Washington, DC Area Broadcasters Plan to Utilize Harris Corporation Technology at Mobile DTV Consumer Showcase.

Harris Corporation has announced they will support six of the eight stations participating in the upcoming Mobile DTV Consumer Showcase. They have supplied their MPH platform for ATSC Mobile DTV to stations owned and operated by Fox, ION, and PBS. CBS and Telefutura affiliate stations were also supplied with the platform as well as an independent station owned by MHZ networks. The Harris MPH platform provides broadcasters with the necessary technology to launch and support one or more ATSC Mobile DTV program streams. The Harris MPH platform easily integrates into most DTV transmitters, making it an attractive commodity for broadcasters.

“Broadcasters using the Harris MPH platform can launch ATSC Mobile DTV programming with a modest investment in equipment and installation time,” said Jay Adrick, vice president of broadcast technology, Harris Broadcast Communications. He went to mention that consumers would benefit from such technology by receiving news, sports, and other local program content on the move.

Anne Schelle, Executive Director of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, praised Harris Corporation’s technological achievements. “Thanks to the technological leadership of companies like Harris, we’ll have consumers receiving up to 20 different programs on handheld phones, netbook computers, mobile digital television sets and other devices,” she said.

Harris Corporation is a leading international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.

Source:govconwire.com/

Mike Shanahan in DC to Meet with Redskins, Hiring Likely

Mike Shanahan has landed in the Washington, DC area and is expected to meet with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and G.M. Bruce Allen to conclude negotiations on a contract that would make him the next head coach.

The Redskins fired coach Jim Zorn in the early morning hours Monday shortly after the team returned from San Diego where they wrapped up their season with a loss to the Chargers.

Word broke later that morning that a plane owned by Snyder had flown to the Denver area and made the round trip return to Washington, DC. As it turned out Shanahan was on board the flight back.

NBC 4 sports reporter Dan Hellie was at the airport for Shanahan’s arrival, but was turned down for comment.

“No, not right now,” the former Broncos coach told Hellie when asked to interview per Jason Reid of the Washington Post.

He then got into a car and was driven away, presumably to meet with Snyder and Allen.

Source:footballnewsnow.com/

D.C. man finds blessings in mission to help homeless

The digital bank clock across from Capitol Hill United Methodist Church reads 7:25 a.m. and 27 degrees when Rob Farley, congregant, lawyer and aspiring Christian, jogs up to the church's icy front landing. Waiting for him in the chilly rain are the people who have transformed his life.

Jonathan George, a joke-telling handyman from the Bronx, is stuffing into plastic trash bags the sleeping bag, two blankets and cardboard he uses for a bed. Howard James, 51, and his "lady friend," Mercedes Dessaso, 61, are just showing up after a frigid, wet night wandering near Union Station. Melvin Johnson, with a damp sweat shirt and a cane, chuckles as he says, "We are wild animals."

Farley, slender and sweaty in black running pants, bears a smile, a front-door key and the mission he has been committed to almost every morning for a year: to provide breakfast, a clean bathroom, a group prayer and some dignity to a small band of homeless men and women who view this church landing five blocks east of the U.S. Capitol as a version of home.

For Farley, the routine has given his faith a purpose, his vow to be a better person a tangible test. The 47-year-old is feeding the homeless, and it's clear that they are feeding him, if in a different way.

This was a guy who, until a few years ago, couldn't remember going to church aside from the time that, decades ago, his mother threatened to take away his Super Bowl-watching privileges if he didn't attend. A guy whose initial intention was just to end his morning jog by waking the homeless and kindly urging them to move on.

Then God happened. Or something like that.

"Either you turn your head or you engage," says Farley, a soft-spoken Tennessean who doesn't easily talk about himself.

Although some of the folks have been going to the church for many years -- either to sleep under its overhang, attend weekly meals for the homeless or participate in regular worship -- the daily breakfast began only about a year ago.

It was a confluence of two things: neighbors complaining about the sometimes-disruptive scene on the landing, and Farley's baptism and increasing fixation with living his faith.


Growing up in the Bible Belt, and seeing what he describes as religion being used in national politics as a cultural sledgehammer, left him alienated but also curious. What was going on in churches? After the 2004 presidential election, his then-wife suggested that they browse a few services. They wound up at the United Methodist church near their home on Capitol Hill.

