U.S. authorities seize accounts of major Bitcoin operator

By Brett Wolf

ST. LOUIS, May 17 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) - U.S. authorities have seized two accounts linked to a major operator in the booming Bitcoin digital currency market, Tokyo-based exchange Mt. Gox. The move may prevent the firm from facilitating the purchase and sale of Bitcoins in U.S. dollars at a time when use of the currency and its value has mushroomed.

Bitcoin, which unlike conventional money is bought and sold on a peer-to-peer network independent of any central authority, has grown popular among users who lack faith in the established banking system.

The price of the volatile currency ballooned in March as a result of the Cyprus bank crisis. Authorities worry that a lack of regulation has left the currency vulnerable to money launderers and other criminals.

A seizure warrant obtained Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security froze an account that an Iowa-based online payment processor, Dwolla Inc, held at Veridian Credit Union in the name of Mutum Sigillum LLC.

An affidavit filed by an agent with the department's investigations unit states that Mutum Sigillum, a Mt. Gox subsidiary incorporated in Delaware, was operating as an unlicensed money transmitter, in violation of federal law.

Treasury's anti-money laundering unit, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in March issued guidance that dubbed digital currency exchanges money transmitters, a finding that obliged such businesses to register with FinCEN and obtain any mandated state licenses.

A search of FinCEN's online registration database Friday morning suggested that neither Mt. Gox nor Mutum Sigillum had registered. The affidavit cited Mutum Sigillum's failure to register with FinCEN as sufficient grounds to seize its accounts.

Both Mutum Sigillum and Mt. Gox, which says it handles 80 percent of Bitcoin trading, are owned by Mark Karpeles, the affidavit states. It adds that Karpeles opened an account in Mutum Sigillum's name at Wells Fargo in May 2011, and that when doing so completed a form in which he said it was not a money transmitter.

Karpeles did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nor did Dwolla.

The Wells Fargo account was seized earlier this month as part of the same investigation that prompted the seizure of Mutum Sigillum's Dwolla account at Veridian Credit Union, the affidavit states.

It also notes that those wishing to use U.S. dollars to buy Bitcoins deposited money with Dwolla and directed that it be forwarded to Mt. Gox. When people wanted to cash out, Mt. Gox wired funds from an account at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank in Japan to the Wells Fargo account and U.S. dollars were sent to Dwolla.

An Homeland Security department informant based in Maryland engaged in such transactions, the affidavit states, presenting the informant's Bitcoin exchanges as evidence of Mutum Sigillum's purported status as a money transfer firm.

The seizure of the Mt. Gox-linked accounts may threaten the exchange's ability to do business in U.S. dollars. The impact on the overall Bitcoin market is unclear.

Some Mt. Gox customers have already taken to message boards to express concern about their ability to buy Bitcoins with U.S. dollars or liquidate existing investments. One user posting on a Bitcoin question and answer site suggested this problem was a grave one for the currency and Mt. Gox.

"Most of the trading volume is in dollars at Gox if I'm not mistaken, so this might be the death blow for them," the user's post stated.

Thomson Reuters' Compliance Complete reported last month that Karpeles said all of Mt. Gox's U.S.-dollar activity was accomplished via a Dwolla account.

When Compliance Complete asked at the time whether Mt. Gox had registered with FinCEN in the wake of the March guidance, Karpeles said that it had not, but that it planned to do so. He added that Mt. Gox and Dwolla were "discussing compliance issues on a regular basis."

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security declined to comment on whether the agency, or any foreign law enforcement agency with which it may be cooperating, plan to seize any other accounts linked to Karpeles, Mt. Gox, or other Bitcoin exchanges.

(This article was produced by the Compliance Complete service of Thomson Reuters Accelus. Compliance Complete (http://bit.ly/16Ebxub) provides a single source for regulatory news, analysis, rules and developments, with global coverage of more than 230 regulators and exchanges. Follow Accelus compliance news on Twitter: @GRC_Accelus)

(Editing by Randall Mikkelsen and Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-authorities-seize-accounts-major-bitcoin-operator-163408866.html

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Toys R Us appeals $20M award in Mass. slide death (Providence Journal)

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96% War Witch

All Critics (47) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (2)

Canadian writer-director Kim Nguyen spent nearly a decade researching this docudrama about child soldiers in Africa, and the film feels as authoritative as a first-hand account.

A haunting take on unspeakably grim subject matter, shot on location in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A powerful and upsetting portrait of a young girl compelled into unimaginably horrific circumstances.

Nguyen, astonishingly, manages to wring something vaguely like a happy ending from this tragic story.

War Witch is most effective not when we are looking in on Komona but when we are inside her head.

The powerful things we expect from "War Witch" are as advertised, but what we don't expect is even better.

... driven by a remarkably natural, unaffected performance by Mwanza. And Nguyen, despite relying a little too heavily on the initial voice-over for exposition, is a confident and sensitive intelligence behind the camera.

You're likely to ponder its images, its insights into a very foreign (for most of us) location and the tragic situation of Komona (and others like her) for a long time to come.

Is it accurate depiction of Africa's child soldiers? I don't know, thank God. But it feels authentic to its very core, and that makes it as hard to forget as it is to ignore.

Brutal without turning exploitative, the result is harrowing and heartbreaking.

Nguyen creates a mesmerizing tone through his camerawork, editing, sound and the infusion of African folk imagery and ritual, but it's Mwanza's performance as Komona that makes "War Witch" feel so miraculous.

Nguyen reportedly worked on "War Witch" for a decade, and it shows in both the immediacy and authenticity of his tale, and the meticulous craft with which it's told.

Made with extremely clear-eyed restraint from harangues, sentiment, message-mongering, or anything else that would cheapen its central character's suffering and fight.

War Witch features a standout performance by Rachel Mwanza, but the supernatural visions don't really suit the film's tone and mood.

