Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.myantiwar.org/view/251309.html
Restaurants Open on Christmas Day jessica simpson santa tracker happy holidays Stores Open On Christmas Day Santa Claus Feliz Navidad
Friday, March 8, 2013
Yamaha PRO 400
Yamaha came roaring back into the headphone realm with its recent PRO series. At $299.95 (list), the Yamaha PRO 400 is the middle-tier option in the group, with the recent Editors' Choice PRO 500 at the top and the still-not-cheap PRO 300 as the entry-level option. The good news is, all three pairs earn their prices. The PRO 400 offers a powerful sound signature with realistic bass response and a nice sense of space and depth. With a focus on the midrange, it lacks the booming bass some readers may be seeking, and it is not super-bright or crisp, either, but it delivers audio cleanly, even at top volumes.
Design
Yamaha's PRO series has a distinctive look that's not for everyone?glossy plastic (offered in white or black) and a large, shiny Yamaha tuning fork logo on each ear. The plush, circumaural (over-the-ear) ear cups are quite comfortable, but the headband's cushioned, rubbery underside can, unfortunately, get a bit uncomfortable on the scalp during longer listening sessions, and feels this way regardless of adjustments. For shorter durations, this is far less of an issue.
The PRO 400 ships with two detachable cables?both are black, flat, linguini-esque designs, and one has an inline remote control and microphone for mobile devices. The remote-free cable, intended for pro and studio applications, is a whopping 10 feet long, compared with the other cable's more typical 4-foot length.
Call clarity on the PRO 400 is nothing mind-blowing, but your call partner will be able to hear you loud and clear, and vice versa. Yamaha can't really improve on the low fidelity of cellular audio.
The headphones collapse down at hinges above either ear into a more compact size, but the frame still takes up a hefty amount of space. A zip-up, hard-shell protective case comes with the PRO 400, and adds even more size to the equation?basically, this pair will take up a significant portion of bag space. A ?-inch headphone jack adapter is also included.
Performance
On tracks with tremendously deep bass, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the PRO 400 flirts with distortion at maximum (unsafe) listening levels, but never gives in, offering instead a powerful sub-bass response. Things aren't quite as boosted here as there are on the Beats Pro by Dr. Dre, but they are still plenty intense. The focus of the bass response is rooted a bit higher than the very deepest, lowest sub-bass frequencies, so we hear slightly less subwoofer-esque push than you hear on the Beats or the similarly-priced Denon Music Maniac AH-D340, but the PRO 400 definitely packs a punch.
Much of its focus seems to be on midrange frequencies, both low-mids and hi-mids. This helps bring out a different portion of the bass response to the forefront. On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop's attack has both a nice treble edge to it, as well as a solidifying thump?not the deep, throbbing sub-bass thump you hear in a club, but the more natural kind you get from a real kick drum. The sub-bass synth hits have a nice roundness to them, but they're not in any danger of overtaking the mix. This is a good thing, but bass fiends will probably want a pair with a bit more oomph.
On Bill Callahan's "Drover," his voice could benefit from a little bit more treble edge, but the PRO 400 does a good job of not letting low-mid frequencies muddy up the mix. The constant drum hits on this track often receive too much low-end boost on bass-heavy headphones, making them compete with Callahan's vocals for center-stage. Here they sound natural and intense, but they still take a backseat to the vocals.
On classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the lower register strings still get a nice bit of low frequency boost, primarily because they exist more in low-mids than in the truly low, sub-bass frequency realm, and this is a range the PRO 400 focuses on. Things sound natural, never overly bright nor muddy. The big drum hits at the end of this piece pack a pleasant low-end punch, but nothing that ever seems overly-boosted or out of place.
Basically, this pair is for the flat response, purists crowd who wants to hear bass frequencies, but not have them amplified significantly louder than everything else in the mix. The semi-recessed drivers inside the earcups add a nice sense of space and depth to the sound stage. If there's any complaint, it would be that the PRO 400 could probably sound a bit crisper in the hi-mids.
