Congress' top Republicans praise Obama on Syria

WASHINGTON (AP)  Leading congressional Republicans praised President Barack Obama's decision to seek lawmakers' approval before punishing
Syria for a chemical attack. But it was far from clear whether they would support such a strike in a region rife with warfare and the specter of retaliation.
"I do believe (Syria) should not have impunity," for the Aug. 21 attack near Damascus, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said by telephone. "But we need to understand what the whole scope of consequences is. What the president may perceive as limited...won't stop there."
The White House was expected to brief members of Congress throughout the weekend, part of what's certain to be a full-court press to persuade lawmakers to sign off on what Obama described as a narrowly-focused operation that could be carried out anytime over the next few weeks.
Obama's decision to consult Congress came after lawmakers widely demanded he seek authorization under the War Powers Act. The specter of the Iraq war hovered too, with lawmakers skittish over the Bush administration's claim  later disproved  that Saddam Hussein's government possessed weapons of mass destruction.
"And all of us should be accountable as we move forward, and that can only be accomplished with a vote," Obama said Saturday. "And in doing so, I ask you, members of Congress, to consider that some things are more important than partisan differences or the politics of the moment."Secretary of State John Kerry said the chemical weapons attack killed 1,429 people, of which he said 426 were children.
For now, many lwmakers were praising Obama for putting the question to Congress. But it is not expected to act until the House returns from recess Sept. 9.
"Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress," said House Speaker John Boehner in a statement. Boehner, who is second in line to the presidency, said his chamber would consider the question the week of Sept. 9.
"We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised," he said.
"The President's role as commander-in-chief is always strengthened when he enjoys the expressed support of the Congress," agreed the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Rep. Peter King, however, said Obama was abdicating his role as commander-in-chief. King, R-N.Y., suggested the president was undermining the authorities of future presidents and seeking a political shield for himself by going through Congress.
"The president doesn't need 535 Members of Congress to enforce his own redline," he said.

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a low value to avoid the tax. But sometimes in some countries, the customs officer may be strict. we don’t accountable any customs fee, Please check it out the customs policy at your own place, If you have to pay the customs fees, it is your duty to your own country, the buyer should understand this situation.

Restaurant Ratings: McDonald’s, Starbucks Rank High With Execs

Among American restaurant chains, two markedly different names rank the highest in a survey of business executives: McDonald's (MCD) and Starbucks (SBUX).Using data carved from a larger
survey regarding the business community's mindset on well-known corporations, research firm CoreBrand said the best-perceived restaurant brands in combined favorability and familiarity scores are the Quarter Pounder seller and the coffee shop operator.
Recently released findings from CoreBrand ranked PepsiCo (PEP) and Coca-Cola (KO) as the most-respected brands in the opinion of survey respondents, who are director-level and above executives. When focusing only on the restaurant industry, McDonald's had the highest familiarity among the survey set, rating a 96 out of 100, followed by Starbucks, with a 94. They tied on the favorable side, with each earning a 74. Though Yum! Brands (YUM), known for its divisions KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, also got a 74 on favorability, it rated well below the group average on familiarity.
The purpose of the scores is to attempt to measure corporate intangibles in a manner akin to revenue and profits. Whereas those numbers easily can be determined and tracked over time, it's much harder to quantify how one is viewed. "The corporate brand consists of everything you say and do as a corporation," says CoreBrand CEO James Gregory.
Important to remember is that the survey isn't specifically about whether a given restaurant's food tastes good or is good for you, and it isn't based on the dining behavior of regular consumers or their general feelings toward a particular restaurant group. These are business people commenting primarily on the business attributes of a corporation and its executives to gauge its brand.
That said, it is conceivable that the ongoing debate surrounding the healthfulness, or lack thereof, at chain restaurants and the new battle over fast-food wages, should it become more prominent, presumably could start to affect some scores. If certain managers respond poorly to a future crisis or find themselves at odds with prevailing attitudes in the business community, the rankings theoretically could decline. For now though, the restaurants on the whole outperform the average results in CoreBrand's database of 1,000 companies, as seen on the right side of the chart (click the chart for a larger image).In order to arrive at the scores, CoreBrand conducts telephone surveys asking participants how familiar they are with a group of companies. A score of 1 indicates the respondent doesn't know the company at all, and a 5 signifies extensive knowledge. After determining the companies they know best, participants are asked questions on reputation, what they think of the management and whether it's a sound investment. The results are then used to form the component scores and totals on a 0-100 scale.
For the two restaurants at the top, McDonald's edged out Starbucks in terms of reputation 81 to 80 and won on investment potential 78 to 67. However, for perception of management, Starbucks finished ahead 74 to 65
In addition to the latest findings, Gregory's firm also follows the score trends over time, and they do change for some of the operators.
"[At] Starbucks, for example, there's been downward pressure on them since about 2007. So the favorability has been dropping," he says. "McDonald's has been holding very, very steady. Wendy's (WEN) also has some slight downward pressure, but is very stable."
Not surprisingly, companies whose restaurant name and corporate name are the same tend to have a big advantage in the survey. That works against the familiarity ranking of companies such as Darden Restaurants (DRI), the owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, and notably the aforementioned Yum! Brands. Yum does perform admirably on the favorable scale, yet it was hurt badly in the combined results by the familiarity ranking, where it scored only a 19.
"The business leaders who know them think very highly of them," Gregory says. "They're the highest overall reputation of all the restaurant chains." On that measure, Yum did beat both McDonald's and Starbucks, posting an 83. It also surpassed them on the perception of management question, with a 76, though it trailed the duo on investment potential, finishing at 64.
An outlier here was OSI, part of loomin' Brands (BLMN), the owner of Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill. It scored high on the familiarity ranking, getting an 81.
Other notes Gregory pointed out from the survey:

