Google Questioned by SEC Over Earnings in Low-Tax Countries

 Google Inc. (GOOG) received questions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in December about earnings in other countries that may have reduced the company’s tax bill, according to regulatory filings released today.

SEC officials asked Google for “disclosures to explain in greater detail the impact on your effective income tax rates and obligations of having proportionally higher earnings in countries where you have lower statutory tax rates,” according to a Dec. 2 letter.

The company responded to the requests for information, the filings show. The SEC said in a Feb. 3 letter that it had completed its review of Google’s filings, and has “no further comments at this time on the specific issues raised.”

Google, owner of the world’s most-popular search engine, has used a strategy that has gained favor among some U.S. companies to reduce taxes. Google cut its income taxes by $3.1 billion over three years by shifting the bulk of foreign profits to Ireland, then the Netherlands and eventually to no-tax Bermuda, according to regulatory filings in the U.S. and abroad.

The tax-cutting strategy, involving a pair of techniques known as the “Double Irish” and the “Dutch Sandwich,” helped cut the company’s income-tax rate to 2.4 percent on the profits it attributed to its foreign subsidiaries during the three-year period, filings show. The statutory corporate income tax rate in the U.S. is 35 percent.

Google rose $15.44 to $576.50 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have declined 2.9 percent this year.
Overseas Profits

U.S. multinational corporations had more than $1 trillion in profits stashed in overseas subsidiaries on which they had paid no U.S. income tax as of the end of 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Read More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-21/google-questioned-by-sec-over-earnings-in-low-tax-countries-1-.html
Pakistan News

Robert Pattinson is on the Cover of Playgirl Magazine

"Twilight" star Robert Pattinson is on the cover of Playgirl. So did the hunky Brit take it all off for the magazine? Sadly, (for some fans) no. Pattinson kept his clothes on as he lands on the cover of the UK version of the sexy publication.
Robert Pattinson didn't pose for Playgirl UK. However, he finds himself on the cover of the racy magazine as one of Hollywood's sexiest. According to Hollywood Life, the photos and interviews inside the magazine aren't even new.
It's seem weird to know that Pattinson is on the cover of Playgirl Magazine. But at least he has clothes on. It appears that girlfriend and co-star, Kristen Stewart, is still the only one who gets to see Rob in the buff. However, the magazine does feature some steamy shirtless photos of the actor. It's not likely fans will ever see Rob in the magazine naked. But they can always dream.
Read More; Robert Pattinson is on the Cover of Playgirl Magazine
Pakistan News

Bachelor' Brad and Emily: It's Over Already, Really

 EXCLUSIVE: Moments after Brad Womack proposed to Emily Maynard on last night's 'Bachelor' finale, millions of fans were shocked to learn that the couple have already gone through a breakup, and while Brad told viewers he was ready for marriage, sources tell me the couple has since broken up for good.
"Emily is so insecure, she just isn't cut out for all the fame and attention her relationship is under," a show insider tells me. "The six weeks of shooting the show in paradise was easy, away from prying eyes and photographers, but since they both returned to their normal lives things have been a disaster."
During the finale, Emily, mom to 5-year-old daughter Ricki, accepted Brad's proposal, beating out fellow contestant Chantal O'Brien for Womack's heart. The actual proposal was a tender, romantic moment of television.
"You're so much more to me than a leap of faith," he said. "You're the one. You're my once in a lifetime. I'm asking you to give me your forever."
Later, Emily admitted having trouble watching Brad get intimate with different ladies every Monday night. She also admitted that Brad's temper in real life also took her by surprise. Despite their problems, however, Brad has been trying valiantly to make the relationship work.
"Emily is not able to forgive Brad for what she considers cheating week-after-week with other girls," an in-the-know producer tells me. "It's always hard sending the couple back into reality after they have been living in paradise, but no one in the history of the show has had as hard a time adjusting as Emily."
Like many fans, my source "would love to say they are going to make it, but they don't. After we taped the 'After the Rose,' it was clear to everyone that this one was not going to work."
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/15/fran-dreschers-happily-divorced_n_835851.html
Pakistan News

