Friday, December 30, 2011

China-aided cargo vessel handed over to Fiji

2011-12-30 03:13:52 GMT2011-12-30 11:13:52(Beijing Time) ?Xinhua English

SUVA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China here Friday handed over a new multi-purpose cargo vessel to the Fijian government to assist the island nation's fisheries economy.

Fiji's Minister of Primary Industries Joketani Cokanasiga and Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Huang Yong attended the hand-over ceremony held at the Narayan Jetty in Suva. The China-build vessel, called the "Bai Ni Takali", arrived at the Kings Wharf here Wednesday. It is a 5.3 million Fiji dollars ( 2.9 million U.S. dollars) Chinese aided vessel and it will be used for exploratory fishing in the island nation.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Huang said that at the request of the Fiji government, the Chinese government decided to build a multi-purpose cargo vessel for the island nation to support its efforts in management and utilization of Fishery resources.

As Fiji enjoys huge marine areas and rich fishery resources, fishery has huge potential to increase its contribution in poverty alleviation and economic development, said Huang, hoping that the vessel shall be as stable and reliable as its name "Bai Ni Takali" (defensive wall on the sea), and be of assistance for the Fiji fishery administration in facilitating fishery activities.

Cokanasiga extended Fiji government's "deepest and sincere gratitude and appreciation" to China for the "wonderful" vessel and described it as a "Christmas gift" for the people of Fiji.

"This vessel that your government has provided for Fiji symbolizes the strong and growing relationship between our two countries, a relationship that Fiji is proud and we hope that it will continue long into the future," he said.

According to Commander Viliame Naupoto, Permanent Secretary of Fiji's Department for Fisheries and Forests, the "Bai Ni Takali" vessel will be mainly used for exploratory fishing, targeting other species apart from tuna. It will also be useful in procuring and buying marine resources from outer islands, with accessibility for export and frozen cargo capability.

It will start sailing by the third week of January, Naupoto said, adding "the crew of the vessel have already been recruited and they will undergo training from next week. The training will be held for a couple of weeks after which it will start sailing."

Source: http://english.sina.com/china/2011/1229/427522.html

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Video: NATO: Afghan roadside bomb kills three troops

Tsunami debris washing up in U.S.?

Nearly 10 months after Japan's devastating tsunami, scientists say what may be some debris is starting to wash up on the U.S. West Coast. Lee Cowan reports. Also, Oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer joins to discuss.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsVideoEarlyShow/~3/PJJdhB8njcw/

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Windows Phone Marketplace hits the 50,000 apps mark

Hits it much earlier than expected.

Though the operating system Windows Phone 7 hasn?t quite found its footing in the marketplace, it now has one solid achievement to boast about ? it has hit the 50,000 app mark in its Marketplace days before it was expected to.

AllAboutWindowsPhone.com lets us know of this milestone and its a pretty big deal for the OS, since the entire life of an OS depends on how many users really make apps for it since that?s a very lucrative draw and the reason why iOS and especially Android have been gaining traction (and why Blackberry isn?t). The report suggests that the OS will reach 100,000 mark by summer 2012 at the rate that it?s going at.

Are you excited about the OS?

Source: http://tbreak.com/tech/2011/12/windows-phone-marketplace-hits-the-50000-apps-mark/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

New York Times sends email to millions by mistake (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Some 8 million New York Times customers received an email on Thursday offering a special discount if they would reconsider their decision to cancel their subscriptions.

The trouble is, almost none of the email recipients had canceled their subscriptions in the first place.

The New York Times blamed human error, saying that an email meant for 300 or 400 customers who had decided to stop taking home delivery of the paper was actually sent to around 8 million people.

Initially, subscribers took to Twitter and Facebook to express concern about a security breach. But a spokeswoman for the newspaper said hackers were not involved and security was not at fault.

"An email was sent earlier today from The New York Times in error. This email should have been sent to a very small number of subscribers, but instead was sent to a vast distribution list made up of people who had previously provided their email address to The New York Times," the paper said in a statement.

The email offered a 50 percent reduced rate for 16 weeks on home delivery.

The New York Times is owned by New York Times Co.

(Reporting By Paul Thomasch in New York and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Steve Orlofskky)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/media_nm/us_newyorktimes_mixup

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DOD: Reported sexual assaults up at 3 academies (AP)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. ? The number of reported sexual assaults at the nation's three major military academies rose overall in the latest academic year from one year earlier, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pentagon.

The Defense Department's "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies" for academic year 2010-2011 found there were 65 reports of sexual assault involving cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. That was up from 41 reports of sexual assaults in the prior academic year.

"This is a leadership issue, first and foremost, so I also expect us to lead with integrity and with energy to eliminate sexual assault and harassment from our culture," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement. "I'm confident the steps we are taking are the right ones, but we must continue to improve."

The Pentagon said it could not conclusively identify the reasons for the increases. However, the department has worked to encourage more victims to report sexual assault and the Pentagon says that could explain the higher number of reports.

The annual report was mandated in the 2007 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act. It directed the Pentagon to evaluate the effectiveness of the sexual harassment and sexual violence related policies on an annual basis.

