World's most amazing fountains

Sylvia Trifonova

With 6,600 lights, 25 projectors and nearly 1,500 individual fountains, the Dubai Fountain on the 30-acre Burj Dubai Lake amounts to the largest synchronized music and light show in the world.

By Kristin Conard, Travel + Leisure

You don?t need to be a high roller to enjoy one of Las Vegas? most sought-after shows: the dancing waters of the Fountains of Bellagio. Thousands are drawn here daily by the same free spectacle of music and light that made the gang from "Ocean?s Eleven"?pause.?

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Slideshow: See where to find the world's amazing fountains

Creating something to make travelers reflect amid the neon flash of the Vegas strip was in fact the goal: ?You have to continue to challenge people?s minds and emotions with the unexpected and with something that?s new,? says Mark Fuller, CEO of WET Design. The company debuted the Bellagio Fountains in 1998, and they?ve since become a benchmark for innovative fountains worldwide.

From function to fantasy, fountains have evolved from sources of drinking water to works of art that manipulate the most basic of life forces ? water and gravity ? to emotionally moving results. Fountains are often found in public spaces that travelers naturally seek out; they make beautiful photo-ops and, with a coin?s toss, may even improve your luck.

Not only do fountains put on a show, but they also encourage others to perform, such as street musicians or that guy proposing by Rome?s 18th-century Trevi Fountain. A pope commissioned the Trevi Fountain as a statement of power and artistic and engineering know-how ? motivations for many of the most amazing fountains, from the Grand Cascade built for Peter the Great at his summer palace to newcomer Dubai Fountain, which broke records when it opened with 6,000 lights in 2008.

In Chicago, which counts Buckingham Fountain as one of its most famous landmarks, Millennium Park?s Crown Fountain brought the concept into the 21st century. Two 50-foot black glass towers on either side of a reflecting pool project images from a thousand Chicago citizens, creating the illusion of water pouring from their mouths ? a modern take on the spouting gargoyles and other creatures of traditional fountains.

The possibilities of playing with water are nearly endless. Yet even when fountains employ high-tech features like the cascade of water that forms words and pictures in a South Korean department store, their allure remains fundamental.

?They motivate people to connect with their inner selves,? says Fuller. ?It?s not like standing in front of a big video screen. It?s very rudimentary: we?re born from water; it?s the beauty of that natural element.?

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New Seattle sports arena a 'job killer,' says Port commissioner

by KING 5 News and Associated Press

KING5.com

Posted on June 19, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Updated today at 5:18 PM

SEATTLE -- Port officials say placing a new sports arena in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood without significant transportation improvements would be a "job killer."

Investor Chris Hansen is working on a deal with King County and the City of Seattle for an arena near the Mariners and Seahawks stadiums that could host NBA and NHL franchises. But business and labor groups oppose that idea, saying a new stadium would exacerbate traffic problems in the industrial area south of downtown.

Port of Seattle Commissioner Tom Albro told the King County Council on Tuesday that a third stadium would be a "job killer" unless a lot of money is spent mitigating the impact of a new facility. Albro said he's not opposed to bringing the NBA back to Seattle, but other locations should be considered.

"Basketball, good. That siting, without massive mitigation, bad," Albro said. "Siting an arena there is a job killer for us."

County Councilman Larry Gossett pushed back against Albro's claim that a new SoDo arena would cost jobs.

"I don't know how you can already be able to make that prediction, when in fact traffic mitigation has already been looked at by the city ... nothing remotely suggests that the building of a stadium in SoDo would be massively bad for our community," Gossett said.

County Councilman Joe McDermott also asked Albro which current Port projects would be impacted. Albro could not come up with an answer.

Albro openly wondered why there is a rush to make a decision.

?We have no team in hand,? said Albro.

The city and county councils are expected to vote on the proposed arena deal later this summer, but McDermott said there is ?no artificial time frame? and ?no rush? to make a decision. Councilman Pete von Reichbauer said the process may take longer than some people want.

Tay Yoshitani, chief executive officer of the port, told the council's transportation panel that large regional companies like Boeing and Weyerhaeuser depend on the Port of Seattle to get their products to market. Yoshitani said there are already 7,000 daily truck trips to Seattle terminals, rail yards and distribution centers. That could jump to more than 11,000 daily trips as the port expands, he said.

"Our ask is that you please consider all these issues carefully, because we believe a lot is at stake," Yoshitani said.

Hansen has proposed building a nearly $500 million, 18,000-seat arena just south of Safeco and CenturyLink fields. The plan calls for nearly $300 million in private investment from Hansen's group, which includes Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The amount of public support would be $200 million if an NBA and NHL franchise moved here. New owners moved the Seattle SuperSonics, now known as the Thunder, to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Supporters of the new Seattle arena plan say traffic concerns raised by business and labor are overblown and that most of the events at a new facility would be held at night.

Legality questioned

Former Seattle city councilmember Pete Steinbrueck, now an architect and land use expert, helped pass an ordinance back in 2000 to create a "stadium transition overlay district,? which he says was designed to create pedestrian connections and maintain separation of commercial and industrial development.

He says Hansen's proposed arena would likely violate that ordinance and put area development in quote "non-compliance" with city and county policies.

"To approve that in advance of this analysis raises serious legal questions and is ill advised, I would say,? he said.

Steinbrueck also questions whether an arena could fit within the boundaries of the district.

Hansen, who testified before the county council on Tuesday, says his land investment may be $60 million by the time he's done and he believes it?s perfectly legal.

"The site is in the stadium overlay zone, we've done our homework with the city and county,? he said.

Hansen says NBA return will require patience

In an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Hansen said he hopes supporters don't get disillusioned if it ends up taking five to seven years for pro basketball to return.

While Hansen said he expects more options for NBA franchise relocations to become available over the next five years, he cautioned it could be a lengthy process.

Hansen declined to talk about specific franchises or details about discussions with the NBA.

