Obama dials back drone strikes: 3 reasons why

How's this for a paradox: US drone strikes are now declining under President Obama ? the man who made drone strikes a primary element of his counterterrorism strategy.

President Obama has, in some ways, become known as the "drone president." His drone campaign started three days into the first term of his presidency. His national security policy has been defined, at least in part, by a penchant for targeted killings. And he has already authorized more than six times the number of strikes in Pakistan that President George W. Bush did in his entire presidency.

And yet, as the president prepares to make his case for drones in a Thursday address at the National Defense University in Washington, it turns out drone strikes are actually down considerably, according to an analysis in The New York Times.

RECOMMENDED: Drone warfare: top 3 reasons it could be dangerous for US

In Pakistan, drone strikes plummeted nearly 61 percent from 2010 (117 strikes) to 2012 (46 strikes), and they?re still dropping, with a relatively scant 13 strikes so far this year, according to data from Long War Journal, a website that tracks American drone strikes. In Yemen, strikes are down from 42 in 2012 to 10 in 2013. And in Somalia, no strikes have been reported in more than a year.

Why the quiet drop-off in drone strikes? Here?s three reasons:

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FEWER TARGETS REMAIN

That?s right, the program?s very success in efficiently eliminating scores of Al Qaeda operatives means there are, quite simply, fewer Al Qaeda targets left to kill.

?The [Obama] administration used the drone strikes aggressively and killed the top al Qaeda leaders,? an unnamed intelligence official told Pakistani news site The News International in December 2012. ?Now that we have taken out most of these guys, the usage of the drone strikes seems decreasing.?

In Pakistan, it appears so many Al Qaeda targets have been killed, the focus has quietly shifted to Taliban fighters. Taliban targets account for more than 50 percent of targeted killings, compared with just 8 percent for Al Qaeda figures, according to national security analyst Peter Bergen.

DIPLOMATIC STRAINS

No surprise, Mr. Obama?s drone program has alienated allies abroad, largely because of the number of civilian casualties incurred as a result of the strikes. Nowhere is that more true than in Pakistan, where anti-American sentiments are already high due to US actions such as the SEAL team operation to kill Osama bin Laden.

For a president who, upon taking office, vowed to improve relations with the Muslim world, the drone program is counterproductive. A Pew Research Center survey reveals that under Bush 43, a relatively unpopular president in the Muslim world, the US generated higher approval ratings (19 percent) than it does now (12 percent), under Obama.

?Globally these operations are hated,? Micah Zenko, a scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations, told The New York Times. ?It?s the face of American foreign policy, and it?s an ugly face.?

RECRUITMENT

Al Qaeda has used the Obama administration?s drone program, and particularly its sad side effect of civilian casualties, as a central part of its recruitment propaganda. Wildly unpopular in the Muslim world, the strikes are leveraged by Al Qaeda to make a case that the US is at war with Islam and to drum up sympathy for its cause.

The drone program has also been mentioned by convicted terrorists as motivation for their crimes, as the Times points out, including ?underwear bomber? Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who tried to bomb a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day 2009, as well as Faisal Shahzad, whose attempted Times Square car bombing was foiled in 2010.

In other words, drone strikes may be creating as many would-be terrorists as it seeks to eliminate.

RECOMMENDED: Drone warfare: top 3 reasons it could be dangerous for US

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-dials-back-drone-strikes-3-reasons-why-180437925.html

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Square Cash appears on invite-only site, lets you send money with an email

Square's been venturing beyond those tiny credit card swipers as of late. Last week, the company introduced its nifty $299 Stand POS system for iOS, and now it appears to be branching out to individuals, with a to-be-announced service called Square Cash. There's not much info to share at this point -- TechCrunch recently discovered a dedicated landing page for the new service, which looks to be invite only at this point. There does seem to be an option to request an invitation, but the button isn't properly linked, so we weren't able to make our way to the proper form in order to take a closer look.

A handful of help articles do shed some light on the service, though. To send money, you'll simply send an email to your recipient with the dollar amount in the subject line and "pay@square.com" in the cc field. Once your friend or associate receives the email, they'll type in the debit card account number of their choosing and Square will fund the associated checking account within 48 hours. Each payment costs just 50 cents to send, and there's no cost to receive -- it's not quite clear whether or not you can use a credit card to fund the transfer, but with fees of less than $1, we imagine you'll need to use a checking account. Square has yet to formally introduce the service, but we're guessing an announcement will be coming soon.

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AP photographer sees kids pulled from Okla. school

A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. The relationship between the woman and the child was not immediately known. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. The relationship between the woman and the child was not immediately known. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A child calls to his father after being pulled from the rubble of the Tower Plaza Elementary School following a tornado in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

Rescue workers dig through the rubble of a collapsed wall at the Plaza Tower Elementary School to free trapped students in Moore, Okla., following a tornado Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A boy is pulled from beneath a collapsed wall at the Plaza Towers Elementary School following a tornado in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A fire burns in the Tower Plaza Addition in Moore, Okla., following a tornado Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

MOORE, Okla. (AP) ? I left the office in Oklahoma City as soon as I saw the tornado warnings on TV. I had photographed about a dozen twisters in the past decade, and knew that if I didn't get in my car before the funnel cloud hit, it would be too late.

