Restaurant boat sinks in Baghdad; 8 reported dead

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A crowded floating restaurant loaded with dozens of guests sank in the Tigris River in central Baghdad late Thursday, leaving at least eight people dead and several others missing, according to officials.

The tragedy appeared to be an accident, with police saying the boat was over its capacity when it went down. Iraqi river police and a security official said there was no indication that a terrorist act was to blame.

The vessel was part of a popular Lebanese restaurant establishment in the Iraqi capital's Karrada district. The restaurant is one of several new businesses that have sprung up as Iraq's economy has begun to improve in the years since the U.S.-led invasion nearly a decade ago.

At least eight bodies were pulled from the river, and the whereabouts of another nine people were unknown, police and hospital officials said. About 30 people were rescued initially, they said. Local TV aired footage showing people gathered at the entrance to the restaurant as bodies in black bags were loaded into ambulances.

According to police, the boat had been moored to the riverbank and there appeared to be signs of decay on the metal joints that kept it attached to shore.

It is unclear whether the facility was up to safety standards. Regulatory oversight remains weak and corruption is deeply entrenched in Iraq.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release details to the media.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed reporting.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/restaurant-boat-sinks-baghdad-8-reported-dead-215424653.html

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15 Strategies for Better Public Speaking | A Lesson Learned

I?ve had to do public speaking as a part of my work for many years.? While I?m not the most polished presenter out there, I have had the opportunity to go through a couple public speaking training programs such as Dale Carnegie and Fusion?that have taught me some valuable speaking skills and techniques.

Next to the technical skills necessary for your job, I believe good public speaking is the most important business skills that you can develop.? Most people never invest in developing public speaking skills because (yes) they?re hard, they take work and they get us out of our comfort zone.? But if?you know how to communicate and connect with an audience, small or large, you have a serious competitive advantage over most other folks.

Of course, I still get nervous about getting up in front of a group of people to make a presentation.? But because I?ve had the benefit of learning a number of strategies to work through a presentation, it?s much easier for me now than in the past.? Here?s a list that might help you.

#1 Design your talk.

Listen to an experienced public speaker and you will begin to see patterns in their presentations.? Get the basics down and learn to present based on a 3 point pattern.? Once your experienced, you can vary the design and throw the ?rules? out the window, but if you?re like most of us, use a design that?s tested and proven.

A simple basic presentation starts with an introduction, 3 main points and a conclusion.? In the introduction, tell your audience what your going to tell them.? Use the 3 main points to tell them.? Then, in the conclusion, tell them what you told them.

The structure goes like this: Open with an example or story to capture the attention of your audience, something they can relate to.? Then introduce your topic and tell your audience what the 3 main points are.? Transition into point 1.? Tell them what point 1 is, elaborate, then conclude by reiterating point 1.? Do the same thing for points 2 and 3.? Conclude by restating what you?ve just told them (yes, that?s points 1, 2 and 3 again!).? Finish with a call to action.

The system works.? Take advantage of it.? Be obsessive about it.

#2 Use examples and stories that connect

People are emotional creatures.? We are captivated by stories.? We connect with experiences more than with statistics.? Even presentations that are technical and data heavy can be transformed by relating stories that personalize the data.? I was recently in a seminar and completely captivated by a speaker talking about Social Security requirements because he worked in story after story of people like my parents and their experiences with Social Security t o drive home his points.? And it doesn?t get much more boring than Social Security law!

#3 Inject your personality

Anyone can stand up in front of a group and read content off of a PowerPoint slide.? What makes your presentation unique is not the topic or the idea you?re presenting, but you as the presenter.? Unless you?ve discovered the cure for cancer and you?re presenting it for the first time, chances are your content isn?t new.? But your personality, interpretation and delivery of the content is.? You?re view of the world and the experience you draw upon are unique to you.? Taking your content and injecting your personality into it connects you to your audience.

#4 Treat it like a performance

Good public speakers are not that way naturally.? Sure, some folks may have more natural ability than others, but speaking skills can be developed by anyone with a little commitment and some hard work.? I?m sure you?ve heard stories of athletes that didn?t have as much natural ability as others but worked harder.? Public speaking is the same way.? There are techniques that work and if you commit to using them and practice at it, pretty soon you will gain a confidence level.

Professional actors don?t make?their lines up as they go.? They got to be professionals by honing their performance skills and understanding that when they?re up in front of others, they are acting.? When you are in front of a group, you too are in a performance.? The audience has an expectation that you?re there because you know what you?re talking about and will deliver your lines.? Understand a public presentation for what it is and you?re on your way to success.

#5 Write it Out, Word for Word

Sure, I know that goes against the idea that we should be spontaneous and get in the zone and just talk from the heart.? That might work once in a million times, but it?s far more likely that you and I will get up in front of that group and zone out.? And it?s at that point that our preparation kicks in.

When I?m preparing a talk, my starting point is to write my speech out exactly like I want to give it.? This does a couple things for me.? First, it helps to crystallize my thoughts.? If I don?t leave anything to chance, then I?m forced to think through my talk from start to finish.? It also helps me with the flow.? Is my argument consistent?? Do my examples make sense?? Do the thought patterns connect or am I rambling and babbling.? You can easily fake it with bullet points.? Mentally you think that you?ll cover this and that and that.? But write it out word for word and you?ll see if you?ve got?a decent speech.? This is the starting point, and I find it to be incredibly helpful.

#6 Practice by reading aloud

Once you?ve got your speech written out exactly how you want to deliver it, read it out loud.? Go hide in a closet if you have to or stand in the woods where no one will hear you.? But read it out loud.? Don?t mumble, whisper or think it.? Out loud, in a commanding voice, just like you?re going to present it.? Does it flow?? Is it conversational?? Are you using words, phrases and grammatical construction that you would never use when you were talking with someone?? Does it sound like Shakespeare?