Hansen added that any additional investors would likely remain silent until a team has been acquired. Last week, Hansen announced that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer would be part of the investment group for the arena and an NBA franchise.

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Technology ? Microsoft unveils Surface tablet to compete with Apple's iPad

Technology Jun. 19, 2012 - 03:00PM JST ( )

LOS ANGELES ?

Microsoft on Monday night unveiled Surface, a tablet computer to compete with Apple?s iPad.

CEO Steve Ballmer announced the new tablet, calling it part of a ?whole new family of devices? the company is developing.
?
One version of the device, which won?t go on sale until sometime in the fall, is 1/3-inch (9.3 millimeter) thick and works on the Windows RT operating system. It comes with a kickstand to hold it upright and a touch keyboard cover that snaps on using magnets. The device weighs under 1.5 pounds (680 grams) and will cost about as much as other tablet computers.
?
The size is similar to the latest iPad, which is a little more than 1/3 inch (9.4 millimeters) thick and weighs 1.3 pounds (590 grams). Microsoft also promised that the Surface?s price tag will be similar to the iPad, which sells for $499 to $829, depending on the model.
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Microsoft?s broadside against the iPad is a dramatic step to ensure that its Windows software plays a major role in the increasingly important mobile computing market.
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?They are saying it?s a different world now and are trying to put the sexy back into the Microsoft brand,? said Gartner Inc. analyst Carolina Milanesi.
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Microsoft is linking the Surface?s debut with the release of its much-anticipated Windows 8 operating system, which has been designed with tablets in mind. The company hasn?t specified when Windows 8 will hit the market, but most analysts expect the software to come out in September or October.
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Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft?s Windows division, called the device a ?tablet that?s a great PC?a PC that?s a great tablet.?
?
A slightly thicker version?still less than a half-inch (less than 14 millimeters) and under 2 pounds (910 grams)?will work on Microsoft?s upcoming Windows 8 Pro operating system and cost as much as an Ultrabook, the company said. The pro version comes with a stylus that allows users to make handwritten notes on documents such as PDF files.
?
Each tablet comes with a keyboard cover that is just 0.12 inches (3 millimeters) thick. The kickstand for both tablets was just 0.03 inches (0.7 millimeters) thick, slimmer than a credit card.
?
Although the Surface looks like an elegant device, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps criticized Microsoft for not using attention focused on Monday?s announcement to highlight some of the reasons that it might be a better option than the iPad. For instance, she thinks Microsoft could have shown if its video calling service, Skype, will work on Surface or how people might be able to use its motion-control sensor, Kinect, on the tablet.
?
?I am excited about this product, but it felt like Microsoft was pulling punches with this announcement,? Epps said. ?Hardware is only part of the dynamic. They need to explain how Microsoft manufacturing this device will change people?s experience with a tablet.?
?
Microsoft also may be limiting the Surface?s impact by limiting the initial sales to its own stores and online channels.
?
The cautious approach may be part of Microsoft?s attempt to minimize a possible backlash to an expansion that will thrust it into competition with some of its longtime business partners and customers.
?
Manufacturing a tablet represents a departure from Microsoft?s highly successful strategy in the PC market.
?
With PCs, Microsoft was content to leave the design and marketing of the hardware to other companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo and Acer, that licensed the Windows operating system and other software applications.
?
The more hands-on approach may upset some.
?
?Are their partners going to be happy about it? No, but there isn?t much they can do about it,? said Gartner?s Milanesi.
?
Epps also believes Microsoft runs the risk of alienating key partners. Microsoft may even be able to build a sleeker device than traditional PC makers because it won?t have to pay licensing fees for an operating system.
?
Microsoft has been making software for tablets since 2002, when it shipped the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Many big PC makers produced tablets that ran the software, but they were never big sellers. The tablets were based on PC technology, and were heavy, with short battery lives.
?
Microsoft didn?t say how long the Surface would last on battery power.
?
It won?t be the first time Microsoft has ventured into hardware, or even its first computer, in the broader sense. The Xbox game console is essentially a PC designed to connect to a TV and play video games.
?
Microsoft has also made its own music player, the Zune, and a line of phones, the Kin. In both cases, it produced these products after hardware partners had failed to produce competitive products with Microsoft?s software.
?
Both products were failures. The Zune gained favorable reviews when it launched in 2006, but still couldn?t hold its own against the iPod, and was discontinued last year. The Kin phones were panned and pulled from shelves within two months of their launch in 2010.
?
The Xbox, on the other hand, didn?t tread on the toes of any Microsoft partners. Launched in 2001, it has made Microsoft a major player in console gaming, alongside Sony and Nintendo. But it was a money-loser for many years, and while it?s been profitable more recently, it?s only marginally so, especially when compared to Microsoft?s lucrative software business.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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?Josh Mandel kept afloat by outside cash,? Politico whines (Powerlineblog)

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Abbas announces death of the peace process, blames Israel

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Romney won't say he'll overturn immigration order

This combination of 2012 and 2011 file photos shows hip hop stars Chris Brown, left, and Drake. New York City police investigated a report Thursday, June 14, 2012 of a bar brawl involving hip-hop stars Drake and Chris Brown and their entourages in which bottles flew and five people were injured. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, Chris Pizzello)

This combination of 2012 and 2011 file photos shows hip hop stars Chris Brown, left, and Drake. New York City police investigated a report Thursday, June 14, 2012 of a bar brawl involving hip-hop stars Drake and Chris Brown and their entourages in which bottles flew and five people were injured. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, Chris Pizzello)

FILE - In this June 6, 2012 file photo, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9), of France, takes the ball downcourt past Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant during the first half of Game 6 in the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, in Oklahoma City. Parker says he suffered a scratched retina on one of his eyes during a New York City nightclub brawl involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage. Parker, wearing dark sunglasses, described the incident Friday, June 15, 2012, in Paris during a news conference posted on YouTube. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

BRUNSWICK, Ohio (AP) ? Mitt Romney is refusing to say that he would overturn President Barack Obama's new policy allowing some young illegal immigrants to stay in the United States.

