Sunday, February 24, 2013

China's Leadership Transition Discussed at Council on Foreign Relations

Cheng Li and Elizabeth Economy discuss China's leadership transition at the Council on Foreign Relations in NYC on Friday February 22nd 2013. They debate the power balance within the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, which recently decreased in size from nine to seven members.

Source: http://ntdtv.org/en/news/china/2013-02-23/china-s-leadership-transition-discussed-at-council-on-foreign-relations-.html

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KTVU will be streaming the Chinese New Year Parade from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on our...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151265070152061&set=a.170555017060.132233.20980557060&type=1

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The flu hit American workers hard in January

In a new study out Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control, the vaccine proved effective just over half of the time. And among seniors who are 65 years old and older, one of the most vulnerable populations, the vaccine only offered nine percent protection. NBC's Robert Bazell reports.

By Allison Linn, TODAY

That nasty flu season appears to have taken a toll on our productivity as well as our health.

More American workers called in sick in January than during any month in nearly five years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this week.

Nearly 2.9 million full-time workers only worked part-time during the week in which they were surveyed because of illness, injury or medical appointment, the BLS said. Also,?more than 1.2 million people were off work for the whole week they were surveyed because they were sick, the BLS said.

That?s the highest level of people calling in sick since February?2008, when 1.3 million people missed a full week of work and 3.3 million full-time workers only worked part-time because of illness.

The BLS noted that more people typically call in sick during the winter months, when seasonal illnesses such as cold and the flu are common. But this year appears to have been especially hard on Americans, and on workers.

The flu season got off to an early and aggressive start, but the good news is that it appears to have peaked in late January, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Still, experts warn that the flu could continue to circulate for months.

In addition, other bugs, such as common colds and the stomach flu, can keep workers from heading into the office.

For many workers, getting sick can literally be costly. There is no federal requirement that companies provide paid sick leave, although companies who are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act requires unpaid sick leave.

About 66 percent of workers have access to paid sick leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Full-time workers are much more likely than part-time workers to have paid sick leave, according to the BLS.

Have you had to call in sick yet this season?

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/02/22/17047057-the-flu-hit-american-workers-hard-in-january?lite

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Samsung?s Galaxy Note 8.0 Found in Barcelona; Physical Buttons and All

galaxy-note-8-spy

As you know, Mobile World Congress kicks off officially on Monday, but everything will be announced this weekend. So make sure you stay tuned to Android Headlines for the latest Android news. We?ve already been promised by Samsung Mobile?s head, that we would see a new flavor and size of the Galaxy Note. Which we?ve seen the Galaxy Note 8.0 leaked and rumored many times in the past couple of months. Now we can see exactly what it looks like.

Engadget, posted the image above from Barcelona, it?s the Galaxy Note 8.0 which as they note basically covers your whole hand. Which it should. It?s an 8-inch tablet. But the interesting thing here, and something many of you are not going to like, are the physical buttons. We can see the menu and back capacitive buttons, but it?s hard to see if there?s a home button there or not. But I?m pretty sure there is. So it?s kinda like Samsung took the Galaxy Note 2 and stretched it to 8-inches.

For those of you that need a refresher, here?s what the rumored specs of the Galaxy Note 8.0 look like:

  • 8-inch 1280?800 display
  • 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos 4
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16/32GB internal storage; Expandable via?microSD?card

We don?t know much else as far as specs go, but we will definitely find out really soon. It?s a Galaxy Note so of course it comes with the S Pen, and all of the Galaxy Note features and apps. Including Multi-Window which is also making its way to the Galaxy S3 in the Android 4.1.2 update. I wonder what else Samsung has up its sleeve for Mobile World Congress this week? We?ve heard rumors of many of other low-end and mid-range devices possibly being announced by Samsung but we?ll have to wait and see.

How many of you were looking forward to the Galaxy Note 8.0? What do you think about it now that it indeed looks like it?ll have physical buttons? I was really looking forward to it, but despise those physical buttons, why can?t Samsung keep the software keys they had in the Galaxy Note 10.1 and the Galaxy Tab family? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Tags: engadget, exynos 4, featured, Galaxy Note 8.0, Mobile World Congress 2013, spy shot, Tablets

Category: androidheadlines.com, Tablets

Source: http://androidheadlines.com/2013/02/samsungs-galaxy-note-8-0-found-in-barcelona-physical-buttons-and-all.html

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ZTE Open, the company's first Firefox OS phone, gets a spec sheet at MWC

ZTE Open, the company's first Firefox OS phone, gets a full spec sheet at MWC

Remember that ZTE teased the MWC debut of its upcoming Firefox OS phone? Well, according to this spec sheet spotted by a tipster at ZTE's MWC booth, said device will be appropriately named ZTE Open, and it'll come with a moderate set of components: a Cortex-A5-based Qualcomm MSM7225A (which is known to clock at either 600MHz or 800MHz), a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT display with capacitive touchscreen, 256MB DDR SDRAM, 512MB NAND storage and the usual set of radios like WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 (with EDR3), GPS and FM radio. Interestingly, there will be a 3.2-megapixel front-facing camera, but it appears that there'll be none on the back. The Open will be available in three SKUs with different UMTS bands: 850/1900, 850/2100 and 900/2100. As always, we'll be sharing the full announcement and hands-on once we see the phone at MWC, though we have a feeling that we've already played with it before.

Update: As some of you have pointed out, yes, the "FF" may actually mean "fixed focus" instead of "front-facing," and the former seems more likely.

[Thanks, anonymous]

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OJfRK6I3u8s/

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Column: Arsenal just another middling English club

Associated Press Sports

updated 2:48 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2013

(Eds: With AP Photos.)

AP Sports Columnist

Its long and illustrious history says Arsenal is a great club. Its soon-to-be eighth consecutive season without a trophy, however, says the 13-time champion of England is becoming a middling one.

If insanity is repeating the same mistakes but expecting different results each time, then Arsenal now exhibits all the symptoms. It is teetering on the brink of elimination from the Champions League because it has become a club that habitually sells off its best players and doesn't replace them with similar quality, and because its venerated coach, Arsene Wenger, increasingly looks unable or unwilling to deliver the shock treatment that is needed. He continues to see promise in a team that, except to his eyes, no longer looks worthy of such confidence.

When Arsenal lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona, with bolts of lightning and pounding rain swelling the sense of drama in the Stade de France stadium in Paris, only the bold or foolish would have predicted that from there it would all be downhill for Wenger and Arsenal. Now only the bold or foolish would stick a hand in the fire and declare that Wenger will one day lead the London club to such heights again. Not with this squad and these players so thoroughly out-classed by Bayern Munich in front of their own fans Tuesday night.

