House Hearing Fails to Address Major Concerns With Targeted ...

U.S. Marines load an RQ-7B UAV onto a launching ramp.

Lance Cpl. Robert R. Carrasco/Released

February 27, 2013 12:32 PM ET

The House Judiciary Committee held a full member hearing today on when it is acceptable for the government to designate a U.S. citizen for targeted killing ? the first hearing to focus specifically on this hot-button issue. Despite the session's serious shortcomings, it was a small step towards some modicum of Congressional oversight of a program that remains shrouded in secrecy. The hearing included four expert witnesses, all of whom contribute to the right-leaning website Lawfare. The Department of Justice, meanwhile, was invited to attend but declined to show up, much to the frustration of many committee members.

The session was remarkable for the near-constant agreement between three of the four witnesses ? lawyers John Bellinger and Robert Chesney and Brookings Institution scholar Benjamin Wittes ? regarding issues such as the constitutionality of killing Yemeni cleric and U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki in a 2011 drone strike, as well as the reasoning behind the recently leaked DOJ white paper summarizing the secret Office of Legal Counsel opinions that authorize lethal strikes against American citizens. Little was gained by having these three similar viewpoints on the panel, especially at the exclusion of human rights experts or those actually affected by U.S. drone strikes.

The Drone Industry Wants a Makeover

"Where were the victims, where were representatives of civil society in the affected countries?" asks Andrea Prasow, senior counterterrorism counsel and advocate with Human Rights Watch, in an email. She suggests that Congress could have invited family members of Anwar al-Awlaki to testify, but "instead, the only congressional hearing to date on the preeminent legal and political issue of our time consisted of four American men who are participants in the same legal blogging project." (That blogging project once somewhat notoriously posted a user-submitted photo of a tasteless "drone cake," with an accompanying joke referencing their site's motto.)

Also remarkable was what was missing from the discussion ? namely, any serious questioning of the fundamental logic of the war on terror, or any suggestion that it may ever come to an end from either members of Congress or the witnesses. Instead, the witnesses argued that Congress should update the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force to better fit the new realities of the war on terror, with barely a word that the drone-based U.S. foreign policy which has resulted in 4,700 deaths, by Sen. Lindsay Graham's own admission, might itself be the problem.

"The lawyers at this hearing made the case for this lethal authority during wartime, but the problem is that there's no end in sight to this war," says Naureen Shah, lecturer in law at the Human Rights Institute at Columbia University Law School, in an email. "The war against Al Qaeda is at best a war against groups with a shared ideology, but on that basis, the war and the authority to kill citizens on U.S. soil could last lifetimes."

At Least We're Not Measles: Rationalizing Drone Attacks Hits New Low

The leaked white paper revealed that the Obama administration has claimed it has the power to kill any U.S. citizen who is deemed a senior operational leader of al Qaeda, who poses an "imminent threat" and whose capture is "infeasible" ? though those terms are vaguely defined to the point of near-meaninglessness. John Brennan, Obama's nominee to head the CIA, has refused to say whether this broad authority extends to U.S. soil. Today's hearing brought little clarity to that concern, though Steve Vladeck, the fourth witness, said the infeasibility of capture requirement would likely prohibit a targeted killing within the United States.?

Members of Congress have asked at least 19 times for the Office of Legal Council memos that theoretically contain the precise legal reasoning behind targeted killing, but have been stonewalled by the Obama administration at every turn.

The powers discussed in this morning's committee hearing are some of the most disturbing powers a government can claim over its citizens. As commentator Glenn Greenwald recently wrote, the mere fact that the public doesn't know if this administration believes it has the right to extra-legally kill U.S. citizens in secret within the boundaries of the United States "shows just how extreme the degradation of U.S. political culture is." That the so-called war in which the U.S. is engaged is likely to last decades makes the lethal presidency even more dangerous.

As Shah says in her email, "Can you imagine if, during the Cold War, the government had refused to rule out killing U.S. citizens on U.S. soil?"

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/house-hearing-fails-to-address-major-concerns-with-targeted-killing-program-20130227

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Man and woman, preferably married, wanted for expedition to Mars

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A non-profit foundation wants to recruit a man and a woman - possibly a married couple - for a bare-bones, 501-day journey to Mars and back that would start in less than five years, project organizers said on Wednesday.

The mission, expected to cost upwards of $1 billion (659.4 million pounds), would be privately financed by donations and sponsorships.

Project founder Dennis Tito, a multimillionaire who in 2001 paid $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station, said he will pay start-up costs for two years to begin development of life-support systems and other critical technologies.

Currently, there are no U.S. human spaceships in operation, but several are under development and expected to be flying by 2017.

That leaves little time to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment that would allow a craft to loop around Mars, coming as close as about 150 miles (241 kilometres) to the planet's surface, before returning to Earth.

The launch window for the mission opens on January 5, 2018. The next opportunity is not until 2031.

"If we don't make 2018, we're going to have some competition in 2031," Tito told Reuters.

"By that time, there will be many others that will be reaching for this low-hanging fruit, and it really is low-hanging fruit," said Tito, who set up the non-profit Inspiration Mars Foundation to organize the mission.

Project chief technical officer Taber MacCallum said U.S. industry is up for the challenge.

"That's the kind of bold thing we used to be able to do," said MacCallum, who also oversees privately owned Paragon Space Development Corp.

"We've shirked away from risk. I think just seriously contemplating this mission recalibrates what we believe is a risk worth taking for America," he said.

TIGHT QUARTERS

The spacecraft will be bare-bones, with about 600 cubic feet (17 cubic meters) of living space available for a two-person crew. Mission planners would like to fly a man and a woman, preferably a married couple who would be compatible during a long period of isolation.

The capsule would be outfitted with a life-support system similar to the one NASA uses on the space station, which recycles air, water, urine and perspiration.

"This is going to be a very austere mission. You don't necessarily have to follow all of NASA's guidelines for air quality and water quality. This is going to be a Lewis and Clark trip to Mars," MacCallum said, referring to the explorers who set out across the uncharted American Northwest in 1803.

If launch occurs on January 5, 2018, the capsule would reach Mars 228 days later, loop around its far side and slingshot back toward Earth.

The return trip takes 273 days and ends with an unprecedented 31,764-mph (51,119-kph) slam into Earth's atmosphere.

Once the spaceship is on its way, there is no turning back.

"If something goes wrong, they're not coming back," MacCallum said.

The crew would spend much of their time maintaining their habitat, conducting science experiments and keeping in touch with people on Earth.

Tito said he expects the cost to be similar to a robotic mission to Mars. NASA's ongoing Curiosity rover mission cost $2.5 billion. A follow-on mission scheduled to launch in 2020 is expected to run $1.5 billion.

