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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
Windows 8 App Allows Toyota Racing Development to Set the Pace
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REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --?TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) ? a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. that serves as the North American racing arm for design, development and assembly of Toyota's factory racing engines and chassis ? worked with Microsoft Corp. to design a touch-enabled app for Windows 8 as the centerpiece of a new strategy to improve the performance of the Toyota teams competing in NASCAR. When drivers, crew chiefs and team engineers expressed the need for a more mobile computing platform to monitor real-time performance data, TRD answered with the Windows 8 Trackside app running on Surface Pro hardware.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
During practice, drivers and crew chiefs previously had to record racing performance data with software on a laptop, or even with pencil and paper, requiring drivers to get out of their race cars to view information about the car's performance, as well as to explain what was happening on the track.
"Microsoft is excited to work with TRD to design and architect a mobile platform on Windows 8 for Toyota's NASCAR race teams," said Jason Campbell, group product marketing manager at Microsoft. "The Trackside app for Windows 8 on Surface Pro allows TRD to spend more time driving and less time in the garage reviewing performance data, with a touch-based mobile tablet that can go from portable note taker to a high-performance monitor in less time than it takes to change even one tire."
Now with the Windows 8 Trackside app and Surface Pro, the race team can efficiently capture performance data through the touch-based app and share it with the crew in real time, enabling mechanics to immediately get to work fine-tuning the race car for enhanced performance. Trackside also offers touch-enabled data that gives the crew chief and driver insight and analysis on timing and scoring data versus competitors, allowing a team to determine if the right adjustments have been made to the car or what adjustments may need to be made.
"Trackside running on Surface Pro means more time is spent on the track and less time is spent talking," said Steve Wickham, TRD's vice president of chassis operations. "Teams are back on the track faster, allowing them more time to determine the optimum setup for the race car. Our mission is to take advantage of the latest innovation in technology to quickly get better data ? which translates into faster cars on the track."
Since 2007, TRD has been developing racing software on the Windows platform for teams to analyze and improve performance, enabling Toyota race teams to be frequent visitors to victory lane and annually compete for series championships. TRD differentiates itself within the hypercompetitive racing business through technology innovation. Today, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard is one of the first Toyota teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series to use the new Trackside solution.
"For Toyota teams to finish first on the track, we must also be the first to innovate our technologies behind the scenes," said Darren Jones, group lead for software development at TRD. "We chose Windows 8 because we get enterprise-ready security and management, the familiarity of the Windows development environment, and a fully capable touch-enabled interface."
When it came to choosing a device, TRD wanted a high-performance, lightweight, touch-enabled computer to complement the fast-paced environment at the race track. Several tablets were tested during the pilot phase, but Surface Pro was ultimately chosen because it delivered the power and performance of a laptop PC in a tablet package, as well as the hardware benefits of its unique Touch Covers and durable VaporMg chassis to protect the tablet from hazardous track environments. Surface Pro allows drivers and crew to use the device as a tablet or laptop, and its excellent screen visibility in outdoor lighting is essential when working at the race track.
"Working together with TRD and Microsoft, RAB Racing tested the Windows 8 Trackside app at the end of last season and found it to be an extremely useful tool for our organization," said Robbie Benton, owner, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard. "This year with a rookie driver Alex Bowman, we need to get him as much time as possible on the race track to make sure we prepare good race cars for him. The Trackside app will help us accomplish both of those goals, and help our race team be better."
More information about how organizations are turning to Microsoft technology is available on the Microsoft Customer Spotlight newsroom: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/customerspotlight. For press, more information on how TRD and other businesses are implementing Windows 8 is available via SkyDrive: http://sdrv.ms/132zedi. For businesses, more information about Windows 8 planning and deployment is available at the Windows 8 Enterprise resource site: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/default.aspx.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
Source: http://www.sys-con.com/node/2551338
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Loyola University Maryland for Firefox 0.7.1.0
This is a Firefox and Google Chrome theme especially designed for serious Greyhound fans. It brings all the latest news from Loyola athletics and it integrates with Twitter and Facebook.
The Loyola University Maryland add-on is designed to work with the Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer web browsers.
This add-on does not require a browser restart.
Product's homepage
Requirements:
? Mozilla Firefox
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Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?
Feb. 22, 2013 ? Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.
These findings, based on an analysis of functional brain scans, were published in a study by neurophysiologist Wim Vanduffel (KU Leuven and Harvard Medical School) in collaboration with a team of Italian and American researchers.
Our ancestors evolutionarily split from those of rhesus monkeys about 25 million years ago. Since then, brain areas have been added, have disappeared or have changed in function. This raises the question, 'Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?'. Scientists have entertained the idea before but conclusive evidence was lacking. By combining different research methods, we now have a first piece of evidence that could prove that humans have unique cortical brain networks.
Professor Vanduffel explains: "We did functional brain scans in humans and rhesus monkeys at rest and while watching a movie to compare both the place and the function of cortical brain networks. Even at rest, the brain is very active. Different brain areas that are active simultaneously during rest form so-called 'resting state' networks. For the most part, these resting state networks in humans and monkeys are surprisingly similar, but we found two networks unique to humans and one unique network in the monkey."
"When watching a movie, the cortex processes an enormous amount of visual and auditory information. The human-specific resting state networks react to this stimulation in a totally different way than any part of the monkey brain. This means that they also have a different function than any of the resting state networks found in the monkey. In other words, brain structures that are unique in humans are anatomically absent in the monkey and there no other brain structures in the monkey that have an analogous function. Our unique brain areas are primarily located high at the back and at the front of the cortex and are probably related to specific human cognitive abilities, such as human-specific intelligence."
The study used fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans to visualise brain activity. fMRI scans map functional activity in the brain by detecting changes in blood flow. The oxygen content and the amount of blood in a given brain area vary according to a particular task, thus allowing activity to be tracked.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by KU Leuven, via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Dante Mantini, Maurizio Corbetta, Gian Luca Romani, Guy A. Orban, Wim Vanduffel. Evolutionary-Novel Functional Networks in the Human Brain? The Journal of Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1523/%u200BJNEUROSCI.4392-12.2013
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/xHGCPbZI-WU/130222120753.htm
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Friday, February 22, 2013
Human Rights Dialogue Between Guatemalan Military
Public Affairs Office
21/02/2013
Central American nationals attempt to cross the Suchiate river from Guatemala into bordering Mexico in a rubber, on April 8, 2012. (Photo: AFP/Ronaldo Schemidt )
SOUTHCOM?s Human Rights Office sponsored a civil-military dialogue on February 6 ? 7 in Guatemala to bring together influential human rights groups and senior Guatemalan Military leaders.