By the time I reached Moore, all I could see was destruction. I walked toward a group of people standing by a heaping mound of rubble too big to be a home. A woman told me it had been a school.

I expected chaos as I approached the piles of bricks and twisted metal where Plaza Towers Elementary once stood. Instead, it was calm and orderly as police and firefighters pulled children out one by one from beneath a large chunk of a collapsed wall.

Parents and neighborhood volunteers stood in a line and passed the rescued children from one set of arms to another, carrying them out of harm's way. Adults carried the children through a field littered with shredded pieces of wood, cinder block and insulation to a triage center in a parking lot.

They worked quickly and quietly so rescuers could try to hear voices of children trapped beneath the rubble.

Crews lifted one boy from under the wall and were about to pass him along the human chain, but his dad was there. As the boy called out for him, they were reunited.

In the 30 minutes that I was outside the destroyed school, I photographed about a dozen children pulled from the rubble.

I focused my lens on each one of them. Some looked dazed. Some cried. Others seemed terrified.

But they were alive.

I know that some students were among those who died in the tornado, but for a moment, there was hope in the devastation.

___

AP Photographer Sue Ogrocki has worked in Oklahoma for more than 10 years where she has covered about a dozen tornadoes.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-21-US-Oklahoma-Tornado-Photographer/id-f19dee2dd2a64114b3e1de80cf7b1a71

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Christian Bale trades Bat suit for bad suit

Celebs

Kurt Schlosser TODAY

38 minutes ago

From Bat suit to leisure suit: Behold, Christian Bale and some other guys who have at times been labeled sexier than everyone else, captured in full 1970s glory while filming "American Hustle" in New York City.

Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner sport the bad suits, bad ties, bad hair, and good sense to star in the next project from director David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook," "The Fighter"). Bale won an Oscar for "The Fighter" and Cooper was nominated for one for "Playbook."

Aby Baker / Getty Images

Suck in that gut. Christian Bale, left, and Jeremy Renner in New York on May 18.

Jennifer Lawrence (who won an Oscar for "Playbook") and Amy Adams (nominated for an Oscar for her role in "The Fighter") are also on board. The film focuses on the true story of the FBI's Abscam operation of the late '70s.

Aby Baker / Getty Images

I'm walkin' here! Bradley Cooper films "American Hustle" in New York.

Aby Baker / Getty Images

With his comb over and rose-tinted glasses, Bale's "American Hustle" is a long way from his "American Psycho."

"American Hustle" is reportedly set for a Christmas release in theaters -- just in time for awards season.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/no-bat-suit-just-bad-suit-christian-bale-hustle-co-6C9993963

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Obama exhorts good deeds by Morehouse graduates

President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama smiles during prayer at the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama waves to a crowd gathered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on his way to give the commencement speech at Morehouse College, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

ATLANTA (AP) ? President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.

The president said his success was due to "the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had ? because there but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me."

Noting the Atlanta school's mission to cultivate, not just educate, good men, Obama said graduates should not be so eager to join the chase for wealth and material things, but instead should remember where they came from and not "take your degree and get a fancy job and nice house and nice car and never look back."

"So yes, go get that law degree. But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the rich and powerful, or if you can also find time to defend the powerless," Obama said. "Sure, go get your MBA, or start that business, we need black businesses out there. But ask yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood."

"The most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making money. Rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed," he said.

For those headed to medical school, Obama said, "Make sure you heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too."

Before Obama arrived in Atlanta, thunderstorms drenched hundreds of people who gathered on the campus lawn for the outdoor ceremony, forcing many guests to wear clear plastic ponchos over what amounted to their Sunday-best clothes. Rain began falling again, accompanied by more thunder and lightning, minutes after Obama began to speak.

"I also have to say you all are going to get wet," he said. "I would be out there with you if I could. But Secret Service gets nervous, so I'm going to have to stay here, dry. But know that I'm with you in spirit."

Obama urged graduates to "inspire those who look up to you to expect more of themselves."

Obama used the speech to once again share his personal story of growing up without a father, confessing that along the way he made unspecified bad personal choices "like too many men in our community."

"Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down," he said. "I had a tendency to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is, there's no longer any room for excuses."

Speaking in personal terms as he often does when addressing predominantly black audiences, particularly of black males, the nation's first black president also spoke intimately of his desire to be a better father to daughters Malia and Sasha than his absent father was to him, and to be a better husband to his wife, Michelle.

He told the graduates to pay attention to their families, saying success in every other aspect of life means nothing without success at home.

"I was raised by a heroic single mother and wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And I know there are moms and grandparents here today who did the same thing for all of you," he said. "But I still wish I had a father who was not only present, but involved. And so my whole life, I've tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father wasn't for my mother and me. I've tried to be a better husband, a better father, and a better man.

"It's hard work that demands your constant attention, and frequent sacrifice. And Michelle will be the first to tell you that I'm not perfect," he continued. "Even now, I'm still learning how to be the best husband and father I can be. Because success in everything else is unfulfilling if we fail at family.

"I know that when I'm on my deathbed someday, I won't be thinking about any particular legislation I passed, or policy I promoted. I won't be thinking about the speech I gave, or the Nobel Prize I received," said Obama, 51. "I'll be thinking about a walk I took with my daughters, a lazy afternoon with my wife, whether I did right by all of them."