The Republican presidential candidate tells CBS" ''Face the Nation" that if he's president, Obama's executive order "would be overtaken by events ... by virtue of my putting in place a long-term solution."

Romney was asked three times in the interview if he would overturn Obama's order, but he didn't directly answer the question. Instead, he said would work to pass a law to help those young people who were "brought in by their parents through no fault of their own." Romney said he doesn't know why Obama "feels stop-gap measures are the right way to go."

The candidate's comments represent a further softening of his rhetoric on immigration since the GOP primary campaign ended. For example, before the Iowa caucuses in January, when he faced the challenge of winning over the right-wing base of the GOP, he pledged to veto legislation backed by Democrats that would have created a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Instead of emphasizing the plight of illegal immigrants, Romney focused on the consequences illegal immigration has for U.S. jobs.

The Obama administration said the policy change announced Friday will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. Obama's move bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the Democrats' long-stalled legislation aimed at young illegal immigrants who went to college or served in the military.

Under the administration plan, illegal immigrants will be able to avoid deportation if they can prove they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED diploma or certificate, or served in the military. They also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.

The broadcast interview, conducted Saturday while Romney's Rust Belt bus tour stopped in Pennsylvania, also touched on a variety of topics, from health care to Romney's political future:

?With the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of Obama's health care law expected this month, Romney described what he would do if the justices threw it out. He wants to make sure people "don't have to worry about losing their insurance" if they already have a medical condition and change jobs; that individuals can buy coverage on their own, if they choose to do so, "on the same tax-advantage basis" as companies do; and that states, with aided by federal dollars, take responsibility for the poor and uninsured. Regardless of how the high court rules, Romney said he would "stop Obamacare in its tracks and return to the 10th Amendment that allows states to care for these issues on the way they think best."

?Regardless of how Europe's financial crisis plays out, he hopes that "our banking sector is able to weather the storm." He said European countries are capable of dealing with their mess "if they choose to do so" and the U.S. doesn't want to get into the business of bailing out foreign banks. Romney also does not favor another round of economic stimulus by the Federal Reserve, saying a previous one didn't have the desired effect.

?He said he would make clear to the Iranians that as president, he would be willing "to take military action if necessary to prevent them from becoming a nuclear threat to the world."

?He described himself as "not a guy that's going for the next step in my political career. I don't have a political career. I served as governor for four years. I spent my life in the private sector. The private sector is where I've made my mark. I am in this race because I want to get America back on the right track. I don't care about re-elections." Moderator Bob Schieffer asked, "So you're not saying you just intend to serve one term?" Romney replied that for him "this is not about politics. This is not about did I win this or did they win this. This is about what can we do to get America right." He added, "We've got to have people who are willing to put aside the partisanship, stop worrying about the next elections, and say, 'You know what? We've got to fix the country fast.'"

Associated Press

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Obama, Putin agree: Prevent Syrian ?civil war?

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama hold talks in Mexico (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

President Barack Obama said Monday that he and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agree on the need for a political transition in Syria to prevent the conflict there from escalating into an all-out "civil war."

After huddling for two hours on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, the two leaders seemed eager to paper over rifts on a range of issues?including Syrian leader Bashar Assad's bloody 15-month crackdown on opposition to his rule.

"We discussed Syria, where we agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war, and the kind of horrific events that we've seen over the last several weeks," Obama said after the talks.

"We pledged to work with other international actors, including the United Nations, Kofi Annan and all the interested parties in trying to find a resolution to this problem," Obama told reporters.

The media pool report, crafted by Carol Lee of the Wall Street Journal, notes that "Mr. Putin sat expressionless during this part of Mr. Obama's statement. He bit his lip and stared down at the floor."

Putin, who spoke first, said the two leaders had discussed Syria as well as Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), and security issues.

"From my perspective, we've been able to find many commonalities pertaining to all of those issues," Putin said through an interpreter.?"And we'll now further develop our contacts both on a personal level and on the level of our experts involved."But "commonalities" on Syria are few and far between: Washington has sharply escalated its criticism of Moscow for blocking U.N. and Arab League resolutions meant to force Assad to end his forces' repression of the opposition. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Russia of sending attack helicopters to Assad's regime, and the White House pressed Putin's administration to halt weapons shipments to Syria, which it has supplied for decades.

Russia has shown little inclination to bow to the Obama administration's pressure, and even leveled its own counter-accusation: that Washington has been arming Syria's rebels. Obama spokesman Jay Carney forcefully denied that charge.

Russia and China, as veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, can block any resolutions there. It was unclear whether the relatively cordial words spoken in Los Cabos would translate into action.

The White House released a written joint statement in which Obama and Putin called for "an immediate cessation of all violence" in Syria and expressed support for a peace plan crafted by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Carney has said in the past that Syria has failed to implement any of the key measures in that blueprint.

But the written statement urged steps toward a "political transition to a democratic, pluralistic political system that would be implemented by the Syrians themselves in the framework of Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity."

"We are united in the belief that the Syrian people should have the opportunity to independently and democratically choose their own future," it said.

The two leaders were meeting for the first time since Russian voters returned Putin to the Kremlin. Obama had a good personal rapport with former President Dmitry Medvedev, but officials on both sides have done little to conceal that the Obama-Putin dynamic is frostier.

Still, Putin described Monday's discussion as "very meaningful." He thanked Obama for his support for Russia's accession to the WTO, which he said would "help to further develop the economic relations between our two countries, to promote the creation of jobs in both countries.

And the Russian leader invited Obama to visit Moscow?a trip that cannot practically occur before the November elections. Obama has already said he will miss a summit Putin will host in Vladivostock right around the time of the Democratic nominating convention. And Republicans, including Mitt Romney, have been hammering Obama's Russia policy, describing it as all give and no get.

