Friday, October 19, 2012

Video: Body language defines the debate

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/49452092/

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Twitter blocks neo-Nazi group's messages in Germany

1 hr.

FRANKFURT?/?SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In response to a request by German authorities, Twitter on Thursday blocked messages in Germany posted by a right-wing group banned by local police.?

Twitter's move marked the first time it has implemented a new feature, called "Country Withheld Content", that allows the service to narrowly censor tweets considered illegal in one specific country.?

A Twitter spokesman confirmed Thursday that the account operated by the Besseres Hannover group and all of its content have been blocked for German users, but "remains visible to Twitter users in other countries".?

As it rolled out its blocking tool for the first time, Twitter found itself caught in the crosswinds of public pressure, a situation likely to become frequent as the service, now boasting 140 million monthly active users and growing, continues to expand in reach and influence.?

"I will not go so far as to call the policy good, but they're attempting to do the least damage" because Twitter's blocking tool only applies to users in one country," said Eva Galperin, a coordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital free speech advocacy group.?

Some Twitter users chimed in with concern.?

"And now Twitter will censor accounts based on requests from governments," a user from Chicago named Brian Stanish tweeted. "What if this happened before the Arab Spring?"?

The Anti-Defamation League praised Twitter's move, but said it needed to go further to ban offensive and hate speech in its terms of service. Compared to social media services like Google Inc's YouTube and Facebook, Twitter currently has one of the most lax terms-of-service restricting speech, reflecting the company's long-stated position that it would rather err on the side of free speech.?

Earlier this week, the ADL criticized the company for allowing the "#unbonjuif" ? or "a good Jew" ? hashtag to circulate in France, which prompted a flurry of anti-Semitic tweets. Speech that incites hate toward people or groups based on religion, race or ethnicity may be prosecuted under French law.?

Robert Trestan, the Cyber-hate Response group director at the ADL, said Twitter was increasingly the social media platform of choice for anti-Semitic groups compared to Facebook.?

"Twitter is the easiest way to spread that message and use those hashtags," Trestan said?

For its part, Twitter's top executives have long vowed to resist censorship except when it conflicts with local law. Alex Macgillivray, Twitter's general counsel, declared in 2011 that Twitter would represent the "free speech wing of the free speech party".?

Following the announcement that Twitter had blocked the neo-Nazi group Thursday, MacGillivray tweeted: "Never want to withhold content; good to have tools to do it narrowly & transparently," and linked to a copy of the police letter.?

The Twitter spokesman said the move to block messages Thursday by Besseres Hannover ? which means "a better Hanover" ? came at the request of police in the northern German city.?

According to Hanover police, Besseres Hannover was banned on September 25 and ordered to halt all its activities. Public prosecutors searched the homes of more than 20 suspected members of the group last month who are accused of forming a criminal organization with the intention of committing crimes.

Police said the group had 40 members and had recently distributed copies of its far-right magazine at schools.?

Hanover Police President Axel Brockmann said in a statement last month he had pledged when taking office "to crush this group of neo-Nazi and far-right activists wherever it appeared".?

Authorities and residents across Germany have become more sensitive to the threat of far-right militants since revelations last year that a neo-Nazi cell waged a seven-year racist killing spree through the country, murdering nine people, mostly of Turkish origin.?

This?story was updated at 7:34 p.m. ET.?Additional reporting by Gerry Shih.

(c) Copyright ThomsonReuters 2012. Check for restrictions at:?http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/twitter-blocks-neo-nazi-groups-messages-germany-1C6547010

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Steam Greenlight extended to non-gaming software | VG247

Thu, Oct 18, 2012 | 00:09 BST

Following on from its addition of non-gaming software to the Steam catalogue, Valve has also opened Greenlight, the community approval process, to creative and productive applications. This news piece now has officially almost nothing to do with games so let?s just leave it there. Visit Steam to find out more about how your favourite gaming distribution service is rapidly evolving towards becoming an OS and/or gaining sentience. Greenlight recently added 21 games to its line up of community-sponsored releases-in-waiting.

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/18/steam-greenlight-extended-to-non-gaming-software/

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Doing nothing might be best management decision for forests destroyed by wind or ice

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) ? In newscasts after intense wind and ice storms, damaged trees stand out: snapped limbs, uprooted trunks, entire forests blown nearly flat.

In a storm's wake, landowners, municipalities and state agencies are faced with important financial and environmental decisions.

A study by Harvard University researchers, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and published in the journal Ecology, yields a surprising result: when it comes to the health of forests, native plants and wildlife, the best management decision may be to do nothing.

Salvage logging is a common response to modern storm events in large woodlands. Acres of downed, leaning and broken trees are cut and hauled away.

Landowners and towns financially recoup with a sale of the damaged timber. But in a salvaged woodland landscape, the forest's original growth and biodiversity, on which many animals and ecological processes depend, is stripped away.

A thickly growing, early-successional forest made up of a few light-loving tree species develops in its place.

But what happens when wind-blown forests are left to their own devices?

The Ecology paper reports results of a 20-year study at NSF's Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in Massachusetts. Harvard Forest is one of 26 such NSF LTER sites around the world in ecosystems from coral reefs to deserts, grasslands to the polar regions.

"To manage sustainable ecosystems, we must understand how they recover from extreme, natural events, such as hurricanes, fires and floods," says Matt Kane, a program director at NSF for LTER. "This process can take decades. The NSF LTER program is uniquely able to support important experiments at the time scales needed."

At Harvard Forest in 1990, a team of scientists recreated a major hurricane in a two-acre patch of mature oak forest.

Eighty percent of the trees were flattened with a large winch and cable. Half the trees died within three years, and the scientists left the dead and damaged wood on the ground.

In the 20 years since, the researchers have monitored everything from soil chemistry to the density of leaves on the trees.

What they found is a remarkable story of recovery.

Initially, the site was a nearly impassable jumble of downed trees. But surviving, sprouting trees, along with many new seedlings of black birch and red maple--species original to the forest--thrived amid the dead wood.

Although weedy invasive plants initially tried to colonize the area, few persisted for long.

"Leaving a damaged forest intact means the original conditions recover more readily," says David Foster, co-author of the paper and director of the NSF Harvard Forest LTER site.

"Forests have been recovering from natural processes like windstorms, fire and ice for millions of years. What appears to us as devastation is actually, to a forest, a natural and important state of affairs."

After severe tornadoes in Massachusetts in June 2011, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Division of Fisheries and Wildlife pursued a watch-and-wait policy at a site in Southbridge, Mass.

There, salvage work is limited to providing access routes for public safety.

The area is quickly regaining lush, native vegetation. It supports everything from invertebrates to salamanders, and black bears that winter in thick brush piles and forage for insects in rotting logs.

While a range of economic, public safety and aesthetic reasons seems to compel landowners to salvage storm-damaged trees, paper co-author Audrey Barker-Plotkin of the Harvard Forest site suggests that improving forest health should not be one of them.

"Although a blown-down forest appears chaotic," she says, "it is functioning as a forest and doesn't need us to clean it up."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Science Foundation.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Barker Plotkin, Audrey, David R. Foster, Joel Carlson, and Alison H. Magill. Survivors, not invaders, control forest development following simulated hurricane. Ecology, 2012 (in press) [link]

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/kPtibWswSEU/121017124103.htm

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Woman says she gave birth on Philly subway

"Gangnam Style" is a worldwide sensation?that has inspired countless parodies, tributes, and downloads, and a whole lot of radio play. While most people who enjoy the song imitate the now-infamous dance associated with Psy's tune, not everyone is happy about it, especially when it involves their parents. Connor McKenna, son of Rob McKenna, Washington's attorney [...]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/woman-says-she-gave-birth-philly-subway-215623081.html

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Biden: Romney vague, 'sketchy' at debate

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, pause as they participate in the second presidential debate, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, pause as they participate in the second presidential debate, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Vice President Joe Biden is dismissing as "rhetoric but not much substance" Mitt Romney's answers to questions at Tuesday night's presidential debate.

