Friday, June 28, 2013

Celebration of special education work (From Daily Echo)

Celebration of special education work

SOUTHAMPTON is to be recognised for its ground-breaking work in improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.

Southampton City Council and NHS Southampton City PCT were awarded ?pathfinder? status by the Government in 2011, placing the city among the first in the country to start delivering reforms aimed at improving services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from birth through to age 25.

The SEND Pathfinder team will be holding a stakeholder event on Tuesday, July 2, from 1pm, at the Eastpoint Centre to celebrate the achievements of the city?s highly-regarded programme ahead of the national roll-out of new legislation next year.

Representatives from the Department for Education and the Council for Disabled Children will be delivering presentations at the event.

Southampton City Council?s Cabinet member for children?s services, Cllr Sarah Bogle, will also be attending alongside other councillors and senior managers, colleagues from the health service and the voluntary sector as well as parents and service users.

Recognition of Southampton?s work has included being asked to take on a regional and national ?champion? role to support other local authorities as they prepare for the implementation of the new legislation.

Cllr Bogle said: ?Southampton is leading the way nationally on innovative approaches to supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

?We need to treat every child as an individual and make sure our services meet their needs and those of their families.?

Source: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10512158.Celebration_of_special_education_work/

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Lithium reduces risk of suicide in people with mood disorders, review finds

June 27, 2013 ? The drug lithium is an effective treatment for reducing the risk of suicide and possibly deliberate self harm in people with mood disorders, finds an evidence review published today on bmj.com.

The authors say the drug "seems to reduce the risk of death and suicide by more than 60% compared with placebo" and suggest this review "reinforces lithium as an effective agent to reduce the risk of suicide in people with mood disorders."

Mood disorders are a leading cause of global disability. The two main types are unipolar disorder (often called clinical depression) and bipolar disorder (often called manic depression). Both are serious, long term conditions involving extreme mood swings, but people with bipolar depression also experience episodes of mania or hypomania.

People with a mood disorder have a 30 times greater risk of suicide than the general population. Treatment with mood stabilising drugs like lithium, anticonvulsants or antipsychotics can help keep mood within normal limits, but their role in suicide prevention is still uncertain.

So a team of researchers from the universities of Oxford, UK and Verona, Italy set out to assess whether lithium has a specific preventive effect for suicide and self harm in people with unipolar and bipolar mood disorders.

They reviewed and analysed the results of 48 randomised controlled trials involving 6,674 participants. The trials compared lithium with either placebo or active drugs in long term treatment for mood disorders.

Lithium was more effective than placebo in reducing the number of suicides and deaths from any cause, but no clear benefits were seen for lithium compared with placebo in preventing deliberate self harm.

When lithium was compared with each active individual treatment, a statistically significant difference was found only with carbamazepine for deliberate self harm. Overall, lithium tended to be generally better than the other active treatments, with small statistical variation between the results.

"This updated systematic review reinforces lithium as an effective agent to reduce the risk of suicide in people with mood disorders," say the authors.

They suggest that lithium may exert its anti-suicidal effects "by reducing relapse of mood disorder," but add "there is some evidence that lithium decreases aggression and possibly impulsivity, which might be another mechanism mediating the anti-suicidal effect."

They acknowledge that lithium has several side effects, but say clinicians "need to take a balanced view of the likely benefits and harm of lithium in the individual patient." And they conclude: "Understanding the mechanism by which lithium acts to decrease suicidal behaviour could lead to a better understanding of the neurobiology of suicide."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/WpJHeyMbXZU/130627190655.htm

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Senate approves Foxx to head Transportation Department

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Thursday voted 100-0 to approve Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx to head the U.S. Transportation Department, handing him the job as tight budgets are forcing lawmakers to rethink how to fund huge U.S. infrastructure needs.

The 42-year-old Foxx joins President Barack Obama's Cabinet after four years as mayor of the 17th-largest U.S. city and four years on the Charlotte city council.

Under his leadership, Charlotte was selected host city for the 2012 Democratic party convention, which propelled Obama to a second term in the White House and brought Foxx national fame.

He now will oversee a department with about 53,000 full-time employees and over $72 billion in budget authority. In addition, over 12 million Americans are employed in transportation-related jobs that could be affected by decisions Foxx makes.

Foxx is the third member of Obama's second-term Cabinet approved in the past two weeks with broad bipartisan support, unlike the battle over approval of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary.

The Senate voted 97 to 1 on Tuesday to approve Chicago billionaire businesswoman Penny Pritzker to be commerce secretary and voted 93 to 4 last week to give Obama's international economic affairs adviser Mike Froman the job of U.S. trade representative. Hagel, in contrast, was approved 58-41 after an acrimonious confirmation battle.

Two other Obama cabinet nominees - Tom Perez to head the Department of Labor and Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency - face a rough ride in the Senate.

Perez, who is currently assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, was barely approved in committee by a 12-10 vote, with Republicans all voting no.

McCarthy, who heads EPA's air and radiation office, was approved in committee by a 10-8 party line vote, and Republican opposition has been intensified by Obama's announcement this week of plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants.

Foxx will succeed current Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a Republican and former member of Congress who has spent much of his adult life in Washington.

He has promised to continue LaHood's focus on safety, including a program to reduce distracted driving, while working with Congress and the transportation community to find new ways of funding highway projects and other infrastructure needs.

A recent study from the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated the United States needs to spend $2.75 trillion by 2020 to maintain and improve highways and other important infrastructure. That's roughly 66 percent more than the $1.66 trillion in expected funding over that period.

For decades, Congress has relied on the federal gasoline tax to fund highway projects, but that is seen as an increasingly ineffective way of raising revenue because rising fuel efficiency means less gas is sold. The gas tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon and has not been raised since 1993.

Congress will confront the issue again next year when the current two-year highway bill expires.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Vicki Allen and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-approves-foxx-head-transportation-department-160819748.html

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

New bird species discovered in Cambodian capital

(AP) ? Scientists say they've discovered a new species of bird in Cambodia, not in some remote jungle but in the country's capital.

A statement released Wednesday by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society said the wren-sized Cambodian tailorbird lives in dense, humid lowland scrub in Phnom Penh and other locations just outside the city.