As it is, however, the PRO 400 offers a clean sound that will appeal to anyone not overly-obsessed with deep bass. If deep sub-bass is what you seek, the aforementioned Beats, as well as the Denon Music Maniac AH-D340, are both heavier hitters, to differing degrees, in that department. The PRO 400's pricing makes sense?it sounds a bit fuller and more intense than its cheaper sibling, the PRO 300, and lacks the power, spatial depth, and overall clarity of its pricier sibling, the Yamaha PRO 500. All three pairs, however, are very solid additions to the headphone realm. If all of these pairs are a bit out of your price range, consider the sub-$200, excellent Sennheiser HD 558?its lower price seems almost incongruous with its rich sound signature.
More Headphone Reviews:
??? Denon Music Maniac AH-D340
??? Denon Urban Raver AH-D320
??? Yamaha PRO 400
??? Moshi Dulcia
??? Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/GzP1gJUI9VA/0,2817,2415950,00.asp
Lisa Robin Kelly Nexus 4 Girl Meets World Jason Babin Nolan Daniels angus t. jones monday night football
For next pope, cardinals want youngish, polyglot MBA-type
They troop each day into a hall just a few minutes? walk from St. Peter?s Square, passing through a doorway flanked by Swiss Guards in black berets and their distinctive red, yellow, and blue striped uniforms.
Around 150 cardinals from around the world are engaged in intensive talks this week about who they will elect as the successor to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who resigned last week and is now living out his retirement in a 16th-century castle on a hill outside Rome.
The cardinals, wearing red sashes and black cassocks, are sworn to secrecy about the details of their discussions, most notably about who they consider ?papable? or the most likely papal contenders.
At their first session on Monday, each of them placed his hands on the Bible and pledged ?rigorous secrecy? over the proceedings ? on pain of excommunication. But in the past few days they have been at liberty to discuss the broader problems facing the Roman Catholic Church, and the sort of man who will be needed to steer it out of the troubled waters of the last few years.
RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about the Catholic Church? Take our quiz!
For a start, many cardinals would like to see a relatively young man appointed pope ? Benedict was the ripe old age of 78 when he was chosen as the successor to John Paul II in 2005.
Eight years later, he said he no longer had the mental or physical strength to continue, becoming the first pontiff in nearly 600 years to abdicate.
Cardinal George Pell, 71, the Archbishop of Sydney, said age would be a ?significant factor? when cardinals gather, probably next week, in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave ? the secret process by which the new pope will be elected.
?I think it?s unlikely that we will choose somebody who?s 77 or 78. I think it?s also unlikely that we will choose somebody who is too young, however you define that, because I think there?s virtue in the papacy changing every 10, 15, or 20 years,? he told La Stampa newspaper this week.
ALSO WANTED: POLYGLOT ADMINISTRATOR
The new pontiff would need to be an accomplished linguist and strategist with a proven capacity to administer.
?Some factors are rudimentary: a man of faith and prayer, a good track record, a man with languages. I think we need somebody who is a strategist, a decision-maker, a planner, somebody who has got strong pastoral capacities already demonstrated so that he can take a grip of the situation and take the church forward,? Cardinal Pell said.
Among the issues the new pope will have to tackle head on would be the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and the demographic decline and spreading secularism in the West, Cardinal Pell said.
The new pontiff will also have to try to reform the intrigue-ridden Curia, the powerful governing body of the Holy See.
The theft and leaking of documents from Benedict?s private offices last year revealed a disconcerting picture of nepotism, cronyism, and alleged corruption within the Curia.
The documents were stolen and passed to the Italian media by Benedict?s butler, Paolo Gabriele, in what has been dubbed the ?Vatileaks? affair. He was imprisoned for a few weeks in the Vatican but received a pardon from the pope just before Christmas.
CURIOSITY ABOUT CURIA REPORT
The pope personally appointed three elderly cardinals, including a prominent member of Opus Dei, to delve into the scandal, and they presented their 300-page, two-volume secret report to him in December.
There has been intense speculation that the report was a factor in Benedict?s decision to resign the papacy.
Cardinals said this week that they were keen to know more about the report and what it discovered about malpractice, jealousy, and turf battles within the Curia.
"I would imagine that as we move along there will be questioning of cardinals involved in the governing of the Curia to see what they think has to be changed, and in that context anything can come up," said an American cardinal, Francis George, the archbishop of Chicago.
"I think the Curia in general, beyond whatever emerges from Vatileaks, needs to be revolutionized. And as well as the word reform, there must be a second: transparency. The Curia must begin to open up, and not fear transparency," German Cardinal Walter Kasper said in an interview with La Repubblica, an Italian daily newspaper.