"You're really flying this mission without a propulsion system on the spacecraft. It's in the most simple form," Tito said.

NASA is working on its own heavy-lift rocket and Orion space capsule that could carry crews of four to an asteroid and eventually to Mars.

"We can just barely, every 15 years, fly by Mars with the systems we have right now," MacCallum said. "We're trying to be a stepping-stone."

(Editing by Jane Sutton and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-woman-preferably-married-wanted-expedition-mars-004743532.html

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Video: Blood vessels 'sniff' gut microbes to regulate blood pressure

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University and Yale University have discovered that a specialized receptor, normally found in the nose, is also in blood vessels throughout the body, sensing small molecules created by microbes that line mammalian intestines, and responding to these molecules by increasing blood pressure. The finding suggests that gut bacteria are an integral part of the body's complex system for maintaining a stable blood pressure.

A description of the research, conducted in mice and test tubes, appeared online Feb. 11 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The contribution that gut microbes apparently make to blood pressure regulation and human health is a surprise," says Jennifer Pluznick, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "There is still much to learn about this mechanism, but we now know some of the players and how they interact," she adds.

Pluznick says that several years ago, thanks to a "happy coincidence," she found ? in the kidney ? some of the same odor-sensing proteins that give the nose its powers. Focusing on one of those proteins, olfactory receptor 78 (Olfr78), her team specifically located it in the major branches of the kidney's artery and in the smaller arterioles that lead into the kidney's filtering structures. Olfr78 also turned up in the walls of small blood vessels throughout the body, she says, particularly in the heart, diaphragm, skeletal muscle and skin.

To figure out which molecules bind and activate Olfr78, the scientists programmed cells to have Olfr78 protein receptors on their surface. They also gave these same cells the ability to start a light-producing chemical reaction whenever Olfr78 is activated. By adding different cocktails of molecules to the cells and measuring the light the cells produced, they homed in on a single mixture that activated Olfr78. They then tested each component in that mix and found that only acetic acid (a.k.a. vinegar) bound Olfr78 and caused the reaction.

Acetic acid and its alter ego, acetate, are part of a group of molecules known as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). When the team tested other molecules in this group, they found that propionate, which is similar to acetate, also binds Olfr78. In the body of mammals, including humans, SCFAs are made when zillions of bacteria lining the gut digest starch and cellulose from plant-based foods. The SCFAs are absorbed by the intestines into the blood stream, where they can interact with Olfr78.

To pinpoint the effect of Olfr78, the scientists gave SCFAs to mice missing the Olfr78 gene and found that the rodents' blood pressure decreased, suggesting that SCFAs normally induce Olfr78 to elevate blood pressure. However, when they gave SCFAs to normal mice with intact Olfr78, they did not see the expected increase in blood pressure, but rather a decrease, though it was less pronounced than before.

To test the effect of reducing the SCFAs available to Olfr78, the team gave mice a three-week course of antibiotics to wipe out the gut microbes responsible for SCFA production. In this case, normal mice showed very little change in blood pressure, but mice without Olfr78 experienced an increase in blood pressure, suggesting that there were other factors involved in the Olfr78/SCFA/blood pressure relationship.

The mystery was solved, Pluznick says, when the team examined mice lacking Gpr41, a non-smell-related protein receptor located in blood vessel walls that also binds SCFAs. When SCFAs bind to Gpr41, blood pressure is decreased. The researchers eventually discovered that Olfr78 and Gpr41 both are activated by SCFAs, but with contradictory effects. The negative effect of Gpr41 is counterbalanced by the positive effect of Olfr78, but Gpr41's effect is stronger, so an increase in SCFAs produces an overall decrease in blood pressure.

"We don't have the full story yet," says Pluznick. "There are many players involved in the maintenance of stable levels of blood pressure, and these are just a few of them. We don't know why it would be beneficial for blood pressure to decrease after eating or why gut microbes would play a part in signaling that change. But our work opens the door for exploring the effects of antibiotic treatments, probiotics and other dietary changes on blood pressure levels in mice, and perhaps eventually people."

###

Link to article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1215927110

Johns Hopkins Medicine: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Thanks to Johns Hopkins Medicine for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127032/Video__Blood_vessels__sniff__gut_microbes_to_regulate_blood_pressure

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Today on New Scientist: 27 February 2013

Beppe Grillo: Cronyism has hurt Italian science

In an exclusive interview, the comedian turned politician reveals how celebrating science and technology in his comedy act launched his political career

First private Mars mission aims to launch in 2018

Backed by multi-millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito, the project plans to send two people on a fly-by of the Red Planet on a 501-day round trip

IVF sperm do better in a diamond dish

The polystyrene Petri dishes often used in IVF may react with water to generate reactive oxygen species that kill sperm

Arctic thaw may be first in cascade of tipping points

A record low in Arctic sea ice may have been the first in a series of events that unleash unstoppable climate changes - what will be next?

Live hologram reveals moving people trapped in a fire

Watch how firefighters can now see activity hidden behind flames for the first time thanks to infrared holography

All work and no play: Why Neanderthals were no Picasso

Neanderthals had shorter childhoods than us, which profoundly affected their ability to make symbolic art, argues archaeologist April Nowell

Time is running out for the solar revolution

Project Sunshine by Steve McKevitt and Tony Ryan shows the great promise of solar power, but time is running out for its advocates to make it shine

US research to be put online for free

In a victory for open access, the US government has announced that all major federally funded research will be made available online for anyone to read

Bank's partial passwords are easy to guess

A well-known security scheme that asks you to enter certain letters from your password may not be as secure as it seems

US nuclear dump is leaking toxic waste

Toxic waste from nuclear bomb production is leaking from storage tanks at the Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington, contaminating groundwater

We need a piece of Mars to continue search for life

Curiosity's discovery of weird soil chemistry on the Red Planet makes a sample return mission a priority

Newly spotted comet to buzz Mars in 2014

The icy visitor will cross Mars's orbit and may even get close enough to smack into the planet, based on early estimates of its orbital path

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/492992/s/2906faf0/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A130C0A20Ctoday0Eon0Enew0Escientist0E270Efeb0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Having Trouble With Auto Insurance? Try These Tips ? Social ...

You should stay on top of the latest news concerning car insurance. By learning as much as possible about auto insurance, you are guaranteeing yourself the best possible policy you can get. Read on for some ways to go about doing this.

Many factors are considered when figuring insurance premiums. For example marriage, your gender and even your age are factors. Being familiar with these factors and how they might make a difference on the amount of premium you pay, can help you be a savvy shopper when comparing quotes from different insurance companies.

