text: Thursday, January 26, 2012 Decline in Diabetes-related Lower-limb Amputations The rate of leg and foot amputations among US adults aged 40 and older with diagnosed diabetes declined 65% between 1996 and 2008, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Tuesday in Diabetes Care. For the study, researchers calculated nontraumatic lower-extremity amputation (NLEA) hospitalization rates, by diabetes status, among people aged 40 years and older on the basis of National Hospital Discharge Survey data on NLEA procedures and National Health Interview Survey data on diabetes prevalence. The researchers found that the age-adjusted rate of diabetes-related lower-limb amputations was 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2008 compared with 11.2 per 1,000 in 1996. In addition, among people with diagnosed diabetes in 2008, men had higher age-adjusted rates of leg and foot amputations than women (6 per 1,000 vs 1.9), and blacks had higher rates than whites (4.9 per 1,000 vs 2.9). Adults aged 75 years and older had the highest rate—6.2 per 1,000—compared with other age groups. "NLEA continues to be substantially higher" in people with diabetes than those without and "disproportionately affects people aged ≥75 years, blacks, and men," the authors write. "Continued efforts are needed to decrease the prevalence of NLEA risk factors and to improve foot care among certain subgroups within the US diabetic population that are at higher risk." Comments Patients need an ongoing education to prevent NLEA in primary care. Prevention of NLEA is a major healthcare effort and needs to be done by a team. Posted by Susan E. Solow, DPT on 1/27/2012 10:41 AM


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subset: commoncrawl


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Peralta's homer, Jay's double spark offense in win
Lineup waits out lengthy rain delay to churn out runs, notch series win
CINCINNATI -- There had been more minutes spent waiting through rain delays than there had been game time since the Cardinals arrived in Cincinnati last Friday. Six days later, with the skies finally having cleared, they departed the Queen City with a series win -- as well as some life from a previously slumbering offense.
Held to one run on eight hits through the first 18 innings this season, the Cardinals broke out for seven runs on 11 hits Thursday and needed every bit of that production to capture and hold a come-from-behind, 7-6 win over the Reds.
"To lose today would have been tough," Matt Holliday said. "For this early in the season, it feels like the season has been longer than it actually has. Sitting around for four hours and staying sharp mentally is a challenge."
Holliday was one of four starters to reach base three times, and that arrival of the offense helped salvage a laborious start from Lance Lynn, whose season debut started as ominously as the early afternoon storms that delayed his start by three hours and 42 minutes. Lynn was tattooed by a pair of first-inning home runs by Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier, totaling 923 feet in length.
The Reds later scored three runs on another Frazier homer -- this time off Pat Neshek in the seventh -- but it was not enough to topple the Cardinals, who scored seven times in between.
"I guess after two runs scored in the first two games, everybody was ready to go," said Lynn, who stranded six runners over the final four scoreless innings of his five-inning start. "I was prepared for them to come out and swing it, and after the first inning, I was able to make some pitches when I needed to."
In front of a Great American Ball Park announced crowd of 16,857, the Cardinals' offense started to peel away the deficit in the second . After Matt Adams extended the inning with a two-out single, Peralta tallied his first hit as a Cardinal. He lined it 344 feet over the right-field wall for a two-run homer.
Adams eluded the defensive shift for a fourth time in the series with an opposite-field double in his next at-bat and scored the tying run on Jon Jay's double to left-center. Jay, making his first start of the season, extended his hitting streak to 15 with the RBI hit.
Holliday gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game with an RBI double off Reds starter Homer Bailey in the fifth.
"They battled in their two-strike counts and they took some close pitches," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the Cardinals. "They did a lot of good things. I don't think it was necessarily that Homer was bad, but they were very good at defending the plate and scrapping their way through some tough pitches until they could get something they could handle."
A series absent of instant replay through the first two games had its first reviewed play in the seventh. Holliday, with runners on first and second, lifted a ball to deep center that Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton attempted to catch as he jumped into the wall.
As the ball caromed back toward the field, Bruce, in right field, dove and caught the ball before it hit the grass. The call created some initial confusion, leading to Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter advancing only one base despite Holliday's gesture to keep running.
"I saw it hit the wall," Holliday said. "It's just one of those plays where the runners don't know whether to run or stop."
On the field, the umpires ruled the ball was off the top of the wall -- and therefore could not be caught for an out -- and the call was confirmed following a two-minute, eight-second umpire review.
"It would have been nice for it to get a couple inches higher there," manager Mike Matheny said. "That could have been a very crazy play, but that would have been a nice one to have."
The Cardinals still scored three times before the inning ended on RBI hits by Allen Craig and Yadier Molina, as well as a wild pitch.
The four-run lead went into the hands of the lefty Kevin Siegrist, who was unable to retire either of the two left-handed batters -- Joey Votto or Bruce -- that he faced. Neshek relieved him and served up Frazier's second homer. Two of the three runs were charged to Siegrist, who boasted the Majors' longest active scoreless streak (25 2/3 innings) heading into the appearance.
While Neshek inherited a spot that was regularly Seth Maness' to handle in 2013, Matheny later explained he was holding back Maness in case he needed a long reliever in extra innings.
Neshek rebounded to retire the next four batters. Following a walk to Hamilton, Trevor Rosenthal was called upon for the four-out save to close the night seven hours and 23 minutes after the scheduled start time.
"It's tough to stay mentally into it," Adams said, "but that's what we had to do to make sure we go out there and perform."
Despite the grind, Lynn earned the win. The Reds extended him by routinely fouling off his fastballs, inflating Lynn's pitch count at 78 through three innings. After his troublesome first inning, Lynn did wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam -- set up by outfield miscommunication between Holliday and Jay -- in the third with a strikeout and flyout.
He later closed his 105-pitch start with his only 1-2-3 frame of the afternoon.
"Today was good to set my sights on what the season is going to be like, to see how things are going to go," Lynn said. "Everybody was able to get back locked in and win the first series. That's always a great feeling. You never want to lose the first series."


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The Details Of What Information The Police Can Suck Out Of Your Phone
from the it's-a-lot-more-than-you-might-think deptWe've been troubled by a series of court rulings that have given police broad powers to search mobile phones without a warrant. California lawmakers tried to pass some legislation preventing such searches, but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill to keep law enforcement happy.
Of course, most people have no idea what the police can pull off of your phone when it's searched, but the ACLU has, thankfully, revealed some documents that ICE filed in a court case. It turns out they can get quite a lot. Using a single "data extraction session" they were able to pull:
- call activity
- phone book directory information
- stored voicemails and text messages
- photos and videos
- apps
- eight different passwords
- 659 geolocation points, including 227 cell towers and 403 WiFi networks with which the cell phone had previously connected.
Before the age of smartphones, it was impossible for police to gather this much private information about a person's communications, historical movements, and private life during an arrest. Our pockets and bags simply aren't big enough to carry paper records revealing that much data. We would have never carried around several years' worth of correspondence, for example—but today, five-year-old emails are just a few clicks away using the smartphone in your pocket. The fact that we now carry this much private, sensitive information around with us means that the government is able to get this information, too.The whole idea that law enforcement can search your mobile phone is based on the idea that they can search items in your possession. But that never took into account the digital record that is stored in your mobile phone that goes way, way beyond what someone in the past could effectively carry in a box or a bag or something.
The type of data stored on a smartphone can paint a near-complete picture of even the most private details of someone's personal life. Call history, voicemails, text messages and photographs can provide a catalogue of how—and with whom—a person spends his or her time, exposing everything from intimate photographs to 2 AM text messages. Web browsing history may include Google searches for Alcoholics Anonymous or local gay bars. Apps can expose what you're reading and listening to. Location information might uncover a visit to an abortion clinic, a political protest, or a psychiatrist.
Filed Under: details, mobile, privacy, tracking device


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Darwin Modular White Wardrobe door (H)1936 mm (W)497mm, Pack of 1
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Create your own wardrobe with our Darwin range, mix & match the doors, drawers & cabinets to make something bespoke & personal to you. Once finished add interior storage to make the piece work for both your style & your space
- Self-assembly
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The exciting thing about our Darwin range is that you can create the individual look and feel of your room. There is no 'one size fits all' here. You can add as many cabinets as you need, with a range of door fronts or drawers.
- 1. Choose your cabinet size, style and colour. Available in 5 different sizes and 4 colour options.
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Please note that this item has additional safety or regulatory datasheets available. The product may have possible health and safety hazards covered in these documents. Refer to the container for full information and always follow the instructions.
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Arkansas governor signs ban on common abortion procedure
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure.
The ban is expected to be challenged in court.
The majority-GOP Senate voted 25-6 on Thursday to ban the procedure known as dilation and evacuation, a second trimester procedure that abortion supporters contend is the safest and most common.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, 683 of the 3,771 abortions performed in Arkansas in 2015 were performed through the procedure.
Abortion opponents have called the procedure "barbaric," while Planned Parenthood has blasted the legislation as unconstitutional. Mississippi and West Virginia have similar bans in effect.
The ban will take effect 90 days after the Legislature formally adjourns this year's session, which is expected to end sometime in April or May. Mississippi and West Virginia have similar bans in effect. Those in other states have been put on hold due to legal challenges.
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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hosted by Gone with the Words
Ohhh! You know, and if you don't you'll know now, that I LOVE, love, LoVe music. Just as I live and breathe words, I live and breathe music. Those two things are just part of me as any other organ in my body. As you can see in my Music page, I hear music while reading! My Thursdays are dedicated to music thanks to this feature! Created to share what song, album, playlist, artist I got stuck in my head every week.
Now, this week song is...
Artist: Post Malone
favorite part of the lyrics: It's a moment when I show up, got 'em sayin', "Wow".
Hear me next Thursday!