Groupon Deals: Romeo’s New York Pizza, Mattress Firm, Astoria Medical Spa, Fancy Fortune Cookies, Boundary, Omni Orlando Resort and Top Quality Clean

 New York Pizza, Groupon Deals: Romeo’s New York Pizza, Mattress Firm, Astoria Medical Spa, Fancy Fortune Cookies, Boundary, Omni Orlando Resort and Top Quality Clean $50 for $200 Toward a Mattress at Mattress Firm
$99 for IPL Photo-Rejuvenation Session or Body-Contouring Treatment at Astoria Medical Spa in Canton ($275 Value)
$15 for $35 Worth of Wise Desserts at Fancy Fortune Cookies
Two-Hour Jet Ski or Catamaran Rental from Boundary Waters Resort and Marina in Hiawassee. Two Options Available.
$149 for Bed and Breakfast Package for Two Adults at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate (up to $259.68 value)
$75 for Three Hours of General Cleaning from Top Quality Clean (Up to $165 Value)
ReadMore:http://www.hurraynews.com/groupon-deals-romeo%E2%80%99s-new-york-pizza-mattress-firm-astoria-medical-spa-fancy-fortune-cookies-boundary-omni-orlando-resort-and-top-quality-clean
Pakistan News

Inherit the 'wind'

Inherit the 'wind'  According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,
Can a powerful 'wind' turn the tables on Gov. Scott Walker?
The Illinois Wind Energy Association has started a campaign titled "Escape to Illinois," a not-too-subtle jab at our governor and his bid to steal businesses from the Land of Lincoln.
Earlier this month, Illinois leaders approved a 67 percent increase in that state's personal income tax rate and a 46 percent increase in its corporate tax rate.
Walker met that news with an ad campaign (sort of) targeting Illinois businesses. The governor openly, and frequently, invited business owners in Illinois to "Escape to Wisconsin."
However, buried in a Wisconsin regulatory reform bill proposed by Walker during the current special session is a measure that wind energy insiders say could shut down 12 of the state's wind farm projects, cost investors billions and essentially kill the industry here.
This has lead IWEA to give Walker a taste of his own medicine.
Read More: Inherit the 'wind'
Pakistan News

Can Google ever be a neutral news provider?

 Can Google ever be a neutral news provider  According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,It is hard to think of many American business executives who have been detained for dissent against repressive regimes. It is more usual for them to be actively engaged in reinforcing dodgy dictatorships than tearing them down. But the brief imprisonment of Google head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, Wael Ghonim has heightened the sense that the search company is an active player in the democracy movement.
It is unclear what the view of Ghonim's activities are from the Googleplex.
Ghonim's 12-day detention in Egypt and his subsequent release have not been obviously marked or celebrated on the Google site, nor has its logo been decorated in his honour, as it is for events such as St Patrick's Day. Ghonim was not simply detained for working for Google. His arrest was more likely to be linked to his activism in the region. However Ghonim's activism is likely to have met with approval from Google's new chief executive and co-founder Larry Page.
Ghonim's detention was the second time Google had hit the headlines in relation to Egypt. The first time was the company's development of a censor-busting "workaround" in the form of a speak-to-Tweet service SayNow, aimed at Egyptians cut off from the internet .
For google news Can Google ever be a neutral news provider?
Pakistan News

Justin Bieber to Suprise Fans on Valentines Day

Justin Bieber to Suprise Fans on Valentines Day:  What is Justin Bieber doing for Valentines Day? While some fans would assume he'd spend the day of love with his rumored girlfriend, Selena Gomez, Bieber has actually revealed that he'll surprise his fans in theaters on February 14th.
Justin Bieber recently sat down with Elizabeth Hasselbeck to discuss girls, and Valentines Day. Bieber would reveal whether or not he's dating "Wizards of Waverly Place" star Selena Gomez, but did say he has "girlfriends."
“I have girlfriends - girls that are friends. You have to always surround yourself with real and good people. Those are hard to find in show business,"Beiber told Hasselbeck.
As for his big Valentines Day plans, Justin says he'll be spending the romantic holiday with his fans in theaters who are watching his new film "Never Say Never." The movie, which is a 3-D biopic, hits theaters just three days before Valentines.
While Justin claims he loves his fans more than anything, there's a good possibility that Selena Gomez will be receiving a very special gift from Justin Bieber this Valentines Day.