"Everything is sketchy," Biden said.

President Barack Obama "had a great debate," Biden said, "and I expect you'll see another great one next Monday" when the two presidential candidates meet for a third and final debate.

Biden also addressed questions over the Obama administration's response to requests for increased security at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed there last month. At last week's vice presidential debate, Biden had asserted "we weren't told" about the requests. But a State Department official had acknowledged during congressional testimony receiving the request.

Biden, who spoke in a round of television interviews broadcast Wednesday, said he meant that he and Obama were not personally aware of those requests. "It never got to us," Biden said.

The vice president also accused Romney of trying to "politicize a tragedy" by continuing to make the Benghazi attack an issue in the campaign.

But Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan said it's a legitimate national security issue.

"We learn more troubling facts by the day, and so that's why we need to get to the bottom of this, to get answers so that we can prevent something like this from ever happening again," he told CBS' "This Morning."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-10-17-Biden-Debate/id-187ed60eb1b746f2a74f044f746774b2

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From racist abuse to diving, Suarez feels the heat

By ROB HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 1:44 a.m. ET Oct. 17, 2012

LONDON (AP) -Luis Suarez is finding out just how hard it is to rehabilitate a damaged reputation.

Arriving at Liverpool with the tag `Cannibal of Ajax' after a biting incident in the Netherlands and vilified for being sent off in a World Cup quarterfinal for a cynical handball on the goal line, he's proved to be a magnet for controversy in England.

Tuesday marked exactly a year since the Uruguay striker re-opened race tensions in the English game by abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Now Suarez is at the center of fresh controversy, being attacked as the chief culprit in a wave of diving and simulation that has crept into the Premier League.

The Evra controversy rumbled on for months, with Liverpool's antagonistic response to the sanctions, and Suarez's refusal to shake hands in the rematch, causing as much damage as the original confrontation.

Liverpool's attempt to draw a line under a dispute at the beginning of this season had seemed to be working.

"I shut up and I forget it," Suarez said in August. "I want to leave it now."

A goal spree to become Liverpool's leading scorer this season was helping.

But then the spotlight turned to just how he was trying to score those goals, with accusations from opponents and the sport's authorities that he was a serial diver, using simulation to try and win penalties and free kicks.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has complained that Suarez's reputation means he is being denied legitimate penalties, but a wave of football figures have piled in to condemn Suarez.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis branded him an "embarrassment", saying Suarez should be banned for three matches for theatrically going down too easily in the penalty area during a 0-0 draw at Anfield earlier this month.

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny used an interview with French daily L'Equipe to express his hatred of playing against Suarez because of his "cheating."

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce backed Pulis' call for retrospective action against divers.

"I watched the latest Suarez incident two or three times, and to me it is nothing less than a form of cheating," Boyce said. "It is becoming a little bit of a cancer within the game."

UEFA's refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina used a platform in London to decry any simulation.

"If there is no contact this is cheating," he said. "If the contact is provoked by the attacker moving the leg away from the running direction trying to find the opponent's leg this is the problem."

But just as it did in the Evra incident, Liverpool is strongly defending its striker, portraying him a fall-guy who has become a target for censure since the racism row.

"It's reputation because of what happened last season," Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said at the Leaders in Football conference last week. "I am not surprised by the reaction because we all feel he is a bit of target. Now everything Luis Suarez does is in the spotlight."

Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen is one of the few players to come out in support of Suarez.

"I'd say that 75 percent of people could stay on their feet for a penalty," the Stoke player said at the same conference as Ayre. "And if they get touched and go down it is almost, `He got touched so it's OK to go down'."

Owen owned up to going down easily at the World Cup twice for England.

"I played at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina and I was running flat out, got a nudge, went down," he recalled. "Could I have stayed up? Yes probably."

No-one in England complained about that penalty, raising the question of whether there were different standards applied to English and non-English players.

Wigan's Spanish manager Roberto Martinez said the attitudes toward diving were different in England than in some other countries, and that imports need to adjust accordingly.

"I had a player that used to dive a lot - he wasn't British," Martinez said. "In Spain, it is not seen as cheating. It is seen as getting something back from the team.

"Here we see it as cheating. I had just signed this player from a Spanish club and the first game he goes past a defender and he goes down easy, and I said, `You can't do that'."

Owen, though, argues that it's another means of outwitting an opponent.

"No one is for blatantly diving, of course they are not, but there is a part of a striker that actually tries to entice the leg to come out to try to win a penalty," Owen said. "It is a skill and it has been done for years and years and I don't think it will ever leave the game."

And Suarez's moves will be the most closely scrutinized, starting against Reading on Saturday.

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


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Promises fulfilled: US attacking clicks

??PST: For a few minutes on Tuesday, it finally came together. And by a few minutes, I mean almost a full half. Fourteen months of promises that we?d see a different kind of soccer started to manifest into real, tangible results.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49443162/ns/sports-soccer/

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Tigers top Yankees 2-1, need 1 win for pennant

DETROIT (AP) ? Justin Verlander and Detroit's stellar starters are one win from the World Series.

Verlander took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Tigers held on to beat the New York Yankees 2-1 Tuesday night for a 3-0 lead in the AL championship series.

Phil Coke gave up consecutive singles with two outs in the ninth before striking out postseason star Raul Ibanez for his second save in two games. Detroit can complete a sweep and earn its second pennant in seven years Wednesday night when Max Scherzer pitches against Yankees ace CC Sabathia.

"We put ourselves in a decent position, but that's all we have done," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Verlander allowed only a pair of singles by Ichiro Suzuki and a leadoff homer by Eduardo Nunez in the ninth. Delmon Young hit a solo home run for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera had an RBI double.

Yankees starter Phil Hughes was lifted in the fourth because of a stiff back, and manager Joe Girardi's lineup shuffle ? Alex Rodriguez was benched again ? failed to snap New York out of its untimely hitting funk.

"There were some good at-bats tonight. The ball was not carrying tremendously well tonight, we know that," Girardi said. "But I think he ended up with three strikeouts. So our guys put the ball in play and tried to get on base, but, you know, when you face Verlander, you know what you're up against."

Seeking their first World Series title since 1984, the Tigers were on a historic pitching run even before their ace took the mound Tuesday. With the exception of a four-run ninth inning against Detroit closer Jose Valverde in Game 1, New York had been shut out for the entire series.

Nunez's homer snapped a streak of 37 innings by Detroit starters without allowing an earned run, the longest in a single postseason in the live-ball era.

Verlander fell just short of a second straight shutout after stopping the Oakland Athletics in the decisive fifth game of the division series. He struck out only three but kept New York off the scoreboard until the homer to left field by Nunez, the first run allowed by the powerful right-hander since he gave up a leadoff homer to Coco Crisp in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Verlander got Brett Gardner on a tapper before he was lifted after 132 pitches, one shy of his career high set in Game 5 of last year's ALCS against Texas.

"Normally I guess you don't take Secretariat out in the final furlong, but that was pretty much it for him," Leyland said.

Coke came in and allowed two-out hits to Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, with the latter snapping a drought of 29 at-bats without a hit. With an anxious Verlander pacing in the dugout and rubbing the bald head of a teammate, Ibanez ? who hit tying and winning homers in the same game in the ALDS against Baltimore and tied Game 1 of this series with a homer in the ninth ? struck out swinging at a breaking ball to end it.