Obama has said that his "reset" in relations got Moscow to cooperate more closely on economic sanctions meant to force Iran to bow to pressure to halt its suspect nuclear program, and secured Russian help with opening supply routes for NATO-led troops in Afghanistan.

"We, in fact, did have a candid, thoughtful and thorough conversation on a whole range of bilateral and international issues," Obama said.

"We agreed that there's still time and space to resolve diplomatically the issue of Iran's potential development of nuclear weapons, as well as its interest in developing peaceful nuclear power," Obama said.

"Mr. President, I look forward to visiting Russia again, and I look forward to hosting you in the United States," Obama said.

The president alluded to "areas of disagreement" on strategic issues and said he and Putin agreed "that we can find constructive ways to manage through any bilateral tensions."

"We discussed a range of strategic issues, including missile defense, and resolved to continue to work through some of the difficult problems involved there," said Obama.

Obama drew heavy Republican fire when he told Medvedev in March that he would have "more flexibility" on issues like missile defense after November's election.

Russia opposes the deployment of American missile defense assets in countries it considers part of its traditional sphere of influence. American officials have taken pains to emphasize that the system targets so-called rogue states like Iran, not Russia.

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'Major' Microsoft announcement in Los Angeles

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Update on Chris Tapp (Theagitator)

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Northrop Grumman Unveils US Navy's MQ-4C BAMS Triton unmanned aircraft

If Broad Area Maritime Surveillance, or war gadgets are your bag, then things just got real. Northrop Grumman has just unveiled the MQ-4C BAMS Triton, the latest addition to the US Navy's Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force. The spy plane was more than four years in development, has a wingspan of 130.9 feet, and is able to cover more than 2.7 million square miles in a single mission. As you will have been unable to avoid noticing, the unmanned aircraft definitely inherited some of the RQ-4 Global Hawk's dome-like DNA, and will edge towards active service after completing functional requirement reviews and system development and demonstration flights. Want to bone-up on the full spec? Hit the more coverage link for the numbers. In the meantime, we're wondering if they might extend the research.

Northrop Grumman Unveils US Navy's MQ-4C BAMS Triton unmanned aircraft originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EPA pursuit of pollution fines reaches 13 years

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) ? A former businessman owes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $1.5 million for polluted oil wells in western Kentucky, in one of the largest penalties the agency has ever handed down.

Thirteen years later, the agency is still trying to get him to pay up.

Peter E. Jolly, 70 and now living in Cocoa Beach, Fla., has repeatedly cited poverty and illness and delayed court hearings while only paying $3,000 of his tab.

The former Owensboro businessman describes himself as "beyond broke," living on Social Security payments and not much else. Jolly refuses to pay, in part he says, on principle and in part because of a lack of resources.

"They spent well over a million dollars to collect something I don't have the money to pay," Jolly told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

The EPA disagrees and its lawyers accuse him of hiding his money "through a network of shadowy business affiliations, continually creating corporations and moving assets."

The fines arose from underground injection mines in Hancock County in western Kentucky. The method, also known as enhanced recovery, involves shooting water, steam or some other substance into an oil or natural gas well and using the pressure to push up some of the remaining oil and gas.

It can be profitable when oil gets above $60 a barrel, said David Dismukes, associated executive director for the Center for the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. As of Thursday, a barrel of oil was selling for about $83.

"After a time, a well becomes old, it needs a little oomph," Dismukes said. "This will let you go in and recover another 10 to 15 percent from the wells."

The wells become an environmental hazard when they cross paths with an aquifer that supplies drinking water. If the well isn't properly sealed and maintained, it can leak dirt, oil and gas into the water.

"Once it's contaminated, you can't clean it up," said Melissa Heath, an attorney for the EPA in Atlanta who originally pursued Jolly. "It's there forever."

In Jolly's case, his companies started working wells in the 1980s that had been productive from the 1920s through the 1950s. By 1992, the EPA informed Jolly that his wells weren't in compliance with the Safe Water Drinking Act.

The EPA charged Jolly and his companies with failing to properly care for the wells and cap them once production was finished, as well as not documenting how the wells were being monitored.

Jolly, who also listed a Las Vegas address for a time, did not respond to the EPA then, nor would he discuss the specifics of his case with The Associated Press. Instead, he dissolved the company in question, JAF Oil, after bringing it out of bankruptcy. He told a judge he sold all the assets, including the oil wells, for $1 to Strategic Investments ? a company federal attorneys say Jolly controls.

The EPA levied the penalties against Jolly and his companies in 1999, after a federal judge ordered him to stop all production at his western Kentucky wells unless the EPA authorized it.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Ansari sought Jolly's phone records, saying in a motion that the oilman has been using "a shadowy network of business affiliations," in the form of companies such as "Aladdin Oil Corp." and "Snake Oil Corp.," since the fines were levied.

Jolly started with JAF Oil in California in 1977 and eventually became the sole owner. A records search by The Associated Press found Jolly involved with at least a half dozen businesses, including Energy Capital Inc., El Capitan & Pyle LLC, Montana Resources LLC, and Strategic Investments Inc., in at least three states: California, Nevada and Kentucky. Many of the companies bear names similar to other businesses, but do not appear to be associated with them.

"Basically, Pete Jolly has been operating under a number of corporations and he's slid assets between them," said Heath, the EPA attorney.

In court records and in an interview, Jolly denied owning some of the companies, while saying he sold others before any trouble began.

There are no official records, but the legal fight to collect from Jolly, who owes $500,000 and his two companies who owe equal amounts, has gone on longer than Heath can remember in more than two decades with the EPA.

"This was a pretty major penalty," Heath said. "This was a major case for this program. That's why we've pursued it so vigorously."