‘Dateline’ has new revelations in Brooke Wilberger murder online news

‘Dateline’ has new revelations in Brooke Wilberger murder  The family of Brooke Wilberger's killer is breaking their silence for the first time, opening up, about how they pieced together that their brother, Joel Courtney, was a murderer.
Courtney raped and killed the 19-year-old Oregon girl in May 2004. The most publicized murder in Oregon history was the focus of the latest Dateline.
Courtney's sister Dina recalled when her brother disappeared, during which time he abducted and killed Wilberger. He came back with a wild story.
"He walked through the door and announced kind of loudly, you'll never believe where I've been, " said sister Dina Courtney McBride. "I said okay, where were you? I was kidnapped, (he said). There were these guys. They had guns and knives and we were in the woods. It was rainy and cold and there was a girl there and we were hiding. And y'know there was blood and it was awful."
Meanwhile, Brooke Wilberger's family was frantic, trying to find her. "I said, where's Brooke?." said Cammy Wilberger, Brooke's mother.
"And he (her son) said what do you mean? You don't know? He goes, 'we don't know where she is.' I said 'Spence, don't tease me. What are you talking about?' And he said, 'no seriously mom. We can't find her and right then I had a chill go through my whole body.'"
Joel Courtney refused to speak with investigators, regarding the Wilberger disappearance. But Dina remembered when her mother visited him in jail and asked him, once and for all.
"Joel, did you do this?, " said Courtney McBride's mother, "and he said 'It's not really like it seems like and I'll never be held accountable.'"

Chinese New Year 2011

Chinese New Year 2011 :Chinese New Year begins according to the Chinese calendar which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems. Because the track of the new moon changes from year to year, Chinese New Year can begin anytime between late January and mid-February. Below is a chart that shows the beginning day of Chinese New Year and the animal sign for that year.
Year     Chinese New Year Begins     Animal Sign
2007     February 18     Pig
2008     February 7     Rat
2009     January 26     Ox
2010     February 14     Tiger
2011     February 3     Rabbit
2012     January 23     Dragon
2013     February 10     Snake
2014     January 31     Horse
2015     February 19     Sheep
2016     February 8     Monkey
2017     January 28     Rooster
2018     February 16     Dog
2019     February 5     Pig

Snag a FREE Coffee-Mate Coupon Today at Noon ET

Snag a FREE Coffee-Mate Coupon Today at Noon ET According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,Beginning at noon ET today, February 4, 2011, Coffee-Mate will be giving away 100,000 free Coffee-Mate coupons on their Facebook page!
You will first need to like them, and then you'll be able to claim a free coupon.
Let me just say that you know where I'll be at noon... Coffee-Mate is a huge part of my morning routine.  {If you haven't tried it already, next season you MUST pick up a container of the Gingerbread Creamer.  It's heavenly.}

Obama Triggers Blackouts by Blocking Of New Power Plants

Obama Triggers Blackouts by Blocking Of New Power Plants : According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,The rolling blackouts being experienced across the country, during this spell of extreme cold weather, is a direct consequence of the Obama administration’s agenda to lay siege on the coal industry, according to an article by Alex Jones & Paul Joseph Watson today on the Prison Planet website.
“Planned power outages conducted by utility companies have caused outrage amongst officials at four major hospitals in Texas, at Parkland, Baylor, Methodist and Presbyterian Dallas.”
They also have reports of street lights and traffic lights being hit by outages, causing build up of traffic and a variety of hazards. The ability of power companies to meet the demand is reported as being a consequence of “Obama administration’s publicly stated goal to bankrupt the coal industry,” according to the article.
The entire article can be found of course on the Prison Planet website for those that may wish to read it. Meanwhile, we would like to know your opinion on the power outages across the U.S. and who you think is to blame for this. Is it down to the Obama administrations policies? Let us know what you think.