Significantly, all the invited human rights group participated. The dialogue was designed to promote reconciliation, improve cooperation and foster a more productive working relationship between the Guatemalan Military and influential civil-society groups.
The meetings included intense ? but productive and respectful ? discussions and the development of a draft framework outlining how the Guatemalan military and civil groups will frame their dialogue to address present human rights concerns and prevent future violations.
The framework will be addressed again during a second dialogue meeting scheduled for later this summer.
Senior attendees included the Guatemalan Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Ulises Anzueto Giron, Deputy Chief of Mission Bruce Williamson, and SOUTHCOM?s Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, Brigadier General Mark C. Nowland.
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Ohio tea party group warns GOP to not expand Medicaid
As Gov. John Kasich continues to push for his proposed Medicaid expansion, an organization of tea party groups in Ohio is talking about how many primary election votes it would take to defeat House Republicans who vote for it.
Kasich will give his third State of the State speech this evening in Lima, and is likely to talk about various aspects of his new two-year, $63.3 billion budget. Part of that budget calls for a Medicaid expansion under the new federal health-care law, to cover about 275,000 people with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level -- about $23,000 a year for a family of four.
The federal government would pay the full cost for the first three years, and then 90 percent for several years after. The Kasich administration estimates Ohioans would save $404 million over two years with the expansion.
But the Ohio Liberty Coalition is sending its own message, titled ?Replacing the RINOs who support Kasich's Medicaid expansion.? RINO stands for Republicans in name only.
The group also opposes other aspects of Kasich?s budget proposal, particularly his sales tax expansion and new severance tax on shale drillers.
?We are holding the line against the governor?s proposed budget on: no new sales taxes on services, no increase of the severance tax, and absolutely, positively NO expansion of Medicaid in Ohio,? the group wrote.
?Republican state reps on the committee voting to approve a budget proposal that includes the issues mentioned above should be replaced with new representatives.?
The Liberty Coalition goes on to list every Republican member of the House Finance Committee along with an estimated number of votes needed to defeat each one in a 2014 primary.
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Syrian violence threatens ancient treasures
Reuters file
People shop at the main market, or souk, in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
By Reuters
AMMAN ? Syrian museums have locked away thousands of ancient treasures to protect them from looting and violence but one of humanity's greatest cultural heritages remains in grave peril, the archaeologist charged with their protection said.
Aleppo's medieval covered market has already been gutted by fires which also ripped through the city's Umayyad mosque. Illegal excavations have threatened tombs in the desert town of Palmyra and the Bronze Age settlement of Ebla, and Interpol is hunting a 2,700-year-old statue taken from the city of Hama.
In a country which also boasts stunning Crusader castles, Roman ruins and a history stretching back through the great empires of the Middle East to the dawn of human civilization, the task of safeguarding that heritage from modern conflict is a daunting responsibility.
Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria's antiquities and museums, says it is a battle for the nation's very existence.
"We emptied Syria's museums. They are in effect empty halls, with the exception of large pieces that are difficult to move," Abdulkarim told Reuters during a visit to neighboring Jordan.
Tens of thousands of artifacts spanning 10,000 years of history were removed to specialist warehouses to avoid a repeat of the storming of Baghdad's museum by looters a decade ago, in the wake of the U.S. invasion and overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, he said.
Syria's own 23-month-old conflict is tearing the country apart and has raised international concerns over the fate of one of the richest and most diverse historical collections of any single nation.
The UN cultural body UNESCO says it is concerned for the fate of six World Heritage sites including the old cities of Damascus, Aleppo and Bosra and the imposing Crusader castle, Crac des Chevaliers.
Many have become battlegrounds between rebels taking cover among ruins and troops who shell indiscriminately, the damage recorded in relentless video images of the fighting.
If looters ever got their hands on the museum treasures, that would mark the final demise of Syria, Abdulkarim said.
"If they reach these places then my conviction is that Syria would no longer exist... It would signal the end of the end," said the 46-year-old French-educated archaeology professor who took over as Syria's Director General of Antiquities and Museums six months ago. "Syria as we know it would then be over."
Bronze statue
Numerous Bronze Age civilizations left successive marks on Syria including Babylonians, Assyrians, and Hittites. They in turn were replaced by Greeks, Sassanians, Persians, Romans and Arabs, many choosing Syrian cities for their capitals.
European Crusaders left impressive castles and the Ottoman Empire also made its mark over five centuries.
Abdulkarim said the most significant pieces to go missing since the start of the conflict were a gilt bronze statue from around 2,000 years ago that was stolen from the city of Hama ? and placed on Interpol's 'Most Wanted' list of art works a year ago - and a marble piece looted from the garden of Apamea museum.
But priceless artifacts in the northern town of Maarat al-Noman were saved when the local community ensured the museum's famous mosaic portals were kept safe during fierce clashes.
In Hama, local neighborhood youths protected the museum's Roman and Byzantine statues from looters until they were taken to safety, Abdulkarim said. "They closed the doors of the museum and were able to protect it from disaster."
Dozens of archaeological sites have been targeted by illegal excavation and trafficking, though they account for less than 1 percent of the 10,000 sites across the country, he said.
The diggers concentrate mainly on sites which have long been the focus of illicit trafficking, such as the ancient city of Apamea, north of Hama, that flourished during Roman and Byzantine periods, and is famous for its 1,850-metre colonnade.
"Vandalism in the city is an old phenomenon and is not related to the crisis, but the thieves who are active in this area have found greater freedom to operate during this crisis," Abdulkarim said.
Video footage from March last year, documented in a report by archaeologist Emma Cunliffe at Britain's Durham University, also appears to show tanks stationed alongside the Apamea colonnade.