When backed into a legal corner, Jolly, who generally works without an attorney, has turned to delay as a tactic, frequently claiming a lack of funds to travel to court or that an illness prevents him from appearing. In a case in federal court in Owensboro in May, Jolly claimed that a "severe financial condition," as well medical treatments, would prevent him from attending a hearing on a disputed oil lease.

Judges in Kentucky and Nevada, though, have cut Jolly no slack, dismissing his claims and, at times, scolding him in rulings.

In 1999, U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley of Owensboro upheld the EPA's penalties against Jolly and his companies, found Jolly's strategy of delaying, not responding to and blustering in other court filings "inexcusable."

"He did nothing," the judge wrote. "It is hard for the court to have any sympathy for Mr. Jolly."

Jolly, though, said he doesn't want sympathy. Instead, he wants the federal government to leave him alone.

"You punch them out, you go to jail. You shoot them, you go to jail," Jolly said. "How do you beat them? That's the hard part."

____

Follow Associated Press reporter Brett Barrouquere on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBarrouquereAP

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Saudi Crown Prince Nayef has died

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, the hard-line interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia's fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaida's branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70s.

Nayef's death unexpectedly reopens the question of succession in this crucial U.S. ally and oil powerhouse for the second time in less than a year. The 88-year-old King Abdullah has now outlived two designated successors, despite ailments of his own. Now a new crown prince must be chosen from among his brothers and half-brothers, all the sons of Saudi Arabia's founder, Abdul-Aziz.

The figure believed most likely to be tapped as the new heir is Prince Salman, the current defense minister who previously served for decades in the powerful post of governor of Riyadh, the capital. The crown prince will be chosen by the Allegiance Council, an assembly of Abdul-Aziz's sons and some of his grandchildren.

It also opens the possibility of moving a member of the so-called "third generation" ? the grandchildren of the country's founding monarch ? one step closer to taking the leadership of one of the West's most crucial Arab allies.

"This is the big question," said Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "Will this now bring a member of Saudi's younger generation into the succession path to the throne?"

A statement by the royal family said Nayef died Saturday in a hospital abroad. Saudi-funded pan-Arab TV station Al-Arabiya later confirmed he died in Geneva.

Nayef had been out of the country since late May, when he went on a trip that was described as a "personal vacation" that would include medical tests. He travelled abroad frequently in recent years for tests but authorities never reported what ailments he may have been suffering from.

Nayef had a reputation for being a hard-liner and a conservative. He was believed to be closer than many of his brothers to the powerful Wahhabi religious establishment that gives legitimacy to the royal family, and he at times worked to give a freer hand to the religious police who enforce strict social rules.

His elevation to crown prince in November 2011, after the death of his brother Sultan, had raised worries among liberals in the kingdom that, if he ever became king, he would halt or even roll back reforms that Abdullah had enacted.

Soon after becoming crown prince, Nayef vowed at a conference of clerics that Saudi Arabia would "never sway from and never compromise on" its adherence to the puritanical, ultraconservative Wahhabi doctrine. The ideology, he proclaimed "is the source of the kingdom's pride, success and progress."

Nayef had expressed some reservations about some of the reforms by Abdullah, who made incremental steps to bring more democracy to the country and increase women's rights. Nayef said he saw no need for elections in the kingdom or for women to sit on the Shura Council, an unelected advisory body to the king that is the closest thing to a parliament.

His top concern was security in the kingdom and maintaining a fierce bulwark against Shiite powerhouse, Iran, according to U.S. Embassy assessments of Nayef.

"A firm authoritarian at heart," was the description of Nayef in a 2009 Embassy report on him, leaked by the whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

"He harbors anti-Shia biases and his worldview is colored by deep suspicion of Iran," it said. "Nayef promotes a vision for Saudi society under the slogan of 'intellectual security,' which he advocates as needed to 'purge aberrant ideas'" and combat extremism, it added, noting that his was in contrast to Abdullah's strategy emphasizing "dialogue, tolerance of differences, and knowledge-based education that is objectionable to many conservatives."

Nayef, who was interior minister in charge of internal security forces since 1975, built up his power in the kingdom though his fierce crackdown against al-Qaida's branch in the country following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and a broader campaign to prevent the growth of Islamic militancy among Saudis.

The 9/11 attacks at first strained ties between the two allies. For months, the kingdom refused to acknowledge any of its citizens were involved in the suicide airline bombings, until finally Nayef became the first Saudi official to publicly confirm that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, in a February 2002 interview with The Associated Press.

In November 2002, Nayef told the Arabic-language Kuwaiti daily Assyasah that Jews were behind the Sept. 11 attacks because they have benefited from subsequent criticism of Islam and Arabs. Nayef came under heavy criticism in the U.S., especially because he was the man in charge of Saudi investigations into the attack. Criticism grew in the United States that the Saudis were not doing enough to stem extremism in their country or combat al-Qaida.

In mid-2003, Islamic militants struck inside the kingdom, targeting three residential expatriate compounds ? the first of a string of assaults that later hit government buildings, the U.S. consulate in Jiddah and the perimeter of the world's largest oil processing facility in Abqaiq. Al-Qaida's branch in the country announced its aim to overthrow Al Saud royal family.

The attacks galvanized the government into serious action against the militants, an effort spearheaded by Nayef. Over the next years, dozens of attacks were foiled, hundreds of militants were rounded up and killed.

By 2008, it was believed that al-Qaida's branch was largely broken in the country. Militant leaders who survived or were not jailed largely fled to Yemen, where they joined Yemeni militants in reviving al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

Nayef took a leading role in combatting the branch in Yemen as well. In 2009, al-Qaida militants attempted to assassinate his son, Prince Muhammad, who is deputy interior minister and the commander of counterterrorism operations: A suicide bomber posing as a repentant militant blew himself up in the same room as the prince but failed to kill him.

The cooperation against al-Qaida both in the kingdom and in Yemen significantly boosted ties with the United States.