"I've got faith in our bullpen. Coke did a great job in New York. He's done a great job for us all year, so I was OK with it," Verlander said. "And I was up around 130 pitches or so, so I don't think they're just going to leave me out there and sacrifice the rest of the postseason just for this game, especially when Coke's been throwing the ball extremely well."

The game ended with Nick Swisher on deck to pinch-hit, not Rodriguez.

Verlander, the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, came within three outs of becoming the first pitcher in 24 years to throw consecutive shutouts in the postseason, according to STATS LLC. Orel Hershiser did it for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, blanking the New York Mets in Game 7 of the NL championship series and the Oakland Athletics in Game 2 of the World Series.

Valverde's meltdown nearly cost Detroit the first game of this series, but the Tigers were able to win 6-4 in 12 innings. Coke closed out a 3-0 victory in Game 2 and was able to hold on Tuesday in a tense final inning.

"The thing that you do is you keep encouraging the guys and you keep telling them, 'Hey, find a way, find a way to get it done,'" Girardi said.

Hughes matched Verlander in a scoreless duel until Young led off the Detroit fourth with a line drive over the wall in left field. It was his seventh homer in the last two postseasons ? he's already the Tigers' career leader in that department.

Five of those homers ? in only eight games ? have come against the Yankees.

"He had a great postseason last year and he picked up right where he left off," Leyland said. "A huge hit tonight."

Andy Dirks followed with a walk, and Hughes was pulled with an 0-2 count on Jhonny Peralta. David Phelps came on and got out of the inning, but the Yankees now have a pitching injury to go along with all their hitting problems.

Hughes allowed a run and three hits in three-plus innings. He walked three and struck out one.

The Yankees kept it close, dodging several Detroit rallies. The Tigers added an unearned run in the fifth when Eric Chavez ? Rodriguez's replacement at third ? misplayed a grounder. Cabrera, the AL Triple Crown winner, followed with an RBI double.

Cabrera has a 16-game hitting streak in LCS play, breaking a tie for that record with Manny Ramirez and Pete Rose, according to STATS LLC.

But Cabrera hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth, preventing the Tigers from adding more runs.

NOTES: The Tigers sent RHP Marcelo Carreno and cash to the Cubs to complete an Aug. 5 trade in which Detroit acquired utility man Jeff Baker from Chicago. ... Cabrera moved from his usual third base spot to where the shortstop would normally play as part of a defensive shift against Teixeira in the fourth ? then had to run all the way back to catch a popup in foul ground. ... The starters for the 1905 New York Giants threw 44 straight innings without allowing an earned run for the postseason record, according to STATS.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tigers-top-yankees-2-1-1-win-pennant-034354669--mlb.html

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Syria's wealthy businesses feel civil war squeeze

CAIRO (AP) ? Syria's wealthy, long cultivated by President Bashar Assad as a support for his regime, are seeing their businesses pummeled by the bloody civil war. Factories have been burned down or damaged in fighting. International sanctions restrict their finances. Some warn that their companies are in danger of going under, worsening the country's buckling economy.

Assad may not have lost the backing of Syria's business elite, but some are losing faith. Many of those who can have fled abroad, hoping to ride out the turmoil, which is now in its 19th month and is only getting worse as rebels and regime forces tear apart the country in their fight for power.

Several businessmen interviewed by The Associated Press say resentment is growing against Assad over the crisis ? but they also aren't throwing their lot in with the rebellion. They are hunkering down, trying to salvage their companies.

One young businessman said his family factory in the suburbs of Damascus was damaged Wednesday, with windows blown out and part of the ceiling was destroyed when warplanes hit rebels in a neighboring building. Its several hundred employees had to hide in the basement until fighting eased enough that they could be bused out to safety.

"I feel that they are both just as bad as each other," he said of the rebels and the government. "I could have died today because they (the rebels) were across the street from us and they (the planes) could have bombed us."

Syria's economy has been heavily hurt by the conflict, which activists say has left more than 30,000 dead. Inflation has risen to at least 36 percent. The currency has dropped around 50 percent, now trading at 75 pounds to the dollar on the black market, according to the factory owner. The government estimates economic losses at $34 billion ? almost half the gross domestic product ? though the opposition puts the losses at nearly three times that amount. Fuel shortages have become widespread as the regime burns through hard currency to import diesel and oil at the same time that it finances the war effort.

Though the economic blow has been hard, "we are not at the stage that the rug has been pulled from under the regime," said Anthony Skinner, head of Middle East and North African division at Maplecroft political risk consultancy.

Assad has so far been able to keep his head above water with financial support from top ally Iran, he noted.

"The question is whether this is sustainable in the longer term and I don't think it is," Skinner said. "What Assad is counting on at present is a bare-bones economy that is able to fuel his armed forces."

The businessmen interviewed by AP spoke on condition they remain anonymous and that some identifying details of their industries not be specified for fear of repercussions for talking about the situation in Syria.

They all come from the country's Sunni Muslim elite, which Assad ensured prospered as he carried out free market reforms over the past decade. The reforms transformed the long isolated nation, bringing in foreign businesses and chains and greater consumer goods, though it also sharply increased the gap between rich and poor. While the rebellion has largely been fueled by the Sunni majority, the elite have stuck by Assad for most of the conflict.

The businessmen say they are caught in the middle ? both of the fighting and of Western sanctions they say hurt them more than the regime itself. The civil war has made it difficult to distribute goods since roads are cut off, warehouses have been shut down and 24-hour operations have been slashed to eight hours in places where it is too risky for employees to travel at night. Numerous factories have had to close or reduce production. A pharmaceutical company in Aleppo was also recently burned down in the city's fighting, said a businessman with close ties to the owners.

The owner of a plastics factory said his wife and children fled to London three months ago when the worst fighting yet hit the capital Damascus. Initially, he stayed behind but eventually followed them to London.

He knows others who have left and now have little access to their local accounts and are unable to operate their businesses. That has fueled resentment of Assad, he said. Still, there is also a fear of what may happen to Syria if his regime collapses.

"We feel this is a war by proxy," he said, referring to the influence of Shiite Iran, Russia and China backing Assad and Sunni Gulf states, France and the United States behind the opposition.

If businesses fail, he warned, the new unemployed could further fuel the conflict. Already, 12 of his employees quit to work as "security" for the government.

"I know what that means. They are Shabiha," he said, referring to the pro-Assad gunmen used in fighting against rebels and accused of killings of civilians. He said he paid the employees $200 a month, but the government pays Shabiha at least $300. "If I stop paying salaries to 400 people they will make a choice," he said.

A physician who is among 14 owners of a hospital in Syria said only seven of his partners remain in the country. He is now in London while his wife and child are in California. He says most of his friends have also gone abroad.

"Nobody is happy. I am seeking opportunities around the world. I'm homeless now with no hospital, no income," he said.

The civil war means patients do not have the money to pay for needed surgeries and those traveling from outside Damascus are unable to reach the capital because roads are unsafe. Locally-made drugs are difficult to find due to shortages or distribution problems. Importing high-end machines and spare parts is difficult because even if selling the technology is not necessarily banned by sanctions, banks are reluctant to finance the purchases. He also cannot wire his money in Syria to the U.S., he said.

He makes clear his unhappiness with Assad. "By the first speech of his excellency I knew he was an idiot," he said, referring to an Assad speech to parliament after protests broke out last year in which he took a tough line against the dissent. "If this is his way of thinking, I knew things would get worse."

The United States and its European partners have stepped up sanctions already in place before the uprising began in March 2011.

Among the most damaging is the European Union's halt on importing Syrian crude oil, which has cost the country billions of dollars. The EU has also banned its member-states from exporting to Syria weapons, dual-use equipment, luxury goods such as vehicles and jewelry. It froze the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU, as well as those of more than 50 other Syrian entities and more than 150 people.

