মঙ্গলবার, ২৯ অক্টোবর, ২০১৩

Botched Restoration Of Temple Frescoes Sparks Outrage In China





This picture taken on Oct. 14 shows the current fresco in Yunjie temple in Chaoyang, northeast China's Liaoning province.



AFP/Getty Images


This picture taken on Oct. 14 shows the current fresco in Yunjie temple in Chaoyang, northeast China's Liaoning province.


AFP/Getty Images


One official was fired and another reprimanded in China for allowing an unauthorized "restoration" of Qing Dynasty frescoes in a Buddhist temple that produced results described as "cartoons."


The botched restoration in the 270-year-old Yunjie temple in Chaoyang, northeast of Beijing, was exposed by a Chinese blogger, who complained that the "last trace of history" had been "erased."


NBC News interviewed the blogger, Tuo Liu, who goes by the handle "Wujiaofeng." He said he was "amazed to see the reaction" his post has generated:





This 2011 photo shows one of the ancient frescoes in Yunjie temple that now are covered by cartoonlike paintings.



AFP/AFP/Getty Images


This 2011 photo shows one of the ancient frescoes in Yunjie temple that now are covered by cartoonlike paintings.


AFP/AFP/Getty Images




"He explained that he had originally visited the temple in 2011 and liked the ancient frescoes so much that he took some friends back to see them during the National holidays at the beginning of October, but he was flabbergasted at what he saw.


" 'This is a crime. I am heartbroken,' wrote one blogger, responding to the photos.


"Another blogger chimed in, 'Cartoons drawn by my daughter are better than this.'


" 'Nothing is real among Chinese relics except their names,' said another."




The BBC reports:




"An official in charge of temple affairs and the head of the cultural heritage monitoring team in the city of Chaoyang, where the temple is located, have been sacked over the affair, the Global Times reported.


"The Communist Party chief of the office responsible for the scenic area surrounding the temple has also been given a warning, the paper quoted city official Li Haifeng as saying."




The unfortunate incident is reminiscent of another one last year in which an 81-year-old woman took it upon herself to restore a 19th century fresco of Jesus by painter Elias Garcia Martinez in the town of Borja, Spain. As we reported at the time, the "restored" Borja fresco sparked equal amounts of outrage and amusement.


Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/25/240761057/botched-restoration-of-temple-frescoes-sparks-outrage-in-china?ft=1&f=1004
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Samsung begins rolling out Galaxy Gear support to more smartphones in the US

Right on schedule, Samsung has announced the rolling out of a key software update that will bring Galaxy Gear smartwatch support to more of its phones in the United States, beyond just the Galaxy Note 3. Owners of the Galaxy S 4, Galaxy Note II and GS3 will get their refresh as early as today, or ...


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OY14iHJdzDc/
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Hang Up and Listen: The Huge YAC Man Edition

Listen to Hang Up and Listen with Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca by clicking the arrow on the audio player below:




































Gelf magazine's Varsity Letters, New York City's monthly sports reading series, returns Thursday, Nov. 14, with a night devoted to college football. Featured readers include New York Times columnist Samuel Freedman and author Jim Lefebvre. For more information, visit Gelf magazine.














In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca talk about the strange endings to Games 3 and 4 of the World Series and parse our fixation with second-guessing managers. They also discuss Calvin Johnson’s 329-yard performance against the Cowboys and whether the Lions receiver is the greatest athlete in sports today. Finally, they’re joined by Grantland contributor Kirk Goldsberry to discuss his visualizations of NBA shooting and the state of pro basketball analytics.










Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:


























Josh’s Skoog: Some final thoughts on the BCS computers before they leave us forever.










Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Casey Butterly.












Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/hang_up_and_listen/2013/10/world_series_obstruction_call_hang_up_and_listen_on_the_strange_red_sox.html
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Android Central Live: Christina Warren and the multiscreen future

Android Central Live is coming at you from the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco today, and we're kicking off the day's interview segments with Christina Warren, Senior Tech Analyst for Mashable. Christina's joined by our own Phil Nickinson to talk all about Samsung's multiscreen ambitions — from dual-screen viewing with a phone or tablet and smart TV, to the smartphone wars and where Samsung and Android stand among other ecosystems.