The bird is gray in color with a brownish-red cap and black throat. The statement said only one other bird species is unique to Cambodia, the Cambodian laughingthrush, found only in the remote Cardamom mountain range.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-06-26-Cambodia-Bird%20Discovered/id-d3eba314c74a40adaa7ce50c45f57cce

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Tammy Duckworth's Impassioned Shaming of a Faux-Disabled Vet (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/315615104?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

$99 Ouya Android game console launches, already sold out at Amazon

BEIJING (Reuters) - A U.S. businessman held captive by about 100 workers in a Beijing factory said on Wednesday he was hopeful of a resolution to a row about pay in the next day or two. Chip Starnes, president of the Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies, said from behind his barred office window that the workers were demanding severance packages identical to those offered to 30 recently laid off employees - even though there weren't going to be any more layoffs. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/99-ouya-android-game-console-launches-already-sold-001532961.html

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Judge rules police calls relevant to Trayvon Martin murder case

By Tom Brown and Barbara Liston

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida judge ruled on Wednesday that jurors in the murder trial of George Zimmerman should hear telephone calls the neighborhood watch volunteer made to police in the months before he killed the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

"Defense objection to relevancy is denied, the tapes will come into evidence," Seminole County Circuit Judge Debra Nelson said.

Prosecutors say the calls, in which Zimmerman reported what he described as suspicious activity by black men, demonstrated "profiling" and were key to understanding the defendant's state of mind on February 26, 2012 when he called police to report Martin, minutes before shooting him in the chest at point-blank range.

Defense attorneys have objected to the use of the tapes in the trial, describing the phone calls made between August 2011 and February 2012 as "irrelevant," and contending that they would tell jurors nothing about Zimmerman's thinking on the night he shot the 17-year-old Martin.

At the time of the killing, Zimmerman, 29, and part Hispanic, was a neighborhood watch coordinator in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community in Sanford, Florida.

He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and could face life imprisonment if convicted.

The killing of Martin and the decision by police not to arrest Zimmerman for six weeks sparked protests and complaints about what many see as racial bias in law enforcement in this central Florida town and in major cities across the country.

To win a conviction for second-degree murder, the prosecution must convince jurors that Zimmerman acted with "ill will, hatred, spite or an evil intent," and "an indifference to human life," according to Florida jury instructions.

In four of the Zimmerman phone calls, played in court on Tuesday before jurors were called into court, Zimmerman can be heard reporting what he describes as suspicious behavior by various black men, using words or phrases similar to those he used to report Martin to the police.

"They typically run away quickly," he said in one call, referring to two men whom he said matched the description of suspects in a recent neighborhood burglary.

The six jurors and four alternates hearing the case were selected last week, and opening statements began on Monday.

In a surprise announcement on Wednesday, Nelson said one of the alternate jurors, identified as a male known only as B-72, had been dismissed "for reasons totally unrelated to this case."

The six-member panel of acting jurors who will decide Zimmerman's fate are all women, five of whom are white and one Hispanic.

Martin, who was a student at a Miami-area high school, was staying with one of the homeowners at the gated community in Sanford when he was killed. He was walking back to the house when he encountered Zimmerman.

In opening statements on Monday, the prosecution portrayed Zimmerman as a man with a concealed weapon who committed a vigilante-style killing, while Zimmerman's defense team laid out the self-defense argument.

Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which was approved in 2005 and has since been copied by about 30 other states, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-rules-police-calls-relevant-trayvon-martin-murder-134911688.html

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Carnival sees fewer bookings, replaces its CEO

NEW YORK (AP) ? Passengers remain hesitant to book cruises, despite deep discounts. But that didn't stop Carnival Corp. from eking out a $41 million second-quarter profit thanks to lower fuel costs and the timing of some administrative expenses.

The Miami-based company also announced Tuesday that Micky Arison, who has been CEO since 1979 and is the son of Carnival co-founder Ted Arison, is being replaced by Arnold W. Donald, who has served on the company's board for the past 12 years. Arison will continue to serve as chairman of the board.

The profit was nearly triple the $14 million the world's largest cruise company earned during same period last year, a quarter which it suffered from steep losses on fuel prices bets known as derivatives.

Earnings totaled of 5 cents per share this quarter, up from 2 cents a share last year at this time. Revenue fell 1.7 percent to $3.48 billion. The financial results fell slightly short of Wall Street's expectations. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected earnings of 6 cents per share on revenue of $3.56 billion.

Shares of Carnival fell 11 cents to $32.88 in morning trading.

Arison led the company through an aggressive expansion that included the acquisition of several brands, including Holland America, Costa Cruises, Cunard and Seabourn. In 2003, he oversaw a merger between Carnival Corp. and P&O Princess Cruises. Today, Carnival runs cruises under 10 brands.

However, Arison came under fire during Carnival's bad publicity earlier in the year when a string of its cruise ships suffered through mechanical problems and fires. The most dramatic of them was the Carnival Triumph where passengers were stranded at sea for five days as toilets backed up and air conditioners failed. There were media reports of raw sewage seeping through walls and carpets.

Arison, who also owns the Miami Heat basketball team, took some heat of his own for attending a game while the crisis was ongoing.

Donald founded and led Merisant, a company whose products include sweetener brands Equal and Canderel. He also held multiple senior management roles at Monsanto over the course of 20-plus years, including president of the company's consumer and nutrition sector and president of its agricultural sector.

The Triumph nightmare was followed up with problems on three other Carnival ships: The Elation, Dream and Legend ? all which made big headlines.

None of that helped restore confidence in vacationers who are still wary after the January 2012 sinking of the Costa Concordia, also owned by Carnival.

In its earnings release Tuesday, Carnival said that advance bookings for the rest of 2013 are running behind last year's levels, even at lower prices. Bookings on its namesake Carnival line are particularly weak.

Arison said in a statement that Carnival is working to market the "truly exceptional vacation values" that cruises offer through travel agents and other industry partners.

"We believe these initiatives, combined with slower supply growth, will lead to increased yields," he said. "In addition, we remain focused on reducing our fuel dependence. By year end, we will achieve a 23 percent cumulative reduction in fuel consumption since 2005 and expect our research and development efforts in fuel saving technologies to continue to bear fruit."

