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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The Year in Film | Film Reviews | Gambit New Orleans News and ...
Expectations are everything when it comes to movies. Spend too much time looking forward to a film and you only set yourself up for disappointment. Keep the relentless marketing hype at bay and you're far more likely to appreciate even the partial successes most movies manage to achieve. Though expectations were pretty high this year, the films of 2012 generally exceeded them. Sure, there were some spectacular high-profile failures (Prometheus and John Carter come to mind). But for every by-the-numbers insult to the American moviegoer, there was another big-budget film that overcame its corporate origins by sheer forces of will and imagination. In 2012, Hollywood's biggest studios consistently handed the reins to visionary filmmakers with often-remarkable results (see Sam Mendes's Skyfall or Joss Whedon's The Avengers). It was a very good year for movies.
??Those successes are all the more striking given the long, slow decline of the large and historic Hollywood studios in recent years. In 2012, studios further embraced their substantial new roles as marketers and distributors of films made by people outside the studio system. There was a time when each studio created its own identity through the films it chose to produce. Today, even those who work in Hollywood will tell you privately that they have trouble telling the studios apart. At the same time, what truly constitutes an independent film has gotten harder to discern as long-held divisions continue to blur. Maybe the best thing about the year in movies is that labels and categories seemed meaningless as never before. When quality and originality start to look like shared values, things are going well.
??The most lovable movies of 2012 were those that transported us completely to places we didn't know existed. In some cases, that's because these places didn't really exist until they were brought to life on film. Three movies fit that bill better than any others released this year: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Dark Knight Rises. Each seems to thrive in a world entirely of its own devising and succeed only on its own self-defined terms. What follows is a purely-subjective-no-apologies Top 10 movies of the year, presented in alphabetical order. Several highly anticipated 2012 films, including Zero Dark Thirty and Amour, have not yet screened for local print reviewers and are not under consideration here:
Argo ? Director Ben Affleck proves it's still possible to make an old-fashioned Hollywood thriller with neither cynicism nor flag-waving at its core.
Beasts of the Southern Wild ? New Orleans filmmaker Benh Zeitlin and his ragtag crew made history with a magical and utterly original work of Louisiana art.
Beauty Is Embarrassing ? This unassuming documentary about artist Wayne White has charm to burn and provides welcome sustenance for creative types.
The Dark Knight Rises ? Is it possible to bring the depth and vision of a great art film to the world of cinematic superheroes? It is now.
Django Unchained ? Quentin Tarantino goes way over the top with his spaghetti Southern, but his exuberance and obvious love for movies are hard to resist.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home ? Metairie's Duplass brothers transcend their mumblecore roots with a sweet and heartfelt tale of personal redemption.
Lincoln ? Seldom has the majesty of great ideas been depicted so convincingly on film.
Marley ? This gorgeous documentary strips away the false veneer that's always applied to cultural icons, revealing a great man with a remarkable life story.
Moonrise Kingdom ? Director Wes Anderson finally channels his huge talent into a great and memorable film by recreating the childhood none of us actually had.
Skyfall ? This movie hits a tiny bullseye, bringing James Bond into the 21st century while retaining everything there is to love about 007's world.
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From juvenile hall: a Christmas to remember
A Christian Science perspective.
Once while I was making my Saturday visit to a juvenile hall in California as a Christian Science chaplain, a girl in my Bible class, whom we will call Alice, gave me a Christmas I will always remember.
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I had explained how Jesus? words, which Mary Baker Eddy quotes at the beginning of her chapter on ?Prayer? in her book ?Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,? work in answering prayer. ?Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them? (Mark 11:24) and ?your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him? (Matthew 6:8).
I asked the class to close their eyes and believe ?real hard? that they were ?out of here,? which is what most ask for in their prayers. Opening our eyes and finding us still in the hall, I explained that Jesus? promise obviously does not mean moving us ?out of here? physically, but our prayers could be answered by our expressing the God-like love and freedom we associate with being at home and with our family. ?Out of here? is actually a symbol of God?s love for us and should not be a condition for answered prayer; we?d just proved we were still separated from that? material symbol.
However, since God?s love, like gravity, is everywhere, all the time for everyone, these teens needed to understand that the qualities they associated with ?out of here? could be found right where they were by expressing what they love about their family and homes. We then talked about how each could express the love and friendship they miss in the hall that week and tell me how the prayer of being what they love is answered the next week.
When I asked Alice how her prayer was working, she told me (in colorful words) that prayer wasn?t working for her because the hall had refused to let her go home to Los Angeles for Christmas as she had requested. Somewhat taken aback by her angry but honest response, I decided to look past her words to see how I could help her. We had studied the parable of the sower previously, and I asked Alice if she was going to be the rock from which the word of God in time of temptation falls away or be the good ground, which with a good heart brings forth fruit (of the word) with patience? She agreed to be the good ground for one more week, and I told her to look patiently for the things she loved about her family right there in the hall that week.
The next Saturday, a beaming Alice told me she?d received letters from her mother, her sister, and a friend that week. Christmas being the next day, and chances of her going home remote, I told her she would have to be the things she loved about her mother, her sister, and her friend to all the girls in the unit, because she could never be separated from the qualities of God she is expressing.
The next Saturday, I found a radiant Alice joyfully reporting she?d had a wonderful Christmas right in the hall and furthermore, had she gone home, she would still believe God lives in Los Angeles rather than knowing He lives wherever she is.
Still in awe of this experience on so many levels, I was reminded that God does know what things we need and answers our prayers for our need rather than our want. Alice experienced the true Christmas, the birth of the Christ, Emmanuel, ?God with us,? by believing and expressing the love she was praying for.
