Thursday 28 February 2013

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D) Film Review ... - View London

One out of Five stars
Running time: 88 mins

Dismal action/adventure fantasy that consists of nothing more than a series of badly directed fight sequences and fails to engage on every conceivable level, thanks to poor direction, lacklustre performances and a badly written, frequently idiotic script.

What's it all about?
Directed by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters begins with the familiar fairy tale version of the story, in which young siblings Hansel and Gretel (Cedric Eich and Alea Sophia Boudodimos) kill a witch by shoving her into an oven after a traumatic encounter in a gingerbread house. Fifteen years later and grown-up Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have turned professional Witch Hunters, travelling the land and killing witches, armed with an array of ridiculously souped-up weaponry.

Summoned by Mayor Engleman (Rainer Bock), Hansel and Gretel arrive in a small town just in time to stop Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) from killing Mina (Pihla Viitala), a young woman accused of being a witch. Having angered Berringer, Hansel and Gretel find they have their hands full, fending off both the Sheriff's minions and an imminent attack by evil witch Muriel (Famke Janssen). Fortunately they receive help in the unlikely forms of a fanboy teenager (Gabriel Mann) and a giant troll (Derek Mears, but voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) called Edward.

The Bad
Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner do their best, but they're saddled with an extremely weak script that barely gives them enough dialogue to get them from action sequence to action sequence, while the sibling relationship mitigates against any chemistry the two stars might have had together. Consequently, none of the supporting characters are fleshed out properly and nobody looks like they're enjoying themselves, not even Famke Janssen, whose half-hearted Muriel comes across as a wasted opportunity rather than the camp-turned-up-to-eleven performance it should have been.

Wirkola is best known for Nazi zombie movie Dead Snow (tagline: ?Ein! Zwei! Die!?), which made up in wit and invention what it lacked in budget. Unfortunately, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters fails to deliver on Dead Snow's promise; all the thought has clearly gone into the frankly irritating anachronistic weaponry (the recent Three Musketeers film had the same problem) rather than providing a gripping story or emotionally involving characters.

The Worse
On top of that, the fight scenes lack imagination (the only good bit involves the troll and Peter Stormare's character), with the finale devolving into a CGI-heavy fracas involving characters we've only just met. Similarly, the film has the occasional idiotic moment (such as Gretel giving her arrows an electrical charge and using them as defibrillators) that is meant to be amusing and clever but ends up being both distracting and annoying instead.

Worth seeing?
Despite the best efforts of Arterton and Renner, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a grimly disappointing fantasy adventure let down by a weak script, unengaging action sequences and a general lack of imagination.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D) (15)

Source: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/hansel--gretel-witch-hunters-3d-film-review-49285.html

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Seven California children missing, believed abducted by father

FRESNO, California (Reuters) - Seven children from northern California, who have been missing for five days, are believed to have been abducted by their estranged father while their mother was out grocery shopping, police said on Thursday.

The children's mother and stepfather left their 12-year-old son to mind the other six siblings while the couple went grocery shopping on Saturday evening, Fresno police spokesman Sergeant Jaime Rios said in a telephone interview.

When the couple returned, the children were missing and their clothing and luggage were gone, police said.

Investigators believe the children's biological father, Xa Yang, took them, Rios said, adding that Xa Yang was divorced from the children's mother and was believed to be living in Sacramento.

Police in Sacramento and Fresno were working jointly on the case.

(Reporting by Stephen Keleher; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/seven-california-children-missing-believed-abducted-father-191141840.html

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Wynn Resorts Named as 2013 Forbes Five-Star Award Winners ...

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ ??Today, Forbes Travel Guide formally announced its 55th annual yearly listing of Five-Star hospitality establishments & named the - Tower Suites & spas at Wynn & Encore Las Vegas, & the - hotels & spas at Wynn Macau & Encore Macau, to the - prestigious & rigorous ratings list. Forbes Travel Guide?s Star rating designations are the - gold standard for hospitality excellence.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130226/LA66628-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130226/LA66628-b)

Collectively, Wynn Resorts has 40 stars among their Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award winning properties, more than any other independent hotel company in the - world. ??

?The Forbes Five-Stars are generally regarded as the - most prestigious & stringent of all hotel & resort rating institutions,? asserted Steve Wynn, chairman & CEO of Wynn resorts. ?Our new awards at Encore Macau, Five-Stars in both the - spa & hotel, & the - latest Five-Stars for both the - spa & hotel at Wynn Macau, create a clean sweep for our Macau hotels. Our ongoing Five- Stars for both the - spas & hotels at Encore Las Vegas NV & Wynn Las Vegas NV afford us the - honor of holding more Forbes Stars than any other independent resort company in the - world.?

Wynn continued, ?We are, of course, thrilled at this wonderful distinction. Yet, we recognize & covet the - most noteworthy of all ratings ? ? the - satisfaction of each guest at each of our hotels every day.?

Encore Macau, Wynn Macau?s sister resort, debuted on the - distinguished list this year & earned Five-Star awards for its hotel & spa. Wynn Macau & The Spa at Wynn Macau were moreover bestowed Five-Star awards again this year. Wynn & Encore Macau were two of five casino resorts to receive Five-Stars in Macau.

The Tower Suites at Wynn & Encore Las Vegas NV continue to earn accolades & have once again earned Forbes Five-Star Awards. Additionally, the - spas at Wynn & Encore were honored this year & are among only four spas in Las Vegas NV to be recognized with Forbes Five-Star awards.

?The Forbes Travel Guide annual yearly Star Awards represent the - best in class in luxury hospitality. Travelers looking for exceptional experiences rely on our ratings to guide them to the - world?s finest hotels, restaurants & spas,? asserted Michael Cascone, President & COO of Forbes Travel Guide. ?By continuing to evolve our ratings categories, we are establishing a global benchmark for the - highest standards in hospitality service & facilities.?

For a detailed explanation of how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star ratings, visit www.startle.com/about/ratings.

About Wynn Resorts:
Wynn Resorts, Limited (WYNN) is traded on the - Nasdaq Global Select Market under the - ticker symbol WYNN & is part of the - S&P 500 & NASDAQ-100 Indexes. Wynn Resorts owns & operates Wynn & Encore Las Vegas NV (www.wynnlasvegas.com) & Wynn Macau (www.wynnmacau.com).

Wynn & Encore Las Vegas NV feature two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,750 spacious hotel rooms, suites & villas, approximately 186,000 square feet of casino space, 32 food & beverage outlets featuring signature chefs, two award-winning spas, an on-site 18-hole golf course, meeting space, a Ferrari & Maserati dealership, approximately 94,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms; three nightclubs & a beach club.

Wynn Macau is a destination casino located in the - Macau Special Administrative Region of the - People?s Republic of China with two luxury hotel towers with a total of 1,008 spacious rooms & suites, approximately 265,000 square feet of casino space, casual & fine dining in eight restaurants, approximately 54,600 square feet of retail space, recreation & leisure facilities, in addition to two health clubs, two spas & a pool.