Those fuel-savings efforts seem to be paying off. In the quarter that ended May 31, the company saw a 14-percent drop in its fuel bill. The company spent $555 million on fuel, down from $645 million during the same quarter last year. Cruise companies, airlines and other large consumers of fuel typically make bets, called derivatives, on the price of oil to hedge again any sudden spikes. Last year, Carnival lost $145 million in the second quarter on such bets. This year, that loss was narrowed to $31 million.

During the second quarter, the company took delivery of Princess Cruises' 3,560-passenger Royal Princess, the first of a new class of ships for Princess. Additionally, Carnival Sunshine entered service in May following a $155 million modernization.

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Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/carnival-sees-fewer-bookings-replaces-ceo-141836593.html

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What is the best cruise ship for first-time cruisers? | CruiseSource

I have plenty of friends who have yet to go on a cruise vacation.? Not surprising due to the fact that about 70% of the US still has not been on a cruise vacation.

They each have their own reasons for not trying it out yet from thinking there is not enough to do on a cruise ship to concerns about motion sickness. ?Plus many of my friends seem to have stuck with their childhood family vacation traditions like renting a beach house for a week in the summer.

But, after hearing from their friends how their recent cruise experience or seeing their friends cruise photos on Facebook my cruise rookie friends start asking me questions about what would be a good cruise for them to test-out to see if cruising is for them.

When they say ?test-out?, they are saying ?what is a short 3 to 4 day cruise that we can go on to see what this whole cruising thing is all about.?

The issue is that most 3 to 5 night cruises are on slightly older ships that are not a true representation of what cruising is all about in 2013.? ?The cruise lines have pushed the envelope over the last 5 years with innovative new ships that are engineering masterpieces.

The cruise lines deploy their newest most innovative ships on 7+ night cruise vacation, with the exception of Royal Caribbean?s Liberty of the Seas.??Making the Liberty of the Seas my top recommendation for 1st time cruisers. ?[Help spread the word to first-time cruisers]

The Liberty of the Seas was launched in 2007. Although 6 years old, there are only a few cruise ships larger than the Liberty of the Seas.? ?The Liberty of the Seas offers:

  • Rock-climbing wall
  • Ice-skating rink
  • Mini-golf course
  • Full-sized basketball court
  • Full-sized boxing ring
  • 4 pools
  • 10 Whirlpools, with 2 of them overlooking the ocean
  • State of the Art Fitness facility offering Yoga and Tai Chi classes.

The Liberty of the Seas is the largest, most innovative cruise ship offering 4 ? 5 night cruises.? ?From November 2013 ? April 2014, the Liberty of the Seas will be sailing from Ft Lauderdale on 4 and 5 night Caribbean Voyages starting at low as $259+ taxes per person*!? ??Click to search for rates and availability.?

90% of the time, I try to get my first time cruising friends on the Liberty of the Seas. ?For some families with a bigger budget, I find the 3 ? 4 nt. Disney Dream Cruise to be great place to start.

*$259 per person rate is on the 4 night December 12th, 2013 departure of the Liberty of the Seas.?

Click Liberty of the Seas photos below to enlarge:

Captain Surfing Flowrider

Captain Surfing Flowrider

Pool Deck

Pool Deck

Full Court Basketball

Full Court Basketball

Ice Skating with the Kids

Ice Skating with the Kids

Liberty of the Seas exterior photo

Photo of balconies by ade_rob

Liberty of the Seas vwaagan1 on Instagram

Credit: roger4336 on Flickr

Credit: roger4336 on Flickr

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Source: http://cruisesource.us/2013/06/best-ship-for-first-time-cruisers/

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Fujifilm X-M1 mirrorless ILC ships in July with 16.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, $700 price tag

Fujifilm XM1 mirrorless ILC ships in July with 163megapixel APSC sensor, $700 price tag

In January of 2012, Fujifilm first detailed its APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor -- the company promised superior image quality, thanks to a design that omitted an optical low-pass filter, and it delivered, in the form of the X-Pro1. That camera's relatively massive footprint and $1,700 price tag limited its appeal, however, though Fujifilm unveiled a smaller, and much more affordable variant, the X-E1, several months later. Now the saga continues. Today, the Japanese manufacturer is announcing an X-Trans-equipped model for the masses. The X-M1 includes the same 16.3-megapixel sensor as both the X-Pro1 and X-E1, yet it's housed in a lightweight body that's due to ship next month for just $700.

The X-M1 tips the scale at 11.6 ounces, including the battery and memory card, but without a lens attached. As for optics, the ILC will be available as part of a kit with a brand new f/3.5-5.6 16-50mm (24-76mm equivalent) lens with optical image stabilization for $800, and will be compatible with the existing XF and XC lineup, including a variety of prime and zoom options. There's a 3-inch 920k-dot tilting LCD (but no EVF), a built-in flash, dedicated mode dial and on-board WiFi, letting you transfer images and movies to Android and iOS devices via a dedicated app. The EXR Processor II enables the camera to start up in 0.5 seconds, with a 0.05-second shutter lag and a maximum burst shot speed of 5.6 fps for 30 consecutive frames. The cam sports a fairly standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-25,600. The X-M1 is set to hit stores in July with black and silver finishes for $700, or $800 with the lens. A brown version (body only) will also be available come August for $700.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/FzypGpb1swc/

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Feeling stressed? Oxytocin could help you reach out to others for support

June 25, 2013 ? The next time someone snubs you at a party and you think hiding is the solution to escape your feelings of rejection, think again. Scientists have shown that reaching out to other people during a stressful event is an effective way to improve your mood, and researchers at Concordia University suggest that the hormone oxytocin may help you accomplish just that.

Mark Ellenbogen and Christopher Cardoso, researchers in Concordia's Centre for Research in Human Development are taking a closer look at oxytocin, a hormone traditionally studied for its role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and more recently for its effect on social behaviour. Their latest study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, shows that oxytocin can increase a person's trust in others following social rejection.

Explains Ellenbogen, "that means that instead of the traditional 'fight or flight' response to social conflict where people get revved up to respond to a challenge or run away from it, oxytocin may promote the 'tend and befriend' response where people reach out to others for support after a stressful event. That can, in turn, strengthen social bonds and may be a healthier way to cope."