It also bars EU banks from establishing new joint ventures or correspondent banking relationships with Syrian banks, and while "legitimate trade" can continue, it is under "strict conditions."

The U.S. has also frozen assets of the Syrian government and a list of people and entities linked to the regime. It has banned Syrian oil imports and bars U.S. citizens from investing in Syria and exporting any services or supplies to Syria. Arab nations, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia also have separate sets of restrictions for doing business with Syria.

The sanctions also have an indirect effect. European and other banks are reluctant to deal with Syrian businesses for fear of running afoul of sanctions. Transfers from Syrian banks ? particularly in dollars ? are difficult and sometimes impossible.

"Most of the banks we deal with say we do not want to do business in Syria," said the plastics factory owner. He said his company's cash flow is under strain. A customer in Italy, for example, could not send him a payment because the European bank banned the transfer.

The businessman whose factory was damaged Wednesday said a European bank also refused to back his purchase of spare parts from China. So he had to pull cash from his accounts in Lebanon and Turkey. Many have had to rely on relatives with foreign passports to open overseas accounts.

"People are either changing dollars into euros or putting it in bags smuggled across the border," he added. "It's just pushing people's buttons. No sanctions have ever hurt any government."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-wealthy-businesses-feel-civil-war-squeeze-192258117--finance.html

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Thailand Vegetarian Festival 2012 - Thai Street Food and Pictures ...

thai vegetarian food bangkok Thailand Vegetarian Festival 2012   VIDEO Action from Yaowarat Chinatown!

Thailand Vegetarian Festival 2012

If you?re in Thailand, you?ve been seeing the distinctive yellow flags draped on street carts and hanging above restaurants everywhere you look.

On Monday, I had a chance to visit Yaowarat Chinatown in order to take part in the action ? and by that I mean EAT!

So here?s Part 1 of the video that includes a full vegetarian breakfast and some sweet peanut candy?

If you can?t see the video, check out Part 1 here)

Luckily, all their hard work is much appreciated in that sweet sweet candy they produce!

And here?s Part 2?

(If you can?t see the video, check out Part 2 here)

The very old lady serving the black drink (which I had never heard of until drinking it right then), didn?t even speak Thai (she was Chinese). She had to call the adjacent vendor to talk to us in Thai.

It tasted a little like?licorice, and they explained that it was very good for the throat!

thailand vegetarian festival 2012 Thailand Vegetarian Festival 2012   VIDEO Action from Yaowarat Chinatown!

Vegetarian Festivities in Chinatown, Bangkok

Thank you very much for watching this 2 Part series of the Thailand vegetarian festival 2012 straight from the back alleys and markets in Yaowarat, Chinatown, Bangkok.

The action will continue until the 23rd of October, so if you have a chance, get out there and taste some vegetarian Thai food?and maybe even some fake meat (which there?s A LOT of)!

?Thailand Vegetarian Festival 2012 ? VIDEO Action from Bangkok!? ? Click here to tweet now!

Get the "Bangkok $1 Menu" + Monthly Updates (100% FREE)!

Source: http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2012/10/thailand-vegetarian-festival-2012-video/

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A Look Into The Magical Shop Of The Microsoft Surface ? A Clinking, Clacking PC-Like Tablet

Surface; Red Touch Cover Front ViewClink, snap, click, swipe - the sounds and the feel of the new Microsoft Surface comes alive today out of Microsoft's self-described Willy Wonka style workshops. This is the birthplace of the Microsoft Surface.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hTnnP4Dyqnc/

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Chelsea Clinton visits Nigeria on health mission

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Magic Finger turns everything into a touch surface

1 hr.

Practically every phone and laptop coming out these days has a touchscreen, a touchpad, or both ? but this "Magic Finger" device lets you treat any surface as touchable, from your desk to your own skin.

There are already mobile mice that track easily on any surface, but this experimental device, built by researchers at the Universities of Toronto and Alberta, has a few more tricks up its sleeve. It uses a small camera to optically track the surface it's on, which means it can be used as a mouse, but it also has a second, more high-definition camera.

The second camera gets a good look at what the device is touching, and can recognize almost two dozen different textures and respond accordingly. Check your email by touching your shirt, or create a blank document by touching a sheet of paper ? or combine this recognition factor with other gestures to enable all kinds of actions. Move your finger up or down on the desk to adjust?your music's volume, for instance, or left and right to change the track.

And that's not all: the camera can also recognize tiny patterns like miniature QR codes, essentially allowing buttons and actions to be printed on to paper or stickers. And the team has a number of other potential applications, which they detail in this video:

At the moment the device is still very much just a prototype, and as you can see in the pictures and video, it must be hard-wired to a second device in order to function. But with devices like Google Glass able to pack lots of functionality into a small package, a self-contained version of the Magic Finger isn't hard to imagine.

The research was presented at the UIST conference in Cambridge, and is?a product of Autodesk Research. You can read more or download the paper itself (with many additional pictures and documentation) at the project's webpage.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC?News Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/magic-finger-turns-everything-touch-surface-1C6496547

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Your Dystopian-Style Bernal Heights Real Estate Market Summary ...

Completely independent of the actual data it provides about the state of the Bernal Heights real estate market in September 2012, I think there is something unsettling about the tone and style of this video.

Apart from the fact that I can?t tell if the narrator is a real human or a synthetic text-to-voice robot, the video?s production style reminds me those glossy propaganda messages that are projected on gigantic, larger-than-life video displays in dystopian sci-fi movies like Minority Report or Blade Runner.

On the bright side, it seems our local real estate market is doing just fine.

Have a nice tomorrow!

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Be the first to like this.

This entry was posted in Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://bernalwood.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/your-dystopian-style-video-real-estate-summary-for-september-2012/

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Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office West Bank crime report, Oct. 15 ...

This information reflects initial calls for service reported by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for the west bank of Jefferson Parish. Locations are approximate due to automated location methods and address inconsistencies, the Sheriff's Office says. Burglar alarm calls are excluded.