THE BROADER SCANDAL
The new pontiff will also be expected to be more proactive in dealing with the hugely damaging pedophile priest scandals that have rocked the Church over the last decade.
"He obviously has to accept the universal code of the Church which is zero tolerance for anyone who has ever abused a child,? said Cardinal George. "There's a deep-seated conviction, certainly on the part of anyone who has been a pastor, that this has to be continually addressed."
But associations representing sex abuse victims say they have heard these bland assurances before, and that a new pope will have to be much more active in taking to task predatory priests and the bishops who protect them.
?The PR mantra from the Catholic Church in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas has been ? ?We didn?t know, we have learnt from our mistakes, we are reforming, we are sorry,?? says David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP. ?Despite all the pay-outs to victims and the law suits, there?s virtually no church official who has been demoted or disciplined or defrocked. That needs to change.?
Many cardinals do not have the moral legitimacy to take part in this week?s discussions ? known as General Congregations ? nor in the conclave, SNAP argues.
?It might sound extreme but we suspect most of the cardinals to be complicit in covering up predator priests. Crises have erupted in country after country and the pattern is always the same,? says Mr. Clohessy.
?Their presence in Rome rubs salt into the wounds of betrayed Catholics and suffering victims. It sends precisely the wrong message ? that you can engage in wrongdoing but you won?t face any consequences. They should voluntarily go home.?
The group also released a "dirty dozen" list of 12 papable cardinals whom they consider to be "the worst choices in terms of protecting kids, healing victims, and exposing corruption."
Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga of Honduras insisted Benedict had made progress in cracking down on sexually abusive priests but said those ?clean-up initiatives? must continue under his successor. "We must present a church with a transparent face," he said.
Cardinal Jean Luis Cipriani Thorne, the archbishop of Lima, said the priest sex abuse scandals remained ?a grave wound? to the body of the church. ?The new pope will need to confront them straightaway,? he said.
The cardinals are expected to announce in the next day or two the start date for the conclave. The Sistine Chapel was closed to tourists on Tuesday, to make way for carpenters, electricians, and other technicians to prepare it for the conclave.
The new pope will be chosen by 115 elector cardinals who qualify to vote because they are under the age of 80.
RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about the Catholic Church? Take our quiz!
Related stories
Read this story at csmonitor.com
Become a part of the Monitor community
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/next-pope-cardinals-want-youngish-polyglot-mba-type-170600001.html
leprechaun night at the museum pope shenouda bolton muamba sxsw crystal cathedral st. patrick s day
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Facebook brings a more personal touch to News Feed
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zuckerberg on Thursday unveiled a new look for the social network's News Feed, the place where its 1 billion users congregate to see what's happening with their friends, family and favorite businesses.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) ? Facebook has redesigned the main attraction of its social network to address complaints that its website has turned into a jumble of monotonous musings and random photos.
In an attempt to breathe new life into Facebook's News Feed, the company will introduce new controls that allow people to sort streams of photos and other material into organized sections.
With the makeover unveiled Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hopes to turn the News Feed into something more like a newspaper tailored to the particular interests of each of the social network's more than 1 billion worldwide users.
Although Zuckerberg didn't say it, the overhaul also appears to be aimed at carving out more space to show larger and more dynamic ads within the News Feed as Facebook seeks to boost its revenue and stock price.
Previous tweaks to the News Feed have triggered howls of protest among Facebook's users. Hoping to minimize the grousing this time around, Facebook intends to roll out the changes in phases. It will probably be six months to a year before everyone who accesses Facebook on a personal computer sees the revamped News Feed, the company said. The facelift is likely to be more jarring for those who only visit Facebook on a PC because it incorporates some features already deployed in the social network's mobile applications for smartphones and tablet computers.
"They needed to freshen things up," said Brian Blau, research director of consumer technologies for Gartner Inc. "This should bring a lot of cooler things" into the News Feed.
The new features will enable users to choose to see streams of content that may feature nothing but photos or posts from their closest friends, family members or favorite businesses. Or they can just peruse content about music, or sports, as if they were grabbing a section of a newspaper. Other newspaper-like changes will include lists of events that users' social circles have flagged for the upcoming weekend and other summaries meant to resemble a table of contents.
