Nazi-Themed Cafe In Indonesia Sparks Controversy

BANDUNG, Indonesia -- Authorities in central Indonesia will ask a restaurant owner to explain his reasons for opening a Nazi-themed cafe that has sparked controversy among locals and tourists, an official said Thursday.

Soldatenkaffee includes a red wall of Nazi-related memorabilia, including a large flag with the swastika and a giant picture of Adolf Hitler. Its wait staff dresses in SS, or Schutzstaffel, military uniforms, and can be seen posing in front of the cafe on its Facebook page.

The cafe, located in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, one of Indonesia's tourist destination cities, has been open since April 2011. But a recent article in a local English-language newspaper has prompted angry responses from some foreigners and Indonesians on social networking sites.

Ayi Vivananda, deputy mayor of Bandung, said a letter was sent Thursday summoning cafe owner Henry Mulyana to meet with officials to discuss his motives for opening the cafe and whether his objective was to incite racial hatred.

"Those symbols are internationally recognized to represent violence and racism," Vivananda said.

Mulyana says his objective was not to breed hatred. Instead, he said he wanted to decorate his restaurant with Nazi symbols to attract customers, both local and foreigners.

He also denied being pro-Nazi or supporting Hitler, responsible for the deaths of some 6 million Jews during World War II.

"I'm just a businessman, not a politician," Mulyana said. "I have a right to design my restaurant with anything that attracts people to come. I'm sure that I'm not violating any laws."

He said the recent controversy has forced him to temporarily close his restaurant. He declined to say whether he would consider changing the Nazi theme if authorities requested him to do so.

"Let's wait and see," he said. "I don't want the workers here to lose their jobs."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/18/nazi-cafe-indonesia_n_3616119.html

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Hollywood director: China unlikely to affect plots

BEIJING (AP) ? Although Hollywood may be benefiting by adding Chinese elements to its films, it won't be making wholesale changes to the way it tells stories on the screen just to cater to China's massive audience, a director said Wednesday.

"There will be cooperations, there will be all kinds of stuff, but will it affect the movie so much? I don't think so, because China doesn't also want to only see movies about China, they want to see movies about other things in the world," said Roland Emmerich, who was in China to promote his action film "White House Down."

Hollywood has set its sights on the nation of 1.3 billion, which is now the world's second-biggest movie market. But foreign films are limited in the Chinese market and must pass censors, who reject movies in part or whole if they show China in a bad light or are too explicit.

Earlier this year, some Chinese moviegoers were left confused because of awkward cuts to the James Bond feature "Skyfall" that included unflattering references to the sex trade in the Chinese territory of Macau. Then "Cloud Atlas" was shown in Chinese cinemas minus 38 minutes that included gay and straight love scenes.

China is even getting American studios to sanction alternative versions of films specially tailored for Chinese audiences, such as "Iron Man 3." The Chinese version features local heartthrob Fan Bingbing ? absent from the version shown abroad ? and lengthy clips of Chinese scenery.

"The China element is sometimes important, but it has to make sense for the story, you cannot kind of just prop a Chinese element in and think, 'Oh, this movie will work great in China' ? you have to still come up with a story that makes sense," Emmerich said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The German director's "2012" movie was a hit in China with a plot that was gold for patriotic Chinese audiences: As the Earth's core overheats, world leaders build an ark in the mountains of central China to house people and animals that can repopulate the planet. Scenes from the nearly three-hour movie feature a U.S. military officer saying that only the Chinese could build an ark of such a scale so quickly.

It was seen in China as a refreshing change for audiences after decades of unflattering portrayals of the communist nation in Hollywood movies.

Emmerich said he didn't make "2012" specifically to appeal to Chinese.

"It was not to please China," he said. "Perhaps the very first idea I had about '2012' was this image that water comes over the Himalayas. For me that was something so strong that I thought the whole movie has to be based on that, and so China had to play a part in this."

His latest action-packed film, "White House Down," which opens in China on Monday, stars Jamie Foxx as president of the United States and Channing Tatum as a Capitol police officer who becomes his impromptu bodyguard.

The 57-year-old filmmaker said censors didn't have a problem with the movie, which depicts "mainly an American crisis."

China's authoritarian government strictly controls print media, television, radio and the Internet. Movie censors have political sensitivities, but also need to judge whether movies are suitable for the whole family, as China has no age classification system.

China has become the second-biggest movie market behind the U.S., with sales of $2.7 billion last year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

The government allows in only 34 foreign films per year for national distribution. At least 14 of them have to be made in 3-D or for the big-screen Imax format.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hollywood-director-china-unlikely-affect-plots-075844204.html

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Using IRAs to Buy Real Estate - NuWire Investor

It may not be evident to some, but for younger people out there who are already considering their retirement plans they should know that it?s possible to invest in real estate using their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). RealtyTrac has identified 15 retirement hotspots, six of which are in Florida, and analysts there say getting in early and financing with an IRA is a good way to get ahead of the game. As more baby boomers retire, now is a good time to get in the market while prices and mortgage rates are still historically low. For more on this continue reading the following article from TheStreet.?