In a double-blind experiment, 100 students were administered either oxytocin or a placebo via a nasal spray, then subjected to social rejection. In a conversation that was staged to simulate real life, researchers posing as students disagreed with, interrupted and ignored the unsuspecting participants. Using mood and personality questionnaires, the data showed that participants who were particularly distressed after being snubbed by the researchers reported greater trust in other people if they sniffed oxytocin prior to the event, but not if they sniffed the placebo. In contrast, oxytocin had no effect on trust in those who were not emotionally affected by social rejection.

Cardoso, who is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology, says that studying oxytocin may provide future options for those who suffer from mental health conditions characterized by high levels of stress and low levels of social support, like depression. "If someone is feeling very distressed, oxytocin could promote social support seeking, and that may be especially helpful to those individuals," he says, noting that people with depression tend to naturally withdraw even though reaching out to social support systems can alleviate depression and facilitate recovery.

For Ellenbogen, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Developmental Psychopathology, the contribution of stress the development of mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder has long been a research focus. "I'm concerned with the biological underpinnings of stress, particularly interpersonal stress, which is thought to be a strong predictor of these mental disorders. So, oxytocin is a natural fit with my interests," says Ellenbogen. "The next phase of research will begin to study oxytocin's effects in those who are at high risk for developing clinical depression."

Cardoso says reactions to oxytocin seem to be more variable depending on individual differences and contextual factors than most pharmaceuticals, so learning more about how the hormone operates can help scientists to figure out how it might be used in future treatments.

"Previous studies have shown that natural oxytocin is higher in distressed people, but before this study nobody could say with certainty why that was the case," Cardoso says, "In distressed people, oxytocin may improve one's motivation to reach out to others for support. That idea is cause for a certain degree of excitement, both in the research community and for those who suffer from mood disorders."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/bFfgd4haaRI/130625092003.htm

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Somehow This WWII Mickey Mouse Gas Mask Was Supposed to Be Less Creepy

Somehow This WWII Mickey Mouse Gas Mask Was Supposed to Be Less Creepy

Sometimes parents have to explain things to their kids in more child-friendly terms. During World War II, that meant outfitting a child with a weird Mickey Mouse gas mask.

It was 1942, just about a month after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Fearing imminent chemical attack on American soil, the government issued thousands of gas mask to civilians. But the smallest citizens couldn't fit into the regulation-sized masks. They were too heavy and too big. Plus, aren't those things scary?

Somehow This WWII Mickey Mouse Gas Mask Was Supposed to Be Less Creepy

Well, while the Mickey Mouse mask might have soothed children, it was possibly scarier for mom and dad. Designed to fit kids 18 months to four years old, the mask was supposed to be worn as a sort of game, to take away some of the fear out of a chemical attack. Although, the masks probably weren't supposed to be so freaky. Sure, a child might be safer. But a mother might look at her toddler and think the real enemy was not the Axis powers across the ocean, but the tiny human with the head of a cartoon mouse with a perma-grin sitting in her lap.

Anyway, with Disney's approval, Sun Rubber Company produced 1,000 of these strange masks in 1942. In 1944, it actually won the Army-Navy E for Excellence for producing them. Sun was supposed to make other versions of the pint-sized mask featuring other cartoon characters later on, but for whatever reason never did.

Somehow This WWII Mickey Mouse Gas Mask Was Supposed to Be Less Creepy

There aren't very many surviving Mouseketeer masks?one belongs to the U.S. Army Chemical Museum at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. There's another one at the 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City, and there's another prototype at the Disney Archives in Burbank. But otherwise, these eerie pictures are the only evidence of the odd relic of WWII. [GasMaskLexikon, AtlasObscoura]

Image credit: AP, Allison Meier/Atlas Obscura

Source: http://gizmodo.com/somehow-this-wwii-mickey-mouse-gas-mask-was-supposed-to-562233743

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Monday, June 24, 2013

91% Frances Ha

All Critics (100) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (91) | Rotten (9)

It's a tribute to Gerwig's performance, somehow both clumsy and elegant, that she wins us over despite ourselves, that we come to appreciate her aimlessness in a goal-oriented society ...

This is an odd film (creepier than it knows), and even if you feel the atmospheric company of Dunham-ism, with a little of Whit Stillman, Henry Jaglom, and Woody Allen, the core influence on Noah Baumbach's film is fifty years older or more.

Baumbach usually builds his films around difficult protagonists, but Frances is entirely endearing, at once silly and deep, hopeless and promising.

The dialogue and editing are zippy and generally charming, combining with the tart observations of 20-something culture to create a nice frisson.

A black-and-white salute to the French New Wave (the score is borrowed from Georges Delerue, composer of many a Truffaut and Godard film) that manages to be very much of this moment ...

The movie's a love letter to an actress and her character, but by the end you may feel like an intervention is more in order.

As long as you remember to laugh, Frances Ha is a tolerable experience. Forget the "ha ha" and Frances Ha is beyond unbearable. I found this an odd and often frustrating truth, but it's what makes Noah Baumbach's new movie a success.

Gerwig keeps you on side and rooting for Frances to get her act together in what becomes an affectionate salute to messy lives, an endearing underachiever and a New York state of mind.

Don't be fooled by Frances with all her feigned insecurity and branding of herself as "undateable" and predicting she'll be a lonely spinster. She's a psychopath.

Gerwig's deft screwball timing turns every disaster into a grace note. This may be a comedy of awkwardness, but rather than curl, your toes will tap.

A refreshing amount of buoyancy to dance and charm its way through Quarter-Life Crisis territory. One of the best performances of Greta Gerwig's career to date

Frances Ha is a sympathetic but not uncritical depiction of a girl's gradual evolution into a woman; one that never condescends by forcing her to abandon all her quirks and impish qualities in the final act... An absolute delight, this is.

Indie darling Gerwig has a great deal to do with the picture's success: she's disarmingly likable...

There's a level of audacity beneath the lightweight whimsy in this unassuming low-budget comedy.

"Frances Ha makes a star out of Gerwig, and she's the kind of star we need: a goofy one we can feel tender about but never underestimate."

'I can't account for my own bruises,' Frances says, as if she were a clumsy kid with an adult's vocabulary. Does the remark refer to more than the abrasions on her skin?

A celebration of cinema, New York City and the distinctive charms of actress Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha was co-written by Gerwig and its director, Noah Baumbach, and it's the best film either has made.