The speech was Obama's second commencement address of the season, following remarks last Sunday at Ohio State University in Columbus. His third and final graduation address will come Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

About 500 students received undergraduate degrees on Sunday and became "Morehouse Men."

After the speech, Obama joined about 100 people at a fundraiser at the office of the foundation of Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. It was the first of six money events that officials say he will headline for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is recruiting candidates and strategizing to keep control of the Senate in next year's midterm elections. Democrats will be defending more Senate seats than Republicans, including six held by long-serving Democratic senators who have decided not to seek re-election.

After briefly discussing the economy, early childhood education, energy independence, climate change and infrastructure, Obama said "the good news is we've got good, common-sense solutions that we can implement right now," on those issues. "The bad news is there's a shortage of common sense in Washington."

He told the donors, who paid anywhere from $10,000 per couple to $32,400 per couple to attend the fundraiser, that their support is important because it will help elect more non-ideological senators like Michael Bennet, D-Colo., "who don't come at this thinking there's just one way of doing things." Bennet chairs the campaign arm for Senate Democrats and introduced Obama at the event.

"That kind of approach, if we get a critical mass in the Senate, and we can potentially get a critical mass of folks like that in the House, means that the sky's the limit," Obama said. "Nothing can stop us."

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-05-19-Obama/id-78c991a3f1f4412386a15f5ead6de0c6

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Zeigler House Inn: Gals, Guys, Couples: Summer Packages to ...

SAVANNAH Georgia (May 18, 2013) ? Tap into both sides of Savannah?s personality -- genteel to quirky -- with lots of fun in between.?
Innkeeper Jackie Heinz at Zeigler House Inn -- a popular 7-suite bed and breakfast inn in downtown Savannah -- makes it easy. The stately inn on the prestigious Jones Street is an insider?s social hub for fun-ready tourists! ?The tour package deals are a great idea for last minute getaways ? whether for an affordable honeymoon, first anniversary gift or 50th anniversary trip, romantic getaway in the southeast, historic sightseeing in the Deep South, local food travel, discovering what?s on the Georgia Coast back roads, a mini reunion with siblings or college friends, or gals? getaway, ? states Jackie.?

Savannah Travel Tip:? When your travel dates are flexible, ask for recommended dates during some of the best events in Savannah, performing arts, and heritage festivals. Surprising ?must-do? happenings will double the reasons to travel to Savannah.

Featured in Fodor?s 2013 Travel Guide, Zeigler House Inn affords a triple experience -- sultry Savannah paired with European heritage, and curated French themed sleep retreats. ?You?ll love escaping ... to your secret place in beautiful Savannah GA's historic district!? adds Jackie. Details for the new packages are found on the inn?s Savannah Bed and Breakfast Package web page, here. Simply scroll down that page link for package details.? Short details are below.?? Do more than wish you could stay in our Savannah B&B!? Take advantage of our inn?s lodging discount -- Savannah Summer rates for lodging, in effect July 15, 2013 ? August 29, 2013. You?ll love playtime in Savannah when the city is less crowded!

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A B&B member of Romantic Inns of Savannah
email innkeeper@ZeiglerHouseinn.com
Toll Free 866-233-5307
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Source: http://blog.zeiglerhouseinn.com/2013/05/gals-guys-couples-summer-packages-to.html

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AP CEO says sources are reluctant to talk after Justice Department probe

The chief executive and president of the Associated Press said the Justice Department's investigation and the seizure of the news agency's phone records are having a negative impact on news gathering.

By Alina Selyukh,?Reuters / May 19, 2013

Gary Pruitt, the President and CEO of the Associated Press, discusses the leak investigation that led to his reporters' phone records being subpoenaed by the Justice Department on CBS's "Face the Nation" in Washington Sunday.

Chris Usher/CBS/AP

Enlarge

The Justice Department's seizure of phone records for journalists at?the Associated Press?is hurting the agency's ability to gather news, the wire service's Chief Executive and President?Gary Pruitt?said on Sunday.

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"Officials that would normally talk to us and people we talk to in the normal course of news gathering are already saying to us that they're a little reluctant to talk to us," Pruitt said on CBS's "Face The Nation" program. "They fear that they will be monitored by the government."

The Justice Department told the AP on May 10 that it had earlier seized records of more than 20 of its phone lines for April and May 2012. The seizure was part of an investigation of media leaks about a foiled terrorism plot.

"Approximately a hundred journalists use these telephone lines as part of news gathering," Pruitt said. "And over the course of the two months of the records that they swept up, thousands upon thousands of news-gathering calls were made."

The?White House?has said that President?Barack Obama?learned about the Justice Department's record seizure from press reports and had no prior knowledge of the action.?Obama's administration?is fielding concerns on several incidents that raise questions about its transparency.

Pruitt said the Justice Department claimed an exception to its own rules that required them to notify the AP of such a record seizure by saying that such a disclosure would have posed a substantial threat to the investigation.

"But they have not explained why it would and we can't understand why it would," Pruitt said. "We never even had possession of these records, they were in the possession of our telephone service company and they couldn't be tampered with."

Government officials have told Reuters that the AP phone records were just one element in an ongoing sweeping U.S. government investigation into media leaks about a?Yemen-based plot to bomb a U.S. airliner, prompted by a May 7, 2012 AP story about the operation to foil the plot.