There are those who argue that what Arsenal most needs is another Patrick Vieira, a match-changing leader like the France midfielder who joined Arsenal with Wenger in 1996 and whose final thunderclap as a Gunner was scoring the FA Cup-winning penalty in 2005. That was Wenger's most recent trophy. Also his last? How long ago that seems.

But in Jack Wilshere, Wenger already has a thrilling and influential midfielder. Although far smaller than Vieira and not physically intimidating like Arsenal's former captain, Wilshere has his intensity and allergy to losing, plus the creative footballing skills that could help bring trophies to the Emirates Stadium.

But the 21-year-old, the embodiment of Arsenal's future hopes, cannot succeed alone. Arsenal's 3-1 loss to Bayern in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 matchup, with only Wilshere distinguishing himself with his zeal for the Gunners, again proved that.

When Arsenal last played Bayern in the Champions League, winning 1-0 at its old Highbury Stadium in 2005, Vieira could hardly have been better surrounded. Ahead of him, he had Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Freddie Ljungberg to thread passes to. Jens Lehmann was watching his back in goal. Robert Pires, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas came on as substitutes.

Henry's goal that night wasn't enough to cancel out Bayern's lead from the first leg in Munich, which also ended 3-1 for the German team. But, even today, mere mention of those fabulous footballers makes Arsenal fans nostalgic. How many of Arsenal's current players will they say that about in years to come?

When Wilshere looked upfield Tuesday at the Emirates, he could make out Theo Walcott playing in a striking role, not his best position, which is on the wing. Walcott is fast. He believes he can lead Arsenal's attack. But Walcott is no Henry and, from the evidence so far, he never will be.

Neither will Olivier Giroud, the more orthodox striker Wenger brought on in the second half against Bayern but who is proving to be no substitute for Van Persie, the goal-scorer who quit Arsenal last August for Manchester United. Van Persie has since rubbed salt in that wound by declaring how he feels "like I'm surrounded by champions" at United, with teammates who "know how to win."

As the Munich club cruised to its first ever European win in London, without ever needing to hit top gear, one simply wanted to ask Wenger where it all went wrong.

What happened to the manager who built the "Invincibles," the team unbeaten in the English league in 2003-2004, playing 49 matches and losing none?

What happened to the coach with such an eye for great talent? In Henry, Van Persie and Fabregas, to name just those three, Wenger gave the English Premier League three of its most remarkable and memorable players. So how has Arsenal's vision become so clouded that it more recently added Marouane Chamakh, Andre Santos, Park Ju-Young and other disappointments?

How did the innovator who shook up English football with his new-fangled coaching methods and nimble thinking in the 1990s get outsmarted and outmoded by the managerial brilliance of Jose Mourinho, Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola, who will take over at Bayern - God help the rest of Europe - in July?

And who was that irascible character who bit off journalists' heads this week? What happened to charming Wenger?

Losses this season to Bradford in the League Cup quarterfinals and Blackburn in the FA Cup fifth round were embarrassing because Arsenal should, on paper at least, beat such lower league opponents every time. But unexpected one-time defeats are among the vagaries of cup football and can happen to any team.

More damning for Arsenal is that it has fallen so far behind not only the Bayerns of Europe, but behind England's best teams, too. With Manchester United now 21 points ahead of the Gunners in the English league, their match at the Emirates on April 28 isn't the must-watch game it used to be when Vieira and Roy Keane were at each other like hammer and tongs.

On March 13, Bayern will finish off the job it started in London and put the Gunners out of the Champions League. Wenger and Arsenal will go back to what they now do best: licking their wounds.

---

John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Winning plan of attack

PST: AC Milan followed the formula to the letter in upsetting Barcelona, 2-0, sacrificing possession stats, playing airtight defense and capitalizing on the counterattack.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50876068/ns/sports-soccer/

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Slew of animal protection bills pending in New Mexico Legislature

Posted at: 02/18/2013 11:18 AM
By: JERI CLAUSING Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico lawmakers this session are considering more than two dozen animal protection bills that propose everything from raising money for starving horses to increasing penalties for neglecting pets and continuing oversight of government-run shelters.

Animal rights advocates say the number of bills aimed at helping animals is higher than usual this year.

They say one reason is the increased awareness of the connection between cruelty to animals and abuse of people.

Elizabeth Jennings, executive director of Animal Protection New Mexico, says her agency is tracking some 30 bills this session, including proposals to make extreme cruelty like starving an animal or letting it freeze to death a fourth-degree felony.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Source: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s2935552.shtml?cat=500

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Saturday, February 16, 2013

NY exhibits draft of Washington's Farewell Address

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A State Museum exhibit highlighting New York residents who became president is featuring the original draft of George Washington's Farewell Address, written in his own hand.

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The special three-day, Presidents Weekend exhibit at the downtown Albany museum opens Friday and runs through Sunday.

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The exhibit honors Washington, the nation's first president, as well as political leaders who lived in New York and rose to the presidency, including Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Chester A. Arthur, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt.

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Washington published his Farewell Address in September 1796 after serving two terms as president and declining the opportunity to run for a third. New York state's original draft of the document was saved from the fire that heavily damaged the state Capitol in 1911.

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(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Source: http://hudson.wnyt.com/news/news/184110-ny-exhibits-draft-washingtons-farewell-address

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Friday, February 15, 2013

Instagram asks court to throw out lawsuit over service terms

(Reuters) - Facebook's Instagram photo sharing service asked a federal court on Wednesday to throw out a lawsuit filed against the popular app over changes to its terms of service.

The proposed class action lawsuit was filed in San Francisco in December by an Instagram user who leveled breach of contract and other claims against the service.

Instagram last year rolled out and then amended policy changes that incensed users who feared the photo-sharing service would use their pictures without compensation.

In Wednesday's filing, Instagram argues that the plaintiff, Lucy Funes, has no right to bring her claim because she could have deleted her Instagram account before the changes in the term of service went into effect.

The changes in the terms of service were first announced on December 17 and then altered a few days later following widespread user complaints.

Funes sued the company on December 21, nearly a month before the changes in the terms of service went into effect on January 19, the court papers said.

She continued to use her account after that day, according to Instagram's filing.

Instagram also disputed Funes' claims that the new terms required her to transfer rights in her photos to the company.

Both the old service terms and the new ones "emphasize that owns the content she posts through Instagram's service," the filing said.

An attorney for the plaintiff was not immediately available for comment. Facebook declined to comment.