Aiming to eliminate sexual assault and harassment from military culture, the Pentagon also announced two new policies to support abuse victims as it released the findings Tuesday.

Service members who have been the victim of sexual assault and have filed an unrestricted report now have the option to request an expedited transfer from their unit or installation, the Defense Department said. Under the new policy, the service member must receive a response to the transfer from the unit commander within 72 hours. A service member also will be able to request a review of any denied request and receive that response within 72 hours, the Pentagon added.

Another new policy will standardize retention periods for sexual assault records across the military services. Specified documents will be retained for 50 years in unrestricted cases and for five years in restricted cases to give victims longer access to documents related to sexual assault, the Defense Department said.

While the report found that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is in partial compliance with the department's policies regarding sexual harassment and assault, it concluded the academy was not in compliance with department policy for providing prevention and response training to all cadets.

The Service Women's Action Network, a national human rights organization founded by women veterans, was critical of the increase in sexual abuse reports. Greg Jacob, policy director for the organization, also underscored the noncompliance with Pentagon policy in the report.

"Ending the widespread issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military starts by ending it at the service academies," Jacob said in a statement.

West Point did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Other academy officials said they believe the increase in reporting indicates a positive step in making cadets and midshipmen feel more comfortable about reporting incidents ? a crucial part of addressing the problem.

"We believe that there's much more trust in our system than maybe we've seen in years past," said Col. Reni Renner, vice commandant culture and climate at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Deborah Goode, a spokeswoman at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., said the school includes training for midshipmen throughout all four years to prevent harassment and encourage reporting.

"We believe there is a better understanding by midshipmen of what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual assault, as well as an increased willingness to report incidents, which may account for increased reports of sexual assault cases," Goode said.

The Air Force Academy had 33 reports in the latest academic year, an increase from 20 in the previous year. However, Renner noted that five of this year's reporters were for incidents that occurred prior to military service. The Naval Academy had 22 reported incidents, compared to 11. West Point reported the same number in both years, 10 in each year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_us/us_military_academies_sexual_assault

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Avengers: A True Tale Of Bad Customer Service

ekIs3With all this talk of 360-degree customer service and Zappos ninjas who help babies out of burning buildings while taking orders for clogs, it's nice to remember that for every heartwarming tale of customer satisfaction there is a dude like Paul Christoforo. The tale begins with a controller accessory. It's called the Avonger en-kontrol (my misspelling) and it's some kind of octopus that helps you press more buttons on your game controller. We wrote it up in February 2011 so you can check it out there. A quick web search will bring up the actual product. I'm not about to give them any Google Juice.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/U26KwsPKg8w/

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Health Tip: When Children Break the Rules (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- Children often perpetuate a behavior when it's rewarded, and stop a behavior when it's ignored, the American Academy of Family Physicians says.

So what can parents do to encourage good behavior? The academy offers these suggestions:

  • Make it clear that bad behavior is not acceptable.
  • Be clear in explaining the rules and your expectations, and how the child can be rewarded.
  • Instead of punishing a child for not following the rules, do not give the child any reward.
  • Rewards may be determined by setting a timer for completion of a task, or by giving children a "star" each time they practice good behavior. After a predetermined number of stars is reached, give the child a reward.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111226/hl_hsn/healthtipwhenchildrenbreaktherules

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Monday, December 26, 2011

[OOC] The Ballad of Fort Trinity

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Ballad of Fort Trinity?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "The Ballad of Fort Trinity"

I'll be editing this post soon!

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Jag
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Funnily enough, I finished playing Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood just before I saw this was up, and I've been on something of a Western binge lately... I'll have something up within the next few days, but it might take some time, seeing as it's the holidays. Either way, can't wait!

Word of Questionable Wisdom: Did you know there is a God? Well, it's a She, and Her name is Eris.

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Northwest Portland-based Children's Cancer Association receives ...

Two Portland nonprofits concluded a partnership with a party in Northwest Portland.?

Hallie Janssen, president of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals of Portland, presented a check worth $2,000 to Dave Schaeffer, vice president of development for the Children's Cancer Association, on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at Brix Tavern, 1338 N.W. Hoyt St.

In addition, the association received free digital marketing aid from the Search Engine Marketing Professionals of Portland.?

Last year, the organization gave $1,000 to the Oregon Humane Society as part of the 2010 Charity of Choice. The 2012 charity will be announced on Feb. 24, 2012.?

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/12/northwest_portland-based_child.html

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Bristol-Myers liver cancer drug fails trial (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said on Thursday its liver cancer drug brivanib failed to meet the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial.

Brivanib failed to meet the main goal of improving overall survival versus placebo in liver cancer patients who failed or are intolerant to sorafenib. Sorafenib is used to treat advanced primary liver cancer.

Bristol-Myers said three other trials, to evaluate brivanib in different liver cancer patient groups, will continue as planned.

"We remain committed to the development of brivanib as a potential treatment option for patients with liver cancer, and the ongoing study investigating brivanib 'first-line' is expected to complete in 2012," senior vice president Brian Daniels said in a statement.

Shares of the company closed at $35.09 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/hl_nm/us_bristolmyerssquibb

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Best Buy is bad Santa, cancels online orders

Dario Cantatore / Getty Images

Where's our canceled orders? Electronics retailer Best Buy has announced that, due to tremendous demand, it wouldn't be able to fulfill some online orders placed with the store in November and December.