About Forbes Travel Guide & Startle.com
Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide & originator of the - prestigious Five Star ratings & certifications, has provided the - travel industry?s most comprehensive ratings & reviews of hotels, restaurants & spas since 1958. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against rigorous & objective standards, providing consumers the - insight to make better-informed travel & leisure decisions. The information gathered from the - inspectors? visits can be found along with content by curated hospitality experts, tastemakers, Forbes Travel Guide editors & correspondents at Startle.com, online home of Forbes Travel Guide.

Source: http://www.lasvegasnvblog.com/2013/02/wynn-resorts-named-as-2013-forbes-five-star-award-winners/

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FX developing new drama from 'Sons of Anarchy' creator Kurt Sutter, ex-'Hell on Wheels' showrunner John Shiban

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter and former "Hell on Wheels" showrunner John Shiban are developing a new drama project for FX, the network said Tuesday.

The drama, "Lucas Stand," has received a series script development deal from FX.

Described as a "dark, action/horror drama with both episodic and serialized elements," the project, which is based on an idea by Sutter, follows "the salvation quest of a damaged former special ops soldier, who has been chosen to traverse time and place to hunt down and kill Hell's law-breaking demons."

Shiban departed as showrunner from the AMC western "Hell on Wheels" in November, shortly after it was announced that the series had been renewed for a third season. Though AMC has sometimes had rocky relationships with its showrunners, the network said at the time that Shiban had departed after making " the personal decision that he will be unable to return as showrunner."

"He has asked the production partners to seek a replacement showrunner," the network said in a statement in November.

Sutter is also developing the dark comedy "Diva. Clown. Killer." for FX, with his wife and "Sons of Anarchy" star Katey Sagal and Belle Zwerdling.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fx-developing-drama-sons-anarchy-creator-kurt-sutter-213216534.html

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Novel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cells

Novel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cells

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain tumor in adults, is challenging to treat because the tumors rapidly become resistant to therapy. As cancer researchers are learning more about the causes of tumor cell growth and drug resistance, they are discovering molecular pathways that might lead to new targeted therapies to potentially treat this deadly cancer.

Scientists at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego worked collaboratively across the laboratories of Drs. Paul Mischel, Web Cavenee and Frank Furnari to investigate one such molecular pathway called the mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR. This signaling pathway is hyperactivated in close to 90 percent of glioblastomas and plays a critical role in regulating tumor growth and survival. Therapies that inhibit mTOR signaling are under investigation as drug development targets, but results to date have been disappointing: mTOR inhibitors halt the growth but fail to kill the tumor cells.

A study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences uncovers an unexpected but important molecular mechanism of mTOR inhibitor resistance and identifies a novel drug combination that reverses this resistance.

The story begins with a closer look at a gene-encoded protein called promyleocytic leukemia gene or PML. The study investigators explored the role of PML in causing resistance to mTOR inhibitor treatment. They found that when glioblastoma patients are treated with drugs that target the mTOR pathway, the levels of PML rise dramatically. Further, they showed that PML upregulation made the tumor cells resistant to mTOR inhibitors, and that if they suppressed the ability of the tumor cells to upregulate the PML protein, the tumor cells died in response to the mTOR inhibitor therapy.

"When we looked at cells in in vivo models and patients treated in the clinic, it became clear that the glioblastoma cells massively regulated PML enabling them to escape the effects of mTOR inhibitor therapy," reported senior author Paul Mischel, MD, Ludwig Institute member based at the University of California at San Diego.

"Our team hypothesized that if we could use a pharmacological approach to get rid of PML and combine it with an mTOR inhibitor, it could change the response from halting growth to cell death. The question was how?" added Mischel.

Previous research had shown that the use of low-dose arsenic could cause degradation of the PML protein in patients with leukemia. The team hypothesized that if arsenic could degrade PML, it may reverse resistance to mTOR inhibitors. The combination of mTOR and low-dose arsenic in mice indeed showed a synergistic effect, with massive tumor cell death along with very significant shrinkage of the tumor in mice with no ill side effects.

"Current therapy upregulates PML, turning off the mTOR signaling pathway. The tumor cells hide, waiting for the target signal to return," said Mischel. "When low-dose arsenic is added, not only does it stop the cell from returning, it shuts down the escape route killing the tumor cell."

These results present the first clinical evidence that mTOR inhibition promotes PML upregulation in mice and patients, and that it mediates drug resistance. The clinical relevance was confirmed when researchers looked at before- and after-treatment tissue samples from patients treated with mTOR inhibitors, confirming that PML goes up significantly in post treatment of mTOR inhibitors.

"These data suggest a new approach for potential treatment of glioblastoma," said Mischel. "We are moving forward to test that possibility in people."

Post-doctoral students Akio Iwanami and Beatrice Gini from the Mischel lab as well as Ciro Zanca from the Furnari/Cavenee lab, also contributed significantly to this paper.

###

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research: http://www.licr.org

Thanks to Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 27 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127038/Novel_combination_therapy_shuts_down_escape_route__killing_glioblastoma_tumor_cells

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Wednesday 27 February 2013

Write Persuasively To Increase Profits With Affiliate Promotion ...

That means you can?t just duplicate the sales strategy of some other marketer in your niche and expect it to be successful. There are differences depending on the affiliate company that you chose, though there are also some similar qualities in the companies that make you money. We will go further into those types of business in this article.

TIP! Give your customers the option to join your affiliate network. When someone purchases an item through one of your links, try to connect with them and offer them a position as an affiliate through you for the same company.

Consider using paid advertising services to maximize profits from online marketing. If you ads target specific keywords with proven results, sales-wise, you can substantially increase your site traffic, attracting visitors who are interested in the same keywords.

Affiliate Network

TIP! Strengthening your relationship between affiliate partners starts with conversation. You protect your revenue system by keeping free and copious communication.

Make sure you are using an affiliate network. Such networks serve as a valuable method of linking website operators with those able to place substantial amounts of advertising. One of the benefits of an affiliate network is that it can help to build credibility and respect. you can build a good reputation by working with well-established networks.

Becoming a super affiliate can really have some real downfalls. They take on too many products, work up too many promotions, and spread themselves too thin to be effective in this highly competitive world. There is no limit on results. It?s just a matter of finding the techniques that give you results.

TIP! No two affiliate marketing programs are exactly the same. The different vendors offer a variety of products and levels of flexibility to the marketer.

Try to sell what already has a fan base. Affiliate marketers often avoid popular products because of the sheer numbers of competing affiliates. Popular niches have a proven track record, however. They have demonstrated that people are interested in them, and that interest can into profits. You should remember that the popular niches have a buyer pool that is already primed for the products and connecting with them is the only challenge. Try to find an angle that gives you a differential.

It is important for affiliate marketers to portray themselves as a high-quality business. Your links should be subtle. When implemented correctly, your customers will think that you?re the product owner, even though you?ve told them the truth.

