Mark Wahlberg: Worst Kidnapper Ever? Watch Exclusive 'Pain & Gain' Clip Now!

Wahlberg and director Michael Bay have a Sneak Peek Week chat with MTV News, leading up to Sunday's MTV Movie Awards.
By Todd Gilchrist

Anthony Mackie and Dwayne Johnson in "Pain & Gain"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705299/pain-gain-exclusive-clip-sneak-peek-week.jhtml

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More And More Women Becoming Gun Owners - Business Insider

Many people assume that ?every shooter in the United States is a 50-year-old white guy,??quips?Natalie Foster of the website ?The Girl?s Guide to Guns.?

Many people are wrong.

The number of women who owned guns spiked to 23% in 2011, compared to 13% in a 2005 Gallup poll.?While the organization hasn?t released updated statistics yet, most think the rates will continue to rise.

But who are these women, and why are they choosing to arm themselves?

Self-Defense and Independence

The average woman is not as strong as the average man.? In a hand-to-hand struggle, even if she goes to the gym five times a week, the woman is probably going to lose.

Unless she has a gun, and knows how to use it.

?There?s a famous quote?[that] goes, ?God made men, but Sam Colt made [them] equal,?? Jason Hanson, a former CIA Officer and the author of ?The Covert Guide to Concealed Carry,? told TheBlaze.? ?A great example of this is when a few months back, [an] 18-year girl in Oklahoma used a shotgun to stop a home intruder who had a knife.? The bottom line is, a gun is without a doubt the best way for a woman to defend herself in a worst-case scenario.?

Kirsten C. Tynan, who describes herself as a ?pro-self defense feminist,? added in an email:

Whether I am in a high crime area, car camping alone on a road trip, or hiking solo in bear country, carrying a firearm gives me another tool to ensure my own safety without having to depend on someone else. It opens up more opportunities for me because I don?t feel I have to have a partner by my side for my protection.

And Foster of ?A Girl?s Guide to Guns??summarizes?the mentality of ?the emerging female shooter?:

?Shooting gives us a sense of equality, a sense of safety, a sense of being in control of ourselves.? That sense of control is empowering, and is something we should seek in other aspects of our life.? This, along with the ?tough woman? image of shooting guns, gives us a more positive self-image, which is a powerful thing.

?Since I started shooting I?ve taken up weight-lifting and started studying nutrition and trying to eat right. It has made a huge difference in my self-esteem and helped me to realize the extent of control I have over myself, much as shooting does. I would encourage every woman shooter not to stop there, but to continue to step outside of her comfort zone and find other activities that energize and empower her to be the best she can.

Watch MSNBC?s segment on Foster and similar female gun-owners, below:

Economy and Gun Control

But why now?? It makes sense that more women seek to be individually armed as they become increasingly independent, but the number of female shooters has skyrocketed within just the past decade.

There isn?t recent comprehensive polling data on the motivations behind the spike, but a number of experts believe current events are also a factor.? The foundering economy and proposed gun control legislation are referenced, in particular.

Hanson told TheBlaze: ?In the past, it would be a lot of wives with their husbands, but now a lot of single women are buying guns and taking training. Like many things, this uptick occurred as the economy soured over the last few years.?

And a?recent article?written by Genie Jennings, the contributing editor of the long-running ?Women and Guns? magazine, sought to rally women in support of gun ownership in response to proposed legislation.

She urged:

There is much we can do. First, if you are not a member, join! Join your local gun club; join national organizations: Second Amendment Foundation (the folks who brought you Heller and McDonald), Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Gun Owners of America, National Rifle Association; join your state gun protection group, and, if you can, join those in other states, such as Illinois State Rifle Association.

Go public. Let your friends and coworkers know you are a gunowner. There is nothing belligerent about owning firearms. Rather, for years I have been advocating that women show that they own and use guns, because women are not threatening. It softens the face of the gunowner to the general public when they learn that the sweet little old ladies and the charming young women are part of that group that the media tries so hard to demonize.