There's a thin line between comedy and tragedy, and Greta Gerwig walks it remarkably well.

There's depth and realism in the way Frances Ha shows aspiration versus reality.

Gerwig, beyond a doubt, is immeasurably appealing, and Frances Ha is tailor-made to showcase her gifts better than anything she's ever been in.

...if you hold your nose and simply wallow through the stench of self-aggrandizement, you'll be rewarded with an experience that will actually tug on your emotions.

Frances Ha provides a sharp, fleet, and very funny look at female friendship and the acceptance of adult responsibilities.

This is very minimalist storytelling much of which feels improvised in front of the camera. The film is more of a character situation than a character story.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/frances_ha_2013/

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ECB's Asmussen calls for stronger European institutions

BERLIN (Reuters) - European Central Bank policymaker Joerg Asmussen said on Sunday that closer integration within Europe called for European Union institutions - in particular its parliament - to be strengthened to ensure democratic control and accountability.

"The increasing level of integration within Europe calls for a new institutional design to ensure legitimization, accountability and democratic control," the German ECB Executive Board member said at an event organized by the Kiel institute for the World Economy.

Asmussen said governments should ensure national parliaments were appropriately informed and involved in European decision procedures. But often, decisions with the European Union's common interest could only be made at a supranational level.

"Therefore European institutions should be strengthened, in particular the European Parliament which could maybe also convene in a euro area format," he said.

Germany's weekly Der Spiegel wrote on Sunday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was sounding increasingly skeptical about more power being accrued in Brussels.

In an article entitled "The Turnaround", Der Spiegel wrote that, at a summit of the European People's Party in Vienna this week, Merkel gave the impression that she felt there was already too much Europe. In the past, she has said that there is a need for "more Europe, not less".

Der Spiegel wrote that while Merkel's Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble would like to see the head of the European Commission directly elected, Merkel was not so sure.

"I am hesitant about this," she was quoted as saying. The magazine said Merkel felt it would be good for balance within the institutions for state and government heads to also be involved in this decision.

Asmussen said in his speech on Sunday that Europe needed to "complete with great urgency the banking union".

According to a copy of his speech, Asmussen said Europe needed to make a strong commitment towards a single resolution mechanism, to enable a smooth winding down of banks, especially those with large cross-border activities.

Banking union would also need to entail a strong Single Resolution Authority as well as a Single Resolution Fund.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecbs-asmussen-calls-stronger-european-institutions-114712586.html

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Driver dies in 24 Hours of Le Mans race | Other Sports | The Seattle ...

Originally published June 22, 2013 at 9:36 AM | Page modified June 22, 2013 at 4:34 PM

Allan Simonsen's death after a spinout cast a pall over the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The race still had more than 23 1/2 hours to go, but there was no call to stop it on Saturday after the first driver fatality in 16 years.

Simonsen's partner Carina, the mother to their daughter born last year, made sure of that.

It was her "specific request" that Simonsen's team, Aston Martin Racing, continue the world's most renowned endurance race in honor of the Dane.

Just 10 minutes into the race, Simonsen spun and skidded into the barrier at the Tertre Rouge corner where cars typically reach speeds of up to 105 mph. The 34-year-old Simonsen was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries, race organizers said.

The violence of the impact showed as a tire from Simonsen's car rolled on the track while a door hung wide open. The race was held up for nearly an hour to repair the guard rail.

"Tragically, and despite the best efforts of the emergency services in attendance, Allan's injuries proved fatal," Aston Martin said in a statement.

Simonsen's death marked the first driver fatality since 1997 when Sebastien Enjolras was killed in pre-qualifying. The last driver fatality during the race was Jo Gartner in 1986.

Simonsen was participating for the seventh time at the endurance race, which is won by the team that completes the most laps in 24 hours with up to three drivers alternating. He finished second in the GT2 class at Le Mans three years ago. He clocked the fastest time in qualifying on Thursday in the GTE-Am class.

Jean Todt, the FIA president, and Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest which organizes the race, paid tribute to Simonsen.

"Allan was an extremely talented and experienced sportscar driver who had raced in every corner of the world and was highly respected by his peers and his team," they said in a joint statement. "For many in endurance racing, Allan was above all a good friend who displayed his passion for racing on and off the track. His loss will be felt by the FIA, the ACO and the greater motorsport family."

Simonsen and Danish co-drivers Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard were leading the GTE-Am class in the world endurance championship after topping their category at Silverstone in April and finishing second in Spa-Francorchamps last month.

"Aston Martin Racing will not make any further comment until the precise circumstances of the accident have been determined," Simonsen's team said.

Toyota Racing team president Yoshiaki Kinoshita expressed his condolences, along with drivers from around the world.

Formula One driver Jenson Button tweeted: "Allan Simonsen RIP. Such a tragic loss. A true fighter & a true racer. Safety is something we need 2 improve on in Motorsport."

IndyCar Series leader Helio Castroneves tweeted: "Very sad to know about the fatal accident of Allan Simonsen on Le Mans today. Praying for him and (his) family."

Another IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan tweeted: "Such a tragic news on the passing of (at)AllanSimonsen. Sad day in motorsports again. Thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/sports/2021247052_apcarlemansdriverdeath.html

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Soprano talks of her 'sabbatical' from opera

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Her character Antonia literally sings herself to death in Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann," but in real life Natalie Dessay says her own upcoming break from opera is not so irrevocable.

"I'm going to take a sabbatical, and then we'll see," the French soprano said in an interview. "The truth is my repertoire is shrinking. I'm not a young woman anymore, so I don't feel adequate for roles where I'm the girl in love for the first time. I don't want to eternally redo Lucia or Ophelie or even Manon. I want some new challenges."

So after the curtain falls on her last performance in "Hoffmann" at the San Francisco Opera on July 6, Dessay will vanish for a time from American opera stages. Her last scheduled operatic performances anywhere are in Massenet's "Manon" this fall in Toulouse, France.

After that, no opera, at least through 2015. But that hardly means Dessay is giving up singing. She has several concert tours planned with pianist Philippe Cassard, who will accompany her in songs by, among others, Clara Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Duparc. She also will tour with Michel Legrand, using a microphone while singing works by a composer known for his popular songs and jazz.

"So I won't be doing opera ? but I will be doing things to earn money," Dessay said.