Abdulkarim appealed to the warring parties to spare the country's many Crusader castles, some of which have been in the thick of the conflict and even been converted into army barracks or rebel hideouts.
Crac des Chevaliers, the supreme example of Crusader castle building, has suffered minor damage while Aleppo citadel's main gate was sightly damaged along with its northern tower, he said.
Gutted souks
The greatest damage has been to a collection of seven old markets in Aleppo, unsurpassed in the Middle East, that were gutted by fire that also damaged the city's Great Umayyad Mosque, Abdulkarim said.
"We have lost the seven souks completely, forever," he said, although the continued fighting had prevented any mission from assessing the full extent of the structural damage.
In northeastern Syria, major ancient sites in Tell Mozan near Qazmishli were well protected by Kurdish groups that have taken control in the region, Abdulkarim said.
U.S. historian Giorgio Buccellati, who has worked at Tell Mozan and checks photos of the site daily on the Internet, told Reuters there had been "absolutely no looting" there.
In southern Syria, army shelling had damaged some ancient homes but not the ruin of Bosra, which contains one of the best preserved Roman theaters and a major monument, Abdulkarim said. His comments were confirmed by a refugee who spoke to Reuters this week after fleeing the town.
"The army had shelled the old quarter where rebels had dug in and there has been damage to an old church," Abdullah Zubi said after crossing into Jordan. But the Roman theater, in an army-controlled sector, suffered no damage although army troops are dug in nearby, he said.
The ruins of what may be the world's first city, a mound near the Syrian-Iraqi border town called Tell Brak, have so far been spared, while illegal excavation of unexplored tombs in the ancient desert city of Palmyra had halted, Abdulkarim said.
In some cases those illegal digs stopped simply because thieves failed to locate any treasures, as happened at the Bronze Age site at Ebla after they dug holes in an ancient courtyard at the royal palace.
More than 4,000 items, including beads, coins, statues and mosaic panels, were turned over by Syrian customs last year to Abdulkarim's department, although nearly a third of those turned out to be counterfeit.
The department is also working with UNESCO and Interpol to track down 18 mosaic panels smuggled to Lebanon.
Combined losses so far remained just a modest fraction of Syria's priceless collection, Abdulkarim said, but added that protracted and escalating violence could usher in anarchy and more brazen theft.
"So far the gangs and thieves are small scale operators and no organized international gangs have surfaced," he said. "But what could be terrifying is that column heads and columns and large stones could be stolen...and smuggled out of Syria."
"If this happens, God forbid, then we are approaching the start of the tragic demolition of our past and future."
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Check for restrictions at:?http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp?
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Sunday, February 17, 2013
Oscar Pistorius Bail Hearing Delayed, Prosecutors To Pursue Premeditated Murder Charge
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa celebrates as he wins gold in the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's silver medallist Oscar Pistorius (L) and Brazil's gold medallist Alan Fonteles Oliveira (R) embrace on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men's 200m T44 athletics event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 3, 2012. Pistorius apologised on September 3 for the timing of his outburst after losing his T44 200m title, but insisted there was an issue with large prosthetics lengthening an amputee's stride. Pistorius, the star of the London 2012 Paralympics, was sensationally beaten into the silver medal position by Brazil's Alan Oliveira on September 2, in a result that stunned the Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old then hit out at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), claiming it was not a fair race and he was at a disadvantage caused by artificial leg length, as the regulations allowed athletes to make themselves 'unbelievably high'. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's silver medallist Oscar Pistorius (L) and Brazil's gold medallist Alan Fonteles Oliveira (R) shake hands on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men's 200m T44 athletics event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 3, 2012. Pistorius apologised on September 3 for the timing of his outburst after losing his T44 200m title, but insisted there was an issue with large prosthetics lengthening an amputee's stride. Pistorius, the star of the London 2012 Paralympics, was sensationally beaten into the silver medal position by Brazil's Alan Oliveira on September 2, in a result that stunned the Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old then hit out at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), claiming it was not a fair race and he was at a disadvantage caused by artificial leg length, as the regulations allowed athletes to make themselves 'unbelievably high'. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL (Photo credit should read LEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's silver medallist Oscar Pistorius (L) and Brazil's gold medallist Alan Fonteles Oliveira (R) embrace on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men's 200m T44 athletics event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 3, 2012. Pistorius apologised on September 3 for the timing of his outburst after losing his T44 200m title, but insisted there was an issue with large prosthetics lengthening an amputee's stride. Pistorius, the star of the London 2012 Paralympics, was sensationally beaten into the silver medal position by Brazil's Alan Oliveira on September 2, in a result that stunned the Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old then hit out at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), claiming it was not a fair race and he was at a disadvantage caused by artificial leg length, as the regulations allowed athletes to make themselves 'unbelievably high'. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's silver medallist Oscar Pistorius (L) and Brazil's gold medallist Alan Fonteles Oliveira (R) stands on the podium together during the medal ceremony of the men's 200m T44 athletics event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 3, 2012. Pistorius apologised on September 3 for the timing of his outburst after losing his T44 200m title, but insisted there was an issue with large prosthetics lengthening an amputee's stride. Pistorius, the star of the London 2012 Paralympics, was sensationally beaten into the silver medal position by Brazil's Alan Oliveira on September 2, in a result that stunned the Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old then hit out at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), claiming it was not a fair race and he was at a disadvantage caused by artificial leg length, as the regulations allowed athletes to make themselves 'unbelievably high'. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius runs across the finish line as he anchors his team home to win the men's 4x100 metres relay T42-46 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 5, 2012. South Africa won in the world record time of 41.78. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's relay team (L-R) Samkelo Radebe, Zivan Smith, Arnu Fourie and Oscar Pistorius pose together after setting a new world record in their victory in the men's 4x100 metres relay T42-46 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 5, 2012. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's relay team (L-R) Zivan Smith, Samkelo Radebe, Arnu Fourie and Oscar Pistorius pose with the timer showing their new world record after victory in the men's 4x100 metres relay T42-46 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 5, 2012. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/GettyImages)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa celebrates as he wins gold in the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa celebrates as he wins gold in the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa celebrates as he wins gold in the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Opening Ceremony
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Athlete Oscar Pistorius of South Africa carries the flag during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium on August 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius celebrates winning gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius poses on the podium with his gold medal after winning the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius celebrates winning gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 8: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa wins the Men's 400m - T44 on Day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius powers home to win gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius poses with photographs with a national flag after winning gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius poses with photographs with a national flag after winning gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 8: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa wins the Men's 400m - T44 on Day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: (L-R) Silver medallist Blake Leeper of the United States, gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa and bronze medallist David Prince of the United States pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa throws a bouquet of flowers on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: (L-R) Silver medallist Blake Leeper of the United States, gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa and bronze medallist David Prince of the United States pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
