Maybe that visit with N.Y. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made the difference, but just one day after President Obama visited New York’s Capital Region, it is apparent that he is now supports same sex marriage publicly.

In an interview with ABC News’s Robin Roberts, the President lays out his opinion of same sex marriage.

“I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” said Obama.

This comes roughly a week after Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was in support also of same sex marriage rights.

Marking his third visit to the Capital Region in his first term, President Barack Obama toured the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at the University at Albany facilities and announced a legislative “To Do” list for Congress to spur job growth in the United States.

President Barack Obama speaking at UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Photo Credit: Kayla Galway, Knick Ledger.

Posing as dual hosts of the event, the CNSE Senior Vice President and CEO Alain E. Kaloyeros and GlobalFoundaries CEO Ajit Manocha gave opening remarks to a group of about 500 attendees. The speech event and tour was originally slated for Global Foundaries located in Malta, N.Y., but was moved south to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) due to “logistical purposes” acording to representatives at GlobalFoundaries.

Event attendees included local, state, and U.S. congressional officials lending their support to the President and his initiatives.  Obama recognized U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-Albany) and Christopher Gibson (R-Kinderhook), along with New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who introduced the President. Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari (D-Cohoes), State Senator Neil D. Breslin (D-Bethlehem), and State Senator Roy McDonald (R-Wilton) were also seen.

Governor Cuomo and President Obama praised each other’s leadership and commitment to spur middle-class job creation following the economic downturn in 2008. President Obama had maintained a clear focus on job growth and increasing American manufacturing to spur the economy, a similar message he gave on his previous visit to General Electric in 2011.

The speech came a day after Obama’s campaign released a new ad on the stability of the U.S. economy, an issue Republicans see as the President’s greatest vulnerability. The ad highlights the upward trend in job creation following the economic meltdown in 2008… “all before this President took the oath.” The ad is running in battleground swing states but not New York. Recent job growth is not particularly strong with only 115,000 non-farm payroll jobs  created last month. While the unemployment rate has fallen to 8.1%, the lowest level of Obama’s presidency, economists attribute that decline to a shrinking labor market as many long-term unemployed workers have simply given up on looking for work.

The President’s emphasis on manufacturing to drive the economic recovery was amplified by its location in the NanoFab X, a 35,000 square foot industrial space in mid-construction. The NanoFab X extension symbolizes the partnership of private enterprise, public construction, and government funding and cooperation. Once complete the space will become a clean room used for semiconductor manufacturing.

The birth of the nanotechnology industry in New York began with a $15 million state investment between 1993 and 1995. Fifteen years into development, the initial investment has grown into a $4.4 billion partnership with leading international technology firms GlobalFoundries, General Electric, IBM, Intel, Samsung , chain suppliers and entrpeneurial start-up companies. The project partners global buinesses with local manufaturing and renowned education and research facilities SEMATECH, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, and CNSE at the University at Albany. The President said that the college and the Capital Region represents the future of the nation’s economy.

“Right now, some of the most advanced manufacturing work in America is being done right here in upstate New York,” stated the President.

Obama also challenged Congress to stimulate economic growth with a ‘To-Do list” of legislative initiatives.  ”It’s about the size of a Post-It note, so every member of Congress should have time to read it and they can glance at it every so often,” said the President. It includes the elimination of tax incentives for businesses that outsource jobs offsore, enacting new hire tax credits for business, investment in clean energy manufacturing jobs, rewarding resposible home mortgage holders by offering lower refinance percentage rates, and the creation of a job program for veterans.   As the President heads into campaign season, his Congressional To-Do list is expected to be a recurring feature of his argument to the American people as he pursues reelection.

A bill that would extend low interest rates for student loans died in the Senate this afternoon as Republicans and Democrats could not agree how to pay for it. Senate Republicans prevented the Senate from debating the bill in a procedural vote that they lost 52-45. Although Democrats had a majority, they need 60 votes to eventually close debate and end a Republican filibuster, a procedural tactical whereby a senator is permitted to debate endlessly and talk the bill to death.