Nguyen's compassion and commitment to the issue is admirable, and at its best, War Witch is devastating.

War Witch is remarkable for the fact that it never strays into sentimentality or sensationalism.

...a love story between youngsters who are forced to become adults all too early in their lives.

This is a straight ahead essay on warfare at its worst and the survival of the human spirit at its best.

An astonishing drama set in Africa that vividly depicts the courage and resiliency of a 12-year-old girl whose spiritual gifts enable her to survive.

It is astonishing that film that contains such violence can have such a serene tone. The source of the serenity is the measured, calm narration by Komona (voice of Diane Umawahoro) that is the telling of her story to her unborn child

An exquisitely made film in direct contrast to the ugliness of its subject matter

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/war_witch/

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Researchers discover new target for personalized cancer therapy

Friday, May 3, 2013

A common cancer pathway causing tumor growth is now being targeted by a number of new cancer drugs and shows promising results. A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have developed a novel method to disrupt this growth signaling pathway, with findings that suggest a new treatment for breast, colon, melanoma and other cancers.

The research team has pinpointed the cancer abnormality to a mutation in a gene called PIK3CA that results in a mutant protein, which may be an early cancer switch. By disrupting the mutated signaling pathway, the Case Western Reserve team, led by John Wang, PhD, inhibited the growth of cancer cells, opening the possibility to new cancer therapies.

Their findings, "Gain of interaction with IRS1 by p110? helical domain mutants is crucial for their oncogenic functions," was published on May 2 in the journal Cancer Cell.

Cancer arises from a single cell, which has mutated in a small number of genes because of random errors in the DNA replication process. These mutations play key roles in carcinogenesis.

"This discovery has a broad impact on the treatment of human cancer patients because so many cancers are affected by this particular mutation in the p110? protein, which is encoded by the PIK3CA gene," said Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Genetics and Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. "This is a significant advance because we can now disrupt this misdirected signaling pathway in cancer cells."

"If you turn on a light, you have to turn on a switch. But in the case of the mutation of this protein, p110? turns on by itself," Wang said. "The mutation rewires the circuit and is uncontrolled. This implies that if you break these wires, you can control the growth of cancer. Our current discovery may lead to finding less toxic drugs that can be used for personalized treatment for cancer patients in the future."

"This research will impact the field by focusing us on new targets for treating and preventing metastasis in patients in a many different types of human cancers," said Stanton Gerson, MD, Asa and Patricia Shiverick-Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, and director of Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and of Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Wang's multidisciplinary team of Case Western Reserve researchers includes: Yujun Hao, Chao Wang, Bo Cao, Brett M. Hirsch, Jing Song, Sanford D. Markowitz, Rob M. Ewing, David Sedwick, Lili Liu and Weiping Zheng.

###

Case Western Reserve University: http://www.case.edu

Thanks to Case Western Reserve University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128122/Researchers_discover_new_target_for_personalized_cancer_therapy

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Why You Should Buy Commercial Property For Your Business

It?s harder to find commercial properties. Although there are plenty of commercial investments in the market, these buildings don?t get preferential listings in classified ads or real estate catalogs as do residential listings. You have to search for the best possible deals to find the best options for your investment. This article will provide you with all the pertinent information.

Make sure that you invest some time researching local income levels and other factors, such as unemployment rates or local employers plans for expanding or contracting their businesses before you invest a large amount of funds into real estate. Property that is located near a large business, a college, or a hospital has better resale value and will often sell easier.

TIP! Whether buying or selling, negotiate. You should make sure that they hear you and you get the fairest price for your property.

Before you sign a lease, find out about pest control. If you are renting a space that has known vermin problems, be sure to find out exactly who is responsible for pest control.

Commercial transactions are significantly more time-consuming, complex and involved than the home-buying process. Remember that the time and efforts you are investing will pay off.

One major part of commercial real estate deals is inspections. When property you are involved in is being inspected, take steps to verify the legitimacy of every inspector. Many people in certain fields are not accredited, including pest and insect removal services. This will avoid bigger problems in the post-sale.

TIP! Calm and patience are both sound practices when you are searching for commercial property. Do not rush into making quick real estate decisions.

If you have the intention of offering your commercial real estate for rent, look for buildings that are simple and solid in construction. These are the most likely to quickly invite tenants into the space, because they know it is well-cared for. These types of buildings are easier to fix for everyone and they might not need as many fixes.

Ensure there is adequate access to utilities on the commercial property. Water and sewer access will be needed in addition to electricity. You may want the option to use natural gas, as well.

Know your needs before you even start looking for a commercial real estate. Write down the features of a piece of property that are the most essential to you, such as how many square feet it must be and the number of specific rooms it should have, including conference rooms, offices, and restrooms.

TIP! Initially, your investment will take up a great deal of your time. It takes time to find a lucrative opportunity and purchase a propriety, adding to that time to carry out any repairs and alterations that are needed.

Commercial real estate has many brokers to offer. Some are full service brokers, and they work on behalf of landlords and tenants. Others are agents who represent only tenants. It might be most beneficial for you to hire a broker who works exclusively with tenants. A broker with that focus will be more experienced in successful dealings with tenants.

Speak to a tax adviser prior to buying a property. The tax lawyer will help you find out how much it will cost you and how much you will be taxed. Consult your adviser for areas where taxes are lower.

Prior to selecting a real estate broker, determine what kind of negotiating tactics they have. Inquire about their training and experience. You?ll also want an agent that conducts themselves professionally and ethically, and who has expertise in closing beneficial deals. Request additional information or examples of the results from previous negotiations.

TIP! Net Operating Income, the commercial metric for real estate, needs to be understood. To be successful, you must stay profitable.