By Marisa Taylor

Retailers have offered special Internet deals and free shipping for online purchases as a means to entice shoppers to make ample purchases this holiday season.

But that strategy may have backfired for at least one retailer. Electronics retailer Best Buy announced late on Wednesday that, due to tremendous demand, it wouldn?t be able to fulfill some online orders placed with the store in November and December.

"Due to overwhelming demand of hot product offerings on BestBuy.com during the November and December time period, we have encountered a situation that has affected redemption of some of our customers' online orders," the company said in a statement. "We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused and we have notified the affected customers."

Like many retailers, Best Buy had offered free shipping on all orders through December 27, without any minimum purchase requirements, which may have contributed to a high volume of purchases.?

The company didn?t specify how many orders would be canceled or which products it had run out of.?Best Buy also released a statement on its website?Thursday that promoted?savings on a ?wide selection? of tech-related gifts, both ?in-store and online.?

TheStreet.com reported on Tuesday that some Best Buy customers had received email notices from the company informing them that their orders would be canceled, and some users took to BestBuy.com message boards to discuss the issue.

For example, user Wavelandscott said that he had ordered a Playstation 3 console from BestBuy.com on Black Friday, only to receive an email from the retailer weeks later that his order had been canceled because it wouldn?t be receiving any more of the product from the supplier. ?Are you trying to get?everyone to shop at Amazon instead?? he complained.?

CNBC's Jane Wells explains why the electronics retailer won't be able to fill some of the customers' online orders, just days before Christmas.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/22/9637968-best-buy-cancels-some-online-orders

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Lawyer smuggled drugs to Douglas' son in her bra

The imprisoned son of actor Michael Douglas has been sentenced to spend 4? years in prison beyond the five years he already is serving for drug offenses.

The sentence was announced Wednesday by federal Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan. The judge criticized the government for being too lenient on Douglas after he repeatedly violated prison rules by arranging to get drugs. The judge said the violations included four instances in which a lawyer smuggled drugs into prison for Douglas in her bra.

The 32-year-old Douglas asked the judge to give him another chance at treatment. Berman recommended he be sent to a prison facility that can offer him drug treatment and mental health care.

Douglas was first arrested in July 2009 for dealing methamphetamine from a high-end Manhattan hotel.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45754109/ns/today-entertainment/

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Janet Carlson: Buying Gifts For Your Ex: Is That The Spirit? (Huffington post)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/177375394?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Make a Frozen Medicine Lollipop for Kids or Big Children [Clever Uses]

Make a Frozen Medicine Lollipop for Kids or Big ChildrenKids don't always (pretty much never) like the taste of medicine, but they love popsicles, so Swiss Miss came up with the genius idea of making liquid medicine into an ice lollipop. The cold dulls the taste buds, so bitter-tasting medicine will go down easier.

Another alternative is mixing in a little bit of sugar or other sweeter-tasting liquid to dilute the medicine a bit, but if you were going to do that, you probably don't even need to go to the trouble of freezing it.

Medicine Ice Lollipop | Swiss Miss

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/A_ol7tva0J8/make-a-frozen-medicine-lollipop-for-kids-or-big-children

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Panetta says Libya faces long, difficult transition (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) ? U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta told Libya's leaders on Saturday they faced a long, hard road in moving on from 42 years of one-man rule and uniting rival militias that still hold the streets in the oil-producing North African state.

Panetta, the first U.S. defence chief ever to visit Libya, said Washington stood ready to help but offered no specific aid to a leadership struggling to stamp its authority two months after the capture and killing of Muammar Gaddafi.

He warned of tough challenges ahead in uniting the armed groups that emerged from the war, in securing arms caches and building an army, police and democratic institutions.

"This will be a long and difficult transition, but I am confident that you will succeed," the defence secretary said at a news conference after meeting interim Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib and Defence Minister Osama Al-Juwali.

The authority of Libya's interim government is being challenged by militias who took Tripoli in August, six months after the start of a rebellion against Gaddafi that drew NATO into an air war.

Some withdrew after Gaddafi was killed in October, but others remain, heavily armed and holding out for a share of the power they say they are owed.

"I'm confident they (the interim leaders) are taking the right steps to reach out to all of these groups and bring them together so they will be part of one Libya and one defence system," Panetta said.

Clashes between militias and rival tribes since Gaddafi's over thrown are threatening to spiral out of control in the absence of a fully-functioning government or national security force to unite the thinly populated desert country.

Late on Friday, senior military leader Khalifa Haftar said two of his sons had been wounded in separate gunfights with militias from the western town of Zintan which control Tripoli's airport and other locations in the capital.

A week earlier, a convoy carrying Haftar, the commander of ground forces in the Libyan national army, clashed with militiamen at a checkpoint near the airport.

Prime Minister Keib promised job programs and other "opportunities" to help coax the militias off the streets.

U.N. LIFTS BANK SANCTIONS

"We know how serious this issue is, we know it's not just a matter of saying 'Okay, just put down your arms and go back to work,'" he told reporters, speaking in English.