The anti-militant campaign also boosted Nayef's ties to the religious establishment, which he saw as a major tool in keeping stability and preventing the spread of violent al-Qaida-style "jihadi" theology. The Wahhabi ideology that is the official law in Saudi Arabia is deeply conservative ? including strict segregation of the sexes, capital punishments like beheadings and enforced prayer times ? but it also advocates against al-Qaida's calls for holy war against leaders seen as infidels.

Nayef's Interior Ministry allied with clerics in a "rehabilitation" program for detained militants, who went through intensive courses with clerics in "correct" Islam to sway them away from violence. The program brought praise from the United States.

Nayef never clashed with Abdullah over reforms or made attempts to stop them ? such a step would be unthinkable in the tight-knit royal family, whose members work hard to keep differences under wraps and ultimately defer to the king. But Nayef was long seen as more favorable to the Wahhabi establishment. In 2009, Nayef promptly shut down a film festival in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah, apparently because of conservatives' worry about the possibility of gender mixing in theaters and a general distaste toward film as immoral.

Nayef, a soft-spoken, stocky man of medium build, was born in 1933, the 23rd son of Abdul-Aziz, the family patriarch who founded the kingdom in 1932 and had dozens of sons by various wives.

Nayef was one of the five surviving members of the Sudairi seven, sons of Abdul-Aziz from his wife Hussa bint Ahmad Sudairi who, for decades, have held influential posts. That made him a half-brother of King Abdullah. Before being appointed interior minister, he held the posts of Riyadh governor, deputy minister of interior and minister of state for internal affairs.

Nayef has 10 children from several wives.

____

Keath reported from Cairo.

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Romney: Obama should?ve been a governor first

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Make - Entertainment - Top News Today

Dental Marketing For Implant Dentist Practices: New IDA Websites Find More Patients

The new dental marketing websites from Internet Dental Alliance let dentists easily generate leads for specific kinds of services ? like dental implant patients.(PRWEB) June 15, 2012 New dental marketing websites from Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. (IDA) find more of the kinds of patients that match doctors' clinical expertise. In fact, IDA's New Patient Marketing Machine? ?...

yahoo.com (1 hour ago)

Kerry Washington, Nick Offerman announcing Emmy nominees

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - When the nominees for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards are announced, there will be an element of "Scandal" involved. "Scandal" star Kerry Washington and "Parks and Recreation" funnyman Nick Offerman have been tapped to announce the nominees for this year's Emmys. Washington and Offerman will be joined by Academy of Television Arts & Sciences...

yahoo.com (6 hours ago)

More Entertainment news ?

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Capsule Stage Reviews: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Extremities, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Romeo and Juliet

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas A revival of the 1978 rollicking Broadway musical about the famed Texas "Chicken Ranch" rides into town with flags unfurled and spirits high. Broad humor and one-dimensional characters strut their stuff, appealing to a nostalgic view of rural Texas, where a crusading Houston TV newscaster, Melvin P. Thorpe, modeled on Houston's late Marvin Zindler and played by Michael Tapley in a bravura performance, threatens to close the long-standing rural brothel. The leading character is the owner, Miss Mona, portrayed by Michelle DeJean, and she is excellent, holding center stage with consummate poise and easy command and creating a warm, interesting individual. Kevin Cooney plays Sheriff Dodd, and he makes the conflict between law and common sense seem realistic. Tamara Siler plays the ranch's housekeeper, Jewel, and her powerful voice soars in "Twenty-Four Hours of Loving," easily the wittiest and best number of the evening. Miss Mona's solo "Bus from Amarillo" is touching, coming as close to poignant as this comedic jaunt cares to get. "Hard Candy Christmas" in Act II lets a number of the female "employees" of the ranch show their vocal ability. The choreography, by Angie Wheeler, has a wonderful dance in Act I as six cheerleaders create the illusion of 18. There is a male chorus of Aggie football players who visit the ranch-in-crisis. Roger Allan Raby directed, and he captures the driving energy of Texas. The book is by Larry L. King and Peter Masterson, and the music and lyrics are by Carol Hall. The six-piece band is wonderful. Talented performers, engaging music and a brisk comedic script take us back to a simpler time in Texas as a musical returns home with verve and charm, guaranteeing an enjoyable evening. Through June 17. The Hobby Center, 800 Bagby, 713-558-2600. ? JJT

Extremities Theatre Southwest's production has put the tingle into William Mastrosimone's creepy little Off-Broadway hit. Psychotic stalker Raul (Kevin Daugherty) has set his sadistic sights on the lonely farmhouse shared by Marjorie (Elizabeth Marshall Black) and her two roommates, Patricia (Kelly Walker) and Terry (Melanie Martin). He's done his homework with flair, knowing when Marjorie would be alone and stealing mail to get a psychological edge. It's no spoiler to report that Marjorie turns the tables on her attacker. To his utter dismay, Raul finds himself tied up in the fireplace, having been blinded with bug spray, doused with boiling water and ammonia, smashed with a hammer and constantly poked with the fireplace equipment whenever he becomes snarky. All his tortures are greeted with whoops of appreciation from the audience, who applaud Marjorie's spunky ingenuity at extracting revenge for the "animal's" beastly behavior. But then the roommates return and their various reactions to Marjorie becoming like her attacker set the play spinning. Marjorie has a simple solution for Raul: bury him alive. No one will miss him. Meanwhile, Raul works his wiles on the women, playing them against each other, trying to get their sympathy. Every time someone steps a foot closer to the fireplace, we catch our breath as we wait for Raul to spring forth and wreak more vengeance. Black is an avenging angel on a mission. Righteous and indignant, she takes command with force. There's no messing with her. She can't believe that her roommates would doubt her version. "Me or him, choose!" she screams. Matching her every step is Daugherty, who makes psycho Raul a chilling portrait in sexual sadism. The attack is harrowing, and the table-turning is exciting physical theater. For this, praises go to director Malinda Beckham and her valiant actors, who don't flinch from the seedy and sordid. They go for it! Through June 16. 8944-A Clarkcrest, 713-661-9505. ? DLG