Have you identified a real estate hot spot, and do you want to buy property there?

If so, you can probably use an individual retirement account to get the job done.

RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif., real estate analytics firm, is out with a report listing the "Top 15" real estate hot spots in the U.S., along with some advice on how to use retirement plan vehicles to buy property in there.

The company ranks six Florida cities in its list of 15 retirement havens, including Dunnellon, Naples, North Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Sun City, Venice and Orange County.

Arizona and California accounted for two cities each, while Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and New York had one city on the list.

"All these popular retirement cities will very likely be an area of growth in the housing market over the next 15 years as baby boomers retire in greater numbers," says Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. "The baby boomer generation started retiring in 2011, a trend that will continue at least through 2029, ensuring plenty of demand for both rentals and owner-occupant purchases in these markets for the foreseeable future."

To get into the action, real estate-wise, RealtyTrac advises using a retirement account to purchase property in these soon-to-be hot spots.

"Given the combination of bottomed-out home prices and a still-tight lending environment, utilizing funds from a retirement account to purchase investment homes with cash, or at least with a large down payment, can give individual buyers a better chance of competing in this tight housing market," Blomquist adds. "Provided the investments are made with thorough research beforehand, this investing strategy also gives consumers a path to more quickly build their nest egg since all proceeds from the real estate investment -- whether that be from rental cash flow or from selling the property -- go directly back into the retirement account."

To use an IRA or other retirement plan to buy that property (or even "properties"), experts advise only certain investors act now - mainly younger real estate buyers.

"It depends on the person's age and the type of property," says Sheldon Detrick, chief executive at Prudential Alliance Realty in Oklahoma City, Okla., in comments to RealtyTrac. "Rental property, especially on the lower end, can be a good investment at any age. It's usually profitable and easy to sell. On the other hand, buying land in outlying areas in anticipation of population growth is something only those under 50 should consider."

RealtyTrac also says to spend some preparation time before pulling any triggers. The firm cites Lorraine and Richard Walls, of Midlothian, Va., who leveraged their retirement accounts to buy several Florida investment properties.

But the couple spent a full year studying the southwest Florida market, and how self-directed real estate IRAs actually work. RealtyTrac cites the following "ground rules" the Walls used to make their property investment purchases.

Title: Any property purchased by your IRA is owned by your IRA, not you.

Purchase money: Any money used to buy property with your IRA has to come directly from it, not from you individually, and you can't be reimbursed by your IRA. This includes earnest money and closing.

Rehab and carrying costs: Like with purchase money, and costs associated with rehabbing or carrying the property, these costs need to be paid directly by your IRA. Your IRA custodian can help with this. For example, Equity Trust allows you to make these payments paperlessly, online.

Income: Any income generated from the property has to flow back into your IRA

Prohibited transactions: Purchases made with an IRA need to be for investment, not personal use. Also, your IRA cannot do business with family members of "lineal descent," which includes yourself, spouse, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and great-grand-children. In addition, you cannot borrow money from a self-directed IRA or use it as security for a loan.

RealtyTrac has issued a helpful primer on using retirement funds to buy investment real estate property, with a focus on those top retirement markets (find it here).

If making financial hay on a retirement hot spot is on your financial bucket list, it's worth a look -- and may be worth an investment.

This article was republished with permission from TheStreet.

Source: http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/using-iras-to-buy-real-estate-60939.aspx

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Courtney Bartholomew prepares to swim for new coach at Virginia

Courtney Bartholomew had a stellar freshman season at the University of Virginia.

The Holland native qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships and swam to top-10 performances in two events.

Bartholomew reached these heights under the tutelage of Virginia coach Mart Bernardino, but with the announcement of Bernardino's retirement, she is looking forward to reaching more goals with a new coach.

Virginia announced the hiring of Augie Busch, the former Houston women's coach, to lead the Cavaliers.

"Mark was a wonderful coach," Bartholomew said. "He installed great value in every one of his swimmers. He taught us to do everything with class. That is what made him a great coach. As good as it was to swim for Mark, I am excited for this opportunity to swim for a new coach."

Bartholomew helped lead Virginia to its sixth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Bernardino coached the Cavaliers for 35 years and has won 27 ACC titles.

"I am glad they hired someone already so we can look forward to the season," Bartholomew said. "I know he has been a good coach everywhere he has been."

In his two seasons at Houston, Busch led the Cougars to a fourth-place finish in Conference USA in 2012 and to a program-best second-place league showing last season.