TIP! Not every affiliate website is easy to use. Some of these type websites tend to be complicated and hard to navigate.

Some vendors want you to make use of their tracking software, which are generally scams. To avoid this type of situation, utilize a tracking system that has a good reputation.

A hot tip for those new to web marketing promotions is to locate an affilaite company that keeps releasing new products. Try and find an affiliate that produces multiple related items at a time so as to promote more repeat buyers. There are always some products whose sales shoot up and dazzle briefly, but they fade out before long?and your commissions will also.

TIP! Make sure that you are honest with those who read your websites about your affiliations. Readers expect you to be honest and transparent; these qualities make it seem worthwhile for them to do business with a company through your ads.

Online marketing success relies on both front and back-end sales. If a customer you referred to a vendor becomes a repeat customer, you should get some residuals from those additional sales, too. Maximize earnings by giving preference to affiliate programs that reward repeat sales as well.

Anything you write as part of your web marketing efforts needs to be worded in positive terms only. Do not use phrases that have negative words. g.

TIP! Select pop-under ads instead of pop-up ones. Many times users will block pop-ups so they do not even see them.

When you are raking in profits, you should ask for a bigger commission. If you have shown that you can produce and will continue to, the program will try to meet you halfway; that might include a raise.

When picking an affiliate company, choose one with many options for payment as this allows you to get your money quickly. While some companies send you a check after you have reached a particular amount, others pay you via your bank account or PayPal.

TIP! Include screen shots as well as product reviews from satisfied customers who have already used the product. The more information about the product you give a prospective buyer, the more you increase your chances of gaining a customer who will be happy with their purchase, and possibly provide you with more business later.

Using the product yourself can instantly give your product a great amount of credibility. Consumer reviews are a great way to show that a product works well. Posting on forums will also help you spread your point of view. Always share your affiliate link any time you post new content to the Internet, as this is a surefire way to drive sales.

You can make most profits when you use paid ads. Buy ads that target specific keywords in order to improve your sales and push more traffic to your website. This will draw potential buyers and your products will get more interest in general.

TIP! If you want to boost purchases of your own services or products, you should make a good website that your affiliates can use. The best way to succeed at increasing the amount of affiliates you have is to be strong, clear, open and honest.

When it comes to affiliate promotion, honesty is the best policy. If you are not completely honest and upfront with your readers, they will not support you. Trying to fool your readers can make them feel cheated, and they may bypass your links on purpose to prevent you from earning money from them.

Keep your most profitable affiliates in your program. Check on the performance of all affiliates on a regular basis. Try to eliminate the worst affiliates to make room for new ones that will prove more profitable.

Affiliate Programs

Try affiliate programs to better market your company online. Typically, affiliate programs account for greater traffic increases than more traditional methods such as link exchanges and banners. You should pay attention to the parent company?s site, especially the quality of the product and the ease of site navigation.

TIP! Sneak some secret links into your copy. Links to affiliate sites can be unobtrusively placed so that they fit in naturally with the page rather than making them blatantly obvious.

Gaining a lifetime commission will be a difficult feat when working with affiliate promotion, though, not impossible. However, as they have the opportunity to provide the most rewards, they are still worth looking for. Affiliate programs pay commission to webmasters when products are sold. Many times this commission is paid out only if the customer made the purchase within a set out time frame. That?s why a lifetime commission program is so desirable.

You should still study an affiliate site before you come to any conclusions. You need to be sure that you can market it easily and without issues.

These techniques are used because they?re an effective method of bringing in customers. Be sure to apply them to your position, and everything will fall in place.

If you are truly serious about making money on the internet sooner than later, you need to check out Create Wealth From Home | Free Article Marketing Webinar | Make Money Today | Free Facebook Training and if your are NOT earning 100% Commissions, Watch this Free Video how to earn 100% Commissions

To Your Success,
Dave Wertz
Work With Me Personally

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/dwertz/blog/write-persuasively-to-increase-profits-with-affiliate-promotion/

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Light particles illuminate the vacuum

Light particles illuminate the vacuum [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Pasi Lhteenmki
pasi.lahteenmaki@aalto.fi
358-050-344-2306
Aalto University

The researchers conducted a mirror experiment to show that by changing the position of the mirror in a vacuum, virtual particles can be transformed into real photons that can be experimentally observed. In a vacuum, there is energy and noise, the existence of which follows the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics.

If we act fast enough, we can prevent the particles from recombining they will then be transformed into real particles that can be detected', says Dr. Sorin Paraoanu from Aalto University.

For the experiment, the researchers used an array of superconducting quantum-interference devices (SQUID). These parts resemble devices used in imaging small magnetic fields in the brain. By changing the magnetic field, the speed of light in the device can be changed. From the standpoint of the electromagnetic field of the vacuum radiation reflecting from this kind of device experiences it as a moving mirror.

By quickly varying the speed of light in the array, we can extract microwave photons out of the vacuum's quantum noise', explains doctoral student Pasi Lhteenmki from Aalto University.

Future research directions for these kinds of devices include the creation of an artificial event horizon and observation or Hawking radiation emanating from it. The present observation will help cosmologists to get closer to the riddle of the birth of the universe and advance the development of extremely powerful quantum computers.

###

A link to the research article published in the PNAS journal: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/02/11/1212705110.abstract

A link to the news in the Nature journal: http://www.nature.com/news/a-vacuum-can-yield-flashes-of-light-1.12430

Additional information:

Pasi Lhteenmki, doctoral student, Aalto University


[ 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.


Light particles illuminate the vacuum [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Pasi Lhteenmki
pasi.lahteenmaki@aalto.fi
358-050-344-2306
Aalto University

The researchers conducted a mirror experiment to show that by changing the position of the mirror in a vacuum, virtual particles can be transformed into real photons that can be experimentally observed. In a vacuum, there is energy and noise, the existence of which follows the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics.

If we act fast enough, we can prevent the particles from recombining they will then be transformed into real particles that can be detected', says Dr. Sorin Paraoanu from Aalto University.

For the experiment, the researchers used an array of superconducting quantum-interference devices (SQUID). These parts resemble devices used in imaging small magnetic fields in the brain. By changing the magnetic field, the speed of light in the device can be changed. From the standpoint of the electromagnetic field of the vacuum radiation reflecting from this kind of device experiences it as a moving mirror.

By quickly varying the speed of light in the array, we can extract microwave photons out of the vacuum's quantum noise', explains doctoral student Pasi Lhteenmki from Aalto University.

Future research directions for these kinds of devices include the creation of an artificial event horizon and observation or Hawking radiation emanating from it. The present observation will help cosmologists to get closer to the riddle of the birth of the universe and advance the development of extremely powerful quantum computers.

