Tech leaders plan virtual push on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) ? High-tech leaders including the former heads of AOL and Mozilla are organizing a "virtual march for immigration reform" aimed at pressuring lawmakers to enact sweeping changes to the nation's immigration laws.

The effort unveiled Monday is particularly focused on making it easier for the U.S. to attract highly educated immigrants and those aiming to work in high-tech fields.

Silicon Valley leaders and others have long complained of the difficulties of bringing high-tech workers to the U.S., and immigration legislation taking shape on Capitol Hill is expected to address the issue.

The new effort, devised in part by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, aims to collect supporters and organize a time this spring for them to flood lawmakers' offices via Twitter, Facebook, by phone and in person.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-25-Immigration-Virtual%20March/id-98a56a2599bb447cb5cd1528193feaa8

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Q&A: Why investors are wary of Italy's elections

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi shows his ballots prior to voting in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi shows his ballots prior to voting in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Investors are keeping a wary eye on Italy as the country heads to the polls Sunday and Monday to elect a new parliament. They fear that a new government and prime minister could weaken or scrap the economic reforms and budget cuts begun by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti during his 15 months in office and hurt Italy's chances of recovering from a decade of low growth.

While the markets are unlikely to punish Italy as they did in 2011-12, they will want to make sure a new government doesn't mean a return to Italy's bad old days.

Here are some questions and answers about this weekend's elections matter for Italy and the rest of Europe.

Q: Why all the worry?

A: Italy's economy ? the third-largest among the 17 European Union countries that use the euro ? has only grown less than a half percent a year on average for a decade. That is compared to 1.25 percent in other rich industrialized countries. Faster growth is needed to shrink Italy's mounting debt burden, which already equals 127 percent of its annual gross domestic product.

Because of its size, Italy's problems can dent market confidence in the whole eurozone. Doubts about Italy's ability to manage its debt caused markets to question whether the euro could survive in 2011-12.

Q: What's wrong with its economy?

Before it signed up to join the euro, which was formally launched in 1999, Italy used to give its economy a boost by to devaluing its old currency, the lire ? a trick that used to make its exports cheaper.

Devaluation helped mask underlying problems such as labor rules that favor vested interests such as unions and established workers, which kill off job prospects for younger people; a high business tax burden and heavy cost to businesses from expensive public utilities and red tape.

Italy "remains in dire need of structural reforms to boost competitiveness and improve trend growth," wrote economists Norbert Aul and James Ashley at RBC Capital Markets. They noted that the only economies that have grown more slowly in the past 12 years are Zimbabwe, San Marino, and Portugal.

A growing economy would increase government revenue from business and income taxes and the country's debt.

Q: Where does Monti come into all this?

A: Italy's political parties installed Monti, a former EU commissioner and academic, as prime minister to lead a temporary crisis government of financial experts in November, 2011. His predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi, resigned after high borrowing costs, fed by fears Italy would not pay its debts, threatened the country with financial ruin and rattled confidence in the eurozone.

Monti set about easing some of Italy's anti-business practices, such as labor laws that made it extremely difficult to fire longtime workers. He reduced the budget deficit with the help of an unpopular tax on homes.

Italy's deficit is down to around 3 percent of gross domestic output for last year ? not great, but it complies with the official limit for eurozone members.

However, in January, Monti resigned as Prime Minister after Berlusconi's party withdrew its support and criticized his cutbacks - hence the new elections.

Q: So now the elections are under way, what are investors afraid of?

A: Italy's Byzantine election laws could mean many different outcomes. The worst result would be no party or coalition being able to form a government, leading to new elections.

Researcher Vincenzo Scarpetta at the Open Europe think tank says the probability of this is "very low" but that re-run elections could mean "potentially, huge market pressure, which Italy can hardly afford." This pressure would come in the form of rising interest rates on government debt.

Another possibility could be a parliament so divided that it can't govern effectively, or a shaky coalition of parties with clashing agendas ? meaning that any policies would be the result of endless compromise and back-room deals. A badly split parliament "would surely affect investors' confidence as Italy's political future would remain unclear," said Aul and Ashley.

The return of a government led by Berlusconi's center-right coalition ? regarded as unlikely ? could also dismay markets given his call to repeal Monti's home tax and the lack of confidence markets showed in him in 2011.

Q: What do markets want to see?

A: Analysts say investors seem to be anticipating that the center-left Democratic Party, led by Pier Luigi Bersani will win. Bersani opposes budget austerity but is regarded as not totally against all efforts to improve conditions for business. Markets would like it best if he wins but still needs the seats won by small parties led by Monti to govern. That would mean the government might continue with some of the reforms.

Q: So should we expect market chaos and the eurozone crisis to erupt again?

A: Not right away, no. Italian law requires extensive consultation, so it could take weeks to tell who is in charge. In 2008, it took 24 days for Berlusconi to be sworn in despite a landslide win.

However, an anti-reform result could mean Italy's borrowing costs could rise in the days and weeks following the election.

That would be a sure sign that bond investors are more skeptical of the country's long-term ability to pay.

But it's considered unlikely that the yields would immediately rise to the record levels of last year that threatened to push Italy to default. That is thanks to the European Central Bank, which has done much to calm fears that a country will be unable to pay its debts. In September, the ECB offered to buy unlimited amounts of bonds issued by indebted countries, if they agree to reforms and to cut their deficits. No one has used the program yet but its mere existence has lowered Italy's borrowing costs.

Nonetheless, a new Italian government that rejects reform "will lead to more uncertainty, higher yields and a gradual process toward the situation we had last year," says Carsten Brzeski, an analyst at ING in Brussels.

The big problem is the long-term absence of growth rather than what the markets do next week.

Economists Aul and Ashley warn: "Whichever party ends up in power... needs to focus upon Italy's economic frailties as a matter of priority."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-24-Italy-Election-QandA/id-3e933883d9ea44d6a67ffc12e428f7af

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New film tells story of unsung civil rights leader

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Just before the March on Washington in 1963, President John F. Kennedy summoned six top civil rights leaders to the White House to talk about his fears that civil rights legislation he was moving through Congress might be undermined if the march turned violent.

Whitney Young Jr. cut through the president's uncertainty with three questions: "President Kennedy, which side are you on? Are you on the side of George Wallace of Alabama? Or are you on the side of justice?"

