Hospital workers can apply for jobs

MONROE, La. -- Current employees at E.A. Conway Medical Center can begin filling out online applications for the 550 positions at the hospital offered by its new operator starting Aug. 15.

Biomedical Research Foundation Hospital Holding Co., a nonprofit subsidiary of Biomedical Research Foundation in Shreveport, will take over management of the former public LSU hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe starting Oct. 1.

The News-Star reports (http://tnsne.ws/137YT0p ) Conway employees will have the first chance for job opportunities until Sept. 4. After that, any unfilled positions will be opened to the public.

The company expects to fill a majority of the positions with current hospital employees.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/03/3541003/hospital-workers-can-apply-for.html

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Twitter updates its rules for users after uproar over rape bomb threats

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Iran's supreme leader is preparing for the endorsement of the country's new president Hassan Rouhani.

On Saturday Rouhani will meet supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini at a mosque in Tehran to ...

Source: http://www.middleeaststar.com/index.php/sid/216216230/scat/d805653303cbbba8

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Canadian Oil Exports

I've had my fair share of experiences with the peculiarities surrounding Canadian oil production.

One of the most interesting took place a few years back...

It happened at the crack of dawn, less than an hour after I pulled into Fort McMurray.

Lady Luck was on my side as I convinced the clerk at the front desk of one of the few hotels in town to let me check in before 6 a.m.

I soon found myself in a standard hotel room, but with one slight exception: The place was full of plaques emblazoned in Chinese lettering ? surely a sign of things to come, with Sinopec's $4.65 billion oil sands deal coming less than a year after my visit.

That was my first run-in with the burgeoning Sino-Canadian relationship.

It wouldn't be my last.

You see, there's a new phrase being taught to Alberta's top oil execs: F?ich?ng g?nxi? n? w?i yu?ny?u.

Roughly translated, that's Chinese for "Thanks for the oil."

Our Home and Native Oil Dealer

If there's one country we take for granted, it's Canada.

This is especially true when it comes to crude.

Forget the Middle East, forget OPEC, and don't even think about Mexico...

Our neighbor to the north far and away feeds our oil addiction. This much is proven each month by the Energy Information Administration's import data.

We've watched this chart tick higher 28 of the last 32 years (click to enlarge):

Last May, we graciously accepted an average of 2.8 million barrels per day from Canada ? twice as much as we imported from Saudi Arabia, our second highest source for oil. In fact, it takes four of OPEC's largest producers to match our Canadian imports!

Uncle Sam, on the other hand, hasn't exactly returned this oil gift in kind. The multi-year feet-dragging delay for government approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline is a perfect example.

What the U.S. government doesn't realize is that the Canadian oil industry won't wait around for the green light...

Things are about to change for the country's oil exports. And soon.

Mandarin Madness

It should be obvious to anyone outside of the D.C. Beltway that if we don't want more Canadian oil?? or if we continue to spurn it?? Asia will gladly take it.

The Chinese are waiting with open arms...

In the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook by the EIA, a nugget of information was glossed over by most people who took the time to read it: For the first time ever, non-OECD (think: China, India, Russia) oil consumption will surpass that of OECD countries by next year.

It's a trend we had better get used to, as non-OECD oil demand is expected to top 45.9 million per day in 2014.

Now, I'm not suggesting that Canada will suddenly stop sending us oil. But I have a feeling they've already found a better customer.

Our analysts have traveled the world over, dedicated to finding the best and most profitable investments in the global energy markets. All you have to do to join our Energy and Capital investment community is sign up for the newsletter below. You'll also get our free report, Energy & Capital's Oil & Gas Monthly Report.

Buried Lines Feed the Far East's Oil Addiction

Earlier this week, a small press release from Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) was buried in the political drivel you and I are inundated with on a daily basis.

(Don't feel too bad if you missed it. I can count on one hand my friends who know Canada even has a National Energy Board.)

The NEB announced the environmental impact of production from the massive Canadian oil sands deposits won't play a role in the review of a new pipeline project by Kinder Morgan.

It's called the Trans Mountain pipeline system, and Kinder Morgan wants to nearly triple its capacity to almost 900,000 barrels per day.