Look around at the general environment around the building. You?ll be liable for cleaning up after environmental incidents. Are you aware of whether or not the property is located on a flood plain? You may need to think again. There are environmental assessment organizations who can provide information about a specific area if you contact them.

Make certain to think about any sorts of environmental issues. A thing that people are often worried about is that your commercial property may have hazardous waste problems. It?s up to you to be aware of the issues, fix them, and have them inspected once complete.

A large commercial property may be a better buy than a smaller one. If you were considering purchasing a building that has ten units, keep in mind that it does not involve that much more work to manage 75 units instead. A small building requires the same paperwork and financing as a larger building, and larger buildings end up costing less per unit.

TIP! You should be certain that your asking price is a fair offer for your piece of real estate. There are a lot of factors that determine the value of the lot.

Once you are sure which commercial property you want to choose, you are by no means finished. There is still so much more to do, and to learn. Gaining even a little bit of knowledge about commercial real estate helps you make better decisions.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/why-you-should-buy-commercial-property-for-your-business-3

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The Day In 100 Seconds (talking-points-memo)

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CBS' Moonves dismisses Aereo as 1Q earns top views

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? CBS Corp. Chief Executive Les Moonves gave an upbeat view of the health of broadcast TV Wednesday as the company reported strong results for the first three months of the year. He also dismissed startup Aereo as an "insignificant player" that was stealing CBS' signal.

Moonves told investors that Aereo has "gotten way too much attention" from the news media. The New York-based company takes broadcast signals for free from the airwaves and charges customers to watch them over computers and mobile devices. That threatens CBS' ability to collect fees from traditional service providers such as cable TV for rights to redistribute its stations' signals.

"We're not losing sleep over it. It is an insignificant player that has a couple thousand (subscribers)," Moonves said on a conference call. "We think ultimately that it goes away."

Broadcasters such as CBS have sued Aereo for copyright infringement, but so far Aereo has managed to keep operating thanks to a preliminary ruling in its favor last month. The company captures signals using thousands of tiny antennas, which it argues is comparable to individuals buying digital antennas for themselves.

Moonves echoed the comments of News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey, who said last month that if Aereo gets a legal OK to keep operating, he would consider changing the Fox network to a channel available only through cable and satellite TV services.

Moonves said that making this switch at CBS would be "fairly easy to do" and not that disruptive because 85 percent of people who watch CBS do so through TV providers such as cable and satellite companies. But he added, "I'm very doubtful that happens."

Moonves' comments came as CBS, the maker of shows such as "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "The Good Wife," reported that first-quarter earnings rose 22 percent to $443 million, or 69 cents per share. Excluding a loss from the outdoor billboard business in Europe and Asia, which CBS expects to sell this year, adjusted earnings came to 73 cents per share, 5 cents better than the 68 cents predicted by analysts polled by FactSet.

Revenue rose 6 percent to $4.04 billion, the highest since the company's 2006 split from Viacom Inc. That topped the $4.02 billion expected by analysts.

Advertising revenue grew 8 percent to $2.46 billion, helped by big events such as the Super Bowl and Grammy awards. Excluding these one-time events, the company said ad revenue would have grown in the "low single digit" percentages.

CBS Corp.'s stock rose 50 cents, or 1.1 percent, in after-hours trading to $46.90.

Moonves said that demand for last-minute ad buys on the CBS network was strong. He predicted that both bulk airtime sales and prices would be "up considerably" during the mass sales period ongoing now called the "upfronts." Such price hikes would boost CBS's finances in the final quarter of the year. He said prices would be up in the "high single to low double digit" percentages from a year ago.

Alan Gould, an analyst with investment bank Evercore Partners, said Moonves' comments were reassuring. Gould said the quarterly results were much better than expected.

"I do believe him that CBS will do better than the rest of the industry," he said.

Earlier Wednesday, NBC and Telemundo owner Comcast Corp. said broadcast television revenue fell more than 18 percent to $1.5 billion because the quarter last year included the Super Bowl on NBC. Excluding the Super Bowl, which was on CBS this year, revenue fell 5 percent. Comcast blamed lower prime-time ratings at NBC and lower revenue from content licensing.

ABC and ESPN owner Walt Disney Co. and Fox owner News Corp. are scheduled to report results next week.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-05-01-US-Earns-CBS/id-b945e71269c2458c84cae7a9bc2e133f

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SAC fund to adopt claw-back provision, beef up compliance

May 1 (Reuters) - Post position for Saturday's 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after Wednesday's draw (listed as barrier, HORSE, jockey, trainer) 1. BLACK ONYX, Joe Bravo, Kelly Breen 2. OXBOW, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas 3. REVOLUTIONARY, Calvin Borel, Todd Pletcher 4. GOLDEN SOUL, Robby Albarado, Dallas Stewart 5. NORMANDY INVASION, Javier Castellano, Chad Brown 6. MYLUTE, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss 7. GIANT FINISH, Jose Espinoza, Tony Dutrow 8. GOLDENCENTS, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill 9. OVERANALYZE, Rafael Bejarano, Todd Pletcher 10. PALACE MALICE, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher 11. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sac-fund-adopt-claw-back-provisions-beef-compliance-130547415.html

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Don't blame Canada: Former ambassador to Iran on Argo, America, and nukes

Canada's envoy to Tehran at the time of the Islamic revolution and the US hostage crisis, says Argo disappointed him and that he's worried about where Iran's nuclear program might lead.

By Ariel Zirulnick,?Staff writer / April 26, 2013

Former Canadian Ambassador to Iran Ken Taylor and his wife Pat, pose for photographers at the premiere of the film Argo in Washington, Oct. 2012. Taylor, who protected Americans at great personal risk during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, has achieved some name recognition in the US since the 2012 movie 'Argo' swept theaters and the Academy Awards.