One of those leaders, John Lewis, later a longtime congressman from Georgia, tells the story of Young's boldness in "The Powerbroker: Whitney Young's Fight for Civil Rights," a documentary airing during Black History Month on the PBS series "Independent Lens" and shown in some community theaters.

In the civil rights struggle, Young was overshadowed by his larger-than-life peer, Martin Luther King Jr. But Young's penetration of white-dominated corporate boardrooms and the Oval Office over three administrations was critical to the movement. Working with leaders within the system, including three presidents, made him a target of criticism by those who wanted a more aggressive path to racial equality.

An appreciation for what Young brought to the movement came after his death in Nigeria in 1971 at age 49. But it was not sustained, said Dennis Dickerson, author of "Militant Mediator: Whitney M. Young Jr."

"He should not be diminished," said Dickerson, a Vanderbilt University history professor who also appears in the film.

A number of schools and facilities have been named for Young. First lady Michelle Obama graduated from a Chicago high school named for him. But his role in economic issues surrounding civil rights has not gotten just due, said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, an organization Young led as executive director from 1961 to 1971. During his tenure the organization greatly expanded.

Young influenced a number of anti-poverty programs such as Job Corps, housing counseling and Head Start, Morial said.

"He was one of the earliest voices who said to corporate America ... that business leaders and the business community had a stake in the development and rebuilding of urban America, but also in the success of civil rights," Morial said.

Born July 31, 1921, in Lincoln Ridge, Ky., Young learned to negotiate with whites from his father, an educated man who ran the all-black Lincoln Institute boarding school, said Bonnie Boswell, the filmmaker and Young's niece.

There, Young's father surreptitiously educated black students to become doctors, lawyers and teachers to escape segregation and poverty while tricking white financial backers of the school into believing he was training the black students to be nannies, maids, janitors and mechanics.

The school campus had been something of a shelter for Young from the everyday cruelty of segregation, but he encountered it head-on when he served in a black Army battalion led by white officers in World War II.

After that experience, Young dedicated himself to race relations. Later he borrowed on the postwar rebuilding of Western Europe to push with President Lyndon B. Johnson his proposal for a domestic Marshall Plan providing $145 billion to improve education, employment and welfare for black communities. Johnson folded some of his ideas into his Great Society programs.

Young overcame the broken relationship between blacks and President Richard M. Nixon to persuade him to heavily support social programs that assisted the poor. Nixon lauded Young's work when he spoke at his funeral.

Young's desire "was to help America live up to her ideals," Boswell said, quoting her uncle.

"He would say, 'I could become more popular if I got off the train in Harlem and shouted bad things about white people, but can I be more effective if I go downtown and help get jobs from white people to give to minorities,'" Boswell said in an interview in Washington with The Associated Press.

Young was able to tell people like industrialist Henry Ford II that they needed to step up and do something about the living and working conditions of blacks in ways that captured their respect, said Nancy Weiss Malkiel, author of the 1989 book "Whitney M. Young Jr. and the Struggle for Civil Rights."

Young was not as visible on the front lines of civil rights protests, but he could say with humor and partly in earnest to members of the white establishment that if they didn't deal with him, they would have to deal with Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, who espoused more radical agendas than King, Malkiel said.

Boswell's film airs as the first black president, Barack Obama, begins his second term in office. Obama, whose mother was white and father was black, has endured a racist backlash in his presidency and criticism from within the black community over whether he is doing enough for black Americans.

Dickerson said Young's ideas are a template that Obama has deployed in his own political rise. "That is inter-racialism and an emphasis on corporate relations," he said. "That was Whitney Young's mantra and that's the president's mantra."

___

Online:

PBS Independent Lens: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/

___

Suzanne Gamboa can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/APsgamboa

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/film-tells-story-unsung-civil-rights-leader-083948361.html

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Official: Algeria kills 12 extremist fighters

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? An Algerian government official says security forces have killed a dozen extremist fighters in northern areas outside the capital and uncovered an arms cache in an area known for attacks against security forces.

The official, who wasn't authorized to give the information publicly, said Saturday an army patrol killed eight extremists in Boumerdes, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside the capital, Algiers. The official said four fighters were killed in the northern Boukadir forest about 280 kilometers (175 miles) away.

Terrorist attacks have dropped dramatically in Algeria's populated north in recent years and are largely restricted to a small operations against local forces.

But President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said Saturday that fighting in neighboring Mali has raised the threat of "the terrorism that we never stop fighting."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-23-Algeria/id-11d52d2dd21f4276b623444123e70dc2

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The Weekly Good: Embrace Wants To Give All Infants An Equal Chance For A Healthy Life

Disruption comes in all shapes and sizes, and benefits people of all shapes and sizes. When you think about global entrepreneurs solving hard problems, you might not think about creating hardware products that aim to save the lives of premature babies.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5jBOdEOgqUQ/

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New Chinese leader to visit Moscow first

The Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, has selected Moscow as his first foreign visit as President, to be followed immediately by a trip to South Africa for a summit of the group of leading emerging-market countries.

Mr Xi's journey to Russia has a special significance, analysts say, coming as China tries to answer the Obama administration's pivot to Asia. That US policy is viewed with suspicion in Beijing and is broadly interpreted unfavourably by the Chinese government as containment of China.

By going to Russia, Mr Xi will be working to ensure China's relationship with Moscow, a sometimes prickly affair and one in which the balance of power has dramatically tilted in favour of China, is in good shape before he meets President Barack Obama later in the year, analysts said.

There have also been indications that Mr Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to hammer out a long-sought energy deal that would provide China with Russian oil and gas.

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China wants to consolidate its position with Russia before dealing with the US, said Jin Canrong, associate dean at the School of International Studies at Renmin University.

In particular, he said, China will probably look for Russian support in its territorial dispute with Japan, a US ally, over islands in the East China Sea.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/34696/f/644166/s/28db6c81/l/0L0Stheage0N0Bau0Cworld0Cnew0Echinese0Eleader0Eto0Evisit0Emoscow0Efirst0E20A130A2220E2ex0Aw0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Let's talk about the exodus of 600,000 whites from London

Imagine if Glasgow disappeared. Not overnight and not physically, but imagine if everyone who lived there decided to leave, in the space of 10 years. Argyle Street, in the city centre ? empty. Byres Road, next to the university ? derelict. The Crow Road ? abandoned (except, perhaps ? if this were an exciting new BBC drama ? for an old Iain Banks novel, rain-damaged pages flapping in a gutter, symbol of the great evacuation). All those tenements, riverside apartments, suburban villas, all lying vacant. You?d sort of notice, wouldn?t you? You?d expect people to talk about it, at least.