Kiss of the Spider Woman This is not the Kander & Ebb musical version of Manuel Puig's best-selling novel. There are no shirtless chorus boys gyrating around Chita Rivera in a birdcage. This is the earlier stage adaptation, dramatized by Puig and translated into English by Allan Baker. Unhinged Productions, Houston theater's prime interpreter of all things GLBT, in a provocative co-production with Talento Biling?e de Houston, gives us a Kiss that sings anyway. It's one of UP's finest productions. We do not miss the chorus boys. Directed with both sensitivity and flair by Unhinged Artistic Director Joe Angel Babb and wondrously acted by Abraham Zeus Zapata and Anthony Hernandez, Kiss weaves a most affecting spell. By the end, we're thoroughly ensnared. What begins as a claustrophobic two-person prison drama between two of the most disparate types of men evolves into the most unlikely love story. The irony in Puig's mesmerizing tale is that apolitical gay window dresser Molina (Zapata) has lived his entire life in a dreamland, while macho Valentin (Hernandez) lives only to serve the revolution, making no room at all for imagination. The stories that Molina tells to keep both men's spirits up transform them both. By the end, soft Molina has been hardened and stoic Valentin softened. Babb shoves the prison cell (pungently detailed in set designer Dana Harrell's moist, peeling walls and the painterly lighting by Zack Vierla) way over to stage left, leaving stage right nearly empty except for the hint of a hallway, but he fills the small acting space with cinematic dexterity. At times the Baker translation sounds like a literal transcription of Puig's poetic Spanish instead of normal speech, but the two actors inhabit their characters with such fervor that we forgive them some bumpy passages that would trip up the most veteran of performers. Zapata's emotional Molina is swishy without apology, while Hernandez's Valentin is compact fire, not knowing exactly how to respond to this alien Scheherazade in drag. Both actors depict their characters' completion with quiet, affecting force that brings Puig's unlikely love story to thrilling theatrical life. Through June 17. Talento Biling?e, 333 S. Jensen Dr. 713-222-1213. ? DLG

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LALIVE: RT @RegalLALIVE: Revving up for the red carpet arrivals at #LAFF at @RegalLALIVE for To Rome with Love! Eager to see what stars will gra ...

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Dialing Out Of Africa: Long MTN Group

Investing in the Emerging African Telecommunications Market

In 1998, fewer than 4 million Africans used a mobile phone. Today that number is over 500 million¹ and has room to grow. According to the BBC, mobile phone usage rates in Africa hover around 65% versus roughly 85% globally. Internet access poses a similar opportunity: fewer than 10% of Africans have internet access, lagging both the world average of 30% and the developing- country average of 21%.² As investors, we see an opportunity in the African mobile telecommunications marketplace.

Beyond Phone Calls:

Mobile phone growth could ripple positively throughout the African economy, particularly with today's internet-capable smartphones. For example, much of Africa's rural population has little to no access to brick-and-mortar banks- the equivalent of $2 billion is kept under mattresses in South Africa alone, according to mobile payment firm, Wizzit.³ Transferring these assets to banks and giving Africans the ability to control them with mobile devices and smart phones could have a significant economic impact. In fact, an 2005 analysis by the London Business School found that an additional ten mobile phones per 100 people in a developing country boosts GDP by half of a percent.⁴

Value Investment Opportunities:

At the Mundoval Fund, we seek to buy cash-earning businesses at a good price. In the African mobile telecommunications market, we believe MTN Group (MTNOY.PK) offers a solid value for the long-term investor. MTN Group provides both mobile and fixed telecom and broadband services to much of the growing African and the Middle Eastern markets. Further, MTN Group has generated positive free cash flow for the past 10 years and boasts a healthy 4.2% dividend yield (by comparison, the 10-year treasury yield was 1.56% on May 31).

Owning a cash-generative business in an expanding marketplace is a combination we believe can contribute positively to the Mundoval Fund over the long term.

Sources

^1."Africa's Mobile Economic Revolution," by Killian Fox, The Guardian, July 2011.

2. "Africa's Mobile Phone Industry Booming," BBC News Africa, November 2009.

3."Mobile Africa Report 2011: Regional Hubs of Excellence and Innovation," by Dr. Madanmohan Rao, MobileMonday.

4. "The Impact of Telecoms on Economic Growth in Developing Countries," by Leonard Waverman et. al., London Business School, 2005.

Disclosure: I am long MTNOY.PK.

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HTC Media Link HD review

More Info

• HTC reveals Media Link HD at MWC 2012
• HTC videos show off Media Link HD
• Media Link HD approved by the FCC

As wireless technology becomes more advanced, the demand for more sophisticated options to stream media from your mobile device to your HDTV steadily increases. It's hard to keep track of the various solutions companies are using to deliver this feature to their customers. DLNA, the most popular standard, is compatible with an army of dozens -- if not hundreds -- of products, while giants like Apple and Samsung have chosen different routes. After an arguably unsuccessful attempt at offering the DLNA standard via the original Media Link, HTC has decided to fly solo with the Media Link HD in the hopes that the accessory will add value to the company's high-end One handsets.

We have little doubt that HTC is trying to keep the Media Link HD small and simple: it's a credit-card-sized dongle that easily fits in the palm of your hand, and only takes a smooth, three-finger gesture to pair it up with your One X or One S. Once connected, it gives you the opportunity to stream movies to your television and perform other tasks on your phone at the same time. A solid concept, to be sure, but is it worth shelling out at least $90 for this little darling? Tune in below to find out.

Gallery: HTC Media Link HD review

Continue reading HTC Media Link HD review

HTC Media Link HD review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breast milk kills HIV and blocks its oral transmission in humanized mouse

ScienceDaily (June 14, 2012) ? More than 15 percent of new HIV infections occur in children. Without treatment, only 65 percent of HIV-infected children will live until their first birthday, and fewer than half will make it to the age of two. Although breastfeeding is attributed to a significant number of these infections, most breastfed infants are not infected with HIV, despite prolonged and repeated exposure.