Is John Wayne Schulz The Next Gambling Favorite On American Idol?

According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,Every year on American Idol, fans watch intently as the taped auditions are shown over a period of many weeks to kick off the new season. Odds makers are keeping a close eye on these shows as well, hoping to get a jump on who they should make the betting favorite when the live shows begin.
On Wednesday, fans may have found their next Idol, and odds makers may have found their next betting favorite. John Wayne Schulz emerged from the Texas auditions as one of the favorites of the judges. Message boards all across the US were buzzing after Schulz's performance.
The country singer who is said to have released an independent album at the age of fourteen, sang Believe by Brooks and Dunn. The judges were taken aback by the performance, and fans already were saying how the next American Idol may have been found.
"He (Schulz) was amazing," said Nicole Benning. "I have watched all of the tryouts so far, and he easily was the best. I have to wait and see who else does well the next couple of weeks, but I know that guy is going to be one of the contestants that goes far, and I think he can win."
That is a lot to say after just one audition, but that is how a buzz grows over certain contestants. It is common, however, that some of the favorites from the auditions are eventually knocked out in Hollywood week. Each year, some of the top early talent is eliminated under the pressure of the big lights in Hollywood.

Info About Model Genevieve Morton

Info About Model Genevieve Morton  Sports Illustrated will host the Black Eyed Pease for a Super Bowl Bash, according to People.
 the world's biggest bands will come together as Sports Illustrated hosts the Black Eyed Peas for a Super Bowl Bash.
"As an NFL owner and a football fan, I cannot be more excited to join forces with Sports Illustrated for the hottest party of the season," the Peas' Fergie says. "It will be the kick-off to an amazing weekend in Dallas and we can’t wait to get it started."
Other people to be partying there will be: David Guetta, along with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models Christine Teigen, Anne V., Julie Henderson and Genevieve Morton.
Sports Illustrated Presents: The Official Black Eyes Peas Friday NightB4 XLV Party will be Friday, Feb. 4, at Tower Building in Fair Park in Dallas.

She was born in 1986 and is a South African model. She has been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2010. According to sportsillustrated.com , Her friends call her Little Miss Sunshine. She has been the face of Guess watches, and has appeared in Greece Vogue and South African Sports Illustrated. This is Genevieve's first U.S appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Read More: Info About Model Genevieve Morton

Going to Gasparilla? We have tips

Going to Gasparilla? We have tips : According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,It's based on an event that probably never happened, it drives some homeowners in South Tampa crazy, and it forbids the very behavior that pirates of legend indulged in.
Even so, Gasparilla — now the Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest — is all ours. Like it or hate it, it's what we do in this town. We tend to like it, but it helps to know what you're doing. Driving around South Tampa looking for a parking space and then attempting to walk two or three miles through the crowd is just no way to run the festival train.
That's why we've compiled this list of things to know that we hope makes your Gasparilla experience more enjoyable.
As is always the case with this sort of event, good friends (say, a guy with a boat who is participating in the "pirate invasion") or a little cash (to get into some of the best parties) will make your experience all the better. But even if you don't want to spend a dime, there's plenty to enjoy.