###

A link to the research article published in the PNAS journal: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/02/11/1212705110.abstract

A link to the news in the Nature journal: http://www.nature.com/news/a-vacuum-can-yield-flashes-of-light-1.12430

Additional information:

Pasi Lhteenmki, doctoral student, Aalto University


[ 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/2013-02/au-lpi022613.php

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Monday 25 February 2013

Central figure in Spain graft scandal appears in court

MADRID (Reuters) - The former treasurer of Spain's ruling party, at the heart of a corruption scandal that has politically damaged Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, appeared in court for questioning on Monday about millions of euros he deposited in Swiss accounts.

Luis Barcenas is accused of using his position to take bribes, evade taxes by hiding the proceeds in Switzerland and launder money through shell companies, charges that carry prison sentences of up to six years and fines.

The long-running High Court investigation of Barcenas and a graft case involving the son-in-law of Spain's king have enraged Spaniards at a time when deep recession has pushed unemployment to 26 percent and the government has slashed public spending.

In a ruling released after the three-hour hearing, held behind closed doors, Ruz decided to put Barcenas on probation but took steps to restrict his movements because he considered there was "a serious risk" he could fly away from the country to avoid a condemnation.

Ruz banned Barcenas from leaving Spain, seized his passport and imposed on him an obligation to appear before the court twice a month.

Barcenas, 55, an avid mountaineer who once scaled Everest, went skiing in Canada two weeks ago, according to media reports. Some of these reports said the police suspected he also used the ski trip to move funds he holds there.

Barcenas's lawyer declined to comment on those reports.

The judge also confirmed he was seeking additional information on accounts and companies related to Barcenas in Switzerland, Argentina and the United States.

In Spain's legal system, lengthy pre-trial investigations are carried out by examining magistrates such as Ruz. A trial could still be months or years away for Barcenas.

TROUBLE AT THE TOP

Barcenas left the centre-right People's Party (PP) in 2009 after he was charged with taking money from companies that overcharged PP mayors to put on events, such as campaign rallies, then shared the extra profit with the politicians.

Public interest in the case had largely disappeared until January, when Ruz's probe revealed that Barcenas had Swiss bank accounts once worth as much as 22 million euros ($30 million).

The High Court judge also found that Barcenas applied last year for a tax amnesty, instigated by Rajoy to try to boost revenue, to bring millions of euros in off-shore investments back to Spain.

Then, El Pais newspaper published extracts from what it said were secret PP account books that Barcenas kept for almost 20 years, showing cash donations from construction magnates that were distributed to Rajoy and other party leaders.

Barcenas has denied any wrongdoing and says the purported ledgers are forgeries.

However, a police report that is part of Ruz's evidence and that was seen by Reuters, showed that in December Barcenas made a notarized statement saying he had records of years of donations made to the party as well as who got the proceeds.

Barcenas says the money in the Swiss accounts is from legitimate business activities, but Ruz's investigation has cast doubt on that defense, according to court documents which have been seen by Reuters.

Rajoy has denied any wrongdoing, either personal or by the party. He has pledged an external audit of PP accounts and put years of his own personal tax declarations on the official website of the office of the prime minister.

SOURED PUBLIC MOOD

The Barcenas scandal has soured a public mood already bitter over joblessness, cuts to education, health spending and public sector wages, and the 40 billion euros in public funds spent on rescuing failed banks and grim joblessness.

Tens of thousands of homeowners have defaulted on their mortgages and been evicted from their homes.

A small group of protesters joined dozens of reporters in front of the court building in central Madrid after Barcenas entered for the closed-door hearing.

"They are lying to us, and worse than that, scorning us... Enough is enough, we need some accountability," said Ana, 59, a civil servant from Madrid who declined to give her last name.

The fact that Barcenas continued to receive monthly installments on his severance package from the PP years after being charged with crimes related to party duties has embarrassed Rajoy and fuelled speculation that the former party treasurer holds incriminating information about party leaders.

"The party has nothing to fear," PP Secretary General Maria Dolores de Cospedal said at a news conference on Monday when asked whether Barcenas was blackmailing the party.

Opinion polls show declining support for Spain's two main parties, the PP and the Socialists, who have had their own corruption scandals, with more and more people turning to smaller parties, signaling greater political fragmentation to come.

Rajoy has resisted calls to step down himself as well as calls to dismiss Health Minister Ana Mato, whose ex-husband has been accused of taking hundreds of thousands of euros in bribes from the same group of companies that Barcenas was involved with.

The PP has an absolute majority in Congress and, as long as the party leadership sticks together, the prime minister is expected to survive politically.

(Writing by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/central-figure-spain-graft-scandal-appears-court-200156112--business.html

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Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2


The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 combines touch, all-day battery life, and ThinkPad styling to the Windows 8 Slate tablet market. It's not a bad first effort, but rivals currently have the upper hand. It can be your all-day companion running from meeting to meeting, and you can get work done with the help of accessories when you finally get back to your desk. Taken alone, it's a very good tablet. Unfortunately, other rivals have better battery life, connections to keyboards, and overall differentiating features.

Design and Features
The Tablet 2 looks professional, with a black PolyCarbonate/ABS plastic cover over a magnesium internal frame. The tablet measures about 7 by 10.5 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and weighs a scant 1.21 pounds alone. Add the optional Bluetooth keyboard ($120) and fitted sleeve ($40), and you're talking a 2.63-pound travel weight. One plus that the Tablet 2 has over its rivals is its built-in slot to carry its included stylus. The Wacom-style stylus has a right-click button, but lacks the eraser tip that rivals like the Dell Latitude 10 and Microsoft Surface Pro have. Weighing less than 1.25 pounds and with its built-in stylus holder, it is a very good handheld PC for running around the office park or for a full day of client meetings.

The Tablet 2 has a few ports and switches on its sides: a micro-USB port for charging, a low-power USB 2.0 port, MicroSD and a SIM slot under a shared door, headset jack, volume, power, rotate lock, a docking port, and a mini-HDMI out port. The SIM slot supplies authentication to an optional WWAN radio, which wasn't in our review unit. The docking connector is mainly for the $100 enterprise-level docking station, since the Bluetooth keyboard and stand lacks a docking port.

The Bluetooth keyboard is very comfortable and has a built-in optical TrackPoint and the usual ThinkPad mouse buttons. But there is no room for a palm rest, and the keyboard has no retention mechanism aside from gravity and friction from the slot carved in its surface. This means that the keyboard stand works fine on a tabletop, but if you use the combo on your lap, the Tablet 2 is likely to slide out if you shift your weight during you work session. Both the keyboard and Tablet 2 fit in a tailor-made fitted sleeve, so the combo can work part-time. The Bluetooth keyboard has its own battery for operation, but it doesn't supply auxiliary power like the keyboard docks for the HP Envy X2 or Acer Iconia W510-1422.