To read the BBC article, by the home editor Mark Easton, there is nothing to worry about. Indeed, the historic shift of London, from a city of white Britons to a mixture of minorities, is a cause for celebration, and not just because of that oft?lauded ?vibrancy?.

That the proportion of white people in the borough of Barking and Dagenham has dropped from four fifths to less than a half in a decade is nothing more than the natural desire of increasingly prosperous people to retire to the seaside. I?m paraphrasing Mr Easton a little, but that was more or less the suggestion in his commentary. It?s a rising tide of prosperity that first of all flushed the Eastenders from Bethnal Green to Dagenham, and it?s the inexorable rise in property values that leads their descendants to move from metropolitan Essex to that beautiful county?s coastline.

?Leigh[-on-Sea],? said Mr Easton, ?is a particular favourite.? After all: ?Many residents from Barking and Dagenham will have taken the train along the Thames Estuary towards Southend on a work excursion ? the old beano to the seaside.? And so everything is dandy?

Fundamentally, none of this is strictly about ?race?, but rather the cultural constructs we layer on to genetics. There are good and bad neighbours of every hue, of course. But the scale of white flight demands more than issuing congratulations to the second and third generation children of immigrants, who?ve done well in life and moved from Zone 2 to Zone 5 of the Central or Northern Underground lines. It?s also absurd to assume that the grandchildren of cockneys are moving still further out, just because their houses have increased in value.

Take Bethnal Green. The people leaving Dagenham now are themselves displaced Eastenders. The borough they first left behind would be unrecognisable to their grandparents, with a mayor whose election was supported by an Islamist group with unpleasant (to put matters mildly) views.

Hate crimes disfigure its streets: in an ironic reversal of one reason for the East End?s fame ? that it was where indigenous, working-class Londoners faced down home-grown fascists ? the streets of Bethnal Green and Whitechapel are now scenes of increasingly violent attacks on gay people. The BBC doesn?t talk about this, oddly, or wonder why the Eastenders? movement is always away from their original homes: there are plenty of expensive properties in E2. (In 2001, I moved to Bow, from Harlow: my neighbours in Essex thought I was mad, for reasons unconnected with relative property prices.)

Discernment is required: nobody decent is arguing for a return to the homogeneity of Call the Midwife?s Poplar. Finally, politicians have admitted that to notice the scale of the immigration engineered by the last Labour government doesn?t make one racist. But neither is it wrong to discuss the cultural changes that large-scale immigration can cause. Six hundred thousand Londoners have left. They didn?t all sell ex-council houses in Barking, in order to purchase five-bedroom cliff-top villas in sunny Leigh-on-Sea.

Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568387/s/28dc236d/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cuknews0Cimmigration0C9888310A0CLets0Etalk0Eabout0Ethe0Eexodus0Eof0E60A0A0A0A0A0Ewhites0Efrom0ELondon0Bhtml/story01.htm

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A look at South Africa's justice system

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) -- A look at the justice system in South Africa and what Oscar Pistorius faces after the double-amputee Olympic athlete was charged with premeditated murder in the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp:

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THE BAIL HEARING

The bail hearing in the Pistorius case represents a mini-trial to determine if he will remain in custody until a trial or can be freed with conditions. Defense lawyers offered written statements from the athlete and his friends to state their case. By offering the affidavits, the defense was able to enter the evidence without having to put their emotional client, who has broken down weeping a number of times in court, on the stand. Prosecutors offered their own version of events and called the lead police investigator, Detective Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, to give testimony. But by putting Botha on the stand, they opened him up to detailed cross-examination by Pistorius' lead defense lawyer, Barry Roux. Botha has since been dropped from the case.

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DECIDING BAIL

Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements in South African law after the judge agreed with the prosecution's premeditated murder charge for the purposes of bail. Pistorius' lawyers must prove there is an "exceptional" reason to have him freed before trial. They also have to show that he doesn't represent a flight risk, that he will not intimidate witnesses and that he won't commit acts of violence or encourage others to do so. If Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair decides Pistorius might violate any of those terms, he can order him held until trial. If bail is denied, Pistorius can immediately appeal to a higher court. Pistorius is currently being held in Pretoria's Brooklyn police station, but those denied bail typically go to a prison.

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JUSTICE IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is one of just a few countries in the world that that has a court system that takes root in Roman-Dutch law. Because of this, those appearing in criminal trials do not have the option of a jury trial, which is common in the United States and other countries. Instead, a single judge will hear the entire case and then rule on a person's guilt or innocence. The judge can be assisted by two advisers during the trial. Those advisers generally offer assistance in looking at the more technical aspects of the evidence given at trial. If found guilty, a person can later appeal the ruling or the sentence they receive.

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THE PENALTIES

Premeditated murder, which Pistorius is charged with, can carry a sentence of life in prison. There is no death penalty in South Africa. A lesser murder charge carries a sentence of 15 years to life. Pistorius could still see his charge downgraded to culpable homicide, meaning that he unintentionally killed Steenkamp, which is what he maintains. A conviction on that charge carries much less time in prison.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OLY_PISTORIUS_SHOOTING_SOUTH_AFRICAN_JUSTICE?SITE=KGO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Nielsen ratings expand definition of TV households to include internet-only viewers

The Nielsen Company has monitored TV audiences since 1950, but soon it will expand that definition from solely households with antenna, cable or satellite access, but also those that have dropped those options but still get video over the internet. Reflecting the changing times, the move was first noted by The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed later by company executives to the New York Times and LA Times. Nielsen hinted at changes two years ago when TV ownership dropped for the first time in decades, which may turn around since the new definition includes viewers with internet-connected TVs, and could go further to include viewers with just a tablet or laptop. According to senior VP Pat McDonough, that means views over services like Aereo can be counted, since they still contain advertisements, which is what broadcasters rely on the ratings for, unlike ad-free Netflix or Hulu streams with different ads. Because of that, it seems unlikely the change will boost the numbers of internet darlings like Community or Arrested Development, but we can dream, right?

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Comments

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, NYT

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/KcKFNmTU8_M/

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Phonak exits the earphone business

This is a bummer for fans of in-ear monitors. Phonak, one of the more respected brands of earphones, has decided to cease operations of the Aud?o line of earphones and concentrate on their core business: devices for the hearing impaired. Phonak spokesperson Harris Gilbert stated that Aud?o?earphones will continue to be available in the US [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/22/phonak-exits-the-earphone-business/

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Facebook reveals sophisticated hacking attack

February 16, 2013 1:06 pm

The attack occurred when employees visited a mobile developer website that was compromised and which allowed malware to be installed on their computers.