I?ll never forget that Christmas, and my prayer is that everyone will find a Christmas to remember every day as they express the Christly love of Jesus right where they are. I love the words to Hymn No. 170 in the ?Christian Science Hymnal?:
Keep while ye need it, brothers mine,
With honest zeal your Christmas sign,
But judge not him who every morn
Feels in his heart the Lord Christ born?
?????????????????? (John Greenleaf Whittier).
Have a very merry Christmas to remember!
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Ac3Bke2P6ow/From-juvenile-hall-a-Christmas-to-remember
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RG3 leads Redskins over Eagles 27-20
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, left, passes under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles' Brandon Graham, center, and Colt Anderson in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, left, passes under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles' Brandon Graham, center, and Colt Anderson in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles (9) passes in the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Philadelphia Eagles' Jeremy Maclin, left, and Nick Foles celebrate after a touchdown pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Philadelphia Eagles' Jeremy Maclin, left, pulls in a touchdown pass against Washington Redskins' D.J. Johnson in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
Philadelphia Eagles' Nick Foles, left, scrambles from Washington Redskins' Ryan Kerrigan in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Robert Griffin III showed he can win games without using his legs. One more victory puts the Washington Redskins in the playoffs.
Griffin threw a pair of touchdown passes in his first game back from a knee injury, Kai Forbath set the NFL record for consecutive field goals to begin a career, and the Redskins held on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-20 on Sunday for their sixth straight win.
Counted out by their own coach six weeks ago, the Redskins (9-6) are on the brink of their first division title in 13 years. Washington can clinch the NFC East with a victory over Dallas at home next Sunday.
The Redskins haven't won it since 1999 and last reached the playoffs in 2007. They could still back into the postseason with a loss.
"We're already onto the next one," Griffin said. "You don't celebrate wins at this point of the season."
Nick Foles drove the Eagles to the Redskins 5 before his intentional grounding penalty ended the game.
Trying to play spoiler, the Eagles (4-11) fell short in what could've been Andy Reid's last game coaching the team at home. Reid is unlikely to return to Philadelphia for his 15th season next year. The Eagles, who are missing the playoffs for the second straight year after coming in with huge expectations, finish at the New York Giants.
"I have nothing to tell you on that," Reid said. "I'm the coach right now."
A sprained right knee forced Griffin to miss last week's win at Cleveland. The rookie had a season-low 4 yards rushing but made several big throws to lead Washington.
"Anytime you wear a brace, it's going to restrict your motion," Griffin said. "It didn't slow me down by any means. I felt like myself out there. That's why they call me quarterback. It's not abbreviated with running quarterback. I have to throw the ball and assist guys by handing off."
Griffin was 16 of 24 for 198 yards. He did throw the first interception made by the Eagles in nine games. They hadn't picked off one since Week 6 against Detroit before Colt Anderson intercepted Griffin's tipped pass in the fourth quarter.
That set up a 17-yard TD run by Dion Lewis that cut Washington's lead to 27-20 midway through the fourth.
The Eagles held on defense, forced a punt and started their last drive at their 15. They were at the Washington 17 when Foles bounced a pass to Jeremy Maclin, who was open in the right corner of the end zone on third down. Foles then hit LeSean McCoy for a 12-yard gain on fourth-and-2 to the 5 with 11 seconds left. After an incompletion where Evan Moore dropped a pass near the goal line, Foles was called for grounding, and the last second was automatically run off the clock.
"In that situation, the clock is the most important thing," Foles said. "I didn't feel like anyone was open and was just trying to make a play. I just have to make sure the ball gets to line of scrimmage. That's on me."
While the Redskins celebrated, the Eagles ran off the field to a chorus of boos.
There was talk in Philadelphia leading up to the game whether fans would give Reid a cheerful send-off. The crowd didn't acknowledge him when he took the field before the pre-game introductions, but some chanted "Andy! Andy!" in support when he left.
"We have great fans," said Reid, who gave a slight wave as he walked into the tunnel. "I understand the situation. I appreciate everything."
Griffin was injured late in the fourth quarter of an overtime win against Baltimore two weeks ago. Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins stepped in and led the Redskins to the tying and winning scores in that game and then a victory at Cleveland.
But having RG3 back, even if he was limited, was a boost for the Redskins.
"He's a guy we count on to lead us," receiver Santana Moss said. "He's a born leader and he came in here with that mentality. We are very fortunate to have him."
The Redskins and Eagles were both 3-6 when they met last month. Before that game, Washington coach Mike Shanahan suggested the playoffs were out of reach and it was time to play out the string.
It may have motivated his players. The Redskins haven't lost since, beating the Cowboys, Giants and Ravens in the process.
"They know what it means," Shanahan said. "They've been working toward this opportunity to win the division. Any time you win the division, everybody knows you have a home game in the playoffs. We talked about that from Day 1. They knew what we had to do to get there. We haven't accomplished anything yet."
The Redskins went up 20-10 on the opening drive of the third quarter. Griffin threw a 29-yard pass to Pierre Garcon to get it started and Alfred Morris ran in from the 10 for his 10th TD.
Griffin's perfectly thrown 22-yard TD pass to Moss in the left corner of the end zone put the Redskins ahead 27-13 late in the third.
McCoy was back in the lineup after missing the last four games with a concussion. He had 45 yards rushing. Michael Vick was inactive, though he was cleared to play after missing five games with a concussion.
Forbath hit field goals of 45 and 42 yards in the second quarter. The second was his 17th straight, breaking Garrett Hartley's record for consecutive field goals made to start a career.