The Tablet 2 charges off of its micro-USB port, which is a plus for the road warrior. Most non-iPhone smartphones use micro-USB to charge, so you can get by only carrying a single charger. The Tablet 2 comes with a 2A USB adapter and a USB to micro USB cable, which you can use with your smartphone or tablet. This also makes it more convenient for the multi-device user, since he can charge the Tablet 2 off of a PC with the USB cable as well. Lenovo also sells a $20 USB vehicle charger so you can charge your tablet on the road.

The Tablet 2's regular USB 2.0 port is problematic. It is full-size, so it will work with all sorts of peripherals like printers, keyboards/mice, and USB memory keys. But the USB port only supplies a few watts of power, so it won't run a large-capacity external hard drive. This shortcoming is a large detriment to getting work done if all you have with you are bus-powered external hard drives. The Dell Latitude 10 and most ultrabook-class tablets have full-power USB ports. The Tablet 2 can connect to 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 is supported. GPS is included.

The Tablet 2's screen is a 10.1-inch IPS display with a 1,366-by-768 resolution. This means that you can playback 720p HD content natively, but 1080p content will be scaled down. The system's Wacom-style digitizer and stylus back up the five-point touch screen. When the tip of the stylus comes close to the screen, the capacitive touch sensors turn off, so you aren't making marks with your palm when you're actually drawing on the screen with the stylus. The screen is bright, with a wide angle of view from all sides, and an accelerometer makes sure that screen elements point up at all times.

The Tablet 2 comes with an Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB of memory, and a 64GB of flash storage. When we first turned the Tablet 2 on, it came with 33.4 GB of 50GB free. This is a bit less than the "36.8 GB of 52.2GB free" reported by the Editors' Choice Dell Latitude 10. No doubt much of the used space is the recovery partition plus a selection of pre-installed apps. The Tablet 2 came with Lenovo Companion, Skitch Touch, Evernote Touch, Lenovo Support, a Lenovo Settings app, Accuweather, QuickSnip (a clipping/screenshot utility), Amazon Kindle, Skype, rara.com, Intel AppUp, Lenovo Cloud Storage (SugarSync), and Norton Studio (security). Lenovo also included their QuickLaunch app, which replaces the functions of the Windows 7 Start menu. It's not the most heinous use of space, but since Tablet 2's current options for storage are 64GB only, every bit of storage space is precious. You can of course add storage with the microSD slot. The Tablet 2's front webcam is 2MP and the rear is 8MP with a LED flash. The Tablet 2 has a one-year standard warranty.

Performance
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 The Intel Atom Z2760 processor in the Tablet 2 ensures Windows 8 32-bit compatibility, so the tablet will work with all your enterprise apps and corporate network protocols. It also means that you can use the browser and plug-ins standardized at your business instead of being limited to Internet Explorer (as you would be on a Windows RT system).

However, while the Atom means that the Tablet 2 has 10-hour battery life (10 hours 11 minutes), it also means that it doesn't perform too well on our multimedia benchmark tests. The Tablet 2 was one of the slowest systems we've ever tested on our Handbrake test (13:27 vs. 1:28 on a Core i5 system like the Microsoft Surface Pro). The Tablet 2 also lagged Atom-powered rivals like the Dell Latitude 10 and Acer W510 on the Handbrake test. On day-to-day tasks, the Tablet 2 put in a passable 1,410 point score on PCMark 7. Basically, if you have a need for corporate information retrieval and media playback all day, the Tablet 2 is fine, but if you need to work on graphics creation on a deadline, you're better off with a more powerful system with an Intel Core processor.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 is a decent Windows 8 Slate tablet. It doesn't win any of the performance tests, but is competitive with its Atom-powered rivals. It's a simple work-based tablet that has a good set of ThinkPad accessories that make it a good fit if you're transitioning ThinkPad users to something a lot more portable. However, for the ultimate in battery life, other systems like the Editors' Choice Dell Latitude 10 and keyboard docking tablets like the Acer Iconia Tab W510 are better choices if battery life is paramount. And let's face it, you're looking at an Atom-based tablet because of its combination of Windows 8 Pro compatibility and phenomenal battery life, right?

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 with several other laptops and tablets side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2
??? Dell XPS 10
??? Dell Latitude 10
??? MSI GT70 One-609US Dragon Edition
??? Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro
?? more

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/LTl5Jskijnw/0,2817,2415773,00.asp

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Alt-week 2.24.13: Mapping the brain, discovering dark matter and our inevitable, grizzly end

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

Altweek 22413

The discovery of what is hoped to be the Higgs boson was an exciting time for anyone with a curious mind. It turns out, that the price of knowledge is often a heavy one. Without putting too much of a negative spin on it... that teeny-weeny boson could predict bad news. On a lighter -- or is that darker -- note, other areas of science and technology bravely march ever-onward with the goal of a better understanding of life, the universe, and tattoos. This is alt-week.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DAGs4i4OaQs/

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'Silver Linings Playbook' leads Spirit Awards

By Access Hollywood

The oddball romance ?Silver Linings Playbook? has been named best picture at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film, Hollywood?s last pre-game show before the Academy Awards.?

?Silver Linings Playbook? led the show Saturday with four prizes, including best actress for Jennifer Lawrence and director and screenplay for David O. Russell.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Stars Who Split In 2013

Lawrence is the best-actress favorite at Sunday?s Oscars for ?Silver Linings,? in which she plays a young widow in a new relationship with a man fresh from a mental hospital.

Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Univer

?The Sessions? earned two acting prizes, for lead actor John Hawkes as a man in an iron lung hoping to lose his virginity and Helen Hunt as the sexual surrogate helping him through it.?

VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ? New Posters Revealed!

The best supporting actor award went to Matthew McConaughey as a flamboyant stripper in ?Magic Mike.?

Related content:

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/02/23/17071195-silver-linings-playbook-leads-spirit-awards-with-four-prizes?lite

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Sunday 24 February 2013

London Mayor Joe Fontana's integrity takes another body blow

It was Oct.?20 when Londoners were left gobsmacked by a Free Press story raising questions for the first time about how Mayor Joe Fontana?s son?s 2005 wedding reception was paid for.

We all know where that led.

And now, exactly four months later, on Feb. 20, The Free Press published online that the charity Fontana chairs may soon be stripped of its charitable status by the federal government.

One can?t help but marvel at the calendar coincidence, the perfectly aligned dates, and the stark reality for London.

When you?re measuring your way through the year by extra-political financial scandals hammering your mayor, brother, your city?s got problems.

The question arises naturally: At what point does a mayor, already struggling to maintain the public?s faith in his integrity, completely lose his ability to govern?

When does a four-year term grind to a halt?

While Fontana decries the public?s inclination to tie his political work with his non-mayoral woes ? the criminal charges laid in November; the potentially terminal tax woes plaguing the charity, Trinity Global ? one expert says it can?t be avoided.

?It?s just reality. That?s how public perception works,? said Martin Horak, head of Western University?s local-government program.

?It?s hard to see how most people could, at this point, trust Joe Fontana to effectively lead the management of a $1-billon corporation like the City of London given that he?s now linked, rightly or wrongly, with cases of fiscal mismanagement in other areas of his public life.?