Facebook said the malware exploited a flaw in Oracle?s Java program, but was later patched.

News of the attack will raise red flags among privacy advocates, coming just weeks after Twitter urged more than 250,000 users to change their passwords after their information was compromised.//DPA

Latest stories in this category

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Facebook-reveals-sophisticated-hacking-attack-30200166.html

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Kathie Lee Gifford vs. Hoda Kotb: Tension on Today?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/kathie-lee-gifford-vs-hoda-kotb-tension-on-today/

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How to sideload an app to Google TV [VIDEO]

Like any other Android device, Google TVs are also able to have apps side loaded. This means manually installing apps that may not be available from official app stores like the Google Play Store. Many apps are not optimized for Google TV, but that does not mean that they do not work with the platform. All it means is the developer hasn?t optimized the experience for the larger screen nor made it available for your device.

You won?t be able to get these apps officially on your Google TV, but many of them can be sideloaded. On the other hand, many others are really not compatible with Google TVs. This could be due to orientation limitations, hardware requirements, slight OS differences and many other slight differences between Android devices. You pretty much just have to try and see for each app you want to sideload. Let?s show you how to get this done.

How to Sideload apps to Google TV:

• Go to Settings>Applications and check the box next to ?Unknown Sources?
• Download the .apk file of the app you would like to install (These can be obtained by going to forums like XDADevelopers.com. You can then download these straight from the Chrome browser in your Google TV or transferring the file via any other method)
• Go to ?Downloads? (or use a file manager) and click on the .apk file and install
• You are set!

In step 2 I mention that you can get the .apk files from XDA Developers. I mention this source because it is very popular and trusted among the Android community. You can get these files from many other sites, but remember getting apps from unknown sources can be risky. Many times hackers modify the files and add malware or viruses, so be careful.

Watch our video for a better view at how this is done. As mentioned, many apps still can?t be installed on Google TVs, so it would be nice if we could create some kind of database. Please let us know in the comments which apps you have successfully been able to install, and which ones fail to. We will then add them to the list below. I?ll start with mine!

Which apps can be sideloaded to Google TV?

Google Voice

Which apps can?t be sideloaded to Google TV

Gmail

Google just Launched their +1 Button. Show your Support for GTVsource By Clicking!

Source: http://gtvsource.com/2013/02/15/how-to-sideload-app-google-tv/

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Davey says climate change science 'irrefutable' | Eco News

Britain?s Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Davey has told an audience at the Royal Society, in London, climate science is ?irrefutable? and ?screams out from decade upon decade of research?.

In a direct attack on climate sceptics who believe man made global warming is at best overblown or at worst a hoax, Mr Davey argued they were risking their children?s futures by slowing efforts to cut emissions.

?You know, when I am confronted by some of the most dogmatic and blinkered people who deny that climate change is happening, I am reminded of the sentiment of the famous USA Today cartoon,? he said.

?If we really are wrong about climate change, we will have created a better world for nothing,? he paraphrased the carton.

?In reality, those who deny climate change and demand a halt to emissions reduction and mitigation work, want us to take a huge gamble with the future of every human being on the planet, every future human being, our children and grandchildren, and every other living species.?

Mr Davey speaking at the AVOID symposium, which sees Britain?s leading scientists discussing the possible impacts that climate change will have on the world.

Newsagency reports say earlier this year AVOID, a collaboration of climate experts, published research showing that to achieve a 50 per cent chance of limiting warming to 2?Celsius, global emissions need to peak in the next few years and be followed by rapid long-term reductions.

The most stringent emissions scenario in the study keeps global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius and has global greenhouse gas emissions which peak in 2016 and then reduce at five per cent a year to 2050.

To achieve this Mr Davey called for ?green, clean energy and transport? as well as investment in new energy efficient technologies.

His comments came a day after United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon expressed his frustration at the lack of climate action from world leaders in the face of what he called a ?gathering threat?.

?Too many leaders seem content to keep climate change at arm?s length, and in its policy silo. Too few grasp the need to bring the threat to the centre of global security, economic and financial management,? Mr Ban said.

?It is time to move beyond spending enormous sums addressing the damage, and to make the investments that will repay many times over,? he said.

Mr Ban noted the potential of the renewable industry to do that and to spur the world economy, as proposed in his Sustainable Energy for All initiative.

?A global climate change agreement would give us the engine we need to advance us decisively on this path,? he stressed, welcoming United States President Barack Obama?s ?new resolve? to address climate change and give it high political priority.

Source: http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/davey-says-climate-change-science-%E2%80%98irrefutable%E2%80%99/

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'Earth from Space': A cosmic view of planet

Courtesy of Mokko Studio

A visualization of Earth from space as seen in the new PBS documentary "Earth from Space" by NOVA.

By Miriam Kramer
LiveScience

A new documentary premiering Wednesday night?on PBS promises to show the Earth as you've never seen it before ... from space.

Produced by NOVA, the documentary "Earth from Space" explores how satellites and spacecraft have revolutionized how scientists look at the world and its intricate systems.

Only by taking a satellite eye's view of the Earth can scientists studying the geology and climate of the planet gain a sense of just how interconnected the sea, land and air of the planet are, said Waleed Abdalati, the director of the Earth Science and Observation Center run through the University of Colorado at Boulder and a participant in the two-hour documentary.

"I think intuitively we know there are connections, but when you can actually trace dust storms off the Sahara to weather events in North America it changes things," Abdalati said.

Thanks to satellite data, climate models have been refined, Abdalati added. All 15 climate models in place before most of the Earth-observing satellites were launched have now been changed to reflect the new data gathered by the satellites. Scientists have taken that information to craft a more accurate picture of what future climates could look like. [See a Preview of NOVA's 'Earth from Space']

"The real power of satellite observations is that they represent objective truth," explains?Piers Sellers, an ecologist and former astronaut, in the documentary. "They tell us about what the world actually is doing, not what we would like to be doing, not what we might fear it to be doing, but what it's actually doing. And it's that that allows us to see change, real change for what it is."

NOVA senior executive producer?Paula Apsell? the creator of NOVA scienceNOW, a popular science news program ? and her team of filmmakers compiled images, video and other information from some of the 120 Earth-observing satellites in orbit today to make the new film.