"I didn't think the church had much to offer, so I went more as an observer," he said. "Everyone else would bow their heads, and I would be looking around."

But if he was going to really explore church, that meant plunging in. Within a year, he'd been baptized and began asking a question he says he now thinks about constantly: How can I take the Gospel seriously?

Source:washingtonpost.com/

NMB: Bailey 'misled' administration in stolen gun report

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Director William Bailey has been placed on administrative leave after an investigation revealed a handgun stolen out of his personal vehicle was not properly secured.

Horry County Police were dispatched to Bailey's home after the director reported two of his personal vehicles had been broken into between 10 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday. Bailey told police he became suspicious of criminal activity after noticing his truck, parked in his driveway, had been left unlocked throughout the night.

After opening the driver's side door of the truck, a police report states Bailey found papers thrown over the seats and the glove compartment and center console opened. A handgun stored in the glove compartment, Horry County Police say, was among the items taken from the vehicle.

Bailey later discovered his wife's car, parked inside of a garage, had also been tampered with. Items were strewn across the inside of the vehicle, but Bailey was unable to identify any stolen items.

Further questioning of Bailey's family revealed his son discovered what he calls a "suspicious man" in the neighborhood around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 21. When Bailey's son pulled over his vehicle to question why the man was in the area, he said he was visiting his girlfriend.

The man then proceeded to reach into his camouflage backpack, for what Bailey's son presumed to be a gun, and drove off. Bailey's son told police he returned to his home, grabbed two baseball bats, and unsuccessfully attempted to track the unidentified man down.

On Wednesday, North Myrtle Beach officials released a statement revealing Bailey had been placed on administrative leave after an investigation revealed Bailey's glovebox did not have a lock on it. As stated in an incident report, Bailey's gun could not have been safely stored inside of his truck.

Officials say the statements made by Bailey misled North Myrtle Beach administration about the security of the weapon.

"I take full responsibility and regret my actions regarding how the weapon was stored and the statements made by the City to media on December 29 saying the weapon was secured in a locked glove box. I made those statements to administration and approved their release," said Bailey.

"The nature of any disciplinary action is considered a personnel matter," added North Myrtle Beach City Manager John Smithson. "The City of North Myrtle Beach apologizes for the incorrect information and will be working diligently to correct it and the actions taken by Director Bailey."

In a statement prepared by the City of North Myrtle Beach, spokeswoman Nicole Aiello says the stolen gun was property of North Myrtle Beach and identified it as Bailey's back-up weapon. His primary weapon was in his possession at the time of the incident.

Aiello says it is now Bailey's responsibility to pay for and replace the stolen semi-automatic handgun.

Horry County Police say Bailey's report adds to five others filed on breaking and entering complaints in the Little River subdivision.

Source:wmbfnews.com/

AT&T Underfire By Washington D.C.'s Attorney General

It would seem that the attorney general for Washington D.C. has filed a lawsuit against an AT&T inc branch, seeking to recover consumers unused balances on prepaid calling cards. The lawsuit states that AT&T should turn over unused balances left on prepaid cards where the last known address is Washington D.C. and have not used the card in three or more years.

Most states have an Escheat law (Unclaimed Property) that requires certain deposits, refunds, estates and much more, be turned over to the state after it goes unclaimed for a set period of time. The state will then hold it for a certain length of time (varies state to state) and if it still goes unclaimed, the property will revert to the state.

The attorney general for Washington D.C. claims that AT&T prepaid calling cards fall under Escheat Law as unclaimed property. These left over minutes are referred to as “Breakage” in the industry, and total in the neighborhood of 5 to 20 percent of the total balances purchased by customers

Source:geeksmack.net

Improve your outlook with projects, programs for 2010

This is a great time of the year to get out of the house and make memories, especially since a lot of people are trying to squeeze in more activity, learn something new or make other lifestyle changes that fit in with their resolutions for the new year.


Here are some fun, family-friendly ideas to consider:


Play and learn: Kids can play while grownups can add skills to their parenting toolboxes during the Hands On Children’s Museum’s free Power Parenting Series. This month’s class, which will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, covers positive ways to deal with stress and anger. Preregistration is required to ensure adequate staffing levels for child care; for more information, call the Hands On Children’s Museum at 360-956-0818 or the Family Support Center at 360-754-2629.


