Masters home Augusta admits first women members

Augusta National Golf Club, the famed home of the Masters tournament, announced that it had finally ended its all-male policy and would admit the first women members in its 80-year history.

The decision signals a new era for the club with former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore accepting invitations to join a golfing institution that is revered for its traditions.

Augusta, however, has in recent years come under intense pressure to end its all-male policy, a stance seen as sexist and unacceptable in the 21st century and in an era of burgeoning competition in women's golf.

"This is a joyous occasion as we enthusiastically welcome Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore as members of Augusta National Golf Club," said Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta, in Georgia.

"These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their Green Jackets when the club opens this fall."

The question of female exclusion had arisen in April each year when the club hosts the Masters, the first golfing "major" tournament of the season.

In 2003 Martha Burk, a leader in the National Council of Women's Organizations, conducted a rally across the street from Augusta, which was founded in 1932 and where the first black member was admitted in 1990.

Hootie Johnson, Augusta's chairman in 2003, had gone so far as to release broadcast sponsors from their advertising commitments when Burk threatened to target them for backing the club's men-only policy.

This year discussion of women members focused on the appointment of Virginia Rometty as chief executive of IBM -- previous bosses of the electronics giant had been members at Augusta.

Payne refused to be drawn into a debate of the issue when it was raised in the days before the Masters, but said that the process for admitting Rice and Moore had been the same as for any other member.

"Consideration with regard to any candidate is deliberate, held in strict confidence and always takes place over an extended period of time," Payne said. "The process for Condoleezza and Darla was no different.

"This is a significant and positive time in our club's history and, on behalf of our membership, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome them and all of our new members into the Augusta National family."

Four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods and the Republican challenger for the White House Mitt Romney were among those welcoming the move.

"The decision by the Augusta National membership is important to golf," Woods said. "I would like to congratulate both new members, especially my friend Condi Rice."

Romney tweeted his approval, while White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama welcomed the decision.

Rice, 57, served as national security advisor under former President George W. Bush and became secretary of state in his second term in office.

She became the first black woman to serve as a provost of Stanford University in 1993, and is now a professor of political economy at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.

"I have visited Augusta National on several occasions and look forward to playing golf, renewing friendships and forming new ones through this very special opportunity," Rice said in a statement released by the club.

"I have long admired the important role Augusta National has played in the traditions and history of golf," it added.

Moore, 58, is vice president of private investment company Rainwater Incorporated and was the first woman to be profiled on the cover of Fortune Magazine.

Her gifts to her alma mater, the University of South Carolina, include a $25 million contribution and the university's school of business is named for her.

"Augusta National has always captured my imagination, and is one of the most magically beautiful places anywhere in the world, as everyone gets to see during the Masters each April," Moore said of the club known for its towering pines and flowering azaleas.

"Above all, Augusta National and the Masters Tournaments have always stood for excellence, and that is what is so important to me."

While former chairman Johnson once said Augusta National wouldn't admit women "at the point of a bayonet", Burk said Monday she believed the pressure she and others brought to bear paved the way for Rice and Moore's invitations.

"Not me personally, the women's movement ... yeah, we won," Burk said in an interview with ESPN radio.

Johnson argued that as a private club Augusta had the right to restrict its membership, while Burk countered that its role as host of the Masters and as a meeting ground for the nation's elite should bar such discriminatory practices.

Johnson told The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, the move was "wonderful news" for the club he once guided.

"I could not be more pleased," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/augusta-national-admits-first-women-members-154646439--golf.html

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2012 Fall Home Improvement Show

The Largest Fall Home Show in a 5 state area is coming back to Billings!

Dates: September 7th ? 9th, 2012 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

Schedule:

Friday: Noon ? 8:00pm

Saturday: 10:00am ? 5:00pm

Sunday: 10:00am ? 5:00pm

Location: Metra Park Expo Center

This year?s show has expanded to 400+ exhibits encompassing over 100, 000 Square Feet of space.