Cliff Owen/AP/File

Enlarge

Former Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor is neither the James Bond lookalike he hoped might portray him in the Hollywood blockbuster "Argo" nor is he quite the Austin Powers double he says might have been a more accurate choice.

Skip to next paragraph Ariel Zirulnick

Middle East Editor

Ariel Zirulnick is the Monitor's Middle East editor, overseeing regional coverage both for CSMonitor.com and the weekly magazine. She is also a contributor to the international desk's terrorism and security blog.?

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But he's achieved some name recognition in the US since the 2012 movie swept theaters and the Academy Awards, and he has plenty to say about Iran in 1979 and the country it has become since.?

Mr. Taylor was Canada's ambassador to Tehran in 1979 when the US embassy there was stormed and dozens of Americans were taken hostage. Six Americans escaped and spent months holed up with him, waiting for their extraction.

Those months are the premise of the Ben Affleck-directed movie, which Taylor mildly says took ?a bit of poetic license.?

Speaking before a gathering of the New England Canada Business Council in Boston yesterday, Taylor, who now lives in New York, joked that after friends saw "Argo" at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival, they called him and said, ?I thought Canada was involved.?

According to Taylor, he replied, ?That?s odd, So did I.?

As the tense months of being trapped inside the embassy wore on, Taylor tried to reassure the Americans that they would be home by Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then the Super Bowl. He warned the US that ?they?re going to wonder if Washington forgot about them.?

Taylor revealed little about the actual operation that got the six men and women safely back to the United States. But, he joked, at least the movie showed that he ?opened the front door of the embassy with great dexterity.?

Iran then

When Taylor arrived in Tehran in 1977, ?the country was booming.?

There were rumors that Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi ? more commonly referred to as simply ?the Shah? ? was preparing to buy Pan American Airways. It did not seem like the ?stalwart of the West? was going anywhere.

For all the blame heaped on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for not predicting the Islamic Revolution, almost nobody saw it coming, he said. Afterward, the Ayatollah?s secular advisers told Taylor that even they didn?t expect the Shah?s government to fall like it did. ?

Revolutionary fervor did not sweep up the whole country the way it seemed to be portrayed in "Argo." And Taylor said a great disappointment for him was the way the movie portrayed Iranians, some of whom became ?marvelous friends? with him during his posting in Tehran.

?The movie was too heavy handed,? he said. ?It gave no idea that there is another side to the Iranian character. Everybody isn?t on the street. Everybody isn?t part of the revolution.?

Too many sanctions, too little talking

He is on board with the growing chorus of voices in Washington urging the Obama administration to ease up on its sanctions-heavy approach to negotiations with Iran although he acknowledges that Iran needs to give ground too.

Sometimes sanctions work, he says, citing South Africa during the apartheid era, but ?sometimes they strengthen resolve.?

When asked his opinion of whether Tehran has nuclear weapon ambitions, he cautions that ?Iran is an opaque society,? and there?s too little information to guess.

?I think they?ve got some military use in the back of their mind,? he says. ?But they don?t want to destroy themselves ? Maybe they are working at capabilities, but not necessarily producing [a nuclear weapon].?

That the military option for halting Iran?s nuclear development is ?on the table? worries Taylor, who points to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as cautionary for anyone considering going to war with Iran.

"A bombing mission would be a fatal error. It would solve nothing,? he says. ?It would postpone [Iran?s nuclear program] for two to three years,? but nothing more, because Iran?s nuclear facilities are too dispersed.

He says, ?I wake up every morning hoping [the military option] is still on the table? ? instead of being used.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/hjWdZ6cfd7U/Don-t-blame-Canada-Former-ambassador-to-Iran-on-Argo-America-and-nukes

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May Day rally turns violent in Seattle

Demonstrators back away from a "flash bang" object used by police during a May Day protest in Seattle Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Police used "flash bangs" and pepper spray against some protesters who pelted them with rocks and bottles late Wednesday, as violence erupted during May Day in Seattle. Several dozen protesters, many using bandanas to cover their faces, began clashing with police in downtown Seattle hours after a peaceful immigrant-rights march ended. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Demonstrators back away from a "flash bang" object used by police during a May Day protest in Seattle Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Police used "flash bangs" and pepper spray against some protesters who pelted them with rocks and bottles late Wednesday, as violence erupted during May Day in Seattle. Several dozen protesters, many using bandanas to cover their faces, began clashing with police in downtown Seattle hours after a peaceful immigrant-rights march ended. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

Protesters and media run from a police munition during a May Day protest in Seattle Wednesday May 1, 2013. Police used flash bangs and pepper spray against some protesters pelting them with objects late Wednesday, as a spurt of violence erupted after a May Day march for immigration reform ended. (AP Photo/Joshua Trujillo, seattlepi.com)

Police face off against demonstrators during a May Day protest in Seattle Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Police used "flash bangs" and pepper spray against some protesters who pelted them with rocks and bottles late Wednesday, as violence erupted during May Day in Seattle. Several dozen protesters, many using bandanas to cover their faces, began clashing with police in downtown Seattle hours after a peaceful immigrant-rights march ended. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

A police officer pushes back a black-masked demonstrator during a May Day protest in Seattle Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Police used "flash bangs" and pepper spray against some protesters who pelted them with rocks and bottles late Wednesday, as violence erupted during May Day in Seattle. Several dozen protesters, many using bandanas to cover their faces, began clashing with police in downtown Seattle hours after a peaceful immigrant-rights march ended. (AP Photo/Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

A protester waves a smoke device during a May Day march that began as an anti-capitalism protest and turned into demonstrators clashing with police, Wednesday, May 1, 2013, in downtown Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

SEATTLE (AP) ? Police used "flash bangs" and pepper spray against some protesters who pelted them with rocks and bottles late Wednesday, as violence erupted during May Day in Seattle.