"We don't question their right to conduct these sort of investigations," Pruitt said. "We think they went about it the wrong way, so sweeping, so secretively, so abusively and harassingly."

Pruitt said the AP would have sought to narrow the scope of the record seizure through courts had it been notified, instead of "the Justice Department acting on its own, being the judge, jury and executioner, in secret."

Reuters was one of nearly 50 news organizations that signed a letter to Attorney General?Eric Holder?complaining about the AP phone record seizures.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/DpWzRtv9nZ0/AP-CEO-says-sources-are-reluctant-to-talk-after-Justice-Department-probe

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I would love to come speak to your school, college, church, business ...

___

Here is a brief bio from this spring, from my friends at the Idaho Library Assocation:

Michael Strickland, Keynote Speaker: Idaho Library Association, Region 2 Conference:

Michael Strickland teaches literacy education at Boise State University. The author of ten books for adults and children, he travels nationally speaking about learning, teaching, diversity and child advocacy. Michael is the publisher of Young Peoples Pavilion, which offers reviews, analysis, author bios and classroom recommendations for children?s and Young Adult literature. He is a regular contributor to academic journals such as the Reading Teacher; magazines including Parents Magazine; as well as websites including Yahoo! and Daily Kos.

___

My specialties also include promoting authors and books around the world wide web as well as in magazines, newspapers and literary journals.

My work with adults includes teacher education and basic skills instruction.

My teaching and research has taken me to 35 states and 4 countries. I have been privileged to be able to work with teens, young adults, and adults in a variety of different settings.

My staff development with teachers has included extensive work in the urban Abbott Districts of New Jersey. Companies that I have consulted for include Harcourt Brace, Scholastic, Sadlier, and Boyds Mills Press.

I am the author of ten books for adults and children, and have written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

My hope in the future is to continue to invest into this and the next generation of emerging leaders and mobilize them to make a difference.

___

Here are some examples of my speaking and writing engagements, recently, and over the years

Spring 2013:

Michael Strickland, adjunct instructor of literacy education, will present a talk titled ?Planning Curriculum to Meet the Common Core Standards? at the spring conference of the Idaho Council of the International Reading Association on April 27 at Boise State. The ?Read More

Michael Strickland,, adjunct faculty in the Department of Literacy, will be the keynote speaker at the Idaho Library Association (northern Idaho region) May 10 in Lewiston. The conference is titled ?The Idaho Sesquicentennial: 150 years of community and diversity.? Strickland ? Read More

Michael Strickland, adjunct instructor of literacy education, was a presenter at the Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Winchendon School in Winchendon, Mass. ? Read More

Michael Strickland and Stan Steiner: A review of a book by Stan Steiner, chair of the Department of Literacy, written by Michael Strickland, adjunct faculty in the Department of Literacy, was posted on the Daily Kos website. Strickland wrote about ?P is for Potato.? ? Read More

___

Jan. 13, 2007:

Author Michael R. Strickland Keynotes Martin Luther King Celebration

POCATELLO: Award winning author Michael R. Strickland, a scheduled speaker at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, has published 10 books for adults and children as well as in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. He teaches writing and literature at area colleges and schools and has held faculty positions at Idaho State University, Utah State University and Eastern Idaho Technical College. He also substitute teaches in the local public schools. Strickland achieved doctoral candidacy at New York University, and his books include A to Z of African American History, Families: Poems Celebrating the African American Experience, African American Writers: A Dictionary, and Blacksnake and the Eggs: A tale Told in Liberia. ? Read more.

March 6, 2000:

Michael R. Strickland, a noted author, poet and anthologist for children and young people, will visit West Virginia University and area schools March 7-11 presenting poetry and conducting workshops as a visiting author-in-residence.

A Paul Robeson Fellow of the Institute for Arts and Humanities Education, Strickland was poetry consultant to?Literacy Place?and a trustee of the Maurice R. Robinson Fund, a foundation that awards grants to grassroots projects that directly affect the lives of children. ? Read more.

___

As I jumpstart my speaking engagements for this season, it is interesting look back on my talk for the?Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series and see: ?2000-2001: Michael Strickland, New Jersey City U.? among names including Jon Scieszka; Seamus Heaney, Harvard U.; Joyce Carol Oates, Princeton U.; Orson Scott Card; Carolyn Kizer, Pulitzer Prize Winner; and John Updike.

For more on me and my writing, see:

The Book Bear:
http://the-book-bear.dailykos.com
Publisher of Young People?s Pavilion:
http://bit.ly/youngpeoplespavilion
Contributor to Yahoo Network:
http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/1420915/michael_strickland.html

This Google search for ?Michael Strickland Idaho? has more info:
http://bit.ly/V42VVE

And here are my books on amazon: http://amzn.to/WkYeIp

You can contact me at:

Michael Strickland

5210 Cleveland Blvd.
Ste. 140 Unit 145
Caldwell, ID 83607

Publishers and authors can send review copies to:

Michael Strickland/ Young People?s Pavilion

5210 Cleveland Blvd.
Ste. 140 Unit 145
Caldwell, ID 83607

Email: Youngpeoplespavilion@gmail.com

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Source: http://youngpeoplespavilion.com/2013/05/17/i-would-love-to-come-speak-to-your-school-college-church-business-or-other-community-organization/

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PFT: Teammate says Titus Young opened up to him

Getty Images

With all the criticism Mike Vick has absorbed during his NFL career, you?d think he?d be used to it by now.