In announcing the revised terms of service in December, Instagram also announced a mandatory arbitration clause, forcing users to waive their rights to participate in a class action lawsuit except under very limited circumstances.

Following user backlash, Instagram founder and CEO Kevin Systrom retreated partially, deleting language about displaying photos without compensation.

However, Instagram kept language that gave it the ability to place ads in conjunction with user content, saying "that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such." It also kept the mandatory arbitration clause.

Instagram, which allows people to add filters and effects to photos and share them easily on the Internet, was acquired by Facebook in 2012 for $715 million.

The civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Lucy Funes, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated vs. Instagram Inc., 12-cv-6482.

(Reporting By Erin Geiger Smith; Editing by Richard Pullin)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/instragram-asks-court-throw-lawsuit-over-terms-031433888--sector.html

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JFK memorabilia draws hundreds to Mass. town

BOSTON (AP) ? A preview of John F. Kennedy memorabilia including notes by his special assistant on the day the president was assassinated is drawing hundreds of people to the northern Massachusetts town of Amesbury.

David Powers, who died in 1998, was Kennedy's assistant and close personal friend of his and his wife, Jackie. Powers also was the first curator of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston until he retired in 1994.

Powers joined Kennedy for his first political campaign for Congress in 1946 and was with him when he was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. He collected keepsakes and documents spanning his years of friendship with the Kennedy family.

On Sunday, Powers' collection of about 2,000 photographs, documents, gifts and other JFK items will be auctioned in 723 lots at John McInnis Auctioneers in Amesbury.

The auction house says Powers' relatives found "an extraordinary collection" locked away last year as they prepared to sell the family home. Powers' family is keeping some memorabilia and may give other items to the Kennedy Library.

The collection has drawn hundreds from New York, New Jersey, New England and elsewhere to assess the items in the days leading up to the auction, said Dan Meader, an appraiser for the auction house.

The items include Powers' copy of the presidential itinerary on the day he was assassinated in Dallas. The documents contain handwritten details of Kennedy's final hours, including the time he was shot, how Powers helped carry him in a stretcher to the operating room, the time of death and the aftermath.

The collection also features a leather-bound book of presidential inaugural addresses containing a poignant message written by Mrs. Kennedy to Powers.

"For Dave Powers, The President was going to give you this for Christmas. Please accept it now from me. With my devotion always for all you did to give Jack so many happy hours. You and I will miss him the most, Jackie," the message, written weeks after Kennedy's assassination, reads.

"It's really emotional," Meader said. "There are tears in people's eyes ... when they look at the schedule, when they look at notes from Jackie."

The collection also includes items illustrating light hearted moments of the Kennedy presidency. They include a President's Special Award that Kennedy offered to Powers during a surprise celebration he arranged at the White House to mark the aide's 50th birthday.

The tongue-in-cheek award is signed by Kennedy and reads: "Presented to David F. Powers on his 50th Birthday. In recognition of your athletic ability in hiking to my icebox to drink my Heikens," a reference to Heineken beer.

A red ribbon on the award reads: "Physical fitness program walking 50 miles per month from TV to refrigerator and back."

The JFK Library, which is charged with promoting the life and legacy of Kennedy, says it is working with Powers' family to figure out whether some of the items actually belong to the institution and should be returned.

At the request of Robert F. Kennedy, Powers in 1964 began assembling and collecting Kennedy memorabilia that was to become part of the library's permanent exhibit, the library says on its website. He also traveled around the world with an exhibit to raise money for the library's construction, the website says.

Powers' daughter, Mary, declined to comment for this story.

"So there are things that the library will still be getting from the Powers family ? the family has not given us every single thing that they have," Meader said.

___

Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ngowi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jfk-memorabilia-draws-hundreds-mass-town-072721259--finance.html

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Sony Xperia Z available to pre-order from Vodafone UK 4G-ready

Vodafone has announced the Sony Xperia Z is now available for pre-order from Vodafone UK and has added that the next Sony flagship handset will 4G-ready from launch.

Free on 24 month Vodafone Red Data contracts starting from ?42 per month, the Sony Xperia Z tariff will include unlimited calls and texts and a 2GB data allowance. It will be compatible with the 4G network set to be launched by Vodafone later this year.

The Sony Xperia Z release date has been set as February 28, leaked by network provider Three as it made the IP57 water resistant handset available to pre-order on its website. Unlike Three, Vodafone has not confirmed whether the Sony Xperia Z will be offered on a PAYG basis, but has confirmed the first 1000 customers will receive a free pair of Sony MDR-1R headphones, worth ?299.99.

Sony Xperia Z Features
Unvealed at CES 2013, the Sony Xperia Z handset is a high-end handset with a sleek and durable design, well-known for being water resistant up to 1 metre.

Set to rival the smartphone offerings from the market leaders Samsung and Apple, as well as the BlackBerry Z10 and Google Nexus 4, the Sony Xperia 10 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on its stunning 5-inch full 1080p TFT HD Reality Display.

The Sony Xperia Z is powered by an impressive 2330mAh battery which supports a 1.5GHz Qualcomm quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM alongside 16GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card.

A 13.1-megapixel camera in the rear and 2.2-megapixels in the front-facing camera make the Sony Xperia Z a good quality camera phone despite its sleek 7.9mm thick casing. It?s also capable of shooting videos at Full 1080p HD, displaying them on its beautiful 441ppi 5-inch screen.

Will you be pre-ordering the Sony Xperia Z from Vodafone or Three? What do you think give the next Sony flagship the tech specs edge over competing handsets? Let us know via the Trusted Reviews Facebook and Twitter pages or the comment boxes below.

Source: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/sony-xperia-z-available-to-pre-order-from-vodafone-uk-4g-ready

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Kwethluk Water Supply Contaminated by Barge Sinking, Mayor Says

The village of Kwethluk is dealing with petroleum leaks from a nearby sunken barge trapped under frozen ice, which local officials say have tainted a watering hole and forced them to bring in months of drinking water.

Mayor Boris Epchook says local government has spent more than $1,900 since December on about 7,600 gallons of potable water, at a rate of 25 cents per gallon, after the barge Delta Chief went down on the Kwethluk River near its confluence with the Kuskokwim River. That number doesn't include the costs of chemicals and energy used to process the water, or water-testing expenses incurred since the October sinking.

"There was some sort of petroleum product showing up in the traditional watering hole down across from the Kwethluk River," Epchook said. "The majority of the residents use that water from across the river here."

According to an Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation incident report the Delta Chief, operated by Faulkner Walsh Constructors, was anchored when it began to take on water Oct. 4. A crew aboard a nearby Faulkner Walsh tugboat tried to keep it afloat, but the barge sank at about 9 a.m.