"We have solid programs that are designed to attract all these young men and women."

Keib's government won a welcome boost on Friday when the U.N. Security Council lifted sanctions on Libya's central bank and a subsidiary, clearing the way for the release of tens of billions of dollars held overseas to ease an acute cash crisis.

The United States said it had unblocked more than $30 billion in Libyan government assets.

The Libyan leadership sorely needs the funds -- estimated to total around $150 billion -- to pay public sector workers, start the long process of rebuilding and to bolster its authority over the militias.

Panetta arrived from Turkey, having also visited Afghanistan and presided over the formal end to almost nine years of war in Iraq on Thursday.

The Tripoli leg lasted only hours, ending with Panetta paying respects at a Protestant cemetery overlooking Tripoli's harbor and believed to hold the remains of 13 U.S. soldiers killed in an ill-fated naval mission to combat piracy in 1804.

The graves bore small American flags and a floral wreath.

The United States took part in the NATO bombing campaign against Gaddafi's forces, but handed the initial lead role to alliance allies including France and Britain.

Panetta said the new leadership would need to secure the weaponry proliferating in the country and build professional security forces.

He said Washington was ready to help however it could, but said there had been no discussion of supplying arms or military equipment.

(Additional reporting by Taha Zargoun; Writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111217/wl_nm/us_libya_usa

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Column: Lakers get a lump of coal for Christmas (AP)

It started innocently enough, with the Los Angeles Lakers swooping in as the NBA lockout ended to grab Chris Paul and add another superstar for the beautiful people sitting courtside at Staples Center to enjoy.

Nothing new there. Just the Lakers being the Lakers, eager to make amends for the first NBA finals they missed in four years. Word was they might even land Dwight Howard, giving them a trio of stars to rival even the biggest stars in Miami.

Then David Stern stepped in as the Grinch who stole Christmas. And so began a week that would make even Jack Nicholson flinch.

It ended Friday night with news out of the Southland that was far more shocking than it would have been eight years ago. Kobe Bryant's wife filed for divorce, adding another layer of uncertainty to a season that seems to be crumbling even before it begins.

How's this for parity in the new NBA? The team that has been in three of the last four NBA finals ? winning two of them ? might now be the second best team in its own arena.

The Clippers ? with Paul now in their backcourt and Blake Griffin with his spectacular dunks_ already own the buzz. They might soon own the town.

"I'd definitely go watch them," Bryant said the other day. "Blake Griffin has, like, a 60-inch vertical. Chris is vastly entertaining. For sure, I'd go check them out. They're a team with a high motor. They're young, and they run up and down the floor."

The Lakers, of course, were that kind of team ? and it wasn't so long ago. No one was more entertaining than Bryant, Lamar Odom was the best player in the league coming off the bench, and Pau Gasol gave them an inside-outside game that was hard to shut down.

But Bryant is now in his 16th year, and growing increasingly grumpy by the day. Odom was unceremoniously shipped to Dallas in the wake of the failed Paul trade and Gasol has to be wondering how long the welcome mat will remain out for him.

Phil Jackson is gone, too, taking his special courtside chair and his collection of NBA titles with him. There's a new offense to learn under Mike Brown, and only a few days to learn it before the Lakers open the season Christmas Day against the Chicago Bulls.

And there's no sign Howard will be heading to the West Coast anytime soon.

"I've never quite seen something like this unfold," Bryant said. "It's kind of become somewhat of a mess."

Things got even messier for Lakers fans when Bryant's wife filed for divorce after a decade of marriage. Vanessa Bryant famously stuck with her husband after he was charged with sexual assault in Colorado in 2003, and reports at the time said he bought her a $4 million diamond ring.

Bryant managed to play his way through those troubles, and he's got the on-court focus to do the same thing with his current personal woes. But he's now 33 and the wear and tear of so many NBA seasons has taken its toll in a variety of injuries the past few years. His best years are almost surely behind him, and his ability to take over games almost at will is not what it once was.

He's not happy Stern snatched Paul away before he could put on a Lakers uniform, and even less happy the Lakers traded Odom to Dallas with little more than a draft pick in return.

The start of the season may reignite his fire. But the fact remains that this Laker team is a year older and not as good as the one that was embarrassed by the Mavericks in the playoffs last year, even with Ron Artest being replaced by Metta World Peace.

For that, Stern deserves much of the blame. Without his interference the Lakers would be a much different team, with two superstars in the backcourt and more than enough money left over to help acquire Howard from Orlando. Indeed, Stern's veto of the trade had to make Laker owner Jerry Buss apoplectic, especially after Stern approved the eventual trade to the Clippers.

Stern accomplished what he wanted, which was not allowing the rich to get richer. That was an important message to send in the wake of the 149-day lockout, but it cost the Lakers dearly ? especially when Odom felt disrespected by being included in the aborted Paul trade and demanded to go elsewhere.

Now the Lakers have a lot to sort out, and little time to do it. Christmas is a week away, and the Bulls won't be coming to town bearing gifts.

Right now Lakers fans have to be feeling as if they just got a lump of coal in their stockings.