And she'd like to fulfill a lifelong dream by breaking into theater. In fact, she started out as a drama student. Singing came about almost by accident because she had to do some for a role in a student play, and "people said, 'Oh, you have a nice voice.'"

That nice voice ? agile and bell-like up to the soprano stratosphere ? catapulted her to international stardom in the early 1990s in such comic roles as Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" and the mechanical doll Olympia in "Tales of Hoffmann."

More serious dramatic parts followed ? the title role in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Ophelie in Thomas' "Hamlet" and Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata."

But now, at age 48, she no longer can manage the highest notes, and her voice never grew big enough for heavier lyric roles like Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme."

"For example, I'd like to be able to do Blanche (the heroine of Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites"), but that's not for my voice," she said. "It would be possible in a small hall, but in a big house it's not a good idea. I've done Melisande (in Debussy's "Pelleas and Melisande") in a small house, but I couldn't do it at the Metropolitan Opera."

Still, based on her performance as Antonia on Thursday night, Dessay seems an unlikely candidate for early retirement from the opera stage. Vocally she sounded in fine shape, her delicate soprano perhaps a bit small for the role but fitting perfectly with her character's fragile state. And dramatically she was as compelling as ever.

One casualty of her planned time away from opera is the role of the emotionally unstable Elvira in Bellini's "I Puritani." She had agreed to do it in Paris and at the Met, but ended up canceling both engagements.

"The music is wonderful, but I just don't see myself playing her," she said. "She becomes crazy in exactly 30 seconds, then she's not crazy anymore, then she's crazy again.

"I mean, the libretto is really too stupid," she said, wrinkling her nose.

A new part she is considering after her sabbatical is the wily maid Despina in Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte." It might seem a surprising choice, since it's by no means the lead role in the opera.

"The Met offered it to me, and I think it's a good idea," she said. "It's maybe not that interesting to sing, but it would be wonderful to play."

The role she most regrets never performing is the title character in Berg's atonal masterpiece "Lulu."

"I couldn't learn it," she said. "It's just horribly long. Musically, I'm not a good reader. And I don't have perfect pitch. It would have taken me two years."

Even though she'll be doing concert tours, Dessay is looking forward to spending more time at home in France with her family ? husband bass-baritone Laurent Nouri and their two teenage children. As of June, she had been on the road non-stop since February.

"I think they are very happy, because they will see me more," she said, adding with a smile, "of course, they may regret that after a few months."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soprano-talks-her-sabbatical-opera-145442429.html

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Risk factors affect the incidence of childhood pneumonia in modern urban apartment?

Risk factors affect the incidence of childhood pneumonia in modern urban apartment? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: QIAN Hua
Keenwa@gmail.com
Science China Press

Childhood pneumonia is the leading causes of death among children in China and worldwide. Using coal or wood as cooking fuel in rural area was considered as major cause of Pneumonia. However, the incidence of childhood pneumonia is still high in urban modern cities. Which home risk factors affect the incidence of childhood pneumonia in modern urban apartment? Professor Hua QIAN and his group from School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University set out to research this problem. A recent study found that the risk factors in indoor environment typical of modern apartments in China related to pneumonia among children. Their work, entitled "Home risk factors for childhood pneumonia in Nanjing, China", was published in CHINESE SCIENCE Bulletin.2013.

The study is part of the China, Child, Home, and Health (CCHH) project, which is investigating associations between home indoor environmental factors and children's health. This is a population-based cross-sectional study. The survey was performed and completed from December 2010 to March 2011 in Nanjing. Twenty-three kindergartens were randomly selected in the 11 districts. No kindergartens were selected in the 2 counties. Total 6461 questionnaires were distributed and 4014 properly filled-out questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 65.7%. The response rate was 61.8%, 68.4% and 82.0% for kindergartens in urban, suburban, and industrial areas respectively.

Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS for Windows. Binary logistic models were used to test associations between home environmental exposure, building characteristics, life style and the risk of pneumonia infections. For those factors that reached significance in binary analysis, a multivariate logistic model was applied to calculate adjusted odds ratios for pneumonia infections. Step forward elimination techniques were used in the multivariate logistic regression model.

This study investigated the association between childhood pneumonia and indoor environment factors in modern homes. The pneumonia incidence is found to be high in Nanjing. Lack of ventilation, gas as cooking fuel, dampness, new furniture, "modern" floor and wall covering materials showed significant associations with the incidence of pneumonia. Other factors such as family allergy, child care by non-parents, other respiratory diseases were also reported to be associated with pneumonia. In summary, modern life style and home environment play an important role in developing pneumonia infections among children in Nanjing.

###

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51008063). This research will make contributions towards how to prevent pneumonia infection in children. In addition, it has important scientific references when the parents choose indoor decoration materials, living environment and so on.

See the article: ZHENG XiaoHong, QIAN Hua, ZHAO YiLi, SHEN HongPing, ZHAO Zhuohui, SUN YueXia& SUNDELL Jan. Home risk factors for childhood pneumonia in Nanjing, Science Bulletin, 2013. http://csb.scichina.com:8080/kxtb/CN/abstract/abstract510535.shtml

Science China Press Co., Ltd. (SCP) is a scientific journal publishing company of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). For 50 years, SCP takes its mission to present to the world the best achievements by Chinese scientists on various fields of natural sciences researches.


[ 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.


Risk factors affect the incidence of childhood pneumonia in modern urban apartment? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 22-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: QIAN Hua
Keenwa@gmail.com
Science China Press

Childhood pneumonia is the leading causes of death among children in China and worldwide. Using coal or wood as cooking fuel in rural area was considered as major cause of Pneumonia. However, the incidence of childhood pneumonia is still high in urban modern cities. Which home risk factors affect the incidence of childhood pneumonia in modern urban apartment? Professor Hua QIAN and his group from School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University set out to research this problem. A recent study found that the risk factors in indoor environment typical of modern apartments in China related to pneumonia among children. Their work, entitled "Home risk factors for childhood pneumonia in Nanjing, China", was published in CHINESE SCIENCE Bulletin.2013.