Go birding: Bundle up for cold weather and learn about ducks, seabirds and many of the other feathered friends that winter on Capitol Lake and around downtown Olympia during a guided bird walk, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The walk begins at Marathon Park on Capitol Lake, and will be led by retired Evergreen professor Burt Guttman, author of “Finding Your Wings: A Workbook for Beginning Bird Watchers.”


The trip is geared toward beginners, but birders of all levels are welcome to attend. “There’s something there for everyone,” said member Whittier Johnson, a member of the Black Hills Audubon Society. However, the event probably would be better suited to families with older children. “The little kids aren’t going to be focused,” Johnson said.


Unlike many Audubon events, there isn’t a limit for the class, and preregistration isn’t required. “Folks should show up and enjoy it,” Johnson said.


For information about the trip and other birding events, go to www. blackhillsaudubon.com or call 360-352-7299.


Create art: On the second Saturday of each month, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma hosts Family Day, where children and adults can create their own Chihuly-inspired projects. Families are invited to create seed bead and glittered snowflakes and felt mitten clips with artist Jennifer Adams from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Museum of Glass is at 1801 Dock St., Tacoma. Regular admission is $12 adults, $5 ages 6-12, and $36 for families (includes two adults and up to four children under 18). For more information, call 253-284-4750 or go to www.museumofglass.org.


Take in a concert: Join the fun with “Buck & Elizabeth: Animal Songs to Sing-a-long” at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 8th Ave. S.E., Olympia. The free event, geared to ages 3 to 6, will encourage children and their caregivers to sing, dance, use sign language and other movement. For more information, call 360-704-4636 or go to www.trlib.org.


Volunteer for a cause: Every year, more Americans vow to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day “a day on, not a day off” and participate in community service projects. Find a Jan. 18 activity to support at www.MLKday.gov or contact the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties at 360-741-2622.


Hit the ice: If you love the feel of winter activities without slippery driving conditions to area Sno-Parks and ski resorts, why not take the family to an ice skating rink? The Group Health Ice Arena in downtown Bellevue is the area’s only outdoor skating rink, and is open through Jan. 10. Regular admission is $10 and includes skate rental; cost is $7 if you bring your own skates. For more information, call 425-453-1223 or go to www. magicseason.com.

Source:theolympian.com/

White House attacks Cheney over his accusations that administration is soft on terror

It's the White House vs. Dick Cheney -- and the verbal attacks are heating up.

The Obama administration rebuked the former vice president over his comments that the White House was not forceful enough in its response to the attempted terrorist attack of a Northwest Airlines flight. Cheney claimed that Obama "is trying to pretend we are not at war" and is making America "less safe," CNN reported.

"He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won't be at war," Cheney said in the statement. "He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of 9/11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won't be at war. He seems to think if he closes Guantanamo and releases the hard-core Al Qaeda-trained terrorists still there, we won't be at war."

Within hours, the White House had rebutted Cheney's claims.

"It is telling that Vice President Cheney and others seem to be more focused on criticizing the administration than condemning the attackers," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer wrote on the White House blog. "Unfortunately, too many are engaged in the typical Washington game of pointing fingers and making political hay, instead of working together to find solutions to make our country safer."

And Pfeiffer went further, saying that it was the Bush-Cheney focus on Iraq that led to Al Qaeda's strengthened presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan and that President Obama is now making America safer by employing a strategy that focuses more resources on Afghanistan.

"To put it simply: This President is not interested in bellicose rhetoric. He is focused on action," Pffiefer wrote. "Seven years of bellicose rhetoric failed to reduce the threat from Al Qaeda and succeeded in dividing this country. And it seems strangely off-key now, at a time when our country is under attack, for the architect of those policies to be attacking the President."

Finally, Pfiffer attacked Cheney's comments that Obama acts like this country is not a war.

"There are numerous … public statements that explicitly state we are at war," Pfeifer wrote. "The difference is this: President Obama doesn't need to beat his chest to prove it, and – unlike the last administration – we are not at war with a tactic ("terrorism"), we are at war with something that is tangible: Al Qaeda and its violent extremist allies. And we will prosecute that war as long as the American people are endangered."

It may almost be a new year, but we're seeing the same old political battles.

Source:nydailynews.com/