While the Delta Chief's primary cargo was gravel, with no fuel stored aboard the barge itself, the DEC reported a leakage risk from other machinery it was transporting to Bethel. The gear that sank with the barge had about 200 gallons of diesel fuel in its tanks, as well as lesser quantities of lubricants and hydraulic fluid.

"Three pieces of heavy equipment and a service truck are onboard the submerged barge, and may release petroleum through vents in tanks, reservoirs, and crankcases to the river," DEC officials wrote.

A minor sheen was reported at the time, prompting Faulkner Walsh crews to place containment boom around the sunken barge. Plans were made to salvage the vessel, but Epchook says they were delayed by early freezing on the river.

Villagers began to report problems with the local water supply in subsequent months, with one telling Channel 2 he became sick for 12 days in January after drinking from the watering hole. While no formal diagnosis linked the case to the sinking, the man said he'd drank from the watering hole before and hadn't gotten sick.

In the meantime, Epchook says the reports forced government action to protect Kwethluk's more than 600 residents.

"The city began dispensing (potable) water at no cost to the community residents, whereas the city is recouping all that loss," Epchook said. "For public health and safety reasons, the city council decided that would be the best course to go."

The effects of the incident could extend beyond Kwethluk, however. Epchook says thousands of people along the Kwethluk and Kuskokwim rivers depend on salmon which may be affected later this year depending on migration patterns, with more immediate fishing also potentially at risk.

"I'm very concerned because some of the subsistence (activities) that occur are right outside the Kwethluk River here -- during this period is under-ice fishing," Epchook said.

Kwethluk has asked Faulkner Walsh about covering the cost of supplying water to the village, and the company is considering the request.

Local officials recently met with representatives from DEC and Faulkner Walsh. At the meeting, Faulkner Walsh said it's drafting plans to salvage the equipment in the next few weeks before river conditions continue to deteriorate.

Epchook says ice on the river may damage the equipment aboard the barge, further dispersing the fuel and other fluids. Although the Delta Chief's journey ended at Kwethluk, he says the petroleum products could be headed elsewhere.

"Probably dragged downriver, end up somewhere and cause another problem down there along the Kuskokwim River," Epchook said.

Faulkner Walsh didn't have immediate comment on the incident when Channel 2 called the company Wednesday.

Steve Russell with the DEC told Channel 2 Wednesday afternoon that the agency remains in contact with Kwethluk locals to assess the severity of the situation.

"DEC had staff in the public meeting on Monday and heard the concerns, and will continue to work with the city and public to try to determine if there is a public health threat from this incident," Russell said.

Channel 2's Blake Essig contributed information to this story.

Contact Chris Klint

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50801078/ns/local_news-anchorage_ak/

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Mobile mayor upset Carnival overlooking city for accommodations

MOBILE, Ala. ? Business owners and officials in this city say they are disappointed that Carnival overlooked their community when planning hotels and flights for passengers expected to leave the Triumph Thursday.

Once the fire-disabled cruise ship docks, passengers will have three choices: take a bus direct to Houston and Galveston, take a bus to New Orleans where Carnival has booked hotel rooms and arranged for charter planes, or exit the cruise terminal to make their own way home.

?Those poor people haven?t showered in five days,? said Maura Garino, vice president of the Holiday Inn Downtown. ?Who wants to get on a bus??

Carnival notified Mobile officials Monday about its plans to tow Triumph to the city, Mayor Sam Jones said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. He told company officials the city would be ready to host the tired passengers and crew ? thousands just left the city?s Mardi Gras celebrations after all ? but he was told Carnival had already made plans for the buses and planes.

Carnival officials announced plans Tuesday that guests would be put up in rooms Thursday night in Mobile and New Orleans. Wednesday, the cruise line released details of the accommodations in a statement, which said all of the 1,500 hotel rooms reserved would be in New Orleans.

Despite feeling snubbed by Carnival, Mobile officials say they are ready to care for the passengers who have had little access to food, toilets and comfort.

?We really want the people on that ship to have a good experience in Mobile after all they?ve been through on that ship,? Jones said.

The cruise terminal will have EMTs on stand by for any passengers that need care, said terminal manager Sheila Gurganus. She said it?s common for people with diabetes or heart problems to overdo it while on a cruise, which is why the on-site paramedics are standard procedure.

Jones also said the city police department, fire department and about 100 civilian volunteers are ready to help, although the dock managed by the U.S. Coast Guard anytime a ship arrives.

Gurganus said family or friends who have come to pick up passengers should park at the terminal?s garage, but advises them not to come before noon.

?They?re guaranteed parking,? Gurganus said. ?We have 500 spaces, and I think that should be enough for anyone that?s being picked up.?

She directed anyone with questions to visit shipmobile.com or to call the terminal at (251) 338-7447.

Source: http://rhonnmitchell.com/source/2013/02/14/mobile-mayor-upset-carnival-overlooking-city-for-accommodations/

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Beyonce hopes her documentary inspires Blue Ivy

NEW YORK (AP) ? Beyonce is hoping that her ultra-revealing documentary will someday provide inspiration for Blue Ivy, the year-old daughter she and husband Jay-Z have.

"I hope that she will see all of the beautiful times (and) all the tough times that led up to her being here," the singer said Tuesday night at the New York premiere of her upcoming HBO documentary, "Life is But a Dream."

She added: "I'm hoping that ... it can comfort her and inspire her in her life when she needs it."

The autobiographical film takes a no-holds-barred look at the entertainer. It stems from personal conversations the 31-year old singer made using the video camera on her computer over the past couple of years. It also includes home movies of the Grammy-winning singer and her two sisters.

In the film, Beyonce candidly discusses personal matters like her miscarriage, reports of faking her pregnancy, and firing her father as her manager.

She claims the process of talking into a camera to get all her thoughts out was therapeutic.

"I really grew so much," she says of the process. "This movie has really been my therapy. I've healed from so many wounds and I've been able to understand why some of the things I've been through, why I went through, so feel really proud, and hopefully I can inspire other people."

The singer has been private about her life in the past. But she felt the time was right to let people know how she felt.

"I felt that after 16 years of being a public singer, people didn't know who I was," she admitted. But then she added: "I will always keep certain things to myself because it's only natural."

Oprah Winfrey made a surprise visit to the premiere, and posed with Beyonce on the red carpet. Before going into the Ziegfeld Theatre, Winfrey, known for her tough, results-driven interview style, was asked if this was the kind of story she would have done on Beyonce.

