerful whenever it can find a camera to document the clash. All the formula requires is a protester with the time to stand in line and the will to make a scene.
When John Kerry went to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 4 to make the case for military action in Syria, Code Pink was ready. "The world is watching," Kerry said. If so, it saw more than just the Secretary of State. Behind Kerry's head were the red-stained palms of Code Pink protesters, carefully positioned to catch the cameras carrying the shot around the globe.
Congressional security has long been wise to Code Pink's antics. But it "respects and protects the First Amendment and supports groups" that wish to peacefully assemble, says Capitol Police spokesman Shennell Antrobus. Even when it is obvious that a disruption is coming, members of Congress never prevent the group from grabbing seats in a hearing room.
As Congress weighs whether to authorize military force against Bashar Assad's government, Code Pink has launched a frenetic campaign to piggyback on the publicity. That means lobbying wavering Representatives with phone calls. It means leafleting outside House buildings and inside its cafeterias. And it means promoting peace with its typically outré approach.
"You can't work inside the box," explains Diane Wilson, a shrimper from Seadrift, Texas, who recently escaped with probation and a paltry fine after punctuating a 57-day hunger strike over Guantánamo Bay policies by scaling a White House fence. Says Benjamin: "You can get away with a lot as an older woman."
When Benjamin moved to Washington five years ago, the antiwar movement was surfing a wave of momentum from Bush's military adventures. Code Pink had a mailing list of 200,000 members and a rented clubhouse on Capitol Hill where peaceniks could gather.
But many interpreted the election of an antiwar President in 2008 as a cue to pack up their signs. Most failed to notice when Barack Obama adopted large swaths of his predecessor's foreign policy. Not Benjamin, who heckled Obama when he gave a speech on drone policy in May.
When the debate over U.S. military intervention in Syria erupted, "we put everything else on hold," says Benjamin, a petite woman with blond bangs. Her daughter had just arrived in Washington from overseas, along with her new husband. Benjamin doesn't expect to see them much during the visit. "Maybe dinner," she says with a shrug.
If Bush was good for business, running a liberal protest movement under a Democratic President has been an uphill battle. Code Pink has few full-time activists now, and its members pay their own way on protest trips. "We often take a minority position," Benjamin concedes. "But we feel very deeply about these issues."
This time, however, the American public is on her side. A recent Pew survey found that just 28% of respondents supported launching missiles into Syria to punish Assad. As Code Pink rallied between the Capitol and the Longworth House Office Building, cars speeding down Independence Avenue honked their horns at banners preaching peace. A small group of protesters hoisted signs and chanted slogans. Benjamin wore a don't bomb syria belt and cradled a laptop. At 8:30 a.m., under gray skies, she stepped to a microphone. "Good morning, Congress!" she began. "What a beautiful day to stop a war!"


text:
By Malathi Nayak
SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:40pm EDT
(Reuters) – Ouya's $99 Android videogame console goes on sale on Tuesday, the latest attempt by a growing crop of niche hardware makers to chip away at a market dominated by Sony Corp, Microsoft Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd.
Ouya hopes its cheaper cube-shaped console will prevail over the long-established gaming triumvirate's pricier hardware. The new device has more than 150 free-to-try games, media features such as Flixster and radio service TuneIn, and an open ecosystem built on Google's Android operating system.
Founded by Julie Uhrman, a former executive at entertainment website IGN, the hackable, or customizable, device will go up this Christmas season against the $399 PlayStation 4 and $499 Xbox One. Both are packed with exclusive blockbuster titles from top developers, cloud gaming and other social features .
Ouya is going after core console gamers, as well as the mass market of college students, young adults and families that plays mobile games and is price-conscious, Uhrman said.
"Ouya is not an 'either-or' decision," Uhrman said. "It stands on its own and it's something that gamers are going to want in addition to whatever device plays the game that they've been playing for the last five years."
Ouya and other hardware companies, big and small, are hoping to claw their way into a global video games market expected to touch $66 billion in software and hardware sales this year, up from $63 billion in 2012, according to research firm DFC Intelligence.
The 2013 holiday season is shaping up to be the most hotly contested in years, with Microsoft launching its Xbox One and Sony's Playstation 4 coming to market.
Saratoga, California-based BlueStacks, will launch a $129 cube called GamePop that is expected to available this holiday season. Alternatively, gamers can pay $6.99 monthly for access to over 500 games and get the console and controller for free.
Next week, graphics giant Nvidia Corp will release its handheld Shield device, which runs games available on Android tablets and smartphones and streams titles from computers.
Demand for the new gadgets is unclear. Ouya has begun taking pre-orders, but is mum about figures. Just this week, Nvidia cut the price of the Shield, which starts sales on June 27, to $299 from $349, responding to what it called feedback from gamers.
"For a new product, we're satisfied with the reservation," Paul Raines, CEO of the world's largest games retail chain, GameStop, said about the Ouya.
But he added: "To really grow to billions of dollars, you've got have great IP that people want to play. People often talk about open platform gaming, but there's only one device that plays 'Halo' and that will be Xbox One, there's one device that plays 'Uncharted' and that will be the PlayStation 4, so the importance of the IP cannot be overstated."
Ouya has received support from the gaming community. It racked up $8.6 million from 63,000 backers, mostly game enthusiasts and developers, on crowd-funding site Kickstarter. And it got $15 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with participation from the Mayfield Fund, Shasta Ventures, Occam Partners and Nvidia.
Developers can earn revenue on Ouya's platform through several avenues, including selling virtual goods, subscriptions and donations. Sales will be split along the traditional 70-30 model, with Ouya getting 30 percent.
Over 17,000 developers are using the Ouya software development kit to bring games to the new device, including Square Enix Holdings Co Ltd's "Final Fantasy III" and nWay's "ChronoBlade", the company said.
Nvidia's Shield is intended for hard core PC gamers with a yen for continuing to play on the go.
Meanwhile, BlueStacks will target a younger demographic of 10 to 30 year-olds hooked on tablet and smartphone games, said Apu Kumar, senior vice president of global sales and business development, said.
Its GamePop is "bringing the games you are most familiar with on iPhones and Android to the large screen," he said.
(Reporting by Malathi Nayak. Editing by Andre Grenon)