Obama: King's dream partly met, still unfulfilled

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is claiming his place in Martin Luther King's 50-year-old dream holding himself up as a symbol of the change King envisioned. But he also pointed to the
nation's lingering economic disparities as evidence that King's hopes remain unfulfilled.
Obama spoke at Lincoln Memorial Wednesday on the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. With Biblical references and the cadences of a preacher Obama used the refrain quote because they marched as he recited the achievements of the civil rights movement.
Laws changed legislatures changed and even the White House changed Obama said. But he says income inequality troubled inner cities and stagnant wages amid growing corporate profits show that challenges remain.

Gulposh Latest Pure Cotton Dress Collection For Ladies

Styleinworld.com loves to share these type of traditional dresses. These dresses of anarkaly, slawar kameez and kurties dresses are beautiful and able to wear clothing
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Kids Dresses of girls

We have all seen these scene kids before- the boys and girls at shows with the tight jeans, big hair, and big sunglasses. In just a few short years, the scene culture's popularity has skyrocketed. Scene kids are often
stereotyped as "emo kids;" this is a common misconception. Scene kids may look a bit "emo," but scene kids have good self confidence, unlike most people who claim to be "emo kids." A scene kid is closer to a raver than a emo kid.

Rex Ryan says he put Mark Sanchez in because Jets were ‘trying to win the game’

The decision to put Mark Sanchez in a meaningless preseason game, after Geno Smith played poorly and it was clear that Sanchez was the Jets' best option to
begin the regular season at quarterback, was a little strange.Rex Ryan's explanation was much, much strangr.Play Y! Sports Fantasy Football: Create or join a league today!]Sanchez was inserted in the game in the third quarter, and was under constant pressure with the backup offensive line protecting him. He got crushed by Giants defensive lineman Marvin Austin and hurt his shoulder. That was his last play. Ryan said he didn't know the extent of the damage to Sanchez's shoulder.So why was a cold Sanchez in this preseason game with the backup line, which was a recipe for disaster? Take it away, Rex ...

The Stunning Bridal Dresses By Diffrent stylish

The most awaited and sensational  range of bridal dresses has been launched out as the latest Bridal Dresses By Hina Khan. Well! Hina khan is
  a very famous fashion designer,serving in the field of fashion since 1982. She had been launching the versatile outfits varying from casual to bridal wear. Her designs are always the hot choice when it comes to select a trendy bridal wear,evening wear,party wear or formal dress.

A Different Kind of Beauty Queen

I have been smitten with the simplicity and beauty of these words this week, taken from Esther 2:15 (MSG). Esther, JUST AS SHE WAS, won the admiration
of everyone who saw her. There is no message of striving here. And trust me, Esther was in the beauty contest of the ages in this scripture. See, the king of her day was looking for a new wife, and he had all of the most beautiful virgins brought to him so he could choose the lucky gal. And we thought the Housewives of Beverly Hills were dramatic and competitive! Can you imagine vying for the position of Queen?Be your best, look your best, act your best, look out for number one, make away for yourself – the pressure was on! And in the middle of it all there is Esther, just as she was, winning the admiration of everyone who saw her. Some of the most beautiful people I have ever met wouldn’t qualify to be on the cover of Vogue by the world’s standards, but I have found their God-confidence and purity of heart to be undeniably becoming. Isn’t there something captivating about someone who isn’t trying to be captivating?

Stylish and Beautiful Fashion For Girls

 In this post we showcase some extremely charming examples of Fashion Photography. This kind of photography is usually used for advertisement
purposes, but now with the advancement of fashion industry it has now become a field of its own. We hope you’ll like this collection. Kindly feel free to express your views on Fashion Photography and do let us know if we have missed your favorite one. We would try our best to include it in our n beautiful phopto 2013.

 

Utah Mom Allegedly Faked Daughter's Cancer to Collect Donations

A Utah mother will have to answer to a felony fraud charge after police alleged she bilked donors out of thousands of dollars by pretending her daughter was battling leukemia.
Abreail Winkler 30 was charged on Tuesday with one count of communications fraud according to Keith Campbell assistant chief of the Vernal Police Department.He said the charge was filed after a month-long investigation in July.Winkler has not yet entered a plea and attempts to reach her at listed phone numbers were unsuccessful. Her first court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 9.
According to Campbell Winkler tugged at the heartstrings of her Vernal Utah community by telling people her 4-year-old daughter was battling leukemia. She was allegedly able to use the ruse to collect more than $3,000 in donations Campbell said.Winkler's ex-husband Derick Winkler told investigators he had no knowledge of any cancer treatment or a diagnosis for his daughter according to Campbell.
The 4-year-old girl is now living with Derick Winkler who said he was shocked by the alleged scam but is ready to forgive for the sake of his daughter according to the Deseret News.I just want the court system to run its course Winkler said.He added that he hopes his ex-wife receives just a slap on the wrist.If convicted the Deseret News reported Winkler could face up to five years in prison and a maximum $5,000 fine.