By adding more personal touches, Facebook is acknowledging that the computer-generated formulas that it has been using to determine the content shown to each user have become less effective as the social circles within its network have widened to include a more diverse array of information.
"This gives people more power to dig deeper into the topics they care about," Zuckerberg said while discussing the makeover at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters.
Facebook still intends to rely on algorithms to select some material to feature on the main part of the News Feed, much like newspaper editors determine what goes on the front page.
More space on the News Feed's front page and other sections space will be devoted to pictures and video in recognition of how dominant those visual elements have become on Facebook as smartphones and tablet computers equipped with high-quality cameras have made it easier to share snapshots and clips.
About 50 percent of the posts on News Feed include a photo or video now, up from 25 percent in late 2011, Zuckerberg said.
Bigger pictures also will give advertisers a larger canvass to make their marketing pitches. Facebook is hoping marketers will seize the opportunity to develop more creative ways to entice and intrigue customers so advertising can become a more acceptable fixture on the social network.
More than anything else, the changes are meant to make Facebook a more fun place to hang out. If it doesn't keep evolving, the site risks becoming an Internet has-been like other once trendy social networks such as Friendster and MySpace.
"This is all about keeping people engaged," Blau said.
Although Facebook's website remains one of the Internet's top destinations, there have been early signs that the social network is losing some of its pizazz, particularly among younger Web surfers who are starting to spend more time on other fraternizing hubs such as Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram, a photo-sharing site that Facebook bought for $521 million last summer.
A phenomenon, known as "Facebook Fatigue," was recently documented in a report from Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. The study found that about 61 percent of Facebook users had taken a hiatus for reasons that range from boredom to too much irrelevant information to Lent.
That's a worrisome trend for Facebook because the company needs to ensure that its audience keeps coming back so it can learn more about their interests and, ultimately, sell more of the advertising that brings in most of the company's revenue.
"I don't think it had turned into a crisis, but Facebook was probably seeing some internal data that was telling them they needed to do something," said Greg Sterling, a senior analyst for Opus Research.
Facebook has been struggling to find the right balance between keeping its fun-loving audience happy and selling enough ads to please investors who want the company to accelerate its revenue growth.
Wall Street seems to think the redesigned News Feed might be a step in the right direction. Facebook's stock gained $1.13, or 4.1 percent, to close Thursday at $28.58. The shares remain 25 percent below the $38 that they fetched in Facebook's initial public offering last May.
The mobile-friendly redesign of News Feed underscores the company's intensifying focus on smartphones and tablet computers as more of its users rely on those devices to interact on the social network.
About 23 percent, or $306 million, of Facebook's advertising revenue came from the mobile market during the final three months of last year.
Associated PressHappy new year fiscal cliff Pitbull Hannah Storm Psy fergie minnesota vikings
Mitsubishi Concept CA-MiEV triples the i-MIEV's range, adds wireless charging
Mitsubishi's i-MiEV is known for many accomplishments in the electric car world, but long-range driving and staggeringly good looks aren't among them. Its just-unveiled Concept CA-MiEV solves the former by making at least a token gesture towards the latter. The combination of flat-packed, high-density 28kWh lithium-ion batteries and a sleeker, low-drag shape help the compact car last for 186 miles on a charge, or exactly three times what the i-MiEV could muster. It's enough that Mitsubishi describes the concept as a "suburban" EV that could last for a week of typical European commuting on one charge. As it's a showfloor darling, the Concept CA-MiEV naturally stuffs in a lot of technology that's only sometimes related to the battery: it can charge wirelessly using WiTricity's magnetic resonance, takes data from smartphones and will email the owner if it's stolen. Mitsubishi is quick to warn that the car isn't intended for production, like most concepts, but many of the developments found inside should spread to the automaker's worldwide fleet in the long run.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Mitsubishi
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/06/mitsubishi-concept-ca-miev-triples-the-range/
steve mcnair vice presidential debate Martha Raddatz Chris Lighty JJ Watt jerry sandusky johnny depp
Planned Parenthood knocks NYC?s ?Cost of Teen Pregnancy? campaign
Planned Parenthood denounced a new ad campaign aimed at sexually active teens, unveiled by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg this week, for shaming current and expectant teen parents and their children.