The bill would ensure that the interest rate for federal Stafford loans would remain at 3.4% instead of doubling to 6.8% in July. Stafford loans are used by millions of college students and provide cheaper credit to students compared to private loans provided by private lenders at rates as high as 10%. Student loans offering lower interest rates ensure that students will accumulate less debt over their college year.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky). Photo credit: AP

Since all student loan debt in the United States topped $1 trillion last year, the prospect of an even higher rate of debt accumulation is frightening to current college students. Coupled with the weak labor market and few opportunities for new graduates to repay their debt, maintaining low interest rates is a financial necessity for many students.

Senate Republicans led by Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) refused to let the bill proceed because its cost would be paid by taxing the income of wealthy earners or ‘job creators’ as cash, rather than dividends.  Earning classified as dividends is taxed at a lower rate than an individual’s regular income, so the loophole enables the wealthy to avoid regular income taxes.

President Obama has repeatedly called on Congress to pass the extension on the lower interest-rate throughout last week at large campaign rallies on college campuses throughout the country. Although he reiterated that call today at UAlbany, he largely avoided the issue despite today’s Senate vote.

Directed by Joss Whedon, “The Avengers” brings to the screen what could be said to be the greatest ‘rock band’ ever. His latest effort brings back much of what used to make a superhero action movie good – witty banter, believable actors playing established characters, a villain who is evil but not too evil, and some surprises that happen when you least expect them.

Effectively organized in three segments, “The Avengers” begins with an attack by Loki on an energy research facility. What hope is there when the joker of the Asgard breaks in to steal the Tesseract, an alien energy portal? Will all be lost? Will Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) stop the intrusion? Nope. So begins the path… The path to putting the band together… the gathering up of those who will become earth’s Avengers.

Fury and his assistant, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), deliver the invitations to potential band members Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner / The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Clint Barton / Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is initially forced to join the opposing band led by Loki, so you could say his invite got lost in the mail.

Next, it’s off to practice to prepare for a battle of the bands. Fury’s Avengers work at pairing up for some awkward rehearsal sessions. Along the way, the opposing band leader, Loki, is captured and winds up exactly where he wants to be. It’s always dangerous when a superhero’s villain seems to give up a little too easy.

When it’s time to let them loose on stage to rock the world the gate is opened. Loki sends in his alien band who have to compete with Fury’s Avengers. The Battle is on. Who will win? Well, what good superhero act doesn’t build to the all out crescendo that pits two forces at each other until there is that one overpowering moment when victory seems at hand?

There is more comic book type fun in this Marvel film then other recent efforts. The Hulk seems to have worked out his comic timing and accepted his anger issues. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is there providing support as Iron Man’s right hand woman and the ever irrepressible Jarvis (Paul Bettany) provides Iron Man with computer support.

If you have ever had an inclination to see superheros in a good action movie, you need to go see “The Avengers” to see the next level of Marvel super hero moviedom. While you’re there make sure to stay till after all the credits. There is an extra scene during the credits and one more after all is over. Go and enjoy.

Rated: PG-13 (2 hours 23 min)

By now, you’ve already heard that President Barack Obama will be visiting UAlbany today. Mr. Obama will begin his visit with a tour of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) and then provide remarks at 1:30pm on the economy. However, attendance to the President’s address will be limited to select members of the UAlbany community as well as state and local politicians. UAlbany students (whose education is nominally the primary purpose of the university) will largely be excluded from the event except for those currently enrolled in CNSE, leaving others to wonder about their place in the UAlbany community.

To understand why students won’t get to participate in the president’s visit, let’s begin by discussing why Mr. Obama wants to visit CNSE. First, the president wants to showcase his economic policies with a successful case of economic development. Given the importance of the economy to the 2012 election and the centrality of the 2009 stimulus program to the ongoing economic recovery, CNSE serves as the best possible backdrop for an economy-themed campaign stop.