Reading your talk aloud after you?ve written it exactly as you?d like to deliver it begins to train your brain on what it?s going to be like.? It has the added benefit of showing you ahead of time where you sound like a goober or your talk doesn?t make sense.? Some words and sentences?just don?t go together.? Does it sound like you?re rambling?

Here you have the opportunity to edit and revise so that it sounds like you want it to in a test environment.? Work out all the kinks.? Get it to flow.? Use language and words that you can pronounce and that sound like you?re giving the talk, not reading from a textbook.? Do this a bunch of times.? Is this an 18 minute TED style talk?? Do it several times a day, every?day before your presentation.? Is it a 5 minute book report for school?? Do the same thing!

#7 Record yourself reading it exactly the way you want to deliver it

Ok, now it?s time to listen to yourself.? Don?t be bashful about this.? After all, you?re going to have to deliver this speech to real people so you might as well get used to hearing it yourself!

At this point, the idea is to record yourself giving your speech exactly the way you want to deliver it.? That?s why you?re going to read it, not attempt to say it from memory or use a bullet point outline.? You want to deliver it as though it were perfect, which means reading it verbatim, including your voice inflection and emphasis.? You should be standing when you read it.? Use a digital audio recorder or your iPhone or the microphone on your computer.? Just get it in?a format that you can play it back.

The point here is crafting your perfect delivery, or as close to it as you can get.? This isn?t practice; that will come later.? You?re the musician creating her demo tape.? By doing this, you?re training your brain and ears what the ideal delivery is.

#8 Now, go listen to it

It?s just like learning the lyrics to a song you like.? To do that, you listen to the song over and over again, thinking about the words, internalizing them.? This is the same principle.? Once you?ve recorded your ?perfect? speech, you will of course practice it over and over again.? But in the midst of your practice, listen to your talk again and again.? Copy it onto your MP3 player or your smart phone and listen to it in the car on the way to work.

#9 For each section, identify one keyword

If you?ve designed your talk like I suggested, this should be fairly easy and straightforward.? Don?t make your talk more complicated than it needs to be.? Your audience probably won?t follow it and you?re likely to forget it.? The 3-point topic structure is designed as much with you in mind as your audience.

So for each section of your talk -?introduction, points and conclusion ? select a keyword that identifies the essence of what you want to communicate.? One word is preferable; ?keyword? is the operative word, not ?key sentence? or ?key paragraph.?

#10 Practice your talk using only your keyword outline

There?s no substitute for practice.? It doesn?t matter if its sports, music, or speaking, practice trains you for your delivery.? Remember practice doesn?t make perfect, it makes permanent.? Perfect comes from structuring, writing and reading your speech.? Do that first, then practice delivering your speech using nothing but your keyword outline.? Fumble through it.? Make mistakes.? Forget and remember.? Go ahead and use up all your ?uh?s? and ?um?s.?

Practice it, then listen to it, then read it, then practice it again with nothing but your keyword outline.? I recommend standing when you do this.

#11 Listed to your audio recording over and over

Training your subconscious is a powerful thing.? The keywords will begin to recall what?s been etched into your mind through auditory training.

#12 Throw away your notes & your keyword outline & practice your talk out loud

Do it now so that you won?t get to speech time and realize that you?ve never given your talk without help.? You?re not there to read your content to your audience.? You?re there to deliver your performance which you?ve prepared for.? So go ahead and prepare.? Pretend that you?ve showed up, but your notes and your presentation didn?t make it.? Get mentally prepared to deliver your talk mano-a-audienceo.

#13 Use effective visual aids

Now that you?re almost there and have your talk designed and delivered, you don?t need to type it in bullet point format on PowerPoint slides.? People respond to pictures.? Are you using a computer with PowerPoint?? Select pictures that communicate the concept.? Here?s a great way to inject your personality into your presentation.? Don?t fall into the trap of using PowerPoint as a crutch.

If you are using a flip chart, draw your illustrations before your speech.? Don?t try to draw them as you go.? You will probably forget your lines while you?re thinking about what you?re drawing or writing and it will very likely look like a 3 year old?s writing on the flip chart.? Prepare everything ahead of time.? Fold the corners of your flip chart pages so they are easy to grab and flip over.? There?s nothing like getting a page caught on the little metal brackets that hold the flip chart up to break your flow!

#14 Master movement and expression

A huge part of communication is non-verbal.? It?s your body language and expression.? You?re audience isn?t there to be bored to death by a monotone presentation from someone who?s clinging to the podium for dear life.? They are there to learn something or at least to be entertained.? That?s the result of having grown up in a media saturated culture!

It may sound kind of basic, but smile when giving your presentation.? Express emotion in your voice.? Sound like you want to be there (even if you don?t? it?s a performance, remember?) and that you care about your subject.? If you don?t, consider choosing a new subject!

Use economy of movement to emphasize points.? That means be deliberate in your physical movement, whether that?s walking to another spot on stage or using hand gestures.? Don?t make your audience dizzy with your movement.? Don?t make them think you have something to hide by being fidgety or shifty.? Make your movements bold and deliberate.

Don?t wave your hands around with your elbows firmly at your side.? This looks goofy to the audience, like you?re the robot from Lost In Space or like one of those weird characters from Yo Gabba Gabba!? If you make hand gestures, move your arms from the shoulder, not the elbows.? Sure, it feels a little awkward at first, but doesn?t the whole thing?

