Leather businessman makes bid for mayor

JOHNSTOWN - Local leather businessman Larry Razzano announced this week he is seeking the Republican nomination for city mayor.

"I am honest, up front, true to my word," he stated. "As you all know, I call a spade a spade. I would like to lead this city to a new motto: 'Let's Go to the Basics.'"

The 66-year-old Razzano - a political newcomer and lifelong Johnstown resident - is in a three-way GOP primary for mayor. Current Republican Mayor Sarah Slingerland is not running for a third-consecutive. four-year term.

Also seeking the Republican nomination for mayor in the Sept. 10 primary are 3rd Ward Councilwoman Helen Martin and city Water Board member Scott Jeffers. The winner will face Democrat Michael Julius, a retired pharmacist, in the Nov. 5 general election. Martin also is on the Conservative ballot in November.

Razzano owns Razzano Leather at 30 S. Melcher St. He said he has been in the trucking and leather business for more than 42 years but is now "semi-retired."

"I know a lot about the city," the businessman said.

Razzano said he will be very accessible to the public at City Hall as mayor.

Razzano said he first thought to run for mayor about four years ago. He said his business knowledge, contacts, and past experience with previous and current officials in Johnstown make him an especially good candidate for mayor. He also noted the city is moving toward possibly cleaning up the old Karg Bros. tannery site off North Perry Street, to make it developable. He said it is something he has "had in mind" for many years and will certainly assist with as the new mayor.

"My thing is to clean up that project," Razzano said.

As mayor, he said he hopes to foster a culture in the city that utilizes "common sense" approaches to government and an environment where there are "people working with people." Razzano said he hopes to run a smooth city government in which people are given a chance to improve "that great city of Johnstown."

"Being a lifelong Johnstownian, I know most of the people here in Johnstown and they know me," Razzano said. "I am well known to everyone here in the community. I was in the trucking business for 19 years and in the leather business for 23 years."

Because he already knows the city officials - as well as state Sen. Hugh T. Farley, R-Niskayuna, and state Assemblyman Marc W. Butler, R-Newport - he said will get things done.

"I know I can work with these people," Razzano said.

Razzano and his wife, Laura, live at 318 N. Perry St. The couple has four grown children.

The Johnstown High School graduate has served on many civic organizations over the years. He played for the Glove Cities Colonials for 11 years and has been a 44-year member of the Johnstown Eagles Club. With the Eagles, he was a six-year treasurer, 28-year trustee and served 18 years as head of the bell-jar program, with a more than $1 million handle for the state Racing and Wagering Board.

Razzano has been inducted into three "hall of fames" - New York state Eagles, Fulton County Bowlers, and Glove Cities Colonials.

Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at manich@leaderherald.com.

Source: http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/557738.html

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Murky Data Muddy Debate on Chinese Consumers' Strength

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Source: http://feeds.wsjonline.com/~r/wsj/xml/rss/3_7011/~3/Ia3VJGroqV0/SB10001424127887323997004578641861183467412.html

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Queens of the Stone Age Concert Review - Metro Lollapalooza Pre ...

Queens of the Stone Age kicked off Lollapalooza weekend a bit early with a special pre-show Thursday night at Metro...

"Rock is dead" has become the popular go-to of late, especially as one of the reasons when it comes to explaining declining album sales.

But following the June 4th release of their sixth studio album, ...Like Clockwork, Queens of the Stone Age debuted at number one on the Billboard albums chart selling a whopping 91,000 albums in an era where people don't buy them, knocking the ubiquitous Daft Punk from the number one perch in the process.

All of which places them as arguably one of the biggest rock bands in the land as they approach their Friday night slot as one of Lollapalooza's 2013 headliners... making their intimate Thursday night pre-show at Metro that much more special before Friday's victory lap in front of a few more people in Grant Park.

"We're always so happy to come to Chicago, an amazing city..." said frontman Josh Homme. ?"This is a wonderful place, the Metro... really f---ing cool."

