Saturday, February 18, 2012

Obama raises funds in San Francisco


SAN FRANCISCO -- A lucrative trip to raise campaign cash in California this week brought President Barack Obama to the Bay Area, where he shared his message with crowds of supporters and made an unscripted appearance at a San Francisco restaurant.
"I'm here not just because I need your help, San Francisco. I'm here because this country needs your help," the president exhorted the crowd during a Thursday night speech at the packed Nob Hill Masonic Center, citing the support he had in 2008. "The campaign was not about me -- the campaign was about you."
Speaking to a crowd of 2,500, Obama said it is important to believe in free markets and entrepreneurship and to ensure that anyone who works hard should have the chance to get ahead, so everyone should do their fair share and play by the same set of rules.
"Taking care of each other is not a Democratic or Republican ideal but rather an American ideal," he said, "Our politics may be divided ... but most Americans understand we're greater together. We rise or fall as one nation, that's what people understand. ... That's what this election is all about."
The president's stop in San Francisco followed several fundraising events in Los Angeles. After landing at San Francisco International Airport about 12:30 p.m., Obama mingled with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other top state officials and greeted well-wishers, including a 44-year-old cancer patient from Cayucos.
He then made a surpriseappearance at a dim sum restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown before meeting with about 20 supporters at a swank hotel and dining with 70 more at novelist Robert Mailer Anderson's Pacific Heights home. Ticket cost to the events: $35,800 per person. There, Al Green performed a rendition of "Let's Stay Together" -- the song with which Obama recently made headlines by singing a few bars at a New York City campaign event. This time, Obama refrained from singing.
At the Nob Hill event, Obama spoke about his administration's rescue of the U.S. auto industry, and the 200,000 jobs created recently. He also talked about cutting out middle men from the student loan process to increase young Americans' access to higher education and addressed health care reform legislation.
Citing his repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, Obama said "to serve the country you love, you shouldn't have to hide who you love," receiving a huge ovation. He also noted that no Americans are fighting in Iraq anymore and "bin Laden isn't around anymore."
At least two protesters were removed after standing up and yelling about ongoing fighting in Afghanistan and oil drilling. "I love it, that's what San Francisco is all about," the president said. "People are not afraid to share their ideas here."
Obama acknowledged that he has made some mistakes, but "real change is hard, and it takes time, it takes more than a single term, it takes more than a single president."
Entry to the Nob Hill Masonic Center event cost as little as $100 or as much as $7,500 for a photo with the president. Attendees were serenaded first by former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, who performed an acoustic set including the Soundgarden hit "Black Hole Sun," the rock standard "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?" and John Lennon's "Imagine." Cornell also sang "I Will Always Love You," the song made famous by recently deceased diva Whitney Houston.
San Francisco 49er Vernon Davis told the crowd Obama is a great leader who saved the auto industry and knows what it means to give 100 percent every day to fight for victory.
Outside the event, about 100 to 150 protesters stood carrying signs and chanting in opposition to Obama's stances on marijuana, war, oil drilling and other issues.

Source mercurynews

Jennifer Hudson: NAACP Image Awards 2012


Jennifer Hudson: NAACP Image Awards 2012
Jennifer Hudson poses backstage at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards with fiance David Otunga and their son,David Jr., on Friday (February 17) at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
The 30-year-old singer picked up the Outstanding Album Award and also hit the stage with Ne-Yo to perform “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Jennifer recently took to her Twitter page and called her Whitney Houstontribute at the Grammys “the greatest honor of my life.”
FYI: Jennifer is wearing a Maria Lucia Hohan gown with Giuseppe Zanottishoes and Amrapali and Sutra jewelry.





