Egypt's Moussa slams bid to wrap up constitution fast

With 47 percent of the popular vote, Mitt Romney may become the president of nothing more than Ironystan. Yes, the final general-election tally is trickling in and, as fate would have it, Romney's total might look more like that mythical number after all. Well, according to David Wasserman of the Cook Political report, it's more like 47.49 and dropping, which, of course rounds down to 47 ? the same percentage of Americans?he said were moochers and takers in a video?that was one of the nails in the coffin of his presidential campaign.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-moussa-slams-bid-wrap-constitution-fast-145008125.html

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Fake Twitter Accounts and the Danger for Politicians

One of the less-discussed changes of recent times is the way Twitter has moved centre-stage in the media ecosystem, or at least in the part of it that intersects with politics.

This has happened despite the ongoing growth of Facebook, which now has 1 billion users and seems destined to become the biggest virtual "country" in the world.

But while Zuckerberg's empire may indeed be having an impact on the politics of Middle Eastern countries, it is Twitter that seems to matter in the Anglo-Saxon world. Witness the role it has played in the Newsnight-McAlpine fiasco. Or the way in which several political leaders first conveyed their reaction to the re-election of Obama in tweets. Or the intriguing (not to say hilarious) way that Rupert Murdoch has engaged with it.

So Twitter matters ? or at least is perceived to matter, which often amounts to the same thing. Politicians and other public figures are increasingly obsessed with their footprint on the service ? the number of "followers" they have. Most of the people who have the biggest followings are showbiz celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. The only politician who makes it into the top 100 (unless you count the Dalai Lama) is Barack Obama, who had 23,363,644 followers the last time I checked.

Given the centrality of Twitter, Obama's numbers must have rankled with Mitt Romney (who currently languishes at 1.77 million followers, a number that is decreasing by the day). During the election campaign, however, something really interesting happened. On Friday 20 July, Obama had 18 million followers, compared with Romney's 690,000. But over the next few days @MittRomney mysteriously acquired 100,000 new?followers.

This immediately attracted the attention of those who track these things. "Is Mitt Romney buying Twitter followers?" asked one prominent observer. Others noted that many of the new "followers" looked dodgy. Five of them shared the same profile photo, for example. Obama supporters gleefully pointed out that buying followers would be absolutely typical of a candidate who was fabulously rich but clueless about cyberspace. Sceptics wondered if the spike was actually orchestrated by Romney's opponents as a way of discrediting him. Was the spike the product of a Twitter "spambot" ? a software robot that creates fake accounts? And so on.

But this was all conjecture and speculation. Everybody was suspicious but nobody knew anything. Then a couple of students at the Oxford Internet Institute asked themselves a question: what's the probability that Romney's new followers are genuine? Their account of the research makes fascinating reading. They started from the empirical observation that fake accounts created by Twitterbots tend to have few or no followers. Then they picked 20 Twitter accounts comparable in size to Obama's and Romney's and examined the statistical properties of the 150,000 newest followers in each. What they were looking for, of course, was the proportion of new followers who had few or zero followers and were therefore likely to be the product of bots. Here's what they found:

"26.9% of Romney's 150,000 newest followers had fewer than two followers. For other accounts of similar size, only 9.6% of new followers had fewer than two followers themselves. The median number of followers for Romney's new followers was five, whereas the median for the comparison group was 27. This represents a stark and statistically significant difference. If you are a statistics nerd, like us, you might want to know that the p-value on this was 0.0000. For the rest of the world, this means that there is, essentially, a 0% chance that the underlying characteristics of Romney's followers are actually the same as the comparison users."

Of course, the Oxford research doesn't answer the really interesting question: who set up the Twitterbot operation? Was it an inept wheeze dreamed up by Romney's people? Or a malicious prank orchestrated by his opponents to discredit him? It just tells us that it was a robotic operation. But it does usefully highlight the kind of analysis that journalists need to be able to do in a networked media environment. Determining what is real?and what is fake is harder in a digital world than it is in meatspace. And it requires mastery of analytical tools as well as possession of the crap-detector that is the time-honoured prerequisite of investigative?journalism.

