Sean Parker Wedding Defense - Business Insider

Mark Seliger

Official photo from Sean Parker's wedding.

?

Former Facebook president Sean Parker has a guest post on TechCrunch right now that defends his over-the-top $10 million wedding.?

The post is nearly 9,500 words long and addresses criticism that it damaged the ecology of woods where it took place.

Luckily TechCrunch provides a handy summary:

• The wedding site was chosen because it had been previously developed, so there was no environmental impact. The site was not public property, it was a private, for-profit, campground, which was mostly paved in asphalt and or cleared of all foliage. Development only occurred in cleared dirt and asphalt areas.
• The natural environment was not harmed, despite widespread claims to the contrary. There was no harm done to redwood trees, other plants, or animals. There were no endangered species on or near the property.
• We were conscientious about protecting the environment, locating the site with the help of Save the Redwoods League and soliciting advice about how to avoid harming the redwood habitat.
• Hundreds of articles were written in the days following the wedding, yet only one reporter contacted us for comment. Most of the information contained in these articles was erroneous. No original reporting was done, no interviews were conducted, and no fact checking occurred.
• We voluntarily agreed to cover $1 million in penalties related to the Ventana?s lack of development permits and past violations. We also volunteered to contribute $1.5 million in charitable contributions serving the coastal region of the Monterey Peninsula.

If you have time, buckle up and read the epic story here >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/sean-parker-wedding-defense-2013-6

Amish Mafia Dave Grohl 121212 Cal State Fullerton Pacific Rim Ravi Shankar Geminid meteor shower

Want To Know Who The Guy Behind The New Secret Society Of ...

He?s setting up a new Secret Society of Super Villains. in last month?s Justice League Of America it looked like he killed Catwoman.

And he?s all over Trinity War and Forever Evil.

But who is he?

We?ve just been told. He?s Mr Outsider.

The version first seen in Flashpoint.

Geoff Johns has been planning this for some time.

He also appears still-unnamed in today?s Justice League Of America, in the aftermath of the Catwoman shooting. But we start getting clues. He can mess with telepathy. He knows where Batman lives. And?

But who is The Outside really? That?s still to come. Though, as before, we?re hoping he?s Grant Morrison.

You don?t suppose he remembers Flashpoint do you? Was that his world dying?

Comics courtesy of Orbital Comics, London. Currently exhibiting Jason Atomic?s Satanic Mojo, inspired by underground comics with work from Atomic, Shaky Kane, Garry Leach and more? for adults only. Go to the gallery and buy the comic?

Source: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/26/want-to-know-who-the-guy-behind-the-new-secret-society-of-supervillains-is/

snow white and the huntsman snow white and the huntsman rupaul drag race walking dead comic kratom broncos broncos

The Humiliating Fundraising Existence of a Member of Congress (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/315185425?client_source=feed&format=rss

jason varitek andrew breitbart dead sheriff joe arpaio limbaugh aaron smith wilt chamberlain joe arpaio

IG: IRS credit cards used for wine, pornography

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-25-IRS%20Credit%20Cards/id-35b8f8a332434c8c936c122e80e2449a

tyler perry good deeds pretty in pink shark tank john wall gordon hayward gas prices rising stars challenge

Pats player Hernandez taken from home in handcuffs

In this image taken from video, police escort Aaron Hernandez from his home in handcuffs in Attleboro, Mass., Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hernandez was taken from his home more than a week after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's house. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, police escort Aaron Hernandez from his home in handcuffs in Attleboro, Mass., Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hernandez was taken from his home more than a week after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's house. (AP Photo/ESPN)

In this image taken from video, police escort Aaron Hernandez from his home in handcuffs in Attleboro, Mass., Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Hernandez was taken from his home more than a week after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's house. (AP Photo/ESPN)

FILE - This Sept. 5, 2012 file photo shows New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez speaking to reporters in the locker room at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez has been taken from his home in handcuffs, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from his house. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012 file photo, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) tries to break free of Buffalo Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay (90) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez has been taken from his home in handcuffs, Wednesday, June 26, 2013, after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from his house. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

FILE - In this May 29, 2013, file photo, New England Patriots' Aaron Hernandez kneels on the field during NFL football practice in Foxborough, Mass. Hernandez is being sued in South Florida by a man claiming Hernandez shot him in the face after an argument at a strip club. The lawsuit comes as police in New England investigate Hernandez's possible connection to the death of a semipro player. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) ? New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was taken from his home in handcuffs Wednesday morning, more than a week after a Boston semi-pro football player was found dead in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's house.

Less than two hours later, the Patriots announced they had released Hernandez.

Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, was found slain June 17. Officials ruled the death a homicide but did not say how Lloyd died.

Lloyd's relatives said he was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, that the two men were friends and that the men were out together on the last night of Lloyd's life.

It's unclear why Hernandez was taken into custody Wednesday before 9 a.m. and put into the back of a police cruiser. He was wearing a white V-neck T-shirt, with his arms inside the shirt and behind his back as he was led from his North Attleborough home. He casually spit into some bushes on his way to the car.

Hernandez was arrested on a state police warrant at about 8:45 a.m. and was being booked at the North Attleborough police station, state police said on the agency's Twitter account. State police said they won't discuss the charge against Hernandez until it's presented in Attleboro District Court later Wednesday.

