Paris

First 2 Board | First2Board LufthansaFlyer / Aero-Shots Though off topic from my usual posts, I thought this was relevant enough to pass along….. As I was reading the InterWeb this evening, I came across an interesting story on Foxnews.com that refers to an upcoming documentary that challenges the “OFFICIAL” cause behind the tragic events behind TWA’s Flight 800.   For those of you not familiar with TWA Flight 800, the aircraft exploded shortly after takeoff from New York’s JFK.   It had been destined for Paris, France but exploded near East Moriches, NY on July 17, 1996. The documentary is scheduled to air on EPIX in July and claims to have former NTSB investigators involved with the investigation ready to reveal what may have really happened.   According to this article, the investigators were placed under a gag order and the NTSB may have falsified the reason behind the disaster.   Officially, the NTSB concluded that the explosion that downed the aircraft was caused by a spark inside of a fuel tank that ignited the jet fuel. It has been widely speculated that a missile may have actually downed the aircraft but both the FBI and NTSB ruled out that potentiality during their investigations.   In light of recent Whistleblower activity and alleged cover ups, sadly nothing would surprise me at this point.  I’m certainly going to be tuning into the program. The post TWA 800 Findings Are Being Challenged By Whistleblowers appeared first on First2Board.

Michael Jackson's personal chef described for jurors the home lives of the children during the final months of the singer's life and their...

A Hawaii energy expert says that he’s surprised that Houston-based Par Petroleum is buying Tesoro Hawaii LLC’s operations instead of Chevron Hawaii, the smaller of the two refineries in the state. “The best buyer for Tesoro is Chevron, but we always knew that they are not necessarily interested in expanding their business in Hawaii,” said Iman Nasseri, an energy economist and research assistant at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. “[But] they would turn into a monopoly…