Source Just Jared

Obama Raised $11.8 Million for Campaign in January

    President Obama raised about $11.8 million for his re-election campaign during January, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, amid signs that overall fund-raising by Mr. Obama and Democratic committees and “super PACs” has fallen behind that of their Republican counterparts

Mr. Obama remains the presidential race’s top fund-raiser: His total haul for the campaign so far is $151.4 million, slightly ahead of the pace he set in January 2008, during a hotly contested Democratic primary. He also raised $17.3 million in January for theDemocratic National Committee.
But Mr. Obama’s January total was less than a third of the $36.8 million he raised during the same month four years ago. (He also spent a third as much this time around as in January 2008.) Over all, Mr. Obama, the leading Democratic super PACs, and the party’s three federal campaign committees raised at least $366.1 million in 2011, compared with the roughly $409 million raised by the Republican presidential candidates, the top Republican super PACs and the Republican Party’s campaign committees.
In a sign of the White House’s concern about Republican fund-raising, Mr. Obama reversed himself this month and instructed administration and campaign officials to aid in fund-raising for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC founded by two former aides. This week, Mr. Obama began a three-day fund-raising swing on the West Coast that was expected to yield more than $8 million, with events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, among other cities. Several other big fund-raisers are scheduled for early next month in New York.
The release of President Obama’s numbers are the starting gun for fund-raising in 2012, as the candidates for president begin filing monthly reports of their finances with the Federal Election Commission, along with those super PACs that have opted for monthly filing schedules in the election year. Formal filings are due by midnight on Monday.
Mr. Obama’s fund-raising for this re-election cycle has surpassed that of President George W. Bush, one of the Republican Party’s most prolific fund-raisers. At the same point in 2004 — as an incumbent facing re-election — Mr. Bush had taken in about $145.6 million for his campaign. With no primary to fight, Mr. Obama ended January with close to $76 million in cash on hand, far more than any of his Republican rivals are likely to report.
Mr. Obama has also exploited one of the perks of an incumbent president: the ability to raise checks for his party’s main campaign committee in amounts of up to $30,800 per donor per year, far more than the $5,000 his campaign can accept from each donor for the cycle.
The Democratic National Committee raised $117 million in 2011, ahead of the $105 million raised by the Republican National Committee, according to a study released on Friday by the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. The D.N.C.’s haul was more than the Republican National Committee raised in 2005 and 2003, when Mr. Bush was president.
More than a third of the D.N.C.’s donors in 2011 gave the committee more than $30,000, suggesting that Mr. Obama helped significantly buoy its fund-raising.
The Republican National Committee raised almost half of its money from donors giving $200 or less, compared with 27 percent for the Democratic National Committee, according to the study. That finding suggests that while Mr. Obama continues to raise significant amounts for his campaign from Democratic grass-roots donors, Republican grass-roots donors are turning to the Republican National Committee while the party’s presidential candidates duke it out in the primary.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Load Shedding Schedule(From Feb 13) Nepal

  • Effective from February 13, 2012.
  • Load-shedding will take place on the given time inside the Kathmandu Valley and 5 minutes after the given time outside the Valley.
  • Depending upon the condition, load-shedding could increase/decrease by one hour.
  • The load-shedding will be two more hours in the areas of the feeders where 40 to 50 per cent of electricity leakage is recorded.
  • The load-shedding will be three more hours in the areas of the feeders where more than 50 per cent of electricity leakage is recorded.

Group/Day
SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
Group 1
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
Group 2
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
Group 3
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
Group 4
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
Group 5
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
Group 6
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
Group 7
11:00-17:00
21:00-01:00
10:00-15:00
19:00-24:00
09:00-13:00
17:00-24:00
05:00-13:00
18:00-23:00
04:00-11:00
15:00-21:00
04:00-10:00
14:00-19:00
03:00-09:00
13:00-18:00