Use social media. You can find lots of people and sites on Facebook (and other newer cooler places, I am sure). Share the information with your public friends. If you need a start go to me on Facebook and poach. (Caution: not all my friends, even my political friends, are gunnies. But I ?like? many good gun sites.)

The Gun Industry Responds to the Movement

On top of current events and the growing need women feel to protect themselves, the gun industry has aggressively pursued the millions of new customers women represent.? From girly pink products to shooting groups for women only, it?s now easier than ever for women to get involved.

?The industry is really letting us have a lot of fun with our firearms, and women are owning it in a really cool way,? Foster?said?on ABC Nightline News.

Destinee of the Special Operations Forces Situation Report (she does not use a full name) told TheBlaze about a number of specific firearms geared toward women, including Ruger?s ?polymer framed .380 pistol, the LC380.?? Not only that, she said, but at SHOT Show 2013 ? between the women?s roundtable discussion and the featured female speakers ? it became clear that ?gun manufacturers are trying to find the angle in their product line that will turn a predominately male-focused industry toward females with options so far including smaller sizes, color options, and elements that reduce user fatigue.?

The?Flashbang bra holster, in particular, seems to be a popular item.? It was even featured on an episode of NCIS: LA.

Here?s an advertisement for the product, via Ultimate Concealed Carry:

Bottom line?? More and more women of all demographics are arming themselves in America, and there are three often-cited reasons: the need to independently defend oneself, current events, and the fact that it has never been easier to get involved.

Put it this way: Women are making such rapid progress that it might not be long before you think of?them instead of ?a 50-year-old white guy? when discussing gun owners.

This story was originally published by?The Blaze.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/more-and-more-women-becoming-gun-owners-2013-4

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First Lady Heads Home to Address Youth Violence (ABC News)

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Federal budget cuts ground Air Force aircraft

FILE - In a Tuesday, May 29, 2012 file photo, a formation of U.S. Navy Blue Angel fighter jets perform a flyover above graduating Midshipmen during the United States Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremonies in Annapolis, Md. The commander of Naval air forces announced on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 that the U.S. Navy has canceled the remainder of the elite Blue Angels demonstration team's 2013 season because of federal cuts. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - In a Tuesday, May 29, 2012 file photo, a formation of U.S. Navy Blue Angel fighter jets perform a flyover above graduating Midshipmen during the United States Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremonies in Annapolis, Md. The commander of Naval air forces announced on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 that the U.S. Navy has canceled the remainder of the elite Blue Angels demonstration team's 2013 season because of federal cuts. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels perform their precision aerobatics over the Florida Keys during the Southernmost Air Spectacular at Naval Air Station Key West Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Key West, Fla. The weekend air show concludes Sunday, March 24, and may mark the the last Blue Angels performance through the end of September 2013 due to sequester budget cuts. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Rob O'Neal)

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) ? A third of the U.S. Air Force's active-duty force of combat planes including fighters and bombers will be grounded due to federal budget cuts, and only the units preparing to deploy to major operations, such as the war in Afghanistan, will remain mission-ready, a top general said Tuesday.

Other units would stand down on a rotating basis, said Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

"The current situation means we're accepting the risk that combat airpower may not be ready to respond immediately to new contingencies as they occur," Hostage said in a statement.

The Air Force didn't immediately release a list of the specific units and bases that would be affected, but it said it would cover some fighters like F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-22 Raptors, and some airborne warning and control aircraft in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.

The Air Force says, on average, aircrews "lose currency' to fly combat commissions within 90 to 120 days of not flying. It generally takes 60 to 90 days to train the crews to mission-ready status.

Returning grounded units to be ready for missions will require additional funds beyond Air Combat Command's normal budget, according to Air Force officials. The stand down will remain in effect for the remainder of fiscal year 2013 barring any changes to funding.

"Even a six-month stand down of units will have significant long-term, multi-year impacts on our operational readiness," Air Combat Command spokesman Maj. Brandon Lingle wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

The Defense Department overall faces a $487 billion reduction in projected spending over the next decade and possibly tens of billions more as tea partyers and other fiscal conservatives embrace automatic spending cuts as the best means to reduce the government's trillion-dollar deficit.