Rather than transporting crude south, the Trans Mountain Pipeline ships it west from Alberta to British Columbia.

Think about this for a moment...

If the oil sands production weren't taken into account in TransCanada's project, approval would've been given back in 2008.

So while TransCanada's wait to ship more Canadian oil to U.S. refineries goes on endlessly, Kinder Morgan will help Canada tap into the crude-hungry Asian market.

And every barrel they send to the Far East is one less available for us.

For individual investors, the difference between the two stocks' performance has been considerable over the past year:

The major difference between TransCanada and Kinder Morgan's projects is that only one will get approval.

Unfortunately, it won't be the U.S. who will benefit from all this...

But there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't be beating the returns on both of these pipeline stocks.

My readers have been doing just that, day in and day out, for years now...

Because even with global oil demand shifting to favor those developing non-OECD countries, the most lucrative investments remain at home in the States.

This is how just one of our Bakken picks stacks up against the aforementioned pipeline companies:

Learn more about the three U.S. oil stocks we're buying now.

The good news is you won't have to brush up on your Mandarin...

Until next time,

Keith Kohl

@KeithKohl1 on Twitter

A true insider in the energy markets, Keith is one of few financial reporters to have visited the Alberta oil sands. His research has helped thousands of investors capitalize from the rapidly changing face of energy. Keith connects with hundreds of thousands of readers as the Managing Editor of Energy & Capital as well as Investment Director of Angel Publishing's Energy Investor. For years, Keith has been providing in-depth coverage of the Bakken, the Haynesville Shale, and the Marcellus natural gas formations ? all ahead of the mainstream media. For more on Keith, go to his editor's page.

Media / Interview Requests? Click Here.

Source: http://feeds.energyandcapital.com/~r/angel-keith-kohl/~3/myAJJRUV_Dc/3694

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Gas pipeline: Pakistan wants Iran to finance project in full ? The ...

Foreig?n Office to assess impact of US sancti?ons on the projec?t.

?we will discuss the project with the new Iranian cabinet for seeking the entire financing,? says Petroleum minister. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:?

As the government is aware that US sanctions may hamper financing for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, it has decided to place a request before the new Iranian government for completely financing the vital energy project.

Iran had committed to the previous PPP-led government a loan of $500 million for laying the pipeline in Pakistan, which would cost more than $1 billion. The two governments also agreed to award construction contract to Iranian firm Tadbir Energy. However, the contract could not be signed in the absence of sovereign guarantees by Pakistan.

Speaking to the media here on Friday, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stressed that the government would continue work on the IP gas pipeline and ?we will discuss the project with the new Iranian cabinet for seeking the entire financing.?

Iran was facing sanctions and the Foreign Office had been asked to assess the impact of US curbs on the project, he said. Turkey and Armenia are already getting supplies from Iran.

LNG terminal

Talking about liquefied natural gas (LNG) import from Qatar, Abbasi said Qatari government had asked Pakistan to build an LNG terminal before going for a gas supply deal. So far, no agreement had been signed for LNG import from Qatar, he clarified.

?I visited Qatar along with Punjab chief minister, but the Qatari energy minister asked us to give a commitment that LNG terminal will be built first,? he said.

Many countries have set up terminals first and then signed the gas supply deal. ?We will follow this model,? Abbasi said.

The consultant for LNG import has proposed that Pakistan bring the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on board for guarantees in an effort to avoid providing government guarantees.

?We want LNG suppliers to accept guarantees provided by gas companies rather than government guarantees,? he said and declared that Pakistan would not import LNG from Qatar if the price was not feasible.

He made it clear that the government would not explore the option of striking a state-to-state deal for LNG import from Qatar and said Doha had varying gas price agreements with different countries.

Earlier, it provided LNG at $2 to $3 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) to Japan, which has now signed a deal at $16 to $17 per mmbtu. Similarly, India had struck an initial deal at $3 per mmbtu, but now it reached an agreement at $19 per mmbtu.

India has also expressed interest in exporting LNG to Pakistan but has demanded a higher price, which Abbasi said was not acceptable. ?We have asked India to revise the price.?

According to the minister, bids will be invited for import of 200 million cubic feet per day of LNG on fast track through a terminal along with a jetty. In this programme, five parties are interested who claim that they will be able to bring LNG in six to eight months.