OLY-2012-PARALYMPICS-ATHLETICS
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men's 400m - T44 final during the athletics competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in east London on September 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO / IAN KINGTON (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP/GettyImages)
SA Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Aiport in Johannesburg, South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 11: (SOUTH AFRICA) South African Paralympic Gold Medal winning sprinter Oscar Pistorius (2R) receives a cheque of R700,000 from Minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula (2L) as Gert Oosthuizen (L) and Gideon Sam look on during the South African Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport on September 11, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
SA Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Aiport in Johannesburg, South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 11: (SOUTH AFRICA) South African Paralympic Gold Medal winning sprinter Oscar Pistorius meets fans and signs autographs during the South African Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport on September 11, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
SA Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Aiport in Johannesburg, South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 11: (SOUTH AFRICA) South African Paralympic Gold Medal winning sprinter Oscar Pistorius (2R) receives a cheque of R700,000 from Minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula (2L) as Gert Oosthuizen (L) and Gideon Sam (2R) look on during the South African Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport on September 11, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
SA Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Aiport in Johannesburg, South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 11: (SOUTH AFRICA) South African Paralympic athletes Natalie Du Toit and Oscar Pistorius pose with their medals during the South African Paralympic team arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport on September 11, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Day 10 - Athletics
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 08: Gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m T44 Final on day 10 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on September 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
QATAR-SPORTS-POLITCS
Paralympic and Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius of South Africa races against a pure-bred Arabian horse during the Gathering of all Leaders In Sport (GOALS) forum on December 12, 2012, at the Aspire Zone outdoor circuit in the Qatari capital Doha. AFP PHOTO /KARIM JAAFAR / AL-WATAN DOHA == QATAR OUT (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)
QATAR-SPORTS-POLITCS
Paralympic and Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius of South Africa speaks during a news conference after the official opening ceremony of the Gathering Of All Leaders In Sport (GOALS) forum in the Qatari capital Doha, on December 11, 2012. AFP PHOTO /KARIM JAAFAR / AL-WATAN DOHA == QATAR OUT (Photo credit should read KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)
British Olympic Ball - Arrivals
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 30: Oscar Pistorius attends the British Olympic Ball on November 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Fred Duval/Getty Images)
British Olympic Ball - Arrivals
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 30: Oscar Pistorius attends the British Olympic Ball on November 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Fred Duval/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
GOLF-EGPA-DUNHILL
South African Olympian and Paralympian Oscar Pistorius walks down the eight fairway during day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland, on October 4, 2012 . AFP PHOTO / IAN MACNICOL (Photo credit should read Ian MacNicol/AFP/GettyImages)
Oscar Pistorius Receives Honorary Degree From The University Of Strathclyde
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Oscar Pistorius, holds his scroll after receiveing his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in the Barony Hall on November 12, 2012 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The athlete was made a Doctor of the University after competing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and a silver medal. Oscar became the first paralympian to win a medal at an able bodied championship at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. He went on to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he ran in the 400m and the relay earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - Day One
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 04: Oscar Pistorius and Sir Steve Redgrave during the first round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links on October 4, 2012 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - Practice Round
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 03: Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa talks to the media at his press conference during the practice round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course on October 3, 2012 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - Practice Round
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 03: Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius of South Africa talks to the media at his press conference during the practice round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at The Old Course on October 3, 2012 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Previews
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius of South Africa smiles during a press conference ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on August 28, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
2012 London Paralympics - Previews
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius of South Africa smiles during a press conference ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on August 28, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/oscar-pistorius-premeditated-murder-charge_n_2692765.html
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Friday, February 15, 2013
How Can I Stay Safe While Traveling Alone?
I'm planning on taking a trip by myself soon. I'm excited but also a little nervous, because I'll be completely on my own and especially after hearing about that woman who was killed while vacationing alone in Turkey. What do I need to know or do to make the best of my solo trip and stay safe?
Signed,
Single Road Tripper
Dear Single,
Traveling solo can be an amazing experience. You're free to follow your own schedule and might very well discover something new about yourself. On the other hand, it's not always as safe as traveling with a group. When you're on your own and in foreign territory, a few simple precautions can ensure a smooth and safe trip.
Follow Basic Safety Guidelines You'd Use at Home or Anywhere Else
The recent murder of young mom Sarai Sierra, as you point out, has put the spotlight on solo travel and the risks involved. Scores of comments on NBC revealed a certain bias against solo travel?particularly female solo travel: "A single woman traveling alone is risky. In a foreign country, it is downright foolish" and "No way I would even let my beautiful wife out the door to travel to any country alone."
Follow Personal Security Guidelines for Travelers
The US Department of State offers some basic, additional security measures you should take when you're traveling. These include:
- Dressing casually and according to local custom
- Selecting a hotel room on the third to fifth floor
- Not letting your room number be overheard in the lobby or elsewhere
- Knowing where the exits near your hotel room are
You'll also want to be able to make a quick getaway in case of danger or signal for help. Smarter Travel recommends keeping a phone card and enough cash for a cab on you, as well as the hotel's business card. Also make sure you know at least the key phrases in the local language, including the word for "help."
Act Like a Local and Make Friends
Blending in and not looking like a tourist can also help you avoid pickpockets and other bad guys. We've recently detailed how to actually act like a local when traveling?all it takes is a little preparation and research into local customs. It's good to know, for example, that in some parts of the world, a friendly outgoing smile means more than it does here in the States and even baring your shoulders could be considered risque in some cultures.
If you want to make friends you can trust, consider staying at a bread-and-breakfast. Visiting the same restaurant more than a few times could also help you become friendly with the staff. Janice Waugh, author of The Solo Traveller's Handbook, recommends on Skyscanner eating at a restaurant with a bar or communal tables, where you can meet locals.