Why should you get excited? Because Cat Country has teamed up with several merchants to bring you some awesome prizes that you can win for attending this year?s Home Improvement Show.

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KCTR Cat Country Fall Improvement Prizes

Lennox Gas Furnace

Courtesy of White Heating & A/C

High efficiency Lennox natural gas furnace. 80% energy efficiency. Normal installation also include.

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Above Ground Pool

Courtesy of Thompson Pools

Lomart-Grey Mist Edition including all necessary equipment.

Source: http://kctr.com/2012-fall-home-improvement-show/

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PFT: Replacement refs make major blunder

Reuters

The Jets have limped through a pair of preseason games on offense, with no touchdowns generated in eight quarters of football.? But quarterback Mark Sanchez says it?s too early to get too nervous.

?It?s not time to hit the panic button,? Sanchez told the media after the 26-3 loss to the Giants, via comments transcribed and distributed by the team.? ?You have to improve and learn from this stuff.? I know we can do it.? I?ve seen this team play much better than this.? I?ve seen it in practice.? The encouraging thing is we have the right personnel.? These guys will go watch the film.? They?ll go study, understand why it happened, come out next week and play well.?

Sanchez said that coach Rex Ryan shared that same sentiment with the team:? ?Rex said it best after the game.? He said, ?Look, it?s the second preseason game. We have to score points, but there?s no reason to hit the panic button right now.??

They?re both right.? With a new offensive coordinator and several key receivers missing, it?s too early to worry.? Still, the preference would be to play well.

?Of course, that?s the plan,? Sanchez said.? ?We?re now just out here playing around.?

Some Jets fans would beg to differ, at least based on what they?ve seen in the first two weeks of the games that don?t mean anything.? And now that the Jets have eight days to get ready for the next game that doesn?t mean anything, it sounds like, to Sanchez, it means something.

?This is our last chance,? Sanchez said.? ?We need to play well.?

Though he?s talking about the preseason, the fact remains that, if the Jets don?t show anything in the games that don?t count, the fans will be more likely to revolt in the first one that does ? September 9, when the Bills come to town.

Ryan is, as usual, confident that things will be fine by then.? ?I?m 100 percent sure when we kick it off for real, we will have more production,? Ryan said.? ?There?s absolutely no doubt about that.?

That?s a fairly safe bet, given that to date there?s pretty much no way the Jets could have less production.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/18/major-blunder-by-replacement-officials-in-san-diego/related/

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O.T.I.S.: Odd Things I've Seen: We Make Great Pets

August 19, 2012 ? I?m definitely one of those jerks who treats exotic pet shops like they?re free zoos. Except that I really am always in danger of being a customer, walking out of there with an emperor scorpion or an albino python and everything it needs to make my house its home.

I?ve written somewhat about my love/hate relationship with pets already here, but in a nutshell, I?ve gone through phases of my life where I?ve had lots of them. Phases where I?ve had none of them. I want every pet and I don?t want any pets. I love them to death, hate them to life.

But I still flirt constantly with starting up the old menagerie again. Yesterday, for kicks, we went to an exotic pet store in Plaistow, New Hampshire, called Zoo Creatures. It was relatively small, but packed with a variety of wildlife I couldn?t believe.

First, they had snakes. Everywhere snakes. Like so many that if they had a fire, they?d need Pee-Wee Herman?s help to get them all out of there. They were in little bins stacked floor to ceiling. In acrylic cases like those fill-your-own-bag candy shops. In large tanks. Coiled around the rafters. Waiting for you in the lobby. Following you home in your exhaust pipe. They even had multiple species of cobras, and more than one albino torso squeezer.

They also had a five-foot-long monitor lizard. Australian sugar gliders. Bird-eating tarantulas. Something that looked suspiciously like a baby alligator. A shelf full of scorpions. Peacocks just walking around the parking lot. And that?s in addition to every creature you?d expect to find at any solid pet store: fish, birds, rodents, less exotic lizards and turtles.