Notes: Shanahan has 174 wins, including postseason. He tied Mike Holmgren for 11th all-time in NFL history. ... Morris ran for 96 yards. ... Redskins had a season-high five sacks. ... Only two other times Griffin had less than 10 yards rushing were in losses to Atlanta and Pittsburgh. ... Eagles have committed 36 turnovers while forcing only 13. .... Foles finished 32 of 48 for 345 yards, one TD and one interception.
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobMaaddi
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Sunday, December 16, 2012
'Fitness parks' catch on in cities
No costly membership. Open 24-7. Doesn't take up any space in your home. And it's good for you.
Free outdoor gyms, the latest weapon in fighting the nation's obesity epidemic, are sprouting up in city parks across the country. Clusters of traditional fitness equipment from elliptical machines to leg press and sit-up benches are being installed in city parks, often in poorer neighborhoods that may not have access to healthful options.
Leading the effort is The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit land conservation group that created its Fitness Zones program about three years ago to help cities fund outdoor health playgrounds.
Accessible to anyone walking by, 80 fitness zones are either being built or in the process, says Adrian Benepe, senior vice president and director of city park development for the Trust.
"It went gangbusters," he says. "Essentially, it's like an outdoor gym with new varieties of exercise equipment built to withstand the rigor of weather vandalism."
Zones usually have six to eight exercise units but some, such as one in New Orleans, has 18.
The concept is appealing because outdoor gyms use available park space that municipalities already own. The Trust not only helps pay for the zones but helps cities raise private funds.
And most important, they're free to anyone who wants to use them.
"That's what defines them," Benepe says. "They're in a public park and accessible to the public. You can be outdoors with friends and neighbors."
Nearly 50% of Americans get less than the minimum recommended amount of physical activity, and 36% of U.S. adults engage in no leisure-time physical activity at all, according to the Trust.
While many variables can account for these statistics, "fitness deserts" -- areas where residents don't have access to exercise opportunities -- are high on the list.
St. Petersburg, Fla., opened three Fitness Zones in the past year with the help of the Trust and there are plans for two more. One, the Azalea Park Fitness Zone near the Veterans Hospital, is the first in the nation to have equipment that is wheelchair accessible.
"In 30 years as parks and recreation director, I have never seen as much of an immediate impact," says Sherry McBee, St. Petersburg's parks and recreation director. "One of our goals is to improve the health of our citizens. It's just really been a win, win, win, win. I have never gone by one of them that they haven't been heavily in use."
Florida has 17 of these open-air gyms. Sprawling Los Angeles County has 41. "They tend to lend themselves to warmer-weather cities, but they're also being installed in cold-weather cities" such as Newark, Denver and Minneapolis, Benepe says.
Improving Americans' health has moved up most cities' agendas. In Florida's Dade County, there are 11 Fitness Zones -- eight that opened in the past year alone.
"We want to put them in all 40 parks," says Jack Kardys, director of Miami-Dade County's Parks, Recreations and Open Spaces, which has been on a health campaign and has banned high-sugar content snacks from recreation centers.
The concept of outdoor space for exercise is common in Asia and Europe. Now, a Swedish company has created stainless-steel sculptural structures that double as workout equipment.
Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson of Malm, Sweden, designed City Art Gym as "gender-neutral outdoor fitness that's beautiful:" a sphere, a bridge and a bar in stainless steel that can be used for at least 17 exercises that use more than one muscle group.
"Some fitness equipment doesn't make the city more beautiful," says Rolfsdotter-Jansson, a former basketball player. "I wanted to create a fitness structure that was beautiful."
In Malm, there's a City Art Gym on the waterfront and one in a town square near a medieval church. Now, U.S. cities have inquired, she says, including New York City, Salt Lake City and Sarasota, Fla. Cost: $22,000 plus tax and shipping.
Jennifer French, a member of the Paralympics U.S. sailing team that won a silver medal this year, lives in St. Petersburg and is a city volunteer who advocates for people with disabilities.
A quadriplegic, French has used the Fitness Zone that is wheelchair accessible and is working to expand it to other parks.
"Fitness for people with mobility impairment is very hard to find," says French, 41. "Having this outdoors and the ability to use it and in your own time is great. It's right in a shaded area so you're not in the beating sun."
"It's brought people to our parks who in the past were not regular users," McBee says. "Grouping equipment together in a visible location makes more people comfortable using it. It's somewhere you could watch your child in the playground while you work out."
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Copyright 2012 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
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Source: http://www.wellness.com/news/13983/fitness-parks-catch-on-in-cities/health-and-wellness-news
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Fulerma: Commercial Aviation from the 1920?s-1930 | Travel ...
Commercial Aviation from the 1920?s-1930
The start of scheduled passenger services in the United States was not known, according to Roger Bilstein an aviation historian. Passengers were transported by Silas Christofferson via hydroplane from San Francisco to Oakland harbors in 1913. A Benoist flying boat successfully flew passengers from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1914.
Lawson C-2 was the first multiengine airplane designed for commercial air travel. Alfred W. Lawson built it in 1919. Since there are cheaper military airplanes available the Lawson C-2 did not become successful. Lawson built another model called L-4; this can carry 34 passengers and about 6,000 pounds of mail. It crashed on its test flight and discouraged the development of large planes.
Inglis Uppercu a Florida entrepreneur began scheduled international passenger flights in 1920, initially from Key West, Florida to Havana, Cuba. Soon other routes were added such as, between Miami and the Bahamas, between New York and Havana. There is also a Midwest, between Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. His company was named ?Aeromarine airways? it has 15 flying boats and made 2,000+ flights with 10,000 passengers. A plane crash killing four people made Aeromarine Airways lose business in 1924.