You might want to think about moving to another state or city to find a cheaper insurance plan. Insurance regulations and premiums vary from place to place. Therefore, you can reduce your insurance cost if you relocate to a region with lower premiums.

During the first sixty days of a contract, an insurance company has the ability to drop your coverage without an explanation. The insurer uses this time to look over your record, and make sure you're not too high risk for them to insure. Such a termination can raise your insurance costs in the future.

Before you switch over to a new insurance policy, make sure you send a written cancellation letter to your old carrier. If your insurance company does not process your cancellation properly and you ignore notices to pay the next bill, your insurance company could terminate your coverage due to the lack of payment. This will cause a negative effect on your credit score.

Removing an unnecessary driver from your policy can lower your monthly rates. Remove any people from your insurance policy that do not drive. Younger drivers tend to cost more in insurance. Removing them from your policy can mean a large savings in your monthly premium.

Reduce your premiums by going for the highest deductible you can afford. A higher deductible means you will have to cover the cost of minor accidents, but you will still be covered in the event of a total loss or if you cause an accident. Going with a high deductible is especially smart if you are driving a car with a very low value to begin with.

In a number of states, you're required to carry liability insurance if you are the driver of a car. Knowing what type of coverage is required by law in your state is the responsibility of you as a citizen. If your vehicle is not insured when you are in an accident, there will not only be serious financial consequences, but there will also be consequences from your local authorities.

Lower your mileage by using public transportation or joining a carpool. Impress your insurance companies by keeping your mileage down and they may reward you with lower rates. Letting your agent know that you carpool or ride the bus may help him or her find you a discount that will reduce your premium.

Try speaking to people from local body shops about the insurance policies that are best. People at body shops are used to dealing with insurance adjusters. They can most likely tell you what insurance companies are the easiest to work with.

Trade in your sports car for something more insurance friendly. Sports cars are going to cost you a lot more to insure. Try going for a low-profile model. That big engine under the hood could end up costing you more than just gas money when it comes to your insurance policy. Also, since sports cars are more often the target of theft, they are more expensive to insure.

To make sure that your car insurance is correctly covering you, sit down with your agent before making purchases of things that personalize your car. If your vehicle gets stolen you will want to make sure the expensive accessories you put on it will be covered.

In case you ever have to file a claim to your insurance company, know that insurance companies want a lot of detailed documentation. Use your cell phone to take pictures and record video of the damage caused by the accident and the location where it occurred. Keep your camera in your glove box if you do not have a camera on your phone.

Accidents in the daylight hours are most frequently caused by elderly drivers. This fact can affect insurance premiums, as well as a senior citizen's ability to obtain insurance at all.

By subscribing to a bundle package of the insurances you need, you will save money. You can insure your house and all vehicles with one insurer and save a good deal of money. It is in your interest to get the best coverage at the best price. However, separate policies may be in order dependent on your situation.

As you would probably agree, auto insurance is a bit more complex than some people think. Although it requires your close attention, your effort will pay off. The best policy will give you good coverage at a reasonable price and confidence that your personal safety needs are met and your car is protected. By utilizing the tips above, you will be better equipped to buy the best policy.

For more information on Read the Full Document review http://wellnessblessfull.com/blogs/user/ZelmaHyi

Source: http://crew.valkry.com/blog/95154/having-trouble-with-auto-insurance-try-these-tips/

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Big powers offer Iran some sanctions relief, await reply

ALMATY (Reuters) - Major powers offered Iran limited sanctions relief in return for a halt to the most controversial part of its atomic work during the first day of nuclear talks on Tuesday, and Iran promised to respond with a proposal on the same scale.

The talks in Kazakhstan were the first in eight months between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany - the "P5+1" - on a decade-old dispute that threatens to trigger another war in the Middle East.

Iran has used the time since the last meeting in June to further expand activity that the West suspects is aimed at enabling it to build a nuclear bomb, something that Israel has suggested it will prevent by force if diplomacy fails.

The two-day negotiations in the city of Almaty follow inconclusive meetings last year in Istanbul, Baghdad and Moscow.

Western diplomats described the first day of talks as "useful" but said Iranian negotiators did not immediately respond to the P5+1's demand that Tehran closes its underground nuclear facility Fordow, at the center of their concerns.

"Hopefully the Iranians will be able to reflect overnight and will come back and view our proposal positively," said a spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who oversees Iranian diplomacy for the six powers.

With the Islamic Republic's political elite preoccupied with worsening infighting before a presidential election in June, few believe the meeting will yield a quick breakthrough.

"It is clear that nobody expects to come from Almaty with a fully done deal," the EU spokesman, Michael Mann, said before the meeting started.

OFFER PRESENTED

A U.S. official said that the offer - an updated version of one rejected by Tehran last year - would take into account its recent nuclear advances, but also take "some steps in the sanctions arena".

For years, the powers had attempted a mix of economic pressure and diplomacy to persuade Iran to scale back its atomic work, but Tehran has insisted that sanctions are lifted before it complies with any demands.

In Almaty, a source close to the Iranian negotiators told reporters: "Depending on what proposal we receive from the other side we will present our own proposal of the same weight. The continuation of talks depends on how this exchange of proposals goes forward".

At best, diplomats and analysts say, Iran will take the joint offer from the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Britain and China seriously and agree to hold further talks soon on practical steps to ease the tension. Initial meetings could involve only technical experts, who cannot strike deals.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Berlin that he hoped Iran "will make its choice to move down the path of a diplomatic solution".

But Iran, whose chief negotiator Saeed Jalili is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is a veteran of Iran's 1980s war against Iraq and the Western powers that backed it, has shown no sign of willingness to scale back its nuclear work.

It says it has a sovereign right to carry out nuclear enrichment for peaceful energy purposes, and in particular refuses to close the underground Fordow enrichment plant, a condition the powers have set for any sanctions relief.

FASTER ENRICHMENT

A U.N. nuclear watchdog report last week said Iran was for the first time installing advanced centrifuges that would allow it to significantly speed up its enrichment of uranium, which can have both civilian and military purposes.

Accelerating Western sanctions on Iran over the last 14 months are hurting Iran's economy and slashing oil revenue. Its currency has more than halved in value, which in turn has pushed up inflation.

The central bank governor was quoted on Monday as saying Iran's inflation was likely to top 30 percent in coming weeks as the sanctions contribute to shortages and stockpiling. [ID:nL6N0BP51A] Iranians say inflation is already much higher than that official figure.

But analysts say the sanctions are not close to having the crippling effect envisaged by Washington and - so far at least - they have not prompted a change in Iran's nuclear course.

Western officials said the powers' offer would include an easing of restrictions on trade in gold and other precious metals if Tehran closes Fordow.