The study is part of the China, Child, Home, and Health (CCHH) project, which is investigating associations between home indoor environmental factors and children's health. This is a population-based cross-sectional study. The survey was performed and completed from December 2010 to March 2011 in Nanjing. Twenty-three kindergartens were randomly selected in the 11 districts. No kindergartens were selected in the 2 counties. Total 6461 questionnaires were distributed and 4014 properly filled-out questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 65.7%. The response rate was 61.8%, 68.4% and 82.0% for kindergartens in urban, suburban, and industrial areas respectively.

Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS for Windows. Binary logistic models were used to test associations between home environmental exposure, building characteristics, life style and the risk of pneumonia infections. For those factors that reached significance in binary analysis, a multivariate logistic model was applied to calculate adjusted odds ratios for pneumonia infections. Step forward elimination techniques were used in the multivariate logistic regression model.

This study investigated the association between childhood pneumonia and indoor environment factors in modern homes. The pneumonia incidence is found to be high in Nanjing. Lack of ventilation, gas as cooking fuel, dampness, new furniture, "modern" floor and wall covering materials showed significant associations with the incidence of pneumonia. Other factors such as family allergy, child care by non-parents, other respiratory diseases were also reported to be associated with pneumonia. In summary, modern life style and home environment play an important role in developing pneumonia infections among children in Nanjing.

###

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51008063). This research will make contributions towards how to prevent pneumonia infection in children. In addition, it has important scientific references when the parents choose indoor decoration materials, living environment and so on.

See the article: ZHENG XiaoHong, QIAN Hua, ZHAO YiLi, SHEN HongPing, ZHAO Zhuohui, SUN YueXia& SUNDELL Jan. Home risk factors for childhood pneumonia in Nanjing, Science Bulletin, 2013. http://csb.scichina.com:8080/kxtb/CN/abstract/abstract510535.shtml

Science China Press Co., Ltd. (SCP) is a scientific journal publishing company of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). For 50 years, SCP takes its mission to present to the world the best achievements by Chinese scientists on various fields of natural sciences researches.


[ 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/2013-06/scp-rfa062113.php

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How To Find The Right Teacher In Martial Arts | Content for Reprint

Author: Andrew Toth | Total views: 59 Comments: 0
Word Count: 1050 Date:

It goes without saying that not all teachers (of any subject) are equal and that is probably multiplied to the nth degree in the martial arts which doesn't allow for standardization to quite the same degree as other subjects might. There are of course ongoing attempts at standardization and classification but the martial arts are still very much of a melting pot and one is often left wondering who is teaching what and where did it come from.

Enter the beginner?

Given this prodigious output of styles and teachers, how is a beginner, who knows virtually nothing about the martial arts?how is such a person to find the right teacher?

And is that the right question?

Maybe there is no "right" teacher. Maybe the right teacher for me is not the right teacher for you.

So it can get a bit complicated?

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Questions such as these simply do not arise for most people. They join their neighborhood club, pay their fees, get graded a few times, get a nice colored belt maybe even a trophy or two, tell their friends they are a brown belt in such and such a style and?that is all they want. And I'm not here to argue with that, but?

If you're real serious, if martial arts is your reason for living, you will need to find the Right Teacher and that means that you will have to do some serious searching. Both internally and externally.

Why?

Because the Right Teacher will not appear miraculously on the horizon when you first decide to be the next Bruce Lee. And so, almost by default, beginners tends to think of their first teacher as THE RIGHT TEACHER! Which is understandable because they don't know any better. They have nothing to compare their first teacher to, so the first teacher is THE BEST. The beginner is totally convinced of that.

However, as time moves on the beginner may begin to experience some disquiet. Some things don't add up. The first teacher may be a bit overweight, or not as fit as he could be. Maybe he doesn't answer questions satisfactorily?but hey! nobody's perfect and all things considered the first teacher is still The Best, and that's all there is to it, right? Nonetheless there is talk...there is talk of another teacher down the road who is (blasphemy!) even better. The beginner puts all those preposterous notions aside of course, but...

There are now some cracks in the facade.

Not fatal, but it is through these cracks that the doubts seep in.

That, at least, is what happened to me. I was absolutely convinced that my first teacher was the best, but?I checked out the new teacher down the road (no harm in that, is there?). Then I joined up and started the cycle all over again. And then again and again and again?

I tried judo, ju-jutsu, Hsing-i, Pa-kua, Tai chi, Shaolin and a number of other styles the names of which I now forget. Nothing changed. The teachers were all promising to begin with and, truth be told, they were all quite capable in their own way and I learned a lot from each and every one of them but they were only technicians. They knew the techniques, and that is all they knew. And I wanted more, so I moved on. Just what I wanted I was still not sure of?

An astute reader will now see the obvious. One's Search, one's Quest, is part of one's over-all Training. A very important part. Why?

Because it is all part of a learning curve. You are learning not only new techniques but you are learning something infinitely more important: the Art of Discernment! The Art of separating the wheat from the chaff. The Art of separating the Real from the False?

And yes, it is also the Art of recognizing the Real Teacher when he or she finally appears.

You see, that is the secret. Finding the right teacher is only the half of it. Recognizing them to be such is by far the more difficult and important half.

Let me ask you a question: how often does a student find the right teacher and continue to walk on by and not know the difference?

It happens more often than you might think! I've seen it again and again and again!

The thing to bear in mind is that the Right Teacher may not be (and usually isn't) the Hollywood stereotype. The Right Teacher may be an unassuming little fellow who runs a little corner store, is disarmingly self-effacing and has maybe one or two students who are equally unimpressive. In short this is not really the sort of person who matches your mental image of a deadly warrior. Or he may be crude and rude and obnoxious. And (blasphemy again!) he may not have your best interests at heart!

In other words, not all Masters fit the Hollywood mold! You really do have to keep your wits about you on this because the Right Teacher will confound your expectations nearly every time!

The "secret" then is to keep training, keep looking and to develop the Power of Discernment so that you can see below superficial appearances. (This will stand you in good stead not only in your search for a teacher and but also when you are in a fight!)

There is a saying that when the student is ready, the Teacher will appear. And that will happen when the student has developed a keen sense of discernment.*

*Author's note: by discernment I do not mean cynicism. The "been there, done that" attitude will not help you find a Teacher and if perchance you do, that Teacher will not be interested in teaching you. Real discernment has a quality of humility: you don't know the answer, you don't even know if there is an answer, but you will not stop searching.