He expected the government to sign a 10-year contract with the successful bidder and tolling charges would be paid to the terminal owner. ?LNG imports will start in mid-October under this project,? he expressed the hope.

In the second option, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had invited bids for starting work on a retrofit project for LNG import. In this programme, SSGC will convert Progas LPG terminal into an LNG handing facility. Technical bids had been opened, but financial bids were not.

?We have asked SSGC board of directors to examine the financial bids. The government will push ahead with this project if it is technically and financially feasible,? he said.

4Gas Asia has qualified for it and, according to Abbasi, PPRA rules also allowed the award of contract to a single supplier.

Apart from this, two offshore projects of 500 mmcfd each were under consideration, which could be at Port Bin Qasim or Gwadar Port. ?We can save $500 to $700 million per annum if we change fuel (from oil to gas),? he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2013.

Like?Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz?on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

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Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/585732/foreign-office-to-assess-impact-of-us-sanctions-on-the-project/

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Surprise! This is the least productive Congress ever. (VIDEO) (Washington Post)

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2014 Pro Bowl: Backyard Football in Hawaii?

The NFL may be the most exciting and entertaining league in America. The NFL's Pro Bowl, on the other hand, may be the worst all-star game in sports. Will the new look of the 2014 Pro Bowl in Hawaii help or hurt a game that is dying in interest?

As a long time fan of football, I used to joke that the reason Valentine's Day is on the 14th of February is because it is fresh off of football season and gives men the opportunity to do something big for their lady after five months of absent Sundays. While the Super Bowl may be the most anticipated game of the year, there is also a bittersweet feeling, knowing that this will be the last meaningful football game for another seven months.

Since the Pro Bowl moved to the week prior to the Super Bowl, all participants of the big game are not allowed to play in the Pro Bowl. Sure, this is a good rule, but coincidentally, the Pro Bowl has been so bad the past three seasons that Roger Goddell was strongly considering getting rid of the game. Sandwiching the Pro Bowl between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl has clearly pulled any interest away from what was already a very pointless game to begin with.

NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth proposed what turned out to be a fun and maybe more wacky way to play the Pro Bowl in 2014. Let's get the best players in football together and play an exhibition more like a backyard football game.

While the fans will still get to vote on who will play in the Pro Bowl, it will be without affiliation to the AFC or NFC. It will simply be that the top vote getters, regardless of conference, will be in the "Pro Bowl Free Agent" pool. And guess what fantasy football freaks? The teams will now be drafted, pick by pick, live on NFL Network! Oh boy!!

Oh, it gets better. Two lucky NFL.com fantasy football winners, two top Pro Bowl vote getters, and two Hall of Famers (Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders) will be picking the teams. While it would be awesome to have all of the players in line on the field live being picked just like a backyard football game, I don't see that happening. I hope I'm wrong though...

While the Pro Bowl draft could actually end up being a more viewed event than the Pro Bowl itself, it looks like the NFL is doing all it can to resuscitate a game that is pretty close to dead. I have to admit, I think it will be pretty cool to see who picks who from each team. I haven't watched a Pro Bowl in almost a decade, but I will watch this draft.

Some of the rule changes to the game really make me scratch my head. If you want to see all of the changes, feel free to click this link on NFL.com. I thought I would mention the ones that caught my attention.

(Rule changes in quotes listed below courtesy of the NFL.com link mentioned)

Game within the Game -- A two-minute warning will be added to the first and third quarters and the ball will change hands after each quarter. This will increase the opportunities for quarterbacks to direct "two-minute drills," which are especially exciting for fans.

What? Why? Do we really think that falsely creating 'two minute warning" situations at the end of each quarter will really change the game? If anything, all that is going to happen is that the QB will chunk it even more throughout the game. There were 12 touchdown passes thrown in the 2012 Pro Bowl. I'm not seeing the point of treating the end of quarters like they are end of halves.

No Kickoffs -- The coin toss will determine which team is awarded possession first. The ball will be placed on the 25-yard line at the start of each quarter and after scoring plays.

Party on Pro Bowl kickers and punters! Go ahead Morstead, order that extra pina colada. You won't be needed much today. It will be like college football overtime, but from the other side of the field. Devin Hester and Leon Washington do not appreciate this.