___

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_tim_dahlberg121611

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Exclusive: Man faces $26K bond on 'DUI'

By Anna Chan

Driving under the influence doesn't have to involve alcohol, but the legal consequences can be just as serious, as TLC's "DUI" reveals.

On Thursday's midseason finale, a 25-year-old man named Casey was stopped at a DUI checkpoint during the July 4 weekend in Tulsa, Okla., after police smelled marijuana, and the situation became more serious when a big discovery was made.

Trooper Shiloh Hall first pulls out a smallish?baggy of Mary Jane. Then, with a triumphant "Yeees!" Hall reveals a plastic grocery bag full of weed. "Couple pounds.?He's gonna be arrested for intent," Hall explained. (It was two pounds, to be exact.)?But that wasn't all the trooper found in the vehicle. Hall then started counting out a stash of cash on the hood.

After being arrested, Casey decided to throw some attitude as well. "You're a pig! All y'all are pigs!" the construction worker told the trooper. Check it out:

His trouble didn't end there. In an exclusive clip TLC shared with msnbc.com, a seemingly calmer Casey realized just how much trouble he was?in legally ... and financially.

"You have four felonies," a police officer told the 25-year-old. "Your total bond is $26,000."

"I'm worried about my future," a depressed Casey admitted. "I'm a felon now." See what else he had to say about his?legal and personal troubles?in this exclusive clip:

The midseason finale of "DUI" airs on Thursday at 9 p.m. on TLC.

?

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9447469-exclusive-man-faces-huge-bond-for-driving-with-a-lot-of-weed-on-dui

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Tokyoflash Kisai On Air floats the idea of multicolored touchscreen watch faces

The allure of more forward-looking wrist candy from Tokyoflash, who could resist a peak? Those not interested in looking like a steampunk gentleman may prefer these more conventional watches, which pack touchscreen capabilities into their low-energy LCDs. You can afford to be a little choosy too. Besides the black and silver models, there are also several combinations of LCD colors to be had, including natural [above, right], red [above left], green, blue and orange. The watch is currently on a limited time launch offer, slicing twenty bucks off the $199 MSRP. Anyone wanting another taste of future timepieces can peruse the gallery below.

Tokyoflash Kisai On Air floats the idea of multicolored touchscreen watch faces originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Insert Coin: Kapsule Lightstand puts your Kindle Keyboard in the spotlight

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

There are plenty of benefits to e-ink displays, they're clean, easy on the eyes, light on the battery draining and can be read in direct sunlight, unlike their LCD brethren. There are a number of downsides as well, of course, including the lack of backlighting, making them tough to read in a dark room. Several companies have attempted to capitalize on this shortcoming, with clip-on accessories that are sometimes awkward and unwieldy when attached to tiny e-readers. Though, for the record, some have managed to get things right, like Amazon's own Lighted Leather Cover for the fourth-gen Kindle.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Kapsule Lightstand puts your Kindle Keyboard in the spotlight

Insert Coin: Kapsule Lightstand puts your Kindle Keyboard in the spotlight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKickstarter, Pieco  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zWzdIyN5qIA/

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A Minute With: Roger Corman, "Hollywood Rebel" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? At this time of year Hollywood brings out big-budget movies like "Mission: Impossible" with Tom Cruise and the new "Sherlock Holmes" film starring Robert Downey, Jr.

But Roger Corman, the antithesis of big Hollywood who has made low-budget, independent films for 60 years, will also have his say. He is the subject of a new documentary, "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel," which will be in U.S. theaters on Friday

Corman, 85, has produced about 550 movies and directed 50 more, including "The Wild Angels" and "Little Shop of Horrors," and lesser known movies like "The Terror" and "Naked Angels."

His New World Pictures became a hotbed for up-and-coming directors and actors including Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, John Sayles and Jack Nicholson.

Corman spoke to Reuters about movies, how Steven Spielberg impacted his career and smoking pot with the Hell's Angels.

Q: On "The Wild Angels" you spent some quality time researching with the Hells Angels. Any close calls there?

A: "We went to all their parties and were welcome because we made the point of bringing the marijuana. As one often does, you see the prettiest girl in the room and you go up and start talking to her. Most of those girls were not that good looking but there was this one good looking girl and (screenwriter) Chuck (Griffith) came up to me and said, 'You just spent the whole evening with the old lady of the president of the Hell's Angels and he is really mad.' You've never seen anybody walk away from a girl as fast as I did."

Q: You gave Martin Scorsese his start with "Boxcar Bertha" but when he came to you with his next picture, "Mean Streets," you passed.

A: "I said, 'Y'know, Marty, we've done very well with these black gang films and 'Mean Streets' is a gang film. What do you think about the idea of doing it black?' He said, 'No, I don't think this will work because it's partially autobiographical. It's written specifically for the Italian culture and we shouldn't go that way.' What people don't know, a lot of it was shot in Los Angeles because it was cheaper than New York. People think of it as a New York picture, but I'd say close to half that picture was shot in Los Angeles."

Q: When "Jaws" and "Star Wars" came out in the 1970s, you started seeing studios doing A-list versions of the kind of movies you'd been making for decades. Did you ever talk to Steven Spielberg or George Lucas about sabotaging your career?