I suspect their reptile specialty has something to do with the fact that they share a sign and land with a reptile breeding facility and party venue called NERD. Check them out, and if you make use of their services, invite me. Please.

Zoo creatures was an amazing place, and now I have to spend the next week or two trying to deal with my conflicted attitude toward pets. I?m pretty sure I?m going to break down, but I think it will only be in the direction of what I like to catalog as ?decorative pets?. Reptiles, fish, arachnids. Anything behind glass that just looks good in my study.

A five-foot-long monitor lizard would look good in my study.

Source: http://www.oddthingsiveseen.com/2012/08/we-make-great-pets.html

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First Message For Online Dating

When you are registered on an online dating website and get sent a smile or kiss notification that someone likes you, you check that they are a match for you too. If they are, then you can send them a smile or kiss notification back or this is where you need to type up your first message for online dating. If this is your first time doing this then it may be a bit daunting so I'm going to share some tips for some great responses.

When I am about to type up my first message, I pull up both my profile and the profile of the person I am sending the message to. This way I can see our similarities that I can write about. If they like tennis, then I might ask them about tennis and tell them my story of when I was learning tennis when I was young, or how I like to watch the tennis championships on TV.

I also like to put in some humour and sarcasm, while being honest and being myself. For example if they like fishing, I would say "So, you enjoy being every fishes worst nightmare". You can tell I don't like fishing, but something along those lines. Or maybe comment on their height. If they are tall, say something like: Wow, you really need to grow a bit more don't you, maybe you can reach up to the cookie jar for me?

Depends how much is written on their profile as well. This could also be a great question to ask in the first message for online dating. If they don't have much written on their profile you could say: I noticed you haven't written much about yourself or what you look for in a partner, are you able to elaborate on that now? Also give examples to help them out if they are shy. Like do you enjoy cooking? Then you can refer to a story you might have about cooking. I'm a great cook, I've cooked....etc. Or, I've tried cooking and seem to need some help with it as I nearly burned the place down.

So make sure you ask them questions, that way it's easier for them to reply to your message, they have some questions that they can answer. Also tell stories about yourself relating to why you asked the question, or stories expanding on what you already have on your profile. People like stories and tend to remember them in relation to people too. Also make sure the first message is more than a few lines. Show that you are genuinely interested and would like to know more about that person and show that you are open to sharing more about yourself.

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/online-dating/first-message-for-online-dating

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Business travel improves your happiness!

According to new research that captured data from more than 1,000 of the nation?s most frequent business travelers, time on the road adds value to their lives beyond business and is a source of personal happiness. The first-of-its-kind study, conducted by Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, explored the emotions of the nation?s most experienced road warriors before, during and after a business trip.

?We feel the best way to help our guests succeed is to understand how they operate, so we can maximize their experience at our hotels,? said Shruti Buckley, vice president and global brand manager, Fairfield Inn & Suites. ?They demand an environment that allows them to be productive, yet one that is also inviting, upbeat and personal, so that?s what we deliver.?

Key Finding 1: Frequent Business Travel Enhances Your Life
Along with its ability to boost one?s professional development, the study found that frequent business travel has significant personal benefits.

? 76 percent of respondents reported that because they travel for business, they simply feel more prepared in life.
? 86 percent of respondents report that because they travel for business, they value time with family and friends more.
? 83 percent value their own personal time more.
? 92 percent say that taking business trips has made them a better overall traveler.
? 76 percent claim their friends view them as expert travelers.

?The overwhelming majority of travelers are satisfied or very satisfied with the amount they travel for business, which says a lot about the personal benefits to business travel,? said Buckley. ?Thirty percent would even like to travel more often.?

Key Finding 2: Frequent Business Travel Leads to Happiness
Frequent business travelers experience positive emotions, such as happiness and confidence, on the road.