The birth of U.S. commercial air transportation and United Airlines was when Walter T. Varney began contract airmail services from Pasco, Washington, and Elko, Nevada, through Boise, Idaho.
Seven years after the first official airmail flight, 1925, U.S. Post Office airplanes sent 14 million letters, packages a year. Airmail was very popular with bankers and businessmen.
It was in 1926 when Air Commerce Act was implemented, this authorized the Secretary of Commerce to plan air routes, build up air navigation systems, test and license pilots and aircrafts, and investigate accidents. The carriers were then obliged by law to base pay to the weight of mail. This all started with the appointment of Dwight Morrow to develop a national aviation policy.
In the 1920s, Harry Guggenheim a multimillionaire and aviation enthusiast started a foundation, which aims on teaching aeronautical engineers and developing flight instruments. He gave funding to the Western Air Express to check if airlines can live on passenger fares alone, but the company barely made enough money without airmail.
Investments in aviation stocks significantly rose between 1927 and 1929. This was brought about by Charles A. Lindbergh?s solo flight to Paris.
Travelers could cross the country faster by train than by air at the end of 1920s. It was not comfortable to travel by plane because of the un-insulated thin sheets of metal that made noise in the wind. The cabins were not pressurized. In spite of this, airline passengers in the U.S. grew in number from 6,000 to 173,000 in the span of 1926 to 1929. Majority were businessmen.
U.S. Airlines? planes have enough capacity for 15 passengers. Fuselage has a corrugated design and the plane depends on a Ford Trimotor 5-AT.
In the 1920s, manufacturers transferred near airports. There were aeronautical schools that taught airplane engineering, design, and operation. New technologies were being developed that gave potential for commercial aviation expansion.
Harry Guggenheim set up a full flight laboratory, which developed very helpful navigational tools like the barometer, artificial horizon and gyroscope and radio direction beacon for landing. In September 1929 James Doolittle a U.S. army lieutenant benefited from these tools when he had to land the plane without his vision.
Huge progress as it may seem still did not make passenger travel exclusive airlines profitable up to the 1930?s.
PPPPP
Word Count 581
1920's1930, Aviation, Commercial, From
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2012 at 5:20 am and is filed under Aviation. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback.Source: http://www.datcagolmarotel.com/commercial-aviation-from-the-1920s-1930/
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Source: http://fulermaa1.blogspot.com/2012/12/commercial-aviation-from-1920s-1930.html
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
Adult Mad Libs, Turnplay, and More
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/SqvNsS8sK1A/
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It's a Property Management Christmas, Charlie Brown ? SCM Real ...
May your parking lot be not icy,
May the christmas tree in the lobby not blow the breaker,
May our crazy Texas winter not cause the A/C and heat to come on at the same time,
May the employees of your tenants keep their valuables hidden,
May your Property Manager organize a toy drive in your building,
and finally,
May you enjoy this Christmas with no emergency calls over the holiday!
?
?
Source: http://scmrealestate.com/scmblog/?p=327
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Massacre leaves America shocked and grieving ... again
An emotional President Barack Obama responds to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, saying we have to "come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this regardless of the politics."
By Allison Linn, NBC News
President Barack Obama reacted to news of the horrific elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Friday like many other Americans: As a parent first.
?I know there?s not a parent in America who doesn?t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do,? the president said in a tearful midday speech.
Obama was among many public figures who were left feeling overwhelming grief ? and parental empathy - ?for the families who were victims of the massacre that killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
?The majority of those who died today were children ? beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old,? the visibly emotional president said. ?They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own.?
Obama went on to say that the nation had gone through too many mass shootings too many times.
?This evening Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter, and we?ll tell them that we love them, and we?ll remind each other how deeply we love one another,? he said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also said the shooting hit him as a parent and a politician.
?I am in shock and disbelief at this horrible tragedy that took so many innocent lives today. As a father and grandfather, it is beyond my comprehension why anyone would want to hurt innocent children. I join the millions of Americans whose thoughts and hearts are with those suffering because of this horrible crime in Connecticut,? he said in a statement.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that the department's hearts and prayers were with the school's students and staff and surrounding community. He, too, reacted as a parent.
"School shootings are always incomprehensible and horrific tragedies. But words fail to describe today's heartbreaking and savage attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As the father of two children in elementary school, I can barely imagine the anguish and losses suffered today by the Newtown community," he said.
Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut also said that he and his wife were heartbroken for the nation, and as parents.
"Hadassah and I are shocked and heartbroken by the horrific events in Newtown today. We know this community and its people well. It is a beautiful town with wonderful people. As parents and grandparents, our hearts grieve for them today, and we send our prayers to each of them,? Lieberman said in a statement.
House Speaker John Boehner appealed to Americans to come together, and to seek solace in religion.
"The horror of this day seems so unbearable, but we will lock arms and unite as citizens, for that is how Americans rise above unspeakable evil.?Let us all come together in God's grace to pray for the families of the victims, that they may find some comfort and peace amid such suffering,? Boehner said in a statement.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell offered the hope that such violence could be eradicated.
"We are all crushed by the news of today's horrifying massacre in Newtown. I invite everyone to lift their hearts in prayer for the victims and their families and to unite around the hope that there will soon come a day when parents no longer fear this kind of violence in our nation again,? McConnell said.?
