House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON?House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will try to force a vote on the House floor to extend current tax rates for the middle class next week if Republicans do not act, the California Democrat announced on Friday.
During a press conference on Capitol Hill, Pelosi called on House Republicans, who control the chamber, to hold another floor vote on whether to extend current tax rates for individuals who earn $200,000 or less and families making $250,000 or less. If they don't, Pelosi vowed to file a "discharge petition" that would force a vote if 218 House members sign it, which is unlikely.
The bill Pelosi wants to see put to a vote is identical to a measure passed in the Democrat-controlled Senate in July that extends the rates for middle-income earners for one year. House Republicans responded by rejecting the bill and passing their own measure that extends current tax rates for all income brackets.
"We're calling upon the Republican leadership in the House to bring this legislation to the floor next week. We believe that not doing that would be holding middle-income tax cuts hostage to tax cuts for the rich. Tax cuts for the rich, which do not create jobs, just increase the deficit, keeping mountains of debt for generations," Pelosi said. "To that end ... if it is not scheduled, then on Tuesday we will introduce a discharge petition."
Discharge petitions, which allow individual members of Congress to put a bill to a vote without committee or leadership approval, are rarely successful. In this case, Pelosi would need Republican support. But when asked if any Republicans had signaled that they would sign a discharge petition to force a vote, Pelosi responded, "No."
Pelosi said she wanted the bill passed so Congress will have more time to negotiate broader tax reform in 2013.
How did a something that tastes like castor oil flavored with tree bark become the sexiest drink on earth?
Gaspare Campari invented his famous potion in 1860 by infusing sixty herbs, spices, barks and fruit peels in a mixture of alcohol and distilled water. It became a sensation, and Campari turned into an entrepreneur. There?s only one problem: Campari is bitter, and human beings have taste receptors for bitterness that function as an early warning system, alerting us that we are about to consume something that might be toxic or poisonous.
Imagine the dilemma for your brain as you take a sip of cold, refreshing Campari and soda. Part of your mind is saying, ?Don?t drink this?it might kill you!? In another sector of your cranium, though, the drink is perceived to be sophisticated and desirable. Given that more than 27 million bottles of Campari are sold each year, the brain has obviously found a way to disregard the potential dangers of bitterness. In researching my book, Iconic spirits: An Intoxicating History, I spoke to scientists doing research on the physiology of taste, and they all had a theory on how this conflict was resolved.
More importantly, though, how did Campari come to be regarded as the sexiest drink on earth?
The shimmering red potion may be infused with dozens of herbs and spices, but the advertising images have always contained a strong dose of forbidden fruit. In its marketing materials, the company describes Campari as a ?symbol of passion? and goes on to say that this passion ?expresses itself in terms of seduction, seduction and transgression??
The famous 1920 poster by Marcello Dudovich is a good example. Two lovers are locked in an embrace that can only be described as smoldering, balanced precariously on the edge of a sofa and enhanced by a background of soft crimson light. Two glasses, one half-filled with Campari, sit on a nearby table. The woman?s hand rests on the man?s cheek in a classic gesture, pushing him away and embracing him at the same time.
In 1998 Campari began working with the celebrated Indian director Tarsem, who created the series of ?Red Passion? ads. The campaign was the first in Italy to present female homosexuality in a straightforward yet compelling way; from there it went on to target other social norms. In a 2005 commercial, a man stands at the bar during a reception when he spots a tall, beautiful woman on the other side of the room. They exchange looks. The man obtains a Campari on the rocks from the bartender and follows the woman to a secludedpart of the building. His hand slips as he approaches her, and hesplashes Campari on her dress and cleavage. Slowly and tantalizingly, the woman removes her top and reveals herself to be a man. The man then takes off his shirt to display his bra and the fact that he?s actually a woman. The ad blends mystery and intrigue, explores repressed desires, and blurs the lines of gender identity?all in sixty seconds.
So relax and enjoy a cocktail made with Campari, whether it?s a Negroni, Americano, Garibaldi (Campari and orange juice) or a classic Campari and soda?but make sure that someone you care about is there to enjoy it with you.
About the Author:
Mark Spivak is an award-winning writer specializing in wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. He was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post from 1994-1999, and since 2001 has been the Wine and Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, as well as the restaurant critic for Palm Beach Illustrated. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report, Ritz-Carlton, Continental, Art & Antiques, Newsmax, Dream of Italy and Arizona Highways. From 1999-2011 he hosted Uncorked! Radio, a highly successful wine talk show on the Palm Beach affiliate of National Public Radio.
Mark began writing Iconic Spirits after becoming fascinated with the untold stories behind the world?s greatest liquors. As a writer, he?s always searching for the unknown details that make his subjects compelling and unique.His latest book is Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History.
Visit Mark?s website at http://www.iconicspirits.net.