Despite experiencing travel delays, missing their families, pets and home-cooked meals, losing their luggage or even skipping a family event, the vast majority of frequent business travelers report positive emotions when preparing for (86 percent) and during (88 percent) a trip. The most common emotions reported include feeling confident, knowledgeable, interested, calm, excited, eager, well-connected and happy.

?While more than half of frequent business travelers say they work twice as much when on the road, they also experience a certain feeling of freedom,? said Buckley. ?Sixty percent report feeling free to do whatever they want, which is empowering, as is getting their job done.?

Some frequent business travelers might be smiling because they often travel with a colleague. According to those who travel with others, there are both physical and psychological benefits to companion business travel, including:

Having someone to talk to (52 percent);
Sharing a workload (43 percent);
Getting more work done (42 percent);
Having more fun (39 percent);
Building friendships (37 percent);
Feeling less lonely (27 percent) and,
Feeling safer (27?percent).

Other frequent business travelers? happiness might stem from the aspects of travel they qualify as most enjoyable, such as experiencing new places, meeting new people, going out to eat, earning mileage or loyalty points, trying new foods, not going into the office, spending time alone and meeting up with friends. Twenty-one percent enjoy the fact that they can get more work done on the road. Fifty-nine percent say coming home from a trip is like a honeymoon with their spouse.

Key Finding 3: Frequent Business Travelers Can Teach Us A Lot
Study participants provided insights into strategies for success on the road.

Not surprisingly, when preparing for an average business trip, frequent business travelers report feeling prepared (62 percent) and confident (54?percent). The study unearthed some tips and tricks of the trade, from knowing where the local grocery store is to creating a workout routine so they can maintain their weight.

?We credit our frequent guests with developing best practices for business travel,? said Buckley. ?And, we?re setting out to share their know-how with everyone who travels for business.?

For example, some of the most frequent business travelers create an ?always pack list? to make preparation easier. And, in addition to cell phones, computers and reading material, items that frequent business travelers always keep on hand include business cards, medication, nutritional supplements, power cords and snacks. Activities they prioritize when notified of a trip include booking a hotel and travel arrangements, checking the weather and obtaining seasonally-appropriate attire, paying bills, and taking care of pets.

The majority of frequent business travelers (74 percent) also keep in touch with their friends and family at least once per day using cell phones, email, text messaging, social networks, instant messaging and Skype.

From photos to pillows, almost half (49?percent) bring a personal item along with them to remind them of home.

Study Background
Fairfield Inn & Suites conducted this research study to discover how frequent business travel impacts one?s perspective on work, home life and personal well-being. An online survey of 1,001 frequent U.S. business travelers was conducted from May 1-11, 2012, using the field services of TNS. The margin of error for this sample is +/- 3.1 percent?at the 95 percent?confidence level.

Photo: Fairfield Inn and Suites, Columbus, Miss.

Tagged as: business traveler, Fairfield Inns, happiness, travel

Source: http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/can-business-travel-improve-your-happiness/

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U.N. Observers Leave Syria As Mandates Expires; Assad Denies Vice President Tried To Defect

Turkey has begun handing out food and other humanitarian aid to Syrians on their shared border, Turkey's disaster and emergency body said on Saturday.

"The distribution of humanitarian aid by our country right on the border with Syria has begun," Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said in a statement.

Turkey has told the United Nations of the new practice and has opened a center in its southeastern town of Gaziantep to receive international aid, said AFAD, adding that it needed dried, tinned and baby food, bedding and personal hygiene items.

According to aid agencies, the humanitarian situation in Syria has deteriorated as fighting escalates, cutting off civilians from food supplies, healthcare and other assistance.

The U.N. refugee agency says that more than 170,000 Syrians have been registered as refugees in neighboring countries ? Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government denied reports on Saturday that President Bashar al-Assad's deputy Farouq al-Sharaa had tried to defect to Jordan.

The vice-president's office said he "never thought for a moment about leaving the country", as government forces pressed an offensive against rebels, bombarding parts of Aleppo in the north and hitting an insurgent-held town in the oil-producing east.