  1. For Lamahi and areas west of it, and for Duhabi and Anarmani Sub-stations, Nepal Electricity Authority will publish the load-shedding schedule at local level.
  2. There are separate load-shedding schedules of industrial feeders where electricity are supplied from Nepal Grid:
  • 19:00 to 07:00 every day in industries where electricity is supplied from 66KV Hetauda Birgunj.
  • 18:00 to 06:00 every day in industrial feeders of 11 KV.
  • 06:00 to 18:00 every day in industrial feeders of 33KV.
  • 20:00 to 08:00 every day in Hetauda Cement, Udayapur Cement, Everest Paper Mill and Bhrikuti Paper Mill.
  • 19:00 to 07:00 every day in Maruti Cement.
  • 19:00 to 05:00 every day in all industrial areas of Nepal Government.
      RELATED INFORMATION

      Feeders inside Kathmandu Valley

      Substations
      Consumers Group 1
      Consumers Group 2
      Consumers Group 3
      Consumers Group 4
      Consumers Group 5
      Consumers Group 6
      Consumers Group 7
      Patan/Patan 66 KV
      Mangal Bazaar
      Pharping
      Patan
      Ring Road
      Sainbu
      Radio Nepal, Pulchowk
      Jawalakhel, Chapagoan
      Bhaktapur
      ByasiKatunje, NalinchowkNagarkot, Brick
      Teku
      Tripurshwor, TahachalKalimatiThankotPulchowkBhimsenstanKirtipur
      Baneshwar
      Baneshwor, Koteshwor, BagmatiImadol, GothatarGodavari-1, Conference HallNew Airport, DhobikholaOld AirportLubhuSankhamul
      Purano Chabahil
      JorpatiNaxal, AirportDhobikhola, DanchhiBattisputali, TangalPashupati
      Naya Chabahil
      SankhuOm HospitalSundarijalKapan
      Lainchaur
      Keshav MahalGairidharaLazimpatKings WayThamelSamakhushi
      Balaju
      Naya BazaarNagarjun, SwoyambhuBishnumati, Maharajgunj-1Dharmastali
      Syuchatar
      TahachalThankotKalimatiKalankiRopewayBalambhu, Swoyambhu
      Banepa
      DhulikhelSangaNala, KhawaAspatal, Khopasi, Panauti
      Thapathali
      ThapataliSanepa, Teku, Patan
      K 2
      KamaladiAsanMahaboudhhaDurbarmargBagbazaar
      Maharajgunj
      BudanilkanthaBansbariBaluwatar, US EmbassyGongbu, DhapasiGolfutar
      Thimi
      BalkumariThimiSallaghari
      Sundhara
      KhicapokhariTripureshworNew RoadBhotebahal
      K 3
      Bhrikuti MandapKalikastanAnamnagarPutalisadak
      Panchkhal
      Piple, PalachowkMelamchiPanchkhal

      Feeders outside Kathmandu Valley

      Substations
      Consumers Group 1
      Consumers Group 2
      Consumers Group 3
      Consumers Group 4
      Consumers Group 5
      Consumers Group 6
      Consumers Group 7
      Hetauda
      Uniliver, HID
      Bhainse
      Chaughadha
      Parwanipur
      Dabur, Krishi
      Himal Iron, Simara
      Birgunj, Gramin
      Nitinpur
      Parwanipur
      Chandranigahapur
      Harsha 33 KV
      Nijgadh 33 KV
      Chandranigahapur Dakshin
      Dhalkebar
      Malangawa, Janakpur-2 33 KV
      Janakpur-1, 33 KV
      Cosmos Cement, Sindhuli, Mahendranagar 33 KV
      Lalgadh
      Godar
      Majuliya
      CT-1
      CT-2
      Janakpur Cigarette Factory
      Ring
      Mahendranagar
      Pidari

      -
      Lahan
      Bisanpur 33 KV
      Rupani 33 KV, Bastipur
      Lahan, Jahadi
      Thadi
      Jaljale 33 KV
      Diktel
      Gaighat
    Source myrepublica