Several dozen protesters, many using bandanas to cover their faces, began clashing with police in downtown Seattle hours after a peaceful immigrant-rights march ended.

Protesters threw rocks and bottles at police officers and news crews. As they moved through downtown Seattle to another nearby neighborhood, they flung construction street barriers, trash cans and newspaper bins on the streets in an attempt to block advancing police officers. Windows of local businesses were broken and vehicles with people in them were banged around.

"We're a bigger and better city than this. I look at this and I am disappointed that this is the picture the world sees of us," Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said late Wednesday.

Police used their bikes to shield businesses and eventually began to use pepper spray and "flash bang' grenades ? releasing a flash of light, smoke and a loud noise ? to disperse the crowd. But that pushed the group to the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and they left a wake of overturned trash cans and debris on the street, as well as smashed windows on local businesses.

In the aftermath, 18 people were arrested, the Seattle Police Capt. Chris Fowler said.

Fowler said that eight officer were injured, mostly scrapes and bruises. One officer was hit by a rock on her knee.

The violence stemmed from a march that billed itself as an "anti-capitalism" protest. Initially, the protesters concentrated on a business sector of downtown Seattle.

Despite lacking a permit to march, Seattle police escorted them as through downtown.

"That first march came downtown. It was absolutely peaceful...it was almost a festive affair and they had some serious messages, too, that they wanted to express. No incidents whatsoever," McGinn said. "The second march was very different, and it wasn't just merely because it was unpermitted. I think it also had to do with the nature of the individuals in it and what they wanted to do."

There were no immediate cost estimates of the damage left.

This is the second year in a row violence has broken out during May Day in Seattle. Last year, anarchists broke windows of store fronts, including Niketown, and vehicles and used smoke bombs. Protesters also targeted a federal building, breaking windows and doors.

Olivia One Feather of Covington joined the crowd Wednesday night because she wanted to see how police handled the protest. She said she wasn't impressed, adding that she was pepper sprayed in the face while trying to video record officers.

Of the protesters, she said, "They're doing what we need to do to stand up to ourselves. These are our streets and we have the right to take them."

Many of the protesters are self-described anarchists. A local anarchist website said protesters would attempt to disrupt May Day.

After the clashes died down, local residents were seen cleaning up trash left by the protesters.

The violence marred a May Day that immigrant-rights activists hoped would put a focus back on immigration reform. Thousands of people marched about 2 1/2 miles from the Central District toward Seattle's downtown Jackson Federal Building after a May Day rally supporting immigrant rights and labor.

Many carried signs, with messages such as "We are America," and "There are no illegal humans." One sign suggested forgetting about marijuana and instead asking the United States to "Legalize my mom," a reference to Washington's recent legalization of marijuana.

Other demonstrations and rallies in Olympia, Mount Vernon, Spokane, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima went along peacefully.

____

Associated Press writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Wash., Shannon Dininny in Yakima, Wash. and Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-02-Immigration%20Marches-Washington/id-a1e59c22a8094d53ae1f36130201572a

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As Moshi Monsters Hits 5 Years, Can It Pull Off Three New Games?

Five years after being started as a back-bedroom project by Michael Acton Smith, Mind Candy, the company that came up with the hugely successful Moshi Monsters kids game, has achieved a lot. Unusually for most UK consumer startups, it's reached across the globe to become a global brand attracting 80 million registered users, up from 50 million in 2011.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DKHFSSK1XvA/

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Health News - NIH Encourages Americans to Make Vision a Priority ...

Statement from National Eye Institute Director Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D.

In May, Healthy Vision Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI) calls on Americans to make their vision a priority by taking the necessary steps to protect vision, prevent vision loss, and make the most of the vision they may have remaining.

[Image of eye drops being applied]

An eye care professional applies eye drops to dilate a person?s eyes.

Approximately 38 million Americans over age 40 have glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, or cataracts. That number is projected to rise to 56 million by the year 2030. Early detection and treatment of eye diseases are crucial to preserving sight. There are often no warning signs or pain in the early stages of many eye diseases, therefore having good vision can be something people take for granted. By the time people realize they are losing vision, it may be too late to restore vision already lost.

The best way to care for your eyes is by having a comprehensive dilated eye exam. During this exam, drops are placed in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupils. This procedure can detect vision problems and determine whether you need eye glasses or contact lenses. It can also detect eye diseases, many of which cause visual impairment and blindness, in their early stages when they?re the most treatable.

Preventing eye injuries is also important. Many occupations and forms of recreation can present dangers to the eye. Eye protection is a necessity when our jobs put our eyes at risk. It is estimated that wearing protective eyewear when playing sports can cut down on related eye injuries by as much as 90 percent. Wearing eye protection when working in the yard will also lower the number of those who experience serious eye trauma.
Dr. Rachel Bishop, an ophthalmologist at the NIH?s National Eye Institute describes several ways people can keep their eyes healthy ? (MP3 - 00:49, 779 KB)

Transcript - Dr. Rachel Bishop, an ophthalmologist at the NIH?s National Eye Institute describes several ways people can keep their eyes healthy.

NEI conducts and supports research of blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, and mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the visually impaired. Our national investment in vision research has yielded substantial dividends in the form of new and innovative treatment for millions of Americans. Detecting eye disease and problems early allow individuals to benefit from the advances made in vision research.

To learn more about keeping eyes healthy, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes. To learn more about Healthy Vision Month and to access resources for promoting the observance, such as prewritten Facebook posts and tweets, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/hvm.

Media Resources: B-roll with eye examinations is available by calling 301-496-5248. Simulations of visual impairments and other images are available in downloadable, camera-ready format on the NEI website at http://www.nei.nih.gov/photo. For more information and resources, see http://www.nei.nih.gov/pressroom/hvm.