A: "Spielberg and Lucas both said it wasn't my films specifically but the type of film my compatriots and I had been doing as low-budget films. They had seen these films when they were young and liked them. And when they became established directors, they had the opportunity to do them on bigger budgets for major studios.

"As a matter of fact, when 'Jaws' came out, Vincent Canby of The New York Times said, 'What is 'Jaws' but a big-budget Roger Corman film?' He's half right. It was a big-budget Roger Corman film but it was also better. And that was the key, it was bigger and better."

Q: In the '70s you became involved with releasing foreign masterpieces in the U.S. working with Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa. What do you recall about working with such masters?

A: "Akira Kurosawa liked martinis and we had dinner at our house, so he and I spent a little time discussing the amount of vermouth that should be in a proper martini. And of course we were drinking martinis. Fellini advised me to get out of distribution and go back to directing. Bergman thanked me because I put 'Cries and Whispers' in a couple of drive-ins. He said, 'People have seen my picture who I never thought would see the picture.'"

Q: You helped launch the careers of many A-list filmmakers working in Hollywood. Could similar mentoring work today?

A: "I am a strong believer in the Internet. With the lack of the theatrical market, we're depended upon VOD, DVD's, cable TV, foreign (distribution) and so forth. But the market is very weak.

"I believe the future is the Internet. The trouble is it's not there yet. I think within a few years there will be a renaissance of independent filmmakers because we will not be frozen out of theaters the way we are (now). Instead, we will have the entire world as our audience. I think independent filmmaking can come back to the strength it was."

Q: And what do you say to detractors who claim you've spent 60 years turning out schlock films?

A: They're entitled to their opinions and in some respects, they may be right. On the other hand, I think the medium is so vast, there's room for all types of films.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Patricia Reaney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111214/en_nm/us_rogercorman

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A good nose: Researchers decipher interaction of fragrances and olfactory receptors

A good nose: Researchers decipher interaction of fragrances and olfactory receptors

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Banana, mango or apricot - telling these smells apart is no problem for the human nose. How the olfactory organ distinguishes such similar smells has been uncovered by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the RUB. The scientists were the first to shed light on the dynamics of the three-dimensional structure of the binding site of an olfactory receptor. In so doing, they also found a characteristic pattern of hydrogen bonds between odorant and receptor, which accounts for the specificity of the olfactory sensors. Using computer simulations, the RUB team was able to predict whether odorant molecules activate a certain receptor or not. "A dream of science and industry is coming true" says smell expert Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Hanns Hatt (Department of Cell Physiology). The study was chosen as cover story of the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Computer model and living cells

The human nose has about 350 different types of olfactory receptors, each specialising in one or a few smells. "The receptor is like a door lock which can only be opened by the right key" says Dr. Lian Gelis from the Department of Cell Physiology. How the lock is exactly constructed was previously unknown. To solve the puzzle, Dr. Steffen Wolf and Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert (Department of Biophysics) set out by creating a computer model of the human olfactory receptor for the smell of apricots. In the model, they mutated several components (amino acids) in the binding site of the protein and predicted whether these receptor variants bind apricot fragrance or not. Gelis und Hatt then verified these predictions using "Ca2+-imaging" on the receptors in the physiological system.

Tango of the molecules

In this way, the researchers showed how the binding site has to be structurally constituted so that the apricot fragrance activates the receptor. Using molecular dynamics simulations, they then analysed the two binding partners in greater depth. They found that, in the dynamic interplay of the interaction between receptor and odorant molecule, specific chemical bonds, called hydrogen bridges, form and separate. "It's like a tango, where the female dancer constantly separates from her partner and joins him again at another point" explains Gerwert. "The receptor uses the dynamic hydrogen bonding pattern to distinguish between activating and non-activating odours."

Predictions for other olfactory receptors

The researchers established how many molecular junctions the interaction partners have to form in order for a smell to activate an olfactory receptor. They also managed to specifically manipulate a receptor protein in the model and in the experiment so that it detected papaya fragrance instead of apricot fragrance. "The findings can help to generate specific 'super-olfactory sensors' for a defined fragrance" says Hatt. "Since olfactory receptors not only occur in the nose, but also in many other tissues in the human body, for example in the prostate, in sperm, and in the intestines, the results may help to develop novel therapeutic approaches". The work was carried out as part of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 642. The Mercator Foundation supported Prof. Gerwert with a grant.

###

L. Gelis, S. Wolf, H. Hatt, E.M. Neuhaus, K. Gerwert (2011): Prediction of a ligand-binding niche within a human olfactory receptor by combining site-directed mutagenesis with dynamic homology modelling, Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, doi: 10.1002/ange.201103980

Ruhr-University Bochum: http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Thanks to Ruhr-University Bochum 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/115952/A_good_nose__Researchers_decipher_interaction_of_fragrances_and_olfactory_receptors

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Hillary Clinton Says Parliamentary Election In Russia Was Rigged

VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Issuing new warnings to two U.S. partners Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized Russia for a parliamentary election she said was rigged and said election gains by Islamist parties must not set back Egypt's push toward democracy after the fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak this year.

