Obama treats himself to boys' weekend in Florida

President Barack Obama greets supporters after arriving at West Palm Beach International Airport on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in West Palm Beach, Fla. President Obama is spending the weekend in Palm City, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama greets supporters after arriving at West Palm Beach International Airport on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in West Palm Beach, Fla. President Obama is spending the weekend in Palm City, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama salutes as he steps off Air Force One after arriving at West Palm Beach International Airport on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in West Palm Beach, Fla. President Obama is spending the weekend in Palm City, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama waves as he walks down the stairs of Air Force One upon his arrival at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) ? Faced with a lonely weekend of rattling around the White House without his wife and daughters, President Barack Obama arranged a golf outing with some buddies. In Florida.

Immediately after a speech Friday in his hometown of Chicago on building a stronger middle class, Obama flew into the airport in West Palm Beach and was driven for nearly an hour to coastal Palm City and behind the gates of the Floridian Yacht and Golf Club, an exclusive resort that will serve as the president's home away from home until he returns to Washington on Monday.

It's a weekend with the boys, presidential style.

Eyebrows might have been raised at the thought of the president, any president, high-tailing it out of Washington, without his family, for some "me time" hundreds of miles away from the Oval Office. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are on an annual, President's Day weekend ski vacation out West.

As it turns out, a president going on vacation alone isn't all that uncommon.

And, Obama has taken "vacations for one" in the past, too.

During the weekend, Obama ? an avid golfer ? was expected to take full advantage of the club's private, 18-hole regulation golf course, which opened in 1996 and is owned by Jim Crane, a Houston businessman who also owns Major League Baseball's Astros, according to golfnow.com.

"A quiet weekend of golf," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

The president was not expected to leave the private club, which fronts the St. Lucie River, until he heads back to Washington. Members of the club and their guests have access to one of eight cottages, a 68-slip deep water marina, the club's 61-foot Viking yacht, a 24-foot Hurricane Deck Boat and the club's private helicopter service with two on-site helipads.

The White House arranged for the reporters who travel with the president to stay at a hotel in Port St. Lucie, about a 20-minute drive away from Palm City. They were not expected to see the president until it's time for the return trip home.

Obama's longtime buddy from Chicago, Eric Whitaker, joined him aboard Air Force One for the trip from Chicago to Florida. The two have played golf together in the past. Another regular member of Obama's golf foursomes is White House trip director Marvin Nicholson, who also traveled with the president on Friday.

America's presidents have been taking solo vacations for decades, according to Larry Knutson, a former White House reporter for The Associated Press who wrote a book about presidents and their vacations.

Although Bess and Margaret Truman visited him there just a couple of times, Harry Truman vacationed most often by himself in tropical Key West, Fla. Many aides, all men, accompanied him.

Truman enjoyed the male companionship and his wife may have stayed away out of a desire to not interrupt his cherished late afternoon and evening games of poker. Truman vacationed in Key West 11 times between November 1946 and March 1952; his wife and daughter joined him for the first time in November 1948, after his surprise win in that year's election campaign.

Franklin D. Roosevelt often visited his cottage at Warm Springs, Ga., alone; wife, Eleanor, didn't much care for the place or the Southern atmosphere. Roosevelt was at Warm Springs, on his own, when he died in April 1945. He also often traveled solo to his home in Hyde Park, N.Y., during World War II. The first lady often did not accompany Roosevelt on his wartime visits to Shangri-La, which is now the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, or when he traveled on the presidential yacht or on Navy warships.

In 1997, Bill Clinton was in southern Florida for fundraising and to play in a golf tournament when he stumbled on steps at the home of golf pro Greg Norman and needed surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right knee. He was treated at a hospital in West Palm Beach before being flown to Washington for the operation.

Obama's stay at the Floridian isn't his first vacation without his wife and daughters.

In 2010, Obama was left alone in Washington as his 49th birthday approached. The first lady had taken Sasha with her to Spain for a vacation with friends, and Malia was away at camp. Rather than stay in the big White House by himself, he fled, with family dog Bo, home to Chicago for an intimate dinner with friends there that included Oprah Winfrey, Whitaker and White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, a fellow Chicagoan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-16-Obama-Boys%20Weekend/id-d2e67343ebfd4d0a8243ab2b6955b8de

lin j.r. smith espn jeremy lin sleigh bells meek sturgis sturgis

Budget fight creating diplomatic headaches for US

WASHINGTON (AP) -- From Syria to Somalia and across the Mideast down to Mali, looming U.S. budget cuts are creating potentially tough choices for American diplomacy.

The United States will slash up to $2.6 billion in global humanitarian aid, security funds and other international programs in some of the world's most unstable regions if Congress cannot stave off automatic spending reductions by March 1 that are threatening nearly every federal agency in Washington.

No part of the U.S. budget for diplomacy, foreign aid or security assistance would be left untouched. But the administration can decide which countries and which programs should be spared major pain and which should face bigger cuts.