This article was written by John Naughton, for The Observer on Sunday 18th November 2012 00.06 Europe/London

guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

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image: ? Gage Skidmore

Source: http://hereisthecity.com/2012/11/18/fake-twitter-accounts-and-the-danger-for-politicians/

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Your Car Insurance Plan | INWD

Car Insurance Monterey Park CA There are more cars on the road every year. As this number increases, the possibility of accidents also increases. If you get in a car accident, the auto insurance you have can make a large difference in how much you have to pay. How can you determine what insurance you need and how you can buy it? Insurance requirements will differ by state/province, but typically include the following: Liability: It pays for expenses due to personal injury and damage to property for which you are responsible. Damages from bodily injury include medical fees, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Property damage includes car repair costs and loss of property use. It can also cover your defense and court costs if you are sued. State laws typically mandate minimum amounts of liability insurance, but larger amounts are available and extremely helpful. Personal Injury Protection: This type of insurance pays for hospital bills and other medical treatment for you and your passengers, regardless of who was responsible for the collision. It is mandated in some states and optional in others. State law typically sets minimum amounts. Medical Payments: Medical payment coverage can be purchased in states that are not considered no-fault; it pays regardless of who may have been at fault. All reasonable medical or funeral expenses will be covered under this type of policy. Collision: This pays for damages to your car caused by a collision. Comprehensive: This type of insurance protection takes care of any non-collision damages. This may include fire and wind damage, vandalism, and theft. Uninsured Motorist: If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, this type of insurance coverage will make sure you are covered. Under-Insured Motorist: This pays for collision expenses when a driver with insurance is in a crash caused by a driver who does not have the right amount of insurance to cover the total amount of the damages. Other policies, like emergency road service, are also available. Your auto insurance payments vary by company and will depend on several factors, including: *Your desired coverage *Your vehicle?s make and model * Whether or not you have been in an accident * Your age, gender and marital status * The place where you live Don?t procrastinate buying auto insurance; you should never be on the road without it. Review your needs, do your research , and with the guidance of your insurance agency, make the decision that fits you best.

17

Nov

Posted:

November 17, 2012 Saturday at 1:40 pm

Source: http://inwd.org/your-car-insurance-plan/

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Shirtless photo a joke says FBI agent in Petraeus scandal (+video)

Shirtless photo: 'A joke' says Frederick Humphries, the FBI agent contacted by Jill Kelley to stop harassing emails sent by the woman having an affair with Gen. David Petraeus. The shirtless photo shows Humpries posed between two shirtless target dummies.

By Marcus Stern and Duff Wilson,?Reuters / November 16, 2012

The FBI agent who began the investigation that led David Petraeus to resign as CIA director said that a shirtless photo he sent to a woman at the center of the probe was a "tongue-in-cheek joke" sent to many friends, and was not meant to be sexual.

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Frederick Humphries told the Seattle Times in an interview published Thursday that the photo in the unfolding adultery scandal that brought down Petraeus was sent to Tampa, Florida, socialite Jill Kelley in 2010.

The Seattle Times reports: "The picture, which was sent to a reporter at The Seattle Times in 2010, was taken following a "hard workout" with the SWAT team at MacDill Air Force Base. He's posed between a pair of target dummies that have a remarkable likeness to the buff agent. The caption on the photo, which was sent from a personal email account, reads, "Which One's Fred?"

Indeed, among his friends and associates, Humphries was known to send dumb-joke emails in which the punch line was provided by opening an attached photo.

The photo was sent from a joint personal email account shared by Humphries' wife. Humphries said that, at one point, his supervisor posted the picture on an FBI bulletin board as a joke and that his wife, a teacher, has a framed copy."

RECOMMENDED: Petraeus scandal: Did any thing illegal happen?

Humphries, who has been identified in media reports on the scandal mainly as the "shirtless" FBI agent, was a "top-notch" operative, according to a prosecutor who worked with him on the "millennium bomber" case years ago.

Andrew Hamilton, now a senior deputy prosecutor for King County, Washington, said Humphries was assigned to the case partly because he spoke excellent French. Ahmed Ressam, who was convicted of plotting to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport on New Year's Eve 1999, claimed to be from Quebec and spoke French.

"That's the first time I met him, as a case agent," Hamilton told Reuters. "We spent a lot of time together over the next couple years getting ready for trial, and I couldn't have asked for more as a case agent. He was very, very thorough, and very honest. We always thought we were very lucky to have him."

Five months ago, Kelley ignited the FBI investigation that led to Petraeus when she asked Humphries whether the bureau could look into harassing emails she had been receiving.

The investigation eventually revealed that the emails to Kelley were sent by Paula Broadwell, an Army reserve officer in military intelligence and co-author of a biography of Petraeus.