    Wednesday, February 8, 2012

    Acc u-19 women’s c’ship: Unbeaten Nepal move to semis


    Unbeaten Nepal cruised to the semi-final of the ACC U-19 Women’s Championship as toppers of group A with their four wickets triumph over Thailand at KOC Hubara, Kuwait, on Monday.
    Chasing a target of 87 runs Indu Varma stroked 40 runs as the defending champions accomplished the target in 22.3 overs with the loss of six wickets.
    Nepal who have eight points from four matches will now take on Bhutan in the semi-final on Thursday.
    Nepal’s batting which had looked solid in the last three matches was exposed by accurate bowling and sharp fielding by Thailand.  The Himalayan nation lost three wickets inside five overs and were in a vulnerable position until Varma came in to rescue the team.
    Anuradha Chaudhary was the first to return back to the seats. Having run for the first run in no haste both the openers Shilu Rijal and Anuradha found themselves on the same end thus brining Anuradha’s innings to an early end with 10/1 in the third over.
    Rijal followed suit in the in the same over when she was trapped leg before by Nattakan Chantam and Nepal were 12 for the loss of two wickets.
    Another run out in the same over had Thailand on top as the new batter Kavita Gautam who had yet to open her score was run-out to fold Nepal to 13/3.
    Captain Rubina Chhetry and Indu Varma put on 28 runs together before Chhetry was bowled by Areeya in the 12th over.
    Varma remained calm at the other end and single handedly sailed Nepal home with two overs to spare.  Earlier, sent in to field, bowlers did an excellent job for Nepal folding the hard hitting Thai batters for just 86 runs. An unbeaten 34 runs from Saengsakaorat helped Thailand put on 86 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 25 overs.
    Chhetry, Santoshi Chaudhary, Sangeeta Gauchan and Varma shared a wicket each for Nepal. Nepal’s coach Nabin Singh said losing three wickets early on had Nepal on panic but an unfazed knock for Varma did the job for his team.  
    Source ekantipur

    Rain, snow hit country life; flights cancelled


     Normal life was affected in most parts of the country on Wednesday as the country witnessed sparse rainfall, while it snowed in high-altitude areas since Tuesday evening.
    The Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) said the westerly winds are gradually moving towards the east, and as such, almost all regions of the country received rainfall on Wednesday.
    Bhairahawa received the maximum rainfall of 61.5 millimeters, while the minimum rainfall of 0.4 mm was recorded in Dhangadhi. Rainfall in the Capital was recorded at 31.7 mm. All meteorological stations in the country, except for Dhankuta and Biratnagar, recorded rainfall.
    On Wednesday, 55 domestic flights and one international flight were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
    "There are chances of temporary rain or thundershowers in most parts of the country in the next couple of days," said Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, a senior meteorologist.
    Districts like Mugu, Humla, Jumla, Jajarkot, Rasuwa and Taplejung witnessed snowfall leaving people into hardship. Rara, Talcha, Murma, Sowa and some other places in Mugu district and Simkot, the headquarters of Humla district, were under two feet snow. The biting cold kept most of the people in the upper parts of Humla indoors.
    In Taplejung, people said it has been snowing in higher areas like Olangchukgola, Yangma, Ghunsa and Pathibhara since Tuesday evening.
     source ekantipur

    Tuesday, February 7, 2012

    Fire breaks out at TIA, flights disrupted



    A fire broke out suddenly on the grassland and bushes at on the eastern edge of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) runway, leaving the flights disrupted for about two hours on Tuesday evening.
    However, the fire that broke out at around 6 pm was brought under control by 7 pm. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined yet.
    Five fire-brigade vehicles and security personnel were deployed to the site to douse the fire. The vehicles sprayed water onto the fire. 
    TIA Nepal Police SP Sharad Chand said the fire broke out at the bushes on Pepsi Cola side of the airport.
    The landing and take-off of flights were halted for about an hour even after the fire was brought under control, TIA administration informed.
    Source myrepulica(pic)
    ekantipur(article)