Become a fan of Mark Spivak at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.spivak.3
Pick up your copy of Iconic Spirits at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ Iconic-Spirits-Intoxicating-Mark-Spivak/dp/0762779268/ref=sr_1_1? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344434224&sr=1-1&keywords=iconic+spirits
About the Book:
Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History (Lyons Press; hardcover, $16.95), by Mark Spivak, is a compelling portrait of twelve spirits that changed the world and forged the cocktail culture. Some are categories and others are specific brands, but they are all amazing, resonant and untold stories. Each chapter closes with recipes for the most popular and important cocktails.
What?s the relationship between moonshine and NASCAR? Why was absinthe considered to be the most dangerous substance on earth? What was the cause of the Gin Craze in 18th century London, an epidemic of mass drunkenness that continued for fifty years? How did a homeless man become the 165th wealthiest person in America?
?These are the best types of stories,? says Spivak. ?They are the kind a writer could never make up.? Click here for Rafflecopter Giveaway
Toshiba has revealed a security module for automotive microcontrollers meeting?industry anti-hacking, anti-tamper and software theft standards.
Developed at the company?s automotive development centre in D?sseldorf, the Toshiba Security Module will be built into future generations of the company?s ARM Cortex-based automotive microcontrollers.
?The module?s firmware is, as a first release step, compliant with the Secure Hardware Extension (SHE) version 1.1 specification of the Herstellerinitiative Software (HIS), a technical collaboration between five leading German car makers,? said Toshiba.
Implemented in hardware with its own ?sub-CPU?, said the firm, the module has a symmetric AES-128 cryptographic engine along with ?other security elements?.
?Our TSM will help the automotive industry prevent intellectual property theft or manipulation, which is a significant threat as an increasing proportion of innovations in new car models are now software based,? said Klaus Neuenhueskes of Toshiba Electronics Europe. ?The security afforded by our SHE-compliant TSM will protect car owners against abuses such as tampering with odometer settings, or sub-standard servicing by unqualified agents.?
Software libraries will be released to support TSM-equipped microcontrollers, and updates to the module will track upcoming standards, said the firm, the EVITA Medium requirements, for example.
Consider this all-in-one computer an all-in-one gift: it?s a holiday gift, a birthday gift, a half-birthday gift, and an anniversary gift, all in one ? and that?s because of the price. Starting at $1,800, this iMac comes with an Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.9GHz, 8GB of DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M GPU with 512MB of GDDR5 memory, and a 1TB hard drive. For $1,800, that?s better than what you would get if you paid the same amount last year model.
However, that?s just the entry-level model. To give you an idea of how much an iMac can cost you with upgrades, the model we tested, which as of?November or December?will be known as last year?s model,?came configured with an Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.8GHz, 4GB of DDR3 memory, an ATI Radeon HD 5750 GPU with 1GB of DDR5 memory, and a 256GB SSD, and cost $2,600.?
Specs and price aside, the iMac offers an amazingly sharp 27-inch LED backlit display with IPS technology and 2560 x 1440 resolution. The new iMacs are just 5-millimeters thick at their edge, so if you?re looking to give a gift with top-notch design and build quality, the iMac is the gift for you.
On Sincerity, runs through December 17 and attempts to address what role sincerity plays in contemporary art. Photos by Kalman Zabarsky
What is sincerity, and what role does it play in contemporary art? A new exhibition at the 808 Gallery titled On Sincerity attempts to address these knotty questions in the work of more than 20 artists working in a range of mediums.
Lynne Cooney (GRS?08,?15), College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts exhibition manager, partnered with Liz Munsell, assistant curator of contemporary art and MFA programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, to find emerging artists whose work explores the subject in some way. ?Our process was a little organic,? Cooney acknowledges. ?We were looking at artists and thinking about different artists? work and whether or not they seemed sincere or could fall into notions of sincerity.? But Cooney says she and Munsell knew the show couldn?t be a broad exploration about sincerity, but had to be more contained.
Artists's Coustin (Scott) (left) and Artist?s Aunt (Carolyn) by Rob Matthews, 2008.
The exhibition is loosely divided into four categories, or ?narratives,? says Cooney: ?Artists who describe their collaborative processes and interactions with materials as both the means and content of their work; artists whose work serves to build relationships and community through generosity and exchange; artists who employ their own bodies as expressions of intimacy, vulnerability, or the complexity of human relations; and artists who appropriate the manipulative visual languages of mass media to create self-reflexive forms of communication.?
The show includes paintings, installations, multimedia, video, and photography. The sheer diversity in medium, form, and content suggests myriad interpretations of sincerity. Much of the work has an emotional resonance to it. In the series of small graphite drawings by Rob Matthews, the viewer?s eye is drawn to the artist?s deeply felt and intimate portraits of his immediate family and close friends. The faces of his subjects are expressive, and each holds a meaningful, talisman-like object, including a starfish, rosary beads, a Bible, and a photograph. With these shadowy, soft, detailed drawings, Matthews invites the viewer to share in his most intimate relationships.