Check out the video above, and stay tuned throughout the rest of the day for more discussion and interviews from the Samsung Developers Conference.

More: Samsung Developers Conference portal


    






Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/uPZ3k1D0-zo/story01.htm
Category: Witches of East End   Jake Pavelka   Riley Cooper  

Raw results: Sandow rolls the dice, The Wyatts pick their targets and Kane chooses his destiny

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & © 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-10-28/wwe-raw-results
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Zuerlein gives Rams early 3-0 lead over Seattle

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens (10) scrambles against a Seattle Seahawks defense during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)







St. Louis Rams quarterback Kellen Clemens (10) scrambles against a Seattle Seahawks defense during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)







St. Louis Rams running back Zac Stacy (30) rushes against Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)







St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) celebrates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)







St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) gets tackled by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril (56) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)







Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) works against the St. Louis Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)







(AP) — Greg Zuerlein kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the St. Louis Rams a 3-0 lead over the Seattle Seahawks through one quarter on Monday night, drawing cheers from the sparse crowd.

The teams were playing about a mile down Broadway from Busch Stadium, where the Red Sox and Cardinals were meeting in Game 5 of the World Series. The result was an ocean of empty seats inside the Edward Jones Dome, where the Rams already have had trouble drawing a crowd.

In fact, some of the folks who turned up at the dome were sporting Cardinals jerseys, and the Rams helped them by showing the World Series game during pregame warm-ups on the dome's big screens, and then keeping the score on the ribbon boards.

Kellen Clemens made his first start in two years for the Rams in place of Sam Bradford, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last week against Carolina.

Clemens wasn't particularly efficient in the first quarter, but he did hit wide receiver Austin Pettis for a 26-yard gain on third-and-9 to set up Zuerlein's field goal.

Clemens later threw an interception to scuttle another promising drive.

The Seahawks, who at 6-1 are riding the best start in franchise history, were hamstrung by penalties in the first quarter. They were flagged for illegal use of hands to scuttle their first drive, and a hold on right guard J.R. Sweezy wiped out a 16-yard run by Marshawn Lynch.

On that play, Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford — the guy who had been held — comically picked up the yellow flag after it was thrown by the referee and threw it again for emphasis.

The Seahawks wound up punting two plays later.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-10-28-Seahawks-Rams/id-e73bbe8f9a36486384e286c394bd6f03
Tags: Jeff Daniels   seattle seahawks   Gia Allemand Dead  

Outlaw shutdowns? That might make Congress worse

FILE - This Oct. 17, 2013 file photo shows Yosemite Park Ranger Ron Morton taking a payment from a visitor at the front gate after the reopening of Yosemite National Park, Calif. The park reopened at the end of the 16-day partial government shutdown. There is a way to prevent government shutdowns. A change in U.S. law would keep federal workers on the job and ensure that the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite stay open during a budget fight, instead of becoming political pawns. The idea's been around for three decades, but even after a 16-day shutdown that cost billions of dollars and outraged voters, it’s a tough sell in Washington. Why? Without the risk of a shutdown, there’s no telling how long politicians might put off making hard budget decisions. The United States could end up with government by autopilot. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, File)







FILE - This Oct. 17, 2013 file photo shows Yosemite Park Ranger Ron Morton taking a payment from a visitor at the front gate after the reopening of Yosemite National Park, Calif. The park reopened at the end of the 16-day partial government shutdown. There is a way to prevent government shutdowns. A change in U.S. law would keep federal workers on the job and ensure that the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite stay open during a budget fight, instead of becoming political pawns. The idea's been around for three decades, but even after a 16-day shutdown that cost billions of dollars and outraged voters, it’s a tough sell in Washington. Why? Without the risk of a shutdown, there’s no telling how long politicians might put off making hard budget decisions. The United States could end up with government by autopilot. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, File)