Unlike some U.S. cities, Canada doesn?t have what?s often called a ?strong-mayor? system.

In such systems ? Chicago is one example ? a mayor has extraordinary control, including the ability to veto a budget and appoint leaders to key commissions. So even amid controversy, their power endures.

It?s not so here, Horak says.

?In Canada, where mayors don?t have a lot of executive powers, (their) ability to govern is primarily based on public perception of their legitimacy as effective leaders,? Horak said.

?Here, what happens is it?s very difficult for a mayor then to lead and especially on controversial issues, because the mayor?s motivations are going to be questioned over and over again.?

This, however, is not an imminent threat for Fontana, who has deftly built a bloc of seven stalwarts (making up the so-called Fontana 8) that have helped push through his agenda for the first half of his four-year term.

And it?s unlikely that bloc ? which stayed intact amid the firestorm over Fontana?s criminal charges ? will crumble now, as the questions around Trinity Global mount and the Canada Revenue Agency readies to strip its charitable status March?3.

(Fontana?s son Joe Jr., also known as Ugo, is president. Though Fontana has told other media he?s just a board member, Trinity Global?s website still lists him as chairperson.)

The Fontana 8?s next test looms large, when council sits down Thursday to finalize a city budget, perhaps dipping into reserves to deliver the third of Fontana?s promised tax freezes. They?ll also look hard at finding $60?million for so-called economic prosperity projects, such as building a performing-arts centre.

Are Londoners comfortable with Fontana at the helm of a council making these decisions?

Realistically, it may not matter, as long as the Fontana 8 stick together. At this point, one could argue Fontana needs them more than they need him.

But there?s also a larger picture the Fontana 8 would do well to consider: Yes, they?ve backed his plans and share his perspective on several issues, but there?s also the 2014 election, and those beyond, to keep in mind, Horak says.

?If there is not some fundamental turn that will inspire the public to have stronger confidence in Fontana?s basic integrity in public office, then the people who support him are likely to suffer at the ballot box in a year and a half.?

It?s been only two months since council voted to ask the criminally charged Fontana to temporarily leave office. The five politicians who voted yes (the motion lost 8-5) are still at city hall, too.

If the Trinity Global questions continue, and the public outrage grows louder, could that unfortunate motion or a similar one be tabled again? One councillor didn?t rule it out. ?Perhaps (it could) if we get that pressure again from the public,? Coun. Judy Bryant said.

Fontana is shrugging off the concerns of citizens and council colleagues, seemingly unfazed by this latest round of public criticism.

As he prepared to dole out Queen?s Diamond Jubilee medals in a private ceremony in his office Thursday ? unaware a Free Press photographer was standing at the door ? he said with a laugh: ?The Free Press circulation has doubled since they started writing about me.?

patrick.maloney@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/patatLFPress

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Source: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/02/22/mayors-integrity-takes-another-body-blow

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Live SmackDown Results: Feb. 22, 2013

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-02-22/live-results

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Pakistan condemns deadly bombings in India

Press TV ? February 22, 2013

Pakistan has condemned the twin deadly bomb explosions in the Indian city of Hyderabad which left at least 20 people dead.

?Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,? Pakistan?s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

?Being itself a victim of terrorism, Pakistan fully understands and shares the pain and agony of the people of India. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families of victims of this terrorist attack,? the statement added.

A bomb went off on Thursday evening near a popular cinema called Venkatadri Cinema in the district of Dilsukh Nagar which is one of the largest commercial centers in Hyderabad. Minutes later, a second blast took place next to a nearby bus stop.

Indian police have said that they had been informed of plans for a possible attack in the Hyderabad area last year.

?We interrogated two militants [from the Indian Mujahideen group], who said they had recced (reconnoitered) various spots in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune for a possible attack. One of the places they mentioned was Dilsukh Nagar, which was hit last night,? said S.N. Shrivastava, a Delhi police commissioner.

According to reports, since 1992, at least nine bomb blasts have rocked Heydarabad including three bomb explosions in 2007 that claimed the lives of at least 51 people.

In 2008, the Indian city of Mumbai came under a bomb attack. India accused the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) of training, equipping, and financing those responsible for the killings of at least 166 people with support from ?elements? in the Pakistani military.

Islamabad admitted that the attacks were partly planned on its soil, but has firmly denied allegations of any official involvement.

February 22, 2013 - Posted by aletho | Aletho News

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Source: http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/pakistan-condemns-deadly-bombings-in-india/

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Saturday 23 February 2013

Pluto moon vote helps the case for Vulcan

M. Showalter / NASA / ESA

An image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, surrounded by four smaller moons. P4 and P5 will be getting new names. One of them might be called Vulcan.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

The organizer of a contest to name Pluto's two tiniest moons can't guarantee that either one of them will be called "Vulcan" ??but if the name nominated by the original captain on the "Star Trek" TV show retains its lead in the voting, planetary scientist Mark Showalter promises to argue the best case he can.

"My starting position is that we should work with the names that received the most votes," Showalter told NBC News on Friday.

The "Pluto Rocks" voting is due to conclude at noon ET Monday, to be followed by a 1 p.m. Google+ Hangout sponsored by the SETI Institute, the place where Showalter works. Right now, Vulcan holds a commanding lead with about 140,000 of the 370,000 votes cast. But even if Vulcan holds onto that edge, don't expect Showalter to declare immediately that Vulcan is the choice.

"There will not be an announcement on Monday," he said.


For one thing, it's not totally up to Showalter to make the nomination. He's just one of the leading scientists on the discovery teams for P4 and P5, the two moons that were found in 2011 and 2012. All the members from each of the teams will have to agree on the names to be submitted to the International Astronomical Union for approval. Even then, the IAU could voice concerns about the names they submit, leading to alternate suggestions. Showalter said he's actually seen that happen in the case of the Uranian moon that ended up being called Cupid.

Kirk ... takes ... command
Vulcan wasn't on Showalter's initial list of prospects, but he added it to the ballot at the urging of William Shatner, the actor who played Captain James T. Kirk on the original "Star Trek" series in the late 1960s. Shatner favored the name because it was the fictional home planet of Kirk's pointy-eared science officer, Mr. Spock. "Let's hope the IAU thinks Vulcan is a good name," Shatner wrote in a tweet to his 1.35 million Twitter followers.

Showalter said Shatner's endorsement definitely skewed the results. "Early on, it's pretty clear there were some Trek fans who seem to have resorted to augmented voting technologies," Showalter said. But he's convinced that the groundswell of support for Vulcan is genuine, and he said he's "come up with a pretty good case" for using the name.

"I want people to feel that their vote counted," Showalter said.

The IAU's guidelines for Pluto's moons stipulate that they should be named after Greek or Roman gods who have some connection to the mythological underworld. Those guidelines worked for Pluto's three other moons, Charon (ferryman of the dead), Nix (goddess of darkness) and Hydra (a many-headed monster).