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Today I checked out the Phleger Estate, a park that is adjacent to Huddart Park, for some new trails to run. The "entry" trail into the Phleger Estate from Huddart Park, the Mirramontes Trail, is fantastic trail running for about 1.5 miles. From here, it was essentially all uphill, first on the Mount Redondo Trail and then on the Lonely Trail. The Mount Redondo Trail was steep and then the upper stages of the Lonely Trail were very steep. It was so steep for so long that I had to stop and walk for a few seconds at one point, but it turns out I didn't have much hill to go so next time there will be no walking there! After I finally made it up to Skyline Blvd., the rest of the run was on familiar ground in Huddart Park and I got into a rhythm. Total running time was 70 minutes and distance was probably about 10.5 miles with 2,000+ elevation gain. This is definitely a beautiful place to go for a challenging hill climb up to Skyline Blvd. Next time I will also check out the Raymundo Trail which looks cool and would likely make for a 75-80 minute loop.
Image: The famous trail signs in Phleger Estate Park.


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Shapeways recently interviewed Janne Kyttanen the Founder of Freedom Of Creation, the interview gives an impression of both the vision and history of Janne Kyttanen and FOC in general.
Janne Kyttanen is one of the very first people to seize upon the opportunity to make designs for consumers using 3D printing. Janne is the founder of Freedom of Creation. FOC is a groundbreaking and inspiring design label that is ahead of the pack with regards to 3D printing & design. We were happy to interview him to find out what Freedom of Creation is all about and how Janne views the future of design and 3D printing.
Shapeways: What is Freedom of Creation?
Janne Kyttanen: A pioneering design company busy with a new industrial revolution
Shapeways: How did you get into 3D printing?
Janne Kyttanen:I saw it on some fair in the mid 90's. I had my first computer when I was 8 years old and have been pretty much counting polygons ever since. When I saw the first 3D printer, I immediately saw every object around me in wireframe and realized where this whole thing was going to go. I got quite obsessed with it quite early on and skipped making products by other means. For me it was so clear, that I didn,t see any point making anything by hand anymore.
Shapeways: What kind of products do you make?
Janne Kyttanen: Everyday something new and the list is very long. It can range from exclusive furniture to surgical guides to Iphone covers to buttons to whatnot.
Shapeways: What was the first thing you 3D printed?
Janne Kyttanen: A hanger for my house and a lamp.
Shapeways: Ultimately do you want to make "high design" products or products for everyone?
Janne Kyttanen: Define 'high design'. When something is custom made for a particular person, for me that is high design. No matter what the price would be. I have no respect for brands and somehow that makes a product 'high design'. There a perception in people's minds though for what they are willing to pay for particular products. We might sell a light for a few thousand euros, but it would be more difficult to sell a doll house, which has the same volume. That's why we started with lights.
Shapeways: What is your favorite rapid manufacturing process and why?
Janne Kyttanen: From a commercial perspective, Laser Sintering. Because it is the most standardized, reliable, cost effective, most widely spread and speedy process
Shapeways: Your favorite rapid manufacturing material?
Janne Kyttanen: From a commercial perspective Laser Sintered nylons. Artistically they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Depends on the project and product really. (White, Strong & Flexible on Shapeways)
Shapeways: A lot of 3D printed design items are lamps. Any idea on why that is?
Janne Kyttanen: Probably because I went to Materialise 1998, they liked my lights and I was able to convince them to invest into a new department, initially focused on making lights.
Shapeways: What are other home deco items that "would work" as 3D printed design items?
Janne Kyttanen: Anything really.
Shapeways: Why the fascination with fabric?
Janne Kyttanen: Not my idea. Jiri Evenhuis came to me 1999 when I was busy with my graduation project, called Freedom Of Creation. He proposed that we try to make fabrics with 3D printing. I thought it was the greatest idea, but since he had limited technical knowledge in 3D, I ended up making most of the designs. So in others words no real fascination with fabrics, just one of the applications. Nobody believed it would ever work, like most of the things we do around here. Now they are part of several museum collections around the world due to their ground breaking nature. We can indeed one day maybe make needle and thread obsolete.
Shapeways: Do you have any advice for designers getting started with 3D printing?
Janne Kyttanen: Don't hold yourself back. Make your wildest dreams come true.
Shapeways: Given that using 3D printing you can make any shape, is that actually a limitation in disguise for designers?
Janne Kyttanen: Most designers can only solve problems rather than create new ones. It is much more difficult to start from a blank page. If you can make anything you want, then why bother really making anything in the end. I have no real value for products, since for me it is all just data
Shapeways: You also helped found the MGX label. Why was MGX founded?
Janne Kyttanen: I went to Materialise 1998 at first to show them, that there was much more in this rather than just making some prototypes for car parts. I wanted to create a company, which would specialize in the exploration of the possibilities what we could design and produce with 3D printing. I proposed to them that if they could just use a file extension (*.MGX) as the new brand, they could be involved with each product globally being produced in this way…since they create software pretty much for all machine manufacturers, this just made perfect sense to me. People hated the idea at Materialise at first. Rest is history of course.
Shapeways: What do you see as the major technical developments that will have an impact over the coming years?
Janne Kyttanen: Gradient materials and software which can automatically calculate weight reduction on all parts.
Shapeways: What do you think of Shapeways?
I think it is a good initiative to wake the industry a little bit, which has been making a lot of money with at least 10 fold too high prices. Just don't forget that in the end it is not about the technology, but the ideas people come up with.
Shapeways: What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong?
Janne Kyttanen: Starting a vast community is a good thing. Not understanding the impact what good design can mean for sales is not the right approach.
Shapeways: Will everyone be a designer?
Janne Kyttanen:No
Shapeways: Do you see a risk of a future where all products will be "MySpace-like"? ie customized in a semi-automated way without much aesthetic sense or thought? We would then create a world that is exactly as we would want it but ugly at the same time.
Janne Kyttanen: All beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sounds corny, but I see no other way. If it so happens that all products end up being customized etc. so be it. I will not fight against any change, which is inevitable. Like the music industry. I see very well, that all our files will be sold or given away for free in the future and people can do whatever they wish with my designs.
Shapeways: Is FOC Collection the focus of your business?
Janne Kyttanen: No. Once you focus too much, you start limiting yourself as a company. We have a very powerful technology in our hands, which can in the future enable people to make anything they wish for. So I wish to focus rather on generating new applications all the time. But the truth is somewhere in the middle of course. If I keep on making new things every day, then there is no time to commercialize them anymore.
Shapeways: How will FOC Producer be different from existing 3D printing service bureaus?
Janne Kyttanen: Producer was started to maximize the production capacity we have available and by producing our products together with our clients, it becomes cheaper for everybody. The industry is running, I feel 80-90 percent on empty, so there is plenty to improve and best way to do this is by playing 3D tetris in the most effective way.
Shapeways: FOC has recently gone from being a design label to lots of different services such as Producer Talent etc. Why the change?
Janne Kyttanen: There is no change. I first started creating lights for myself many years ago, which I liked. I then proposed them to different lighting labels, such as Flos, FontanaArte etc. in order for them to take them on board. All this was very new to them, so they wanted to think it over. I realized back then (about 10 years ago), that it would take them more time to keep on thinking about it, rather than me setting up an entire global production, sales and distribution network from my sofa. Thus being a design label was never the intention, but since nobody wanted to commercialize my designs, I thought of just doing it all by myself. Since we are able to make so many thing with this, there will be a lot more new initiatives what you currently see on our website.
Shapeways: On your site you say you "believe in a future where data is the design product and where products are distributed in the same way as images and music travel through the internet today." So the service bureau has no future? Why start up FOC Production then?
Janne Kyttanen: That is exactly what I mean. I think you have misinterpreted our producer. We will probably be the last company on the planet to buy 3D printers. We believe in a distributed manufacturing across the planet. Our producer is a service, which combines production capacity around the world and makes it more economical for everybody.
Shapeways: How can I as a single designer protect my Intellectual Property?
Janne Kyttanen: I don't believe in IP, trademarks, patents nor copyright.
Shapeways: On your site you say, that through 3D printing "You will only produce what you need." Surely impulsive people might actually end up with much more stuff?
Janne Kyttanen: My point exactly.
Shapeways: Isn't there a risk that all the objects surrounding us will become disposable? That the democratization of production will end up making people still crave products while being less attached to the products they own leading to much more production.
Janne Kyttanen: People are very smart. They will find their way around this. I can't really predict what the future will hold, but I do know that all will change in ways, we never predicted they would.


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Prince William and Kate Middleton Visit Hockey Country
July 6, 2011 -- The royal couple continued to charm the local residents of Yellowknife Tuesday as they took part in Canada's favorite sport -- hockey.
Prince William, who is famously athletic, seemed to be out of his element. He took three shots on an unobstructed goal during a street game with local players but couldn't land the puck in the net.
The players encouraged his attempts, though.
"He looked like he knew what he was doing," Calvin Lomen, 20, told the Associated Press. "I heard him say he doesn't know how to play, but it seemed like he had a natural talent if he practiced more."
The prince even asked the young goalie to let him get a free shot in. Lomen said he really tried not to block the shot, but somehow Lomen saved what was supposed to be an easy in.
One of the shots was aimed straight at the cameras and reporters stationed right behind the goal. The prince cheerfully laughed off his bad attempts.
Kate laughed off some of the calls from the crowd to play, and instead dropped the ceremonial puck to start off the game.
Afterward, the couple was presented with two Olympic team Canada hockey jerseys printed with the last name "Cambridge" on the back. Kate, who has been popular among the crowds of young women and children, was presented with No. 1, while the future king was given No. 2.