?The latest NYC ad campaign creates stigma, hostility and negative public opinions about teen pregnancy and parenthood rather than offering alternative aspirations for young people,? Haydee Morales, vice president of education and training at Planned Parenthood's New York office, said in a statement released on Wednesday. ?The city?s money would be better spent helping teens access health care, birth control and high-quality sexual and reproductive health education, not an ad campaign intended to create shock value.?
The "Cost of Teen Pregnancy" campaign?displayed in subways and bus shelters citywide?includes images of concerned toddlers with messages for their teen parents.
"Honestly Mom," one poster reads, "chances are he won't stay with you. What happens to me?"
"Dad, you'll be paying to support me for the next 20 years," reads another, noting that New York state law requires a parent to pay child support until a child is 21.
The public service announcements also instruct teens to text "'NOTNOW' to 877877 for the real cost of teen pregnancy."
[Related: NYC rolls out 'Cost of Teen Pregnancy' PSAs]
"This campaign makes very clear to young people that there?s a lot at stake when it comes to deciding to raise a child,? Bloomberg said in his weekly radio address on Sunday.
The effort, he said, will "let thousands of young New Yorkers know that waiting to become a parent could be the best decision they ever make.?
According to the health department, the city's teen pregnancy rate has fallen 27 percent in the past decade. But Morales said stigmatizing teens who have already become parents "has not been a part of what has led to this success."
In 2011, the city quietly rolled out a controversial pilot program that allowed teens access to the contraceptive drug Plan B?the so-called "morning after pill"?in some of its public schools without parental consent. (Parents could choose to exclude their children from access.) In 2012, officials expanded the program to 13 schools with hopes of implementing it citywide.
That program?dubbed CATCH, or "Connecting Adolescents To Comprehensive Health"?is supported by Planned Parenthood.
angus t. jones monday night football monday night football SEC Championship Game 2012 kansas city chiefs Javon Belcher express
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez dies from cancer
CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer, ending 14 years of tumultuous and divisive rule that won him passionate support among the poor but hatred from business leaders and wealthy Venezuelans.
The flamboyant 58-year-old had undergone four operations in Cuba for a cancer that was first detected in his pelvic region in mid-2011. He vanished from public view after December 11 surgery that resulted in complications and respiratory infections.
"It's a moment of deep pain," said Vice President Nicolas Maduro, choking up during a national address. "Commander, thank you so much, on behalf of these people whom you protected."
Military chiefs quickly pledged loyalty to Maduro, who will be caretaker leader until elections are called within 30 days. Weeping Chavez supporters poured onto the streets, chanting "Chavez lives! The revolution continues!" and "We are Chavez!"
"Don't let anyone try to convince you Chavez has gone ... He will always be with us," said Congress head Diosdado Cabello.
The president's death was announced by Maduro, flanked by cabinet ministers, less than an hour after he passed away.
State TV broadcast Chavez's emotional last speech from December, shops in Caracas locked up for fear of looting, and condolences came from around the world, including messages from filmmaker Oliver Stone and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Tensions ran high in some areas. Colombia's RCN TV showed one of its reporters bleeding from a head wound after she was apparently beaten by Chavez supporters outside the military hospital.
Chavez easily won a new six-year term at an election in October and his death is devastating for millions of supporters who adored his charismatic style, anti-U.S. rhetoric and oil-financed policies that brought subsidized food and free health clinics to long-neglected slums.
Detractors, however, saw his one-man style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of opponents as traits of an egotistical dictator whose misplaced statist economics wasted a historic bonanza of oil revenues.
Chavez's corpse will lie in state at a Caracas military academy until a formal funeral ceremony on Friday, and seven days of mourning will be observed, officials said.
"The funeral of Chavez is going to rival Eva Peron's in Argentina," said Daniel Hellinger, a Venezuela expert in the United States, referring to the beloved former first lady of Argentina who died at the height of her popularity in 1952.
MADURO FAVORITE TO WIN ELECTION
Chavez's death opens the way for a new election that will test whether his socialist "revolution" can live on without his dominant personality at the helm.
The new vote will likely pit Maduro against Henrique Capriles, the centrist opposition leader and state governor who lost to Chavez in October. Maduro appealed for calm and respect for democracy.
One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead because he is Chavez's preferred successor, enjoys support among many of the working class and could benefit from an inevitable surge of emotion in the coming days.
Maduro has been a close ally of Chavez for years and would be very unlikely to make significant changes to the late president's socialist policies, although he could at some point try to ease tensions with investors and the U.S. government.