Vulcan has a family relationship to the underworld, in that he was Pluto's nephew. And in his capacity as the god of fire, Vulcan tended to hang out in the depths beneath Mount Etna and other volcanoes, rather than on the heights of Mount Olympus. That may not be Hell, exactly, but it's certainly the underworld.

Showalter admitted that it might be tricky to have the god of fire associated with one of the coldest places in the solar system. "It may well be there's a consensus that it's a great name, but not a great name for a moon of Pluto," he said. Also, the name Vulcan has been associated with a hypothetical planet that was thought to circle the sun within Mercury's orbit. The 19th-century French astronomer who discovered Neptune, Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier, spent fruitless years looking for it. Pluto's moon is in an entirely different place, but Showalter sees that as a potential plus.

"Maybe we'd be doing Le Verrier a favor by saying that when he was looking for the ninth planet inside Mercury's orbit, he was looking in the wrong direction," Showalter joked.

Some have said the name Vulcan should be reserved for a planet beyond our own solar system. In response, Showalter points out that there's no IAU procedure for giving names to extrasolar planets (beyond generic designations such as?Kepler-37b or Gliese 163c). That situation may change if planet-naming ventures such as Uwingu take hold. But in the meantime, Showalter feels that Vulcan should at least be given a fair shot at solar system fame.

Another moon to name
So it's virtually a sure thing that Showalter will try making the case for Vulcan. But what about the other Plutonian moon?

Right now, Cerberus is hanging onto the No. 2 spot in the voting, and unless Styx or some other name comes from behind in the next few days, Showalter will argue the case for Cerberus as well. That name fits perfectly with the mythological underworld theme, because Cerberus was the three-headed hound that guarded the gates of the underworld.

One drawback is that there's already an asteroid named Cerberus, and the IAU doesn't want newly named celestial bodies to be confused with previously named objects. Showalter said there are at least two ways around that issue: One is to argue that the asteroid and the moon wouldn't be confused. The precedent for this is Io, a mythological name that refers to a Jovian moon as well as an asteroid. Another way out is to change the spelling slightly ? say, to the Greek name Kerberos. One precedent for this is the Plutonian moon Nix, which uses an alternate spelling to avoid confusion with the asteroid Nyx. (By the way, there's already an asteroid named Vulcano, but that name is considered different enough from Vulcan,)

Opening the moon-naming process up to a vote has been a lot of work, even if it's a non-binding vote, and Showalter said he doubts that he'll do it again. But he's gratified by the response: The contest?attracted hundreds of thousands of votes from scores of countries around the world, generated more than 30,000 write-in suggestions for names, and gave Pluto fans and "Star Trek" fans lots to think about.

What would Spock think about all this? Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the alien on the original "Star Trek" show, said via Twitter that "'Vulcan' is the logical choice."?I can imagine Spock saying that, but I can also imagine him uttering just one word. ...

Spock said, "Fascinating," a lot! Here are the times he said it. Enjoy!

More about Pluto and its moons:


Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17060016-star-trek-boost-helps-pluto-moons-discoverer-make-his-case-for-vulcan?lite

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Coach acquitted of molestation

? WAGONER ? Jurors deliberated for nearly two hours Friday before returning a not guilty verdict against a Haskell man accused of lewd molestation.

Gene Allen Burkholder, 39, was acquitted by the eight-man, four-woman jury at 2 p.m.

He had been accused of molesting a 10-year-old girl in 2011. The girl, who played on a softball team Burkholder coached, first told law enforcement officials that Burkholder had placed his hand in her pants at a slumber party.

Burkholder has vehemently denied the charges, said his attorney, Eric Jones.

?My client has always maintained his innocence,? he said. ?The jury returned a verdict that reflected that.?

Jones said the accusations against Burkholder changed multiple times over the course of the investigation. Court documents shows that Burkholder was first charged with rape after the girl told investigators that he inserted his fingers inside her.

During a preliminary hearing later in the year, the girl testified that Burkholder only stuck his hand down her pants that night on his couch. The charges were then amended to lewd molestation. ?

District 27 Assistant District Attorney Joy Mohorovicic told jurors that Burkholder had preyed on the girl, who became scared afterward and didn?t tell anyone about what happened for almost a week.

Jones, however, said Burkholder had done nothing wrong. He disclosed the accusations shortly after they were made to the team members? parents, none of whom pulled their kids off the team, Jones said.

?His denial has been constant,? Jones said. ?He never wavered, though the story relayed by the girl changed four times.?

After the verdict was read, Burkholder stood and hugged Jones before leaving the courtroom.

Reach Dylan Goforth at (918) 684-2903 or dgoforth@muskogeephoenix.com.

Source: http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x986693407/Coach-acquitted-of-molestation

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Up to 12,000 troops to linger in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. and its NATO allies revealed Friday they may keep as many as 12,000 troops in Afghanistan after the combat mission ends next year, largely American forces tasked with hunting down remnants of al-Qaida and helping Afghan forces with their own security.

Patience with the 11-year-old war has grown thin in the U.S. and Europe, yet Washington and its allies feel they cannot pick up and leave without risking a repeat of what happened in Afghanistan after Soviet troops withdrew in 1989: Attention turned elsewhere, the Taliban grabbed power and al-Qaida found refuge.

In disclosing that he and his NATO counterparts were discussing a residual force of between 8,000 and 12,000 troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said most allied defense ministers assured him they are committed to remaining part of a U.S.-led coalition.

"I feel very confident that we are going to get a number of nations to make that contribution for the enduring presence," Panetta told a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels at the conclusion of a defense ministers meeting.

The U.S. and its allies have managed to stick together throughout the war, despite differing views. The Europeans have seen the military mission as mainly aimed at promoting stable governance; the Americans have viewed it as mainly combat. Some allies, including France, have already pulled out their combat troops.

The Obama administration has not said how many troops or diplomats it intends to keep in Afghanistan after 2014; it is in the early stages of negotiating a bilateral security agreement with Kabul that would set the legal parameters. There currently are 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from a 2010 peak of 100,000.

In addition to targeting terrorists, the post-2014 missions are expected to be defined as training and advising a still-developing Afghan army and police force and providing security for the U.S. and allied civilian and military presence, officials said.

The largely unspoken assumption on which the post-2014 plan is built is that Afghanistan's own forces will be strong enough to hold off the Taliban on their own starting in 2015 and to prevent the country's relapse into civil war. The worry is that if the Taliban regained power they would allow al-Qaida to return in large numbers, defeating the original purpose of the U.S. military action in 2001.

It's a touchy topic at this stage of a still-unfolding war, with Afghans fearful of being abandoned by their foreign partners and Washington and its NATO allies wary of committing too heavily to a corrupt Kabul government facing an uncertain future.

Budget pressures in the U.S. and Europe also complicate the outlook.