In the end, traveling alone shouldn't be frightening. It's not a huge, terrible world out there, and most people you'll meet in your travels are genuinely nice. With a little preparation and common sense, you can protect yourself from the other sorts of people whether you're traveling abroad or at home. When in doubt, do the "mom" test recommended by Smarter Travel :
As a solo traveler, always be in tune with your instincts. If you think a situation is bad, it probably is. Don't be rash or foolish.
"Assess the situation," says [photojournalist Jamie Rose]. "If she can say, 'my mother would be so disappointed in me right now because I'm taking an unnecessary risk,' she'll decide to change her behavior. Before you put yourself in a potentially bad situation, think of the consequences. Would your mom approve or disapprove?
Happy travels!
Love,
Lifehacker
Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to tips+asklh@lifehacker.com.
Photo remixed from an original by Bevan Goldswain (Shutterstock)
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/67yhjAOt0Tc/how-can-i-stay-safe-while-traveling-alone
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Thursday, February 14, 2013
Rubio raps president as big-government advocate
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans dismissed President Barack Obama's State of the Union address as nothing more than big government spending and more tax increases. But a brief sip of water may have gotten more immediate attention than any policy ideas.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's mid-speech swig from a small Poland Spring water bottle during his GOP response generated instant reaction in social media circles and on cable television, even as Republicans offered fresh appeals on the economy and promises to rein in federal spending.
Rubio appeared to wipe away sweat during his rebuttal from the Speaker's conference room in the U.S. Capitol. At one point he stretched out his left hand, grabbed a small plastic water bottle and took a brief swig of water. As the water break gained notice online, Rubio sent a photo of the bottle from his Twitter account.
On ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday, Rubio explained: "I needed water. What are you going to do? God has a funny way of reminding us we're human."
In his GOP address, Rubio urged Obama to "abandon his obsession with raising taxes" and said the president had shifted the nation away from free-market economic principles that had helped middle-class families achieve prosperity.
"Presidents in both parties ? from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan ? have known that our free-enterprise economy is the source of our middle-class prosperity. But President Obama? He believes it's the cause of our problems," Rubio said.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, in a separate tea party response, said both parties had failed voters by driving up trillion-dollar deficits. "Washington acts in a way that your family never could ? they spend money they do not have, they borrow from future generations, and then they blame each other for never fixing the problem," Paul said.
Republicans sought to characterize Obama as overly reliant on government, even as the president made his case to the nation that he could generate new jobs without raising the federal deficit. Defending his policies against GOP critics, Obama said the nation needed a "smarter government" instead of a bigger one and pledged to boost the minimum wage and increase federal spending to fix roads and bridges.
Both Obama's address to Congress and the Republican responses around the Capitol sought to position each party as the champion of average Americans in a nation still grappling with high unemployment and a slow economic recovery. Republicans noted that the nation's jobless rate ticked up to 7.9 percent in January and the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the final months of 2012.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Obama offered the American people "little more than more of the same 'stimulus' policies that have failed to fix our economy and put Americans back to work. We cannot grow the middle class and foster job creation by growing government and raising taxes."
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman accused Obama of promoting "the same big-government policies that have failed to get our economy up and running again."
Paul, a tea party favorite, said both parties had been guilty of "protecting their sacred cows" and engaging in "backroom deals in which everyone up here wins but every taxpayer loses." He said he would propose to balance the budget in five years and urged lawmakers to return to their duty of passing budgets. If not, Paul said, voters should "sweep the place clean. Limit their terms and send them home."
Rubio, a rising star in the Republican party and a potential 2016 presidential contender, pointed to his Miami roots to address Obama's frequent portrayal of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney ? and his party ? as only caring about the wealthiest Americans. Rubio said he still lived in the "same working-class neighborhood I grew up in" and his neighbors "aren't millionaires" but retirees, workers and immigrants.
"His favorite attack of all is that those who don't agree with him ? that we only care about rich people," Rubio said.
Rubio pre-recorded his speech in Spanish for Spanish-language networks, a nod to Republicans who have said that they must do more to address their deficit with Hispanic voters. Obama won 71 percent of Hispanics last year against Romney, prompting concerns about the party's ability to compete with Democrats in future elections.
___
Follow Ken Thomas at: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rubio-raps-president-big-government-advocate-153956309--politics.html
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Obama's cybersecurity order explained
The president's executive order on cybersecurity is being praised by many because it says that ? in the event of a digital breach that could affect the nation's telecommunications, electrical, water, utility and other key infrastructure operations ? government agencies must share data with private industry as soon as they can.
Previously, government agencies were encouraged to do so, but this order on improving critical infrastructure cybersecurity requires it.
"Our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems," President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address Tuesday. "We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy."
'Near real-time sharing'
The order can broken down into two components. First, it expands what have been considered "voluntary" efforts to share information by federal agencies when there's been a breach or hack, to doing so in "near real-time sharing of cyber-threat information to assist participating critical infrastructure companies," such as utilities or telecommunications companies "in their cyber-protection efforts."
"The order says there shall be no cult of secrecy regarding security threats," Bart A. Lazar, data privacy and security attorney with Seyfarth Shaw LLC, told NBC News Wednesday.
"So, for example, if the federal government discovers, or becomes aware, that U.S. government facilities and computer systems are being hacked, or (there are) attempted hacks, in a particular way, they should let private industry members of the nation's critical infrastructure know so they can defend themselves properly."
A recent "zombie alert" practical joke highlights the importance of the systematic cooperation, says James Barnett, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former chief of public safety and homeland security for the Federal Communications Commission. Hackers cracked the Emergency Alert System in Montana, warning citizens of attacking zombie hordes. Though it was not an act of terrorism, the false message, which spread to other states, demonstrates a real risk.
"Somebody hacked in and did a very good job of making it sound real," Barnett told NBC News. "The problem was bad computer hygiene. [Admins] didn't change the passwords, so it was easy for someone to break into it."
Better, stronger securitystandards
The second initiative in the president's mandate directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to work with "critical infrastructure stakeholders" for the "development of a framework of cybersecurity practices to reduce cyber-risks to critical infrastructure."