She said Beyonce did a "much better job" of telling her own story. "I wouldn't have been in the bedroom and in the closet and in the car and on vacation," she said.

Beyonce acted as the film's executive producer and co-directed it with Ed Burke. He previously worked on some of her video projects. "Life is But a Dream" airs Saturday on HBO.

_____

Online:

http://www.hbo.com

___

John Carucci covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him at ? http://www.twitter.com/jcarucci_ap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/beyonce-hopes-her-documentary-inspires-blue-ivy-072817663.html

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Jags QB coach: Blaine Gabbert would be top QB in 2013 NFL Draft class

No one knows what's going to happen with the Jacksonville Jaguars over the next few years, but the consensus seems to be that the team's future shouldn't involve Blaine Gabbert, their first-round pick in 2011.

But maybe that's just the external consensus; new Jaguars quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo thinks Gabbert, were he in the 2013 draft class, would be the "top guy taken."

?If you graded him out right now, this is his draft class," Scelfo said per The Florida Times-Union. "If he were coming out and the quarterback draft class the way it is, would he be the top guy taken? I think the answer is yes."

If Gabbert were coming out this year, rather than in 2011, he'd be coming off a fifth year in college. But that experience doesn't guarantee Gabbert would be that highly thought of. Missouri did just spend its first year playing in the SEC, which would've meant Gabbert playing against vastly super defenses like Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt (!) and Georgia.

My money's on his stock actually sinking as a result of 2012 in this hypothetical. But he still could've been the top quarterback -- this class is a pretty big stinker when it comes to elite quarterbacks. None of Geno Smith, Tyler Wilson, Ryan Nassib, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon or the other quarterbacks inspire substantial hope to become a franchise quarterback.

So maybe Gabbert's the top guy. Heck, maybe he's the top guy with two years in the NFL "already under his belt." Scelfo certainly thinks so.

"Ask the scouting departments and the general managers around the league, and I think you would end up with a yes on that," Scelfo said. "Basically at his age, 23, the number-one pick in the draft with two years of experience already under his belt. That's pretty good."

This is Scelfo pumping up Gabbert because the Jaguars are going to be spending another year trying to develop the former first-round pick. They should; he has flashed at times as a talented quarterback, has been over-criticized, has been under-utilized, has never had really great weapons and has been in two bland offensive systems in his career.

So maybe Scelfo can turn Gabbert around. Given the investment in Gabbert (money, a draft pick, the opportunity cost of not drafting J.J. Watt) it's certainly worth the effort.

Especially with how bad this crop of quarterbacks in the draft is looking. Gabbert included.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed watch Pro Football 360 daily at 3 p.m. ET and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Source: http://feeds.cbssports.com/click.phdo?i=2ce906381a6fa92514d353e8c99a1e7c

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Telstra currently engaging in a Windows Phone promotion

TelstraWPLumia_3

WPDownunder reports Australian carrier Telstra is currently engaging in a promotional push for their Windows Phone 8 range.

WPDownunder calls it ?the largest promotional campaign via in-store point of sale materials in the history of Windows Phone? with the Nokia Lumia 920 front and centre.

The promotion does not only include in-store material, but also Telstra?s Facebook page and Telstra?s Lets Connect catalogue.

See many more pictures at WPDownUnder here.

0

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC?s. He is currently sporting a Nokia Lumia 920.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WmPowerUser/~3/K3MA7AroWoU/

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Morocco, SFD sign agreement to earmark $400 m for Moroccan ...

Rabat ? Feb 11, 2013 (MAP)

Morocco?s ministry of economy and finance and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) signed, Monday in Riyadh, an agreement for the allocation of $ 400 million, the first part of a donation from Saudi Arabia to Morocco to finance development projects in the Kingdom.

The signing of the agreement, which comes after the visit of HM King Mohammed VI to some Gulf countries, is the fruit of a strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a ministry statement said.

The amount is part of a donation of $ 1.25 billion that Saudi Arabia promised Morocco. It will finance development projects carried out within the framework of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) in vital sectors such as agriculture, education, health and housing, the source added.

As part of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the GCC, concluded in 2011, the Council decided to donate Morocco five billion dollars over the period 2012/2016, with contributions from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait to finance development projects.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/78058/morocco-sfd-sign-agreement-to-earmark-400-m-for-moroccan-development-projects/

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Old drug may point the way to new treatments for diabetes and obesity

Monday, February 11, 2013

Researchers at the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute have found that amlexanox, an off-patent drug currently prescribed for the treatment of asthma and other uses, also reverses obesity, diabetes and fatty liver in mice.

The findings from the lab of Alan Saltiel, the Mary Sue Coleman director of the Life Sciences Institute, are scheduled to be published online Feb. 10 in the journal Nature Medicine.

"One of the reasons that diets are so ineffective in producing weight loss for some people is that their bodies adjust to the reduced calories by also reducing their metabolism, so that they are 'defending' their body weight," Saltiel said. "Amlexanox seems to tweak the metabolic response to excessive calorie storage in mice."

Different formulations of amlexanox are currently prescribed to treat asthma in Japan and canker sores in the United States. Saltiel is teaming up with clinical-trial specialists at U-M to test whether amlexanox will be useful for treating obesity and diabetes in humans. He is also working with medicinal chemists at U-M to develop a new compound ??based on the drug that optimizes its formula.

The study appears to confirm and extend the notion that the genes IKKE and TBK1 play a crucial role for maintaining metabolic balance, a discovery published by the Saltiel lab in 2009 in the journal Cell.

"Amlexanox appears to work in mice by inhibiting two genes?IKKE and TBK1?that we think together act as a sort of brake on metabolism," Saltiel said. "By releasing the brake, amlexanox seems to free the metabolic system to burn more, and possibly store less, energy."

Using high-throughput chemical screening at LSI's Center for Chemical Genomics to search for compounds that inhibit IKKE and TBK1, the researchers hit upon an approved off-patent drug: amlexanox. They then demonstrated that amlexanox had profound beneficial effects in both genetic and dietary-induced obese mice. The chemical lowered the weight of obese mice and reversed related metabolic problems such as diabetes and fatty liver.

"These studies tell us that, at least in mice, the IKKE/TBK1 pathway plays an important role in defending body weight by increasing storage and decreasing burning of calories, and that by inhibiting that pathway with a compound, we can increase metabolism and induce weight loss, reverse diabetes and reduce fatty liver," Saltiel said.

The drug has been on the market in Japan for more than 25 years.

However, the researchers don't yet know if humans respond with the same pathway, or if the discovery of amlexanox's effectiveness in mice can lead to a compound that is safe and effective for treating obesity and diabetes in humans.