NOVA used information from the ocean monitoring Aqua satellite to use computer animation to show what water evaporating from the ocean at the equator could look like. The filmmakers also utilized data from the polar orbiting NPP Suomi satellite to show how the ice caps have changed through time.

While most Earth-observing satellites are still hard at work long past their expected life times, many of the Earth orbiters will need to be replaced in the next five or 10 years, Abdalati said. It's particularly important that these observations are continuous, Sellers added, because scientists need these satellites to see the broader view of the planet's unified systems.

NASA's fleet of Earth-observers got an upgrade this week with the launch of a new Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite that will replace a satellite that will be retired in the next two years.

NOVA's two-hour documentary "Earth from Space" debuts Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central, on PBS (check local listings).

You can follow Space.com staff writer Miriam Kramer on Twitter @mirikramer.?Follow Space.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook? and??Google+.?

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

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/13/16950394-earth-from-space-documentary-reveals-cosmic-view-of-planet?lite

jesse jackson

Video: TODAY PSA: Natalie promotes shelter pet adoption

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Skype introduces eGifting for Mac and PC with version 6.2

On the mobile front, BlackBerry 10 is still waiting to get in on the Skype action, but the same can definitely not be said about the calling / messaging services on the more desktop-oriented platforms that are OS X and Windows. On this occasion, the application's new revision brings, most notably, an eGifting feature that's set to allow Mac and PC users to send Skype credits to anyone they deem worthy of receiving them -- so long as they have an account set up, of course. Skype's also slightly redesigned the top toolbar on the Windows edition to make it more of an all-around hub for accessing "Home," "Creating Groups," and "Adding Contacts," while, in version 6.2, the OS X app gets the ability to send one-way SMS without the need for number verification. Both updates are available now, so hit that source link if you're interested in checking out the novel features.

Filed under: Internet, Software

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Source: Skype (1), (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/5golIw1B4MU/

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Latest NCAA tournament projection

Michigan State handed Michigan its worst loss of the season in a 75-52 drubbing. For Tom Izzo, we have seen this kind of statement before, as Michael Rosenberg explains.

Gary Harris scored 17 points and Derrick Nix had 14 to help No. 8 Michigan State rout No. 4 Michigan 75-52 on Tuesday night, the rivalry's first matchup of top 10 teams.

Two people familiar with the deal say the Big East is closing in on a six-year contract with NBC Sports Network for football and basketball rights that will pay the conference about $20 million per year.

Source: http://www.fantasysp.com/news/cbb/1518681/latest-ncaa-tournament-projection

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Why a $10 Casio Keeps Better Time Than a $10,000 Rolex

That self-winding perpetual-movement monstrosity strapped to your forearm is accurate across a hemisphere's worth of time zones. But no matter how extravagantly handcrafted or precisely engineered your Rolex is, it'll never be as accurate as a cheap digital gas station watch. Here's why. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VqkPivK3hH8/why-a-10-casio-keeps-better-time-than-a-10000-rolex

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Ghana shines at 5th Bank of Africa Bamako International Marathon

The fifth Bank of Africa (BOA) Bamako International Marathon saw Ghana?s three-man team give a good account of itself, with ace runner Raja Lagble taking the silver medal behind Kenya?s Muturi Karanga.

Another Kenyan, Daniel Kamei took the bronze, while Ghana?s other runners, Akakiya Atampure and William Akuka placed 8th and 27th respectively.

This was contained in a press release from BOA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday.

It said the nation?s three-man team Raja Lagble, Akakiya Atampure and William Akuka took part in the event through the kind sponsorship of the Bank of Africa, Ghana.

The event, a traditional marathon of 42.195km, featured more than 2000 runners and 11 other African countries and was organized under the theme, ?Solidarity with Mali,? in view of the months-long conflict in the northern part of the country, involving armed Islamist groups.

The release said runners in the race were drawn from countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d?Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and Tanzania.

Regarded as one of the toughest marathon races in Africa because of the rather warm and dry conditions under which it is held, this year?s BOA International Marathon was run at a much quicker pace than last year?s race.

The first three runners in this year?s race all posted faster times than last year?s winner. Kuturi Karanga (2hrs: 27 minutes, 6 seconds), Raja Lagble?s (2hrs: 29 minutes, 1 seconds), and Daniel Kimei?s (2hrs: 29 minutes, 56 seconds) were all much faster than the 2hrs 33 minutes 29 seconds set by Niger?s Kabirou Dan-Mallam in last year?s event. In fact, last year?s winner?s time would have placed a lowly 6th position this year.

The bank?s sponsorship which was over GH?20, 000.00 covered the flight tickets, four-day 3-star lodging as well as per diem for the three athletes, Semiu Ayinde Atambala, a coach and Kennedy Boakye-Ansah, a Journalist.

Mr Kofi Fumey, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication at BOA, said their outfit will continue to support the sport and as a Bank rooted in Mali we are doing this to show our solidarity with the people of Mali.

Mr Fumey said the Bank of Africa is committed to unearthing and developing untapped talents in athletics, particularly long distance runners across the Continent of Africa.

It said Ghana?s team to the Mali event was selected by the Runathon Ghana Foundation, based on athletes? performances in its inaugural 50km Race for Peace Ultra Marathon, held in December 2012.
The Runathon Ghana Foundation is a non-governmental, not-for-profit sports development organization established by Eric Adae, a former elite long distance runner in Ghana.

This is the second time the Bank of Africa ? Ghana is sponsoring Ghanaian athletes to the BOA International Marathon. Last year?s sponsorship saw Godwin Adukpo and Kassim Mohammed placing 3rd and 5th respectively. GNA

Source: http://vibeghana.com/2013/02/13/ghana-shines-at-5th-bank-of-africa-bamako-international-marathon/

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The Blog of Phyz: Who changed California's physics reference sheet?

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Source: http://phyzblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/who-changed-californias-physics.html

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Town in mourning after the world's largest crocodile dies

MANILA, Philippines (AP) ? A remote southern Philippine town has gone into mourning over the death of the world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, even though it was blamed for the deaths of several villagers.

Bunawan town plans to preserve the remains of the 1-ton crocodile, named Lolong, in a museum to keep tourists coming and stop the community from slipping back into obscurity, the mayor said Monday.

Lolong was declared dead Sunday after being found floating on its back with a bloated stomach in a pond in an ecotourism park which had begun to draw tourists, revenue and development because of the immense reptile, Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said.