The Associated Press emailed a message to his attorney, Michael Fee, who hasn't discussed the investigation beyond acknowledging media reports about it. A message also was left with the Bristol County district attorney's office.

At about 10:20 a.m., the Patriots announced they had released Hernandez and expressed sympathy to Lloyd's family and friends.

"Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation," the Patriots said in a statement. "We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process. At this time, we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do."

Lloyd's mother, Ursula Ward, declined to comment at her Boston home Wednesday morning.

"Nothing to say, please. Thank you," she said, before shutting the door.

State police have searched in and around Hernandez's sprawling home in North Attleborough several times. At least three search warrants have been issued in connection with the investigation.

Reporters have been camped for days outside the home on the Rhode Island line, not far from the stadium where the Patriots play. They reported Tuesday that Hernandez got a visit from Boston defense attorney James Sultan.

The Patriots drafted Hernandez, who is originally from Bristol, Conn., out of the University of Florida in 2010. Last summer, the team gave him a five-year contract worth $40 million.

___

Associated Press writers Bridget Murphy in Boston and Howard Ulman contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-26-US-Hernandez-Police/id-4cbc68a388db401b947b4d887acd17e4

New Pope Jeff Gordon Test Drive Veronica Mars Pope John Paul II Galaxy S4 google reader carnival cruise

Op-Ed: Arts Education Is Critical to Student Success

Have you ever wondered what the world would look like if there were no artists? You would not have clothes, furniture, jewelry, electronics, transportation, cell phones, buildings, toys, or websites. The list goes on and on, yet art is often absent from our daily thoughts.

I teach a commercial art class. Last year I had a mother who took her daughter out of my class. She thanked me for teaching her daughter a nice hobby, but she wanted her to be able to get a real job.

Many people do not understand that art is a crucial component to a well-rounded education. Art education develops critical thinking, problem-solving and hand-eye coordination. It provides a vehicle to explore the possibilities and limitations of materials, and encourages children to use their imaginations. It is an outlet that lets children express how they feel, think, and view the world in ways they may not be able to say with words.

---

Visual arts teaches students that problems can have more than one solution, and questions can have more than one answer. Unlike academic curriculums in which correct answers and rules prevail, art is based on observational judgment rather than a scantron.

The National Art Education Association published the report?Learning in a Visual Age: The Critical Importance of Visual Arts Education. It states, ?Art education opens the possibility for creating new worlds, rather than simply accepting the world as it is?students learn a great deal in high-quality visual arts classes that is not captured on standardized tests? teaching students to be creative is a deliberate process, much like teaching students to be literate or to be able to solve mathematics problems.?

Years of research show that art education stimulates and develops the imagination and critical thinking, and refines cognitive and creative skills.

---

Many people in academia, and the business world, still may think that art is a cute hobby for old ladies and not see it as benefiting other subjects. As an art teacher, I know and have seen how art benefits my students. In one art lesson, I can teach mathematics, language arts, history, and world culture before any student picks up a paintbrush. I tell my students that drawing and painting is easy; it is developing the thought process that is challenging.

Many people know of Da Vinci?s famous Mona Lisa?or The Last Supper, but they don?t know that he was also an architect, engineer, and a scientist.? Think about what inspired Da Vinci?s inventions and how he translated them through his artwork.

A blog post on Psychology Today raised a question about the benefits of the arts in other subjects: ?Let?s see what happens when we start throwing out all the science and technology that the arts have made possible. The fact is that the arts foster innovation?almost all Nobel laureates in the sciences actively engage in arts.?

Art education has many obstacles to overcome, not the least of which is how it?s devalued by often not being required for graduation.?It will continue to face these challenges until it becomes a necessary part of school curriculum.?

---

Related stories on TakePart:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/op-ed-arts-education-critical-student-success-130000391.html

paleo diet paleo diet earth day Luis Suarez Earth Day 2013 westboro baptist church meteor shower

Supreme Court strikes federal marriage provision

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In significant but incomplete victories for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California.

The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits.

The other was a technical legal ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. That outcome probably will allow state officials to order the resumption of same-sex weddings in the nation's most populous state in about a month.

The high court said nothing about the validity of gay marriage bans in California and roughly three dozen other states.

The outcome was not along ideological lines.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia.

"We have no authority to decide this case on the merits, and neither did the 9th Circuit," Roberts said, referring to the federal appeals court that also struck down Proposition 8.

In the case involving the federal Defense of Marriage Act, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, joined by the court's liberal justices.

"Under DOMA, same-sex married couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways," Kennedy said.

"DOMA's principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal," he said.

Some in the crowd outside the court hugged and others jumped up and down just after 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday when the DOMA decision was announced. Many people were on their cell phones monitoring Twitter, news sites and blogs for word of the decision. And there were cheers as runners came down the steps with the decision in hand and turned them over to reporters who quickly flipped through the decisions.

Chants of "Thank you" and "USA" came from the crowd as plaintiffs in the cases descended the court's marbled steps

Kennedy was joined by the court's four liberal justices.

Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, and Scalia dissented.

Same-sex marriage has been adopted by 12 states and the District of Columbia. Another 18,000 couples were married in California during a brief period when same-sex unions were legal there.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-strikes-federal-marriage-provision-145436126.html

Kevin Ware Injury Video Richard Griffiths FGCU Reid Flair tony romo Good Friday 2013 good friday