He apparently isn?t.

Earlier this week, Vick got a little testy during an interview with Mike Missanelli of 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia on the topic of those who say he doesn?t read defenses quickly enough, and that he holds onto the ball for too long.

?I?m really tempted right now to just say no comment to that because like I said a second ago, you don?t last 12 years in the NFL not being able to read the defense,? Vick said, via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com.? ?Those people who are talking and saying that are just ignorant, and they know nothing about football.? Unless they turn on the film and watch my game and see what goes on, then they?ll replace those comments with the right comments.?

Missanelli pointed out that critics who know football have made those claims.? ?But it?s incorrect,? Vick said.? ?Without getting sensitive about it, it?s incorrect.? So I?d rather not talk about it.?

We?d hate to hear what Vick would say if he were sensitive about it.? (Actually, we?d probably love to hear it.)

Vick attributes the perception of holding the ball too long to the West Coast offense the Eagles ran under Andy Reid.? ?We had a lot of deeper throws last year, which required more time,? Vick said.? ?It?s just a big difference.?

New coach Chip Kelly?s system will result in quicker throws; if Vick can make them, he?ll likely be the starter.? Kelly also has taught Vick something unrelated to throwing the ball ? how to run with it, without fumbling.

?The other day, I broke out in the pocket, and the first thing Chip told me was to tuck the football,? Vick said.? ?So I showed him how I was running with it, and he looked at it and he knocked the ball right out of my hands.? And he was like, ?Hold it like this.?? And what he told me felt comfortable.? I had a tighter grip on the football. That should secure that problem as long as I work on it.?

It remains to be seen whether Vick will undergo a Tiki-style transformation when it comes to ball security.? But if he can get rid of the ball when he needs to and keep possession of it when he has to, Vick could have a big year in 2013.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/18/teammate-says-titus-young-opened-up-about-issues/related/

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Dennis Rodman to Kim Jong-un: 'Do me a solid' and free Kenneth Bae (+video)

US basketball star Dennis Rodman recently hung out with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un - now he's tweeted a request?that the American sentenced to 15 years' hard labor be released.

By Ryan Lenora Brown,?Correspondent / May 9, 2013

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (l.) and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch North Korean and US players in an exhibition basketball game at an arena in Pyongyang, North Korea, in February. Rodman is tapping his friendship with Kim Jong-un when he tweeted a request 'to do me a solid' and free Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American man detained in the North.

Jason Mojica/VICE Media/AP/File

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When Dennis Rodman spent a week touring North Korea in February, he had nothing but glowing words for the country?s leader, Kim Jong-un.

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Correspondent

Ryan Brown edits the Africa Monitor blog and contributes to the national and international news desks of the Monitor. She is a former Fulbright fellow to South Africa and holds a degree in history from Duke University.?

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?Guess what? I love him,? he told reporters. ?He?s really awesome.?

But now the basketball diplomat is testing his friendship with the young Kim by asking the leader to release an American sentenced last week to 15 years of hard labor for ?hostile acts? against the North Korean regime.

?I?m calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea, or as I call him, ?Kim,? to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,? Mr. Rodman tweeted Tuesday.?

The missive came in response to a Seattle Times opinion piece last week, in which writer Thanh Tan called on Rodman to put his goodwill with Pyongyang on the line for Mr. Bae, a tour operator arrested in November on murky charges.

Perhaps now is the time for the NBA has-been to practice some real basketball diplomacy and call up his so-called friend for a favor: Grant American detainee Kenneth Bae amnesty and release him to his family?.

Bae is being used as a political pawn by a desperate despot who happened to?gallivant around the country with Rodman?in March. Perhaps now is the retired player?s chance to use his notoriety for something other than to over-inflate his ego.

Rodman apparently got the message.

?In direct response to your article headline, 'Ok.' Read your story @uscthanhtan, and I decided to help,? he tweeted.

And while Twitter is an admittedly feeble platform for diplomacy, it?s not out of the question that Kim will see the tweet. After all, the North Korean government has an active ? if bizarre ? Twitter presence itself, putting out an erratic blast of messages about American imperialism and the ?victory and glory? of the Kim regime.

But even if Kim gets Rodman?s message, will he understand it? After all, ?do me a solid? isn?t exactly a phrase that translates easily.

Washington Post blogger Max Fisher writes that the closest Korean equivalent of the colloquialism would be the somewhat menacing (at least to American ears) phrase, ?Look at my face and release Kenneth Bae.?

?Look at my face,? he writes, ?is a Korean expression that?s like a special, for-friends-only version of ?do me a favor.??

Whether Kim will look at Rodman?s face ? double nose ring and all ? remains to be seen, but Americans favored by North Korea have helped coax the regime to release American prisoners in the past.

In 2009, for instance, former President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang and shortly after the visit then-Dear Leader Kim Jong-il pardoned two American journalists who were being held in the country. In total, six Americans ? including Bae ? have been held by the North Korean government since 2009, the Monitor reported. The other five were all released.

Rodman?s February visit to North Korea ? along with the friendship tour of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt in January ? was initially hailed by some Western observers as a sign that the young Kim might be more interested in opening his country to the rest of the world than his father and grandfather had been.