Square Enix's Bloodmasque was undoubtedly the strangest game I saw at E3 last week, and in a year defined by indie titles and two new HD consoles, I think that's saying something. Square Enix has had a weird time with the App Store -- other companies like Capcom and EA have found a lot of success in smaller titles, but Square Enix has clung to its own console traditions, releasing relatively large and high quality, high production titles for a relatively high cost. Bloodmasque follows this trend (though the price has yet to be announced just yet), and it also brings one weird little twist that was actually more charming than I expected. The game is based in an alternate universe, sort of steampunky version of Paris in 1890, where an empire of vampires (yes, a vampire empire) rules the world. One plucky adventurer has the guts and the magical powers to stand up to those empires, and that adventurer is you. Literally you, I mean, because the game scans your face, and then inserts it right on to the main character. That's me and my character above, though keep in mind that this was day 3 of E3, so if I look a little tired, that's why. The face-scanning thing is a gimmick, and yet strangely it works: After my face was scanned in and my hair was tuned to the right shape and color, I watched as my character (a little more fit than I am) saved a damsel in distress, and carried out a vampire fight scene. I tapped to attack, swiped to dodge, and then when the vampire was almost dead, pulled off a jumping leap and staked him right in the back of the neck. You can actually record three different faces, so you get one frowning, one standard and one smiling. Each of them can look very different, which can make the animation a little strange. Even under the best of conditions, the face looks weird and a little creepy, sure, but I could tell it was me, so I guess that's the point. Bloodmasque itself is really just a series of missions, which you navigate around via an overworld map. There's a light social game built on it as well -- you can choose two friends to join you in battle scenes, and their faces will also show up on screen as you play (you can elect to keep your face private, if you like, or you can choose a premade face if you're not interested in showing your mug to the world). Your friends get bonuses when you use them in battle, and vice versa, so having an oft-used mug will earn you more blood for upgrades and XP for missions. There are exploration levels, too, but I found them pretty bland, unfortunately. We'll have to wait until the full game arrives to see if the story pulls us in at all. But the setting is distinct (steampunk is always a plus), and that face gimmick makes for a very interesting twist indeed. If the combat can sustain the fun, Bloodmasque could be a riotous way to put a character together, featuring your very own look. Square Enix seems attached to the idea that selling premium games at a premium price will work, and I'm not one to disavow them of that, especially as lots of other companies race towards the bottom. Bloodmasque should be an interesting experiment -- it's set to come out sometime later on this summer.Square Enix uses your face for action in Bloodmasque originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX): Closing price $121.52 The American oil giant said Tuesday that it is divesting five Nigerian shallow-water oil blocks, making Chevron the most recent oil major wishing to dispose of assets in Africa’s biggest oil producing country. In recent years, Royal Dutch Shell, Eni, and Total have sold off a number of Nigerian onshore blocks, while ConocoPhillips  is selling its Nigerian operations to Oando Energy for around $1.79 billion. Nigeria wants more direct ownership of its oil and gas resources, either through the state oil company, or local firms, igniting fears among foreign oil majors that they may lose smaller assets for nothing if they don’t sell now, according to industry experts. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP): Closing price $62.60 BHP is returning to plans to develop a coking coal deposit in Australia, while it minimizes the strength of extra demand for that commodity from China in the middle of an expected steel glut in Asia. BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, a joint venture known as BMA, which operates six coking coal mines in Queensland, has pulled back proposals for a new mine with an output of as much as 14 million metric tons of coking coal per year and intends to employ the Red Hill resource in the Bowen Basin to enlarge existing nearby pits instead. The move reflects how firms such as BHP are moving to tighten control of costs, while retaining exposure to rapidly-growing demand for coal in Asia. BHP believes that a lot of China’s future demand growth for coking coal will be addressed by domestic mines, but it has specified India as a growing market for imports. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK): Closing price $21.25 Chesapeake has named Patrick Craine, a partner with the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, and former attorney in the Security and Exchange Commission’s Fort Worth office, as its chief compliance officer. In a statement, the company’s new Chief Executive Doug Lawler said that Craine was hired to complement Chesapeake’s regulatory and legal compliance endeavors. Aside from that, the firm hired Craine in 2012 to address the SEC’s investigation into a controversial perk that granted former Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon a share in each of the firm’s wells, according to a number of inside sources. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO): Closing price $57.11 Tesoro announced on Monday that it has concluded an agreement to sell Tesoro Hawaii, which operates the 94,000 barrel-per-day Kapolei refinery, together with dozens of retail gas stations, to the subsidiary of Texas-based Par Petroleum, Hawaii Pacific Energy, for almost $400 million. The company said that the sales price of the Hawaii operations is $75 million, plus the market value of net working capital, which should come to between $225 million to $275 million. Also included is an earn-out arrangement payable over three years of as much as $40 million, based on consolidated gross margins, according to Tesoro. The transaction should close during the third quarter. Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now. Don’t Miss: As U.S. Energy Boom Begins, Is Exxon a Good Buy? Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Des heurts ont éclaté dimanche soir entre la police anti-émeute et des manifestants hostiles au président Mohamed Morsi et la confrérie des Frères musulmans dont il est issu, devant le siège de la confrérie au Caire, selon des témoins.Les violences ont éclaté après que des centaines de manifestants se sont rassemblés pour protester contre l'agression par des membres des Frères musulmans de plusieurs militants qui taguaient les murs devant le siège de la confrérie samedi soir.A bord de leurs fourgons, les forces de sécurité ont poursuivi les manifestants qui jetaient des pierres et on lancé des bombes lacrymogènes pour les disperser.Les manifestants ont mis le feu à des pneus de voiture et des planches de bois au milieu de la route, et certains arbres aux alentours ont été incendiés.Samedi soir, un groupe de jeunes militants hostiles aux Frères musulmans avait été battu par des individus sortis du siège de la confrérie pour les empêcher de dessiner des graffitis sur les murs face au quartier-général du mouvement islamiste.Des journalistes et des photographes présents pour couvrir l'évènement ont également été battus, selon les médias locaux.Le secrétaire-général du syndicat des journalistes, Diaa Rachwane, a porté plainte dimanche matin contre le guide suprême de la confrérie, Mohamed Badie, et son adjoint, Khairat al-Chater, pour incitation à la violence contre les journalistes, selon des sources au sein du syndicat.Le parquet va ouvrir une enquête d'ici quelques heures, a-t-on appris de source judiciaire.Ces derniers mois, les rassemblements d'opposants ont régulièrement dégénéré en affrontements violents avec les forces de l'ordre.M. Morsi, élu en juin, est accusé par ses détracteurs d'avoir "trahi la révolution" et de ne pas réussir à faire face aux problèmes économiques du pays.More...