The FBI investigation revealed Broadwell's affair with Petraeus, who cited the relationship when he resigned as CIA chief last week. The probe also ensnared General John Allen, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, whom agents found had exchanged "flirtatious" emails with Kelley, law enforcement officials said.

RECOMMENDED: Petraeus scandal: Did any thing illegal happen?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/5vsXBAOSaac/Shirtless-photo-a-joke-says-FBI-agent-in-Petraeus-scandal-video

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Auto Refinance or Car Sharing? Options for an Auto that's Just Too ...

While the prospect of finally buying the are of your dreams can be thrilling, the realization that your dream car turned out to be a financial nightmare is stressful and a bit heartbreaking.

If you have come to the conclusion that the car you purchased is far more expensive than you imagined, you?re not alone. Many people purchase vehicles and then later determine that they may be in over their heads after making a few payments. So how you get rid of an expensive?auto loan?when you can no longer afford your car?

Auto Loan Rates and Other Car Ownership Costs

There are so many factors that play into the cost of car ownership, there?s much more than the sticker price to consider when determining how much you can afford to spend.

First, monthly payments can vary?significantly from person to person depending on the?auto loan rate?granted. A person with a higher credit score is probably going to obtain a lower auto loan rate than someone with poor credit.

But the auto loan rate is not the only expense a person will face in terms of car ownership. Here are a few other costs many car buyers don?t consider when purchasing their vehicle:

• Sales tax
• Annual property taxes
• Inspections and license plate/tag renewals
• Car insurance
• Vehicle maintenance

Many people are saddled with higher car ownership costs when they purchase a luxury vehicle, but the cost of just about any brand of a new car can be enough to push expenses through the roof.

According to TrueCar.com, a website that estimates the average sticker price of vehicles around the country, the average cost of a new car or light truck is $30,000. Even if you?re able to negotiate a 4 percent auto loan rate, you?re looking at more than $500 per month over a five-year term. Add in car insurance and the monthly payment of a brand new car could cost more than a mortgage.

Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to score a low interest rate. A recent Los Angeles Times article revealed that dealers can charge interest rates that surpass 30 percent ? for used cars!

Unfortunately, it?s all too common that auto loan borrowers end up having their vehicles repossessed because they can no longer afford the payments. Last year, Tom Webb of Manheim, an auto auction service, estimated that 1.3 million repossessions were performed in 2011 alone.

The damage a vehicle repossession can do to a person?s credit score is nothing short of detrimental. So rather than ignore the inability to pay for a car loan, it?s better to find ways to get rid of the high auto loan rate ? or the auto loan altogether.

Auto Refinance and 3 Other Ways to Drop a Costly Auto Loan

One of the best ways to get rid of a costly auto loan without opting for repossession is to attempt an?auto loan refinance. To refinance your car means to basically drop your current auto loan and take on a new one, ideally at a lower rate.

This is a good option if your current auto loan rate is sky high and you believe that you can acquire a lower rate due to a qualifying factor like an improved credit score. Of course,?auto refinancing?is not the best option for every person, so here are additional ways to manage or get rid of the expensive auto loan payments you can no longer afford:

1. Rent Your Car

Car sharing?is an option that has recently become popular for some car owners who want to make money, particularly if they don?t drive their vehicle regularly. To car share, or?rent your car, usually entails signing up with an online car sharing company like RelayRides or Wheelz that helps you connect with individuals interested in paying to use your vehicle for a set period of time.

This option could help you afford your expensive car payments, but be sure to consider the risks involved, which can include car damage at the hands of the renter.

Also note that according to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance companies frown upon this practice. ?If the ?renter? were involved in an accident, most likely the insurer would non-renew or maybe even rescind the auto policy,? Loretta Worters, an I.I.I. told the New York Times.

2. Sell Your Car

Another option to consider when attempting to get rid of your auto loan is to?sell your car. By acting as a private seller, you can earn the quick cash needed to pay off your auto loan.

Even if you are unable to sell the car for as much as your loan?s value, you can pay your loan off partially then take out a personal loan to cover the difference. The amount owed on the personal loan will likely be considerably less than that of the expensive auto loan you were paying.

3. Find Someone to Take Over Payments

A third option that?s a bit more challenging is finding someone to take on your auto loan payments for you. Many people are not interested in taking over a payment, particularly if it?s a bit expensive. One way to increase your chances of finding an interested person is to advertise the proposal on a marketplace like Craigslist or eBay Motors.