However, analysts say there have been no fundamental changes to the regime?s posture since then. If anything, interaction with Western celebrities puts the regime in a more powerful position because it can claim new geopolitical cache.?

?Ultimately, they [North Korea] come out ahead because they can portray it as the world coming to pay tribute, or at least to be there,? Aidan Foster-Carter, a Korean expert, told the Monitor in March.

Indeed, as the state-run Korean Central News Agency (as well as Western outlets) reported during Rodman?s trip, the basketball player was an enthusiastic tourist, visiting a greatest hits list of Kim-related sites.?

Rodman and his cohort "paid high tribute to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il before their statues. They entered the halls where Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state and paid homage to them,? a press release announced. ?They made an entry in the visitor's book.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/231i8YePVWE/Dennis-Rodman-to-Kim-Jong-un-Do-me-a-solid-and-free-Kenneth-Bae-video

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Nicki Minaj: Is she leaving 'American Idol'?

Nicki Minaj leaving? Is this her first and last season on 'American Idol'? An 'insider' quoted in Us Weekly says Nicki Minaj will be moving on.

By Molly Driscoll,?Staff Writer / May 16, 2013

Is Nicki Minaj leaving the judges' panel? Here, Minaj (second from l.) sits with fellow judges Keith Urban (l.), Randy Jackson (second from r.), and Mariah Carey (r.).

Michael Becker/Fox/AP

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Will first-time judge Nicki Minaj return to ?American Idol? after the current season?

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No, according to an ?insider? report by Us Weekly.

?It's safe to say she isn't coming back to Idol," the person identified as an ?insider? said, according to Us Weekly. "She's okay with it. She had a great time but was only going to do one season anyway.?

The report on Minaj comes after ?Idol? host Ryan Seacrest asked her whether she?d be coming back next year during his radio show on May 9.

?That's a million-dollar question," she said. "I have to say this all the time, but I want people to know it's genuinely from my heart. I love the people on 'Idol.' I genuinely do. If I had to do this all over again, I would have done 'Idol.' Because it's fun, it's laughs.?

The story on Minaj was released soon after Randy Jackson, who had served as an ?American Idol? judge since the program?s inception when former judges Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell sat at the table with him, said he would not be returning next year.

?Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," Jackson said in a statement to Us Weekly. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry.?

Minaj served on the judges? panel with Jackson and fellow first-time judges Mariah Carey and Keith Urban. She released her most recent album, ?Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,? in April 2012 and it was certified platinum, as was her 2010 debut album ?Pink Friday.?

This past April, she was named the female rapper who had appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the most times. Her number of titles that have appeared on the chart, 44, is exactly the same as her fellow ?Idol? judge Carey.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/HFj2oo5mL8I/Nicki-Minaj-Is-she-leaving-American-Idol

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Soccer-Donovan expects to be left out of U.S. World Cup squad

May 15 (Reuters) - Post positions for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, to be run at Pimlico on Saturday (Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds) 1. Orb, Joel Rosario, Shug McGaughey, even 2. Goldencents, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill, 8-1 3. Titletown Five, Julien Leparoux, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1 4. Departing, Brian Hernandez, Al Stall, 6-1 5. Mylute, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss, 5-1 6. Oxbow, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas, 15-1 7. Will Take Charge, Mike Smith, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1 8. Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 12-1 9. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-donovan-expects-left-u-world-cup-squad-174350869.html

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Predicting risky sexual behavior

Public release date: 16-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Paul Gutierrez
jpgutierrez@icahdq.org
International Communication Association

Comprehensive survey can help health workers identify potentially risky behavior

Washington, DC (May 13, 2013) A recent study by a team of researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that risky sexual behavior can be predicted by cultural, socioeconomic and individual mores in conjunction with how one views themselves.

Katherine Hertlein of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will present her team's findings at the 63rd annual International Communication Association conference in London. Hertlein and colleagues surveyed over 800 participants and evaluated elements of the likelihood of one's engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. Approximately 120 variables were designed to give information on each area of focus socio/demographic, active sanctions, cultural, relational and individual factors. The data supports the contention that the sexual script, or how groups are "supposed" at act regarding sex, has a significant impact on the likelihood of engaging in high-risk sexual behavior. The cultural factor, which included gender stereotyping, sexual fantasy, sexual conservatism and pornography usage, proved the most reliable on predicting high-risk sexual behavior.

Individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) expose themselves to multiple risks, including those that are social, emotional, and physical in nature. Such risks can include effects to interpersonal relationships, self-esteem and overall well-being and health. With such important effects of engagement, it is imperative that a variety of healthcare providers understand an individual's decision-making process as a way to prevent unnecessary and adverse health, social, and behavioral consequences.

Researchers have limited themselves to testing how specific elements in isolation impact decision-making rather than examining the combined influence of multiple variables on the decision making process. This is problematic because variables such as substance use, relationship exclusivity, moral development, religiosity, and sensation-seeking have been found, in some cases, to mediate the sexual decision-making process. No study to date has included all of these variables in one coherent model. This study was the first of its kind to include a cluster of variables identified in the literature that was included in testing a model of sexual decision-making in cases of high-risk sexual behavior.