The facility is used for enriching uranium to 20 percent fissile purity, a short technical step from weapons grade.

Western officials acknowledge an easing of U.S. and EU sanctions on trade in gold represents a relatively modest step. But the metal could be used as part of barter transactions that might allow Iran to circumvent financial sanctions.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman last week dismissed the reported incentive as insufficient and a senior Iranian lawmaker has ruled out closing Fordow, close to the holy city of Qom.

(Additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Almaty, Zahra Hosseinian in Zurich, Arshad Mohammed and Stephen Brown in Berlin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/powers-offer-iran-sanctions-relief-nuclear-talks-055616179.html

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Miss. mayorial candidate found dead, homicide suspected

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) ? Authorities say a Mississippi mayoral candidate has been found dead and the case is being investigated as a homicide.

Coahoma County Coroner Scotty Meredith says the body of 34-year-old Marco McMillian was found on the Mississippi River levee Wednesday about 10 a.m.

McMillian was running for mayor of Clarksdale, a Blues music hub and home to actor Morgan Freeman.

Meredith says the body was found between Sherard and Rena Lara. He says it was sent to Jackson for an autopsy and declined to provide further details.

Authorities had been looking for McMillian since another man crashed the candidate's car into another vehicle on Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/homicide-suspected-miss-candidates-death-235102580.html

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Marissa Mayer Has Made a Terrible Mistake

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo

Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

It was nearly a decade ago that I stopped going into the office every day. I worked at a competing Web magazine at the time, and my bosses didn?t really care how I worked, as long as I got stuff done. At first, like many people, I began working from home because I was lazy. By skipping my hourlong commute, I gave myself more time to sleep in and goof off. And without anyone watching over me, the goofing off was sure to be epic.

But I quickly realized that, counter to my intentions, working at home made me more productive. Without office distractions?listening to other people?s phone calls, bantering with the receptionist, figuring out where and with whom to go to lunch?I could report and write much faster. Telecommuting also freed me from pointless office commitments. For instance, I could call in to meetings, mute my line, and then do more important things with my time.

When I tell people that I work at home, they usually assume one of two things?that I?m un- or underemployed and just biding my time until I get a real job, or that I possess a monkish, single-minded devotion to work that they suggest is required for successful telecommuting. Neither is true. Instead, I?ve realized that, once you learn how to do it, working at home is superior in almost every way. It allows me to be better at my job and at my life?to be a more productive employee and a not-terrible husband and dad.

Working at home isn?t for everyone. As a writer, I work according to what Y Combinator?s Paul Graham calls the ?maker?s schedule.? My job requires long stretches of distraction-free time, and my output, on any particular day, is sensitive to my mood and environment. Working at home gives me the freedom to adjust these variables to maximum effect: Sometimes I find that I write better if I start a column after dinner, while other times I hit a wall during the middle of the day, take an hour off to get a snack and jump in the shower, and then come back to produce a magnificent column about pajamas.

You might work differently. Maybe your mind is best primed by conversations with your co-workers about Downton Abbey. That?s fine. The point?and this is hardly groundbreaking?is that different people work differently. Any organization whose success depends on maximizing its workers? productivity ought to allow their employees some degree of flexibility.

That brings us to Yahoo?s ridiculous new ban on working from home. Last week, All Things D?s Kara Swisher reported that Marissa Mayer, the beleaguered Web company?s new CEO, will force Yahoo?s few hundred remote workers to relocate to its offices. In a memo Swisher obtained, the company?s human-resources chief allows workers to ?occasionally? stay home to ?wait for the cable guy,? but otherwise requires people?I?m sorry, ?Yahoos??to submit to ?the interactions and experiences that are only possible in our offices.? Because this was an HR memo and therefore freed from any requirement to be truthful, it went on to declare that ?speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.? It added: ?We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.? (I asked Yahoo to explain the policy to me, and a spokeswoman responded with this brief statement: ?We don't discuss internal matters. This isn't a broad industry view on working from home?this is about what is right for Yahoo!, right now.")

Mayer is going to regret this decision. It?s myopic, unfriendly, and so boneheaded that I worry it?s the product of spending too much time at the office. (She did, after all, build a nursery next to her office to house her new baby). It?s not just that the policy completely elides the virtues of working from home. Numerous studies have found that people can be more productive when they?re allowed to work away from the office. One, released this month by researchers at Stanford, showed that when Chinese call-center employees were allowed to work from home, their performance increased by 13 percent. Considering such gains, it?s likely that Yahoo?s new ban will force remote workers to alter their work lives in a way that will lower their productivity. It will also put Yahoo at odds with just about every other tech company in Silicon Valley?firms that don?t impose such rules on working from home, and with whom Yahoo competes for talent.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=8446949d4b89226bcd4a50259bfe949b

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Brolly Umbrella ? Send texts while singing in the rain

Here’s an umbrella for those of you that won’t stop texting even long enough to get in from rain… The Brolly Umbrella looks and works like a standard compact umbrella, but the ergonomic handle has 4 finger holes. These rubber lined holes provide a more comfortable grip and allow you to hold your phone as [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/26/brolly-umbrella-send-texts-while-singing-in-the-rain/

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US urges Egypt opposition to take part in election (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Actor Depardieu hits dance floor in Russia's Chechnya

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Arms flailing to the synthesized beat of a folk tune, film star Gerard Depardieu hit the dance floor in Chechnya and vowed to make a movie in the volatile region on the latest stop of an erratic tour of his new Russian homeland.

The actor, who quit France after criticizing a planned 75-percent tax on millionaires, embraced Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov during a weekend visit, then showed off traditional 'Lezginka' dance moves in television footage aired on Monday.

The trip came a month after Depardieu received a hug and a passport from President Vladimir Putin and heaped praise on the Russian leader - earning criticism from opposition and rights campaigners.

His visit to the Chechen capital, Grozny should prove equally divisive - human rights groups have accused security services in Chechnya of carrying out kidnappings, torture and extrajudicial killings to try to quash an Islamist insurgency.

Pro-Kremlin Kadyrov, who denies the accusations of abuses, has imposed an uneasy peace over the region, the scene of two separatist wars that killed more than 100,000 people in 1994-2000.

"I would really like to shoot a film here and show that it's possible to do that here in Grozny, shoot a great film," Depardieu, 64, told private broadcaster NTV.

"I can't reveal all the details now, but we'll come back here and this is only the beginning," added the star of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Green Card".

Depardieu first came to Chechnya to celebrate Kadyrov's birthday last year. When the actor was presented with his Russian passport, the Chechen leader invited Depardieu to live in the region.

"We got to know each other well during his first trip. We discussed several projects. I believe that the current trip will also be productive," Kadyrov told Interfax news agency.