"The whole town, in fact the whole province, is mourning," Elorde said. "My phones kept ringing because people wanted to say how affected they are."

Wildlife experts will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death, he said.

Guinness World Records had proclaimed it the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity last year, measuring the giant at 6.17 meters (20 feet 3 inches). The reptile took the top spot from an Australian crocodile that measured more than 5 meters (17 feet) and weighed nearly a ton.

Estimated at more than 50 years old, the crocodile was named after a government environmental officer who died from a heart attack after traveling to Bunawan in Agusan del Sur province to help capture the beast.

Even though Lolong was blamed for the deaths of several villagers over the years, Bunawan villagers grew to love the giant reptile because it came to symbolize the rich biodiversity of the marsh where it was captured. The vast complex of swamp forests, shallow lakes, lily-covered ponds and wetlands is home to many animals, including threatened species such as the Philippine hawk eagle.

Various religious groups offered prayers Monday and spiritual leaders also planned to perform a tribal funeral rite, which involves butchering chickens and pigs to thank forest spirits for the fame and other blessings the crocodile has brought, Elordie said.

The rite is to be held at the ecotourism park, where the reptile was a star attraction, drawing foreign tourists, scientists and wildlife journalists to Bunawan, a town of 37,000 people about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila.

The crocodile's capture in September 2011 sparked celebrations in the town. It was caught with steel cable traps during a hunt prompted by the death of a child in 2009 and the later disappearance of a fisherman. Water buffalos have also been attacked by crocodiles in the area.

About 100 people led by Elorde pulled the crocodile from a creek using ropes and then hoisted it by crane onto a truck.

Philippine officials had planned to construct a road to the park to accommodate the growing number of tourists, Elorde said.

He said Lolong will be preserved so tourists and villagers can continue to marvel at it.

"I'd like them to see the crocodile that broke a world record and put our town on the map," Elorde said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/philippine-town-mourns-largest-captive-crocodile-005603826.html

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Sony Xperia Z has a killer battery life

The Xperia Z can count battery life in its ?win? column, following a Feb. 11 report from Android Authority, citing a Russian Twitter account, which says that the next big thing from Sony ?outperforms? a lot of solid devices in terms of longevity.

The Xperia Z comes with a 2330 mAh battery that translates to a whopping 11 hours of talk time and up to 550 hours of standby time, based on Sony?s estimates. Now, we?ve got word that the device?s battery life does impress.

According to Android Authority, citing AnTuTu battery tests, the Xperia Z does better than?devices like the ?HTC Incredible S, the Motorola Milestone, the Galaxy S2 or the LG Optimus 2X. They also came across a Russian tweet that had this to say about the Xperia Z?s battery life:

?Tests of the work of the new smartphone # Sony RT @ playd: 4-core Full HD Xperia Z lives longer than Xperia V. pic.twitter.com/RlvoRGKc?

And just to ?make sure that the Xperia Z keeps going, Sony included a feature called Battery Stamina mode which ?allows it to preserve battery life by automatically turning off functions you don?t need to be active when the display goes to sleep and turning them back on when the handset wakes up.?

The feature is something that users can reportedly customize, allowing them to program what it should and?shouldn?t?shut down while the phone is not in use.

We expect more tests and observations to come up within the coming days as the Xperia Z starts to make its rounds across different markets. Be sure to check back for more updates!

Are you interested in picking up the Xperia Z? Would you be willing to give up your current phone for this new top-of-the-line offering from Sony? Let is know in the comments below!

?

Source: http://www.tapscape.com/sony-xperia-z-has-a-killer-battery-life/

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Check For appFigures Brings App Metrics And Sales Data To The iPhone

App development firm?Lemon Labs?just?released a new iOS application aimed at mobile developers in need of tracking their app downloads and other metrics while on the go. The tool, which uses the appFigures API, offers an alternative to services like App Annie, Distimo?or even?appFigures‘?own website – none of which?today offer their own native mobile experiences. AppFigures, for those unfamiliar, is a popular service for taking data from iTunes Connect, Google Play and other app stores, and putting it into a more usable format for developers. Lemon Lab’s new app, “Check for appFigures,”?solves the problem of having to browse the appFigures desktop-sied website using an iPhone, by bringing key statistics to a downloadable iOS application. The app offers a clear and simple overview of importnat metrics like app downloads, updates, and sales. It also allows developers to quickly see these figures for various date ranges, including “all time,” “last 24 hours,” and 1, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. The app includes not just the numbers, but charts, too. Lemon Labs co-founder and CEO Tomas Dirvonskas, who runs the Lithuania-based firm, tells us that the app was built out of personal need. “We ourselves use appFigures, and got tired of looking at the full site via iPhone when tracking downloads of the apps,” he says. “So as appFigures have open APIs, we just built a tool for ourselves and put a small price tag on it.” The app makes all these stats available for a one-time fee of $3.99,?Dirvonskas says, which is for lifetime access to these numbers. NY-based AppFigures.com, meanwhile, offers developers tiered pricing for based on how many apps developers track. AppFigures’ co-founder Ariel Michaeli?also vouches for the app via blog post, calling the Check app “as beautiful as it is simple,” and noting how easy it is to swipe between the various screens. Although the app itself is iOS-only, it’s capable of aggregating data from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon, which is an advantage over the platform-specific iTunes Connect app, for instance. Developers will need an account with AppFigures to use this app, obviously. Those who do can then download the app?here on iTunes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/QNC13b_k-gA/

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Tornado rakes southern Mississippi, damages university

TUPELO, Mississippi (Reuters) - A swarm of tornadoes tore through several counties in southern Mississippi and Alabama on Sunday, injuring at least 10 people and ripping apart hundreds of homes and other buildings, including parts of the University of Southern Mississippi, authorities said.

The Forrest County seat of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the adjacent town of Petal, both about 100 miles southeast of Jackson, the state capital, bore the brunt of storms that struck less than an hour before dark.

The tornado that plowed through the Hattiesburg area was believed to have reached three-quarters of a mile in diameter at times, said Anna Weber, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The weather service counted three separate twisters in south-central Mississippi on Sunday evening, Weber said.

In neighboring southwestern Alabama, authorities reported a flurry of seven tornadoes across three counties, including one that damaged 46 homes in Clark County, Weather Service meteorologist Keith Williams said.

About 100 houses or more were damaged or destroyed in Petal, Mississippi, alone, and several businesses were hard hit there as well, including a hardware store reduced to rubble, Mayor Hal Marx told Reuters.