From the get-go Thursday, the band plowed through an hour and forty-five minute set that focused largely on ...Like Clockwork and 2002's Songs for the Deaf (those two album comprised more than half the set).

Following a brief pause early on when the band just couldn't seem to get the guitars loud enough (Homme frequently motioned for more volume for both his and Troy Van Leeuwen's guitars), the band continued to deliver their unique sound virtually non-stop, a riff-heavy mix that includes elements of everything from metal to blues.

But the key throughout was the band's incredible ability to craft an indelible groove. ?That particular element of the band's arsenal was on full display often but most notably on a pair of new tracks: ?"If I had a Tail" and "Smooth Sailing."

The former, despite not even being one of ...Like Clockwork's singles (yet), was yelled for throughout the night and the crowd went ballistic when the band finally complied. ?Both of those tracks are indicative of the new album's biggest strength - a pop sensibility that's present under the sludge and had people dancing Thursday night.

Thursday night's crowd was great. ?Everyone was familiar with all of the material, well versed even in the new stuff... And for a band that's been around since the late nineties, you don't usually get that.

But it was the more rocking moments Thursday night that had the crowd in a frenzy - specifically a fantastic, blues drenched jam that allowed the band to stretch out during "Burn the Witch" and the pummeling one-two punch of "I Think I Lost my Headache" and "Go With the Flow" back-to-back.

Though the best was saved for last. ?"This song is the best way we know of saying thank you" said Homme as the band launched into a drawn out version of "A Song for the Dead." ?Each band member got their chance to shine within the song's nooks and crannies while the false stops and frenetic guitar attack gave the crowd every opportunity to thrash with reckless abandon.

I've never seen a Metro crowd empty out en masse the way this one did following "A Song for the Dead" - there was just clearly no way the band was coming back for another encore after their performance of that song.

Long considered the kings of stoner rock, it was a thrill to watch Queens of the Stone Age perform at the top of their powers as one of the biggest rock acts in the world Thursday night onstage at one of the smallest, warmest clubs in the city.

I joked on Facebook?before the show that Thursday's Queens of the Stone Age set at Metro had the potential to be the best thing we'd see all weekend... Now I'm thinking it might have been the best thing I'll see in 2013.

- Jim Ryan

(Don't miss Queens of the Stone Age Friday night at Lollapalooza at 6:15PM on the Bud Light stage)

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Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-at-night/2013/08/review-queens-of-the-stone-age-lollapalooza-metro/

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Smartphone Addiction Can Lead to Edgy, Overweight Teens ...

Kat is an entrepreneur; she opened a bakery on her own and is working hard to get the business off the ground. She spends nights baking pastries and breads for the next morning, and though she does this from her home kitchen, she?s often preoccupied. She and her children are together, but somehow not together.

Kat is the mother of Josh, 15, and Rebecca, 11. Every other weekend, and occasionally on Wednesday nights, the kids are with their father. Two years ago, Kat added two lines to her existing cellular service and made the decision to get both the kids a cell phone. She wanted them to be able to communicate with her when away from home or at their father?s; she felt she needed the reassurance that she could reach them and vice versa, at any time. At the cellular phone store, Kat was convinced that smartphones would be best; they are ?what everyone uses now? according to the customer service rep, who offered her a good deal.

Here?s what a typical evening with the kids looks like: Kat prepares dinner and thinks hard about what needs to be baked and whether her prices are right. Is she making a profit? Should she consider expanding the kitchen? While she?s hard at work and thinking about her business, Josh sits in the corner chair with homework in his lap. However, each time Kat glances at her son, his face is lit by the glow of his phone. What Kat doesn?t realize is that Josh is sending about 3,000 texts per month, in line with the research on the numbers of technology use by teens. One hundred texts per day means Josh is nearly always texting or reading texts. And he?s connected to his peers via Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. When not texting, Josh is posting photos, sending photos to friends, viewing photos, commenting on photos, posting thoughts on Twitter, and even playing games he?s downloaded to his phone. It?s no wonder that Kat feels her son has grown distant, but she has chalked this up to ?typical teen behavior? ? after all, he?s becoming more independent and that?s normal. Still, his grades have fallen and whenever Kat tries to discuss this subject or any other with her son, he appears distracted.