The first thing NIST will take on will be gathering information from organizations on "their current risk management practices," including " standards, guidelines and best practices; and other industry practices," the agency said in a release Wednesday.
NIST will hold workshops "over the next several months to collect additional input and will complete the framework within one year."
What it doesn't mean
The executive order doesn't mean you'll personally be getting an alert when a government website has been hacked or information stolen from it.
"For the average American, some of this will run in the background," said Barnett, who is now with the Venable law firm, which specializes in intellectual property and regulatory affairs.
Evidence of a security breach "might show up as their computer running slow. Or maybe an individual gets contacted by their bank saying 'We need to send you a new debit or credit card because this one's been breached,'" he said.
The president's order also does not mandate companies that operate the nation's infrastructure to participate in kind by reporting breaches to the federal government. That issue is a contentious one, because it raises privacy concerns.
"The executive order certainly does not exclude a flow of information the other way, although it seems to maintain it as a voluntary thing," Jeffrey Hermes, director of the Digital Media Law project at the Harvard-based Berkman Center for Internet & Society, told NBC News.
Some legislation required
Gen. Keith Alexander, head of the U.S. Cyber Command, told reporters Wednesday that he considers the executive order "only a down payment on what we need to address the threat," and that it's "not a substitute for legislation."
But which legislation? Perhaps it's the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), re-introduced Wednesday by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., but that may not pass easily.
According to a press release announcing the bill, the legislation aims to:
- "Allow the Federal government to provide classified cyber threat information to the private sector to help American companies better protect themselves from advanced cyber threats;
- "Empower American businesses to share cyber threat information with others in the private sector and enable the private sector to share information with the government on a purely voluntary basis, all while providing strong protections for privacy and civil liberties;
- "Provides (sic) liability protection for companies acting in good faith to protect their own networks or share threat information."
Yet while the bill does seem to share certain goals outlined in the president's mandate, CISPA was shot down previously over privacy concerns, and is likely to meet fierce opposition again.
"CISPA once again allows companies to share sensitive and personal American Internet data with the government, including the National Security Agency and other military agencies," said American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel Michelle Richardson, whose group nevertheless praises the president's executive order.
While it's perhaps easy for a president to mandate that government agencies report problems for the benefit of companies, the notion that companies should report problems for the benefit of the government comes with far more challenges and concerns.
Check out Technology, GadgetBox, DigitalLife and InGame on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.
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SEWNnatural ? The Family Tree Bib, Huffington Post-approved
Recently we decided to take our woodgrain + organic cotton flannel baby bib and personalize it with a sweet mini family tree of sorts ? two parent initials, and the baby?s first initial? all in a hand embroidered heart.
I named it the Family Tree Bib, and we?ve since sent out a pile of them around the world. It?s a sweet present, since it?s both functional & keepsake, something to pass down (beet juice and all) to their own kids someday.
It?s great to come up with something that is new & hasn?t been done so many times before, and this bib fits the bill. I still haven?t found anyone else making personalized organic baby bibs like this. I guess this search for originality is also why we love designing our own fabric and sewing with it.
We were really honored when the Huffington Post chose to include our Family Tree Bib as part of their Valentine?s Day baby favorites last week ? what a thrill.
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Source: http://sewnnatural.com/blog/2013/02/the-family-tree-bib-huffington-post-approved.html
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Robert Reich: Obama needs to batter GOP over the head for blocking jobs bill
By Eric W. Dolan
Monday, February 11, 2013 22:23 EST
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Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said Monday that President Barack Obama needed to focus on creating jobs and strengthening the middle-class in his State of the Union address.
He noted on Current TV that the unemployment rate was still relatively high and wages had declined. Reich said many Americans had ?almost no economic security at all? and that Obama should ?pivot around jobs.?
When it came to Republican obstruction, the University of California professor advised Obama to ?batter them over the heads? for blocking his jobs bill.
?Framing the issue is very important around jobs and the economy,? Reich said. ?But coming up with specific programs that the Republicans will agree to seems to me almost impossible in this environment.?
Watch video, courtesy of Current TV, below:
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LGBT Catholics to Rome: Maybe time to free the favored scapegoat?
PRAYERS FOR BENEDICT, HOPES FOR HIS SUCCESSOR
Equally Blessed coalition prays for a pope who understands damage done by discriminatory policies on LGBT issues
Equally Blessed coalition prays for a pope who understands damage done by discriminatory policies on LGBT issues
WASHINGTON, D. C., February 11, 2013--The Equally Blessed coalition released this statement on the impending resignation of Pope Benedict XVI:
"We join with Catholics around the world who are grateful that Pope Benedict XVI had the foresight and humility to resign his office for the sake of the church to which he has given his life.
"With the pope?s impending resignation, the church has an opportunity to turn away from his oppressive policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics, and their families and friends, and develop a new understanding of the ways in which God is at work in the lives of faithful and loving people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
"We pray for a pope who is willing to listen to and learn from all of God?s people. We pray for a pope who will realize that in promoting discrimination against LGBT people, the church inflicts pain on marginalized people, alienates the faithful and lends moral credibility to reactionary political movements across the globe. We pray for a pope who will lead the church in looking the sexual abuse scandal squarely in the eye and make a full report on the complicity of the hierarchy in the sexual trauma inflicted on children around the world. We pray for a pope who is willing to make himself vulnerable on behalf of the voiceless, the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed.
"We pray too for Pope Benedict XVI, in gratitude for his devotion to the church, and in the hope that he enjoys a long and peaceful retirement."
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Tuesday, February 12, 2013
How Obama is wielding power in 2nd term
WASHINGTON (AP) ? This is what "Forward" looks like. Fast forward, even.
President Barack Obama's campaign slogan is springing to life in a surge of executive directives and agency rule-making that touch many of the affairs of government. They are shaping the cost and quality of health plans, the contents of the school cafeteria, the front lines of future combat, the price of coal. They are the leading edge of Obama's ambition to take on climate change in ways that may be unachievable in legislation.
Altogether, it's a kinetic switch from what could have been the watchword of the Obama administration in the closing, politically hypersensitive months of his first term: pause.