"There's no question in the current budget environment, with deep cuts in European defense spending and the kind of political gridlock that we see in the United States now with regards to our own budget, is putting at risk our ability to effectively act together," Panetta said. "As I prepare to step down as secretary of defense, I do fear that the alliance will soon be, if it is not already, stretched too thin."

Panetta is expected to retire as soon as his successor is confirmed. The Senate could vote on the confirmation of former Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next Pentagon chief as early as Wednesday. Panetta is leaving just as Gen. Joseph Dunford is settling in as the successor to Gen. John Allen as commander of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan.

Another source of anxiety among the allies is Afghanistan's 2014 presidential election; President Hamid Karzai, who has run the country since U.S. forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001, is not running and there is no obvious successor.

Just last week President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union address that by this time next year 34,000 U.S. troops will have left, with the rest of the combat force to depart by the end of 2014, along with their counterparts from NATO and other partner countries. Obama did not say how many troops he was willing to commit to a post-2014 mission in Afghanistan, but he is believed to be weighing options that range from about 3,000 to about 9,000.

At the Brussels meeting, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere caused an initial stir by telling reporters that Panetta had said the U.S. would keep 8,000 to 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014. Panetta denied that, saying he was talking about a combined U.S. and NATO force of 8,000 to 12,000, and de Maiziere later said his own comments to reporters were "misleading."

Panetta said officials are planning to leave troops in all sectors of the country as well as in Kabul. Currently, Italy is leading the allied security presence in western Afghanistan, Germany in the north and the U.S. in the east and the south.

The Obama administration also is considering a plan to underwrite the cost of maintaining an Afghan security force of 352,000 for the next five years as part of an effort to maintain security and help convince Afghans that they will not be abandoned.

Last May, NATO agreed that the Afghan force would be reduced to about 230,000 after 2014. A force of that size would cost about $4.1 billion a year, compared to $6.5 billion this year for the bigger force of 352,000. The U.S. pays about $5.7 billion of that $6.5 billion bill.

___

Associated Press writers Don Melvin and Julie Pace contributed to this report. Baldor reported from Brussels.

___

Robert Burns can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP and Lolita C. Baldor is at http://www.twitter.com/lbaldor

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/12-000-us-allied-troops-afghanistan-212507327--politics.html

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Friday 22 February 2013

Florida Atlantic Football Joins The Prison-Industrial Complex


I'm fairly positive that this will wind up on the Non-Sports board before the day is out, but since it's football, I'll start it here.

Link here

Florida Atlantic University has sold its naming rights to its (heretofore unnamed) stadium to The Geo Group, one of the world's largest operators of detention centers and for-profit prisons.

Their largest sources of income are U.S. state and federal prisons, and detention centers for illegal immigrants: both of which have come under criticism for alleged violations of civil liberties and human rights. The CEO of Geo Group holds bachelor's and master's degrees from FAU.

The terms of the agreement and the stadium's official name are still unknown, but FAU will receive about $5 million over the length of the deal.

Nothing official, but rumor has it that they'll (unofficially) call the stadium Owl-Catraz.

Source: http://www.tidefans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191688&goto=newpost

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Apple, Facebook employees hacked via website malware, Java vulnerability

Apple, Facebook hacked via malware in iPhone SDK website - Jason O'Grady

ZDNet's Zack Whittaker detailed the waterhole attack that was injected into a popular iPhone Dev SDK website (no link love due to the potential threat) which compromised the computers of visiting employees from Apple, Facebook?(and potentially Twitter, too) using a zero day?exploit in the Java web plug-in.

A note posted at the site reads (full text below):

iPhoneDevSDK has learned it was used as part of an attack whose victims included large internet companies. We have no reason to believe user data was compromised, but to be safe, we've reset all user passwords.

Apple on Tuesday revealed that some employees' computers had been hacked, but that no data were exposed. According to a statement:

"We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple"

The breaches are now believed to have occurred when employees visited the?iPhone Dev SDK website, which was infected with zero day malware that exploited a vulnerability in the Java browser plug-in, installing malware on their Mac computers.

Apple yesterday released Java for OS X 2013-001?which?uninstalls the Apple-provided Java applet plug-in from all web browsers. Users must then download the latest version of the Java applet plug-in from Oracle in order to use Java applets.?

Bloomberg reports that?the hacks were the work of an Eastern European gang of hackers attempting to steal company secrets, citing "two people familiar with the matter."

I want to echo Zack's warning to?not visit this site in as it may still contain active malware that could lead to infection.

Most importantly: Security holes in Java have been responsible for a number of high-profile attacks recently. All Mac users should install?Java for OS X 2013-001?immediately and only install the Oracle Java plug-in if you absolutely need it.?Also, heed the rest of Zack's warnings and precautions here, which include:

  1. Remove Java immediately
  2. Check your logs, history, browsing records
  3. Run a full, network-wide malware sweep
  4. Take future precautions: Virtualize and isolate risky software

If you run a WordPress blog, patch it up to the latest release, harden it, and never install themes from unknown/insecure sources. If your Wordpress blog has been infected this post will help you clean it.

Update: Eric Romang has posted a forensic timeline of the attacks.

Here's the full text of the warning at the?iPhoneDevSDK:

Today, we were alerted that our site was part of an elaborate and sophisticated attack whose victims included large internet companies. We were alerted through the press, via an AllThingsD article, which cited Facebook. Prior to this article, we had no knowledge of this breach and hadn't been contacted by Facebook, any other company, or any law enforcement about the potential breach. You can read more about the attack via?Facebook's blog post.

As the most widely read dedicated iOS developer forum, we're targeted for attacks frequently. Security is a top priority for us, which is one reason why we switched to Vanilla Forums to host our site last year. Vanilla manages security like pros, and I should be clear that -- as best we can tell right now -- this attack has nothing to do with their software.

Immediately, we were in contact with Facebook's security team, including Joe Sullivan, Facebook's Chief Security Officer, and his team, to learn what they knew. We also contacted Vanilla, our amazing forum hosts, to ensure the problem was not with their software.

What we've learned is that it appears a single administrator account was compromised. The hackers used this account to modify our theme and inject JavaScript into our site. That JavaScript appears to have used a sophisticated, previously unknown exploit to hack into certain user's computers.

We're still trying to determine the exploit's exact timeline and details, but it appears as though it was ended (by the hacker) on January 30, 2013.

As with Facebook, it's important to stress that we have no reason to believe user data was compromised.

Just to be sure, we've reset all users' passwords. Please use our?Forgot Password?feature the next time you log in to reset your password.

We're continuing to work with Facebook, Vanilla, other targeted companies, and law enforcement to find out who is behind this sophisticated attack.

We're very sorry for the inconvenience -- we'll work tirelessly to ensure your data's security now and in the future. I want to thank Vanilla Forums for their help in the matter and for keeping the site secure, as well as Facebook for their help quickly after we reached out.

Source: http://www.zdnet.com/apple-facebook-employees-hacked-via-website-malware-java-vulnerability-7000011601/

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