On Wednesday, when President Barack Obama submits his fiscal year 2014 budget, the Pentagon blueprint is expected to include requests for two rounds of domestic base closings in 2015 and 2017, a pay raise of only 1 percent for military personnel and a revival of last year's plan to increase health care fees and implement new ones, according to several defense analysts.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said another huge concern is the uncontrollable cost the Defense Department is paying for health care and other benefits. He said money spent on that is not being used on preparing pilots for missions and troops for combat.

The greatest fiscal threat to the military is not declining budgets, Hagel warned, but rather "the growing imbalance in where that money is being spent internally."

For affected units, the Air Force says it will shift its focus to ground training. That includes the use of flight simulators and academic training to maintain basic skills and aircraft knowledge, Lingle said. Aircraft maintainers plan to clear up as much of a backlog of scheduled inspections and maintenance that budgets allow.

On the same day, the U.S. Navy confirmed that the Blue Angels aerobatic team would be cancelling the rest of its season.

Tom Frosch, the Blue Angels lead pilot and team commander, announced the news late Tuesday at the team's Pensacola Naval Air Station headquarters while standing in front of the one of the iconic blue-and-gold jets. Frosch said the news marks the first time since the Korean War that the team would not make the air show rounds.

"The Navy held off as long as possible with the hope of salvaging some of the season," Frosch said. "We hope we'll be turned back on for 2014."

___

Associated Press writer Melissa R. Nelson contributed to this report from Pensacola, Fla.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-09-Military%20Aircraft-Budget%20Cuts/id-77e02ced5400406bbf3a2097a2cbc048

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Re-Use Hawaii Recycles Home Demolition Waste ... - AOL Real Estate

You'd think that once a home is demolished, it's gone for good, right? Wrong. In Honolulu, a non-profit organization called Re-Use Hawaii tears down old, abandoned homes and gives them new life -- by providing the leftover materials to residents to build new houses.

The organization collects waste from home demolitions and construction (that would otherwise end up in a landfill) and stores it in a warehouse. Homeowners can "shop" at the warehouse for items to build their own homes or embark on DIY projects, KITV4 News in Honolulu reported. According to Re-Use Hawaii, 80 percent of waste from home demolitions can be reused for other construction projects.

"It's cheaper for us and better for the environment," said Travis Edwards, the owner of a custom furniture business. Watch the video below to learn more bout Re-Use Hawaii, and see their inventory here.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/on/re-use-hawaii-recycle-demolished-homes/

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SAfricans: Did Thatcher help or hinder apartheid?

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Nineteen years after the end of apartheid, South Africans are still passionately divided over whether Margaret Thatcher helped or hindered the cruel system of white rule and prolonged the incarceration of Nelson Mandela.

The heated discussions triggered by Thatcher's death show how influential South Africans believe she was on the fate of the last bastion of white-minority rule in Africa.

The former British leader supported the apartheid government when it was at its deadliest, killing many in the late 1980s in state terrorism at home and abroad in bombings and cross-border raids on neighboring states accused of harboring guerrilla fighters, said Pallo Jordan, a former Cabinet minister and stalwart of the governing African National Congress.

"Maggie Thatcher and Britain were important figures ... they were defending (apartheid) South Africa, they were preventing international sanctions," said Jordan to The Associated Press.

"Many lives were lost (as a result of the apartheid regime). I don't think it's a great loss to the world," Jordan said of Thatcher's death. She died after a stroke Monday at the age of 87.

"I say good riddance," he said Tuesday on South Africa's Talk Radio 702.

Thatcher branded Mandela and his ANC movement "terrorist," amid concerns that they received backing from the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era and because of their guerrilla war for democracy.

Jordan was at Mandela's first meeting with Thatcher after his release from 27 years in jail, at Downing Street in London in 1990.

"What amused the old man (Mandela) more than anything else was that here she was engaging in a conversation with this man that she thought an arch-terrorist." He said Mandela's inherent charm disarmed "the Iron Lady," and the meeting passed without confrontation.