"We will be working hard on that," Saltiel said.

###

University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/

Thanks to University of Michigan for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126718/Old_drug_may_point_the_way_to_new_treatments_for_diabetes_and_obesity

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Northeast returns to normal after huge snowstorm

Craig Ruttle / AP

Cars are buried by snow near Hamden, Conn., Sunday, in the aftermath of the winter storm that hammered New England.

By John Newland, Staff Writer, NBC News

Updated at 8:42 a.m. ET: The Northeast began stirring back to life Monday after being buried under a record-setting winter storm that left at least 12 people dead, buried cars and effectively closed some of the nation?s busiest airports for large parts of the weekend.

Highways that had been clogged with stuck cars reopened, and airports reported few cancellations as crews labored to move more than 3 feet of snow in some areas, restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers and open subways, bus routes and commuter railroads.

At least 12 people died in New York and New England, according to The Weather Channel ?- five in Connecticut, three each in New York and Massachusetts, and one in Maine.

As of 8:40 a.m. ET Monday, airlines were reporting only 114 cancellations in the United States, many of them unrelated to the storm, according to FlightAware.com. That was a stark difference from Friday and Saturday, when thousands of flights were cancelled, mostly involving Boston and New York airports.

Nicolaus Czarnecki / Zuma Press

A dangerous winter storm churned Friday into the Northeast as forecasters warned of a whiteout.

Power was being restored at a relatively fast clip, with outages in the Northeast below 150,000 early Monday, The Associated Press reported. About 650,000 customers were without power during parts of the weekend, but states lent help to each other, sending crews where they were most needed.

In New York, where the Big Apple had a comparatively minor snowfall but Long Island was hammered by high winds and heavy snow, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent more than one-third of the state?s snow-removal equipment to hard-hit Suffolk Country.

On Sunday more than 675 pieces of snow-removal equipment and 975 people were working to clear roads and open the way for commuters to get back to work Monday, Cuomo said in a statement.

?Suffolk County has not seen a winter storm like [this] in years, and the massive amount of snow left behind effectively shut down the entire region,? the governor said.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick ordered the reopening of state offices for Monday, just two days after declaring a state of emergency as some communities were buried under more than 3 feet of snow. Boston got two feet of snow, and hurricane-strength wind gusts to the east of the city.

Connecticut, which saw the heaviest of the snow, still had considerable work to do Monday. Gov. Dannel Malloy kept nonessential state employees home.

?I understand that everyone wants to get back to normal as quickly as possible,? Malloy said Sunday. ?Crews are working around the clock to accomplish that goal. But the last thing we need at this point is a typical morning rush-hour commute. Traffic build-up will only delay the effort to clear our roads."

NBC's Ron Mott reports that cleanup is slowly underway from the Blizzard of 2013 is underway in the Northeast.

Snow totals in parts of Connecticut were the storm?s worst. Hampden got 40 inches, Milford 38, and New Haven 34.

Connecticut was among the five states that declared a state of emergency, the others being Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and Maine.

Major cities appeared set to get back to business Monday, though. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said its services would resume, albeit with ?significant delays expected? and buses running on snow routes.

In New York, the Metropolitan Transit Authority said subways and local and express buses would operate as normal Monday morning. Extra trains were put on some major commuter lines to help get workers back to the city.

As the Northeast shovels and plows, more could be on the way. Another winter storm heading into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest could bring snow later Monday to parts of northern New England, particularly Maine, according to The Weather Channel.

Related:

Safe for Northeast commuters to return to work?

More from The Weather Channel

?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/11/16923813-northeast-returns-to-normal-as-power-comes-on-roads-reopen-and-flights-resume?lite

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Rep Tom Cole: Sequester Is 'Inevitable'

Below you can find more notable comments made Sunday on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Guests included Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.; Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.; Republican strategist and ABC News political analyst and contributor Nicolle Wallace; and Obama 2012 deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter; ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl and ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz.

Cole thinks sequester is 'inevitable'

COLE: Well, I think it is inevitable, quite frankly. Look, for the - this was a presidential suggestion back in 2011, an idea, and yet the president himself hasn't put out any alternative. Republicans twice in the House have passed legislation to deal with it, once as early as last May, again after the election in December. Senate's never picked up either of those bills, never offered their own thing.

Cole affirms GOP will not deal on revenue

COLE: The president's accepted no spending cuts back in the fiscal cliff deal 45 days ago, so you get all - no spending cuts back then. Then you're going to get no revenue now.

Karl says there is 'zero chance' of a deal on sequester

KARL: Not before March 1st. Eventually, the pressure comes, the negative consequences, but I see zero chance of a deal on this. I don't see any chance?

Cutter downgrades Cheney's advice as the 'worst thing' for US foreign policy

CUTTER: Look, first of all, let me address Dick Cheney. I think the worst thing that we could do right now is take Dick Cheney's advice on foreign policy.

Wallace advises Christie 'to stop telling people to shut up' if he plans to run for president

WALLACE: I know. But if you're going to run for president, my advice is to stop telling people to shut up. I mean, you know, he?

(CROSSTALK)

WALLACE: ? from New Jersey, and so I think that's New Jersey for, you know, "Give me a minute." But I think if he puts his weight on the table by bringing a doughnut on "Letterman," which was a very skillful political move, turning your own vulnerability or something you feel vulnerable about into something that you make fun of before anyone else does is political genius. But then it didn't take him 24 hours to reveal a rather thin-skinned side of the issue.

Like "This Week" on Facebook here . You can also follow the show on Twitter here .

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a different take on the news at OTUSNews.com .

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rep-tom-cole-sequester-inevitable-174821929--abc-news-politics.html

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New British Antarctic research base travels on skis

The British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI Research Station stands on stilts with skis, allowing the station to stay one step ahead of the continent's shifting ice and stormy weather. ?

By Raphael Satter,?Associated Press / February 6, 2013

The British Antarctic Survey's Halley VI Research Station sits on the edge of the South Atlantic Ocean, in April 2012. Researchers say that Britain's new Antarctic base will be movable ? capable of sliding across the ice on ski-clad stilts.

Sam Burrell/British Antarctic Survey/AP

Enlarge

British researchers have unveiled a futuristic Antarctic research base that can move, sliding across the frozen surface to beat the shifting ice and pounding snow that doomed its predecessors.

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The British Antarctic Survey said Wednesday that the?Halley?VI Research Station is the sixth facility to occupy the site on the Brunt Ice Shelf ? a floating sheet of ice about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the edge of the South Atlantic.