England's Queen Elizabeth II sent a message to Obama reading: "I have been deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dreadful loss of life today in Newtown, Connecticut; particularly the news that so many of the dead are children. Prince Philip joins me in extending our heartfelt sympathy to you and the American people at this difficult time. The thoughts and prayers of everyone in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth are with the families and friends of those killed and with all those who have been affected by today's events."
Some public figures also called on the nation to re-evaluate gun laws.
Mark Kelly, husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was gravely injured in a?shooting on Jan. 8, 2011, said he and his wife were sending their prayers to the victims.
"As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait,? Kelly?s statement on Facebook read in part.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his deepest sympathies were with the families of the shooting, and he called on national figures to do more than send their thoughts and prayers.
"With all the carnage from gun violence in our country, it's still almost impossible to believe that a mass shooting in a kindergarten class could happen. It has come to that. Not even kindergarteners learning their A,B,Cs are safe. We heard after Columbine that it was too soon to talk about gun laws. We heard it after Virginia Tech. After Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek. And now we are hearing it again. For every day we wait, 34 more people are murdered with guns. Today, many of them were 5-year olds. President Obama rightly sent his heartfelt condolences to the families in Newtown. But the country needs him to send a bill to Congress to fix this problem,? Bloomberg?s statement said in part.
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New Primate with Face Mask & Toxic Bite Discovered
A new small primate with a toxic bite and distinctive facial fur markings has been discovered in the jungles of Borneo.
The new slow loris species is found in the highlands of the island of Borneo and has been named Nycticebus kayan, after a major river, the Kayan, flowing through the region. The trio of scientists also found that two species previously considered sub-species in the Nycticebus genus are officially unique species.
"Historically, many species went unrecognized as they were falsely lumped together as one species," researcher Rachel Munds, of the University of Missouri Columbia, said in a statement.
Closely related to lemurs, the slow loris is found across Southeast Asia, from Bangladesh and China's Yunnan province to Borneo. To distinguish between species, the researchers focused on the seeming face masks of Borneo's slow lorises; fur patches cover their eyes, while their heads are covered with differently shaped caps. The examined photographs and museum samples for eight face mask features, finding there were four species of Bornean lorises. [See Photos of the Slow Loris Primates]
The new species to science, N. kayan, showed a dark, highly contrasting face mask, with dark patches around its eyes. From the specimen examined, the species is about 10.8 inches (273 millimeters) long and weighs about 14.5 ounces (411 grams). The other species include: N. menagensis, N. bancanus and N. borneanus. (N. menagensis had already been recognized as a species.)
The newly identified species illustrate the breadth of biodiversity yet to be discovered in the jungles of Borneo and nearby islands, the researchers noted. The slow lorises, as with other animals on these islands, face threats from human activity.
"The pet trade is a serious threat for slow lorises in Indonesia, and recognition of these new species raises issues regarding where to release confiscated Bornean slow lorises, as recognition by nonexperts can be difficult," said study researcher Anna Nekaris, of Oxford Brookes University in England, in a statement.
Munds, Nekaris and co-author Susan Ford of Southern Illinois University also note this week in the American Journal of Primatology that their results confirm the use of fur color and pattern as a valid way of distinguishing between species of small primates. Some researchers, they wrote, had claimed that because Bornean slow lorises are not a diverse group because they share similar cranial features and all are lacking an upper second incisor. The new study suggests otherwise, the team added.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.
Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/primate-face-mask-toxic-bite-discovered-173850559.html
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Selling flak jackets in the cyberwars
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When the Israeli army and Hamas trade virtual blows in cyberspace, or when hacker groups like Anonymous rise from the digital ether, or when WikiLeaks dumps a trove of classified documents, some see a lawless Internet.
But Matthew Prince, chief executive at CloudFlare, a little-known Internet start-up that serves some of the Web's most controversial characters, sees a business opportunity.
Founded in 2010, CloudFlare markets itself as an Internet intermediary that shields websites from distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, attacks, the crude but effective weapon that hackers use to bludgeon websites until they go dark. The 40-person company claims to route up to 5 percent of all Internet traffic through its global network.
Prince calls his company the "Switzerland" of cyberspace - assiduously neutral and open to all comers. But just as companies like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have faced profound questions about the balance between free speech and openness on the Internet and national security and law enforcement concerns, CloudFlare's business has posed another thorny question: what kinds of services, if any, should an American company be allowed to offer designated terrorists and cyber criminals?
CloudFlare's unusual position at the heart of this debate came to the fore last month, when the Israel Defense Forces sought help from CloudFlare after its website was struck by attackers based in Gaza. The IDF was turning to the same company that provides those services to Hamas and the al-Quds Brigades, according to publicly searchable domain information. Both Hamas and al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are designated by the United States as terrorist groups.
Under the USA Patriot Act, U.S. firms are forbidden from providing "material support" to groups deemed foreign terrorist organizations. But what constitutes material support - like many other facets of the law itself - has been subject to intense debate.
CloudFlare's dealings have attracted heated criticism in the blogosphere from both Israelis and Palestinians, but Prince defended his company as a champion of free speech.
"Both sides have an absolute right to tell their story," said Prince, a 38-year old former lawyer. "We're not providing material support for anybody. We're not sending money, or helping people arm themselves."
Prince noted that his company only provides defensive capabilities that enable websites to stay online.
"We can't be sitting in a role where we decide what is good or what is bad based on our own personal biases," he said. "That's a huge slippery slope."
Many U.S. agencies are customers, but so is WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing organization. CloudFlare has consulted for many Wall Street institutions, yet also protects Anonymous, the "hacktivist" group associated with the Occupy movement.