#15 Visualize a successful presentation

Do this.? It?s not hokey and it?s not optional if you want to nail a successful presentation.? See yourself delivering the presentation exactly like you wanted to.? See the audience engaged with your topic.? Connect with the audience by looking them in the eye.? Imagine finishing your lines just like you practiced and hear the audience clap.? Visualize the moderator shaking your had and thanking you for your presentation.? Mentally walk off stage or sitting back down.

Visualization is a powerful tool.? Harness it to make your presentation successful!

I hope you?ve found these strategies helpful and I hop that you crush your next presentation.? And after you do, come back and leave a comment letting me know how you did!

Source: http://www.edhart.me/2013/02/some-strategies-for-better-public-speaking/

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Arm-in-arm, Ohio students commemorate slain classmates

CHARDON, Ohio (AP) ? One day after a teen gunman pleaded guilty in the deadly school shooting in northeast Ohio, students marked its one-year anniversary Wednesday with hugs, supportive messages and a somber march through town.

The march by Chardon High School students, walking arm-in-arm in the damp cold from the school to the town square, was an emotional highlight during the day's commemoration.

Photos of the three slain students were displayed, onlookers applauded marchers and firefighters hung a large American flag from an aerial ladder.

The march ended at the courthouse where the shooter, T.J. Lane, 18, had pleaded guilty Tuesday to all charges. Lane could face life in prison at his sentencing March 19.

The observance honored Daniel Parmertor and Demetrius Hewlin, both 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, who were killed in the Feb. 27, 2012, rampage. Three others were injured.

Students arriving for classes passed an outdoor school sign with the names of the victims and the message: "2-27 A Day of Remembrance." Across the street, a heart-shaped sign in the school colors of red and black had the message: "One Heartbeat."

The slain students' relatives on Wednesday sued Lane and his family, seeking damages and alleging negligent supervision by his parents and grandparents. Attorneys who filed the case said the families want to ensure Lane never profits from his crimes.

"Hopefully this lawsuit will help answer a lot of questions that still remain and help bring closure for the families and the community," attorneys Peter Marmaros and W. Craig Bashein said.

In Columbus, the Ohio House observed a moment of silence. Rep. John Patterson, who represents Chardon, said he planned to introduce a bill to designate highways in the names of the three victims.

Patterson told his colleagues that they couldn't control tragedies or fully prevent them. And the Jefferson Democrat encouraged parents to tell their children they love them.

The anniversary of the student deaths marks another year of mass shootings around the country ? 12 people gunned down at a Colorado movie theater; six killed at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin; and 26 Connecticut first-graders and educators slain in Newtown during the Christmas season.

The march in Chardon rekindled memories of the walk taken along the same route by grieving students as they returned to classes three days after the shooting.

A senior student leader, Jessica Mysyk, said the past year has been a time of emotional healing.

"It was hard to even imagine setting foot back into the building where such a tragedy occurred," she told classmates gathered in the square.

Another senior leader, Will Porter, said nothing satisfactorily explains the violent attack.

"There are no explanations I can give that can help any of us understand," he said.

The day's activities in Chardon highlighted the anniversary but served to keep students busy with projects including writing messages of support, artwork, memorial wreaths and making security blankets for future victims of tragedies.

Rachel Loder, 16, who was a sophomore at the time of the Chardon shootings, received such a security blanket and cried and embraced it at difficult times during the past year, her father George Loder said.

"There have been many tears throughout the year," he said.

Loder said his daughter and her classmates have reciprocated by meeting weekly to make blankets, including more than 150 delivered to Newtown.

Counselors and therapists and about a dozen students from Virginia Tech, where a 2007 massacre left the gunman and 32 students and faculty dead, were available throughout the day to meet with students, Chardon principal Andy Fetchik said.

The Virginia Tech students have visited Chardon more than a half dozen times over the past year to promote healing, said Fetchik, wearing a lapel ribbon in the school's red and black colors.

"That's what our kids have been trying to do as they work with that group, is to send that message that one small act of kindness can go a long way," Fetchik said.

Prosecutors say Lane took a .22-caliber pistol and a knife to the school and fired 10 shots at students in the high school cafeteria. Lane was there waiting for a bus to an alternative school he attended.

Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault. Charged as an adult, Lane cannot get the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the crimes.

___

Associated Press writers Ann Sanner and Kantele Franko in Columbus contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-students-commemorate-classmates-slain-teen-185926606.html

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Little telescope to hunt big game: hard-to-see near-Earth asteroids

Canada's NEOSSat space telescope was launched Monday atop an Indian rocket. It will monitor two groups of asteroids whose proximity to the sun makes them hard to see from Earth.

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / February 25, 2013

In this frame grab made from dashboard camera video shows the Chelyabinsk asteroid on Feb. 15, about 930 miles east of Moscow. Efforts to discover near-Earth asteroids received a potential boost Monday with the launch of Canada's NEOSSat space telescope.

AP Video/AP

Enlarge

Efforts to discover near-Earth asteroids ? including those that are potentially hazardous ? received a potential boost Monday with the launch of the Canadian Space Agency's Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat).

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Housed in a spacecraft the size of a large suitcase, the space telescope physically is a munchkin among behemoths. Its light-gathering mirror is only about 6 inches across.

But from its orbit nearly 500 miles above Earth, NEOSSat will be able to view faint near-Earth asteroids in a region of space that is tough for terrestrial telescopes to tackle.

The $25 million NEOSSat mission is one of seven satellites the Indian Space Agency lofted Monday aboard a single rocket launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, some 50 miles north of Chennal, on India's east coast.

Ground stations have made contact with NEOSSat, "and the basics are green," says Alan Hildebrand, a researcher at the University of Calgary in Alberta and the project's lead scientist.