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I've been meaning to write up my thoughts from this years IOUG Collaborate event. Ian Abramson, the president of the IOUG, has a nice series of write ups on the event itself - starting with day 1 through day 3 and then a wrap-up post. He describes it as a three day event - but to me it is more of a four day thing. For the last couple of years, I've done a university day at Collaborate - so once again I spent all day Sunday May 3rd in a conference center talking about Oracle for eight hours. This year I talked about Encryption, all of the Flashback technologies, Read & Write Consistency (a really nice way to introduce the flashback stuff actually, sort of a pre-requisite) and Database Reorganizations (when to, when not to and when you have to - how to).
I also had a one hour "regular" session on Monday where I presented on "What's new in Oracle Application Development" where I touched on general database enhancements, ODP.Net, PHP/Ruby/Python, Java/JDBC, SQL Developer and APEX advances. This is the session where I got most of the questions/comments this year.
I think I might have scared away some of the DBA crowd with my session title, they see "Application Development" and stay away - but I know for sure at least one DBA was in the audience. He came up to me afterwards and commented on how glad he was to have attended - for a pretty simple reason. In each of the tools I discussed (mostly .NET, SQL Developer and APEX) - I pointed out how they easily tied the application into AWR (automatic workload repository) and ASH (active session history) facilities and how they could be used as an interface to the tuning/diagnostic packs. He is sure the developers he supports are unaware of this tie in and he himself certainly was - but his first course of action upon getting back to the office would be to expose them to it. The problem he has had in the past is that many people consider tuning "a DBA task" - when in fact - it is really a developer's thing to do. Since most developers don't have access to, or don't want access to Enterprise Manager - they assumed the advanced tuning features were not available to them. Not any more - all of the development tools now have tie in's to AWR/ASH and various features of the tuning/diagnostic packs.
One of the areas of large interest is the new (in beta) SQL Developer data modeling features. A lot of people (self included) still find the good old ERD (entity relationship diagram) a good way to envision/model your schema. SQL Developer now has an engine to do just that - with the ability to spit out various different physical models from the same logical model - either in support of different databases (yes, it does not just do Oracle), or in support of different environments (simple storage characteristic changes).
One thing I find interesting/good about an event like Collaborate is the ability to learn something new. Even after using Oracle for going on 22 years, I still learn something new often (almost every day). Regardless of your skill level, there is the opportunity to expand your knowledge of the stuff you use. For example - Jonathan Lewis (a pretty smart guy when it comes to Oracle knowledge) posted about some things he discovered for the first time. I strongly encourage everyone to attend at least one event if possible every year - to network, to learn and..... to present. IOUG Collaborate is a good venue for doing that - UKOUG is another - and the call for papers for the UKOUG event in November is currently happening.... Take a chance - go for it. It'll probably go much better than my first presentation :)


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It all began with a win over D.C. United, 240 days and 42 games ago. Another victory over D.C. on Sunday and the Dynamo know that a long campaign will be extended for at least a few days more.
Entering the final weekend of the MLS regular season the Dynamo were aware that to reach the playoffs they would need a result against D.C. (12:30 p.m. CT; NBC) and for one of the three Eastern Conference clubs immediately above them to slip up.
The second part of that equation was delivered on Saturday afternoon as Toronto FC surprisingly beat the Montreal Impact thanks to an early goal from Robert Earnshaw. That leaves the Impact in third place, one point clear of the Dynamo but holding the advantage on tiebreakers.
So the Dynamo's future is back in their own grasp: beat D.C. and Houston are sure to finish above Montreal, and therefore in the top five.
The old foe, Sporting Kansas City, also helped the Dynamo out earlier on Saturday with a 2-1 road win over the seventh-placed Philadelphia Union that eliminated John Hackworth's side from contention. That lifted SKC to the top of the Eastern Conference, two points clear of the New York Red Bulls, who host the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon.
The Dynamo came into the penultimate weekend of the regular season in third place and on a six-match unbeaten run, but defeat to the Red Bulls and wins for the New England Revolution, Montreal and Chicago suddenly left last year's MLS Cup runners-up outside the top five. Yet there is still a chance the Dynamo can finish third.
"I think we still feel as a team we can beat anyone. We had a blip against New York but we've put it behind us and we know what's required for Sunday," forward Giles Barnes told HoustonDynamo.com on Saturday shortly before the squad left for the nation's capital. "Everyone knows what they need to do, everyone's feeling very positive and very focused towards what we need to achieve."
D.C. beat Real Salt Lake on Oct. 1 to win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but they are on an eleven-game winless streak in MLS that stretches back to Aug. 10. Ben Olsen's side have the worst record in the league, though they have only lost one of their past four home games. And playing mostly for pride they should not feel any tension. Toronto's first-half dominance over Montreal at BMO Field underlined just how dangerous lowly teams can be when facing contenders.
"For sure, that's one thing you've got to be wary of. They're under no pressure, apart from to get another win to maybe not make their season look so bad," said Barnes. "When you're playing with freedom certain things happen for you. Different expression, different way of playing. It can work either way—they can either come out flying or they can do what they want, thinking it's the last game of the season. Whichever D.C. turns up, we'll just have to deal with."
Other results mean everything and nothing to the Dynamo. While even a draw would be good enough if New England lose to the Columbus Crew, the team is concentrating on its own 90 minutes.
"We probably need to win. There is that reality of if we do get a point we could qualify for the playoffs. But to really put more odds in your favor you need to win the game. But we'd do the same thing in the fifteenth week of the season if we were going to D.C.—we're going there to win the game," said Kinnear.
"I know Ben pretty well, he's a good person, he's a competitive guy, he's not going to go out there and help us, he's going to go out there and try to win the game because it's his job to try and get positive results for his club.
"We're expecting a tough game. You can't walk out there and expect it's going to be easy. These guys showed [when losing 1-0 to] Kansas City last week they're capable of opening you up and creating chances and being defensively pretty strong. At times, though, Kansas City had some chances too."
Houston have already played at RFK Stadium this season—claiming a thumping 4-0 win in May that is their biggest road victory of the campaign. That followed a 2-0 success for the Men in Orange at BBVA Compass Stadium on 2013's opening weekend. Houston have emerged victorious in the past four regular-season meetings between the clubs, as well as knocking D.C. out of the playoffs last year, 4-2 on aggregate over two legs.
There could be an anxious and lengthy wait to discover Houston's final place in the standings, even if they secure a top-five position. Chicago and New England kick off after the scheduled end of the game at RFK Stadium. The teams who end up fourth and fifth will contest a one-match playoff on Oct. 30 or 31.
"We'll be paying attention to what's going on. But we're not going to D.C. to watch TVs, to scoreboard watch, to sit down and hope something goes our way. The most important thing is preparing the team to win the game. And we'll see what happens all around us after that," said Kinnear.
"You always step on the field with the right mentality, and that's to win the game. You have to play hard on both sides of the ball from the first whistle. You can't control what's happened in the past, you can't control what's happening that day, you can only control how you approach the game and how you play and that's the message that we're sending to these guys every minute."
Tom Dart is a contributing writer to HoustonDynamo.com. Former editor and reporter for The Times of London, Dart currently freelances for The Guardian and SI.com.


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So we've come pretty desensitized to random Markowitz sightings, where the beep just shows at places he wasn't expected to offer congratulations to a new business owner, hand out a surprise proclamation to an accomplished artist, or just show up to join in the fun.
Sure, there are still many a doe-eyed reporter or intern that gets up the courage to come to Pol Position's dank basement offices, risking pneumonia to share their latest sighting of Marty Markowitz, thinking that we might want to put it into one of our columns.
It always with a little bit of sadness and a whole lot of macho bravado that we send them back upstairs in a show of fury, screaming things like "Don't tell us how to do our job!"; "Do we come to your desk and crap all over it?"; or "Come back when you've got a real tip, and bring Night Train Express Wine Coolers and some of those new Chili & Cheese Ruffles, we're hungry and feeling brave!"
No, random Marty Markowitz sightings and the beep's always entertaining quotes don't pack quite the same punch for our jaded souls.
But we got to tell you, the last random Marty Markowitz sighting nearly floored even us hardened faux political reporters. Last week, we got a report from a hungry penny-a-liner who was sent to cover the opening of a new Fairway supermarket in Douglaston, Queens.
Turns out the reporter tried to cut out of the ceremony a little bit early, but Fairway security wouldn't let him leave the way he came in, and instead directed him to a exit on the other side of the store. Well, the new Fairway is quite large and the reporter wandered around, and turned a corner and who should he see standing there among the produce? None other than Marty Markowitz!
Apparently, Markowitz just wanted to come out to the far end of Queens for the opening of the new Fairway. "When it comes to foodies, we don't know borough boundaries!" he told our reporter.
Markowtiz, who said he shopped at the Fairway in Red Hook twice a week with his wife, she picking out the produce, meat, and seafood and he handling the canned goods, then congratulated the borough of Queens on their first Fairway.
So that explains it.
Actually, it doesn't explain anything. What the heck was Markowitz doing in Douglaston at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Did he really just want to come see a new Fairway? He wasn't even anywhere near the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, he was just hanging out in the aisles. (And was apparently quite a hit with the new employees and shoppers.)
Well, our source couldn't provide anymore insight or a photo (man, a photo would have been great!) - he's still got a lot to learn about investigative reporting – but the news of Markowtiz in Queens still made our day.
However, if you've been reading Pol Position very carefully recently, we think you know where we are going with the kicker...
Guess who wasn't at the grand opening of the new Fairway in Douglaston?
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall.