5900 block of 4th Street - Oct. 15, 2:04 p.m., suspicious person.
5900 block of 4th Street - Oct. 15, 2:31 p.m., suspicious person.
4th Street and Ames Boulevard - Oct. 15, 7:14 p.m., suspicious person.
4th Street and Cohen Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:46 p.m., suspicious person.
5th Street and 1st Avenue - Oct. 15, 10:08 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2500 block of 8th Street - Oct. 15, 7:54 a.m., theft.
6400 block of Acre Road - Oct. 15, 9:47 a.m., criminal damage.
Acre Road and Buccola Avenue - Oct. 15, 9:12 a.m., suspicious person.
1000 block of Allo Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:53 a.m., theft.
Ames Boulevard and 4th Street - Oct. 15, 1:44 a.m., suspicious person.
Ames Boulevard and Belle Terre Road - Oct. 15, 10:53 p.m., suspicious person.
Ames Boulevard and Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 2:47 p.m., suspicious person.
Ames Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue - Oct. 15, 2:40 a.m., suspicious person.
Ames Boulevard and Rue Louis Phillipe - Oct. 15, 7:32 a.m., suspicious person.
Avenue D and 5th Street - Oct. 15, 10:55 a.m., vehicle wreck.
500 block of Avondale Garden Road - Oct. 15, 8:03 a.m., auto theft.
Bannerwood Drive and Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 6:40 p.m., suspicious person.
1300 block of Barataria Boulevard - Oct. 15, 7:02 a.m., vehicle wreck.
8500 block of Barataria Boulevard - Oct. 15, 12:25 p.m., suspicious person.
Barataria Boulevard and Sharpe Road - Oct. 15, 7:33 p.m., suspicious person.
1100 block of Barnes Street - Oct. 15, 1:09 a.m., disturbing the peace.
1000 block of Behrman Highway - Oct. 15, 7:38 p.m., disturbing the peace.
400 block of Behrman Highway - Oct. 15, 12:23 p.m., business burglary.
800 block of Behrman Highway - Oct. 15, 10:25 a.m., suspicious person.
900 block of Behrman Highway - Oct. 15, 4:37 p.m., disturbing the peace.
2100 block of Belle Chasse Highway - Oct. 15, 2:18 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2700 block of Belle Chasse Highway - Oct. 15, 8:25 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2800 block of Blanche Drive - Oct. 15, 8:11 p.m., theft.
1500 block of Blk Abbey Road - Oct. 15, 10:06 p.m., suspicious person.
2600 block of Blk Destrehan Avenue - Oct. 15, 3:56 a.m., suspicious person.
500 block of Blk Eiseman Street - Oct. 15, 4:11 a.m., suspicious person.
800 block of Blk Manhattan Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:18 p.m., suspicious person.
400 block of Blk Oak Avenue - Oct. 15, 3:34 p.m., suspicious person.
1700 block of Blk Redwood Drive - Oct. 15, 6:06 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2100 block of Blk Stoneridge Lane - Oct. 15, 7:52 p.m., suspicious person.
600 block of Blk Wall Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:19 p.m., suspicious person.
Bridge City Avenue and River Road - Oct. 15, 8:30 p.m., vehicle wreck.
500 block of Brookmeade Drive - Oct. 15, 6:23 p.m., suspicious person.
800 block of Brown Avenue - Oct. 15, 1:44 p.m., suspicious person.
800 block of Brown Avenue - Oct. 15, 1:59 p.m., drug law violation.
2600 block of Cardinal Drive - Oct. 15, 12:44 p.m., residence burglary.
1600 block of Carol Sue Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:23 a.m., theft.
9300 block of Cindy Drive - Oct. 15, 1:07 p.m., battery.
1000 block of Cohen Avenue - Oct. 15, 8:31 a.m., criminal damage.
5800 block of Coubra Drive - Oct. 15, 4:44 p.m., disturbing the peace.
Daniels Road and Diplomat Street - Oct. 15, 8:36 p.m., disturbing the peace.
Deerpark Drive and East Sunny Meade Drive - Oct. 15, 2:26 p.m., drug law violation.
Diane Drive and Belle Terre Road - Oct. 15, 12:34 p.m., suspicious person.
Division Road and Westwood Drive - Oct. 15, 2:50 p.m., suspicious person.
5400 block of Ehret Road - Oct. 15, 3:16 p.m., battery.
1600 block of Estalote Avenue - Oct. 15, 7:46 p.m., criminal damage.
1600 block of Esther Street - Oct. 15, 1:35 p.m., suspicious person.
400 block of Federal Drive - Oct. 15, 9:59 p.m., disturbing the peace.
1600 block of Gary Court - Oct. 15, 11:48 a.m., suspicious person.
Gentry Road and Hnasko Court - Oct. 15, 11:00 a.m., vehicle wreck.
700 block of South Jamie Boulevard - Oct. 15, 4:30 p.m., burglary.
2600 block of Jean Lafitte Boulevard - Oct. 15, 1:54 p.m., suspicious person.
800 block of Jean Lafitte Boulevard - Oct. 15, 3:23 p.m., suspicious person.
Jean Lafitte Boulevard and Fisherman Boulevard - Oct. 15, 6:29 a.m., vehicle wreck.
100 block of Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 8:44 a.m., criminal damage.
3400 block of Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 6:37 a.m., suspicious person.
3400 block of Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 6:53 p.m., theft.
3600 block of Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 5:24 a.m., suspicious person.
Lapalco Boulevard and Belle Chasse Highway - Oct. 15, 9:44 a.m., suspicious person.
Lapalco Boulevard and Westwood Drive - Oct. 15, 9:05 p.m., suspicious person.
800 block of East Lexington Avenue - Oct. 15, 7:10 p.m., suspicious person.
1600 block of Lincoln Avenue - Oct. 15, 9:26 p.m., disturbing the peace.
Litchwood Lane and Post Drive - Oct. 15, 4:52 p.m., suspicious person.
Longleaf Lane and Alex Kornman Boulevard - Oct. 15, 7:13 p.m., suspicious person.
Longleaf Lane and Max Drive - Oct. 15, 2:52 a.m., suspicious person.
Mac Arthur Avenue and Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 12:53 p.m., theft.
1100 block of Manhattan Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:22 a.m., suspicious person.
1500 block of Manhattan Boulevard - Oct. 15, 12:00 p.m., theft.
1500 block of Manhattan Boulevard - Oct. 15, 1:21 p.m., theft.
1800 block of Manhattan Boulevard - Oct. 15, 12:10 p.m., suspicious person.
Manhattan Boulevard and Central Boulevard - Oct. 15, 11:01 a.m., suspicious person.
Manhattan Boulevard and Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 1:45 p.m., suspicious person.
700 block of Maple Avenue - Oct. 15, 9:52 a.m., suspicious person.
1100 block of Medical Center Boulevard - Oct. 15, 1:42 p.m., criminal damage.
Medical Center Boulevard and Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 2:43 p.m., suspicious person.
South Monterey Court and Behrman Highway - Oct. 15, 4:46 p.m., suspicious person.
2800 block of Mt Kennedy Drive - Oct. 15, 3:20 p.m., suspicious person.
700 block of Oakwood Drive - Oct. 15, 11:44 a.m., suspicious person.
2000 block of Paine Drive - Oct. 15, 6:52 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Prairie View Court and Layman Street - Oct. 15, 8:24 p.m., suspicious person.
3400 block of River Road - Oct. 15, 9:47 p.m., suspicious person.
River Road and 6th Street - Oct. 15, 9:56 p.m., suspicious person.
River Road and Highway 90 - Oct. 15, 1:11 p.m., suspicious person.
1700 block of Robin Street - Oct. 15, 7:37 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Segnette Boulevard and Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 7:27 p.m., suspicious person.
100 block of Southern Court - Oct. 15, 9:50 a.m., suspicious person.
Tallow Tree Lane and Pygmalion Drive - Oct. 15, 11:23 a.m., suspicious person.
500 block of Terry Parkway - Oct. 15, 8:21 p.m., suspicious person.
Terry Parkway and Laurel Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:52 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Terry Parkway and Stumpf Boulevard - Oct. 15, 12:33 a.m., suspicious person.
Timberview Lane and Woodmere Boulevard - Oct. 15, 4:25 p.m., suspicious person.
1400 block of Utah Beach Drive - Oct. 15, 12:13 p.m., criminal damage.
400 block of Wall Boulevard - Oct. 15, 7:30 a.m., suspicious person.
500 block of Wall Boulevard - Oct. 15, 10:33 a.m., residence burglary.
500 block of Wall Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:32 p.m., suspicious person.
100 block of Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 11:17 a.m., vehicle wreck.
1600 block of Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 12:10 p.m., suspicious person.
6200 block of Westbank Exp - Oct. 15, 8:31 a.m., business burglary.
Westbank Exp and Brown Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:31 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Westbank Exp and Brown Avenue - Oct. 15, 11:32 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Westbank Exp and Drake Avenue - Oct. 15, 7:49 a.m., disturbing the peace.
Westbank Exp and Garden Road - Oct. 15, 8:24 p.m., suspicious person.
Westbank Exp and Medical Center Boulevard - Oct. 15, 10:40 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Westminster Boulevard and Lapalco Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:03 p.m., vehicle wreck.
1100 block of Whitney Avenue - Oct. 15, 4:14 p.m., vehicle burglary.
Whitney Avenue and Carol Sue Avenue - Oct. 15, 7:59 p.m., suspicious person.
2000 block of Woodmere Boulevard - Oct. 15, 4:47 p.m., suspicious person.
2200 block of Woodmere Boulevard - Oct. 15, 9:00 a.m., suspicious person.
2200 block of Woodmere Boulevard - Oct. 15, 5:00 p.m., suspicious person.
Woodmere Boulevard and Nathan Kornman Drive - Oct. 15, 7:02 p.m., assault.
500 block of Yetta Street - Oct. 15, 7:18 p.m., criminal damage.

Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/10/jefferson_parish_sheriffs_offi_1086.html

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Breakthrough Artificial Retina Nears FDA Approval

It?s been three years since Barbara Campbell first had an electrode array implanted on the back of her eye. She wears it every time she leaves the house, using it to navigate around New York City. After being blind for more than a decade, the artificial retina has partially restored Barbara?s sight, and she delights in the fact that her vision is still improving in subtle ways.

The creators of the Argus II?the device that has helped Campbell to regain some sight?won a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award in 2010. Now the device, which has been in clinical trials since 2008, is getting closer to being able to help people beyond Campbell. Earlier this month, the FDA voted unanimously to recommend Argus for approval. Mark Humayun, the biological engineer who co-invented the Argus II, says that the team expects FDA approval within the next few months, and thinks the technology could be marketed to U.S. patients in 2013.

For Cambpell and a few other Argus test subjects who attended the FDA hearing, the ruling was a victory. "The more people that can use [the Argus II], the more research that can go into it, and the more advances it can make," she says. "It?s a win-win for everybody."

The device uses a sunglass-mounted camera to capture an image, and then translates the image into a pattern of signals. The signals are sent to an array of 60 electrodes implanted at the back of the eye. The electrodes fire, stimulating the retinal cells that collect light in a healthy eye. The brain interprets those pulses into an image.

Humayun says his team is now working to increase the implant?s from 60 electrodes to 240 or more, which is expected to increase the resolution of the image it creates. The team has also found a way to restore some color vision to users of the device; this feature could be incorporated into future generations of the technology.

For Barbara, that would be a dream come true. "I would love color," she says. "I really miss seeing color." For now, though, she?s already enjoying things she never thought she would again. One day, eight months ago, as she walked along East 85th Street she noticed something glinting. "I realized, ?Oh this is the railing on the ramp to the gym.? I hadn?t seen that before. It was exciting. Now I can look for that as a landmark as I come down the block."

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/breakthrough-artificial-retina-nears-fda-approval-13781574?src=rss

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Serial Killer Clifford Olson's Chilling Tales Of His Crimes Revealed In 'Predator' (GRAPHIC LANGUAGE)

For years after his crimes were committed, the details of serial killer Clifford Olson's cold, calculating massacres were unknown.

The Canadian was sentenced to 11 life sentences for murdering 11 young people in 1980 and 1981. He pleaded guilty to the crimes so there was no trial and the public never got to hear Olson's motives or other aspects of the crimes.

Now, journalist Peter Worthington's new book, "Predator: The Life and Crimes of Serial Killer Clifford Olson" reveals the intricate details of Olson's murders as told by the killer himself in 50 pages of manuscripts describing how he killed and raped each of his victims.

The documents were shown to Worthington by Olson's lawyer, Bob Shantz. As Worthington explains in the book, Olson wanted the writings embargoed until his son turned 21 "so he would better understand his father," the killer explained.

Olson died of cancer in September of last year.

Below is chapter one in three parts, along with highlights.


PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3

HIGHLIGHTS:

WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE BELOW

Olson is immediately revealed as a charming, persuasive 41-year-old.

At first she didn't notice the car that pulled up beside her. The man driving was smiling-- a nice smile. He had dark, wavy hair and eyes that danced. He was wearing neat, sporty clothes and the car was clean.

"Where are you headed?" he asked out the passenger window.

Terri Lynn appraised him. He was older, an adult; not one of the mall creeps, those smart alecky kids who hung around the video center and made suggestive cracks. "I'm waiting for the bus," she said. "I'm going to Guildford."

"Hey, that's where I'm going! Hop in, I'll give you a lift."

Terri hesitated. How often had her mother warned her about hitchhiking? And every kid knew of the dangers of talking to strangers. Terri Lynn wasn't exactly naive. But this person seemed so easygoing and friendly. A nice man. He looked like someone's father, or even older brother.

After Olson's persistent cajoling, Carson eventually got into the car. Once inside, Olson offered her a job where she'd make three times the minimum wage. Carson's mother struggled to make ends meet and the money was enticing, as was the plentiful alcohol that Olson supplied.

"I'd better not have any more. I'm getting drunk," she said. "Look in the glove compartment. I've got some wake-up pills.

They'll counter the alcohol, so you'll be sober for supper tonight."

"We'll, if you say so . . ."

"I say so, and I'm the boss."

"Okay...boss." They both laughed...

Terri was still feeling drunk. She said she didn't think the anti-drunk pills were working.

"Take three more," the man said. "And while you're at it, give me three too. I've got to stay sober."

"What do they do again?"

"They counteract the alcohol. Here, give me three." He put the three in his mouth.

"Well, so long as you?re sure." Terri washed down three pills with a gulp of vodka and orange juice. When she wasn't looking the man spat the three pills into his hand and put them in his pocket.

Soon enough, Carson was passed out in Olson's car.

Quickly he looked out the car window. The parking lot was empty. Quickly, almost frantically, he pulled down the girl's tight jeans and panties. He undid his own pants and pulled them down to his knees. Without wasting time, he sodomized her, roughly, urgently. It was over in seconds.

Then Olson got out a screwdriver

He crouched forward and put the screwdriver on the crown of her head. For a second he rested it there, looked at the screwdriver, looked at her, looked at the hammer, as if to see if anything would happen. All was serene. Then slowly, deliberately, he raised the hammer, held it poised above the screwdriver. In one motion he drove the hammer at the screwdriver which instantly and seemingly without resistance, plunged into the skull, up to the hilt.

Somehow, Carson was still alive, but not for long.

He dragged Terri over to the shallow creek and placed her face-down in the water. He stood on her back shoulders to keep her head under the water. He slipped, and fell into the foot-deep water. Cursing, he put his foot on the back of Terri's neck, and held her head under while a stream of air came to the surface from her face. Then the bubbles stopped. He kept his foot on her neck for a few moments more, then got off. The body remained motionless.
"Predator" was published Sept. 30, exactly one year after Olson died.
  • When Olson was first arrested

  • Olson being taken to a Quebec prison, approx 2003.

  • Olson with the author in Kingston Penitentiary, early 1990s.

  • Legendary defense attorney Marvin Belli pays a visit to Olson at Kingston Penitentiary in 1992, after Olson offered to reveal information about a Seattle murderer known as the Green River Killer. Author is to the right.

  • With Marvin Belli

  • Olson sent this photo of himself to Worthington from Kingston Penitentiary, mid-1990s. He fancied himself a boxer.

  • Clifford Olson on one of his many transfers to federal penitentiaries, around 1981.

  • Olson sent this photo of himself in Kingston Penitentiary to the author

  • Olson mugshots

  • Victim Terri Lynn Carson

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/serial-killer-clifford-olson_n_1920741.html

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Is lying ever right? [Discussions Of The Day]

Is lying ever right?Great discussions are nothing new here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

Discussion of the Day

Other Great Discussions

Good Question

Great Discussions Any Time

To join or start great discussions on any topic, be sure to visit the Openthread forum.