"I ADORE VLADIMIR PUTIN"

Depardieu, bitterly criticized by many in France for abandoning his homeland, has said he did not leave for tax reasons.

He set up a home in Belgium last year before making the move further east to Russia, which has a flat tax of 13 percent on income.

Depardieu registered as a resident of the provincial city of Saransk in western Russia on Saturday and announced he planned to set up a health food restaurant where he would mostly serve pork, lamb and chicken.

In separate comments recorded there on Sunday and broadcast on Monday, Depardieu said he liked Moscow and Russia's second-largest city of St.Petersburg, but that he was mostly drawn to more remote regions.

"I have always been strongly attracted by the Russian temperament, because I myself also feel very, very much Russian," the actor told the state TV channel Rossiya 24.

"I adore Vladimir Putin, your president," he added, praising the former KGB spy for overseeing the reconstruction of historic buildings in his hometown St.Petersburg.

The actor has appeared in an advertising campaign for ketchup in Russia and a film about the monk Grigory Rasputin.

(Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/actor-depardieu-wants-film-russias-volatile-chechnya-114047011.html

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Mobile Data Optimization Company Altobridge Raises Further $7.8M Led By Intel Capital

County Kerry, Ireland-headquartered Altobridge, a company that develops and deploys technology for mobile networks to help them cut the cost of delivering mobile voice and data, has announced that it's raised a new $7.8 million round of funding from previous backers Intel Capital and International Finance Corporation (IFC). The new funds will be used to "accelerate" the roll-out of its mobile data optimisation solution called "Data-at-the-Edge", in urban and rural markets "globally".

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hsxPcPccAag/

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Chesapeake, Encana sued in civil antitrust action

(Reuters) - A major Michigan landowner is suing Chesapeake Energy Corp and Encana Corp, alleging that the two energy giants colluded to rig bids for oil and gas rights in 2010.

Northstar Energy, which owns nearly 10,000 acres in Michigan's Utica-Collingwood oil and gas shale formation, filed the lawsuit against Chesapeake and Canadian firm Encana in Michigan federal court Friday.

The suit follows a series of Reuters investigations last year which triggered civil and criminal probes of Chesapeake, the second-largest U.S. producer of natural gas. In June, Reuters reported that Chesapeake and Encana, Canada's largest gas producer, worked to suppress land prices in Michigan three years ago. ( http://link.reuters.com/wab98s )

Reuters quoted from internal Chesapeake emails that show top executives of the two companies traded proposals to divide bidding responsibilities for nine private landowners and counties in Michigan.

Northstar was one of the private landowners discussed.

In its lawsuit, Northstar claims Chesapeake and Encana agreed to avoid bidding against each other for oil and gas rights on Northstar's acreage. The companies "formed an anti-competitive agreement and shared competitive and proprietary information" in violation of U.S. federal antitrust law and Michigan statutes, according to the lawsuit.

Northstar's lawsuit seeks treble damages, or triple the amount the plaintiffs say they lost out on due to the alleged collusion.

Attorneys for Northstar declined to comment. Chesapeake declined to comment. Encana said its own probe, completed last September, concluded that the firm hadn't engaged in collusion during land leasing in Michigan in 2010.

"We intend to vigorously defend any lawsuit which may be brought against Encana with respect to these matters," Encana spokesman Jay Averill said in a statement, declining further comment on pending litigation.

In earlier statements, Chesapeake and Encana have acknowledged holding talks about forming a joint venture in Michigan, but said no agreement was reached.

Last week, Chesapeake's board of directors said an internal review found the company did not violate antitrust laws.

The companies' boards didn't say how they reached their conclusions. The U.S. Department of Justice and the attorney general in Michigan continue to investigate whether the firms violated antitrust laws in Michigan, and issued them subpoenas last June.

"The importance of independent - rather than internal - investigations cannot be emphasized enough in a case involving antitrust bid-rigging allegations," a spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said in a statement last week. "Our thorough, independent investigation into these serious allegations will continue."

Some antitrust law experts said new emails and documents obtained by Northstar could spell trouble for Chesapeake and Encana.

"There is one world where you do not want to be an antitrust defendant," said Darren Bush, a former Justice Department antitrust attorney and professor of antitrust law at the University of Houston. "That is where there are really damning documents suggesting you engaged in restraint of trade. This is the world that Chesapeake and Encana find themselves in right now."

In 2010, one of the most frenzied land booms in Michigan history began after Encana drilled a promising test well in the state's Collingwood shale. Chesapeake and Encana were the largest bidders for leases in the play.

Privately, the firms discussed forming a type of joint venture in Michigan known as an "Area of Mutual Interest." An AMI is a legal partnership that oil and gas companies, including competitors, sometimes use to share the costs of developing particular areas. The AMI never went forward, they said.

Last year, Reuters reported that top executives at the firms discussed working together to prevent "acreage prices from continuing to push up," according to a June 15, 2010 email from a top Chesapeake executive to a senior Encana official.

The same day, Chesapeake Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon added another landowner - Northstar - to the proposed division of bidding responsibilities. The mention of Northstar came in an email from McClendon to Encana officials, including former Encana Chief Executive Randy Eresman and Encana USA President Jeff Wojahn, Reuters found.

"Also, with regard to B) below, looks like Northstar wants us to bid against each other next week, let's decide who should handle that one - thanks," McClendon wrote.

McClendon will step down as chief executive of Chesapeake on April 1, the company announced in January. Encana's Eresman retired unexpectedly on January 11; he agreed to stay on in an advisory role until February 28. Both companies said the departures of their CEOs were unrelated to the ongoing antitrust investigations.

The Northstar lawsuit sheds new light on the communications between the top executives of the rival energy firms.

In a previously undisclosed email exchange obtained by Northstar, Chesapeake's McClendon forwarded the draft proposals to divide up the Michigan counties and landowners to Eresman and Wojahn on June 15, 2010. He wrote, "Fyi, pushing to save us both some money, Aubrey."

Eresman responded a few hours later. "Agreed. The sooner the better. Thanks for continuing to move this forward. Randy."

Northstar alleges that Encana pulled out of bidding for its Michigan acreage a week after Chesapeake and Encana exchanged the emails.

As a result, the lawsuit claims, Chesapeake was the only bidder for Northstar's acreage, enabling it to obtain a lease agreement for $2,250 per acre - or 25 percent less than what Northstar claims was the market rate at the time.

Chesapeake later backed out of that agreement, the lawsuit alleges, after Encana informed McClendon that it was halting new leasing in the state. Ultimately, Chesapeake agreed to acquire only 750 acres from Northstar, the lawsuit says.