Rebecca, even at 11, is no different from her brother. Her face is nearly always turned downward, observing the phone in her hands. She has said that she is ?addicted to Facebook.? Kat was initially unaware that a person should be 13 before signing up to Facebook, but after discovering this, she felt it would be too much to demand her daughter shut her account down. She didn?t want to deal with the conflict that would result; she was simply too overwhelmed with being a mother and a business owner. Kat decided that Facebook was probably harmless. Her own friends mostly used it to post the innocuous details of daily life as well as photos of their kids. What could be bad about that? Still, unbeknownst to Kat, Rebecca had a secret account, separate from the one on which she?d ?friended? her mom.

It was their father who decided to enforce a rule that when the kids are with him, they must put their phones away except in cases of emergency or when they received a call from their mother. The kids protested. They?d always accepted their father?s authority, but suddenly they?d grown defiant, testy, restless to check their Twitter feed and their Instagram comments. They demanded to be able to text their friends. Holding to his new rule was harder than their father thought it would be.

The Research on Kids and Technology Use

According to the Washington Post, today?s teens spend more than 7¹/_2?hours a day consuming media ? watching TV, listening to music, surfing the Web, social networking, and playing video games, according to a 2010 study of 8- to 18-year-olds conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.??Seven-and-a-half hours a day is difficult to imagine, as it?s more than half a typical day. The research would appear to suggest that kids may be using personal technology when at school, usually a violation of school rules. But as Josh says, ?everybody does it.?

Is this tendency isolated to youth? ?According to a 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center, 46 percent of all American adults now own a smartphone ? up a whopping 25% from 2011.? When parents are also checking their digital devices at an alarming rate, the trend of technology consumption cannot be limited to children, however more easily distracted they may be. Even Kat checks her phone regularly as if on automatic pilot.

Can This Trend Be Harmful?

Kids who are connected to technology spend less time in unstructured play ? playing basketball in the driveway with friends, for example. Technology can keep them sedentary, and this may be a large component of the trend of increased obesity in children and teens. There may also be deficits in social connections and in-person communication. Teens who spend most of their free time connected to the Internet and other technologies frequently report a preference in using the screen to communicate rather than in-person interaction.

A Korean government study reported that almost 20 percent of teens are ?addicted? to technology. To be an addiction, there must be withdrawal symptoms when the object of addiction is removed. In the case of these teenagers, anxiety and depression occurred when they were unable to access technology. And the teens reported being much happier when they were using their smartphones than when interacting with family or friends.

Parents can help their children and teens by becoming aware of the impact of smartphone use and talking to their kids about the drawbacks. Suggest or demand that everyone turn off their notifications, so that the temptation to check the phone every time it beeps is diminished. Never check your phone when driving, and set a good example. Practicing what you preach is critical.

Josh and Rebecca are typical kids, and their smartphone behavior is no exception. As their parents began to communicate about what unfettered access to these devices was doing to the kids and to the family as a whole, they agreed to become more aware, to communicate more, and to set times when smartphones were off limits. Though the kids protested in the beginning, eventually the new rules were simply a way of life, and everyone benefited. Josh?s grades are even up again.

Tags: technology, teens

Source: http://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/addiction-research/smartphone-addiction-can-lead-to-edgy-overweight-teens/

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Moto X Vs. iPhone 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: See Which Specs & Features Give You The Most Bang For Your Buck

The Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 is the latest debate with the unveiling earlier today. Find out who wins! (Photo: Motorola)

Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4?has been on everyone's minds since the unveiling of Motorola's latest phone today. While Apple and Samsung's phones have been out for a while, the new X phone is the new kid on the block and brings with it new features to Android. Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4?could be a tough contest, but as the best smartphones of their categories their fit for the test. See how the Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 compare with one another.