Counties "around the world are watching the budget debate in the United States, watching with some anxiety ? not only with regard to how it might impact our ability to interact with them, but also what it says about our politics," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Friday.

The cuts would shave $200 million in humanitarian assistance for places like Syria and Somalia, and $300 million in foreign military financing for close U.S. partners including Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Security at U.S. embassies and consulates, an incredibly sensitive topic since the September attack in Benghazi, Libya, would also be affected, as would international peacekeeping operations in Mali.

It's unclear how the U.S. would handle foreign military financing if, amid the push-and-pull of budget negotiations, Democrats and Republicans fail to reach a deal.

The administration could favor cutting less from ally Israel, which faced nearly 1,500 rockets fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip a few months ago. But that could then force greater reductions for Jordan as it coordinates with the U.S. on a possible emergency action to secure Syria's chemical weapons. Or the U.S. could ratchet up funding cuts to Egypt's new Muslim Brotherhood government ? at the risk of goodwill as Cairo shepherds an Israeli-Hamas cease-fire and tries to bring stability to the Arab world's largest country.

The State Department is still grappling with the slew of potential trade-offs, and no decisions have been made.

But the questions aren't limited to security financing. Programs targeting AIDS and other health programs would lose $400 million, development assistance would also drop $400 million and food aid faces a reduction of $70 million. In the end, the U.S. may have to decide which African countries could do with a little bit extra less money to fight tuberculosis and malaria, and which famine to prioritize.

The cuts have the Obama administration fearing that America's claim to global diplomatic pre-eminence could take a major hit. And in a more immediate sense, the so-called sequestration would demand tough foreign policy decisions for new Secretary of State John Kerry, and potentially undercut his early message that America cannot retreat from the world stage.

The pledge was a major theme of Kerry's when he was sworn in earlier this month to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton and is at the heart of a speech he'll deliver next week at the University of Virginia ? his first as secretary of state

And the possibility of a significantly reduced purse comes as the U.S. tries to engage in a series of difficult diplomatic endeavors: "pivoting" American power and resources toward booming Asia; maintaining stability in a chaotic Middle East; leaving behind a secure Afghanistan after more than a decade of war; and refocusing attention on the lawless parts of North Africa while not abandoning old allies in Europe.

"Our ability to shape world events, protect U.S. interests, increase job-creating opportunities for American businesses, prevent conflict, protect our citizens overseas and defeat terrorism before it reaches on our shores depends on day-to-day diplomatic engagement and increased prosperity worldwide," Kerry wrote in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, a copy of which was made public Thursday.

"These cuts would severely impair our efforts to enhance the security of U.S. government facilities and ensure the safety of the thousands of U.S. diplomats serving the American people abroad," Kerry wrote.

The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development were among the federal agencies that forecasted cuts this week. They affect programs countering terrorism, weapons proliferation and drug trafficking. They would also mean less emergency assistance for Americans abroad and scaled-back visa processing for foreign tourists and businessmen trying to enter the United States.

For now, America's partners are hoping the U.S. avoids crisis.

"In terms of ... countries lining up and fighting each other for pieces of the pie, we are not quite there yet," Nuland told reporters Friday. "At this point, they're saying, 'We hope you can work it out.'"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/budget-fight-creating-diplomatic-headaches-214926324.html

read across america vikings stadium breitbart dead db cooper fafsa branson missouri davy jones dead

Space miners say asteroid worth $195 billion

NASA

An artist's conception of the Friday's flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14.

By Mike Wall
Space.com

The space rock set to give Earth a historically close shave on Friday?may be worth nearly $200 billion, prospective asteroid miners say.

The 150-foot-wide (45 meters) asteroid 2012 DA14 ? which will zoom within 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers) of Earth on Friday, marking the closest approach by such a large space rock that astronomers have ever known about in advance ? may harbor $65 billion of recoverable water and $130 billion in metals, say officials with celestial mining firm Deep Space Industries.

That's just a guess, they stressed, since 2012 DA14's composition is not well known and its size is an estimate based on the asteroid's brightness.

The company has no plans to go after 2012 DA14; the asteroid's orbit is highly tilted relative to Earth, making it too difficult to chase down. But the space rock's close flyby serves to illustrate the wealth of asteroid resources just waiting to be extracted and used, Deep Space officials said. [Deep Space Industries' Asteroid-Mining Vision in Photos]

"While this week's visitor isn't going the right way for us to harvest it, there will be others that are, and we want to be ready when they arrive," Deep Space Chairman Rick Tumlinson said in a statement Tuesday.

Deep Space Industries wants to use asteroid resources to help humanity expand its footprint out into the solar system. The company plans to convert space rock water into rocket fuel, which would be used to top off the tanks of off-Earth satellites and spaceships cheaply and efficiently.

NASA

This graphic shows 2012 DA14's path past Earth.