About Healthy Vision Month: May is Healthy Vision Month, a national eye health observance established by the National Eye Institute in May 2003. Millions of people living in the United States have undetected vision problems, eye diseases, and conditions, and the observance is designed to elevate vision as a health priority for the nation by promoting the importance of early detection and treatment, as well as the use of proper eye safety practices, in preventing vision loss and blindness. For more information about Healthy Vision Month, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/hvm.

About the National Eye Institute: The National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the federal government's research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs that result in the development of sight-saving treatments. For more information, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health?

###

Source: http://www.healthcanal.com/eyes-vision/38191-nih-encourages-americans-to-make-vision-a-priority-during-healthy-vision-month.html

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LinkedIn 1Q net, revenue soar; outlook falls short

May 1 (Reuters) - Post position for Saturday's 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after Wednesday's draw (listed as barrier, HORSE, jockey, trainer) 1. BLACK ONYX, Joe Bravo, Kelly Breen 2. OXBOW, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas 3. REVOLUTIONARY, Calvin Borel, Todd Pletcher 4. GOLDEN SOUL, Robby Albarado, Dallas Stewart 5. NORMANDY INVASION, Javier Castellano, Chad Brown 6. MYLUTE, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss 7. GIANT FINISH, Jose Espinoza, Tony Dutrow 8. GOLDENCENTS, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill 9. OVERANALYZE, Rafael Bejarano, Todd Pletcher 10. PALACE MALICE, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher 11. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/linkedin-1q-net-revenue-soar-outlook-falls-short-202444205.html

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Marriage Proposal Ad: Guy Pops Question With Full-Page Newspaper "Story"!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/marriage-proposal-ad-guy-pops-question-with-full-page-newspaper/

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The California-Made Earthquake Alarm That Works But California Won't Build

For all of the devastation caused by the 2011 earthquake/tsunami in Japan, the former, a 9.0 magnitude beast called ?Tohoku,? could have claimed far more lives. The reason it didn?t? Since 2007, Japan has had an early warning system?conceived ten years ago at Caltech?which California still hasn?t managed to set up. And while it only gives about a minute notice, it's a minute Californians currently don't have.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qWMDhYC-eCA/the-california-made-earthquake-alarm-that-works-but-cal-486349057

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Should It Be Illegal to Exploit a Video Poker Bug and Win Big?

A Las Vegas District Court judge is currently weighing a big question that you may have opinions on: is exploiting a bug on a casino's video poker machine illegal or not?

Wired reports that a pair of gamblers, John Kane and Andre Nestor , stumbled upon a bug while playing video poker in a Las Vegas casino. Wired explains:

John Kane had been the final player at machine 50102, and he?d opted for Triple Play Triple Double Bonus Poker, winning three hands at once at the maximum $10 denomination. His last game was still on the screen: three aces, four aces, three aces again. At payout odds of 820-to-1 he?d scored an $8,200 bonanza... [H]e was exploiting a previously-unknown firmware bug present in the Game King and nine other IGT machines ? one that had been hidden for seven years.

But the bug only required playing the machine?not fiddling with software or hardware in any way?so it's unclear if it counts as illegal or otherwise. The problem is that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a little vague when it comes to what counts as hacking and what counts as computer misuse?and that's what the judge is wrestling with. A ruling which declares the incident legal could have an interesting impact on how the CFAA is used in the future, but what do you think? [WIRED via Daring Fireball]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/should-it-be-illegal-to-exploit-a-video-poker-bug-and-w-486743799

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PFT: NFL probes Eagles' deal with LSU's Shepard

AP

The Bills added a considerable amount of speed to their WR corps during the draft.

The Dolphins are holding a job fair today for their stadium project which may not happen.

A vote for T.J. Moe as the Patriots? unheard of rookie free agent who could make an impact.

Jets QB Greg McElory is fired up about the team adding former Alabama teammate Dee Milliner.

Ravens seventh-round WR Aaron Mellette has to make a big jump in competition, but they like his size and potential.

All the pressure?s on Bengals QB Andy Dalton, with the extra weapons he was given this offseason.

Free agent tackle Winston Justice decided to not take his tour to the Browns after all.

Steelers sixth-round LB Vince Williams has an opportunity for playing time.

As you?d expect, the Texans are expecting first-round WR DeAndre Hopkins to contribute immediately.

A number of Colts players said a gay teammate would not be a problem in their locker room.

Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union says the Jaguars can?t afford to give WR Justin Blackmon many more chances.

The Titans released two other guys Wednesday, in addition to WR Lavelle Hawkins.

Improvements in the run game could be just what the Broncos needed.

The Raiders brought back LS Nick Guess.

If free agent LT Bryant McKinnie signs with the Chargers, he?ll be the oldest man on the roster.

The Cowboys think third-round S J.J. Wilcox has a chance to start.

Former Giants OT Roman Oben worries that an entire generation of former players is destined to struggle with life after football, but that current players have a better chance.

New Eagles DT Bennie Logan was one of eight LSU defenders drafted this year, and one of eight children in his family growing up.

The Redskins have invited a number of players to minicamp on a tryout basis, including Penn State QB Matt McGloin.

The Bears are still in the process of shuffling their (large) scouting department.

The Lions added three more undrafted rookies to their previous class of eight.

The Packers hope that drafting RB Eddie Lacy will keep them from having to trust luck to find a running game.

New Vikings DE Lawrence Jackson took the same minimum-wage deal the Lions offered, saying it was a ?good fit.?

The Falcons signed undrafted rookie K Casey Barth, the younger brother of Buccaneers K Connor Barth.

Former Panthers coach John Fox was back in his old home (where he still has a home), playing the pro-am at the local PGA Tour Stop.

The Saints are giving former LSU K Josh Jasper a tryout.

Bucs undrafted rookie CB Deveron Carr has the kind of bonus that indicates competition for his services.