"This research can provide information that will inform health educators, public health nurses, HIV/AIDS programs and other community resources as to the motivations and contributing factors inherent in decision-making around engagement in risky sexual practices," said Hertlein. "Further, research findings may contribute to improved outreach, education, preventive efforts, and treatments to help control the spread of sexually transmitted infections."

###

"Testing a Model Predicting Risky Sexual Behavior," by Katherine Hertlein,Tara Emmers-Sommer, and Alexis Kennedy; To be presented at the 63rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, London, England, June 17-21.

Contact: To schedule an interview with the author or a copy of the research, please contact John Paul Gutierrez, jpgutierrez@icahdq.org.

About ICA

The International Communication Association is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. With more than 4,300 members in 80 countries, ICA includes 26 divisions and interest groups and publishes the Communication Yearbook and five major, peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Human Communication Research, Communication, Culture & Critique, and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. For more information, visit http://www.icahdq.org.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 16-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Paul Gutierrez
jpgutierrez@icahdq.org
International Communication Association

Comprehensive survey can help health workers identify potentially risky behavior

Washington, DC (May 13, 2013) A recent study by a team of researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that risky sexual behavior can be predicted by cultural, socioeconomic and individual mores in conjunction with how one views themselves.

Katherine Hertlein of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will present her team's findings at the 63rd annual International Communication Association conference in London. Hertlein and colleagues surveyed over 800 participants and evaluated elements of the likelihood of one's engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. Approximately 120 variables were designed to give information on each area of focus socio/demographic, active sanctions, cultural, relational and individual factors. The data supports the contention that the sexual script, or how groups are "supposed" at act regarding sex, has a significant impact on the likelihood of engaging in high-risk sexual behavior. The cultural factor, which included gender stereotyping, sexual fantasy, sexual conservatism and pornography usage, proved the most reliable on predicting high-risk sexual behavior.

Individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) expose themselves to multiple risks, including those that are social, emotional, and physical in nature. Such risks can include effects to interpersonal relationships, self-esteem and overall well-being and health. With such important effects of engagement, it is imperative that a variety of healthcare providers understand an individual's decision-making process as a way to prevent unnecessary and adverse health, social, and behavioral consequences.

Researchers have limited themselves to testing how specific elements in isolation impact decision-making rather than examining the combined influence of multiple variables on the decision making process. This is problematic because variables such as substance use, relationship exclusivity, moral development, religiosity, and sensation-seeking have been found, in some cases, to mediate the sexual decision-making process. No study to date has included all of these variables in one coherent model. This study was the first of its kind to include a cluster of variables identified in the literature that was included in testing a model of sexual decision-making in cases of high-risk sexual behavior.

"This research can provide information that will inform health educators, public health nurses, HIV/AIDS programs and other community resources as to the motivations and contributing factors inherent in decision-making around engagement in risky sexual practices," said Hertlein. "Further, research findings may contribute to improved outreach, education, preventive efforts, and treatments to help control the spread of sexually transmitted infections."

###

"Testing a Model Predicting Risky Sexual Behavior," by Katherine Hertlein,Tara Emmers-Sommer, and Alexis Kennedy; To be presented at the 63rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, London, England, June 17-21.

Contact: To schedule an interview with the author or a copy of the research, please contact John Paul Gutierrez, jpgutierrez@icahdq.org.

About ICA

The International Communication Association is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. With more than 4,300 members in 80 countries, ICA includes 26 divisions and interest groups and publishes the Communication Yearbook and five major, peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Communication, Communication Theory, Human Communication Research, Communication, Culture & Critique, and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. For more information, visit http://www.icahdq.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/ica-prs051313.php

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Horror Anthology 'The ABCs Of Death' To Get A Sequel

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, but there are going to be two movies about "The ABCs of Death." A sequel to the creepy anthology is on the way, and filmmakers are promising a leaner and meaner set of horrors. You remember how this works: each director creates a short based on a [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/05/16/abcs-of-death-sequel/

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Lionsgate picks up horror thriller 'The Quiet Ones' before Cannes

By Lucas Shaw

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Lionsgate has acquired domestic distribution rights to "The Quiet Ones," a supernatural thriller starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin, the studio said Tuesday.

Inspired by true events, John Pogue's film follows a professor who disappears with his students to create a poltergeist. Lionsgate had already acquired U.K. distribution rights and has a strong track record with frightful thrillers such as "Cabin in the Woods" and the "Saw" franchise.

Jason Constantine, Lionsgate's President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, praised Pogue's "mastery of the genre in this terrifying, jump-out-of-your seat movie inspired by actual events," and tipped his toward Claflin and Harris, "who are already part of the Lionsgate family."

Lionsgate TV produces "Mad Men," which Harris once starred in, and distributes "The Hunger Games" franchise, which Claflin recently joined. He will star in "Catching Fire," the second of four planned films.

Lionsgate plans to release this movie April 25, 2014, the same day as Screen Gems' "No Good Deed." If Lionsgate keeps the date, it would open a week after "Transcendence," the directorial debut of Oscar-winning cinematographer and long-time Christopher Nolan collaborator Wally Pfister.

It marks Pogue's second effort as a director and eighth as a writer. His credits include "Ghost Ship, "The Fast and the Furious" and "U.S. Marshals."