To date, astronomers say they have discovered between 90 and 95 percent of the approximately 1,000 near-Earth asteroids estimated to be larger than half a mile across.

In 2005, Congress instructed NASA to hunt for smaller asteroids ? setting a goal of finding 90 percent of near-Earth asteroids 500 feet wide and larger by 2020.

But as the Chelyabinsk asteroid demonstrated on Feb. 15, objects far smaller can inflict damage. At about 55 feet across, and with a mass estimated at 10,000 tons, the asteroid exploded high over the Ural mountains. The shock waves damaged an estimated 4,300 buildings and injured nearly 1,500 people.

With tens of millions of objects this size orbiting the sun, the recurrence rate for collisions with a Chelyabinsk-like object averages once every 100 years, according to Paul Chodas, with NASA's Near-Earth Objects Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/jVBeXVAp1AE/Little-telescope-to-hunt-big-game-hard-to-see-near-Earth-asteroids

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Andy Rubin: Google Has ?No Plans? To Launch Retail Stores

In a roundtable discussion with reporters today, Google's head of Android Andy Rubin came right out and flatly denied the search giant was considering the launch of retail locations. "Google has no plans and we have nothing to announce," Rubin was reported as as saying by AllThingsD's Ina Fried. Curiously, Rubin's explanation for why Google doesn't need stores was basically the exact opposite of argument from third-party observers about why it does.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fr4VF0K6rZM/

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Coyotes Beat Canucks 4-2: Kyle Chipchura Scores Twice, Mike Smith Makes 29 Saves (VIDEO)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Kyle Chipchura scored twice and Mike Smith made 29 saves to lead the Phoenix Coyotes to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker each added a goal and an assist for Phoenix, which was coming off back-to-back losses to Edmonton and Calgary over the weekend.

Jason Garrison and Henrik Sedin scored, and Cory Schneider made 18 saves for Vancouver.

Boedker scored in the second and then assisted on Vermette third-period goal that proved the winner, helping the Coyotes win on the road in regulation for the first time this season.

Chipchura opened the scoring in the first and then put the game away into an empty net with 23 seconds left as Phoenix moved into a tie for seventh in the Western Conference.

The Canucks were coming off a 2-1-1 road trip but have now dropped three straight at home. They have also lost two in a row after earning at least a point in 10 of the previous 11 games.

The Coyotes had a pair of quality chances while on the game's first power play in the opening period. David Rundblad threw it to Vermette down low, but his quick redirection went off the post. Boedker then one-timed a cross-ice pass but was robbed by Schneider's glove as he slid across to make the save.

Smith's best stop of the first came when he kicked out his right pad to stop David Booth's backhand in close with about seven minutes remaining.

Chipchura finally opened the scoring at 14:22 with his second goal in his past three games. While battling behind the net, Paul Bissonnette squirted the puck free to Chipchura, who knifed through a passive Canucks defense before cutting in front and roofing a backhand past Schneider.

The Coyotes doubled their lead at 9:54 of the second when Runblad's point shot ricocheted off Maxim Lapierre right to Boedker, who avoided the Vancouver forward's check before beating Schneider under the glove for his fourth of the year.

That goal seemed to wake up the Canucks, who got on the board just 91 seconds later. Ryan Kesler dug the puck out of the boards and threw it to Garrison at the point, who faked a slap shot before ripping a wrister past Smith for his third of the year.

Schneider then did his part to keep Vancouver close, robbing Raffi Torres on the doorstep twice just a minute into the third.

But the Coyotes made it 3-1 at 12:32 when Boedker stripped Alex Edler of the puck to create the odd-man rush and then centered for Vermette, who squeaked his fifth of the season through Schneider's pads.

Vancouver again responded quickly, drawing back to within one a minute later when Henrik Sedin deflected a shot from his twin brother Daniel past Smith.

That would be as close as the Canucks would get as Chipchura iced the game with his fourth of the season.

NOTES: Chipchura now has 51 points in 235 games NHL games. ... Bissonnette has assists in three consecutive games after going pointless through eight contests. It is the first point streak of his five-year career. ... Phoenix was missing Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata, out with injuries for their third and fourth straight games, respectively. Vrbata is the team's leading scorer and Hanzal has a team-high seven goals. The Coyotes were also without the services of D Derek Morris and David Schlemko. ... Vancouver was without defenceman Kevin Bieksa, missing his second straight game with a sore groin. ... Henrik Sedin played in his 600th consecutive game. Only Calgary D Jay Bouwmeester has a longer ironman streak currently going (606 games).

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/27/coyotes-canucks-4-2-chipchura-mike-smith_n_2770723.html

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CONTEST: Fitness Month Dream Device Giveaway! $400 value, enter NOW!

Leave a comment below telling us what you got out of Mobile Nations Fitness Month and be entered for a chance to win the phone, tablet, or game system of your dreams!

It's February and you know what that means? Mobile Nations Fitness Month! That's when we all get together to get in shape, share tips and tricks and recipes for success, review amazing apps and accessories, give away great prizes, and have a ton of fun! This year we're doing it a little differently, though. We're doing weekly themes, and that means every week you'll have new and exciting challenges, and new chances to win!

Week 4: Balance!

That's right, it's time to bring everything together and work towards a balanced life! It's really hard to eat and sleep well, and exercise regularly, especially with as all the other things we have to do. That's why it's important to not only act healthier for a week or month, but to build healthier habits into your ever day lifestyle.

To round out the month, we'll be reviewing a bunch of great apps and accessories that can help you keep it together, and keep yourself on track with your nutrition, exercise and relaxation goals.