The Cardinals signed some CBs in free agency, but trading for Javier Arenas proves you can?t have too many.

The Rams loaded up in the secondary with their undrafted rookie class.

The 49ers are willing to roll the dice, and even signed an undrafted rookie from a Division II school who didn?t play last year.

The Seahawks are getting praise for their offseason moves.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/02/nfl-investigating-russell-shepard-negotiation/related/

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Coda files for bankruptcy, hopes to sell its EV assets for $25 million

We can't say we were enthused with Coda Automotive's ho-hum EV design, and we know the public wasn't, either. Still, it's hard not to lament the company's fate now that its parent, Coda Holdings, is declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy and getting out of the car market. The firm has had enough of production delays and slow adoption, and now it's planning to sell its Automotive division through an auction that should net at least $25 million. What's left of Coda will focus on energy storage, if and when it emerges from bankruptcy -- not nearly as exciting a field, but likely more profitable. While the exit was far from unexpected, it reminds us that the modern EV business is more often defined by its casualties than its winners.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Bloomberg

Source: Coda Automotive

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/02/coda-files-for-bankruptcy-hopes-to-sell-its-ev-assets-for-25m/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Furthur cancels show after Bob Weir fall

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2010 file photo shows musician Bob Weir at SIRIUS XM Radio in New York. Weir fell onstage while strumming his guitar at a concert in Port Chester, N.Y. Furthur has cancelled a tour date after guitarist Bob Weir fell onstage at a concert last week. Weir said on his website Tuesday that the band is ?unable to perform for the next several weeks ... due to unforeseen circumstances.? They were scheduled to play May 9 in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2010 file photo shows musician Bob Weir at SIRIUS XM Radio in New York. Weir fell onstage while strumming his guitar at a concert in Port Chester, N.Y. Furthur has cancelled a tour date after guitarist Bob Weir fell onstage at a concert last week. Weir said on his website Tuesday that the band is ?unable to perform for the next several weeks ... due to unforeseen circumstances.? They were scheduled to play May 9 in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2010 file photo shows musician Bob Weir at SIRIUS XM Radio in New York. Weir fell onstage while strumming his guitar at a concert in Port Chester, N.Y. In a video posted online, the 65-year-old musician collapsed Thursday during a performance with his Furthur bandmates at The Capitol Theatre. He was quickly helped off the floor as the crowd cheered him on. Weir is currently on a tour with Furthur, the band he formed with fellow Grateful Dead bandmate Phil Lesh. Lesh told the crowd Thursday that Weir had been suffering from a strained shoulder. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Furthur is cancelling a tour date after guitarist Bob Weir fell onstage at a concert last week.

Weir said on his website Tuesday that the Grateful Dead offshoot is "unable to perform for the next several weeks ... due to unforeseen circumstances." They were scheduled to play May 9 in Napa, Calif.

Weir was quickly helped off the floor after collapsing onstage at a concert last week in Port Chester, N.Y.

The statement adds that the 65-year-old Weir plans to hit the road in late June for solo shows.

Weir formed Furthur with fellow Grateful Dead member Phil Lesh. Furthur's summer tour kicks off July 11 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

A representative for Furthur didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

___

Online:

http://bobweir.net/april-30

http://www.furthur.net/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-01-Music-Bob%20Weir/id-ead5136a21bc411d9ac00f6c9b4a436d

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The Care and Feeding of Teenagers: Just What the Doctor Ordered

Helping an adolescent become a caring, independent and responsible adult is no,small task. ?It's arguably our most important job as a parent. ?The experts at The Mayo Clinic offer some simple tips to improve our skills o guide our teens to a successful life.?

#1Show your Love. ? ?Adolescence can be a confusing time of change for teens and parents alike. But while these years can be difficult, there's plenty you can do to nurture your teen and encourage responsible behavior. Use these parenting skills to deal with the challenges of raising a teen.

#2. Positive Attention. ?Spend time with your teen to remind him or her that you care. Listen to your teen when he or she talks, and respect your teen's feelings. Also, keep in mind that only reprimanding your teen and never giving him or her any justified praise can prove demoralizing. For every time you discipline or correct your teen, try to compliment him or her twice. If?your teen doesn't seem interested in bonding, keep trying. Regularly eating meals together may be a good way to stay connected to your teen. Better yet, invite your teen to prepare the meal with you. On days when you're having trouble connecting with your teen, how about doing your own thing in the same space. Being near each other could lead to the start of a conversation. You might also encourage your teen to talk to other supportive adults, such as a coach, another family member or a family friend.?

#3. Don't Pressure. ?No mini-me expectations. ?Don't expect your teen to be like you were or wish you had been at his or her age. Give your teen some leeway when it comes to clothing and hairstyles. It's natural for teens to rebel and express themselves in ways that differ from their parents. ?Remember your own fashion statements when you were 15. ? Note:?If your teen shows an interest in body art ? such as tattoos and piercings ? make sure he or she understands the health risks, such as skin infections, allergic reactions, and hepatitis B and C. Also talk about potential permanence or scarring.

As you allow your teen some degree of self-expression, remember that you can still maintain high expectations for your teen and the kind of person he or she will become.

#4. ?Encourage Cyber Safety. ?Get to know the technology your teen is using and the websites he or she visits. If possible, keep the computer in a common area in your home. Remind your teen to?practice these basic safety rules:

• Don't share personal information online.
• Don't share passwords.
• Don't get together with someone you meet online.
• Don't send anything in a message you wouldn't say face to face.
• Don't text or chat on the phone while driving.
• Don't plagiarize.
• Talk to a parent or trusted adult if feeling threatened or uneasy

Some great tips from the folks at Mayo Clinic. ?Thanks Minnesota.