Prince's stance could be tested at a time when some lawmakers in the United States and Europe, armed with evidence that militant groups rely on the Web for critical operations and recruitment purposes, have pressured Internet companies to censor content or cut off customers.
Last month, conservative political lobbies, as well as seven lawmakers led by Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, urged the FBI to shut down the Hamas Twitter account. The account remains active; Twitter declined to comment.
MATERIAL SUPPORT
Although it has never prosecuted an Internet company under the Patriot Act, the government's use of the material support argument has steadily risen since 2006. Since September 11, 2001, more than 260 cases have been charged under the provision, according to Fordham Law School's Terrorism Trends database.
Catherine Lotrionte, the director of Georgetown University's Institute for Law, Science and Global Security and a former Central Intelligence Agency lawyer, argued that Internet companies should be more closely regulated.
"Material support includes web services," Lotrionte said. "Denying them services makes it more costly for the terrorists. You're cornering them."
But others have warned that an aggressive government approach would have a chilling effect on free speech.
"We're resurrecting the kind of broad-brush approaches we used in the McCarthy era," said David Cole, who represented the Humanitarian Law Project, a non-profit organization that was charged by the Justice Department for teaching law to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is designated by the United States as a terrorist group. The group took its case to the Supreme Court but lost in 2010.
The material support law is vague and ill-crafted, to the point where basic telecom providers, for instance, could be found guilty by association if a terrorist logs onto the Web to plot an attack, Cole said.
In that case, he asked, "Do we really think that AT&T or Google should be held accountable?"
CloudFlare said it has not been contacted about its services by the U.S. government. Spokespeople for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told Reuters they contracted a cyber-security company in Gaza that out-sources work to foreign companies, but declined to comment further. The IDF confirmed it had hired CloudFlare, but declined to discuss "internal security" matters.
CloudFlare offers many of its services for free, but the company says websites seeking advanced protection and features can see their bill rise to more than $3,000 a month. Prince declined to discuss the business arrangements with specific customers.
While not yet profitable, CloudFlare has more than doubled its revenue in the past four months, according to Prince, and is picking up 3,000 new customers a month. The company has raked in more than $22 million from venture capital firms including New Enterprise Associates, Venrock and Pelion Venture Partners.
Prince, a Midwestern native with mussed brown hair who holds a law degree from the University of Chicago, said he has a track record of working on the right side of the law.
A decade ago, Prince provided free legal aid to Spamhaus, an international group that tracked email spammers and identity thieves. He went on to create Project Honey Pot, an open source spam-tracking endeavor that turned over findings to police.
Prince's latest company, CloudFlare, has been hailed by groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists for protecting speech. Another client, the World Economic Forum, named CloudFlare among its 2012 "technology pioneers" for its work. But it also owes its profile to its most controversial customers.
CloudFlare has hosted 4Chan, the online messaging community that spawned Anonymous. LulzSec, the hacker group best known for targeting Sony Corp, is another customer. And since last May, the company has propped up WikiLeaks after a vigilante hacker group crashed the document repository.
Last year, members of the hacker collective UgNazi, whose exploits include pilfering user account information from eBay and crashing the CIA.gov website, broke into Prince's cell phone and email accounts.
"It was a personal affront," Prince said. "But we never kicked them off either."
Prince said CloudFlare would comply with a valid court order to remove a customer, but that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has never requested a takedown. The company has agreed to turn over information to authorities on "exceedingly rare" occasions, he acknowledged, declining to elaborate.
"Any company that doesn't do that won't be in business long," Prince said. But in an email, he added: "We have a deep and abiding respect for our users' privacy, disclose to our users whenever possible if we are ordered to turn over information and would fight an order that we believed was not proper."
Juliannne Sohn, an FBI spokeswoman, declined to comment.
Michael Sussmann, a former Justice Department lawyer who prosecuted computer crimes, said U.S. law enforcement agencies may in fact prefer that the Web's most wanted are parked behind CloudFlare rather than a foreign service over which they have no jurisdiction.
Federal investigators "want to gather information from as many sources as they can, and they're happy to get it," Sussmann said.
In an era of rampant cyber warfare, Prince acknowledged he is something of a war profiteer, but with a wrinkle.
"We're not selling bullets," he said. "We're selling flak jackets."
(Reporting By Gerry Shih in San Francisco and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; editing by Jonathan Weber and Claudia Parsons)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/selling-flak-jackets-cyberwars-125406473--sector.html
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Depression eased quickly with experimental drug: Works in brain like Ketamine, with fewer side effects, study suggests
Dec. 12, 2012 ? A drug that works through the same brain mechanism as the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine briefly improved treatment-resistant patients' depression symptoms in minutes, with minimal untoward side effects, in a clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health. The experimental agent, called AZD6765, acts through the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system.
Existing antidepressants available through prescription, which work through the brain's serotonin system, take a few weeks to work, imperiling severely depressed patients, who can be at high risk for suicide. Ketamine also works in hours, but its usefulness is limited by its potential for dissociative side-effects, including hallucinations. It is being studied mostly for clues to how it works.
"Our findings serve as a proof of concept that we can tap into an important component of the glutamate pathway to develop a new generation of safe, rapid-acting practical treatments for depression," said Carlos Zarate, M.D., of the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health, which conducted the research.
Zarate, and colleagues, reported on their results online Dec. 1, 2012 in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
AZD6765, like ketamine, works by blocking glutamate binding to a protein on the surface of neurons, called the NMDA receptor. It is a less powerful blocker of the NMDA receptor, which may be a reason why it is better tolerated than ketamine.