He said a number of residents suffered minor injuries but no one was reported seriously hurt. "Mostly people are just shaken up and in shock," he said.

Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the state Emergency Management Agency, said he had reports of at least 10 people injured throughout four stricken Mississippi counties, including eight who were taken to hospitals in Marion County.

Emergency management officials said no firm estimates of property losses were immediately available. Power outages were widespread.

UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND HIGH SCHOOL HARD HIT

CNN broadcast photos of several homes in Hattiesburg badly mangled from the storm, some with roofs and exterior walls ripped open.

Emergency management spokesman Greg Flynn said a search-and-rescue team from the nearby town of McComb was being called in to help look through debris for anyone who might be trapped.

On the Hattiesburg campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, alma mater of retired National Football League star quarterback Brett Favre, the storm damaged several buildings, including a performing arts center and an alumni house, the university said in a statement.

The twister also heavily damaged a high school stadium complex and blew a truck onto the school's baseball diamond, officials said.

Kris Walters, 40, a Baptist minister for the USM campus, said he and two of his children took shelter in a closet with a mattress on top of them until the storm passed, adding that his house escaped serious damage.

"I have lived here 40 years, and this is the first tornado I have ever seen like this," he told Reuters.

Joby Bass, a university professor interviewed on CNN, said the porches on his house "peeled off" and trees toppled onto his roof as he and his dogs huddled in a closet for safety.

"A lot of houses on this street are completely roofless," Bass said. He said the campus was largely empty because students had an extended weekend to celebrate Mardi Gras. The university said no injuries were reported on campus.

Video footage showed what appeared to be a large, gray tornado, filmed from a distance, churning through town as a cloud of debris swirled around it.

Rent, the state emergency management spokesman, said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant had declared a state of emergency in four Mississippi counties - Forrest, Lamar, Marion and Lawrence - and other areas hit by the storms.

The Hattiesburg area also suffered heavy property damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

(Reporting by Emily Le Coz, Kaija Wilkinson and Chris Francescani; Additional reporting and writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tornado-causes-damage-mississippi-town-hattiesburg-004637934.html

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McGraw gives family a new home on 'Cake Boss'

TLC

Tim McGraw and Buddy Valastro greet Marine Chris Chaput on "Cake Boss."

By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

When it comes to generous gestures, Tim ?McGraw really takes the cake. Monday night's new episode of "Cake Boss" is dedicated to the country superstar's partnership with Operation Homefront, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping members of the military and their families.

As Tim's mom Betty (aw!) explains to baker Buddy Valastro in the preview clip below, her son has been awarding a house to a military family during each stop of his 2012 tour. ?

Before his performances, Tim hosts a meet-and-greet before presenting the keys to the mortgage-free house to his surprised guests. At a New Jersey performance, the Grammy winner enlists Buddy to design a cake for the event.

Buddy incorporates the theme with Tim's new single, "Truck Yeah," constructing a cake house in the back of the flatbed truck. ?

"This is not just a cake," Tim announces to injured Marine Chris Chaput and his wife, Roseanna. "This represents a real house that you guys are gonna get."

"It means we can have a baby now," Roseanna says while fighting back tears. "We just got married and have been waiting to get a house so we can have a baby."

Talk about having your cake and eating it, too!

"Cake Boss" airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on TLC.

Related content:

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/02/11/16927212-tim-mcgraw-gives-military-family-a-new-house-on-cake-boss?lite

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Harvard soft robot explodes into action, jumps 30 times its height (video)

Harvard University has pushed its soft robot concept in strange directions, but an exploding robot? That takes the cake. A new three-legged, silicone-based variant of the robot is filled with methane and oxygen that, when jolted with electricity, explode and trigger violent pressure that pushes the limbs off the ground. As you'd imagine, the results weren't exactly timid during testing -- the example robot jumped over 30 times its body height, and it would have jumped higher if not for additional tubing holding it down in the lab. The power easily eclipses that of pure air, and could be vital to rescue robots or other public safety machines that could very literally leap to someone's aid. Don't anticipate exploding automatons on the streets anytime soon. We'll just be glad that, if they do arrive, they'll be trying to help us rather than kill us.

Filed under: Robots, Science

Comments

Via: Gizmag, New Scientist

Source: Wiley Online Library

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/10/harvard-soft-robot-explodes-into-action/

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RSS Feed Search Engine - Real-Time Search Powered by FeedRank

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Are Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders Sinners? | Mystery ...

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community is often attacked by religions because the latter view it as a grave sin. In most of the religious texts, they mention the required punishments to them in the after life. This matter has been debated massively by theologians, politicians, humanists and much more,? resulting a various school of thoughts on it.

Non-heterosexuals have started becoming more opened in the beginning of 1970s. Even they were highly criticized at that time, the LGBT community took immense courage to deal with these attacks. In some highly conservative and backward countries, you can be sentenced to death if you are non-heterosexual. If not death, you can be charged with high punishments. Human rights and LGBT communities around the world have condemned these brutal acts, but no great changes have occurred until today. In some closed countries, it is difficult to get the real statistics how many are being punished and being hung for practicing homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality. What is hypocrite, even some politicians and religious leaders in these damn countries are perhaps having or have had sexual intercourse with same-sex as them! You know very well, how many sex scandals some religious leaders were involved!

There was a time we used to think non-heterosexual people have mental illness! This is false, studies have revealed there is no such mental illness in homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality. In fact, homosexuality for instance is practiced by about 1500 species. Perhaps your dog is doing it, you do not know! Thus, homosexuality is not only in human beings, but also in animals. This is a scientific fact!

Another stupid argument is that you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender by choice! There is no such choice in these sexual orientations. Most people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender will tell you they are born like this. They tried to change but in vain. If you tell them they accepted homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality by choice, did you accept heterosexuality by choice as well? No, right? So, SHUT UP!

Moreover, some say same-sex love is against nature! But what about these animals which are doing homosexual relationships? There is nothing about against nature in this matter. It is just a question of human evolution. The same for other species. Do you know there are species where the parents are same-sex? Take Flamingo for example, most parents are male only! If your religion condemns same-sex relationship for human beings, why it does not do the same for animals? Why animals are not punished the same? It is not a question that we human beings are special and our consciousness is superior than other creatures, but it is a proof that religions are made for humans only because they are? MAN-MADE!