Kandinsky's $21-Mil Rider Leads Christie's $100-Million Imp-Mod SalePublished: June 18, 2013LONDON — The inherent strength of the art market showed through at Christie’s small but solid season opener of Impressionist and Modern works of art, which tallied £64,076,575 ($100,407,993). That sum fell midway between pre-sale expectations of £52.8-75.8 million ($82.8-118.8 million) — but poorly trailed last June’s £92.5 million ($145.5 million) result, which was achieved on 56 lots sold. Tonight, seven of the 44 lots offered failed to sell, making for a decent buy-in rate by lot of 16 percent and 13 percent by value. Two lots sold for over ten million dollars and 22 hurdled the million-dollar mark. One offering set an artist record, Eugene Boudin’s atmospheric and unusually large beach scene with costumed figures, “Scene de Plage” (1864), which sold to London dealer Ivor Braka for £1,237,875 ($1,939,750) (est. £500-700,000). Overall, Christie’s London department head Jay Vincze succinctly described the performance as “a pretty solid evening.” That remark certainly fit the performance of the evening's sculpture offerings, including a beautifully carved Auguste Rodin, “Eve après le peche” (ca. 1900-1915), which sold to a telephone bidder for £2,861,875 ($4,484,558) (est. £500-700,000). It is understood that the uber-prolific Rodin made approximately 25 versions of the carved marble Eve figures. A petite yet dynamic Marino Marini bronze, “Cavallo,” conceived in 1950 but lacking a foundry cast date in the catalogue, sold to another telephone for an estimate busting £1,025,075 ($1,606,293) (est. £250-350,000). Also on the petite side, Alberto Giacometti’s bronze, “Femme debout,” from a life-time 1961 cast, sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for £2,637,875 ($4,133,550) (est. £1.5-2.5 million). The priciest lot of the evening came up early, impressively exceeding skeptical expectations: the Nahmad-family-consigned Wassily Kandinsky, “Studie zu Improvisation 3” (1909), an oil-and-gouache-on-cardboard housed within a beautifully painted artist frame. It sold to seasoned Zurich dealer Beda Jedlicka of J&P Fine Art for £13,501875 ($21,157,438) (est. £12-16 million). A second bidder on the telephone also chased the Kandinsky — presumably the person who placed the lot’s third-party guarantee. The Nahmads acquired the exceptionally rare Kandinsky, depicting a figure mounted on a turquoise-colored horse, at Christie’s New York back in November 2008 for $16,882,500, precisely at the moment the art market crashed in the wake of the world financial crisis. “My client is too young to remember those days,” said Jedlicka as he exited the salesroom. “The world has changed and the market is hot now.” Hot it may be, but Christie’s apparently got burned with its guaranteed cover lot, Joan Miro’s powerful — though rather strange-looking — work, “La tige de la fleur rouge pousse vers la lune (The stem of the red flower grows toward the moon)” (1952), which flopped at what the auctioneer called as a “final bid” of £5 million (est. £5.2-7 million). A choice group of eight market-friendly works from the art dealing family of Simone and Jean Tiroche just barely met the high end of pre-sale expectations of £3.6-5.4 million ($5.7-8.5 million), realizing £5.4 million ($8.49 million). The group was led, quality-wise, by the amazing and early Paul Cezanne composition, “Don Quichotte, vu de das” (ca. 1875), which sold to a telephone bidder for £577,875 ($905,530) (est. £300-500,000). The work last sold back in May 1990 at Christie’s New York, where it fetched $363,000. Curiously, or so it seemed, London dealer Fabrizio Moretti — an Old Master specialist — was the underbidder on the Cezanne, expressing great disappointment at not nabbing the picture. Other exceptional works in the sale included Amedeo Modigliani’s stunning portrait, “Paul Guillaume” (1916), depicting the artist’s first dealer in Paris — his name boldly painted above the subject’s s

• André Villas-Boas stays loyal to Tottenham• Fabio Capello is PSG's fall-back optionParis Saint-Germain have turned to Fabio Capello to be their manager next season, after André Villas-Boas resisted their overtures to remain loyal to Tottenham Hotspur.The French champions have been seeking a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, who is primed to succeed José Mourinho at Real Madrid, and, after what amounted to a whirlwind trawl of possible candidates, they attempted to lure Villas-Boas from White Hart Lane.Villas-Boas's representative, Carlos Goncalves, listened over the weekend to the proposals of PSG, who are bankrolled by Qatar Sports Investments, but Villas-Boas did not give them the encouragement that they wanted.He has said that he wants to enter a second season at the same club for the first time in his short but spectacular managerial career and he continues to be committed to the project at Tottenham. The club, who are ready to announce the appointment of Franco Baldini in the post of technical director, promise to be active in the summer transfer market.Capello, the former England manager, has been PSG's fall-back option. He signed a two-year contract in July 2012 to manage Russia and he has them set fair to qualify for the World Cup finals in Brazil. But PSG have reportedly paid his €3m (£2.6m) release clause to secure his services on a one-year contract.There remains the possibility that Capello could return to the international scene at the end of the season to take Russia to the World Cup.More intriguing is the notion that Capello would be a stop-gap appointment and that PSG will try to tempt Arsène Wenger to the club when his current Arsenal contract expires next summer. PSG's president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, is the general manager of al-Jazeera Sport, the Qatar-owned TV station; he employs Wenger as a pundit and he has a good relationship with him.Al-Khelaifi tried unsuccessfully to take Wenger from Arsenal in the summer of 2011 and further soundings towards the end of last season once again failed to turn his head. Wenger has always respected his contracts and Ivan Gazidis, the Arsenal chief executive, has made it clear that he wants the Frenchman to sign a new long-term deal at the club.Paris Saint-GermainFabio CapelloAndré Villas-BoasTottenham HotspurArsène WengerArsenalDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