Asteroidal metals such as iron and nickel, for their part, would form the basis of a space-based manufacturing industry that could build spaceships, human habitats and other structures off the planet.

The idea is to dramatically reduce the amount of material that needs to be launched from Earth, since it currently costs at least $10 million to send 1 ton of material to high-Earth orbit, officials said.

"Getting these supplies to serve communications satellites and coming crewed missions to Mars from in-space sources like asteroids is key if we are going to explore and settle space," Tumlinson said.

Deep Space Industries is just one of two asteroid-mining firms that have revealed their existence and intentions in the past 10 months. The other is Planetary Resources, which has financial backing from billionaires such as Google execs Larry Page and Eric Schmidt.

Deep Space aims to launch a phalanx of small, robotic prospecting probes called Fireflies in 2015. Sample-return missions to potential targets would occur shortly thereafter, with space mining operations possibly beginning around 2020.

Planetary Resources also hopes its activities open the solar system up for further and more efficient exploration. The company may launch its first low-cost prospecting space telescopes within the next year or so.

Follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall?or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?and?Google+.?

?

Copyright 2013 Space.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/13/16950096-space-miners-say-earth-buzzing-asteroid-worth-195-billion?lite

there will be blood nigel barker 420 secret service fenway park philadelphia flyers 4/20

GOP leader opposes new tax on Wis. iron mine

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The state Senate's top Republican says he's against imposing a so-called tonnage tax on a company looking to open an iron mine in far northwestern Wisconsin.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said during an address at a Madison business convention Wednesday some Republican senators have been talking about including the tax in a massive bill that would overhaul Wisconsin's mining regulations. The tax would require iron mining companies to pay taxes according to how much iron they extract.

Fitzgerald says the tax would signal mining isn't welcome in Wisconsin and Gov. Scott Walker almost certainly would veto any bill that contains it.

The bill is designed to ease the regulatory path for Gogebic Taconite's plans for a massive iron mine just south of Lake Superior.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-leader-opposes-tax-wis-165812583.html

oral roberts les paul fred thompson fred thompson red hook romney tax return the tree of life movie

TomTom Rider motorcycle GPS gets refresh, for those born to be guided

It seems a safe bet that any contemporary Easy Rider reboot would be vastly different from its predecessor. For one thing, there's the whole GPS thing to contend with -- and surely there'd be a little friendly product placement in the form of the TomTom Rider (New Orleans isn't gonna find itself, after all). The company has updated its long-running motorcycle GPS line to feature a new 4.3-inch "glove-friendly" weatherproof display and the ability to create, upload and share routes via Bluetooth. Bluetooth functionality also makes it possible to get in-helmet audio directions, so you don't have to stare down at that screen the whole time (when you should be looking at the, you know, road). And for those who don't like the straight and narrow path, there's the Winding Roads to help you find routes with more bends. The Rider is currently listed at £329.99 ($511) for pre-order.

Filed under: GPS

Comments

Source: TomTom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/14/tomtom-rider/

chimpanzee chimpanzee the lucky one pittsburgh pirates mariners mets shades of grey

FOOTBALL: Beckham in Valencia as PSG secure 2-1 win

Paris St Germain conceded a late goal and had Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off in added time in a 2-1 win at Valencia in their Champions League last-16 first leg at the Mestalla on Tuesday.

The Ligue 1 leaders looked to be strolling into the quarter-finals when they took the lead in the 10th minute through Ezequiel Lavezzi and his Argentina team mate Javier Pastore added a second goal two minutes before halftime.

Valencia improved after coach Ernesto Valverde made a couple of changes at the break and it was no more than they deserved when centre back Adil Rami surged into the area and volleyed home in the 90th minute.

Ibrahimovic was shown a straight red card for a wild lunge on defender Andres Guardado in the second minute of added time but even without the Sweden striker for the return leg in Paris on March 6, PSG will still be favourites to progress.

PSG's latest signing, former England captain David Beckham, watched from the stands and will return to the French capital with the squad on Wednesday for his first training session.

(REUTERS)
?

Source: http://www.france24.com/en/20130212-beckham-valencia-football-paris-saint-germain?ns_campaign=editorial&ns_source=RSS_public&ns_mchannel=RSS&ns_fee=0&ns_linkname=20130212_beckham_valencia_football_paris_saint_germain

dennis rodman dodgers sale tami roman jetblue captain los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners

Chad Ford / Impact Of Noel's Injury On Draft Stock

- The University of Kentucky announced Wednesday that star center Nerlens Noel is out for the season with a torn ACL. The news isn't totally shocking a...

- Chad Ford says that Kentucky forward Nerlens Noel would still be a top five pick in the NBA draft despite a torn ACL.

- Here's a look at 10 impact players who could be changing uniforms by the Feb. 21 trade deadline.

Source: http://www.fantasysp.com/columns/nba/205943/impact-of-noels-injury-on-draft-stock

farrah abraham Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley chris cooley condoleezza rice bill cosby Perry Hall High School