@kpkids by Charles Gute, 2012
In Charles Gute?s amusing and intriguing series Random Tweets Reformatted as Telegrams, the artist has pasted typewritten tweets onto old Western Union telegrams. Encompassing the banal and trivial, the tweets take on new meaning when juxtaposed with the iconic telegrams. Modern communication overlays the historical, illustrating both the curious ways language has evolved over time and the influential role of social media in conveying everyday details, whereas telegrams were reserved largely for conveying news of events of great importance.
Douglas Weatherby?s 808 Gallery Storage Project is a large and imposing jumble of artifacts (paintings and other work from visual arts students from the 1960s and ?70s that he unearthed in a storage room at CFA). His company, Environmental Services, performs contracted cleaning and repairs for individuals and institutions, transforming the space and objects found into sculptural installations. Here, building materials, wall panels, and the long forgotten student paintings come together in one installation. The artist combines functional labor services and artistic creation in a visually arresting work.
808 Gallery Storage Project by Douglas Weatherby, 2012
Cooney sees On Sincerity as a reaction against the often-alienating, disengaged nature of the art world. ?We?re looking at practices that are speaking against that,? she says. She hopes viewers will draw personal connections to the highly interpretative works in the show. ?There?s no coded language that is impenetrable. It is more genuine in terms of its message. We hope this exhibition creates a community.?
On Sincerity runs through December 17 at the 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave. Admission and gallery events are free and open to the public. The 808 Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Find more information here.
Erin Thibeau can be reached at ethibeau@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @erinthibeau.
Safari app on iPad is your only option. Or some other Browser app for that matter.
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Reply # 719424 posted on 19-Nov-2012 12:03
gehenna: Safari app on iPad is your only option. Or some other Browser app for that matter.
Fair enough. That's what I'm using at the moment.
Would be nice. But, no big deal.
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Reply # 719428 posted on 19-Nov-2012 12:08
what is the benefit of using an app when it works perfectly well within safari?
I've never understood the desire to have an app for stuff that works perfectly with browsers
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Reply # 719434 posted on 19-Nov-2012 12:19
NonprayingMantis: what is the benefit of using an app when it works perfectly well within safari?
I've never understood the desire to have an app for stuff that works perfectly with browsers
I can vouch for Tapatalk being a much better experience for using Forums than the browser is....on a mobile device that is. ?
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Reply # 719444 posted on 19-Nov-2012 12:37
gehenna:
NonprayingMantis: what is the benefit of using an app when it works perfectly well within safari?
I've never understood the desire to have an app for stuff that works perfectly with browsers
I can vouch for Tapatalk being a much better experience for using Forums than the browser is....on a mobile device that is. ?
Curious. Reading the FAQ, it's a service that forum providers can optionally provide to members.
Of course Maurico would need to set things up at the GZ end (assuming of course the GZ forum system/framework is properly supported?). I'm not sure of the pros and cons of implementing it, or the ongoing cost. But for members with touch capable portable devices it seems like a relatively user-friendly interface.
As a subscriber, it would be nice to have the ability to use it, since ads are disabled for us anyway. Non-subscribers only get the web interface.
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Reply # 719449 posted on 19-Nov-2012 12:42
Ah, found an earlier thread regarding Tapatalk support for Geekzone. Never mind.
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Reply # 719521 posted on 19-Nov-2012 14:30
NonprayingMantis: what is the benefit of using an app when it works perfectly well within safari?
I've never understood the desire to have an app for stuff that works perfectly with browsers
I find that Geekzone doesn't work very well in Safari on iPad, mainly because of strange behaviour when typing text into forum replies/posts.
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Reply # 719571 posted on 19-Nov-2012 15:47
alasta:
NonprayingMantis: what is the benefit of using an app when it works perfectly well within safari?
I've never understood the desire to have an app for stuff that works perfectly with browsers
I find that Geekzone doesn't work very well in Safari on iPad, mainly because of strange behaviour when typing text into forum replies/posts.
I really like Dolphin as an iPad browser and try to avoid Safari. Always read GZ via?Dolphin and have not come across any typing problems.
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Reply # 719612 posted on 19-Nov-2012 16:40
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You will notice that Geekzone uses very basic web technologies - no AJAX or other script-based technology is needed for using the site (except for the automatic refresh in the feeds in the frontpage or live.geekzone.co.nz). The reason for that is because I believe making it work in all browsers is better than worrying about where it works or not.
You may find some style problems because of how some browser or another render an element, but I've never found something major and certainly not in the main desktop browsers or main mobile browsers.
Mauricio Freitas (Geekzone Admin, Devil's Advocate, my blog,?technology disclosure, my tweets, Web Performance Optimization)?
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How did a something that tastes like castor oil flavored with tree bark become the sexiest drink on
About the Author:
Consider this all-in-one computer an all-in-one gift: it?s a holiday gift, a birthday gift, a half-birthday gift, and an anniversary gift, all in one ? and that?s because of the price. Starting at $1,800, this iMac comes with an Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.9GHz, 8GB of DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M GPU with 512MB of GDDR5 memory, and a 1TB hard drive. For $1,800, that?s better than what you would get if you paid the same amount last year model.
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