In December, Reuters reported that other emails and documents exchanged by Chesapeake and Encana suggest the talks may have been more extensive and detailed than previously known.

In a June 17, 2010 email from John Schopp, a vice president at Encana, to Doug Jacobson, Chesapeake's executive vice president of acquisitions and divestitures, Schopp noted why he thought teaming with Chesapeake would benefit both firms. "I certainly feel that combining forces will be helpful to prevent further inflation," he wrote. "After a time we might benefit from some deflation as well. Your thoughts?"

(Additional reporting by Scott Haggett in Calgary; Editing by Blake Morrison and Claudia Parsons)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chesapeake-encana-sued-civil-antitrust-action-205912985--finance.html

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Can Scientists (and Wasps) Save Orange Juice? [Slide Show and Video]

Image:

For my March feature on a disease that is threatening the U.S. citrus industry (?The End of Orange Juice?), I spent time with researchers and growers who are working to stop this bacterial illness, which leaves fruit green and bitter and kills trees. Known as huanglongbing (HLB)? -- Chinese for yellow dragon disease -- it is caused by bacteria that hide in the salivary glands of invasive insects known as Asian citrus psyllids. The pests arrived in the U.S. in the late 1990s and have spread the disease by injecting germs into plants as they feed on sap from their leaves. There is no cure for the disease.?

Huanglongbing, which is also called citrus greening, was first spotted in Florida?the heart of America?s orange juice industry -- in 2005 and has since spread to Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and southern California. Nearly every commercial grove in Florida has been infected, costing the state billions of dollars and thousands of lost jobs. Late in 2012, the first Asian citrus psyllid was spotted in California?s commercial groves--which grow nearly 80 percent of all the fresh oranges produced in the U.S.--most likely heralding the arrival of the disease.?

? View the Slide Show

Scientists are looking at many different approaches to managing and eradicating the disease. Many say the only long-term solution will be genetic modification, which is still years away. In the meantime, entomologists are using biological control -- the practice of releasing living organisms to prey on pests -- as a means of keeping psyllid populations in check in residential areas where pesticide sprays have failed. (In Los Angeles, for example, psyllids multiplied so quickly on backyard citrus trees that state authorities couldn?t keep pace). Mark and Christina Hoddle, entomologists at the University of California, Riverside, have imported tiny wasps from Pakistan to feast on Asian citrus psyllids and have released them at more than 100 sites in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange and San Bernardino counties. (The wasps do not sting humans). In this video, Christina releases a vial of wasps--29 females and 15 males--on a curry bush in the parking lot of a Los Angeles hotel. (Curry is a citrus relative). The site may seem random, but in fact the Hoddles used state data to identify this site as being particularly infested with Asian citrus psyllids, which Christina calls ?ACP? for short in this clip. She also talks about having previously scouted the shrub to make sure it has plenty of psyllid nymphs at the 4th and 5th instars, which are the two life stages that the wasps attack.

?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2e3a5b6b49703b25fdf281d64d160dc9

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Opera Spins Off Its Advertising Business Into Opera Mediaworks, Making Opera Easier To Acquire

Opera just announced that it would spin off its advertising business into a brand new entity called Opera Mediaworks. Fully owned by Opera, the new subsidiary will consolidate under one roof multiple recent acquisitions, such as Mobile Theory, 4th screen or Admarvel. The Norwegian-based company claims that the new entity is now the world?s largest mobile ad network.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/SspNfP40fJo/

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Scottish Catholic news office says pope accepts Cardinal Keith O'Brien's resignation

Playing off his?pre-Oscars prediction?that everyone would hate him at the Oscars, Seth MacFarlane spent the first 19 minutes of the Academy Awards on Sunday making sure everyone would, in fact, hate him.?After some real stinkers, the main conceit was William Shatner descending on a screen as Captain Kirk, from the future, to tell MacFarlane to do a better job of hosting, in a kind of alternate-reality bit that turned pretty sordid?and pretty fast. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scottish-catholic-news-office-says-pope-accepts-cardinal-112356803.html

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Words to Leave off Your R?sum

When it comes to looking for a job, what you don't say can be just as important as what you do say. Here are nine phrases and words to leave off your r?sum?.

Try ??

Try simply shows a lack of belief, passion, commitment, and confidence ? all the qualities you need to succeed in today's tight job market. While try is the most dangerous word that an employee or job seeker can use in the workplace, there are certainly other danger words that also indicate negativity, uncertainty or controversy at work and can also doom your chances of getting (or keeping) a job. ? Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly

Clich?s ???????????????

Don't use common buzzwords?such as innovative, team player and results-oriented. These and others are so overused that they're now seen as clich?s and have lost their impact altogether. Rather, list specific accomplishments. Instead of saying you have extensive experience in sales, note that you've worked in sales for 10 years, hit your quota the last 12 quarters and note specific deals you've closed. As a hiring manager I want real details of past jobs, such as how many people you supervised or specific ways you helped increase profitability.? Darnell Clarke, author of self-published "Employmentology: A Practical Systematic Methodology of Finding Employment by a Hiring Manger"

References available upon request
When it comes to developing a strong r?sum?, there are many words and phrases which shouldn?t be included in this professional document. One of the most outdated happens to be the phrase: "references available by request." You?re not doing yourself a favor by wasting precious space on your r?sum? to include a phrase that is clearly understood by hiring managers and recruiters. If a hiring manager is interested in contacting your references, they will request the information from you. ? Heather Huhman, founder and? president of?Come Recommended

Irrelevant and outdated experience

Oftentimes I will see candidates that still have their high school work experience on their r?sum?. This is a huge mistake since it looks like the candidate is reaching for items to include on their r?sum?. Rather, include any recent projects that challenged you and include a similar skill set for the position you are applying for. ? Patrice Rice, CEO and founder of Patrice & Associates

Objective

Candidates should never put an objective on their r?sum?. Their objective is to get the job. It has been my experience that hiring managers simply do not care about a job seeker's objective. What they want to see are your skills and experience. ? Stefanie Carrabba, senior consultant at Eliassen Group

Responsibilities include

In today's tough job economy job seekers need r?sum?s that are leaner and cleaner than ever before, so they command the attention of busy hiring personnel. This is why the phrase "responsible for'' should never occur in a r?sum?. This tired and completely impractical expression is going to be translated into completely average at and will most certainly cause hiring managers to toss the r?sum? aside. Wasting prime r?sum? real estate with basic tasks, duties, or responsibilities is a sure way to harm a job search since nobody is interested in reading a career obituary of basic requirements. ? Adrienne Tom, founder and certified professional resume writer (CPRW) at Career Impressions