Facebook chief unveils plans to improve global Internet access

MENLO PARK Calif. Aug.21 (UPI) -- Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg says his company will team up with six others to help bring Internet access to more than 4 billion people still without it.
Zuckerberg said the group called Internet.org, would attempt to aid emerging economies by increasing Web access The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.There are huge barriers in developing countries to connecting and joining the knowledge economy Zuckerberg said in a statement.Internet.org brings together a global partnership that will work to overcome these challenges including making Internet access available to those who cannot currently afford it.Facebook has already invested nearly $1 billion on infrastructure toward the goal of broader Internet access in the developing world, he said, and plans to spend more.
Only 2.7 billion people -- slightly more than one-third of the world's population -- currently have access to the Internet Zuckerberg said and adoption is growing by less than 9 percent annually.
The Internet.org consortium will work to expand connectivity in cooperation with mobile operators governments academics and other non-governmental organizations he said.I'm focused on this because I believe it is one of the greatest challenges of our generation Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook profile.

photo gallery: Bad School Photos

Sue S. from Cross Plains, Wisconsin sent in this school photo
taken after her head gear was cemented into her mouth. She says she loves her teeth now, so we guess it was well worth the sufferi

Blue Jasmine to expand to 1,200 screens this weekend

NEW YORK Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Sony Pictures Classics says it will expand Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine from 229 to more than 1,200 screens in the United States this weekend.
This will surpass the screen count of Midnight in Paris as the widest release of any Allen film.
Starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins Alec Baldwin and Louis C.K.Blue Jasmine has earned $9.9 million in box-office grosses since its July 26 limited release.
This is the 44th feature film Allen has written and directed and his sixth movie for Sony Pictures Classics.
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Timeless beauty Gloria Estefan is 55 and fabulous in red for sexy cover shoot

She broke ground as a Cuban-born singer in America, and Gloria Estefan is still going strong even after 30 years in the music industry.
The 55-year-old Latina pop star is celebrating her timeless success and ageless beauty by posing for Ocean Drive magazine in a series of glamorous and iconic images.
The former Miami Sound Machine singer oozed with sex appeal in a low-cut ravishing red gown as she graced the cover of the September Fall Fashion issue.

 Inside the magazine, Gloria laid draped in royal blue velvet with diamonds dripping from her ears on the stairway of a Miami mansion during the stylish shoot.

The fabulous fashionista clearly loved wearing the elaborate outfits, which included a classic gown with a sweetheart neckline and gold panels that swept around her slim body.
Inside the glossy mag, the Rhythm Is Going To Get You singer can be seen in a dramatic black gown that kissed her sexy curves and created a perfect hourglass before exploding into a sea of white.

 

Lily Collins embraces her Spanish surroundings in stunning flamenco-style red lace high-low skirt and sheer crop top

Lily Collins is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on the red carpet.
Having already made one glamorous appearance at a photo call for her new movie, The Mortal Instruments.
City Of Bones, in Madrid, Spain on Thursday, the star followed it up with another fashion-forward number.
Embracing her Spanish surroundings, the actress donned a striking Flamenco-inspired two-piece ensemble for that evening's premiere.

The high-low hemline of the red lace dress accentuated the pretty brunette's long legs, while the sheer red detailed cropped top worn over a matching red lace bra added some sex appeal.
Ruby red stilettos and vampy red lips tied it all together, while black nail polish contrasted nicely.
Her shoulder-length dark locks were slicked back from her face and curled at the ends in a sophisticated, eye-catching style.

 

Lily Collins triumphs in the fashion stakes again in a dark floral print cocktail dress

Recently it has seemed as if Lily Collins can not put a foot wrong with her dress sense.
The 24-year old actress has been touring Europe on the promotional trail for her film The Mortal
Instruments: City of bones.
And now after taking on Berlin earlier in the week, the fashionista has also conquered the Spanish capital of Madrid.
The Brunette beauty attended the photo call for the fantasy movie in a beautiful brown dress with lace embellishment and a floral pattern.

Liu Wen and Joan Smalls: the new power faces of modelling

The Forbes power list of top models no longer features an all white lineup of women – which hopefully points to a long overdue change in the industry. The Forbes power list of top models no longer features an all
white lineup of women – which hopefully points to a long overdue change in the industry.Forbes has released its list of the top 10 highest paid models this week, and alongside the news that Gisele Bündchen (No 1) is raking in an estimated $42 million (approximately £23 million) a year, a notable highlight was that, for the first time, the list was not made up entirely of white women. Chinese model Liu Wen comes in at fifth place with £2.75m worth of annual earnings while Puerto Rican Joan Smalls was eighth, pulling in £2.2m.