And we are also going to be doing the mother of all contests.

Contest: Win the fitness device of your dreams!

Leave a comment below telling us what you've gotten out of Mobile Nations Fitness Month -- how much you've improved or been inspired, what you plan to do to keep it up throughout the year, or even how much you simply sat on the couch and watched it all transpire around you! -- and you'll be entered to win a $400 gift certificate to put towards whatever phone, tablet, or even gaming system will help you keep up with your fitness goals!

Be it iPhone or Galaxy Note, Lumia or BlackBerry, Surface or Droid, iPad or Android tablet, Xbox or Wii, we want to help you bring it home!

Our usual contest rules apply, and only one entry per person, but you can enter once on all of our sites: Android Central, CrackBerry, iMore.com, webOS Nation, and WPCentral

So what are you waiting for? Enter NOW, NOW, NOW!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/MGtgJ4iff9w/story01.htm

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Yes, Dems Have A Structural Advantage In Sequestration Fight (talking-points-memo)

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NRA says Obama wants gun seizures

The National Rifle Association is using a Justice Department memo it obtained to argue in ads that the Obama administration believes its gun control plans won't work unless the government seizes firearms and requires national gun registration ? ideas the White House has not proposed and does not support.

The NRA's assertion and its obtaining of the memo in the first place underscore the no-holds-barred battle under way as Washington's fight over gun restrictions heats up.

The memo, under the name of one of the Justice Department's leading crime researchers, critiques the effectiveness of gun control proposals, including some of President Barack Obama's. A Justice Department official called the memo an unfinished review of gun violence research and said it does not represent administration policy.

The memo says requiring background checks for more gun purchases could help, but also could lead to more illicit weapons sales. It says banning assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines produced in the future but exempting those already owned by the public, as Obama has proposed, would have limited impact because people now own so many of those items.

It also says that even total elimination of assault weapons would have little overall effect on gun killings because assault weapons account for a limited proportion of those crimes.

The nine-page document says the success of universal background checks would depend in part on "requiring gun registration," and says gun buybacks would not be effective "unless massive and coupled with a ban."

The administration has not proposed gun registration, buybacks or banning all firearms. But gun registration and ownership curbs are hot-button issues for the NRA and other gun-rights groups, which strenuously oppose the ideas.

Justice Department and White House officials declined to provide much information about the memo or answer questions about it on the record.

The memo has the look of a preliminary document and calls itself "a cursory summary" and assessment of gun curb initiatives. The administration has not release it officially.

But the NRA has posted the memo on one of its websites and cites it in advertising aimed at whipping up opposition to Obama's efforts to contain gun violence. The ad says the paper shows that the administration "believes that a gun ban will not work without mandatory gun confiscation" and thinks universal background checks "won't work without requiring national gun registration" ? ideas the president has not proposed or expressed support for.

"Still think President Obama's proposals sound reasonable?" Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief Washington lobbyist, says in the ad.

Last month, White House spokesman Jay Carney said none of Obama's proposals "would take away a gun from a single law-abiding American." Other administration officials have said their plans would not result in gun seizures or a national gun registry.

A Justice Department official who would only discuss the issue on condition of anonymity said the NRA ad misrepresents Obama's gun proposals and that the administration has never backed a gun registry or gun confiscation.

While the memo's analysis of gun curb proposals presents no new findings, it is unusual for a federal agency document to surface that raises questions about a president's plans during debate on a high-profile issue such as restricting firearms.

Obama wants to ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines exceeding 10 rounds that are produced in the future. He wants universal background checks for nearly all gun purchases. Today, checks are only mandatory on sales by federally licensed gun dealers, not transactions at gun shows or other private sales.

His plan also includes tougher federal laws against gun trafficking and straw purchases, which occur when a person legally buys a firearm but sells it to a criminal or someone else barred from owning a weapon.

Interest in the gun issue has intensified since the December shootings in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 first-graders and six staffers at an elementary school. The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee plans to write legislation addressing some of Obama's proposals in the next week or two.

The NRA's Cox declined to say how his organization obtained the memo.

He said the commercial is running online in 15 states, including many Republican-leaning states where Democrats will defend Senate seats next year, such as Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. There are also ads in papers in five states.

The memo was written under the name of Greg Ridgeway, acting director of the National Institute of Justice, the Justice Department's research arm. It is dated Jan. 4, nearly two weeks before Obama announced his plan for restricting guns, and Ridgeway's first day as acting chief.

Justice Department officials said Ridgeway was not granting interviews. He came to the institute last July from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research institution where he studied criminal justice issues, and has a Ph.D. in statistics.

The memo says straw purchases and gun thefts are the largest sources of firearms used in crimes, and that such transactions "would most likely become larger if background checks at gun shows and private sellers were addressed."

Gun control supporters said the NRA ad and the Justice memo don't mention that the current federal background check system blocked gun sales to 2.1 million criminals and others barred from owning guns between 1994, when the checks began, and 2010. Also ignored is that Obama has proposed cracking down on straw purchases to prevent a growth in illegal transactions, they said.

Advocates of restricting guns also said the memo omitted mention of several studies that affirm the effectiveness of firearms curbs. These include a 2010 police group analysis showing more than one-third of police departments found increased criminal use of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines since the 2004 expiration of the ban on those items.

"It doesn't appear to be a serious discussion of gun violence prevention policy, never mind an expression of administration policy," said Joshua Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

The memo says that out of 11,000 annual gun homicides, an average of 35 deaths yearly are from mass shootings, defined as those with four or more victims.

"Policies that address the larger firearm homicide issue will have a far greater impact even if they do not address the particular issues of mass shootings," it says.