Exclusive Media's Hammer label produced the film and Exclusive will be selling it overseas, while CAA represented Hammer on this sale.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lionsgate-picks-horror-thriller-quiet-ones-cannes-214824847.html

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Details of Jolie's breast treatment revealed

FILE - This March 8, 2012 file photo shows actress Angelina Jolie at the Women in the World Summit in New York. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

FILE - This March 8, 2012 file photo shows actress Angelina Jolie at the Women in the World Summit in New York. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

FILE - This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo shows actors Brad Pitt, left, and Angelina Jolie at the 84th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Pitt says it was important for his partner, Angelina Jolie, to share her story about having her breasts removed to avoid cancer ?and that others would understand it doesn't have to be a scary thing." In an interview in USA Today on wednesday, May 15, 2013, the actor said: "In fact, it can be an empowering thing, and something that makes you stronger and makes us stronger." (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, file)

FILE - This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo shows actress Angelina Jolie at the 84th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)

Angelina Jolie's mother had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer, and her maternal grandmother also had ovarian cancer ? strong evidence of an inherited, genetic risk that led the actress to have both of her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate, her doctor said Wednesday.

Jolie, 37, revealed on Tuesday that she carries a defective BRCA1 gene that puts her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She had mastectomies in February followed by reconstruction with implants in April, Dr. Kristi Funk said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Funk treated Jolie at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills and detailed her care on the center's website. She would not disclose when Jolie learned she carried the faulty gene, which gives a woman up to an 87 percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer and up to a 54 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

"This family history would certainly meet any insurance carrier's criteria to cover genetic testing," Funk wrote.

It is unclear whether Jolie will have her ovaries removed, although she wrote in her op-ed piece in the New York Times that she "started with the breasts" because they posed the highest cancer risk.

Removing the ovaries is often advised for women with such gene mutations, said Dr. Charis Eng, a medical geneticist and cancer specialist at the Cleveland Clinic who had no role in Jolie's care.

"We usually say 'try to have your kids'" and then have your ovaries removed by age 40, Eng said. It's not possible to remove every speck of breast tissue, but removing the breasts and ovaries leaves very little behind that could develop cancer, so it dramatically lowers a woman's risks, she explained.

On the surgery center's website, Fink described Jolie's three operations, which were done through the crease underneath each breast. Jolie's partner, actor Brad Pitt, "was on hand to greet her as soon as she came around from the anesthetic, as he was during each of the operations," Fink wrote.

On Feb. 2, Jolie had a procedure aimed at preserving the nipples, which usually are removed when a mastectomy is done to treat breast cancer. Half of the skin is lifted from the surface of the breast tissue and a small disc of tissue is taken to be checked for cancer.

The tissue proved healthy and on Feb. 16 she had the two mastectomies. Doctors also took an unusual step: injecting dye to determine which lymph nodes in her arms were draining fluid from the breasts. Those nodes would be most likely to contain cancer if any turned out to be lurking in the breast, Fink explained.

When a preventive mastectomy is done, "there's a 2 to 8 percent chance" of finding cancer, even though there was no indication of cancer beforehand, Fink said. Stitches or a tiny clip can be placed to show the location of these key "sentinel" lymph nodes in case Jolie ever were to develop cancer in the future and those nodes would need to be checked again.

Also during this operation, doctors placed a tissue expander, a balloon-like device that is slowly inflated with saline to stretch the skin and make room for a permanent implant. Even though the implant could have been done at the time of the mastectomy, Jolie chose the two-step procedure to optimize the final cosmetic appearance.

Four days after her mastectomies, "I was pleased to find her not only in good spirits with bountiful energy, but with two walls in her house covered with freshly assembled storyboards for the next project she is directing," Fink wrote on the website.

On April 27, doctors did her reconstruction, using a newer teardrop-shaped implant plus sheets of cadaver skin, which "creates like a sling under the implant" to give a more natural look, Fink said.

The website describes how women with gene mutations that raise their risk for cancer are monitored starting at age 18, but Fink said she could not disclose when Jolie was tested and learned she had the BRCA1 gene. About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers and about 15 percent of ovarian cancers are thought to be due to BRCA gene mutations.

___

Online:

Jolie treatment: http://tinyurl.com/a53qoz9

Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-15-Angelina%20Jolie-Mastectomy/id-3c2646f2d3f64cfa9508672fc750aea3

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Google Play Games Just Made Android Gaming Awesome(r)

Gaming on Android just got a way more legit. Google's just announced its new "Google Play Games" app and service at I/O today, and that comes with a whole bunch of features from achievements to leaderboards to matchmaking, multiplayer, and even cloud saves.

Any serious gaming platform nowadays has its own social network to build on, and Google's not to be left out. Your Play Games identity will be managed by?you guessed it?Google+, but that'll bring a whole bunch of social features to the table. The new app includes matchmaking and mulitplayer game options, an achievement system, saves that sync between devices linked to your account, and leaderboards in both "global" and "friends only" flavors. Basically, everything you'd expect to find rolled into a console gaming experience, for this generation anyway.

Of course, these features will only apply to Play-powered games, which will be tagged with a little controller-shaped badge for your identification convenience. Google Play Games is coming to your Froyo+ device today, via a Google services update, with a bunch of enabled games launching today as well. It should be a great diversion while we wait for all the other I/O goodness to hit. Let the games begin.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/google-play-games-just-made-android-gaming-awesome-r-506722393

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