Rosters -- The rosters will continue to consist of 43 players per squad. The kick return specialist will be replaced by an additional defensive back.

Hester and Washington take their ball and go home. While I enjoy the special teams part of the game, the NFL has no interest in showcasing this. If anything, the focus is all offense vs defense eleven guys in a different colored jersey.

Cover Two and Press Coverage -- The defense will be permitted to play "cover two" and "press" coverage. In previous years, only "man" coverage was permitted, except for goal line situations.

Well it's about damn time. So are we possibly going to see the offenses get challenged again? In each of the past three seasons, the two Pro Bowl teams combined for 95+ points. Again, 12 touchdown passes thrown in the 2012 Pro Bowl. That's just silly numbers.

Stopping of the Game Clock -- Beginning at the two-minute mark of every quarter, if the offense does not gain at least one yard, the clock will stop as if the play were an incomplete pass. This rule will make the team with the ball attempt to gain yardage toward the end of each quarter.

My goodness. Is this for real? So to get this straight, not only is the QB in a "two minute drill" situation, but the clock stops if the run or screen pass is a busted play or stopped well by the defense? I assume the 5+ TDs scored by each team the past 3 seasons isn't enough?

What's next? A "five Mississippi" rush? All offensive linemen are always eligible receivers? Take away the first down markers and just say "three completions is a first down"? Let's go true backyard football. Play the game in an empty lot down the block and make "between the Saints cap and Mom's lawn chair" the goal line. Now THAT would be fun to watch.

I am not a fan of the Pro Bowl, but I can appreciate what could be the NFL's last effort in creating interest in a game that can actually be pretty boring to watch. Honestly, I believe that the Pro Bowl draft will help create some buzz about the game. But as far as the product on the field, I don't see how it won't be more of the same. What do you guys think about the Pro Bowl and all of the changes? Are you a traditionalist and hate to see the AFC vs NFC rivalry go or are you ready for some Pro Bowl drafting? Do you wish the Pro Bowl would just go away? While collecting your thoughts, check out the effort on pass defense in last year's Pro Bowl. Wow.

Source: http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2013/8/1/4577644/2014-nfl-pro-bowl-changes

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CallRec Pro - Record Phone Calls - Apple iPhone App Promo Codes to Giveaway

	Giveaway Has Ended
	CallRec allows you to record your iPhone calls, both incoming and outgoing calls. The call recordings are stored on our server and you can listen to them from the app or email a link so you can listen or download them from the web to your computer. ... (scroll down to enter giveaway OR read more...).
	Developer / Publisher: Telestar LTD
	Category: Utilities
	Platform: iPhone	8.99 Buy now
Original price of the app at time of giveaway.
How to enter: Do one of the following or even better all 4 for 'BONUS ENTRIES' then click 'Enter Giveaway' (see below) and feel free to leave a comment too? Like this app on Facebook = 2 Entries Tweet this post on Twitter = 2 Entries Join AppGiveaway on Facebook = 1 Entry Follow AppGiveaway on Twitter = 1 Entry
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Source: http://www.appgiveaway.com/id/1243/Utilities/2013/23/07/CallRec-Pro---Record-Phone-Calls-apple-iPhone-app-promo-codes-to-giveaway/

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VIDEO: Facebook post claims California man would shoot disobedient dog

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Explosion in Syrian city of Homs kills 40: monitoring group

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Forty people were killed and at least 120 people were wounded in an explosion at a weapons cache in the central Syrian city of Homs on Thursday, a group opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said.

The explosion occurred in the south-eastern district of Wadi al-Dhahab, which the army has taken over, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group has a network of sources in the opposition and state security forces.

The Observatory said the casualties were soldiers and civilians and that some of the wounded were in a critical condition.

(Reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/huge-explosion-hits-syrias-homs-city-video-135735860.html

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Viral Bigfoot Video: Hikers' Footage May Show Sasquatch in Canada

Visit on your tablet, smartphone, or computer during the show for an exclusive feed LIVE from the ?Hannity? control room. The show?s producers will post videos, articles and slideshows related to what Sean and his guests are talking about in real time.?