FILE - In this Oct. 11, 2013 file photo, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio is pursued by reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington after a two-hour meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama and Senate leaders. There is a way to prevent government shutdowns. A change in U.S. law would keep federal workers on the job and ensure that the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite stay open during a budget fight, instead of becoming political pawns. The idea's been around for three decades, but even after a 16-day shutdown that cost billions of dollars and outraged voters, it’s a tough sell in Washington. Nevertheless, a prominent fiscal conservative in the Senate is reviving the idea as lawmakers seek a budget deal to head off the risk of another shutdown in January. Portman will use his spot on the House-Senate negotiating team to push his shutdown prevention measure, (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)







(AP) — There is a way to prevent government shutdowns. A change in U.S. law would keep federal workers on the job and ensure that treasured sites like the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite stay open during a budget fight, instead of becoming political pawns.

The idea's been around for three decades, but even after a 16-day shutdown that cost billions of dollars and outraged voters, it's a tough sell in Washington.

Why? Without the risk of a shutdown, there's no telling how long politicians might put off making hard budget decisions.

The United States could end up with government by autopilot.

Even those who say an anti-shutdown law could avoid that trap find it tricky to come up with a plan that's acceptable to the various factions locked in budget gridlock these days.

Nevertheless, a prominent fiscal conservative in the Senate is reviving the idea as lawmakers seek a budget deal to head off the risk of another shutdown in January. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, will use his spot on the House-Senate negotiating team to push his shutdown prevention measure, said his spokeswoman Caitlin Dunn.

"It's appealing to take the risk of shutdown off the table," said Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group seeking to curb the national debt. "But it has its risks."

Money to fund the federal government is appropriated each fiscal year, but Congress almost never finishes its regular appropriations bills on time. The usual solution is to approve "continuing resolutions" that let agencies keep going at current spending levels. Without spending power, they must send workers home.

Shutdowns are so disruptive and unpopular that politicians have rarely resorted to them. This month's was the first in 17 years. While many operations of government shut down, the closing of national parks is one of the disruptions most visible to the public. Parks were shut down from the museums and monuments along the National Mall to the Statue of Liberty to popular getaways like the Rocky Mountain National Park, prompting angry public reactions.

Trying to eliminate the risk of a shutdown could create persistent new troubles, however.

"If funding for the previous year never actually expires, their motivation to pass an appropriations bill would be lower," Goldwein said. If lawmakers shirk their duty to adjust spending to reflect the nation's changing needs, he said, "It would be bad for the country."

Portman, a former White House budget director in the George W. Bush administration, wants to goad lawmakers to finish their overdue work by cutting spending as time goes by.

If lawmakers miss their Oct. 1 appropriations deadlines, agencies would stay at last year's spending level for 120 days. After that, spending would drop by 1 percent for every 90 days that go by.

Senate Democrats rejected that plan by a nearly party-line vote in January, although Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is a co-sponsor. Portman is also getting resistance from some conservatives who don't want to lose the shutdown leverage embraced by tea partyers.

Shutdowns didn't become a political tactic until 1980, when the Carter administration took a closer look at a decades-old budget law and realized that it requires agencies to send all but the most critical workers home if their funding lapses. The comptroller general recommended that Congress fix the problem back in 1981.

Lawmakers tried many times but only came close once, after the budget showdown in the winter of 1995-96.

The Republican-controlled Congress, branded with most of the blame for two shutdowns, attached a shutdown prevention measure to a flood relief bill. But their plan was anathema to Democrats — it would have kept agencies open but imposed a 2 percent budget cut.

Democratic President Bill Clinton vetoed the bill because it would let Republicans cut spending by failing to act.

Depending how they're designed, automatic funding schemes can create an incentive for either budget cutters or defenders of the status quo to block spending bills because they prefer the default option. Richard Kogan of the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calls that "governing by paralysis."

"It would make government less responsive than it already is," Kogan said. "That's got to be a bad thing."

___

Follow Connie Cass on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConnieCass

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-10-28-Preventing%20Shutdowns/id-f79717e585664cb3869725ad76670cb7
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