She acknowledged the success of Islamist parties in Egyptian parliamentary voting that the U.S. has praised as fair. But many of the winners are not friendly to the United States or U.S. ally Israel, and some secular political activists in Egypt are worried that their revolution is being hijacked. Islamist parties are among the better-known and better-organized in Egypt, and while they were expected to do well in last week's first round voting, a hardline bloc scored surprisingly large gains.

Clinton addressed head-on the fear that the hardliners will crimp human and women's rights.

"Transitions require fair and inclusive elections, but they also demand the embrace of democratic norms and rules," she said. "We expect all democratic actors to uphold universal human rights, including women's rights, to allow free religious practice."

Speaking to the election-monitoring Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Clinton repeated criticism of Russia's weekend elections, in which Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's party won the largest share of parliament seats. Opposition politicians and election monitors say the result was inflated because of ballot-box stuffing and other vote fraud.

"Russian voters deserve a full investigation of electoral fraud and manipulation," Clinton said. Russia's top diplomat was present at the meeting in the Lithuanian capital, but the two did not plan to meet separately.

Clinton criticized human rights abuses in neighboring Belarus and planned to meet with activists from that country, often called the last dictatorship in Europe, later Tuesday.

In Egypt, the more moderate Muslim Brotherhood is in the lead so far, with about 37 percent of the vote, according to partial results released Sunday. But the hardline Al-Nour bloc grabbed nearly a quarter of the vote for the ultraconservative Salafis, who seek to impose strict Islamic law in Egypt.

The strong Islamist showing came at the expense of liberal activist groups that led the uprising against Mubarak, toppling a regime long seen as a secular bulwark in the Middle East.

The Salafis espouse a strict interpretation of Islam similar to that of Saudi Arabia, where the sexes are segregated and women must be veiled and are barred from driving. The Salafis speak openly about their aim of turning Egypt into a state where personal freedoms, including freedom of speech, women's dress and art, are constrained by Islamic law.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/06/hillary-clinton-russia-elections_n_1130992.html

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Major report identifies significant gaps and weaknesses in children's health information

Major report identifies significant gaps and weaknesses in children's health information [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
01-214-455-100
Cardiff University

Children and young people who have chronic health conditions or need operations don't always have access to the high-quality, child-friendly information they need to understand what is happening to them. That is the key finding of a three-year study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation (NIHR SDO) programme and led by Bangor and Cardiff Universities.

The Children's Health Information Matters report, published in conjunction with the NIHR, highlights the need for children to be provided with information that is engaging, accessible, accurate and appropriate for their age.

Fiona Smith, Children and Young People's Adviser for the Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the report. "Nurses have a key role in communicating complex information to children and young people" she says. "The importance of this study should not be underestimated as improving access to appropriate information resources and young people's understanding is likely to lead to improved health outcomes."

The report's authors point out that although there are some strengths in the health information provided for children and their families, there are also significant weaknesses and gaps. They believe their research identifies a clear need to address how children's health information is developed and delivered.

"Our research included an in-depth study of the material currently available and observations and interviews with more than 150 participants, including children aged from six to 18, parents and healthcare professionals" says joint study lead Professor Jane Noyes, from the Centre for Health-Related Research at Bangor University. "It has given us a clearer understanding of what needs to be done so that the right child receives the right information at the right time."

The study brought together a unique team that included media and journalism specialists, a children's illustrator, health services researchers, children's researchers, anthropologists, doctors, nurses and psychologists. The team were particularly interested in health information that focussed on children's self-care and medicine management and wanted to know the best way to design and deliver health information in partnership with children and their families.

"The wide-ranging expertise of the team enabled us to explore innovative perspectives and consider improvements to the complex issue of children's health information production, delivery and use in the National Health Service" says joint study lead Emerita Professor Anne Williams from the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies at Cardiff University. "We believe that our findings make a new and important contribution to current understanding of the 'state of the art and science' of children's health information."

Key findings of the research include:

  • Despite the growing number of children's health information resources, including books, leaflets, toys, games, DVDs and websites, there are significant gaps in provision.
  • There are a large number of information producers - from children to pharmaceutical companies - and wide variations in the quality and accuracy of material currently available.
  • There are good examples of NHS children's health information websites, where information is checked for accuracy.
  • Children want their health information resources to be more realistic and meaningful and matched with their age, circumstances - including family, home, school or college - and differing health needs.
  • They also want health information at key points, such as at diagnosis, starting school, changing school, growing up with the condition, lifestyle issues and the transition to adult care.
  • Children often struggle to manage their health conditions and medicines at school because teachers and pupils don't have the information they need to understand their illness.
  • Information is often conveyed verbally by healthcare professionals and children can forget the advice they have been given.
  • Many resources are not free or not accessible to the NHS. Nurses and doctors who do have access to high-quality resources would benefit from more support about the best way to use them. Nurses and specialist nurses play a particularly crucial role in children's health information.
  • Many family members also want high-quality health information about their child/sibling's condition and care and some, but not all, obtain information for the child.
  • Some parents filter the health information they find, which means that their children do not necessarily have the important information they need to look after themselves.

Harriet, 17, was diagnosed with diabetes ten years ago. "It would have been useful to have information that I could relate to as a child as I found it difficult to understand the complicated science behind diabetes" she says. "I think the newsletters are great and should be published more often and more information needs to be provided on issues such as alcohol consumption for young people with diabetes."