If you've got a cool project, inspiration, or just something fun to share, be sure to let us know in our Tips forum.

Happy Lifehacking, everybody!

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4NBoYdCpMUs/is-lying-ever-right

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Video: Clinton takes responsibility for diplomats? safety as Libya remains in spotlight

A-Rod, Swisher benched by Yankees

DETROIT (AP) - Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher were benched by the Yankees for Game 3 of the AL championship series at Detroit on Tuesday night, the latest attempt by New York to reverse a deep hitting slump that threatens to knock New York out of the postseason.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49438874#49438874

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Dustin's Junior Hockey Blog: SJHL Hitting The Books:


This is (great news) from the SJHL website:

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is getting a whole lot smarter.

Although the hockey product will always be the No. 1 priority for the league, the education of the players - both while they are in the league and when they move on in the future - is a growing concern.

That is where Garry Gawryliuk comes into the picture.

Gawryliuk is a retired high school teacher from Yorkton and for the past 15 years he has been working with players from both the Terriers and the Melville Millionaires to help them prepare for educational opportunities once they have finished playing in the SJHL.

Last year, after Bill Chow was brought in as league president, Gawryliuk had his responsibilities expanded when he became the educational consultant for the entire league.

?Last week when I was in Humboldt for the prospects game, the NCAA scouts were pretty impressed,? says Gawryliuk. ?There is no other league that has hired an educational consultant. They kind of liked it when they needed information and we had it all there for them.?

What Gawryliuk has done is create a series of templates that the players fill out so if a scout does call, then the information is ready for dispersal. The templates fall into three categories: educational, hockey and vocational. The educational portfolio includes the player?s marks, study interests and possibly a reference letter from a teacher. The hockey portfolio lists all the player?s accomplishments on the ice including any awards won, statistics and a letter of reference from a coach. The vocational template is designed for players who are unsure of going the school route, but would like to continue playing hockey at some level.

?By filling out the portfolios, the players have to decide on what they want to do,? says Gawryliuk. ?Judging from the success we had last year we are definitely on the right track.?

The educational and hockey information is obviously used by players wanting to attract a scholarship, whether it is to an American college, Canadian university or even a technical school. The vocational route is rather new, but one that is gaining some momentum as industries and professional trades are looking for workers with a hockey background so that they can represent their business at major tournaments in addition to providing an opportunity for employment.

?Places like the northern mines, or the RCMP, like junior hockey players because of their discipline, leadership and the team modelling concept,? says Gawryliuk.

?We are becoming a sounding board for agencies interested in that,? added Gawryliuk, who noted that Lee Bitternose of the RCMP has been one to inquire about the program.

While Gawryliuk does the footwork for the players to get started in determining their future career path, he says it is up to the players to be diligent in seeking out opportunities.

?To get a scholarship you have to sell yourself and sell yourself on paper,? says Gawryliuk. ?We also encourage players to include video highlights (of themselves) to go with their packages and we tell players if the scouts don?t come knocking on your door, that is where they have to get to work and study what schools they would like to play for and also see which teams might need a player like them.?

Gawryliuk does try and visit most SJHL clubs, but when they come into Yorkton or Melville they can almost certainly expect a visit so as ?to give them a face to the name.?

There is no age restriction for any player to select any route although generally it is the younger players that seek out the scholarships and the older players who consider the vocational program.

The SJHL has put a strong emphasis on education and with Gawryliuk taking control of the program, it is very evident that the league will be highly recruited and the players will have a greater chance for success in the future.

Source: http://dustinscafe.blogspot.com/2012/10/sjhl-hitting-books.html

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Wall Street jumps on strong results; IBM, Intel off late

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday, giving the S&P 500 its best two-day advance in a month as strong earnings from Johnson & Johnson and other bellwether companies raised hopes for the rest of the U.S. reporting season.

Diversified U.S. healthcare company Johnson & Johnson also increased its full-year profit outlook. Its stock rose 1.4 percent to $69.55, helping the Dow Jones industrial average register its best day since September 13, when the Federal Reserve unveiled its third round of stimulus, or quantitative easing, known as "QE3."

Goldman Sachs earnings also beat expectations, its revenue more than doubled and it raised its quarterly dividend. But it earned less money from customers' trading, and the stock lost 1 percent to $123.22.

Goldman's results followed upbeat earnings from Citigroup Inc in the previous session. Shares of Citigroup jumped 1.6 percent to $37.25 on Tuesday after the surprising resignation of Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit. [ID:nL1E8LG467] An S&P financial-sector index <.gspf> rose 0.7 percent.

The reports were among a flood of results from 80 S&P 500 companies as the third-quarter earnings season picks up the pace. A spate of corporate warnings heading into the period raised worries that slower growth in Europe and China may be affecting corporate America more than previously thought.

"Financials have proven to be fairly good, and that has given the market a second push this week, compared to declines last week," said Mohannad Aama, managing director of Beam Capital Management LLC in New York.

"There may be a push upwards, depending on results, but we'll be waiting until economic indicators improve."

Overall S&P 500 companies' quarterly earnings still are expected to decline 2.3 percent from a year ago, but the forecast does mark a slight improvement from estimates last week, according to Thomson Reuters data.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> jumped 127.55 points, or 0.95 percent, to close at 13,551.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> advanced 14.79 points, or 1.03 percent, to finish at 1,454.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> rose 36.99 points, or 1.21 percent, to end at 3,101.17.

The S&P 500 has gained 1.8 percent in the last two days, rebounding from last week's slide of 2.2 percent. That was the benchmark index's worst week in four months.

After the bell, shares of International Business Machines Corp fell 3.3 percent to $204.10 following the release of its results. IBM closed at $211, up 1 percent.

Shares of Intel Corp also declined after the bell. Intel slipped 1.5 percent to $22.02 after the world's largest chipmaker forecast gross margins for the current quarter below expectations.

During the regular session, Coca-Cola Co shares slipped 0.6 percent to $37.90 after it reported a rise in earnings. The world's biggest soft drinks maker reported quarterly revenue that was short of Wall Street's expectations, hurt by declines in Europe and Asia.

Among other earnings reports, U.S. insurer UnitedHealth reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, but it gave a cautious outlook. Its shares fell 1.1 percent to $56.88.

Economic data showed the overall U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.6 percent in September as the cost of gasoline surged, posing a threat to consumers' spending power. On the other hand, inflation pressures looked unlikely to derail the Federal Reserve's ultra-easy policy path. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core CPI was up 0.1 percent - less than the forecast for a gain of 0.2 percent.

Volume was roughly 6.2 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, compared with the year-to-date average daily closing volume of 6.51 billion.

Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a ratio of slightly more than 3 to 1. On the Nasdaq, about two stocks rose for every one that fell.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Additional reporting by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-early-gains-094242429--finance.html

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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

How Does Google Works in SEO Purpose?

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Source: forums.digitalpoint.com --- Monday, October 15, 2012
Hello Webmasters, I want to deeply know more about How does Google Works for SEO Purpose? Means How Google Indexing, Crawling, Chache ? Googlebot, Google?s Web Crawler? Thanks !! ...

Source: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=2575208&goto=newpost&r=3f34

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Cell growth protein Ras forms a 'pair' on the cell membrane

Cell growth protein Ras forms a 'pair' on the cell membrane [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert
klaus.gerwert@bph.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
49-234-322-4461
Ruhr-University Bochum

Upright instead of horizontal

Bochum biophysicists in collaboration with the MPI Dortmund have for the first time measured the orientation of the Ras protein bound to the cell membrane. The RUB team combined the use of three biophysical methods - infrared spectroscopy, computer simulations and fluorescence measurements - and came to the surprising conclusion that two Ras molecules form a pair to take an upright position on the membrane. It was previously assumed, based on computer simulations, that the protein is located horizontally on the membrane as single molecule. Ras is the central "switch" for cell growth, and malfunction of this protein is an important factor in the development of cancer. "These results put a completely new light on the nano-cluster formation of Ras at the membrane," said Professor Dr. Klaus Gerwert from the RUB Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology. The study was chosen as the cover story for the Biophysical Journal.