Most of the previous stations were crushed under the weight of the polar snow, while?Halley?V had to be abandoned due to fears that the station would be lost if the ice sheet split apart, survey spokesman Paul Seagrove said in a telephone interview. He said this fate "illustrates the problem of constructing research stations on moving ice."

Halley?VI, designed by London-based Hugh Broughton Architects, looks like something out of a "Star Wars" movie. The station is composed of a series of four-legged modules linked by enclosed walkways. Triple-glazed windows help trap heat, a vacuum drainage system keeps water consumption down, and the ski-clad stilts keep the units about 4 meters (13 feet) above the level of the ice. If the station needs to be moved, the modules are disconnected and then towed to a new location, Seagrove said.

The station was built over four years because engineers could only work for a nine-week period during the Antarctic summer. The total cost of the station was nearly 26 million pounds (about $40 million).

Halley, named for astronomer Edmond?Halley, has served as a scientific research site for more than 50 years. The British Antarctic Survey said the region has served as "an important natural laboratory" for studies of the Earth's magnetic field, its near-space atmosphere, and climate change.

It was data from?Halley?that led to the survey's 1985 discovery of the hole in the ozone layer.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/89d2UM2fdoA/New-British-Antarctic-research-base-travels-on-skis

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SCC and College Foundation to hold financial aid workshop

by Erica J. Beasley
SCC
The Sampson Independent

Sampson Community College and College Foundation of NC, Inc., are partnering to present a financial aid presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 12, for all prospective students planning to attend college in the upcoming academic year and have not yet applied for financial aid. The informative session will be held in the Activities Center on the SCC campus at 6 p.m.

Judye Tart, director of Financial Aid at SCC, along with April Morey, regional representative from College Foundation, Inc., will spearhead the event. Tart says this is a great opportunity for high school students and their parents to learn valuable information regarding the application process, types of financial aid, deadlines, verification requirements and other important financial aid information.

She is urging all area high school students who are interested in the financial aid process to attend the workshop, regardless of the college they are planning to attend?private, four-year or community college. ?The workshop is for everyone who has questions about planning and paying for college as well as learning to utilize the College Foundation website for scholarship searches and other useful resources.?

Financial aid presentations are routinely conducted in Clinton City and Sampson County schools. However, Tart says she is also extending the invitation to other student populations as well. ?Sometimes there are conflicts that prohibit students from attending their high school presentations, and we hope this workshop will be conveniently scheduled for them. We also encourage home-schooled students as well as those who attend private school, to join us,? says Tart.

For additional information about financial aid assistance, contact Judye Tart at 592-8084 or visit www.sampsoncc.edu.

Source: http://clintonnc.com/bookmark/21683286

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All eyes on Frank Ocean as Grammy Awards kick off

FILE - This Nov. 17, 2011 file photo shows musician Frank Ocean at the 16th annual GQ "Men of the Year" party in Los Angeles. The Recording Academy announced Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 that R&B singer Frank Ocean will join Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Jack White and fun. _ acts competing for the night's top honor. Alicia Keys and Maroon 5 will also join forces for a special performance on Feb. 10. Presenters include Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Carly Rae Jepsen, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, as well as actors Kaley Cuoco and Neil Patrick Harris. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

FILE - This Nov. 17, 2011 file photo shows musician Frank Ocean at the 16th annual GQ "Men of the Year" party in Los Angeles. The Recording Academy announced Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 that R&B singer Frank Ocean will join Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Jack White and fun. _ acts competing for the night's top honor. Alicia Keys and Maroon 5 will also join forces for a special performance on Feb. 10. Presenters include Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Carly Rae Jepsen, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, as well as actors Kaley Cuoco and Neil Patrick Harris. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

Singer Frank Ocean performs at Levi's An Evening with Frank Ocean in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

Singer Frank Ocean performs at Levi's An Evening with Frank Ocean in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

(AP) ? Everybody's thinkin' about Frank Ocean.

Ocean is a cause celebre and the man with the momentum as Sunday's Grammy Awards kicked off with pre-telecast wins by Rihanna and Mumford & Sons. One of six top nominees with six nominations apiece, the 25-year-old R&B singer turned cultural talking point will have the music world's attention.

It remains to be seen if it will be the "Thinkin Bout You" singer's night, but there's no question he's dominated the discussion so far. Already a budding star with a gift for building buzz as well as crafting songs, Ocean was swept up by something more profound when he told fans his first love was a man last fall as he prepared to release his major-label debut, "channel ORANGE."

It was a bold move and one that could have submarined his career before it really even got started. Instead, everyone from Beyonce to the often-homophobic R&B and rap communities showed public support. It was a remarkable moment.

"It speaks to the advancements of our culture," renowned producer Rick Rubin said. "It feels like the culture's moving forward and he's a representative of the new acceptance in the world for different ideas, which just broadens (our experience), makes the world a better place."

A recent altercation in a parking lot with Chris Brown only focused more attention on Ocean. Ocean says Brown was the aggressor; both are competing against each other in one of the Grammy categories.

Ocean is up for the major awards best new artist, album of the year and record of the year when the show airs live on CBS at 8 p.m. EST from the Staples Center, sharing top-nominee billing with fun., Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Jay-Z and Kanye West.

The Grammy pre-telecast awards show got under way Sunday afternoon at the Nokia Theatre with 70 trophies up for grabs, including rock, pop, rap and country categories. Rihanna's "We Found Love," featuring Calvin Harris, won the day's first award, short form music video. Mumford & Sons took their first Grammy, winning along with Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for their long form video documentary "Big Easy Express."

Celebrities also began rolling down the red carpet in the early afternoon, but it remained to be seen if any would try to skirt CBS's mandate that stars dress appropriately with butts, breasts and other sensitive areas covered adequately.

"''I think it's just, you know, we should always stay classy and dress according to the event that's being held," Ashanti said on the red carpet. "So I don't think people should be limited so much and told what you can and cannot do. But, you know, you do have to have a certain class and prestige about yourself."

Ocean might be riding a wave toward some of the night's biggest honors, but R&B and hip-hop performers have had a spotty history at the Grammys recently when it comes to major awards.

Only one R&B act has won album of the year this century, and it's hard to even call him just an R&B act given his legend, artistic scope and material: Ray Charles for his "Genius & Friends," an all-star collaboration that was honored posthumously.

Also limiting Ocean's chances for a clean sweep are his fellow top nominees. Fun. became just the second act to sweep nominations in all four major categories with a debut album, equaling Christopher Cross' 1981 feat. Like Cross' "Sailing," the New York-based pop-rock band has ridden along on the crest of an inescapable song: "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae.