It says there were an estimated 1.5 million assault weapons before the 10-year ban on those firearms began in 1994, so their sheer number would weaken a new ban exempting existing weapons. Such guns accounted for just 2 percent to 8 percent of crimes before the 1994 ban, so eliminating assault weapons "would not have a large impact on gun homicides," the memo said.

Recent data on the assault weapons ban impact is scarce because since the 1990s, Congress has blocked most federal research on the effect that firearms have on public health. As part of the gun restrictions Obama proposed last month, he ordered federal scientific agencies to research gun violence.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nra-uses-justice-memo-accuse-obama-guns-084745794.html

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Head to head: NVIDIA's Tegra 4 and Tegra 4i

Chipmaker shows its 2013 wares at Mobile World Congress

For NVIDIA in 2013 (so far at least), the conversation revolves around Tegra 4 and Tegra 4i. The gist is that Tegra 4 is more powerful of the two, with more GPU cores than Tegra 4i (72 versus 60) and boasting the ARM 15 processor as part of NVIDIA's 4+1 quad-core package. It's a little bigger and more expensive than Tegra 4i, which dispenses with a dozen GPU cores and integrates the i500 LTE modem onto the die. Tegra 4i also uses an ARM9-r4, which while not quite as bad-ass as the ARM15 can very much still hold its own thanks to the optimization from ARM and NVIDIA. 

We got an up-close look at the new systems today, on the eve of Mobile World Congress, in a series of relatively controlled scenarios on test hardare, including NVIDIA's own "Phoenix" reference phone. And it's tough not to let NVIDIA's enthusiasm for its new line rub off on you. On paper, anyway, and comparing to the best of what's currently available -- which means Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 and its own Tegra 3 -- the next generation of Tegra devices looks damned promising.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/yWjJBxTUG0M/story01.htm

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'Sequester' on president's agenda at meeting with governors

President Barack Obama on Monday is expected to implore the nation's governors to put pressure on Congress to avoid the sequester as Obama speaks to the nation's governors at the White House.

Members of the Obama administration, heads of federal agencies and others have been issuing severe warnings to Congress regarding the sequester-- $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts that will go into effect March 1 absent a budget. Warnings have been released threatening fewer responders to handle wildfires, reduced food safety inspection, less help for vulnerable Americans and on Friday, widespread flight delays and cancellations.

"Travelers should expect delays. Flights to major cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and others could experience delays up to 90 minutes during peak hours, because we have fewer controllers on staff. Delays in these major airports will ripple across the country," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters at Friday's White House press briefing after announcing that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans massive furloughs and closing air traffic control towers if the sequester goes into effect.

The White House on Sunday night released state-by-state reports detailing what they say would be "devastating" impacts on each state as a result of the sequester, but the?topic of the sequester was notably absent from Obama's speech Sunday night to the governors, who are in town for the National Governors Association's (NGA) annual winter meeting.

Instead, the president at the White House dinner struck an appreciative tone, commending the governors for steering their states through tough times.

Democratic Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware, chair of the NGA, followed Obama's address Sunday night by emphasizing the absence of politics from the night's celebration. "On this one night it?s a relief -- politics doesn?t drive the conversation. We don?t speak of partisan issues or presidential aspirations," Markell said.

But Markell did note the sequester.

"One thing for sure is certain -- you don?t let issues fester.? You get to deal with education and health care, and even the sequester," Markell said to laughter and applause from the audience.

Republicans such as Speaker John Boehner have publicly stated their opposition to the sequester, though others have threatened they are willing to let it go into effect.

Some Republicans over the weekend continued to accuse the administration of exaggerating the sequester's impact.

"They have plenty of flexibility in terms of discretion on how they spend money. There are easy ways to cut this money that the American people will never feel," Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma said on Fox News Sunday.

The president is slated to address the governors at 11:05 a.m. ET from the White House State Dining Room. Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden are also scheduled to speak.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-expected-address-sequester-monday-meeting-governors-143539950--politics.html

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Five myths about picking the next pope: Washington Post

By Thomas J. Reese | Special to The Washington Post

Next month, 117 cardinals from across the globe will gather inside the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, invoke the Holy Spirit and elect a pope to replace Benedict XVI, who's resigning at the end of this month. Behind closed doors, cut off from the outside world, they will choose a leader who will have an impact on not only the Catholic Church but the entire planet. Let's look at some of the misconceptions about how the cardinals will select the latest successor to Saint Peter.

1. Pope Benedict resigned, rather than remain in office until death, so he could influence the cardinals to elect someone like him.

In Washington, we tend to be suspicious of the explanations politicians give for anything, but in the case of the pope's resignation, the explanation ? his deteriorating health ? appears to be accurate. Benedict recognizes that he is no longer up to the job, and he should be honored for giving up power and position for the good of the church. He is moving out of Rome after he steps down to avoid the appearance of trying to influence the election. "He will not interfere in any way," a Vatican spokesman said the day after the announcement.

So how will the cardinals decide? Each will look for someone who agrees with the cardinals' values and vision for the church. He will also want someone with whom he will have a good, friendly relationship. Finally, since all politics is local, each cardinal wants someone who will be well received in his country. Americans want someone who understands the sex abuse crisis; Nigerians want someone who understands Islam.

The cardinals realize that this election will be one of the most important things they ever do. One pope, Felix IV (526-30), tried to influence the selection of his successor; the Roman Senate objected and passed an edict forbidding any discussion of a pope's successor during his lifetime.

Benedict has appointed 57 percent of the cardinal electors (John Paul II named the rest), so they will most likely elect someone with similar views. In American terms, that means someone to the right of Newt Gingrich on social issues and to the left of Nancy Pelosi on economic issues.