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5 Rules for Watching Reality TV Efficiently
What's your guilty reality TV pleasure? The Bachelor? Survivor? America's Got Talent? Of course, the granddaddy of them all — American Idol — just started a new season. Some 30 or 40 million fans have been waiting six months for American Idol to kick off. If this season is anything like last season, expect at least 50 hours of American Idol on your TV. No, that's not a typo. Continue reading


text: Major wetlands can be found at Fishers Land (near Churchill Island), Swan Lake and Rhyll. Much of the northern coast of Phillip Island Nature Parks borders the Churchill Island Marine National Park and the Western Port Ramsar site (wetlands of international significance). Phillip Island Nature Parks is monitoring the health of wetlands by undertaking frog surveys, bird counts and water quality testing.


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But in looking back at the lessons I've learned
And the mountains I wanted to climb,
I just look at myself to find,
I've learned the hard way ev'ry time.
–Jim Croce
I told a friend that my McNay Consulting organization has started doing life coaching. She looked at me strangely and said, "You're fat.â€
My friend believed that only perfect people can be life coaches.
I'm trying to figure out what a perfect person looks like. Everyone I know has some kind of problems, even if he or she presents a strong exterior.
I understand what life coaches can do. They help people visualize where they want to go and figure out how to get there.
Sounds simple, but it is harder than people think.
A consultant and I were recently doing life coaching exercises to get me ready for the New Year. It started slowly. Because my vision was not clear, my goals weren't clear and neither was my path.
Then we hit on the million dollar question: Who are the five people you admire most? The five were all close friends and all had similar attributes.
I wanted to be like them.
Once that was settled, the rest of my vision fell into place.
After nearly 30 years of helping people with their money, I figured out long ago that financial issues were rarely about rates of return or asset allocation.
Money is usually about emotions.
Most of the time, people are using money to buy something that is missing in their lives.
It could be they are missing love, self-esteem or security. They could be using money to cure loneliness or, as Jackson Browne once said, "To fill in the missing colors of their paint-by-number dreams.â€
Most of the time, money doesn't care what really ails them. The ailment remains but they wind up losing their money too.
If a person can figure out what he really wants, money can be an important tool in making that wish a reality.
I wonder how coaches learn life's lessons. My best lessons have come from the school of hard knocks.
If I make a big mistake, I tend to learn from it.
As I noted in one of my books, "Wealth Without Wall Street: A Main Street Guide to Making Money,†I made some financial mistakes when my mother and sister suddenly died in 2006; mistakes that a person with my financial education and background shouldn't make.
I was using money to deal with grief and personal upheaval. In other words, the same way that many people do.
I'm fortunate. I had the resources to pay for my mistake and the ability to keep on generating income.
A lot of people get money in one large chunk. If they lose it all, they don't have a chance to earn it again.
I wrote a book about lottery winners and how so many have lost their money. I've never heard of many of them winning the lottery twice.
Most of my clients have been widows, widowers and injury victims. They are persons whose lives changed in the split second that a drunk driver ran a red light or a truck driver fell asleep behind the wheel.
I frequently see people in settlement negotiations or mediations looking for revenge or some kind of emotional satisfaction.
It doesn't work that way. I try to sit down with them early and explain a basic fact.
I tell them, "All the insurer can give you is money. They can't bring your loved one back to life. They can't allow you to throw away your wheelchair and walk. All they can do is write you a check.â€
"It's your job to take the money and use it to create a normal life for you and your family.â€
People will sometimes get a substantial amount. Despite my warning, within five years, that money will usually be gone.
Keeping injured people, lottery winners and others who receive large sums from blowing their money has been my life's work.
I use a number of financial tools and common sense advice to keep people from making large mistakes. Some people listen. Some don't.
The people who often don't listen learn through the school of hard knocks.
A school where you might lose all your money before you graduate.
My job is to steer them away from making bad decisions.
But, as the song says, many learn the hard way every time.
Don McNay, who lives in Richmond, Ky., is an award-winning financial columnist for Huffington Post Contributor. You can learn more about him at www.donmcnay.com.


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This contest is now over.
The final results are listed below. If you've won, you will be contacted in the near future. Congratulations!
Everyone else - keep participating and stay tuned to Android Police so that you don't miss our upcoming giveaway announcements. You can follow AP on Twitter, Facebook, and RSS.
- Steven T. (Note II)
- Manuel M. V.L. (Galaxy Camera)
- Matt J. (Nexus 7 16GB)
- William J. (Nexus 7 16GB)
Now that the new-year's CES craziness is at an end, we thought we'd continue where we left off in 2012 - doing awesome giveaways. Today's is no exception, and comes to us courtesy of Basatne, an online electronics retail store that offers hot-ticket gear to buyers from all over the world.
About Basatne
Basatne stands out from the sea of online electronics retailers not only because of their competitive pricing (thanks to their roots in wholesaling), but because of their speed - new items are available and in stock on Basatne oftentimes well before other online retailers.
Basatne doesn't stop at the credit card confirmation page, though. Every camera, tablet, and phone sold on Basatne comes with a one-year BasatnePlus Warranty, protecting you from manufacturing defects no matter where you are - an often overlooked pitfall of ordering unlocked smartphones on the web. This coverage extends to 5 years for camera lenses. For added protection, you can opt into the BasatnePlus Accidental damage protection plan.
Visit Basatne Electronics' website to check out their latest deals, give them a shout on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to their newsletter and blog to stay up-to-date with all things Basatne.
The Prizes
In partnership with Basatne, we're giving away some of the awesome stuff they sell. How does a Galaxy Note II, a Galaxy Camera, and two Nexus 7's sound? Pretty good, I imagine. To get a little more detailed about the prizes:
- 1 Galaxy Note II (GSM 3G unlocked) in white or grey
- 1 Galaxy Camera (Wi-Fi + 3G unlocked)
- 2 Nexus 7 16GB (Wi-Fi)
Not a bad little assortment, right? Certainly some desirable items to be had. We'll be picking four winners (one prize for each winner) at random.
Now, we know sometimes that contests on Android Police can be frustrating for our readers outside the US. So, we're hoping to make up for some of that today - this contest is open to all countries. As long as Basatne can ship it to you (eg, there are roads where you live), you can enter.
So, let's get to the details.
How To Enter
This contest is open to entrants from all countries. Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below, and be sure to read our full contest entry rules here. The contest begins now, and ends on January 28th at 12AM PST.


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4 Powell Road
My specialism is lateral thinking, resolving the complexity encountered in the world with reductive poetic logic. I intertwine commercial and cultural practice: responding to the paradox of daily life and the complexities of project assignments. I seek focused solutions that feel inevitable. I get there by starting at the beginning, asking why, what if… then making sense of the things I find with radical acceptance and by embracing truth.
Please follow me on Instagram. I am reposting works, exploring the things I have made over the past twenty years in preparation for the next twenty years.
Postcard Back Compositions
105mm x 148mm offset lithograph on card stock contained in C6 envelope
Edition 1000