This is the place to join-up with other fans nightly.?Test your knowledge in ?Hannity?s History Exam,? and take part in exclusive flash polls.?So, tune in at 9p?ET on Fox News Channel, and point your Internet browser to ?Hannity Live.??It?s fun, it's easy, and it?s free!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FoxNewsInsider/~3/HWRONj2TwDA/viral-bigfoot-video-hikers-footage-may-show-sasquatch-canada

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Samsung caught cheating in benchmarks with the Galaxy S4

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Uruguay's House OKs legal marijuana market plan

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) ? Uruguay's unprecedented plan to create a legal marijuana market won its critical first step Wednesday in the lower house of Congress.

All 50 members of the ruling Broad Front coalition approved the proposal just before midnight Wednesday in a party line vote, keeping a narrow majority of the 96 lawmakers present after more than 13 hours of passionate debate.

The measure now goes to the Senate, where passage is expected to make Uruguay the first country in the world to license and enforce rules for the production, distribution and sale of marijuana for adult consumers.

Legislators in the ruling coalition said putting the government at the center of a legal marijuana industry is worth trying because the global war on drugs had been a costly and bloody failure, and displacing illegal dealers through licensed pot sales could save money and lives.

They also hope to eliminate a legal contradiction in Uruguay, where it has been legal to use pot but against the law to sell it, buy it, produce it or possess even one marijuana plant.

"Uruguay appears poised, in the weeks ahead, to become the first nation in modern times to create a legal, regulated framework for marijuana," said John Walsh, a drug policy expert at the Washington Office on Latin America. "In doing so, Uruguay will be bravely taking a leading role in establishing and testing a compelling alternative to the prohibitionist paradigm."

Opponents of the proposal warned that marijuana is a gateway drug and said fostering the bad habits of addicts is playing with fire.

President Jose Mujica had postponed voting for six months to give supporters more time to rally public opinion. However, recent polls said two-thirds of Uruguayans remained opposed despite a "responsible regulation" campaign for the bill.

National Party Deputy Gerardo Amarilla said the government was underestimating the risk of marijuana, which he called a "gateway drug" for other chemical addictions that foster violent crimes.

"Ninety-eight percent of those who are today destroying themselves with base cocaine began with marijuana," Amarilla said. "I believe that we're risking too much. I have the sensation that we're playing with fire."

Dozens of pro-marijuana activists followed the debate from balconies overlooking the house floor, while others outside held signs and danced to reggae music.

"This law consecrates a reality that already exists: The marijuana sales market has existed for a long time, but illegally, buying it from traffickers, and in having plants in your house for which you can be thrown in jail," said Camilo Collazo, a 25-year-old anthropology student. "We want to put an end to this, to clean up and normalize the situation."

Mujica, for his part, said he never consumed marijuana, but that the regulations are necessary because many other people do. "Never in my life did I try it, nor do I have any idea what it is," he told the local radio station Carve.

The heavy toll, costs and questionable results of military responses to illegal drugs have motivated marijuana legalization initiatives in the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington, and inspired many world leaders to re-think drug laws.

The secretary-general of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Inzulza, told Mujica last week that his members had no objections. Pope Francis, however, said during his visit to Brazil that the "liberalization of drugs, which is being discussed in several Latin American countries, is not what will reduce the spread of chemical substances."

Under the legislation, Uruguay's government would license growers, sellers and consumers, and update a confidential registry to keep people from buying more than 40 grams a month.

Carrying, growing or selling pot without a license could bring prison terms, but licensed consumers could grow up to six plants at a time at home.

Growing clubs with up to 45 members each would be encouraged, fostering enough marijuana production to drive out unlicensed dealers and draw a line between pot smokers and users of harder drugs.

The latest proposal "has some adjustments, aimed at strengthening the educational issue and prohibiting driving under the effects of cannabis," ruling coalition deputy Sebastian Sabini said. "There will be self-growing clubs, and it will also be possible to buy marijuana in pharmacies" that is mass-produced by private companies.

An Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis would be created, with the power to grant licenses for all aspects of a legal industry to produce marijuana for recreational, medicinal or industrial use.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uruguays-house-oks-legal-marijuana-market-plan-024441970.html

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Analysis: Pope's revolution; not all are pleased

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The Francis Revolution is underway. Not everyone is pleased.