2. The next pope is likely to be African or Latin American.

Catholicism has been growing dramatically in the developing world, but with 52 percent of the cardinals coming from Europe, chances are the next pope will be European.

The Italians have the largest bloc of votes, almost one-fourth of the 117 electors. John Paul II, who was Polish, was elected because the Italian cardinals were divided. Current evidence, including documents leaked from the Vatican, indicates that the Italian cardinals are again split. A non-Italian is again possible.

Those who support a pope from Africa argue that the vibrant and growing African church is Catholicism's future. Others say that the church in Africa is doing fine and that Catholics need a leader who can save the church in the developed world. In the United States, about one out of three people raised Catholic have left the church. The church in Europe has been in trouble since the 19th century. Today, more people in Paris go to mosques on Friday than go to Mass on Sunday.

? An animated guide to becoming the next pope (Mashable)

Both John Paul and Benedict railed against secularism and relativism in Europe but were unable to turn the tide. If there is a cardinal who can turn the church around in Europe and the United States, he deserves the job.

3. The cardinals will elect a brilliant theologian like John Paul and Benedict.

At the past two conclaves, the cardinals elected the smartest man in the room. Now, it may be time to choose a man who will listen to all the other smart people in the church.

The problem with most academics and intellectuals, especially philosophers and theologians, is that they have already made up their minds on important issues and rarely change them. It might be time for a skilled diplomat who has experience in negotiating and building consensus, useful skills for responding to the priest shortage, declining church attendance and internal divisions.

Both John Paul and Benedict got into trouble because they were surrounded by people who thought the popes were the smartest men in the world. Such people are reluctant to challenge their bosses. For example, in 2006 Benedict gave an address that included a quote from a Byzantine emperor denigrating Islam. If an expert on Islam had read the text beforehand, he could have warned that there would be a negative reaction from the Arab street.

4. Don't expect big surprises from the next conclave.

In the new papacy, there will probably be more continuity than radical change. Don't expect female priests next month. But the Holy Spirit can always surprise us, as it did with the election of John XXIII, whom the cardinals thought would be a "do nothing" pope; instead, he convened the Second Vatican Council, which transformed modern Catholicism. Everyone was also surprised by the 1978 election of John Paul II, the first non-Italian in centuries.

While the cardinals will be loyal to the pope, the new pontiff, once elected, has no one from whom to take his cues. He has to think, consult and pray before each big decision. Where that will lead him is anyone's guess.

5. It doesn't matter who is elected pope, nobody listens to him.

While the pope can no longer command absolute obedience among the faithful, he is still the leader of a 2.2 billion-member organization. What he says and does matters, whether it is regarding the Middle East, AIDS, climate change or many other issues that touch not only Catholics but everyone.

The most important challenge for the pope and the church is to figure out how to preach the Gospel in a way that is understandable and attractive to people of the 21st century, especially young people, who can be turned off by religion. Benedict got it right when he said Christianity should not be presented as a series of "no's" but as a "yes" to Jesus and his message of love, life, justice, peace and community. If the new pope does this, he could revitalize the church. He needs to use all the modern means of communication, even Twitter, to get his message across.

In preaching the Gospel, the church needs to imitate, not just quote, great theologians such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Both took the best thinking of their times ? for Augustine it was Neoplatonism, for Thomas it was the writings of Aristotle ? and used it to explain Christianity.

Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University in Washington. He is the author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church."

Source: http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2013/02/five_myths_about_picking_the_n.html

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Evelyn Makes An Entrance As London's Underground Electricity Superhighway Reaches Latest Landmark

History was made deep below London as National Grid?s flagship project to help keep the lights on in London took one step closer to completion. Massive tunnel boring machine (TBM) Evelyn reached a pre-prepared tunnel shaft at St John?s Wood on Thursday, February 7.

Operated by a team of highly trained engineers who sit within her 100-m long structure, Evelyn is digging 19 km of the new 32-km electricity superhighway which National Grid is constructing deep below London.

Backed up by a support team of engineers above ground, Evelyn has so far dug 7.26 km of the tunnel, since beginning her epic mission in early 2012. The next phase of tunneling operations will see Evelyn journey toward Wimbledon, from Wandsworth.

A second TBM, Cleopatra, is carving out the other 13 km of the route and is due to arrive at St John?s Wood later this year.

National Grid?s Head of Cable Tunnels David Luetchford said: ?This week?s breakthrough is a dramatic illustration of how National Grid plays its part in connecting people to the energy they use. It?s nice to think that as Londoners go about their business Evelyn, Cleopatra and our engineers are at work deep underground helping to make sure that the capital?s future energy needs are met.?

The project is due for completion in 2018 and once operational it will play a vital part in delivering energy supplies to London.

For more information go to www.londonpowertunnels.co.uk.

Source: http://tdworld.com/projects_in_progress/evelyn-london-power-0213/index.html?imw=Y

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It's official: Samsung's got a new 8-inch Note tablet

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 17 hrs.

The rumors you might've heard are true: Samsung's got a new 8-inch tablet, appropriately named the Galaxy Note 8.0, on the way.

The new tablet will sit between the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 smartphone and the 10.1-inch Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. It competes with Apple's 7.9-inch iPad Mini and Google's 7-inch Nexus 7.