With guns blazing and beads flying, Gasparilla pirates invade Tampa

TAMPA According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is, With its cannons blazing, and make-believe pirates waving from every crow's nest, the Jose Gasparilla invaded the city Saturday afternoon.
The pirates, many with cigars in their mouths and beers in their hands, fired rounds of fake — but nonetheless loud -- pistol fire as the ship came in beside the Tampa Convention Center.
Many of the pirates wore headphones to muffle the bangs. The crowd was not so fortunate.
Still, people surrounded the pirates as they disembarked, some even crawling on their knees to get beads the pirates threw and strung around necks.
Bedecked with beads, Nancy Kasacca from Naples shared her secret for getting so many: "eye contact."
Boats laden with thousands of beads, and lined up so close together in the bay they resembled lily pads, greeted the Jose Gasparilla.
With MC Hammer's Can't Touch This blasting, a sleek yellow boat called Group Therapy pushed off.
Two women on board were making 280 water balloons. Twelves cases of beads awaited.
What were they doing with all that?
"Invading," said the boat's owner, Kenny Marshall, 45, of Bradenton.

Anonymous and Tunisia: A New Cyber Warfare?

Anonymous and Tunisia: A New Cyber Warfare : According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is,Tunisia's 'Jasmine Revolution' ignited on December 17th, when a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a local police station. The demonstration struck a chord within millions of Tunisians -- many of whom, like Bouazizi, had fallen on hard times, due to the country's stagnant labor market, skyrocketing food prices and high-level political corruption. Within days, protesters had flooded the streets of Sidi Bouzid, an economically downtrodden region of the country. Within weeks, they had forced President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country, after 23 years of autocratic rule.
As the upheaval unfolded, it soon became clear that the Jasmine Revolution was not a typical uprising. Tunisians spread their revolutionary fervor to the digital sphere, where Ben Ali's regime had previously enjoyed unchallenged sovereignty. As scores of protesters clashed with police and demanded economic and social reform, an equally impassioned, if comparatively less tangible war was being waged online -- one involving not tear gas and demonstrators, but malware and rogue hackers.
Ben Ali's regime decided to reassert its control over the media during the upheaval by launching a cyber attack against some of Tunisia's most outspoken critics. Within a few hours of the large-scale crackdown, the government's targeted phishing campaign effectively muzzled a select group of online activists, leading to the arrests of influential bloggers and dissidents.

The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark

The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is, Almost simultaneously, the handful of companies that pipe the Internet into and out of Egypt went dark as protesters were gearing up for a fresh round of demonstrations calling for the end of President Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule, experts said.
Egypt has apparently done what many technologists thought was unthinkable for any country with a major Internet economy: It unplugged itself entirely from the Internet to try and silence dissent.
Experts say it's unlikely that what's happened in Egypt could happen in the United States because the U.S. has numerous Internet providers and ways of connecting to the Internet. Coordinating a simultaneous shutdown would be a massive undertaking.
"It can't happen here," said Jim Cowie, the chief technology officer and a co-founder of Renesys, a network security firm in Manchester, N.H., that studies Internet disruptions. "How many people would you have to call to shut down the U.S. Internet? Hundreds, thousands maybe? We have enough Internet here that we can have our own Internet. If you cut it off, that leads to a philosophical question: Who got cut off from the Internet, us or the rest of the world?"
In fact, there are few countries anywhere with all their central Internet connections in one place or so few places that they can be severed at the same time. But the idea of a single "kill switch" to turn the Internet on and off has seduced some American lawmakers, who have pushed for the power to shutter the Internet in a national emergency.
The Internet blackout in Egypt shows that a country with strong control over its Internet providers apparently can force all of them to pull their plugs at once, something that Cowie called "almost entirely unprecedented in Internet history."
The outage sets the stage for blowback from the international community and investors. It also sets a precedent for other countries grappling with paralyzing political protests — though censoring the Internet and tampering with traffic to quash protests is nothing new.
China has long restricted what its people can see online and received renewed scrutiny for the practice when Internet search leader Google Inc. proclaimed a year ago that it would stop censoring its search results in China.