Four months into his papacy, Francis has called on young Catholics in the trenches to take up spiritual arms to shake up a dusty, doctrinaire church that is losing faithful and relevance. He has said women must have a greater role ? not as priests, but a place in the church that recognizes that Mary is more important than any of the apostles. And he has turned the Vatican upside down, quite possibly knocking the wind out of a poisonously homophobic culture by merely uttering the word "gay" and saying: so what?

In between, he has charmed millions of faithful and the mainstream news media, drawing the second-largest crowd ever to a papal Mass. That should provide some insurance as he goes about doing what he was elected to do: reform not just the dysfunctional Vatican bureaucracy but the church itself, using his own persona and personal history as a model.

"He is restoring credibility to Catholicism," said church historian Alberto Melloni.

Such enthusiasm isn't shared across the board.

Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, had coddled traditionalist Catholics attached to the old Latin Mass and opposed to the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. That group greeted Francis' election with concern ? and now is watching its worst fears come true. Francis has spoken out both publicly and privately against such "restoratist groups," which he accuses of being navel-gazing retrogrades out of touch with the evangelizing mission of the church in the 21st century.

His recent decision to forbid priests of a religious order from celebrating the old Latin Mass without explicit authorization seemed to be abrogating one of the big initiatives of Benedict's papacy, a 2007 decree allowing broader use of the pre-Vatican II Latin liturgy for all who want it. The Vatican denied he was contradicting Benedict, but these traditional Catholics see in Francis' words and deeds a threat. They are in something of a retreat.

"Be smart. There will be time in the future for people to sort what Vatican II means and what it doesn't mean," the Rev. John Zuhlsdorf warned his traditionalist readers in a recent blog post. "But mark my words: If you gripe about Vatican II right now, in this present environment, you could lose what you have attained."

Even more mainstream conservative Catholics aren't thrilled with Francis.

In a recent interview with the National Catholic Reporter, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput said right-wing Catholics "generally have not been really happy" with Francis.

To be sure, Francis has not changed anything about church teaching. Nothing he has said or done is contrary to doctrine; everything he has said and done champions the Christian concepts of loving the sinner but not the sin and having a church that is compassionate, welcoming and merciful.

But tone and priorities can themselves constitute change, especially when considering issues that aren't being emphasized, such as church doctrine on abortion, gay marriage and other issues frequently referenced by Benedict and Pope John Paul II.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, used the word "gay" for perhaps the first time in its 150-year history on Wednesday, in an article marveling at the change Francis has brought.

"In just a few words, the novelty has been expressed clearly and without threatening the church's tradition," the newspaper said about Francis' comments on gays and women. "You can change everything without changing the basic rules, those on which Catholic tradition are based."

The biggest headline came in Francis' inflight news conference on the way home from Brazil this week, when he was asked about a trusted monsignor who reportedly once had a gay lover.

"Who am I to judge?" he asked, when it comes to the sexual orientation of priests, as long as they are searching for God and have good will.

Under normal circumstances, given the sexual morality at play in the Catholic Church, outing someone as actively gay is a death knell for career advancement. Vatican officials considering high-profile appointments often weigh whether someone is "ricattabile" ? blackmailable.

But Francis said he investigated the allegations himself and found nothing to back them up. And that regardless, if someone is gay and repents, God not only forgives but forgets. Francis said everyone else should too. By calling out the blackmail for what it is, Francis may well have clipped the wings of an ugly but common practice at the Vatican.

Francis also made headlines with his call for the church to develop a new theology of women's role, saying it's not enough to have altar girls or a woman heading a Vatican department given the critical role that women have in helping the church grow.

While those comments topped the news from the 82-minute news conference, he revealed plenty of other insights that reinforce the idea that a very different papacy is underway.

?Annulments: He said the church's judicial system of annulling marriages must be "looked at again" because church tribunals simply aren't up to the task. That could be welcome news to many Catholics who often have to wait years for an annulment, the process by which the church determines that a marriage effectively never took place.

?Divorce and remarriage: He suggested an opening in church teaching which forbids a divorced and remarried Catholic from taking communion unless they get an annulment, saying: "This is a time for mercy."