Fortunately, most countries are accepting non-heterosexuals gradually. In United States, some states recently approve same-sex marriage. The same for England and perhaps more will come soon. It is funny that some people do not have any issue with a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual, but will complain about their relationships! This is purely hypocrisy! If you accept their ways of living, why not accepting same-sex relationships or persons who changed their sex?

Before we finish this article, it is important to say some spiritual beliefs (Not religions), do accept non-heterosexuality relationships! Recently, a marriage was performed by the Buddhist community. In addition, some people who face near-death experiences, revealed sexual orientations are not an issue for God. God told us to spread love, no matter what forms it is! Love is greater than everything, love is the weapon to combat evils, hence, it is not an issue if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

This world will be better if we can at least accept each other. Race, beliefs, skin colors, sexual orientations or whatever are not the problems, the main problem is how you regard them! If you accept ignorance, fantasies, stupid doctrines over progress, peace and unity, sorry to say, but you are someone without logic!

Spread love, accept each other, live in peace and harmony, let others live, judge yourself before judging others, do not impose your stupid ideologies on others, use your brain to know what is wrong and right and not by letting others do it for you!

Source: http://mysteryworlds.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/are-lesbians-gays-bisexuals-and-transgenders-sinners/

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Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample

Ancient indigenous organic molecules could be also destroyed or transformed by the ionizing radiation in the shallow subsurface of Mars. Due to a thin martian atmosphere and lack of magnetic field, the surface of Mars has been bombarded continuously by the energetic particles of the galactic and solar cosmic rays (GCRs and SCRs) for much of its history. Unlike UV radiation which is absorbed in the first mm of soil (Mancinelli and Klovstad 2000; Cockell et al. 2005), GCRs can penetrate down to 1 meter below the surface (Dartnell et al. 2007). Over the long period of exposure, cosmic rays particles have the capacity to transform complex organic compounds into macromolecules having different, more refractory chemistry and/or into smaller molecules broken from a parent molecule. The latter case may occur either by direct impacts or by secondary reaction with oxidative radicals produced by radiation in the immediate vicinity of the organic molecules (Dartnell et al. 2008). It is not clear how such long-term degradation would affect SAM?s measurements of organic compounds at the ancient geologic outcrops because the rates of erosion are highly variable on Mars (Golombek et al. 2006). Erosion of the ancient rock would naturally expose ?fresh? (less irradiated) material to the surface with potentially ?unbroken? organic molecules. Furthermore, SCRs, which are less energetic than GCRs, cannot penetrate and destroy organic matter deeper than 2 cm below the surface (Pavlov 2011). Therefore, MSL?s drilling and sampling of outcrops from 5 cm below the surface will exclude the effects of degradation of organic matter by solar cosmic rays. Finally, using the radiolysis constants of amino acids Kminek and Bada (2006) and Pavlov (2011) demonstrated that simple organic compounds with masses below 100 amu, should have a good chance to survive long-term exposure to GCRs in the shallow subsurface even extremely low surface erosion rates. Results from Curiosity?s Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) will provide modern radiation characteristics that will help improve long-term modeling of the surface radiation on Mars and possibly constrain its affects on near surface organic chemistry.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/4JnuAYRN7AQ/story01.htm

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France plays down report of ransom paid for Niger hostages

PARIS (Reuters) - France brushed off an allegation by a former U.S. diplomat that it paid a $17 million ransom, in vain, for the release of four hostages abducted in 2010 from Niger, a charge that contradicts the government's stated no-negotiation policy.

The U.S. ambassador to Mali from 2002 to 2005, Vicki Huddleston, told iTele in an interview broadcast on Friday that the ransom paid by France took a circuitous route before landing in the hands of al Qaeda's north African unit AQIM.

"Of course, France didn't walk over to the Salafists and say, 'Here's your 17 million,'" Huddleston said in the interview conducted on Thursday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"The ransoms, like all other ransoms paid, were paid indirectly and ended up in the hands of the Malian government and then they were turned over, at least part of it, to the Salafists."

The four French men were captured by AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) from a mining town in the north of Niger on September 16, 2010, and are now believed to be in northern Mali.

AQIM threatened to kill the hostages last year if France intervened militarily in Mali and has demanded a 90 million euro ($120.5 million) ransom for their release. It holds two other French hostages.

As many as eight French hostages currently are held by Islamist militants in Africa's Sahel region.

The issue is sensitive in France, where President Francois Hollande in part justified military action in Mali in order to prevent the north from being used as a launch pad for terror attacks in Africa and in the West.

Hollande declined to comment on the specific allegation - which would have occurred under his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy - but reiterated that France does not pay to free its hostages.

"Today ... we are looking for contacts but the question of financing cannot be raised," he said during a news conference after an EU summit in Brussels.

ONLY GOAL IS FREE HOSTAGES

In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said Huddleston's assertion was based on rumors and Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also refused to confirm or deny it.

"Concerning our nationals currently held as hostages in the Sahel, we need a lot of sang-froid and a sense of responsibility because the government along with the president has only one objective, that's to obtain their freedom," he said.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Huddleston's statement "reflects a concern that we share, that AQIM and other groups like this do use hostage-taking as their main means of financial support."

"We continue to encourage all of our partners and allies in the international community to absolutely refuse to cooperate with hostage-taking and to have a zero-tolerance policy for this kind of effort. Because, otherwise, we're just feeding into the coffers of the terrorists," she said.

Nuland declined to comment about the specific hostage case Huddleston recounted in the interview or the amount of ransom the former envoy said was paid to hostage takers.

The now-retired Huddleston said European governments paid about $89 million between 2004-2011 to secure hostages' freedom.

"Although governments deny that they're paying ransom, everyone is pretty much aware that money has passed hands, indirectly through different accounts and it ends up in the treasury, let us say, of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and allows them to buy weapons and recruit," said Huddleston.

From June 2009 to December 2011, Huddleston was the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs.

Sarkozy's chief of staff during the time of the hostage-taking, Claude Gueant, insisted ransoms had never been paid.

"I maintain that France, the French state, has never paid for the freedom of hostages," Gueant told iTele. "France never paid a ransom."

A rescue operation ordered by Hollande last month to free a French hostage held in Somalia since mid 2009 ended in failure.

Al-Qaeda-allied Somali militant group al Shabaab later said they had killed the hostage, Denis Allex. ($1 = 0.7469 euros)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-plays-down-report-ransom-paid-niger-hostages-202740134.html

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