Charlie Sheen released from hospital

Charlie Sheen released from hospital According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is, Charlie Sheen is out of the hospital and back home.
Publicist Stan Rosenfield says Sheen left a Los Angeles hospital Thursday night. Sheen had been taken to the hospital earlier in the day complaining of severe stomach pains. Rosenfield says the actor has a history of hernia problems.
Rosenfield said Friday that Sheen will be back on the set of CBS's Two and a Half Men when a filming hiatus ends Tuesday.Sheen has been dogged by personal problems and apparent health issues, with three hospitalizations in three months. Two weeks ago, CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said the network has a “high level of concern” about its hard-partying star.

SanDisk shares dive, hit margin, price fears

SanDisk shares dive, hit margin, price fears According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is, (Reuters) - SanDisk Corp shares plunged 10 percent on Friday as worries about falling chip prices and crumbling margins outweighed a better-than- expected quarterly revenue forecast.
The stock hit a trough of $46.18 and was down 9.9 percent at $46.24 in afternoon trading after the company reported a fourth-quarter adjusted gross margin of 43.7 percent, compared with Wall Street's estimate of 45.2 percent.
The shares of the maker of flash memory rose 70 percent over the past year as the company and its rivals benefited from relatively stable prices for flash memory, which is used in tablets and smartphones.
But the average price per gigabyte sold in the fourth quarter fell 15 percent from the previous quarter. New production capacity is expected to open up in 2011, pressuring prices further.
"This will be a good year, but it's not going to match last year," said Gleacher & Company analyst Doug Freedman. "You're going to have a declining gross margin curve throughout the year."
NAND flash is a commodity and SanDisk's fortunes are in large part determined by the supply-demand balance in the global market and its impact on pricing.
The slide in share price on Friday came despite Sandisk forecasting revenue above Wall Street's expectations for the current quarter and for 2011.
SanDisk, which has a reputation for issuing conservative forecasts, expects revenue of $1.2 billion to $1.275 billion for the current quarter, compared with Wall Street's estimate of $1.16 billion.

Ted Mcginley

Ted Mcginley According to the internet media,its all about the latest news and updates,internet media provided real hot topic information,that news latest updates is, Revenge of the Nerds where he played Stanley Gable, head of the Alpha Beta fraternity jock-term and the main antagonist of Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity nerd, he resumed the role in the third and fourth films “Nerds” franchise, the two made for television. He went on to appear in recurring roles in television series such as The Love Boat and Dynasty. He then went into the role of Jefferson D’Arcy on Married … with children from 1991 to 1997. He had recurring roles on Aaron Sorkin TV show Sports Night, as the boyfriend of Dana Gordon and The West Wing as a television news anchor. From 2003-2006, he played Charley Shanowski on Hope & Faith.

McGinley has been called the patron saint of shark jumping “by founder Jon Hein jumptheshark. com. This is a reference to the popular and enduring shows that have featured in their last years. Shows include Happy Days, The Love Boat and Dynasty. Hein writes that this is not a comment “on Ted’s fine acting skills” and that “he has a great sense of humor about it, too.” In an episode of Women Married … with Children (a show that stayed on the air for six seasons after the addition McGinley to the cast iron) McGinley himself usurped result in an instant break the fourth wall by asking Al “Another photo, captain? I mean, Fonzie? …. Al? “. A number of 2003 people that focused on molding McGinley on hope and faith was titled” Ted McGinley is not a killer, “referring to its reputation for causing shows to skip shark, although its long-Married … with children seem to indicate otherwise, its contribution may have enabled the series to have a longer stroke and more successful.Ted Mcginley, Theodore Martin “Ted” McGinley (born May 30, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Jefferson D’Arcy on the television series Married … with children and Charley Shanowski on ABC sitcom Hope & Faith old. He was also a regular on Happy Days and The Love Boat.
McGinley began her career in modeling. After a casting director spotted a photo of him in GQ, he was thrown into comedy Happy days as Roger Phillips (nephew of Cunningham), a role he played from 1980 to 1984. During the run of Happy Days, he landed a role in the 1982 comedy Young Doctors in Love. After Happy Days ended in 1984, McGinley appeared in