HIV researchers have been left with a conundrum: does breast milk transmit the virus or protect against it?

New research from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine explores this paradox in a humanized mouse model, demonstrating that breast milk has a strong virus killing effect and protects against oral transmission of HIV.

"This study provides significant insight into the amazing ability of breast milk to destroy HIV and prevent its transmission," said J. Victor Garcia, PhD, senior author on the study and professor of medicine in the UNC Center for Infectious Diseases and the UNC Center for AIDS Research. "It also provides new leads for the isolation of natural products that could be used to combat the virus."

Garcia and colleagues pioneered the humanized "BLT" mouse model, which is created by introducing human bone marrow, liver and thymus tissues into animals without an immune system of their own. Humanized BLT mice have a fully functioning human immune system and can be infected with HIV in the same manner as humans.

In the study, the researchers first determined that the oral cavity and upper digestive tract of BLT mice have the same cells that affect oral transmission of HIV in humans and then successfully transmitted the virus to the mice through these pathways. When the mice were given virus in whole breast milk from HIV-negative women, however, the virus could not be transmitted.

"These results are highly significant because they show that breast milk can completely block oral transmission of both forms of HIV that are found in the breast milk of HIV-infected mothers: virus particles and virus-infected cells," said Angela Wahl, PhD, a post-doctoral researcher in Garcia's lab and lead author on the paper. "This refutes the 'Trojan horse' hypothesis which says that HIV in cells is more stubborn against the body's own innate defenses than HIV in virus particles."

Finally, the researchers studied the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretroviral medication for oral transmission of HIV. Garcia and his team have previously shown that PrEP is effective against intravenous, vaginal and rectal transmission of HIV in humanized BLT mice. In this study, they gave the mice antiretroviral drugs for seven days (3 days before and 4 days after exposing them to the virus) and found 100 percent protection against virus transmission.

These latest findings provide important leads to alternative treatments that could be used to prevent transmission.

"No child should ever be infected with HIV because it is breastfed. Breastfeeding provides critical nutrition and protection from other infections, especially where clean water for infant formula is scarce," Garcia said. "Understanding how HIV is transmitted to infants and children despite the protective effects of milk will help us close this important door to the spread of AIDS."

The study appears in the June 14, 2012 issue of the online journal PLoS Pathogens.

The research was supported by funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health and the UNC Center for AIDS Research.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina Health Care.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Angela Wahl, Michael D. Swanson, Tomonori Nochi, Rikke Olesen, Paul W. Denton, Morgan Chateau, J. Victor Garcia. Human Breast Milk and Antiretrovirals Dramatically Reduce Oral HIV-1 Transmission in BLT Humanized Mice. PLoS Pathogens, 2012; 8 (6): e1002732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002732

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Nationals finish sweep of Red Sox

Associated Press Sports

updated 5:28 p.m. ET June 10, 2012

BOSTON (AP) - So much for being winless at Fenway Park.

Roger Bernadina's two-out double drove in the go-ahead run and the Washington Nationals held on for a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep.

The franchise was 0-9 all time at Fenway before the weekend series began.

"We were overdue," Nationals manager Davey Johnson. "This is a whole new ball club. There's great makeup, great talent on this ballclub. It's only going to get better."

The Montreal Expos went 0-6 at Fenway before the team moved to Washington and became the Nationals, who were swept 3-0 in a 2006 series at Fenway.

The "new" Nationals are unbeaten at Boston's iconic ballpark.

"It shows you we're a good ballclub and that we're not scared of AL East teams. And we're going to come in here and play our best ball," said Jordan Zimmermann, who struck out seven in seven innings before Washington's bullpen and bench rallied for the win.

Rookie Bryce Harper, who was out of the starting lineup because of a sore back, ended up scoring the winning run after drawing a walk while pinch hitting in the ninth with the game tied at 3-all.

Harper's back didn't slow him down as he came all the way around from first on Bernadina's double to right with two outs.

"Something in the gap or down the line you better score. I knew it was going to be maybe a close play at the plate, and thankfully it wasn't," Harper said. "I'm just going. Two outs, you don't really need anything."

Boston manager Bobby Valentine felt Bernadina should have been called out on Alfredo Aceves' 2-2 fastball, which home plate umpire Al Porter called a ball.

Valentine's anger and frustration continued to build and he finally stormed out of the dugout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for an animated argument with Porter.

Valentine, who was ejected, got in Porter's face and came close to making contact a couple of times before leaving the field. He was out of the game, but not done talking.

"Good umpires had a real bad series this series - a real bad series - and it went one way," Valentine said after the game. "There should be a review."

He can just about count on that after his on-field actions and postgame comments.

Valentine had just left the field when Tyler Clippard ended the game by striking out Dustin Pedroia, picking up his third save of the series and eighth on the season.

Reliever Tom Gorzelanny (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ended up with the win. Aceves (0-4) took the loss, Boston's fifth in a six-game homestand.

David Ortiz hit his 14th homer of the season for the Red Sox, who couldn't hang on to a 2-1 lead. Danny Espinosa hit a two-out double with two runners on in the seventh, putting Washington up 3-2.

Boston tied it in the bottom half after Ryan Sweeney and Nick Punto hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, but Sweeney was the only one to score, coming home on a fielder's choice by Scott Podsednik.

Notes: Daniel Nava was a late scratch from the Red Sox lineup with a sore left hand. Darnell McDonald replaced Nava in left field and Podsednik moved up to the leadoff spot in his place. ... The Red Sox head to Miami for a three-game series with the Marlins, starting Monday. The Nationals will continue on their journey through the AL East with a trip to Toronto for three games against the Blue Jays.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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