Intellpuke: You can read this article by Guardian reporter Conal Urquhart, with reporting by various news agencies, in context here: www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/18/un-observers-leave-syria

Source: http://freeinternetpress.com/story/UN-Observers-Leave-Syria-As-Mandates-Expires-Assad-Denies-Vice-President-Tried-To-Defect-35721.html

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Fire evacuees in Wash. and California return home

SPOKANE, Wash. ?

Hundreds of people in Washington and California who fled encroaching flames from wildfires were allowed to return to their homes Friday, and in Washington many were to find out whether their property was spared by a huge blaze that burned out of control for much of the week.

"Some people will find their homes there and others will find homes damaged or even lost," said Mick Mueller, a spokesman at the fire command center.

Meanwhile, some residents of rural central Idaho were told to evacuate by late Friday as blazes continued to burn throughout the West.

In Washington, people were returning to the south and east sides of the 35-square mile Taylor Bridge Fire near the town of Cle Elum in the Cascade Range, about 75 miles east of Seattle. The 22,700-acre fire was 40 percent contained late Friday.

"The folks will have to be working among fallers dropping hazardous trees and utility crews working to get the power back on in there," Mueller said. "And firefighters are still working in there trying to put out hot spots."

About 900 firefighters with eight helicopters continued building a line around the fire.

The fire broke out Monday at a bridge construction project and exploded through dry grass, brush and trees. Authorities said Friday the blaze had burned 48 residential properties and 15 other structures on the east side of the Cascades. The fire burned on the north side of Interstate 90. More than 400 people evacuated.

Firefighters hope to have the fire contained Sunday.

But the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for high wildfire danger in effect through Saturday night on the east side of the Cascades. In addition to the hot, dry conditions, there's a chance for dry thunderstorms Saturday evening with lightning that could start more fires.

"We're kind of on edge about that," Mueller said.

In other states:

- Idaho authorities have told some Custer County residents to evacuate by Friday afternoon because of a nearing wildfire. To the south, in Elmore County, firefighters were still working to protect two threatened towns from another huge blaze. The Custer County sheriff's office issued an evacuation notice Thursday night, warning residents from Sunbeam Store to Loon Creek Summit that if they don't evacuate by 5 p.m. Friday officials cannot guarantee their safety.

-In California, hundreds of people who were ordered to leave their rural homes because of San Diego County wildfires were being allowed to return. State fire officials said evacuation orders were lifted Friday for about 400 people in the communities of Ranchita and San Felipe. Flames came within a half-mile of some houses but none burned.

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Associated Press writers Doug Esser in Seattle and Jessie L. Bonner in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.seattletimes.com/click.phdo?i=5bf7005fe022b3668d28a7f8150f5138

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City cameras track anyone, even Minneapolis Mayor Rybak

On Aug. 3, a mobile camera spotted Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's city-owned car on 5th Avenue downtown. On Aug. 7, it found the car again on Nicollet Island. On Aug. 9, another camera saw the mayor's car on a side street near the University of Minnesota.

All of that data resides in a city of Minneapolis database containing millions of license plates scans, captured by devices mounted on city police and traffic vehicles. As a Star Tribune public records request shows, knowing someone's license plate number gives anyone access to city data about where that vehicle has been seen.

The cameras are increasingly popular with law enforcement agencies locally and nationally because they can spot criminals and other wanted persons in real time. But without a state law, the data is public and can be stored indefinitely. In Minneapolis, location data is stored for one year. St. Paul discards it after 14 days, while the State Patrol erases it in 48 hours.

Now several legislators are joining privacy experts who say the Legislature needs to set standards on the classification, retention and use of that data. "This is something that I think demands attention on a statewide basis," said Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, chairman of the House Public Safety Committee.

After the Star Tribune reported on the issue last week, documenting data the city had kept on a reporter, data requests began to trickle in to Minneapolis police. The department now has "License Plate Reader Request" forms, which are stored in a special binder, to document each one.