About 32 percent of 22 treatment-resistant depressed patients infused with ASD6765 showed a clinically meaningful antidepressant response at 80 minutes after infusion that lasted for about half an hour -- with residual antidepressant effects lasting two days for some. By contrast, 52 percent of patients receiving ketamine show a comparable response, with effects still detectable at seven days. So a single infusion of ketamine produces more robust and sustained improvement, but most patients continue to experience some symptoms with both drugs.
However, depression rating scores were significantly better among patients who received AZD6765 than in those who received placebos. The researchers deemed this noteworthy, since, on average, these patients had failed to improve in seven past antidepressant trials, and nearly half failed to respond to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
The patients reported only minor side effects, such as dizziness and nausea, which were not significantly different from those experienced with the placebo.
Zarate and colleagues say their results warrant further trials with AZD6765, testing whether repeated infusions a few times per week or higher doses might produce longer-lasting results.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute of Mental Health.
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Journal Reference:
- Carlos A. Zarate, Daniel Mathews, Lobna Ibrahim, Jose Franco Chaves, Craig Marquardt, Immaculata Ukoh, Libby Jolkovsky, Nancy E. Brutsche, Mark A. Smith, David A. Luckenbaugh. A Randomized Trial of a Low-Trapping Nonselective N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Channel Blocker in Major Depression. Biological Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.10.019
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/most_popular/~3/q7e1tNK8sDw/121212205736.htm
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
South Korea: NKorea's satellite orbiting normally
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? South Korea says that a satellite North Korea launched aboard a long-range rocket is orbiting the Earth normally but it's unknown whether it is functioning properly.
North Korea defiantly launched the rocket Wednesday and its state media quickly announced it placed an observation satellite into orbit.
Seoul and Washington condemned the launch as a cover for testing banned ballistic missile technology but they said the launch appeared to be successful.
South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters Thursday that the satellite is orbiting at a speed of 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) per second but it's not known what mission it is performing.
He says it takes two weeks to determine whether a satellite works successfully after liftoff.
Kim cited data from the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-nkoreas-satellite-orbiting-normally-062254712.html
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Protesters to march on Michigan capitol over "right-to-work" vote
LANSING, Michigan (Reuters) - As many as 10,000 labor union workers from throughout Michigan and the U.S. Midwest are expected to march on the Michigan Capitol building in freezing temperatures on Tuesday to protest likely passage of a "right-to-work" law.
The Republican-controlled Michigan House of Representatives will consider two and perhaps three bills on Tuesday that would prohibit unions from compelling private sector workers and government employees to pay union dues.
The right-to-work movement has been growing in the country since Wisconsin fought a similar battle with unions over two years ago.
Michigan would become the 24th state to enact right-to-work provisions and passage of the legislation would deal a stunning blow to the power of organized labor in the United States.
Michigan is home of the heavily unionized U.S. auto industry, with some 700 manufacturing plants in the state. It is also the birthplace of the United Auto Workers, the richest U.S. labor union.
While the new laws are not expected to have much immediate impact because existing union contracts would be preserved, they could, over time, further weaken the UAW, which has already seen its influence wane in negotiating with the major automakers.
Right-to-work laws typically allow workers to hold a job without being forced to join a union or pay union dues.
Last Thursday, when the senate passed two bills and the House also considered right-to-work legislation, protesters converged on Lansing. Several people were arrested and officials sealed the Capitol from the public.
"We support people exercising their constitutional rights to protest," said Inspector Gene Adamczyk of the Michigan State Police. "But we need them to do it in an orderly manner."
President Barack Obama waded into the debate during a visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Michigan on Monday, criticizing the Republican right-to-work effort.
"What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money," Obama said.
School teachers are among those expected to march on the Capitol on Tuesday. Several school districts will not hold classes on Tuesday due to teacher and staff absences, Detroit newspapers and television stations reported.
Labor leaders such as UAW President Bob King say they were blindsided by Republican Governor Rick Snyder, who last Thursday announced he was supporting right-to-work after nearly two years of saying the issue was too divisive.
King was unsuccessful in more than a week of talks with Snyder and his staff in staving off the right-to-work push by the Republicans, who will lose several seats when newly elected members take their seats in the state house and senate in January.
Michigan has the fifth highest percentage of unionized workers in the United States at 17.5 percent and the Detroit area is headquarters for General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler, which is majority owned by Fiat SpA.
(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Greg McCune and Lisa Shumaker)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protesters-march-michigan-capitol-over-vote-054656984.html
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Ex-Democrat Lieberman to leave U.S. Senate, calls for bipartisanship
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Democrat Joe Lieberman used his last speech on the U.S. Senate floor on Wednesday to call for bipartisanship and get in a last dig over the controversial result of the 2000 election, when he was the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Lieberman, 70, announced in January 2011 that he would retire when his fourth term ends next month rather than seek re-election. He reflected on his career in remarks that lasted for about 20 minutes, recounting landmarks in his career and changes in society since he became a U.S. senator in January 1989.
"When I started here in the Senate, a blackberry was a fruit and tweeting was something only birds do," Lieberman said.
The four-term Connecticut senator was elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 1988. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, but withdrew from the race and John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, became the party's nominee.
Known for hawkish foreign policy views, Lieberman lost Connecticut's Democratic primary to an anti-war rival when he sought a fourth term in the Senate in 2006, forcing him to run - and win - as an independent.
Lieberman, 70, remains strongly allied with the Democratic Party, but more recently also has been well-known as one of the "Three Amigos," with Republican Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
The trio has had a strong influence on U.S. foreign policy debate partly because it has representation from both parties. Lieberman at times angered some fellow Democrats for siding with Republicans, for example by refusing to vote with other members of his party in 2007 to set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.