Harriet also believes that schools need more information on how to deal with pupils with diabetes. "My primary school teachers often had no idea how to act when I became hypoglycaemic and one even lost my emergency glucose supply, not understanding its importance. When I was first diagnosed some pupils even avoided me in case the 'contagious' disease was passed on. This was common, even up to high school."

Sally is very positive about the support she received from health professionals caring for her son, who has epilepsy. But she adds: "I am concerned that there is a wealth of health information readily available on the internet, but it might not always be legitimate or regulated appropriately. Children and young people require information that is accessible to them and to have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss what it means to them."

###

Children's Health Information Matters: Researching the practice of and requirements for age appropriate health information for children and young people is available from http://www.sdo.nihr.ac.uk/projdetails.php?ref=08-1718-145

A lay summary of the report can also be downloaded from: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/healthcaresciences/informationmatters/index.php.en



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Major report identifies significant gaps and weaknesses in children's health information [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
01-214-455-100
Cardiff University

Children and young people who have chronic health conditions or need operations don't always have access to the high-quality, child-friendly information they need to understand what is happening to them. That is the key finding of a three-year study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation (NIHR SDO) programme and led by Bangor and Cardiff Universities.

The Children's Health Information Matters report, published in conjunction with the NIHR, highlights the need for children to be provided with information that is engaging, accessible, accurate and appropriate for their age.

Fiona Smith, Children and Young People's Adviser for the Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the report. "Nurses have a key role in communicating complex information to children and young people" she says. "The importance of this study should not be underestimated as improving access to appropriate information resources and young people's understanding is likely to lead to improved health outcomes."

The report's authors point out that although there are some strengths in the health information provided for children and their families, there are also significant weaknesses and gaps. They believe their research identifies a clear need to address how children's health information is developed and delivered.

"Our research included an in-depth study of the material currently available and observations and interviews with more than 150 participants, including children aged from six to 18, parents and healthcare professionals" says joint study lead Professor Jane Noyes, from the Centre for Health-Related Research at Bangor University. "It has given us a clearer understanding of what needs to be done so that the right child receives the right information at the right time."

The study brought together a unique team that included media and journalism specialists, a children's illustrator, health services researchers, children's researchers, anthropologists, doctors, nurses and psychologists. The team were particularly interested in health information that focussed on children's self-care and medicine management and wanted to know the best way to design and deliver health information in partnership with children and their families.

"The wide-ranging expertise of the team enabled us to explore innovative perspectives and consider improvements to the complex issue of children's health information production, delivery and use in the National Health Service" says joint study lead Emerita Professor Anne Williams from the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies at Cardiff University. "We believe that our findings make a new and important contribution to current understanding of the 'state of the art and science' of children's health information."

Key findings of the research include:

  • Despite the growing number of children's health information resources, including books, leaflets, toys, games, DVDs and websites, there are significant gaps in provision.
  • There are a large number of information producers - from children to pharmaceutical companies - and wide variations in the quality and accuracy of material currently available.
  • There are good examples of NHS children's health information websites, where information is checked for accuracy.
  • Children want their health information resources to be more realistic and meaningful and matched with their age, circumstances - including family, home, school or college - and differing health needs.
  • They also want health information at key points, such as at diagnosis, starting school, changing school, growing up with the condition, lifestyle issues and the transition to adult care.
  • Children often struggle to manage their health conditions and medicines at school because teachers and pupils don't have the information they need to understand their illness.
  • Information is often conveyed verbally by healthcare professionals and children can forget the advice they have been given.
  • Many resources are not free or not accessible to the NHS. Nurses and doctors who do have access to high-quality resources would benefit from more support about the best way to use them. Nurses and specialist nurses play a particularly crucial role in children's health information.
  • Many family members also want high-quality health information about their child/sibling's condition and care and some, but not all, obtain information for the child.
  • Some parents filter the health information they find, which means that their children do not necessarily have the important information they need to look after themselves.

Harriet, 17, was diagnosed with diabetes ten years ago. "It would have been useful to have information that I could relate to as a child as I found it difficult to understand the complicated science behind diabetes" she says. "I think the newsletters are great and should be published more often and more information needs to be provided on issues such as alcohol consumption for young people with diabetes."

Harriet also believes that schools need more information on how to deal with pupils with diabetes. "My primary school teachers often had no idea how to act when I became hypoglycaemic and one even lost my emergency glucose supply, not understanding its importance. When I was first diagnosed some pupils even avoided me in case the 'contagious' disease was passed on. This was common, even up to high school."

Sally is very positive about the support she received from health professionals caring for her son, who has epilepsy. But she adds: "I am concerned that there is a wealth of health information readily available on the internet, but it might not always be legitimate or regulated appropriately. Children and young people require information that is accessible to them and to have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss what it means to them."

###

Children's Health Information Matters: Researching the practice of and requirements for age appropriate health information for children and young people is available from http://www.sdo.nihr.ac.uk/projdetails.php?ref=08-1718-145

A lay summary of the report can also be downloaded from: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/healthcaresciences/informationmatters/index.php.en



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/cu-mri120511.php

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