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'This Week' Transcript: Disaster in the Pacific
Transcript: Disaster in the Pacific
March 13, 2011 -- (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR (voice-over): This week, disaster in the Pacific. As my team and I cross Japan to find almost biblical scenes of destruction, fears of a nuclear meltdown after the powerful earthquake, the devastating wall of water. A race is on to stop a dangerous radiation leak and rescue tens of thousands.
ANNOUNCER: From ABC News, a special "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour, disaster in the Pacific, live from Tokyo, starts now.
AMANPOUR: Hello again. And we are here live broadcasting from Tokyo, where the government is scrambling to deal with this massive crisis: an earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear disaster.
The prime minister said on television tonight that this is an unprecedented crisis, the worst challenge this country has had to deal with since World War II. And we are here near the Narita Airport, which is the staging ground for U.S. and other international help that is now rushing in.
The government is concerned about a possible second meltdown at a second reactor, the Fukushima plant. It is also concerned about a possible explosion at that second reactor, although it's playing down the idea of leakage of nuclear radiation. And we are going to talk about that.
We're also going to talk about what we saw today. My team and I went up to the north, where the most devastation has been, and also my colleagues have reached some of the worst-hit areas, as aid officials also are reaching those areas for the first time. We will have all that in this broadcast.
And later, Jake Tapper, my colleague, will turn to all the news from Washington. President Obama and the United States administration is not only having to monitor this international crisis, but also the civil war in Libya and, as well, a bitter budget battle on Capitol Hill.
But first to the situation here in Japan.
AMANPOUR: Let's take a look at a map of the country. The earthquake struck just off the coast of Japan, and it sent strong tremors that shook and damaged buildings at least 200 miles from the epicenter. And the tsunami wave then destroyed and damaged two-thirds of the east coast of this island nation.
AMANPOUR: And now government officials north here in the Miyagi prefecture, which is home to Sendai, the worst-hit area, are saying that there could possibly be 10,000 people dead in that one place alone. The government is calling on all people here to conserve electricity. It's warning that electric power will be rationed because so much of Japan's electricity comes from those nuclear power plants that are now shut down.
My team and I took a helicopter tour up north. We saw the devastation firsthand from the air.
AMANPOUR (voice-over): As we make our way through the outskirts of Tokyo, life looks surprisingly normal. The trains are running again, three days after the powerful earthquake that shook even this capital, hundreds of miles from the epicenter. Last night, there had been an explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. And as we're driving now, we hear that another reactor is overheating.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): We are acting -- assuming that a meltdown has occurred. And with reactor number three, we are also assuming the possibility of a meltdown.
AMANPOUR: As we continue to make our way towards the quake zone, we wonder how much of the country has been affected by this kind of chaos and destruction. We're about to find out, as we arrived at the airfield.
(on-screen): The helicopter is taking on fuel, and we're going up to the Sendai earthquake zone. Japan is not a massive country, but part of that Sendai area is quite remote. Some of the roads have been damaged. There are mountains in the greater area around there. And that's hampering not just assessment, but also relief and the delivery of supplies.
(voice-over): On the hour-long ride to the city of Sendai near the epicenter, little evidence of the earthquake. Much of the countryside appears unscathed. And even as we approach Sendai, we see the city still standing.
But as the chopper turns to the coast, the full extent of the devastation reveals itself. Huge swaths of land along the coast remain underwater. We fly past this massive plume of black smoke, billowing 3,000 feet into the air. The petrochemical plant below has been burning since the earthquake struck. And oil is spilling into the water.
Japanese rescue operations are being launched by sea and by land. And search-and-rescue teams are coming to help them from across Europe, the United States, Australia, and South Korea.
(UNKNOWN): We do know that the longer time goes on, the less likely it is we'll find survivors, so the imperative is for us to get there as soon as we possibly can.
AMANPOUR: And a team of Japanese workers which had gone to New Zealand to help with recovery efforts after last month's 6.3 earthquake here are now heading home.
(UNKNOWN): We have heard quite severe situation in Japan, and we are going back to Japan today. We have heard quite severe situation in Japan, and we are going back to Japan today.
AMANPOUR: Already we've seen dramatic rescues taking place this weekend, workers searching through rubble and rescuers transporting survivors to safety, but the fear here among so many is palpable.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): My husband hasn't come here yet. He left home a little later than me. Our house was swept away.
AMANPOUR: They search the names of the missing.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): My son might have been engulfed by the tsunami. I hope he's taking shelter somewhere.
AMANPOUR: And this young mother can only hope that her worries are unfounded.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): That's my name. The tsunami swept away my car, and my house was burned down by the fire afterwards. My sons must be very worried about me. The phone lines are bad, and I could only send out one text message. I just want to let my family know that I'm alive.
AMANPOUR: Best of all, scenes like this one, a man reunited with his wife.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): I'm so lucky to have survived.
(UNKNOWN) (through translator): I'm relieved to see him again, but I can't rejoice completely because people are still waiting to be rescued.
AMANPOUR: And pictures continue to emerge reminding us of the enormity of this tragedy. In the city of Kaesunuma (ph), residents look on helplessly as entire houses are carried away by the powerful waters. Here is what the city of Minamisanriku (ph) looked like before the quake and here is what it looks like now. The local hospital is the only building left standing in this neighborhood.
This is a country united in grief, in shock, and in their struggles. Many residents in Fukushima, near the nuclear power plant, expressed fear about the fallout here. This factory worker said, "20 kilometers away is safe, but the radiation may change and go out wider. It's very disturbing. There's no way to get out of here."
"I thing it's safe at the moment," said another local resident, "but I'm worried that the radiation might have already reached us."
Throughout the day, the government said radiation levels were safe outside the 20-kilometer evacuation zone and offered treatment for evacuees coming from near the plant, but there have also been reports of higher than normal levels and people suffering from full-on radiation sickness.
"The place where I work might be contaminated," said this schoolteacher, "so I came here to have a check and try to find out what I have to do next."
At the airport in Tokyo yesterday, I spoke with a German journalist who's trying to get close to the plant. He came prepared.
(on-screen): Tell me what you've got here.
(UNKNOWN): A Geiger counter, I think it's called in English, yeah?
AMANPOUR: What does it measure, the Geiger counter?
(UNKNOWN): It measures the radioactivity right now here in the airport in Tokyo.
AMANPOUR: Is it high or low here?
(UNKNOWN): It's completely low. It's nothing.
AMANPOUR: But if it should rise as he approaches...
(UNKNOWN): We should go, yeah, because then it's rising, and you should -- you should leave. But now it's nothing dangerous at the moment.
AMANPOUR: And now, as you know, there have been mixed reports about the radiation issues. The government has been saying lately that it's going down, but there have been so many reports about how the levels have been much, much higher than is acceptable, several times higher than the Japan -- Japanese legal limits.
As we were in the air over the Sendai area, our colleague, Clarissa Ward, had reached Sendai and gives us now a snapshot of some of the worst-hit areas that she got to just as we were in the air.
WARD: Christiane, one of the first things we noticed driving into the city was just the amount of traffic. Literally, there were 10-block lines of cars waiting for gas, which is now being rationed out, also, long lines of people waiting outside of convenience stores. It's been two days since that quake, people getting very anxious now that supplies are dwindling.
But for the most part, this area of the city looks pretty normal. There was some electricity. Traffic lights seemed to be functioning. And it was only really when we hit the port area that we saw the scope of the devastation. Really, that area just felt like a warzone. There were sirens wailing, soldiers pouring into this area trying to assess the damage, smoke billowing up into the sky.
It's almost impossible really to describe the level and the scope of that devastation. Even the process of just trying to get into this city turned out to be quite an epic journey.
We're on our way to the city of Sendai. And we've been traveling now for 36 hours. We've been diverted through three different cities. Japan's internal transportation system, which is normally a sort of model of efficiency, has been completely crippled by this earthquake. And we've actually come across a mountain range in the middle of the island, and we're now coming towards the city of Sendai.
Getting to this part of the port on foot is actually pretty tough. There are cars driving around with loudspeakers telling people to evacuate the area because there are still fears of another possible tsunami.
And when you look at the damage here, you can understand why they're so nervous. It's just incredible, the scope of the devastation, these cars strewn like toys. Everything was destroyed by this massive wave of water.
Authorities have now completely blocked off that port area. They say it is simply too dangerous for anyone to be there at night.
AMANPOUR: Clarissa Ward in the Sendai area, and she talks about a possible another tsunami. Well, the government has said that, in the next three days, there could also possibly be another earthquake, of a 7.0 magnitude, and that, of course, is worrying all those people around the nuclear power plants.
David Muir of ABC has gone up north and has got to the limit of where people are allowed to get to when it comes to that nuclear reactor area.
MUIR: Christiane, good morning.
As you know, we've been traveling around the perimeter of the evacuation zone that's been set around those nuclear reactors that are now causing so much concern here in Japan. One of the things that we first recognized on our route was that driving at night, obviously, hard to see the true damage out there, workers stopping us at roadblocks, telling us the road was too buckled to pass over.
Then in Hitachi City, this was really hard to miss, cars piled atop one another. They'd been carried up the street by the tsunami.
And then further out in rural Japan at daybreak, you could see that even inland homes were completely flattened. The neighbors told us in this particular home that the older couple living inside actually survived, that they're now living with their own grown children.
But there was something that we did notice a little bit eerie: children's music still coming from inside that flattened home. We couldn't tell whether it was a toy or an alarm, still going off long after the earthquake.