?After doing the research to find a great fit and the type of coach best positioned to take over the Virginia swimming and diving program, there is no question in my mind that Augie Busch is someone who is uniquely qualified,? Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said. ?His background with top-ranked college programs, conference and NCAA champions and Olympic-level swimmers have all prepared him to build on our programs' success at Virginia.?

At Houston, Busch, 37, improved the profile of the Cougars athletically and academically. The Cougars recorded personal-best times in 90 percent of their swims and broke seven school records in 2013 while achieving a program-best 3.42 team GPA.

?It is with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm that I accept the head coaching position for this prestigious program,? Busch said. ?I am so grateful to Mr. Littlepage and his staff for believing I?m the person to lead these awesome teams. Mark Bernardino did an amazing job lifting UVa Swimming to the highest level and I have the utmost respect for him and what he has accomplished. It is my goal to build upon what he has created and take the program to even greater heights. Over time, I?m confident we will be able to accomplish this. Moving forward, I can?t wait to be a part of Virginia Swimming and cannot wait to get started.?

Before Houston, Busch was a highly-successful assistant coach at Arizona for eight seasons (2003-2011), where the Wildcats earned 15 top-five NCAA finishes, more than any other program during that period.

At Arizona, Busch worked primarily with the backstroke and individual medley swimmers while also serving as the program?s recruiting coordinator.

That will be good for Bartholomew, who is a former three-time state champion and U.S. Olympic trials qualifier in the backstroke.

Busch is the son of current USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch, who was a six-time NCAA Coach of the Year.

"That might provide some good resources for us," Bartholomew said.

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Source: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x946752556/Courtney-Bartholomew-prepares-to-swim-for-new-coach-at-Virginia?rssfeed=true

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Homegrown Shopping Startups Outrun Facebook And Twitter In Popularity

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Filibuster Reform Might Actually Happen

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is determined not to be undone by gangs this time.

Photo by Gus Ruelas//Reuters

Anyone who?s been living in Washington for a while assumes he or she knows how the periodic fight over the filibuster ends. The majority party issues a threat of a nuclear option. The minority party threatens to respond by ?blowing up the Senate.? (Notice a theme to these metaphors?) Then, like the wisecracking partner who was left for dead in the second act of the movie, a senator unexpectedly rides in and announces a deal that ends the crisis?while leaving the filibuster exactly the same.

The inevitability of the failure of reform is probably why Majority Leader Harry Reid has spent the past 72 hours trying to convince everyone that the filibuster will really, truly be changed when the Senate considers it Tuesday. Reid and other Democrats are pushing for a rule change that would bar the filibuster for most presidential nominees, though leave it intact for legislation and judicial nominations. On Monday morning Reid arrived at the small 10^th-floor event space of the Center for American Progress to give a speech about the need to change Senate rules, and to snarl at reporters who doubted he?d really do that.

Questioners took their turns, attempting to get Reid to float a compromise or to at least admit that he used to defend the filibuster. He once called it ?part of the fabric of this institution,? and ?an integral part of our country?s 217 years of history,? and now he was saying that ?the Founding Fathers wanted an up-or-down vote, and that's basically what we've been crying for years.? ABC News? Jeff Zeleny politely asked him to explain the hypocrisy.

?What it is, is that you don?t understand the right question,? said Reid. ?I wasn?t talking about changing the rules for nominees. I was talking about changing the rules for judges.?

That distinction can get lost, but it?s important, and it explains why Democrats are seemingly so ready to change the rules. The great filibuster standoff of 2005, the last one to occur with Republicans in control of the Senate, was sparked by years of failed cloture votes on George W. Bush?s judicial nominees. The stakes of judicial battles are obviously high, because the winners get to don dark robes for the rest of their lives. John Roberts was nominated for a slot on the D.C. Circuit in 2001. He finally got confirmed in 2003. Two years later he was the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and he?ll be alternately vexing or surprising liberals for a few more decades.

Reid, for now, is only concerned with making it easier to confirm non-lifetime appointees to the executive branch. He counts seven jobs in limbo, including the top roles at the EPA, Department of Labor, and (somewhat prematurely) the Department of Homeland Security. The four stuck jobs that Democrats care about the most are the directorship of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three Democratic seats on the National Labor Relations Board.

It?s the NLRB holdup that?s giving Democrats their new urgency, and Reid his new pique. Since the start of the Obama administration, Republicans have prevented votes on Obama?s Democratic nominees for the board, even as he?s offering to keep the traditional two minority-party nominees for balance. Obama responded by recess-appointing the board members. In January the D.C. Circuit ruled that Obama?s appointees were invalid, as the House of Representatives hadn?t consented to the recess. (Since early 2011 John Boehner has kept the House in pro forma sessions instead of recess, in order to create exactly this kind of impediment for the White House.)