Vague claims

I was going through a large number of r?sum?s last week for a search project that I am working on and about 75 percent of the candidates had the phrase "transformational leader'" on their r?sum?. No explanations of how they were transformational or what that meant. That phrase is overused and doesn't specifically mean anything that translates to a specific experience. My recommendation is to remove this from your r?sum? and more specifically describe the skill set. ? Kimberly Bishop, founder and CEO of Kimberly Bishop Executive Recruiting

Love

As in I'd love to work for a company. I see it all the time when people ask me to take a look at their r?sum? and/or cover letter. You love your significant other, your kids, your family. You shouldn't put love on a cover letter or r?sum?! ? Dayna Steele, speaker and author of "101 Ways to Rock Your World" (iUniverse 2012)

Qualitative descriptions

I would leave off any qualitative description that is not accompanied by an example or metric. Some of the words job seekers use in a summary that are glossed over such as seasoned, experienced, creative and innovative. Just give me years of experience and what exactly did you start or improve. ?? Caroline Ceniza-Levine, career and business expert at SixFigureStart

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89 or BusinessNewsDaily @bndarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/words-leave-off-r-sum-141545023.html

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New Android apps worth downloading: MLB.com At Bat update, Wubbzy Loves You, Flashout 3D

Baseball?s Spring Training just started and that means baseball fanatics are going to want to get connected to the game. MLB.com At Bat, today?s lead app, brings you all the baseball information you could want. We?ve also got Wubbzy Loves You, an educational app for kids, and Flashout 3D, a racing title featuring futuristic hovercraft with rocket launchers.

What?s it about? Catch up on the beginnings of Major League Baseball as Spring Training kicks off with MLB.com At Bat.

What?s cool? MLB.com At Bat is your connection to baseball season from start to finish, even though Opening Day is still about a month away. You?ll need a subscription to get the most out of the app, but once you have one, you can keep up on every game played in the league and every player?s stats. The app also provides you with streaming video and the ability to listen to every Spring Training game in audio, plus tools for tracking your favorite team. The app?s update for the 2013 season brings redesigned team pages and news feeds, the ability to access MLB.com At Bat from multiple platforms, and universal support across your Android devices.

Who?s it for? Baseball fans who want access to games and MLB news at all time, this app is for you.

What?s it like? For more baseball coverage, try The Score and Fox Sports Mobile.

What?s it about? Children?s storybook character Wubbzy has to deliver letters for Friendship Day, giving kids a chance to read along and interact with Wubbzy and his friends in educational app Wubbzy Loves You.

What?s cool? In telling the story of Wubbzy on Friendship Day, Wubbzy Loves You delivers games to kids that actually teach them something. The app helps convey number skills and reading comprehension skills to kids, and also includes three reading modes ? one that reads the story aloud, another that lets kids interact with different elements as the story is unfolding, and a third that lets kids read without interactive elements. There are other features, like singalong music videos and the ability to color on your device?s touchscreen

Who?s it for? This one?s definitely for kids, especially those who are fans of Wubbzy.

What?s it like? For more Wubbzy, try Wubbzy?s Space Adventure and Disco Dancin? Wubbzy.

What?s it about? Climb in a super-fast hover-ship and take down other racers, either with tight skills or your hull-mounted weapons, in Flashout 3D.

What?s cool? Like racing games such as WipeOut, Flashout focuses on fast-paced ship-based action. The game has six different control schemes to help players get the most out of their boats, including accelerometer controls, and packs a number of challenging races that let you blast around courses in your hover ships or blow the other racers off the course. There?s also a career mode that takes players through a number of racing challenges and has you upgrading your ships to increase their effectiveness.

Who?s it for? Racing fans should check out Flashout for its speed and combat additions.

What?s it like? You can get some more intense racing action out of Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

Download the Appolicious Android app

Source: http://www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/13249-new-android-apps-worth-downloading-mlb-com-at-bat-update-wubbzy-loves-you-flashout-3d

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Currys PC World reveals new PC gaming "bunker" | GamesIndustry ...

Currys PC World has today opened a new retail space at one of its London stores which will be dedicated solely to PC gaming.

"We're incredibly excited to unveil the Gaming Bunker at our Tottenham Court Road store. The store has a great track record for hosting launches and events, so it's the perfect place for the UK's newest PC gaming destination; the most interactive space of its kind," said the chain's Simon Urquhart.

But what will PC gamers find in the 500sq foot of bunker? 10 networked PCs, PC gaming accessories and a range of free-to-play and triple- A titles to test them out with. The retailer is promising all the tech, from brands like Razer, TurtleBeach, SteelSeries, Corsair, MadCatz, Roccat and Logitech, will be constantly updated to make sure it's offering the latest products.

"We look forward to introducing gamers to the best mice, keyboards, headsets and other essential PC gaming gear. But as well as being the best place to try out these superb products, we hope the gaming community will enjoy coming to events, launches and tournaments and get involved in making the Gaming Bunker a hub of PC gaming and eSports in the heart of London."

Currys PC World is the largest electronic retailer in the UK and is owned by Dixons Retail plc.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-02-19-currys-pc-world-reveals-new-pc-gaming-bunker

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Japan's Aso: No plan to revise Bank of Japan law

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NY developer: Airline reneging on 9/11 promise

NEW YORK (AP) ? A New York developer of the World Trade Center complex is accusing an airline of reneging on a promise not to use an "act of war" defense against property claims resulting from the Sept. 11 attacks.

Developer Larry Silverstein asked a judge Wednesday to reject American Airlines' claim that the 2001 terrorist attack was an act of war that should shield the airline from liability.

Lawyers for Silverstein said in filings in federal court in Manhattan that the airline and its insurance carriers promised Congress, regulators and the American people that the defense would not be used. The lawyers said the aviation industry in return got a massive federal bailout that protected businesses after the attacks.

An American Airlines spokesman says Silverstein's claims have "no factual or legal support."

Associated Press

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John Kerry speech: US must resist temptation to turn inward

Secretary of State John Kerry delivered his first major policy speech as the nation?s top diplomat, focusing on broad global challenges such as human rights and climate change.

By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / February 20, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry gestures as he delivers his first foreign policy speech, Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Old Cabel Hall at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

Steve Helber/AP

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The United States risks losing the business and job opportunities of an expanding global economy, as well as the security that flows from promoting American values abroad, if America?s role in the world falls prey to the budget battle now gripping Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.

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In his first major policy speech as the nation?s top diplomat, Secretary Kerry said the US must resist the same urge to turn inward that tempted it after World War II. Instead, he said, it should lead in the global causes of the 21st century, ranging from economic prosperity and expansion of democracy to the addressing of climate change.