By: Enrique LimónChimayó's folk artist par excellence has a vision. It's on wheels. Catering to a unique brand of tourist'the kind that makes a pilgrimage for the purportedly miraculous qualities of the dirt...

Boeing has had more than its share of troubles this year, with the company's flagship 787 Dreamliner model grounded worldwide for four months due to battery problems that still have not been fully explained. Despite the initial quality problems with the Dreamliner, airlines have stuck with the revolutionary plane due to its superior operating economics. Boeing's heavy use of composite materials in the design reduces maintenance costs and fuel burn, saving operators lots of money. That's why Boeing recently decided to double down on its plans for the Dreamliner by offering a new stretched model, the 787-10. The new version of the Dreamliner was officially launched this week at the Paris Air Show with more than 100 initial orders from customers like aircraft leasing upstart Air Lease , top global carrier United Continental , and Singapore Airlines. Stretching the 787 looks like it was a good move for Boeing. Top competitor Airbus has been saying that it wants to win more than 50% of the widebody market, where it has traditionally lagged Boeing. Airbus is relying on its upcoming A350 aircraft to achieve that goal. The new 787-10 will allow Boeing to compete more effectively against the A350, as it now can offer a wider variety of aircraft sizes for customers. Cannibalizing to competeThe 787-10 will have a slightly shorter range than the first two Dreamliner models at 7,000 nautical miles, but that will still allow it to cover more than 90% of the world's twin-engine widebody routes, according to Boeing. On the other hand, it will seat 300-330 passengers, roughly 40 more than the 787-9, the larger of the two models initially announced. That size puts the new 787-10 into direct competition with the upcoming Airbus A350-900, which recently had its first test flight and is expected to enter service in late 2014. Air Lease CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy -- a legend in the aerospace industry -- says that he chose the 787-10 over the A350 because it will be slightly more fuel efficient, although it will offer less range. Udvar-Hazy's job is to understand what airlines (i.e., his customers) want in an airplane, and his preference for the Dreamliner is great news for Boeing. The 787-9 will also compete with two current generation planes; the Airbus A330-300 Boeing's own 777-200. The new aircraft could therefore cannibalize some of Boeing's own 777 sales, as the 787 will be a much more fuel-efficient aircraft. Nevertheless, this cannibalization was absolutely necessary for Boeing to remain competitive in the market for larger widebodies. While the 777 has been a big seller since it was introduced in 1995, new engine and airframe technology will make it increasingly obsolete by the end of the decade. Airbus has been touting the significant fuel-efficiency advantage that the A350 will have, compared to the 777, and Boeing risked losing some orders altogether if it did not respond. Boeing is expected to eventually offer an updated 777 (the 777X ), but it already has a hit on its hands with the Dreamliner. Moreover, while the 787-9 already competes with the smallest variant of the A350 (the -800), roughly two-thirds of Airbus' A350 orders are for the larger -900 model. With the new 787-10 slotting into this market segment, it's no wonder that Boeing's management thinks the company's Dreamliner backlog could grow by 60%. Charging aheadBoeing's initial order book for the 787-10 is worth nearly $30 billion at list prices (although airlines typically receive discounts of 30%-50%), and more orders are sure to follow in the coming months. One of the great aspects of Boeing as an investment is that it has a guaranteed long-term revenue stream due to its massive order backlog. However, the company's success will ultimately be determined by its cost performance. The Dreamliner still costs significantly more to produce than its average selling price, according to Forbes. As Boeing continues to streamline the production process and increase the production rate,