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Software:

The Moto X will be running an almost-stock flavor of Android. The phone has a couple altered features but generally runs vanilla Android. Of the phone's many abilities include an always-listening feature. With a key command that only recognizes your voice, users are able to activate the device's Google Now features.
When it comes to Samsung's version of Android, while it offers many of the same features, and even some others, it's covered by the company's TouchWiz layer. The phone also doesn't come with the always-on listening feature of the Moto X.

In the iOS part of the Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 equation, Apple's operating system is an entirely different beast -- especially with the seventh version coming out soon. Though you've probably read our coverage of that already.

Design:

The design of the Moto X is a significant selling point of the phone, with users being given a myriad of options for changing color of the device overall and accent color. Even though unfortunately the color options only apply to the phone on AT&T, users still have the option. As opposed to an iPhone where users can have any color they want as long as it's black and white. One could make an argument though to the build quality of the iPhone. As for the latter in the Moto X. vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 debate, many have decided that the HTC One's build quality is a bit better as far as Android is concerned.

Miscellaneous

The recently unveiled Moto X brings with it a few new features to Google's operating system. Shaking to access the camera is a convenient feature for when users need to capture moments quickly. The fact that it's made in America also may sway some buyers. The 24 hour battery life is something else neither the iPhone 5 nor Galaxy S4 offer users.

The Galaxy however offers a larger, higher quality display at 5 inches -- instead of the 4.7 inch of the X. While the iPhone's screen certainly loses the size battle, having access to the iOS app ecosystem is not to be underestimated.

Winner

At the end of the day, choosing whether the Moto X vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 is a matter of preference. If you'd rather have a highly customized looking phone with an always-listening feature then the Moto X is definitely for you. If you prefer a larger screen but with an experience dictated by Samsung's TouchWiz skin, the S4 may be for you. If Apple's iOS ecosystem tickles your fancy and you like the new look of 7, the iPhone is the clear way to go. We know you'll make the right choice.

Where do you stand in the Moto X. vs. iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 debate? Let us know in the comments!

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iPhone 6 Rumors: Is Samsung Galaxy S4-Like Head Tracking Coming To Next Apple Smartphone, iOS 7? [PHOTOS]

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For tips, complaints and observations on all things digital, email us at tips [at] idigitaltimes.com

? 2012 iDigitalTimes All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/19214/20130801/moto-x-vs-iphone-samsung-galaxy-s4.htm

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Latvian distiller owner tries to defuse boycott

RIGA, Latvia (AP) ? Many gay bars in North America have stopped selling the famous Stolichnaya vodka brand to protest Russia's crackdown on the gay community. But the vodka's maker has joined forces with Latvia's leading gay rights group to say that the boycott is misplaced.

Though Stolichnaya is an historic Russian brand and some of its ingredients come from Russia, virtually all of the Stoli sold in the west is made in Latvia, a former Soviet republic that is now part of NATO and the European Union. It's the perception that it's Russian that's prompted the boycott ? Russia recently introduced a law that bans so-called "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" and imposes hefty fines on those holding gay pride rallies.

The vodka is produced in Latvia by Latvijas Balzams, which has 600 employees and is one of the nation's biggest exporters. However, Latvijas Balzams is nearly 90 percent owned by Luxembourg-based SPI Group, which in turn is controlled by Yury Shefler, a Russian-born billionaire who left Russia a decade ago after falling out with the Kremlin over his support of opposition political parties.

SPI said it was "very optimistic" that there would be a breakthrough in talks with activists advocating the boycott.

"We have been active in setting the records straight ? that we stand on the same side and that we hate to be associated with the attitude and actions of the Russian government on this issue," SPI told The Associated Press in an email response Friday

And Mozaika, Latvia's homosexual rights group, appealed to organizers of the "Dump Stoli! Dump Russian Vodka!" to drop their campaign.

"This campaign will only harm Latvia, Latvia's economy and employees of the company Latvijas Balzams," Mozaika said in a statement Thursday.