Cross won five Grammys, sweeping the major awards. Fun. likely will have a much harder time piling up that number of victories because of the buzz surrounding the group's competitors. It's not just Ocean who has people talking.

London-based folk-rockers Mumford & Sons had one of the top-selling albums of the year with "Babel" and already has a history with The Recording Academy's thousands of voters, having been nominated for major awards the year prior. Also, The Black Keys have a winning track record at the Grammys.

And don't count out West and Jay-Z, who were shut out of the major categories but remain very much in voters' minds.

Jack White's "Blunderbuss" competes with fun.'s "Some Nights," Ocean's "channel ORANGE," Mumford's "Babel" and The Keys' "El Camino" for the night's top award, album of the year.

Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra, Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" join the fun., Ocean and Black Keys entries in record of the year.

Fun. and Clarkson also are nominated for song of the year along with Ed Sheeran's "The A Team," Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and Miguel's "Adorn."

And rounding out the major categories, fun., Ocean, Alabama Shakes, Hunter Hayes and The Lumineers are up for best new artist.

Those major nominees figure prominently on the 3 1/2-hour telecast, broadcast live on CBS.

Swift will kick things off with a show-opening performance. Fun. and Ocean will take the stage. Others scheduled to perform include Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, Clarkson, White and Juanes.

There will be no shortage of mashups the Grammys have become famous for, either. Elton John, Mavis Staples, Mumford, Brittany Howard, T Bone Burnett and Zac Brown are saluting the late Levon Helm, who won the Americana Grammy last year a few months before his death. The Keys will join Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on stage. Sting, Rihanna and Bruno Mars will perform together. Other team-ups include Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley, and Alicia Keys and Maroon 5.

___

AP writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://grammy.com

___

Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-10-US-Grammys/id-95df3e5e7e8c484f9e0fc48e80ac1479

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

CISPA's Back: Hacking, Online Espionage Resurrect Cybersecurity Bill

Cyber Security

Cyber Security


Written by RT

February 9, 2013

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection act (CISPA) will be reintroduced before the US House next week following a spate of cyber espionage and hacking attacks. Civil liberties advocates have criticized the bill for violating privacy laws.

The House Intelligence Committee?s Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and ranking member Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) will attempt to breathe new life into CISPA on Wednesday.

The bill will be identical to the version of CISPA that passed the House last spring, but was defeated on the Senate floor in August mainly because the upper house was hammering out its own cyber security bill.

CISPA would allow for the voluntary sharing of Internet traffic between private companies and the government. The bill is purportedly intended to help the US government, especially the intelligence community, to investigate cyber threats and ensure the security of networks against cyber attack, especially those emanating from countries like China and Iran.

The bill would also allow the federal government to provide classified cyber threat information to private firms, and protect them from legal action in the course of sharing private information.

Opponents of the bill say it would allow companies to hand over a user?s private browsing information to the government, allowing authorities to spy on American citizens rather than simply track down cyber threats.

Fight for the Future, a non-profit group ?working to extend the Internet?s power for good,? has already kicked off an online petition asking voters to call their representatives on the House Intelligence Committee and express their opposition to the bill.

Rogers claimed a recent series of cyber attacks against US banks and newspapers galvanized Congress to once again pass the information sharing bill.

?American businesses are under siege,? the Beltway tech blog The Hill cites Rogers as saying.

?We need to provide American companies the information they need to better protect their networks from these dangerous cyber threats. It is time to stop admiring this problem and deal with it immediately,? he continued.

Several leading US papers, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington post have all recently fallen victim to cyber spying. Following attacks on the Federal Reserve?s website as well as on several US banks, The head of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano warned in January that a ?cyber 9/11?, which could cripple critical infrastructure like water, electricity and gas, may happen ?imminently?.

?We shouldn?t wait until there is a 9/11 in the cyber world. There are things we can and should be doing right now that, if not prevent, would mitigate the extent of damage,? she warned before urging Congress to pass cyber security legislation.

During his first major policy speech on cyber security in October, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta took a similar rhetorical route, warning the United States faced the prospect of ?a cyber-Pearl Harbor.?

?An aggressor nation or extremist group could gain control of critical switches and derail passenger trains, or trains loaded with lethal chemicals,? Panetta said. ?They could contaminate the water supply in major cities, or shut down the power grid across large parts of the country.?

Panetta claimed that CISPA fell ?victim to legislative and political gridlock, ? urged that the bill should be passed ?to safeguard our national security.?

The White House threatened to veto CISPA last year, saying the bill would not protect the nation?s critical infrastructure or guarantee the privacy of consumer information that could be shared by companies.

Despite reticence about CISPA, President Obama is expected to issue an executive order aimed at strengthening US cyber security next week.

The order, which is expected to be released after Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday, will purportedly set up a voluntary program of cyber security standards for firms operating critical US infrastructure, two former officials briefed on the plan told Bloomberg.

In October, Obama signed a separate directive authorizing the National Security Agency and other military units to take more aggressive action to defeat attacks on the country?s web of government and private computer networks.

Source: http://www.albanytribune.com/09022013-cispas-back-hacking-online-espionage-resurrect-cybersecurity-bill/

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We Made Every SugarCRM Employee A Salesperson ? Here?s How You Can, Too

GP-every-salespersonEditor's note: Clint Oram is the CTO and co-founder of?SugarCRM. I have worked with companies that considered its customers to be obstacles to avoid or ignore: ?If only we didn?t have to deal with those pesky, complaining, customers," they'd say, "we?d have time to do really great work.??Any company whose employees still cling to the ?customer is always wrong? mindset can kiss success goodbye.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4XXVYtcdjEo/

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

iPhone Software Update Seems To Be Killing Battery Life - Business ...

Last month Apple released a new version of its operating system, iOS 6.1.

But some people who have installed the upgrade are reporting subsequent issues with the iPhone's battery life. They also say their devices are overheating.

Vodafone UK has issued a text message warning to iPhone users on its network, blaming issues with 3G performance. In addition, The Next Web reviewed 27 pages of complaints on Apple's Support Communities forum, the first of which was logged on January 28.

Apple has not addressed the potential iOS 6.1 issue yet.

But one possible solution was offered by an iPhone user who visited an Apple Store genius (via The Next Web):

I went to see the genius? yesterday. My problem was that my usage was almost identical to my stand by times, which means that something was continuing to run in the background after closing all the apps.

I was told to turn off location services and then one by one turn each in turn to see which one was causing the drain on the battery. I was impatient so just factory reset the handset which seems to have fixed the problem.

I?ll keep you all posted on how it continues.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ios-61-seems-to-be-killing-iphone-battery-life-2013-2

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