Thatcher's spokesman said in 1987 that anyone who thought the ANC, then the leading anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, would govern South Africa was "living in cloud cuckoo-land."

But others argue that Thatcher was strongly opposed to apartheid and racism and helped influence the white government to free Mandela.

"Thatcher did more to release Nelson Mandela out of prison than any of the other hundreds of anti-apartheid committees in Europe," Pik Botha, the last foreign minister of the apartheid regime, said Tuesday on Talk Radio 702 in Johannesburg.

F.W. de Klerk, the last apartheid-era president of South Africa, said in a statement that Thatcher, whom he called a friend, was "a steadfast critic of apartheid." He said she had a better grasp of the complexities and realities of South Africa than many of her contemporaries.

"She exerted more influence in what happened in South Africa than any other political leader," de Klerk said. He said Thatcher "correctly believed" that more could be achieved through constructive engagement with his government than international sanctions and isolation of the South African government.

Thatcher argued that sanctions were immoral because they would throw thousands of South African blacks out of work. Her stance allowed British companies to continue operating in apartheid South Africa, where the United Kingdom was the biggest trading partner and foreign investor.

Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda berated Thatcher bitterly at a 1986 Commonwealth conference where she refused to join six nations including Australia and Canada in imposing a package of sanctions against South Africa.

Kaunda told reporters Thatcher cut a "very pathetic picture indeed" and accused her of "worshipping gold, platinum and the rest" on offer from South Africa.

It was a far cry from his amused references to Thatcher as "my dancing partner" after the two famously waltzed at a 1979 Commonwealth summit of Britain and its former colonies in Livingstone, Zambia.

The rapport engendered there led Thatcher to help resolve the impasse in Rhodesia's 7-year war. With Australian negotiators, she persuaded the warring parties to sign a peace settlement that ended that country's white-minority rule and installed Robert Mugabe as leader of a democratic Zimbabwe in 1980.

Mugabe, now derided for destroying the economy of his country through violent and illegal grabs of white-owned farmlands, always enjoyed a collegial relationship with Thatcher. He said he admired her and that she was easier to deal with than Tony Blair who later became prime minister for Labour Party.

But Britain's government under Thatcher ignored the killings of an estimated 20,000 Zimbabwean civilians of the minority Ndebele tribe, prompted by an uprising of dissidents, that lasted from 1982 to 1987. Queen Elizabeth II even gave Mugabe a knighthood after the massacres. Donald Trelford, editor of The Observer newspaper in London, later charged that Thatcher and her Foreign Office were more concerned about their relations with Mugabe than with human rights.

Only after thousands of white farmers were driven off their land and more than a dozen killed did the queen strip Mugabe of his knighthood in 2008.

Thatcher finally was forced to impose sanctions against South Africa by following the lead of the U.S. Congress, which in 1986 passed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, overriding Reagan's presidential veto after South Africa attacked Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana on the same day, recalled Pallo Jordan.

The official ANC statement on Thatcher's passing was surprisingly restrained, perhaps reflecting an African tradition of respect for the dead.

"She was one of the strong leaders in Britain and Europe, to an extent that some of her policies dominate discourse in the public service structures of the world,"?said ANC national spokesman Jackson Mthembu, referring to her view that the apartheid regime was a bulwark against communism. "Her passing signals the end of a generation of leaders that ruled during a very difficult period characterized by the dynamics of the Cold War."?

___

Associated Press Writer Angus Shaw contributed to this story from Harare, Zimbabwe.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/safricans-did-thatcher-help-hinder-apartheid-153345632.html

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7 Incredible Uses for Nanocellulose

The world's hottest new supermaterial isn't as fancy as you might think; in fact, it's produced by feeding wood pulp to algae. The result, nanocellulose, is amazingly light, super-strong, and conducts electricity. That versatility lends it to plenty of fantastic possible applications. Here are some of the most exciting. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EvGB9eCQoO8/7-incredible-uses-for-nanocellulose

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