And then one of the most telling images of all in this zone around the nuclear reactors, the massive lines for water now.
Have you ever seen anything like this?
He told us it was the first time he'd ever seen anything like this.
Is it bad? Is it difficult? "Yes," he told us. In fact, that line for water, as far as we could see -- and at the only convenience store open in two hours of driving today was, in fact, a 7-Eleven, believe it or not. No power there. The families were scooping up what they could on the shelves, anything that was left.
And then outside, this mother and her little girl.
How old is she?
The mother told us something we had heard so often.
Are you nervous about the nuclear reactors?
Yes, very nervous, she told us, not sure quite what to do. And when I asked what she is doing, she said she's following the instructions given to her on the television not to leave the home, to seal the windows. She said she's got them shut tight. But the reason she left her home this time was simply because she was running out of food, running out of drinks.
But I've got to tell you, there was at least one other parent who said, "I'm not worried about the nuclear reactors. I don't even have television or electricity right now. I'm more worried about being at home in the dark with my children at night."
Christiane, back to you.
AMANPOUR: David Muir, up as far as he could get towards the nuclear power plant. And when we come back, we are going to have a report about the nuclear industry. We're going to have a report about the dangers there. We're going to have an interesting panel to talk about what might be next. And later, Jake Tapper will take us to Washington with all the news there, including President Obama's budget battle on Capitol Hill, after a break.
AMANPOUR: So, first, an earthquake, then a tsunami, and then a nuclear disaster. This country is in a race to really save those reactors from any further damage than has already been created.
ABC's Bob Woodruff takes a look inside what the government is trying to do.
WOODRUFF (voice-over): Friday's devastating earthquake, one of the most powerful ever recorded, was centered off the coast of Japan, just about 80 miles from two nuclear power plants. The horrific tsunami that soon followed slammed into both facilities. Even as the nation struggled to comprehend the vast tragedy around them, another nightmare had already begun.
KAKU: First of all, the backup systems failed. The pumps, the electricity all gone because of the earthquake and the tsunami. This was not supposed to happen.
WOODRUFF: Here's why that mattered. At the core of a nuclear power plant are uranium rods that become super hot. And that heat drives turbines to create electricity. But the uranium core must be kept underwater at all times to keep it from getting too hot. That's exactly what was beginning to happen here. And plant workers tried everything they could, the experts were getting nervous.
KAKU: They are trying to end this crisis. It's a question of capability. Can they?
WOODRUFF: As temperature and pressure rose in the Fukushima Daiichi reactor, officials struggled in a fight against time to get the pumps fully working. Finally, on Saturday, an explosion ripped away the building housing the reactor.
KAKU: One by one, every single layer of safety is failing right before their eyes. And so as a last-ditch measure, they're reaching for the ultimate solution, and that is inject seawater right into the reactor core, anything to stabilize the core to prevent it from going up.
WOODRUFF: As tensions continued to rise, an evacuation plan was quickly widened to include 200,000 people around the Daiichi plant and the nearby Fukushima Daini plant, which is deteriorating, as well.
KAKU: On Friday, Japan had never declared a nuclear emergency. By Friday afternoon, they had declared five. They had five reactors where they had lost control of the cooling systems. All five were potential meltdowns.
WOODRUFF: As the drama continued in northern Japan, Americans were reminded of our own near nightmare, the 1979 Three Mile Island accident.
(UNKNOWN): Radioactivity is 75 times a dose that would be lethal to a human.
WOODRUFF: That meltdown is still considered the most serious accident in U.S. nuclear power plant history, causing widespread panic, as 140,000 neighboring residents chose to evacuate.
In the end, no one was injured, but experts say disaster was perilously close. The worst-case scenario, however, came seven years later in the Soviet Union.
JENNINGS: There has definitely been a meltdown at the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl.
KAKU: By far, the worst accident was Chernobyl, which was the biggest explosion, biggest collapse, the only real core fire that we've ever had that spewed tons of radioactive material in the atmosphere and around the globe.
WOODRUFF: In the end, experts estimate at least 4,000 were killed, both by the immediate disaster and by radiation-related diseases in the years to come. The Chernobyl plant, however, lacked a protective concrete shell that is considered to be crucial for safety in Europe, Japan and the U.S.
KAKU: Three Mile Island ended nuclear power construction in the United States. Chernobyl ended most nuclear power construction around the world.
WOODRUFF: In the years since, safety has greatly improved. Thirty years after the accident at his plant, the current manager of Three Mile Island assured me a repeat of 1979 would be extremely unlikely.
(on-screen): That kind of melting is not going to happen again?
(UNKNOWN): That's correct.
WOODRUFF: There's no way?
(UNKNOWN): That's correct. These plants are extremely robust. The safety systems are tested frequently.
WOODRUFF (voice-over): But the disaster in Japan could again sway public opinion against nuclear power, despite the industry's insistence that safety is better than ever.
Bob Woodruff, ABC News, New York.
AMANPOUR: Joining me now to discuss all of this is, nuclear expert Joe Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund and ABC's Jake Tapper and Martha Raddatz.
Let me start with you first, Mr. Cirincione. How bad is this nuclear meltdown, for want of a better word, and the fears that there may be another explosion here at one of the reactors?
CIRINCIONE: This is already one of the worst nuclear accidents in history if it stops right now. And we're dealing with multiple meltdown possibilities at reactor number one, at reactor number two at the Daiichi site. There's also concern about reactors at the Daini site. There were actually incidents at other nuclear facilities in Japan that would have been significant incidents by themselves, but they're caught in the wake of these major crises at these nuclear reactors that possibly will melt down in the next couple of days.
AMANPOUR: Jake, how worried is the U.S. administration that this could reach the United States?
TAPPER: As of now, the concerns are minor that this will reach even Guam or the Marianas Islands or Hawaii, the gulf -- or the shores off of Alaska or the West Coast. There's very minor concern, because there has not been a major release as of now, but administration officials are, of course, concerned in general about the potential for the spreading of radioactive material. And that's why they've sent a whole -- a number of experts to the region to monitor the situation, to help the Japanese, of course, but also to get our own information firsthand.
AMANPOUR: And, Martha, talking about information, there's been this feeling that perhaps the Japanese government has been playing it down, even though they've been on television almost every hour, giving briefings. Take us back to Friday and how this all played out.
RADDATZ: Well, Christiane, literally right after the earthquake and the tsunami, I was talking to U.S. officials. And they were saying the Japanese are playing this down. They are very, very nervous about what's happening at the nuclear plant, but they weren't really talking to U.S. officials. It was sort of one-way communication. The U.S. was offering help. They were offering immediate help to get nuclear teams in there, and the Japanese were resisting that.
So that was a real frustration in the beginning. I think that frustration remains somewhat, because they have a lot of people who can go in and help immediately.
Obviously, this facility could not withstand that earthquake. So you have to wonder, going forward, are they really ready for what may happen next?
AMANPOUR: Now, Mr. Cirincione, we know that at least three people have been treated for radiation sickness inside the plant, according to the government. Can you explain how these fail-safe measures actually failed? What happened that did not make sure that this nuclear reactor, this facility shut down safely?
CIRINCIONE: Sure. Nuclear reactors are built to withstand crises, and even multiple crises. But it's very hard to build a facility that can withstand this.
This was a one-two punch. First, the earthquake knocked out the electrical supply to these reactors, and then the tsunami came in and knocked out the backup electrical supply. So for the last few days, they've been running on battery power, rushing to re-establish electric power to the plants, to the pumps that keep the water around the core and keep it cool.
As those pumps lost the ability to do that, the core was exposed. We have at least half the core exposed at reactor number one at Daiichi. This led to the radiation exposure. No amount of radiation exposure is good for those workers scrambling to get these reactors under control. It could be fatal.
AMANPOUR: And, Jake, they've already said that they've filled those damaged reactors with saltwater, which basically means they've given up on them, they're not going to work anymore. How much confidence does the United States have in its counterparts here in the nuclear facilities, in the nuclear agencies?
TAPPER: Well, if this crisis had happened here in the U.S., the U.S. government would be turning to Japan for help. These are the top people in the field.
That said, these are government officials. And it has been pointed out, it's not always true that the first things you're hearing from government officials are the accurate information. It's often optimistic. They don't want to have a panic.
And so the administration is confident, but I think they have their eyes wide open that not all the information they're getting might be -- the worst-case scenario might always be the best-case scenario
We though these things affect the idea of using nuclear power for energy. What effect do you thing this will have on many people's desire to increase the use of nuclear power?
AMANPOUR: And, Martha, we know that these kinds of things always affect the idea of using nuclear power for energy. What effect do you think this will have on many people's desire to actually increase the use of nuclear power?
RADDATZ: I think it will have a huge effect. And that's sort of something that you haven't heard very much talked about yet. We're dealing with the crisis now.
But I spoke to a senior administration official last night. And they said that's one of the major concerns, how this will affect nuclear power in the future.
I think there were already demonstrations in Germany. I think you'll see here in the U.S., we will surely take a look at our nuclear facilities and have Japan as a -- as a bad model there in what can happen that you haven't planned for.
AMANPOUR: Martha Raddatz, Jake Tapper, and Joe Cirincione, thank you all so much for joining me.
And Jake will be back after a break with all the news from Washington and the big budget battle. And I'll be back later from Japan. Stay with us.
TAPPER: Welcome back to "This Week."
President Obama found himself battling twin global crises this week, the natural and nuclear disaster unfolding in Japan and an end-game showdown in Libya that seems to be dividing the president from some of his closest allies here at home.
With me at the Newseum in Washington, our roundtable, ABC News' George Will and Cokie Roberts, senior political correspondent Jon Karl, and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.
Now, George, this morning, we have news that the rebels in Libya have withdrawn from Brega, after being heavily bombarded by Gadhafi's forces from sea, land and air. How do you think President Obama has been handling this crisis?