Despite the boycott, Latvijas Balzams officials said the distillery saw no reason to consider decreasing Stolichnaya output in light of the boycott and that production of the vodka was up 10 percent in the first six months of the year.

As yet, there's no sign that the boycott will be called off. One group, Queer Nation, contended that SPI remained an appropriate target for a boycott.

"Though the company claims to be friend to our community, it was silent as the Russian government considered this horrific law, and it said nothing after the law was enacted," Queer Nation said in a statement. "Stolichnaya only spoke up after the boycott was announced. Friends do not keep silent when those they claim to value are under attack."

Queer Nation urged Mozaika to put pressure on SPI to take action in Russia seeking repeal of the legislation that's caused such outrage.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latvian-distiller-owner-tries-defuse-boycott-170650467.html

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Updated: Edward Snowden vs. Bradley Manning, By the Numbers

This story, originally published June 10, 2013, has been updated.

Name: Edward Snowden

Job Title: Former CIA employee currently employed by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

Age: 30

Security clearance: Snowden had access to NSA documents during the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors.

Number of documents leaked: Undetermined. Snowden leaked a PowerPoint presentation and possibly among other documents about PRISM, a government computer program used for managing foreign intelligence collected from Internet and electronic service providers.

UPDATE: Word got out via The Guardian earlier this week that he also disclosed details of the XKeyscore program. The British newspaper says that XKeyscore is the NSA?s ?widest-reaching? system, giving analysts the ability to monitor millions of Internet users? emails, online chats and browsing history.

Agency betrayed: National Security Agency

Potential years: Undetermined. Snowden is still holed up in a hotel room in Hong Kong, though he said in a video that he?s prepared for the fact that he could be "rendered by the CIA" or "have people come after me" at any time.

UPDATE: The U.S. government leveled charges against Snowden of ?theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person,? according to Reuters. The latter two offenses violate the Espionage Act and, if tried before an American jury, Snowden could face 10 years in prison for each of those charges. However, it?s unlikely that the U.S. will get its hands on him anytime soon. After holing up in Hong Kong in the weeks following the leak, Snowden fled for Russia. He was not allowed to leave Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow until Thursday, when he was granted a year?s asylum by the Russian government. Snowden can now live and possibly work anywhere in Russia for the next year. His lawyer told Reuters that Snowden will rent an apartment and has no immediate plans to leave.

Motive: The Guardian interviewed Snowden, who lived in Hawaii with his girlfriend and had a stable, well-paying job: "I'm willing to sacrifice all of that because I can't in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."

"The government has granted itself power it is not entitled to," Snowden added. "There is no public oversight. The result is people like myself have the latitude to go further than they are allowed to." Snowden says he hopes that his efforts will spur public debate about the intelligence programs the government is running.

Name: Bradley Manning

Job title: Army Private First Class, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

Age: 25

Security clearance: Manning "was allowed to surf massive closed databases of secret information without any restrictions as well as download classified files to CDs," according to The Guardian.

Number of documents leaked: Manning provided 700,000 documents to Wikileaks in the most extensive leak of confidential and classified material in U.S. history.

Agency betrayed: U.S. Military

Potential years: Government prosecutors are charging Manning with aiding the enemy, a charge that carries a maximum of a life sentence. Manning, who faces 22 charges altogether, is allowed to plead guilty to seven of them (not including the aiding the enemy charge), which together carry a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison.

UPDATE: Manning was found not guilty earlier this week of the most serious charge of aiding the enemy, but Judge Col. Denis R. Lind convicted him on six counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and most of the other crimes he was charged with. Manning?s sentencing hearing began on Wednesday, and he now faces up to 136 years in prison. Prosecutors are pushing for the maximum sentence, a reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay, dishonorable discharge and a fine. Motive: Manning became increasingly disillusioned with the Army and the U.S.?s tactics in Iraq and, during online chat sessions with Adrian Lamo, a former hacker, said that he wanted "people to see the truth? regardless of who they are? because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public."

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/edward-snowden-vs-bradley-manning-by-the-numbers-15574490?src=rss

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