Orientation affects protein interactions

The orientation of a protein affects its possible interactions with other proteins. "This is similar to comparing the situations of a guest being welcomed with open arms and the host lying on the couch during the greeting," illustrates Dr. Jrn Gldenhaupt, who conducted the orientation measurements. Few biophysical methods allow the protein orientation to be determined. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, which has been established by the Chair for Biophysics, is one of them.

Ras molecules are mutually supportive

The false assumption that Ras lies on the membrane was based on earlier computer simulations. Till Rudack from the Bochum research team also took a virtual look at Ras. The result: A single upright Ras molecule very quickly falls over and seems to lie on the membrane. "Something must have supported the Ras in our measurements," said Till Rudack. "And that could only be another Ras molecule that was not present in the simulation." In fact, further computer simulations of two mutually supportive Ras molecules yielded a stable upright orientation which would fit the experimental results.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer: a molecular yardstick

The team confirmed the results with another piece of experimental evidence using "FRET" (fluorescence resonance energy transfer). This is currently the best method for detecting interactions between two proteins. Here, researchers mark the Ras proteins with two different dyes. If the proteins interact, they are very close together so that energy is transferred from the one dye to the other. As with a yardstick, the distance between the proteins can be measured from the ratio of the transferred energy. For the Ras-Ras interaction, the biophysicists determined a distance of 4.6 nanometres, or millionths of a millimetre. This corresponded exactly to the distance they had predicted with their computer simulations for a "double-Ras".

Stronger in the group

Earlier studies had shown that Ras molecules are often concentrated in small groups. These so-called nano-clusters consist of four to ten Ras proteins. Up until now, it was assumed that other proteins have to mediate the formation of clusters. "We were able to demonstrate for the first time that Ras itself is actively involved," said Dr. Carsten Ktting, an Assistant Professor. The clustering is a great advantage for Ras. The proteins are able to pass on a signal more clearly in the group, i.e. with fewer errors. The SOS protein, for example, always transmits one signal simultaneously to two Ras molecules. If Ras is present in a double form (as a dimer), this step is much easier. An understanding of the stereo structure of Ras will allow us to adopt novel approaches in drug development. "So far, no drugs have been discovered which act directly on Ras," said Klaus Gerwert. "Ras is to be considered undruggable. The Ras-Ras interface could be a new starting point, however, in the development of Ras drugs."

###

Project grant

Financial support for the project has come from the Protein Research Department at RUB, from the State NRW as part of the Centre for Vibrational Microscopy (CVM) and from SFB 642 "GTP and ATP-dependent membrane processes" (Professor Gerwert is their spokesperson).

Bibliographic record

J. Gldenhaupt, T. Rudack, P. Bachler, D. Mann, G. Triola, H. Waldmann, C. Ktting, K. Gerwert (2012): N-Ras forms dimers at POPC membranes, Biophysical Journal, doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.08.043

Further information

Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert, Chair for Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at the Ruhr-Universitt, 44780 Bochum, Germany, Tel. +49/234/32-24461 klaus.gerwert@bph.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Cover Image of the Biophysical Journal

http://download.cell.com/images/journalimages/0006-3495/S0006349512X00201_covhighres.jpg

Editor: Dr. Julia Weiler


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

?


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


Cell growth protein Ras forms a 'pair' on the cell membrane [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert
klaus.gerwert@bph.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
49-234-322-4461
Ruhr-University Bochum

Upright instead of horizontal

Bochum biophysicists in collaboration with the MPI Dortmund have for the first time measured the orientation of the Ras protein bound to the cell membrane. The RUB team combined the use of three biophysical methods - infrared spectroscopy, computer simulations and fluorescence measurements - and came to the surprising conclusion that two Ras molecules form a pair to take an upright position on the membrane. It was previously assumed, based on computer simulations, that the protein is located horizontally on the membrane as single molecule. Ras is the central "switch" for cell growth, and malfunction of this protein is an important factor in the development of cancer. "These results put a completely new light on the nano-cluster formation of Ras at the membrane," said Professor Dr. Klaus Gerwert from the RUB Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology. The study was chosen as the cover story for the Biophysical Journal.

Orientation affects protein interactions

The orientation of a protein affects its possible interactions with other proteins. "This is similar to comparing the situations of a guest being welcomed with open arms and the host lying on the couch during the greeting," illustrates Dr. Jrn Gldenhaupt, who conducted the orientation measurements. Few biophysical methods allow the protein orientation to be determined. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, which has been established by the Chair for Biophysics, is one of them.

Ras molecules are mutually supportive

The false assumption that Ras lies on the membrane was based on earlier computer simulations. Till Rudack from the Bochum research team also took a virtual look at Ras. The result: A single upright Ras molecule very quickly falls over and seems to lie on the membrane. "Something must have supported the Ras in our measurements," said Till Rudack. "And that could only be another Ras molecule that was not present in the simulation." In fact, further computer simulations of two mutually supportive Ras molecules yielded a stable upright orientation which would fit the experimental results.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer: a molecular yardstick

The team confirmed the results with another piece of experimental evidence using "FRET" (fluorescence resonance energy transfer). This is currently the best method for detecting interactions between two proteins. Here, researchers mark the Ras proteins with two different dyes. If the proteins interact, they are very close together so that energy is transferred from the one dye to the other. As with a yardstick, the distance between the proteins can be measured from the ratio of the transferred energy. For the Ras-Ras interaction, the biophysicists determined a distance of 4.6 nanometres, or millionths of a millimetre. This corresponded exactly to the distance they had predicted with their computer simulations for a "double-Ras".

Stronger in the group

Earlier studies had shown that Ras molecules are often concentrated in small groups. These so-called nano-clusters consist of four to ten Ras proteins. Up until now, it was assumed that other proteins have to mediate the formation of clusters. "We were able to demonstrate for the first time that Ras itself is actively involved," said Dr. Carsten Ktting, an Assistant Professor. The clustering is a great advantage for Ras. The proteins are able to pass on a signal more clearly in the group, i.e. with fewer errors. The SOS protein, for example, always transmits one signal simultaneously to two Ras molecules. If Ras is present in a double form (as a dimer), this step is much easier. An understanding of the stereo structure of Ras will allow us to adopt novel approaches in drug development. "So far, no drugs have been discovered which act directly on Ras," said Klaus Gerwert. "Ras is to be considered undruggable. The Ras-Ras interface could be a new starting point, however, in the development of Ras drugs."

###

Project grant

Financial support for the project has come from the Protein Research Department at RUB, from the State NRW as part of the Centre for Vibrational Microscopy (CVM) and from SFB 642 "GTP and ATP-dependent membrane processes" (Professor Gerwert is their spokesperson).

Bibliographic record

J. Gldenhaupt, T. Rudack, P. Bachler, D. Mann, G. Triola, H. Waldmann, C. Ktting, K. Gerwert (2012): N-Ras forms dimers at POPC membranes, Biophysical Journal, doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.08.043

Further information

Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert, Chair for Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at the Ruhr-Universitt, 44780 Bochum, Germany, Tel. +49/234/32-24461 klaus.gerwert@bph.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Cover Image of the Biophysical Journal

http://download.cell.com/images/journalimages/0006-3495/S0006349512X00201_covhighres.jpg

Editor: Dr. Julia Weiler


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

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/rb-cgp101512.php

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