WILL: As well as could be expected in a crisis he cannot possibly control. It begins by people saying the president must say something. The president says Gadhafi must go. Then the International Criminal Court, via the U.N., has him recommended for prosecution, which means, if he leaves, Gadhafi leaves Libya, he's subject to arrest and prosecution.
Then there's an arms embargo of unclear intent passed that probably also includes an embargo on arms to the people fighting Gadhafi, at which point people begin to say, well, the president having said Gadhafi must go, if he doesn't go, Gadhafi has defeated America and we can't stand for that. This is how interventions come about.
TAPPER: The -- overnight, if you're in the U.S., the Arab League came out in favor of a no-fly zone to be imposed by who-knows-who. But there's other -- a no-fly zone has also been supported by someone else. Let's role this tape.
B. CLINTON: We have the planes to make our appropriate contribution to this. And I wouldn't do it if they hadn't asked, but if the leaders are on television pleading for it so that the people don't get bombed who are there with, you know, revolvers, I think that...
(UNKNOWN): But NATO today...
B. CLINTON: ... we should do it.
TAPPER: "I think we should do it," says Bill Clinton. Is President Obama showing enough leadership on this?
ROBERTS: I think it's a problem that the United States should have private leadership. I mean, the president, as George says, has said what he can say publicly at this point. But when he says we want NATO to lead, we want the U.N. to lead, that really means the U.S. has to lead and has to lead inside those organizations.
The problem is, they don't know where they want to go. We don't know who the opposition is. The administration really doesn't have a clue who those people are. And getting involved, as -- as Secretary Gates and Chief of Staff Daley have made clear, in another Muslim country with U.S. military is problematic, at the very least.
TAPPER: And yet, Jon, Republicans on Capitol Hill have been very -- are starting to become very critical of the president.
KARL: Yeah, no question. And, look, there are good reasons why a no-fly zone might be a very bad idea. I mean, you have to begin by bombing the country, as Gates pointed out. It's not simply a no-fly zone. It starts with an attack on Libya. Make that clear.
But make no mistake, Jake: If this -- if Gadhafi is still in power next year, if Libya is still a mess, this will be a central issue for Republicans. They will say this is Exhibit A of what happens when you have a foreign policy where America does not show leadership. You're already seeing it with some on the Hill saying, look, the French are leading on this. Where is America?
TAPPER: Donna, is this fair?
BRAZILE: No, it's not fair. And I agree with George Will. This is a first. No, I'm joking.
TAPPER: It's a second.
BRAZILE: No, it may be a third. But, look, the French, they are taking the lead, the British. They want to impose a no-fly zone. But Italy is not prepared. Other countries, Germany, they're not prepared. So the Europeans are divided.
The Arab League might -- may be united, but the Europeans are not united. I think the president is right to pressure Gadhafi as much as possible, to help the opposition, to the extent we know who they are, and to hold all of the other contingencies on the side. The last thing we need to do is right now is to intervene in another Muslim country, unless we have the kind of broad support from our allies, NATO and others, so that we can enforce whatever we decide to do.
ROBERTS: Well, so it's not just the U.S. going in.
BRAZILE: Absolutely.
WILL: It seems reasonably clear from John McCain's comments that, if he had won the 2008 election, we would be at war in a third Muslim country right now. Jim Webb, senator from Virginia, perhaps the only man in Congress -- you may correct me -- who's known combat, said, "I do not think it's a good idea to give arms"...
ROBERTS: John Kerry.
WILL: Yeah, that's true.
TAPPER: McCain from the air. But in any case, he knows combat.
WILL: ... who would -- who would -- says, "I don't believe it's a good idea to give arms and military support to people we don't know." All the insurgents have in common is they hate Gadhafi. Some of them probably hate each other. And what happens if they topple him and the people who topple Gadhafi turn on one another? What then are our responsibilities?
TAPPER: So -- so why -- why do we hear this -- this -- for want of a better term, drumbeat for action? Why do we constantly hear this now in the media and on Capitol Hill, we need to do more, we need to do more?
ROBERTS: Because Gadhafi's a bad guy. And he's been a bad guy for a long time. And the idea of getting him out of there is very appealing. And -- and it's in the context of what's going on in the rest of North Africa.
And so this sort of romantic notion of sweeping out the bad guys and bringing in democracy is wonderful, except we don't have any clue whether that's going to happen.
BRAZILE: We've frozen his assets, so long term it will make it even harder, if he retains power, to enforce anything beyond what he's doing now, which is killing his own people. But, you know, I think our focus on Libya is -- is -- is a distraction from where our focus should be, which is Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other parts of...
ROBERTS: Bahrain.
BRAZILE: ... right, other parts of the Middle East that might be imploding at this moment.
TAPPER: All right. Much more on our roundtable coming up. On Capitol Hill, the budget battle hits a boiling point. And in New Hampshire, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann fires off the gaffe heard 'round the world.
MANCHIN: Why are we doing all this when the most powerful person in these negotiations, our president, has failed to lead this debate or offer a serious proposal for spending and cuts that he would be willing to fight for? How does that make sense?
TAPPER: A rare rebuke of President Obama from a member of his own party. New West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin saying it's time for the White House to show leadership on the budget.
This week, the president told Congress he's had enough of the temporary budget extensions, it's time to get down to brass tacks. But as our senior political correspondent Jon Karl learned, roping in the spending spree will not be easy.
KARL (voice-over): Here's an unlikely front in the budget wars: the cowboy poetry festival in Elko, Nevada. The Senate majority leader is accusing Republicans of trying to kill it by slashing funds for the National Endowment for the Humanities.
(UNKNOWN): As I fly out on the morning, before the bird, before the dawn...
REID: National Endowment of the Humanities is the reason we have in northern Nevada every January a Cowboy Poetry Festival. Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist.
KARL (on-screen): Why are you trying to kill the Cowboy Poetry Festival?
COBURN: Isn't that wonderful, that at a time when we're borrowing $3.5 billion a day, and our -- our future is bleak, that we're going to defend something that is not something we have to do?
KARL (voice-over): Republicans are trying to kill much more than the Cowboy Poetry Festival. Their bill to fund the government for the rest of the year eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Planned Parenthood, it cuts more than $1 billion from Head Start, $1.5 billion from FEMA, $2.8 billion from the EPA, and nearly $5 billion from the Department of Education. It also hits some programs favored by conservatives, nearly $600 million cut from Customs and Border Protection and $450 million for an F-35 fighter jet it eliminates.
All told, about $60 billion in cuts that Democrats say are mean-spirited and devastating.
REID: It's a very, very difficult, bad piece of legislation.
KARL: Democrats countered with a relatively paltry $4.7 billion in cuts. Both bills failed to pass the Senate, but the Democratic bill got fewer votes, even though Senate Democrats are now the majority. Now they've got to find a compromise or face a government shutdown.
But in reality, neither bill does much at all to address this year's $1.6 trillion.
(on-screen): So this pizza represents that $1.6 trillion deficit. Those Republican cuts are only about this much, one-twenty-fifth of the deficit, and the Democratic cuts, well, they're just one-tenth of this, not much.
(voice-over): Among the items not cut by either bill, unemployment benefits for millionaires. That's right: The government spends more than $20 million a year on unemployment checks for people with more than $1 million in annual income.
And no cut to the $28 million spent each year to print the congressional record, a chronicle of every word uttered in Congress. It's already available online.
(on-screen): About the only thing the printed version of the congressional record is used for these days is filling up recycling bins on Capitol Hill.
(voice-over): And there are a bunch of bigger-ticket items, including about $6 billion a year in tax breaks and subsidies to cash-rich oil companies, which most Republicans are unwilling to touch.
(on-screen): But does ExxonMobil really need tax breaks to...
BARTON: They should be treated equally as any other domestic company...
KARL: But they have these tax credits. I mean, you said it yourself. Tax credits that go back to the early days of the oil and gas industry. I mean, why? I mean, do they need it?
BARTON: Do you want a domestic manufacturing capability? Do you want a domestic financial capability? Do you want whatever it is...
KARL: But ExxonMobil is not going to go out of bus.
BARTON: Do we want everything made in China?
KARL: Do you find it's hard to defend these -- these tax credits, though, at a time when Americans are paying what they're paying at the pump...
BARTON: I've just been doing it for the last 10 minutes.
KARL (voice-over): But the real reason for that sky-high deficit is that neither party is willing to deal with the big-ticket items. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, interest, defense just don't get cut. Until they do, the debt will keep climbing higher and higher, no matter what happens to the Cowboy Poetry Festival.
For "This Week," I'm Jonathan Karl.
TAPPER: And Jon makes a salient point in that amusing spot, which is that most of the budget is not being debated right now, George.
WILL: It's not being debated because they say we're only going to debate discretionary spending. We should...
ROBERTS: Domestic discretionary spending.
WILL: We should ban that word. It's all discretionary, other than interest on the national debt. Social Security is discretionary. We have the discretion to change the law. Same is true with Medicare and Medicaid.
ROBERTS: But -- but -- the -- you know, they don't, because they're scared to. And what it requires is everybody holding hands and jumping at once. And there's not a lot of hand-holding and Kumbaya singing on Capitol Hill, so I don't think that you're going to see that happening. But this fight I do think is going to be very interesting to see how it works out for Republicans next year.
TAPPER: You think there might be overreaching?
ROBERTS: Absolutely. And it happens with both parties. They do it all the time. They come into power and they think the voters have told them something different from what the voters have actually told them.
The voters say, "We want you just to do something, stop bickering, get along, and pay us -- you know, run the country." And instead, they do things like, say, "We're going tell the EPA not to have any power over greenhouse gases." You know, that's overreaching. "We're going to cut Head Start." These people have never run on a record. They're going to have to next year go out and run on a record. And they're going to have trouble with that.
KARL: You know, they did run on a promise to deal with this. And Paul Ryan is about to come out with a budget. Next month, he's going to come out with a budget that is going to address Medicare. And a lot of the Republican leadership up on the Hill thinks this is a terrible mistake, that he is driving them off a cliff to do this before the White House goes first or at least goes with him.