Whatever the merits of any particular commandment from the president or his agencies, the perception of a government expanding its reach and hitting business with job-killing mandates was sure to set off fireworks before November.
Since Obama's re-election, regulations giving force and detail to his health care law have gushed out by the hundreds of pages. To some extent this was inevitable: The law is far-reaching and its most consequential deadlines are fast approaching.
The rules are much more than fine print, however, and they would have thickened the storm over the health care overhaul if placed on the radar in last year's presidential campaign. That, after all, was the season when some Republicans put the over-the-top label "death panel" on a board that could force cuts to service providers if Medicare spending ballooned.
The new health law rules provide leeway for insurers to charge smokers thousands of dollars more for coverage. They impose a $63 per-head fee on insurance plans ? a charge that probably will be passed on to policyholders ? to cushion the cost of covering people with medical problems. There's a new fee for insurance companies for participating in markets that start signing customers in the fall.
In short, sticker shock.
It's clear from the varied inventory of previously bottled-up directives that Obama cares about more than "Obamacare."
"I'm hearing we're going to see a lot of things moving now," Hilda Solis told employees in her last day as labor secretary. At the Labor Department, this could include regulations requiring that the nation's 1.8 million in-home care workers receive minimum-wage and overtime pay.
Tougher limits on soot from smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources were announced just over a month after the Nov. 6 election. These were foreseen: The administration had tried to stall until the campaign ended but released the proposed rules in June when a judge ordered more haste.
Regulations give teeth and specificity to laws are essential to their functioning even as they create bureaucratic bloat. Congress-skirting executive orders and similar presidential directives are less numerous and generally have less reach than laws. But every president uses them and often tests how far they can go, especially in times of war and other crises.
President Harry Truman signed an executive order in 1952 directing the Commerce Department to take over the steel industry to ensure U.S. troops fighting in Korea were kept supplied with weapons and ammunition. The Supreme Court struck it down.
Other significant actions have stood.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order in February 1942 to relocate more than 110,000 Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast to internment camps after Japan's attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base. Decades later, Congress passed legislation apologizing and providing $20,000 to each person who was interned.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush approved a series of executive orders that created an office of homeland security, froze the assets in U.S. banks linked to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, and authorized the military services to call reserve forces to active duty for as long as two years.
Bush's most contentious move came in the form of a military order approving the use of the military tribunals to put accused terrorists on trial faster and in greater secrecy than a regular criminal court.
Obama also has wielded considerable power in secret, upsetting the more liberal wing of his own party. He has carried forward Bush's key anti-terrorism policies and expanded the use of unmanned drone strikes against terrorist targets in Pakistan and Yemen.
When a promised immigration overhaul failed in legislation, Obama went part way there simply by ordering that immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children be exempted from deportation and granted work permits if they apply. So, too, the ban on gays serving openly in the military was repealed before the election, followed now by the order lifting the ban on women serving in combat.
Those measures did not prove especially contentious. Indeed, the step on immigration is thought to have helped Obama in the election. It may be a different story as the administration moves more forcefully across a range of policy fronts that sat quiet in much of his first term.
William Howell, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and the author of "Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action," isn't surprised to see commandments coming at a rapid clip.
"In an era of polarized parties and a fragmented Congress, the opportunities to legislate are few and far between," Howell said. "So presidents have powerful incentive to go it alone. And they do."
And the political opposition howls.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a possible contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, said that on the gun-control front in particular, Obama is "abusing his power by imposing his policies via executive fiat instead of allowing them to be debated in Congress."
The Republican reaction is to be expected, said John Woolley, co-director of the American Presidency Project at the University of California in Santa Barbara.
"For years there has been a growing concern about unchecked executive power," Woolley said. "It tends to have a partisan content, with contemporary complaints coming from the incumbent president's opponents."
The power isn't limitless, as was demonstrated when Obama issued one of his first executive orders, calling for closing the military prison at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba and trying suspected terrorists housed there in federal courts instead of by special military tribunals. Congress stepped in to prohibit moving any Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S., effectively blocking Obama's plan to shutter the jail.
Among recent actions:
?Obama issued presidential memoranda on guns in tandem with his legislative effort to expand background checks and ban assault-type weapons and large capacity magazines. The steps include renewing federal gun research despite a law that has been interpreted as barring such research since 1996. Gun control was off the table in the campaign, as it had been for a decade, but the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in December changed that overnight.
?The Labor Department approved new rules in January that could help save lives at dangerous mines with a pattern of safety violations. The rules were proposed shortly after an explosion killed 29 men at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine in 2010, deadliest mining accident in 40 years. The rules had been in limbo ever since because of objections from mine operators.
?The government proposed fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits in almost all food sold in schools, extending federal nutritional controls beyond subsidized lunches to include food sold in school vending machines and a la carte cafeteria lines. The new proposals flow from a 2010 law and are among several sidelined during the campaign.
The law provoked an outcry from conservatives who said the government was empowering itself to squash school bake sales and should not be telling kids what to eat. Updated regulations last year on subsidized school lunches produced a backlash, too, altogether making the government shy of further food regulation until the election passed. The new rules leave school fundraisers clear of federal regulation, alleviating fears of cupcake-crushing edicts at bake sales and the like.
?The Justice Department released an opinion that people with food allergies can be considered to have the rights of disabled people. The finding exposes schools, restaurants and other food-service places to more legal risk if they don't accommodate patrons with food allergies.
?The White House said Obama intends to move forward on rules controlling carbon emissions from power plants as a central part of the effort to restrain climate change, which the president rarely talked about after global-warming legislation failed in his first term. With a major climate bill unlikely to get though a divided Congress, Obama is expected to rely on his executive authority to achieve whatever progress he makes on climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to complete the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from new coal-fired power plants. The agency also probably will press ahead on rules for existing power plants, despite protests from industry and Republicans that such rules would raise electricity prices and kill off coal, the dominant U.S. energy source. Older coal-fired power plants have been shutting across the country because of low natural gas prices and weaker demand for electricity.
?In December, the government proposed long-delayed rules requiring automakers to install event data recorders, or "black boxes," in all new cars and light trucks beginning Sept. 1, 2014. Most new cars are already getting them.
?The EPA proposed rules to update water quality guidelines for beaches and control runoff from logging roads.