Democrats also became furious with Lieberman in the 2008 election for backing McCain, the Republican nominee, rather than the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.
"It's the partisan polarization of our politics which prevents us from making the principled compromises on which progress in a democracy depends, and right now, which prevents us from restoring our fiscal solvency as a nation," he said.
PRAISE FROM REPUBLICANS
As Republicans in Congress and Obama's White House debate how to address the country's budget problems, Lieberman made a passionate appeal for the country not to focus exclusively on domestic politics.
"The American people need us, the Senate, to stay engaged economically, diplomatically and militarily in an ever smaller world," he said.
Lieberman is chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, former chair of the committee and its top Republican, praised Lieberman's bipartisanship. "He has demonstrated his willingness, time and again, to risk his political career to do what he believes is right for America," she said.
Lieberman said in his career he was proudest of achievements including helping pass the Clean Air Act in 1990, creating the commission investigating the September 11 attacks and the Department of Homeland Security, reforming the intelligence community and repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military.
He also noted that he was the first Jewish American nominated for national office by a major party.
In 2000, the Democratic ticket of Al Gore and Lieberman won 500,000 more votes than Republican George W. Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney. But Bush won the White House in the electoral college, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against allowing a recount of votes in Florida.
"And incidentally," Lieberman said in his speech, "(I am) grateful to the American people, grateful to have received a half million more votes than my opponent on the other side, but that's a longer story."
(Editing by Alistair Bell and Stacey Joyce)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-democrat-lieberman-leave-u-senate-calls-bipartisanship-233121473.html
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
On Mars, Opportunity Rover Continues to Cover New Ground
NASA
An illustration of the Opportunity Mars rover.
SAN FRANCISCO ? While many obsessed over speculation that NASA?s newest Mars rover, Curiosity, had dug up signs of life ? it had not ? it is the agency?s older, smaller jalopy, Opportunity, that has been exploring a more intriguing plot of Martian real estate.
?This is our first glimpse ever at conditions on ancient Mars that clearly show us a chemistry that would have been suitable for life,? Steven W. Squyres, the principal investigator for Opportunity, said at a news conference last week at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union here.
Opportunity could be sitting on rocks chock-full of organic molecules ? but the rover and the scientists back on Earth would never know. Unlike Curiosity, Opportunity is not carrying instruments that can detect those kinds of molecules.
But the scientists are not complaining. Everything from Opportunity over the past eight years has been a bonus for a mission that was to have ended long ago.
Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004, for what was supposed to be a three-month mission. Yet the rover continues operating in good condition. (Its twin, Spirit, died in 2010, stuck in a sand trap and unable to point its solar arrays in the correct direction to survive winter, outliving its planned lifetime by almost six years.)
Last year, Opportunity arrived at a 14-mile-wide crater named Endeavour, where NASA?s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted clays from above. Clays generally form in the presence of water.
The clay signal pointed to a hill, which the scientists named after Jacob Matijevic, an engineer on the rover team who died this year.
As Opportunity approached, ?We started seeing things that looked really, really different,? Dr. Squyres said. The most common rock there was light-colored, fine-grained, very soft, and nothing like any that Opportunity had come across before.
?It is right in the sweet spot of where the clay signature is present,? Dr. Squyres said. ?It has got to be the clay-bearing stuff.?
But when the rover looked at the elements in the rock, it was the same mix of elements in a typical Martian rock. ?What?s unusual is that it?s not unusual,? Dr. Squyres said. ?This puzzled us at first. I was expecting something dramatic and instead what you see here kind of looks like average Mars.?
Another instrument could have identified minerals in the rock, but the radioactive cobalt it relies on has long decayed away.
If Curiosity were at the Endeavour crater, its instruments could directly look for the carbon-based molecules known as organics that are the building blocks of life. But Curiosity, which landed in August, is more than 5,000 miles away exploring a different crater where clays have also been spotted from orbit ? and it is still months away from reaching there.
In its nearly nine years on Mars, Opportunity has driven more than 22 miles, crossing a Martian plain and stopping by several smaller craters. During its travels, it came across minerals that pointed to flowing water in Mars? past, but these minerals formed in highly acidic conditions. ?Battery acid kind of numbers,? Dr. Squyres said. ?And that?s a challenging place for life.?
Clays only form in more benign conditions. ?The thing that?s different here is that these clay minerals point towards a neutral chemistry ? water you can drink,? Dr. Squyres said. ?And that?s a different story, a different world.?
These rocks appear to date to the early warm and wet era of Mars, perhaps when the planet was more hospitable to life.
Then Opportunity took a look at another outcrop on Matijevic Hill made of darker, harder minerals. Close up, it saw tiny spheres embedded in the rocks, similar in appearance to iron-rich spheres nicknamed ?blueberries? that the rover had observed earlier.
Except these did not contain much iron. ?These are something totally different,? Dr. Squyres said. ?I?ve been calling them newberries, because there?s something new.?
Even though Opportunity cannot find organics, Dr. Squyres said there were many questions that it would be able to answer that would tell scientists what this part of early Mars was like. What are the newberries made of? How did they form? Did wind or water shape the rocks of Matijevic Hill?
Opportunity will spend several months at Matijevic Hill to try to unravel as many of these puzzles as it can, using its remaining instruments.
?What we have stumbled upon here at Matijevic Hill, drawn here by that clay signature, is what?s turning out to be one of the most delightful geologic puzzles that we have ever found with this rover on Mars,? Dr. Squyres said. ?It?s fascinating. It?s a work in progress.?
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