But Ryan is charging ahead. And it will be very interesting to see how this plays. But he is -- you know, he has somebody who has consistently promised to do this. He did it on his own, before he was chairman of the Budget Committee, when he was in the minority, he had only 13 co-sponsors of his bill. Now he's doing it on behalf of the Republican leadership.
BRAZILE: We're five months into the fiscal year. And what the Democrats are urging the Republicans to do in the House is to send over a clean bill, not all these cultural and political appetizers...
TAPPER: These riders that are attached to the bill, yeah.
BRAZILE: These riders. And let's have an up-or-down vote and to get this bill through so that we can finish up this fiscal year.
ROBERTS: It's not clear how an up-or-down vote would go, though. The Senate voted down two budgets this week, and it's -- what we've learned is the leadership really can't control their forces. So it's hard to know how it's going to go.
BRAZILE: They keep -- they keep moving the goal post, Cokie. Last year, Mr. Inouye had a bill that Ms. McCaskill and Mr. Sessions, a bipartisan bill, that would have reduced the deficit by $20 billion in this -- the last current fiscal year. That was rejected. Now they've moved the goal post to $40 billion.
So we're looking at -- the Republicans wanted $100 billion. The Democrats said $50 billion. We're somewhere in between those two figures.
But what bothers me is that we're focusing on one little slice of that pie. And, by the way, I noticed you didn't bring me in because there's not a lot of pie there.
BRAZILE: We're focusing...
TAPPER: Twelve percent is the domestic discretionary budget.
BRAZILE: Absolutely.
TAPPER: And that's what everybody...
BRAZILE: Non-security. I mean, and imagine if this was the kitchen table we all sat at when we had to make budget decisions. And they say, OK, we've got a budget deficit. Let's throw the kids off of Head Start.
TAPPER: I do want to talk about one small nibble of that domestic discretionary spending slice, which is National Public Radio and the funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, because Cokie is a long-time employee of NPR. This was not a great week for NPR.
ROBERTS: No, to put it mildly.
TAPPER: Conservative guerilla filmmaker James O'Keefe did a sting operation and caught the now-former vice president for fundraising saying many disparaging things about the Republican Party and the Tea Party. He's gone. The CEO, Vivian Schiller, is gone. And then, towards the end of the week, this video was released. It shows Betsy Liley, NPR's senior director of institutional giving, talking to the fictitious donor who claimed he was with the Muslim Brotherhood and wanted to give -- or a group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood that wanted to give a $5 million gift.
(UNKNOWN): It sounded like you were saying that NPR would be able to shield us from a government audit. Is that correct?
LILEY: I think that is the case, especially if you were anonymous, and I can inquire about that.
TAPPER: Cokie, you've been at NPR for almost 40 years. Obviously, this institution means a lot to you, but why should we care?
ROBERTS: Well, I should just say that they did then reject that money and sent internal e-mails basically saying this is totally unacceptable. We have to have tax forms, all of that. So, you know, that -- that should be stated.
But, look, we should care, because 34 million people listen every week and want to get the news that you get there, that you can't get anyplace else.
NPR has got 17 foreign bureaus. That's something you can't say for any other broadcast organization these days and -- and brings you terrific information day in and day out, week in and week out. And the reporters who are there on the line being shot at in North Africa at the moment are being very badly served by the management that's now gone.
TAPPER: George, very quickly.
WILL: We learned this week redundantly that NPR is run by people who don't like people like me, which is fine. The problem is, there are 14,000 radio stations in this country. The government shouldn't be subsidizing neither entertainment and certainly not journalism. In fact, this is a solution in search of a problem.
ROBERTS: Well, there are not 14,000 radio stations in rural areas, which is where most of the federal funding goes. Most of those stations are the ones that -- NPR gets hardly any money from the federal government and the big stations get hardly any money. But the little tiny, rural stations that -- where there's nothing else on the air, get a lot of money and they would go dark.
TAPPER: OK, we have to take a quick break. Up next, Michele Bachmann misfires in New Hampshire, as Newt Gingrich tries to make amends. The campaign roundup, when we return.
And we'll go back to Japan, where Christiane has the latest on that killer quake.
GINGRICH: There's no question that, at times in my life, partially driven by -- by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate.
TAPPER: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich explaining his marital infidelity in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. The former House speaker is inching closer to an official campaign announcement.
Donna Brazile, Mr. Gingrich in that interview said he believes in a forgiving God. Are the voters in Iowa as forgiving?
BRAZILE: You know, the irony of this situation is that Newt Gingrich impeached Bill Clinton on this matter, so I don't think infidelity will be a disqualifying issue for Mr. Gingrich. Perhaps his positions on the issues, perhaps something else.
But do I believe in forgiveness? Yes. Do I believe that the speaker should go out there and make his case on other issues? Yes. Will this disqualify him? No.
ROBERTS: No, I think it will. And I think it's just a great line. I mean, I can see every straying husband coming home and saying to his wife, "Honey, I'm just loving my country. You know, nothing I can do about it."
You know, I mean...
TAPPER: Over and over and over again.
ROBERTS: Over again. Right.
TAPPER: George, is this going to hurt him?
WILL: Sure. Look, forgiveness is God's business. It's not the electorate's business. And it seems to me that the answer is exactly as Cokie says. Gentlemen, don't try this at home.
ROBERTS: Right.
WILL: It really doesn't work.
TAPPER: Jon, what do you hear from Republicans about this statement? Because this infidelity is not -- is not new.
KARL: No. No.
TAPPER: We've known about it for a long time, but this was a rather unusual...
ROBERTS: Defense.
TAPPER: Yeah.
KARL: Jake, he's had 12 years to come up with an answer for this, and this was the answer? I mean, it did not play well. It did not play well at all.
TAPPER: Speaking of not playing well, another would-be presidential hopeful was up in New Hampshire, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota, and here's what she had to say.
BACHMANN: What I love about New Hampshire and what we have in common is our extreme love for liberty. You're the state where the shot was heard 'round to world, at Lexington and Concord.
TAPPER: All right. Now, Mr. Will, perhaps you can explain to our viewers what exactly Michele Bachmann got wrong when she said that New Hampshire is the state where the shot in Lexington and Concord was heard 'round the world.
WILL: It was by the rude bridge that arched the flood, their banners to April's breeze unfurled, there the embattled...
TAPPER: This is why she's so confused, because you say things like that.
ROBERTS: Cowboy poetry.
WILL: You're interrupting Emerson. There the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard 'round the world, at Concord Bridge in Massachusetts. Now, full disclosure, my wife, Mari, occasionally advises Michele Bachmann, not on American history.
ROBERTS: Or geography, apparently. Well, you know, Maine was part of Massachusetts then. Maybe she was confusing Maine and New Hampshire.
KARL: And to be fair, Concord, New Hampshire, is only 72 miles -- I checked it -- from Concord, Massachusetts. I mean, I think you could probably see it from your porch if you're in Concord, Massachusetts.
TAPPER: Going to go with the porch thing again?
KARL: Right.
TAPPER: But how serious do you thing Congresswoman Bachmann is about running for president?
KARL: I think she's totally serious about it.
(UNKNOWN): I agree.
KARL: She's laying the groundwork. You know, I was told by one of her top advisers just on Friday that he would be surprised if she did not run. And moreover, Jake, I'll tell you, you talk to Republicans in Iowa, they say that she could be a force in the Iowa caucus.
TAPPER: And I -- and I agree with that, because she has -- she is the head of the Tea Party Caucus in the House. And there are a lot of Republicans in the base who really find her very compelling and...
ROBERTS: Well, also in the Iowa caucuses, so many of the caucusgoers on the Republican side are evangelicals. And she is, you know, very much a religious person, has -- has five kids, I think.
TAPPER: And foster-cared for more than 20. She walks the walk.
ROBERTS: She really -- she does, indeed. And so I think that that would be very appealing.
BRAZILE: And she's from Minnesota, and that's a nearby state. And, look, she's the gift that keeps on giving in the Republican caucus at this moment. Come Tuesday, when they have to decide on the budget, she may bring up some issues that Mr. Boehner may not wish to discuss, this so-called $105, you know, billion dollar that she's identified with the health care bill. So I think she's going to cause a lot of confusion, a lot of chaos within the Republican caucus. But if this furthers her presidential run, go for it.
TAPPER: I want to end with George on this, because Donna's right. She does -- confusion and chaos are words that do come to mind when it comes to Congresswoman Bachmann sometimes. Some of her pronouncements -- you wrote a very biting commentary about Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, versus some of the more serious, adult Republican presidential candidates. Where is Michele Bachmann in this construct?
WILL: She's not among the serious contenders. We know who settles presidential elections. They're independent votes. Independent voters are not enflamed -- and not enflamed in the way that some of the marginal Republican candidates are.
TAPPER: All right. We'll have to leave it there. Christiane will be back for more -- with more from Japan after this.
AMANPOUR: Back with a final word from here, Japan.
When the sun rises and dawn breaks, relief operations will get underway and rescue operations. The USS Ronald Reagan has now arrived in the waters off Sendai, and it will also take part, and we'll be covering it all, including the unfolding nuclear drama.
So stay with ABC for all the events, including "World News with David Muir" later tonight, and tomorrow, "Good Morning America," and tomorrow night, "World News with Diane Sawyer."
Thank you for watching, for me, Christiane Amanpour, and my colleague, Jake Tapper.


text:
Jeremy Clarkson's daughter, Emily, is 18 years old. She also has boobs. The people on Reddit's r/TopGear have capitalized on both these features, creeping out over what appears to be a self-posted pic of Emily and her cleavage.
We do not know where the picture came from, as we can't find it anywhere on her Twitter account, where she posted those pictures of her dad on the floor.
Redditors on the post seem largely undisturbed by her picture, though many of them still believe she is 17, citing a Daily Mail article from July.
Most of the 129 comments so far are devoted to using catchphrases from Jeremy Clarkson in the context of having sex with her. Basically, they're imagining saying quotes from a fat old man while having sex with his daughter. We're not psychologists, but something weird is going on here.
We don't know if Jeremy has seen this picture yet, as he's currently gallivanting around Las Vegas and is likely en route to Mexico. We don't expect him to be pleased when he finds out.
(UPDATE) The moderators of r/TopGear have apologized for letting the picture be posted. The post can't be seen on their front page, but still appears to be on the site in some form.
(Hat tip to Timma!)
Photo Credit: Pezho405/Reddit