As well, a new ozone rule probably will be completed this year, which would mean finally moving forward on a smog-control standard sidelined in 2011.
A regulation directing federal contractors to hire more disabled workers is somewhere in the offing at the Labor Department, as are ones to protect workers from lung-damaging silica and reduce the risk of deadly factory explosions from dust produced in the making of chemicals, plastics and metals.
Rules also are overdue on genetically modified salmon, catfish inspection, the definition of gluten-free in labeling and food import inspection. In one of the most closely watched cases, Obama could decide early this year whether to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.
___
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Mary Clare Jalonick and Sam Hananel contributed to this report.
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-wielding-executive-power-2nd-term-125939108--politics.html
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Sunday, February 10, 2013
Tragedy for dinosaurs, opportunity for mammals, us
This 2012 artist?s rendering provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a hypothetical placental mammal ancestor, a small, insect-eating animal. A study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 details the family tree of mammals that have lengthy gestations before birth. It goes back to this shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago - just after the cosmic crash which is theorized to have caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, Carl Buell)
This 2012 artist?s rendering provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a hypothetical placental mammal ancestor, a small, insect-eating animal. A study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 details the family tree of mammals that have lengthy gestations before birth. It goes back to this shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago - just after the cosmic crash which is theorized to have caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, Carl Buell)
This 2012 artist?s rendering provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a hypothetical placental mammal ancestor, a small, insect-eating animal. A study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 details the family tree of mammals that have lengthy gestations before birth. It goes back to this shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago - just after the cosmic crash which is theorized to have caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, Carl Buell)
This undated image provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a shrew-sized Cretaceous-age animal, Ukhaatherium nessovi, which is one of the many mammals used in a mammal tree-of-life study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The fossil was discovered in 1994 in the Gobi Desert by the Mongolian Academy and the American Museum of Natural History. A team led by Maureen O'Leary of Stony Brook University looked at 4,541 different characteristics of mammals still around and extinct and traced their DNA and their physical features back until it seemed there was a common - and hypothetical - ancestor. They never named the hypothetical creature, not even nicknamed it, but they had an expert draw it based on the features they're pretty sure it had. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, S. Goldberg, M. Novacek)
In this July 6, 2012 photo provided by Courtney Sprain, Paul Renne collects a volcanic ash sample from a coal bed in Montana, within a few centimeters of the dinosaur extinction layer. Two studies published Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 in the journal Science better explain the Earth-shaking consequences of a catastrophic cosmic collision 66 million years ago when a comet or asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico. The crash seemed to end the reign of the dinosaurs, according to a study by led Renne. And it gave way to the age of mammals that probably started with a cute squirrel like critter and eventually led to us, a second study said. (AP Photo/Courtney Sprain)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? New research pinpoints how the torch passed from one dominant creature on Earth to another, from the brutish dinosaur to the crafty mammal.
Two studies published Thursday in the journal Science better explain the Earth-shaking consequences of a catastrophic cosmic collision 66 million years ago when a comet or asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
The crash seemed to end the reign of the dinosaurs. And it gave way to the age of mammals that probably started with a cute squirrel-like critter and eventually led to us, the researchers report.
"I think it's fair to say, without the dinosaurs having gone extinct, we would not be here," said Paul Renne, director of the Berkeley Geochronology Center, who led the research on the dinosaurs and cosmic crash. The dinosaurs' disappearance "essentially releases the little timid mammals to become the big guys."
Renne demonstrated how the timing of the cosmic crash exquisitely matches the disappearance of the slow-footed dinosaurs of Jurassic Park fame. His findings provide more evidence for the theory that an extraterrestrial crash was most responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs.
Scientists have long thought that there were 200,000 years between the big crash and the end of the dinosaurs, but Renne's more detailed examination of fossils and soil at Hell Creek in northeast Montana puts the two events within 32,000 years of each other. That strengthens the case for the space crash as the "straw that broke the camel's back" and killed off the dinosaurs, said Renne.
He said other environmental factors, such as a changing climate from volcanic eruptions, also had made life harder for the dinosaurs, but that the big final dagger was the giant collision that caused a now-filled crater more than 100 miles wide at Chicxulub, on the coast of the Yucatan peninsula.
"The asteroid really rang the bell of the planet," said Smithsonian Natural History Museum Director Kirk Johnson, who wasn't part of either study, but praised them both. Together they showed how that one event "had a profound impact on the nature of organisms that live on this planet."
Dinosaurs are a distinct grouping of species, some of which evolved into birds. Scientists don't know how long it took for the large non-avian kinds like Tyrannosaurus Rex to die off.
The second study painstakingly details the family tree of the most predominant type of mammal, those that give birth after a long gestation period. The researchers propose that the first such mammal was a shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago ? just after that cosmic crash.
When an asteroid or comet hits Earth and kills off the dinosaurs, it's both a tragedy and an opportunity, said Maureen O'Leary of Stony Brook University and lead author of the mammal study: "In some sense, we are a product of that opportunity."
O'Leary's team looked at 4,541 different characteristics of mammals still around and extinct and traced their DNA and their physical features back until it seemed there was a common ? and hypothetical ? ancestor.
"This isn't something that is just a guess; this is something that is a result of the analysis," O'Leary said. "This thing had a long furry tail. It had a white underbelly and it had brown eyes."
It was smaller than a rat, but bigger than a mouse and likely ate insects.
That first mammal evolved over the years into all sorts of different types, eventually including bats, whales, elephants and primates like us.
"Boy, did a lot happen in about 200,000 years," said study co-author Michael Novacek, curator of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Unlike the slow-witted dinosaurs, which weren't known for their ability to adapt, mammals in general are more intelligent and can adapt well, O'Leary said.
Scientists examining ancient plants had already estimated that just before the dinosaurs died off world temperatures plunged by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, causing a loss of many species. Then when the asteroid or comet hit, material spewed into Earth's atmosphere causing temperatures to spike, before dropping again.
Princeton University scientist Gerta Keller, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the impact theory, said the new work still doesn't resolve her doubts. She notes it only looks at soil in Montana.
Renne said there are no impact records anywhere else that are different from what he found in Montana.
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Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears
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