Just hours before Chavez's death, though, Maduro alleged that "imperialist" conspirators had infected the president with cancer among a plethora of conspiracies with domestic opponents. The government never said what type of cancer Chavez had, but experts suspect it was a soft-tissue sarcoma.
A victory by Capriles would bring in much deeper changes and would be welcomed by business groups and foreign investors, although he would probably move cautiously in order to lower the risk of political instability and violence.
Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves and some of the most heavily traded bonds, so investors will be highly sensitive to any signs of turmoil.
U.S. President Barack Obama said his government was interested in starting a new relationship with Venezuela.
"At this challenging time ... the United States reaffirms its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government," Obama said in a statement.
An opposition election win would move Venezuela closer to the United States and upend alliances with Latin American states that have relied on Chavez's oil-funded largesse - most notably communist-led Cuba, which recovered from financial ruin in the 1990s largely thanks to Venezuelan aid.
Chavez was a garrulous figurehead for a global "anti-imperialist" alliance stretching as far as Belarus and Iran, and will be sorely missed by anti-U.S. agitators.
After the cancer was diagnosed in June 2011, Chavez went through several cycles of disappearing from the public eye for weeks at a time for treatment in Havana, only to return just as his adversaries were predicting his demise.
His health weakened severely just after his re-election on October 7, possibly due to his decision to campaign for a third term instead of stepping aside to focus on his recovery.
HUMBLE ROOTS
Chavez was raised by his grandmother in a house with a mud floor in rural Venezuela and evoked almost religious passion among poor supporters who loved his folksy charm, common touch and determination to put the country's oil wealth at their service.
He burst onto the national scene by leading an attempted coup in 1992. It failed and he was imprisoned, but he then formed a political party on his release two years later and swept to power in a 1998 election.
It was the first of four presidential election victories, built on widespread support among the poor.
But Chavez alienated investors with waves of takeovers and strict currency controls, often bullied his rivals, and disappointed some followers who say he focused too much on ideological issues at the expense of day-to-day problems such power cuts, high inflation and crime.
Chavez built a highly centralized political system around his larger-than-life image and his tireless, micro-managing style created something close to a personality cult. He was particularly adept at exploiting divisions within a fractious opposition.
Chavez was briefly toppled in a coup in 2002, but returned triumphantly after his supporters took to the streets.
Apparently realizing the end was nigh, Chavez named Maduro his successor in December, just before his fourth operation, which followed months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
MADURO'S PROSPECTS
On February 18, Chavez made a surprise pre-dawn return from Cuba and was taken to a ninth-floor suite of a military hospital in Caracas, surrounded by tight security.
The government published a handful of pictures of Chavez lying in a hospital bed while he was still in Havana - the only time he was seen since the latest surgery. Supporters had held tearful vigils around the country to pray for his recovery.
Maduro, 50, will now focus on marshalling support from Chavez's diverse coalition, which includes leftist ideologues, businessmen, and radical armed groups called "colectivos".
Seeking to knock down rumors of tensions at the top of the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), Maduro has stressed the unity between him and Cabello, a powerful former army buddy of Chavez who heads the National Assembly.
Maduro is a former bus driver who rose from union activist to foreign minister and then to president-in-waiting. He won Chavez's confidence by meticulously echoing his vitriolic rhetoric and never airing a dissenting opinion.
Maduro has mimicked Chavez's rabble-rousing style in recent weeks, peppering speeches with insults aimed at adversaries.
Capriles, Maduro's likely opponent, is a 40-year-old governor of Miranda state who led a hard-fought campaign against Chavez in the October election.
There are clear ideological differences between the 20 or so groups in the opposition's Democratic Unity coalition and without their enmity to Chavez to bind them, the alliance could splinter.
Until recently, polls had shown Capriles would beat any of Chavez's proteges. But the naming of Maduro as Chavez's heir, and the outpouring of emotion that will accompany Chavez's death, have changed the picture.
A survey carried out by local pollster Hinterlaces between January 30 and February 9 gave Maduro 50-percent support, compared to 36 percent for Capriles.
(Additional reporting by Reuters reporters across Latin America, Editing by Terry Wade, Kieran Murray and David Brunnstrom)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-hugo-chavez-dies-cancer-001517141.html
girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick honor killings mary tyler moore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)