President Obama at UNC Chapel Hill. Photo Credit: White House

That being said, one would think that a rousing presidential address to the entire UAlbany community would also serve Mr. Obama equally as well. However, the structure of our presidential elections and the electoral college suggests otherwise. Simply put, Mr. Obama doesn’t have to worry about New York voters in his reelection because it is widely expected that the Empire State will vote for him anyway. New York is a ‘safe’ state and its delegates to the electoral college are not in question. Contrast this with Mr. Obama’s recent stadium-packed addresses to students at UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Colorado at Boulder. These states are highly contested by the Obama and Romney campaigns, and every vote will count toward winning delegates – especially student votes.

However, there’s another reason why Obama will avoid UAlbany’s student body. His recent speeches to students have focused on the impending rise of student loan interest rates in July and have highlighted how student debt limits the opportunities of college graduates. Here in New York, the same speech would be fraught with political peril since fellow Democrat, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, pushed for and won a five-year $1,500 tuition hike for all students attending SUNY and CUNY, including UAlbany. Thus, discussing student debt among thousands of students who had just been forced to take on even more loans would be just a bit awkward for the Governor.

Given these realities, there are simply no political incentives for Obama to speak to UAlbany students, and plenty of reasons to avoid them.

Written By Narz (Visit GGVogue.com to read more by Narz)

Rumors of a “Nuclear Option” have been circulating, emphasizing that “next gen consoles will lock the ability to play used games,” says industry analyst and managing director at Wedbush Securities Michael Pachter.  However, Pachter believes these rumors to be “so stupid as to be laughable” as this causes favoritism on competitors that will allow used games on their next generation consoles.

The attempt to lock used games from next gen consoles is influenced by the pre-used game churn, a practice in which companies like GameStop and BestBuy have adopted to let gamers trade in games for cash to buy more games. The practice requires gamers to have a preference of purchasing used games as opposed to their newer versions. The trick in this method is the games that are traded in for cash are 1/3 of the original new game value. That same game is then marked up close to its new version price. You will often find new games priced at about 5 dollars above the pre-used price, when the value of the game traded in was a mere 18 dollars. A significant amount of turnover is profited from the used-game practice.

The used video game business has successfully depreciated the focus on single-player games and pushed multiplayer focused game with inflated price titles that require downloadable content to regain lost revenues. Veteran journalist John Walker argues that “reselling a game has led to the death of variety, the loss of the AA market, and the refusal of publishers to take risks.” Although there is truth to his argument, it is impossible to say that publishes are not willing to take risks when it is impossible to guarantee those risks are going to produce the most amount of revenue. For publishers to create a high production game at a risk to have it not reap the most amount of revenue because of it possibly being subjected to the churn could send the gaming company into bankruptcy.  It is no wonder that publishers and developers want a cut of the profits from pre-used games, and therefore turn them into multiplayer games to make up for the lack of revenue.

On the defense of the consumer, they are simply seeking to take the less amount of purchasing risk because of the high price of video games. Consumer principles allow them to trade their games to reap the most gaming opportunities because today’s games are becoming less and less affordable. Many people are unemployed, young, on a budget or unsure of titles they may like to afford to purchase. Why do you think they trade games to begin with? So when purchasing new and used games become too expensive for the common gamer, there is a company that will surface to end all woes and battle the pre-used game churn: Waygoz.com.

Waygoz is a social media website that requires a Facebook login to access. The site is divided up into adults and younger gamers to protect them against potential predators by suggesting safe neutral meeting places, using real names to do exchanges of video games for free. The site list members within your area as well as providing a swap list to pick out which games you would like to swap for. The members each acquire reputation resembling EBay’s rating to help swappers pick from quality people. Before meeting, the swappers discuss the game’s quality and value to trade. This service allows gamers to no longer need to sell their used games at an immeasurably low price to pay-up on other games.

For Waygoz to continue to be successful, they must be sure to avoid becoming the same middleman that they hope to conquer. The rising issue being that they execute a transaction fee for swapping, and so it is important that the current level of swapping to remain free. But without any profits how is the company going to survive? There are two strategies Waygoz can execute; a “membership” that includes a fee where members can drop their games off at a location that Waygoz owns and have the swapper pick it up at his/her earliest convenience, or Waygoz can provide the materials for the swappers to mail their games to the company and then to the designated swapper. That way the current system of swapping remains free for those willing to meet in person and for those who cannot can pay a small fee to have Waygoz do it for them. This is the perfect resolution and hopefully with this method Waygoz will be pursuing the possibility for gamers to purchase new games again.