?Church governance: He said his decision to appoint eight cardinals to advise him was based on explicit requests from cardinals at the conclave that elected him who wanted "outsiders" ? not Vatican officials ? governing the church. Francis obliged, essentially creating a parallel government for the church alongside the Vatican bureaucracy: a pope and a cabinet of cardinals representing the church in each of the continents.

And then there was Rio.

From the moment he touched down, it was clear change was afoot. No armored popemobile, just a simple Fiat sedan ? one that got swarmed by adoring fans when it got lost and stuck in traffic. Rather than recoil in fear, Francis rolled down his window. Given that popes until recently were carried around on a chair to keep them above the fray, that gesture alone was revolutionary.

He told 35,000 pilgrims from his native Argentina to make a "mess" in their dioceses, shake things up and go out into the streets to spread their faith, even at the expense of confrontation with their bishops. He led by example, diving into the crowds in one of Rio's most violent slums.

"Either you do the trip as it needs to be done, or you don't do it at all," he told Brazil's TV Globo. He said he simply couldn't have visited Rio "closed up in a glass box."

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-popes-revolution-not-pleased-152328275.html

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5 critically hurt in Central Florida gas plant explosion | Video

Massive explosions rocked a central Florida propane gas plant, sending seven people to area hospitals. All the workers at the plant were accounted for early Tuesday after officials initially could not account for more than a dozen employees.

As five workers at a Tavares gas plant were being treated Tuesday afternoon for critical injuries suffered in a massive explosion, federal authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blasts and probe other safety issues.

At least eight people were injured as blasts ripped through the Blue Rhino facility in Lake County late Monday night, where workers refurbish old propane cylinders and refill them to sell again.

Early Tuesday morning, Tavares Fire Chief Richard Keith told reporters on scene that, "we don't think there was any act of sabotage or anything like that."

Instead, he said, the massive fire was likely due to an equipment or human error.

Firefighters and paramedics treated a total of nine patients late Monday and into Tuesday morning. Gov. Rick Scott, who was in Orlando to make a jobs announcement at the Golf Channel headquarters, was expected to visit the Blue Rhino site today and meet with first-responders, Lake County commissioners were told.

Five of those are in critical condition, according to Jerry Smith, Lake Emergency Medical Services interim executive director, who briefed commissioners mid-Tuesday morning.

One of those patients treated was not on staff at the plant but was treated for smoke inhalation.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration opened an investigation into the incident, said U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Lindsay Williams.

"We don't have any details regarding the event. As is standard OSHA policy, OSHA has up to six months from the beginning of its investigation to issue its findings and determine whether any OSHA standards were violated," Williams said. "OSHA does not issue preliminary or interim reports, so we won't be able to comment on the investigation until the final report is issued."

Workers at the Blue Rhino plant take old propane cylinders, clean them, refurbish them, fill them and then package the tanks for shipping. It is one of roughly 60 licensed petroleum gas dealers licensed in Central Florida.

As of Monday, there were about 53,000, 20-pound propane tanks on site.

The fire came from those canisters, most of which ignited in the blaze. Due to the intensity of the flames, Keith said, firefighters had to let it burn itself out to some degree.

The three bulk tanks on the property ? which hold a total of 90,000 pounds of propane ? did not ignite in the fire, he said.

However, early Tuesday afternoon, an inspector found a small leak in one of those larger tanks, a city official said. Officials said it was under control and no cause for serious concern.

Still, authorities this afternoon confirmed they have to drain one of the roughly 30,000-gallon bulk tanks because it was damaged during the explosion.

Draining the tank will take about three to four hours. It was hit by something during the explosions and there is a leak on the top of the valve.

"The fact that those things didn't explode, that's the reason I go to church on Sunday," said Eric Wages, the battalion chief for the Tavares Fire station closest to the Blue Rhino plant.

One of those massive tanks had a black smudge, a sign it was hit by a flying 20-pound tank.

"They're ... mini A-bombs," Lake County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Croughwell said of the bulk tanks.

He feared a "BLEVE," a boiling liquid, expanding-vapor explosion.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/os-florida-gas-plant-explosion-update-20130730,0,5314287.story?track=rss

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