There?s nothing fun about finding your dream car only to realize that you can no longer afford the payments, but it?s good to know there are other ways to get rid of the expensive auto loan you can no longer afford.

Related Auto Loans Articles

Source: http://www.gobankingrates.com/auto-loans/buyers-remorse-expensive-auto-loan-no-longer-afford/

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Nation! Stephen Colbert unveils his wax figure

By Anna Chan, TODAY

Attention, nation! If you ever had aspirations to join Stephen Colbert behind his desk at "The Colbert Report," you now have the opportunity to make that dream come true. Sort of.

Kris Connor / Getty Images

Stephen Colbert unveils his wax figure at Madame Tussauds on Nov. 16 in Washington, DC.

On Friday, the political satirist was on hand at Madame Tussauds DC to help unveil his lifelike wax figure, which sits behind his desk on a replica of the show's set in the museum's renovated Media Room. According to Madame Tussauds, guests will be able to interact with the exhibit, including getting behind the desk and posing for photos with the clone.?

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"I am so beautiful!" Colbert said about his new wax twin.

According to the museum, Colbert took a very active part in creating the figure. He donated his own clothes -- including tie, shirt, cuff links, socks, shoes, lapel pin and suit -- and even had Tussauds recreate his glasses exactly, down to their magnification. The museum's artists took more than 250 measurements and photos to recreate the likeness of the comedian.?

"Stephen Colbert's reaction to seeing his wax figure for the first time was priceless and proof positive that our talented artists have once again successfully captured not only the subject's physical appearance, but his spirit and character as well.? We are delighted that Mr. Colbert loves his figure," Dan Rogoski, General Manager for Madame Tussauds D.C., said in a statement.

Which TV personality would you like to see immortalized in wax at Madame Tussauds? Tell us on our Facebook page!?

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/11/16/15223903-stephen-colberts-wax-figure-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds-dc?lite

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Translation Debate: Apologizing, Ambiguously, in Chinese

Is Xi Jinping sorry?

When the new leader of the Chinese Communist Party stepped on stage Thursday nearly an hour later than scheduled, he acknowledged the delay by saying, ???????? ? which, as a beginning Chinese student can tell you, literally translates to ?made everybody wait a long time.? But in English, the interpreter at the event turned it into ?sorry to have kept you waiting.?

While the English translation was widely picked up by the foreign media, some that relied on the Chinese (such as the Journal) left out the ?sorry.?

People appeared to generally agree that Mr. Xi?s comment conveyed a sense of mild regret either way, with many Chinese observers on the Sina Weibo microblogging service praising Mr. Xi for apologizing. Still, the difference sparked good-natured discussion among people who watch the intersection between translation, politics and culture in China.

?Personally I?d go for fidelity and say ?I?ve kept everyone waiting,? without the appended ?Sorry.? Implicit in English too,? wrote Kaiser Kuo, a spokesman for search company Baidu Inc. and frequent commenter on current events in China, on his Twitter account.

Brendan O?Kane, a Beijing writer and translator, sided with those who would add the ?sorry? as a matter of context. Mr. Xi?s comment ?serves more or less the same function as ?sorry to keep everyone waiting?: a perfunctory apology by acknowledgement of inconvenience,? he said in a note.

The issue of apologies in Chinese and English hasn?t always been so academic. The issue came to the fore 11 years ago, after a U.S. surveillance plane flying off the southern Chinese coast collided with a Chinese fighter jet, killing the Chinese pilot, and was forced to land on Hainan island. Beijing sought a formal apology (??, or daoqian) from Washington, which was anxious to soothe tensions while at the same time keep from admitting wrongdoing. That left the two sides seeking appropriate words in both languages.

The solution ? as explained by researchers from George Mason University in a 2005 paper (PDF) ? came down to linguistics. U.S. said to the Chinese people and the family of the missing pilot that it was ?very sorry for their loss.? It also said it was ?sorry? for entering China?s airspace.

When China translated the phrase into Chinese, the meaning was subtly shifted. ?Very sorry? became ?????,? which the George Mason researchers translate as ?a deep expression of apology or regret.?

? Carlos Tejada. Follow him on Twitter @CRTejada

Like China Real Time on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/11/16/translation-debate-apologizing-ambiguously-in-chinese/?mod=WSJBlog

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