The Associated Press reports that the Central Intelligence Agency has foiled an attempt to bomb a U.S. airliner tied to the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. The plot was organized by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an affiliate based in Yemen. The CIA has reportedly seized the device described as an improved ‘underwear’ bomb to be worn by a suicide attacker on board a U.S. passenger fight. However, the location and status of the would-be bomber is currently unclear.

While the French presidential saw a shift in power from one political party to another, parliamentary elections in Greece have led to the rapid transformation of that country’s existing political system. Voters went to the polls yesterday in Greece’s first major election following the February approval of a painful austerity budget mandated by the European Union. In response, voters severely punished both the center-right New Democracy and center-left PASOK (Socialist) parties, leaving them with only 19% and 13% of all ballots, respectively. Compared to the results of the last parliamentary election in 2009, in which these parties achieved 36% and 44%, yesterday’s vote represents a catastrophic defeat.

Antonis Samaras, the New Democracy leader, was expected to form a coalition government among other parties. However, he has already acknowledged that his party cannot form a coalition government with lesser parties to achieve a parliamentary majority. It now falls to the far-left Syriza party, which finished in second place with 17% of the vote (up from 4% in 2009) to form its own coalition government.  However, the prospect of a Syriza-led coalition further contributed to p0litical and economic uncertainty among the Greek political elite and the leadership of the European Union (EU). Although Greece must adhere to the terms of the bailout agreement with the European Union or risk future funding, parties such as Syriza rose in yesterday’s poll on the back of widespread opposition to existing austerity policies as well as the European Union. Over the past two years, Greece has been roiled by massive protests against the government’s adoption of austerity policies and its perceived subservience to EU and German leadership.

Graffiti at the Bank of Greece. Photo Credit: Reuters

If a future Greek government rejected the terms of the bailout, Greece would likely be forced to leave the Eurozone and default on its current debt obligations.

Other parties who successfully contested yesterday’s election in Greece include the ultra-nationalist far-right Golden Dawn party, whose insignia bears a curious resemblance to the Nazi swastika. Golden Dawn captured nearly 7% of the vote, a dramatic increase from its 2009 performance of less than 1%.

President Obama’s visit to the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering isn’t only making drivers near Washington Avenue and Fuller Road have to change their routes, but also the students at the very college Obama will be speaking at.

In an e-mail obtained by the Knickerbocker Ledger and sent this morning to UAlbany students who live at the Empire Commons housing complex, an apartment-style dorm close to CNSE, UAlbany’s Department of Residential Life has advised that students do not park on particular lots and roads adjacent or overlooking the CNSE complex.

Below is the e-mail in full sent by Leandra Payne, the Assistant Director of Residential Life, University Apartments:

Good Morning Empire Commons residents,

In preparation for President Obama’s visit to the Nano science complex tomorrow, we have some important directives regarding parking and transit.

 

Beginning today, Monday May 7, 2012 at 6PM, through tomorrow, Tuesday May 8, 2012 at 3PM, ALL vehicles MUST be removed from Capitol Hill Drive and the West Lot.

 

• Capitol Hill Drive is the street that runs past both the volleyball and basketball courts and past B2, B5, C2, C5, D Cluster, E Cluster and F1.  The West Lot is the parking lot behind D and E clusters.

 

All vehicles found violating this order WILL BE TOWED.

 

Additionally on Tuesday May 8, 2012, there will be a 15 to 20 minute period where no cars will be allowed to enter or leave Empire Commons (I have not been given the specific time).  In preparation for this period, please leave Empire Commons before 10AM if you plan to drive anywhere.

 

On Tuesday, May 8^th, from 11AM to 2:30PM, no vehicles will be allowed on Tri-centennial Road ( the road that leads to Freedom Apartments).  Also during this time period and possibly for some time before, a significant portion of Western Ave, Washington Ave and the entrance to I-90W will be shut down (please note that some of this area is shut down anyway due to ongoing construction).

 

Please take note of this information and govern yourselves accordingly.