Andrew Toth is the author of the book, Shaolin Temple Kung Fu, which is arguably the most advanced book available on the subject of martial arts. It is a must for anyone who is serious about this subject. You can read it HERE

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Both these companies make great products, but they do so utilizing completely different technologies So which is best, and further more which is the better choice when considering purchasing a dive watch

2: What 2008 Snowboard Binding is Right for You?

It is recommended that you buy boots before purchasing a pair of snowboard bindings. Finding the best-fitted boots makes it easier for you, since you can fit your snowboard bindings snugly without worrying about the shoes being too big or too small.

3: The Role of Agility Training for Tennis Players

Agility is such an important component when it comes to an athlete being fast. Tennis requires the athlete to be fast over short distances, in multiple directions and have the ability to develop explo

4: Decathlon Secrets: World's Greatest Athlete

The Decathlon crowns the World's Greatest Athlete. Why? Because the Decathlon is a true test of every attribute of an athlete.The Decathlon tests strength, mental toughness, consistency, commitment,

5: Motorcycle History - The Honda CBR600 Series

The Honda CBR600 series has been touted as one of the best sport motorcycles in the industry. In fact, the Honda CBR600RR (the race replica version of Honda's CBRFx series motorcycles) has won every Supersport World Championship title from 2002 to 2008. But how did it all start? Here is a brief history of the Honda CBR600 series and how it has evolved throughout the years.

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/recreation-and-leisure/sports/how-to-find-the-right-teacher-in-martial-arts.htm

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

NSA leaker charged with espionage, theft

This photo provided by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency, in Hong Kong, Sunday, June 9, 2013. The man who told the world about the U.S. government?s gigantic data grab also talked a lot about himself. Mostly through his own words, a picture of Edward Snowden is emerging: fresh-faced computer whiz, high school and Army dropout, independent thinker, trustee of official secrets. And leaker on the lam. (AP Photo/The Guardian) MANDATORY CREDIT

This photo provided by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency, in Hong Kong, Sunday, June 9, 2013. The man who told the world about the U.S. government?s gigantic data grab also talked a lot about himself. Mostly through his own words, a picture of Edward Snowden is emerging: fresh-faced computer whiz, high school and Army dropout, independent thinker, trustee of official secrets. And leaker on the lam. (AP Photo/The Guardian) MANDATORY CREDIT

(AP) ? The Justice Department has charged former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property in the NSA surveillance case.

Snowden, believed to be holed up in Hong Kong, has admitted providing information to the news media about two highly classified NSA surveillance programs.

A one-page criminal complaint unsealed Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Va., says Snowden engaged in unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information. Both are charges under the Espionage Act. Snowden also is charged with theft of government property. All three crimes carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia where the complaint was filed is headquarters for Snowden's former employer, government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

The complaint is dated June 14, five days after Snowden's name first surfaced as the leaker of information about the two programs in which the NSA gathered telephone and Internet records to ferret out terror plots.

The complaint could become an integral part of a U.S. government effort to have Snowden extradited from Hong Kong, a process that could turn into a prolonged legal battle. Snowden could contest extradition on grounds of political persecution. In general, the extradition agreement between the U.S. and Hong Kong excepts political offenses from the obligation to turn over a person.

It was unclear late Friday whether the U.S. had made an extradition request. On Saturday, Hong Kong legislators said the Chinese government should make the final decision on whether Snowden should be extradited to the United States.

Outspoken legislator Leung Kwok-hung said Beijing should instruct Hong Kong to protect Snowden from extradition before his case gets dragged through the court system. Leung also urged the people of Hong Kong to "take to the streets to protect Snowden." The charges against Snowden were first reported by The Washington Post.

The Espionage Act arguably is a political offense. The Obama administration has now used the act in seven criminal cases in an unprecedented effort to stem leaks. In one of them, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning acknowledged he sent more than 700,000 battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and other materials to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. His military trial is on-going.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed the charges against Snowden. "I've always thought this was a treasonous act," he said in a statement. "I hope Hong Kong's government will take him into custody and extradite him to the U.S."

But the Government Accountability Project, a whistle-blower advocacy organization, said Snowden should be shielded from prosecution by whistle-blower protection laws. "He disclosed information about a secret program that he reasonably believed to be illegal, and his actions alone brought about the long-overdue national debate about the proper balance between privacy and civil liberties, on the one hand, and national security on the other," the group said in a statement.

Michael di Pretoro, a retired 30-year veteran with the FBI who served from 1990 to 1994 as the legal liaison officer at the American consulate in Hong Kong, said "relations between U.S. and Hong Kong law enforcement personnel are historically quite good."

"In my time, I felt the degree of cooperation was outstanding to the extent that I almost felt I was in an FBI field office," said di Pretoro.

The U.S. and Hong Kong have a standing agreement on the surrender of fugitives. However, Snowden's appeal rights could drag out any extradition proceeding.

The success or failure of any extradition proceeding depends on what the suspect is charged with under U.S. law and how it corresponds to Hong Kong law under the treaty. In order for Hong Kong officials to honor the extradition request, they have to have some applicable statute under their law that corresponds with a violation of U.S. law.

In Iceland, a business executive said Friday that a private plane was on standby to transport Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, although Iceland's government says it has not received an asylum request from Snowden.

Business executive Olafur Vignir Sigurvinsson said he has been in contact with someone representing Snowden and has not spoken to the American himself. Private donations are being collected to pay for the flight, he said.

"There are a number of people that are interested in freedom of speech and recognize the importance of knowing who is spying on us," Sigurvinsson said. "We are people that care about privacy."

Disclosure of the criminal complaint came as President Barack Obama held his first meeting with a privacy and civil liberties board as his intelligence chief sought ways to help Americans understand more about sweeping government surveillance efforts exposed by Snowden.

The five members of the little-known Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board met with Obama for an hour in the White House Situation Room, questioning the president on the two NSA programs that have stoked controversy.

One program collects billions of U.S. phone records. The second gathers audio, video, email, photographic and Internet search usage of foreign nationals overseas, and probably some Americans in the process, who use major providers such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo.

___

Associated Press writer Jenna Gottlieb in Reykjavik, Iceland, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-22-NSA%20Surveillance/id-05fc58eced5a44dcb635e8cd50e39862

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