In the past plenty of liberal groups have fretted about filibustered bills and nominees. None of them has had the personal investment that the labor movement now has in a Democratic-majority NLRB. The court decision that invalidated the current board has been used by a series of employers to ignore the NLRB?s decisions. And when the terms of these current members finally end next month, the machine shudders to a halt. That?s not acceptable to labor, which already watched a filibuster grind away its top Obama-era priority, the Employee Free Choice Act. When Reid pondered filibuster reform in January before settling for the usual do-nothing deal, labor didn?t even get a single NLRB board member confirmed as part of the compromise.

?What is Barack Obama supposed to do?? Reid sputtered at CAP. ?The NLRB goes out of business on Aug. 1. It?s gone, it?s over with. And they?re using?oh, I?ve heard it, oh, you?re doing this illegally. It?s only happened because of them!?

That?s the message labor wants to hear from Reid. One of the most frequent head-nodders at the CAP speech, a labor strategist, told me that he?d ?never seen Reid angrier about this? and clarified that the unions would prefer a ?nuclear? solution to another deal.

Labor doesn?t really fear the fallout, either. Would Republicans eventually get revenge in 2015 or 2017 by ending the 60-vote threshold on any legislation? Big deal. Had Republicans won control of the Senate in 2012, McConnell was ready to repeal the Affordable Care Act through the reconciliation process, with 51 votes.

Would Republicans ?blow up the Senate? if the rules were changed, forcing extended debate and verbatim daily readings of the record? Democrats and labor strategists are in a cynical mood about that. They expect Republicans to be blamed for any obstruction, because, well, have you seen their poll numbers? ?Any poll that you look at indicates that [the Senate is] unpopular for two reasons,? said Reid. ?One: gridlock. Two: not getting things done.?

A few hours after he wrapped up at CAP, Reid would head to the Old Senate Chamber for a bipartisan meeting about the nominee problem. At CAP he sounded superficially excited about this meeting. But he bristled when a reporter asked whether talks could stop him from holding the vote.

?Talks on what?? said Reid. ?Talks on what? Talks on what? If they have a proposal, bring it to me, but otherwise we?re going to have a vote tomorrow. If they have a proposal, bring it to me.? And asked whether some gang of senators could emerge to stop him, as happened in 2005 and this year, Reid shrugged.

?There?ve been gangs forming for a while,? he said. ?We?re where we are. My caucus supports where we are. I?m not concerned about gangs. That?s a pass? thing.?

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/07/harry_reid_s_filibuster_reform_why_it_might_succeed.html

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Men's textured silver wedding ring: Silver Bark by polkadile

This ring is sculpted by hand from the beginning, no casting is involved; each is truly one of a kind art piece. It is made for men, with skeleton of sterling silver wire under the fine silver hand sculpted form, to withstand the stress of life. The pattern is impression of tree bark that I find on my life travels and that has a special meaning.

The mornings are getting chilly here in the Northeast, and when we run to catch the school bus at the crack of dawn the fleece jacket is a must. The whole world knows it, unless you are 4 and a half and forgot it at school last Friday. Then you wonder how the rest of the world copes without a jacket, and ask your Mom to explain why plants are not cold. Mom says that the plants are not that warm, and it is better to emulate the squirrel that is jumping around and getting it?s morning warm-up that way. When the bus arrives, you dive into the warmth of the friends? laughter, and forget all about the stern reminders: ?Don?t forget to bring your jacket back! You?ll freeze tomorrow! Love y?a!?

Here it is: a plant coat ring for a man. Hope it warms your heart like it does mine every time I think of it?s inspiration. It was made with impression of the branch bark my son and I found on our way from the school bus stop.

IN STOCK: two rings US size 11.5 and one 11.25. The band is approximately 1/4" or 6 - 7 mm wide on this design. All are made of pure silver (.999) and sterling silver wire for strength. Each one is completely sculpted by hand, so each is unique and may be slightly different from the one in the photographs. I give them a nice patina, so they have more definition on the gnarly parts.

If you don't know your size check out my shop policies for sizing help and other info.

If you require a larger size (12 to 15) please order through the listing for large sizes and put the name in the notes to seller. Thanks for understanding!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69606331/mens-handmade-silver-ring-large-size-12

The ring can be ordered shiny (as in last picture) or with patina. If you'd like it shiny, please put that into the notes to seller during the checkout process, along the sizing info.

Comes in a nice little hand made pouch, that I sew myself out of recycled fabric. Gift-wrapping is also made out of recycled materials. No need to feel guilty about any of it.

All my items are hand made, and as such not perfect, but that is the hidden beauty in all of us.

Thanks for looking!

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/45292279/mens-textured-silver-wedding-ring-silver

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