Jake Ingebrigtson, co-owner of Car and Credit Connection in South St. Paul, requested location data on four vehicles that his company is trying to repossess from people who have stopped making payments. "This can really help us try to locate vehicles," said Ingebrigtson, whose company sells cars to people with bad credit.

Tony Messner, vice president of the mechanical service company Palen Kimball, asked for location data on one of the firm's vans that was stolen and later found damaged and missing tools. "We thought maybe there is a chance that the license plate showed up in some location around town," Messner said. "And that might help us figure out what happened."

Palen Kimball may not get much back, but it's worth a shot. Over the course of a year, scanners spotted Rybak's current and former city-owned cars 41 times. The most recent captures featured pictures of the car, which are stored for 21 days. Seven of the locations were redacted because the department does not release locations of its stationary cameras.

A police spokesman, Sgt. William Palmer, said last week that they retain the data for a year "to ensure we can comply with requests for public data" and that they hope to get guidance from the state about how long to keep it. On Thursday, Rybak said he asked Police Chief Tim Dolan to develop recommendations for the City Council and him to consider.

"In some cases, the license plate data the police have retained have proven helpful in investigating and solving crimes," Rybak said in a statement. "But there are important, legitimate concerns around the length of time it is stored and how it is or can be used or accessed that we need to address."

Palmer said the department has used the database in investigations. In one instance, investigators looking for a suspect found through the scan data that his car was parked repeatedly on a block in north Minneapolis.

Minneapolis has eight mobile cameras -- split between police and traffic vehicles -- and two stationary ones that have captured 4.9 million license plates in 2012. The traffic vehicle scanners are generally used to identify parking scofflaws, city spokesman Matt Laible said. The city of St. Paul has 10 mobile cameras.

The license plate number, date and location of the vehicle are considered public data, but other information, such as the vehicle's owner and address, are not.

Last Friday, the state's Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Task Force voted to recommend to the Legislature that the data should be classified as "private," meaning only the subject can request it from police.

"Now that we see someone's patterns in a graphic on a map in a newspaper, you realize that person really does have a right to be secure from people who might be trying to stalk them or follow them or interfere with them," said Bob Sykora, chief information officer for the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, who recommended the reclassification.

Voting no were privacy advocate Rich Neumeister and a representative of the attorney general's office, who felt the recommendation also needed to cover data retention, usage and access. "If you make things private [without addressing these issues], there's no accountability or transparency on how they're using millions of records," Neumeister said.

In a separate motion, the task force recommended the data be retained for a "limited period" and will appoint a group to determine what that should be.

Rep. Kelby Woodard, R-Belle Plaine, said he intends to introduce legislation next session that makes the license plate reader data private. "There is also a need to clearly define the legitimate uses of this data by law enforcement and a limitation to the retention of this highly sensitive data," Woodard wrote in an e-mail.

Cornish, a retired police chief, would ideally like to see the data dumped immediately if the vehicle doesn't register as wanted by law enforcement -- known as a "hit." He worries about the potential that the databases could be abused, citing past problems with state vehicle records.

"Even though technology is great and it helps catch the bad guys, I don't want the good guys being kept in a database," Cornish said.

Eric Roper ? 612-673-1732 Twitter: @StribRoper

Source: http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/166494646.html

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Facebook?s Stock Price Plunges In Early Trading A Day After The Lockup Expired

Facebook's stock price (NASDAQ:FB) took a nosedive this morning after opening slightly higher from yesterday's close. The stock price opened at 20.08 but quickly started dropping, hitting a new low just 30 minutes after the market opened. This comes just one day after the lockups on Facebook's stock expired, allowing those who invested at the IPO to dump their shares. This caused heavy trading at the beginning of the day, plunging Facebook's stock to all-time lows. About 271 million shares hit the open market from such early investors as Microsoft, Accel Partners, Tiger Global Management, Goldman Sachs and Peter Thiel.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wP-P_YO1kDM/

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