Source: http://careandfeedingofteens.blogspot.com/2013/05/just-what-doctor-ordered.html

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id America Gasket V8 case for iPhone 5 review

  I’m a gearhead (or petrolhead, depending on your region). ?I’m also an iPhone owner. ?When id America produced the Gasket V8 case that combines the love for both, I had to take a look. The Gasket V8 is a snap-on cover that mimics the look of a cylinder gasket from an engine, and comes [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/05/01/id-america-gasket-v8-case-for-iphone-5-review/

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Column: Why high corporate profits aren't so bad

By Zachary Karabell

(Reuters) - Over the past month, America's largest companies reported their earnings for the first quarter of the year. These quarterly reports provide as much insight into our economy as any of our leading indicators. And these results, if read correctly, highlight once again the bifurcated world we live in.

Our gross domestic product is growing about 2.5 percent a year for now, but that masks a vast divergence, not between the 1.0 percent and the 99.0 percent but between what works and what does not. What this earnings season demonstrates is that capital and companies are thriving, along with tens of millions of people connected to those worlds, while labor and wages are not. But that is not how it is being interpreted.

The consensus among investors and the financial media is that the quarter was something of a bust, as company after company reported only modest, and in many cases non-existent, revenue growth. "Revenue still missing as companies beat earnings," blared a USA Today headline, and that encapsulates what most have said.

The uber-bearish economist Gary Schilling, cited by the widely-read uber-gloomy blog Zero Hedge, put it bluntly:

"Pricing power has been non-existent sales volume increases have been very limited so the only route to profit has been cutting costs. That has pushed profit margins to all-time highs."

Enjoy it now, says Schilling, because profit without revenue growth is "unsustainable." The only reason markets are doing well and corporations aren't panicking, the thinking goes, is because central banks are flooding the world with money. At the same time, large companies have proven adept at generating substantial earnings. That is true now, and it has been true for years.

Since 2009, for instance, the mega-companies of the Standard and Poor's 500-stock index have doubled their profits. Companies overall haven't done quite as well because small companies don't have the same advantages, such as keeping income offshore, assorted tax breaks and pure economies of scale. Even so, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. corporations overall have seen their profits grow more than 50 percent during these years.

But now, while larger companies are still showing earnings growth, revenues have been almost at a standstill. This trend is widely seen as proof that trouble is brewing. Companies, especially publicly traded ones, face relentless pressure to generate earning growth at all costs. With slower revenue growth, the only way they can do that is to cut costs and do whatever they can to become more efficient, from greater use of technology (and therefore fewer workers) to cutting wages and benefits, either by finding cheaper labor abroad or by cutting benefits and wages domestically.

In a world of slow revenue growth, that becomes harder. Says Jeffery Kleintop, chief market strategist of the financial firm LPL, companies are going to have a hard time eliminating enough expenses to hit earnings targets. "When there's no more fat to cut," he says, "you start to cut muscle, and then you're cutting bone."

The problem with these views is they rest on the belief that companies are revenue-challenged. That may be true for some companies over the past few quarters. But it simply isn't true overall.

Since 2009, while the global economy has grown less than 4.0 percent per year, on average, companies have generated revenue growth at almost twice that rate. As for companies engaged in the more dynamic areas of our economic lives, such as technology companies, innovative retail companies, and industrial companies, those have grown at an even faster clip. What's more, the average rate of growth is weighed down by financial companies, though overall that is a good thing, given how bloated and outsize the financial industry had become before 2009.

More important, while some companies are finding it hard to generate growth, over the past four years the sectors we would want to shrink are shrinking while the sectors that stand to materially improve our lives have been booming.

Financial services, some healthcare companies, coal and oil producers - those are the industries that have been challenged. The shrinkage of these sectors is a good thing. You don't want healthcare costs eating up larger portions of national income which remains a problem. You don't want energy costs crowding out other consumer spending, and you don't want a bloated financial services sector.

Meanwhile, Google, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Honeywell, United Technologies, Netflix, Target and on and on have thrived. And they're not thriving at the expense of society, whatever the rhetoric about inequality would suggest.

Yes, there is massive inequality, and average wages have stagnated in the United States and decreased in much of the developed world. But that is the average. Within that, wages for the college-educated, for the skilled and for residents of dynamic urban areas have been growing rapidly and robustly.

Google would not be generating almost $60 billion in revenue this year unless millions of businesses large and small were using banner ads and search to expand their businesses, and they can only spend that money because their businesses are, in fact, expanding. EBay is growing at double-digit rates because PayPal is booming, and it wouldn't be booming without those millions of consumers using it for payments.

How we view corporate earnings is being distorted through various negative lenses. One lens says macroeconomic growth defined by GDP is slow and getting slower and companies are about to slow down far more than we think. Another lens says the relative success of companies is coming at the expense of substantial swaths of society. Neither lens allows for the fact that companies are doing well because vast swaths of the globe are booming, including substantial numbers of people not just in China and the emerging world but also in the United States. That boom isn't just a function of creative accounting and cost cutting. It's because so many are doing quite well in the world today even as many people struggle mightily.

The economies of today are simultaneously serving the needs of more people than ever while failing to provide sufficiently for vast numbers of people. That explains why so many companies are succeeding so spectacularly, and why that trend is likely to continue for quite some time. They thrive because many are thriving, and because they bear few of the burdens of states that must provide for those who are not thriving. Healing that split is one of the challenges of our day. Thankfully, the thriving companies are the ones are most likely to be part of those solutions.

(Zachary Karabell is president of River Twice Research and River Twice Capital. A regular commentator on CNBC and a contributing editor for Newsweek/Daily Beast, he is the coauthor of "Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World" and "Superfusion: How China and America Became One Economy and Why the World's Prosperity Depends on It.")

(Zachary Karabell is a Reuters columnist but his opinions are his own.)

(Zachary Karabell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/column-why-high-corporate-profits-arent-bad-205117494.html

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