Speaking at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Kerry said he wanted to open a conversation with the American people about the essential role of US diplomacy in the world before setting off next week on his first overseas trip in his new post.

He started his remarks by cautioning that ?our engagement with the rest of the world begins by making some important choices, together, about out national budget.? It is ?imperative,? he said, that the US not cut back on what he characterized as an already minimal investment in diplomacy.

Kerry cited a recent poll that found most Americans assume the US spends about a quarter of the federal budget on international affairs ? while they thought the right level of spending would be about 10 percent of the budget.

?Would that that were true! I?d take 10 percent in a heartbeat,? Kerry said, ?because 10 percent is exactly 10 times greater than what we invest.?

Kerry said he chose the University of Virginia as the venue for this speech because it was founded by Thomas Jefferson, the nation?s first secretary of State and a leader who understood the role that education would play in securing a young nation?s place in the world.

?Let?s remember that the principles of Jefferson?s time ? in a nation that was just getting used to its independence ? still echo in our own time, in a world that?s still getting used to our interdependence,? he said. ?America?s national interest in leading strongly still endures in this world.?

Kerry did not use his speech to offer a laundry list of the pressing crises he plans to address. He made no mention of Syria?s civil war, the Middle East peace process, or the challenge of a rising China, although he did speak of the importance of ?making sure Iran never obtains a [nuclear] weapon that would endanger our allies and our interests.?

Instead, he focused on the broad global challenges that he said actually present ?opportunities? for international cooperation and American leadership. Such challenges include ?a dramatically changing climate,? demographic changes (defined most starkly by countries in North Africa and the Middle East, he said, where about half the population is under 20 years old), human rights, and global stability and security.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/pUYYBXn77Qo/John-Kerry-speech-US-must-resist-temptation-to-turn-inward

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At least 7 people hurt in Kansas City fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Police say seven or eight people have been injured in the gas main explosion and fire at a restaurant in a Kansas City shopping district.

Police Sgt. Tony Sanders said the manager of JJ's restaurant also has told police three people are unaccounted for, but he doesn't know if they left before the explosion.

Sanders says a few of those injured have been taken to hospitals.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

A car crashed into a gas main Tuesday evening in an upscale Kansas City shopping district, sparking a massive blaze that engulfed an entire block and caused multiple injuries, police said.

Police spokeswoman Rhonda Flores said it appeared that a car crashed into a gas main near a restaurant at 6:03 p.m. Flores said injuries were reported but that she did not know how many or how severe. She noted an initial call for three ambulances had been increased to 10. She said she had not heard of any reported fatalities. Flores said the car crash appeared to have been accidental.

Kerry O'Connor, a spokeswoman for St. Luke's Hospital, which is near the scene of the fire, said several patients were on the way to the hospital. She said they haven't been assessed yet but "they appear to be critical at this time."

Fire officials didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday evening.

The smell of gas was very strong near the area long after the suspected explosion.

Video showed dozens of firefighters and other emergency responders battling a massive blaze that appeared to have engulfed an entire block, with flames burning through the roofs. Black smoke swirled in the air and debris littered surrounding streets.

The shopping area was established in 1922 by J.C. Nichols. Based on the architecture of Seville, Spain, it includes retail, restaurants, apartments and offices.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-7-8-people-hurt-kansas-city-gas-014630982.html

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Yixing Teapots and Tea Tradition

Some believe China has been involved in the tea culture for almost 4000 years. In the ancient time tea came in bricks, and chunks of the bricks were cut off. These fermented tea cakes were then boiled in big bowls over an open fire and later they were drunk from small bowls. Shortly after the tea bricks were invented, powdered tea was introduced and this too was mixed in with boiling water.

In the beginning tea was used for its medical healing properties and then later as a vegetable. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty that the modern day tea era began. Somewhere around the 1500's the first Yixing teapot was developed by a man who was reportedly under the apprenticeship of a monk. They soon replaced the regular tea bowls with smaller Yixing teapots which enhanced the flavor of the tea.

A True Yixing teapot is made from Yixing clay gathered from a region of the same name which is located about 120 miles Northwest of Shanghai. The masters and upcoming artisans alike manipulate this purple clay, which contains natural minerals to make beautiful utensils in various colors. Artisans undergo a long apprenticeship and receive vigorous training in the craft before mastering the technique of making Yixing Teapots.

Each individual teapot is a work of art. Every work of art has those who wish to replicate it. So there are many replications on the market which mimic the form, style, and presence of the prototype, and for this reason you may see pots referred to as fakes. There are many concerns about exactly how to tell the difference and this is a genuine concern when you consider a contemporary pot made out of regular clay or even yixing zisha clay being sold as an antique or an original teapot. The method of choice it appears to tell the difference between teapots made of regular clay or Yixing clay is by touching it. Yixing clay doesn't feel sticky, while other clay tends to have a sticky feel to it. It also does not have an earth or mud smell as some clays do. Visually Yixing clay seems roughly textured but feels smooth and sandy (pleasant) to the touch. The most trusted method is finding a Yixing teapot dealer that you trust and buying from them only.

Molds are used to recreate some of the popular Yixing teapot shapes and commercially produced for customers. The higher priced teapots are individually handmade by the great artisans in the field. They tend to be of greater durability, functionally superior, and are more pleasing aesthetically. However,this does not mean you cannot find a great so-called "cheap pot" or one of commercial grade quality that isn't wonderfully executed. Having an open mind in pot selection whatever your budget seems to be mandatory. Experts will advise a prospective purchaser to touch the teapot, hold it in the hand and get a sense of it. In the absence of this tactile, face to face to experience with a pot, purchasing from someone you trust is the next best thing. It is also good to read about the yixing teapot.

The price of a handmade Yixing teapot has been known to be quite expensive. The use of molds in the commercially crafted pots, make pot making a quicker process whereas more of them can be made. Though they do not have the same provenace and personal touch, they are still quite effective. In fact, they are still semi-handmade or half hand-made, because an artisan must always finish the pots. Todays technicians an be tomorrows master craftsman. This hand finishing gives the pot its personality. You will find that the pots imbibe the qualities of the artisan in some ways, as handling quickens the organic quality inherent in the clay.

The molds are formed after the pleasing shapes that customer's desire in the commercial style pots and they still use the popular purple Yixing clay. They are less expensive and may not be as original as the other teapots, but they make delicious tea.

Karen Davis is an Yixing Teapot enthusiast and collected her first pot back in the 1980's. She is the founder of Brownstoneshopper, an online webstore that sells Yixing teapots. Our unique pots are showcased in our online gallery. If you enjoyed this article on yixing teapots, contact us now online and sign up for your FREE Report!

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/yixing-teapots-and-tea-tradition-317362

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