Like the other devices in Samsung's Galaxy Note line, the Galaxy Note 8.0 will include the S Pen, which Samsung emphasizes is not merely a stylus. You can use the pressure-sensitive digital pen ? which is powered by technology created by Wacom, the company behind professional-grade digital drawing tablets ? to add notes, manipulate content on the screen, and even preview videos and emails by simply hovering it close to the Galaxy Note 8.0's screen.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 will run Android 4.1.2 (better known as Jellybean). Under the hood, it has a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, a 5 megapixel camera in the back, a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front, 2GB of RAM, and a microSD slot. The tablet's 8-inch display offers 1280x800 pixels, which breaks down to 189 pixels per inch (ppi). (In comparison, the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 have 163 ppi and 216 ppi displays, respectively.)

Those who were intrigued by the Galaxy Note 10.1's multi-app split-screen feature will likely jump for joy when they hear that it is included on the Galaxy Note 8.0 and that it now supports nearly any app ? not just Samsung's included suite of tools. (This means that you can take notes while watching a video, type out emails while editing a spreadsheet on the side, scribble over a photo while checking out instructions in a document, and so on.)

The Galaxy Note 8.0 will come in 16GB and 32GB versions. No word yet on pricing details, but since we should see the tablet hit shelves in the second quarter of this year, it won't be too long before we find out how much Samsung wants for its latest gadget.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/its-official-samsungs-got-new-8-inch-note-tablet-1C8516290

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Video: Tanks leaking at Hanford nuclear site

>>> trouble for another big program tonight. at this moment the most contaminated nuclear site in the country is leaking a mix of radioactive and toxic material into the soil. the waste is coming from old underground tanks in washington state 's hanford nuclear reservation , a site that produced plutonium for the bombs dropped in world war ii . officials say the leak is not an immediate threat since it will likely take years for the chemicals to reach the groundwater.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50923161/

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Investors face another Washington deadline

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors face another Washington-imposed deadline on government spending cuts next week, but it's not generating the same level of fear as two months ago when the "fiscal cliff" loomed large.

Investors in sectors most likely to be affected by the cuts, like defense, seem untroubled that the budget talks could send stocks tumbling.

Talks on the U.S. budget crisis began again this week leading up to the March 1 deadline for the so-called sequestration when $85 billion in automatic federal spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.

"It's at this point a political hot button in Washington but a very low level investor concern," said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The fight pits President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats against congressional Republicans.

Stocks rallied in early January after a compromise temporarily avoided the fiscal cliff, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index <.spx> has risen 6.3 percent since the start of the year.

But the benchmark index lost steam this week, posting its first week of losses since the start of the year. Minutes on Wednesday from the last Federal Reserve meeting, which suggested the central bank may slow or stop its stimulus policy sooner than expected, provided the catalyst.

National elections in Italy on Sunday and Monday could also add to investor concern. Most investors expect a government headed by Pier Luigi Bersani to win and continue with reforms to tackle Italy's debt problems. However, a resurgence by former leader Silvio Berlusconi has raised doubts.

"Europe has been in the last six months less of a topic for the stock market, but the problems haven't gone away. This may bring back investor attention to that," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

OPTIONS BULLS TARGET GAINS

The spending cuts, if they go ahead, could hit the defense industry particularly hard.

Yet in the options market, bulls were targeting gains in Lockheed Martin Corp , the Pentagon's biggest supplier.

Calls on the stock far outpaced puts, suggesting that many investors anticipate the stock to move higher. Overall options volume on the stock was 2.8 times the daily average with 17,000 calls and 3,360 puts traded, according to options analytics firm Trade Alert.

"The upside call buying in Lockheed solidifies the idea that option investors are not pricing in a lot of downside risk in most defense stocks from the likely impact of sequestration," said Jared Woodard, a founder of research and advisory firm condoroptions.com in Forest, Virginia.

The stock ended up 0.6 percent at $88.12 on Friday.

If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on reducing the U.S. budget deficit in the next few days, a sequester would include significant cuts in defense spending. Companies such as General Dynamics Corp and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp could be affected.

General Dynamics Corp shares rose 1.2 percent to $67.32 and Smith & Wesson added 4.6 percent to $9.18 on Friday.

EYES ON GDP DATA, APPLE

The latest data on fourth-quarter U.S. gross domestic product is expected on Thursday, and some analysts predict an upward revision following trade data that showed America's deficit shrank in December to its narrowest in nearly three years.

U.S. GDP unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter, according to an earlier government estimate, but analysts said there was no reason for panic, given that consumer spending and business investment picked up.

Investors will be looking for any hints of changes in the Fed's policy of monetary easing when Fed Chairman Ben Bernake speaks before congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Shares of Apple will be watched closely next week when the company's annual stockholders' meeting is held.

On Friday, a U.S. judge handed outspoken hedge fund manager David Einhorn a victory in his battle with the iPhone maker, blocking the company from moving forward with a shareholder vote on a controversial proposal to limit the company's ability to issue preferred stock.

(Additional reporting by Doris Frankel; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/investors-face-another-washington-deadline-023511356--finance.html

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Thursday's NBA notebook: Teams keep wheeling and dealing minimal

New York ? The only trade involving Dwight Howard came last summer. The potent scorers that moved did so long ago.

There was no eye-catching activity left for deadline day, resulting in minor deals Thursday to the disappointment of those hoping for a frenzy.

Josh Smith stayed put and the Boston Celtics' core stayed together, leaving J.J. Redick, dealt to Milwaukee, as the biggest name to be traded.

There were nine moves, nothing approaching a blockbuster and none to jump-start the Lakers.

"I don't think I've seen fewer trade deadline deals, ever," said Houston general manager Daryl Morey, who completed two trades Wednesday. "But I think it's a one-year blip."

The Atlanta Hawks held onto Smith, and Utah kept both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson on a day when much attention was focused on both situations, since those players have value and could leave their teams this summer as free agents.

The Celtics did make one deal, acquiring guard Jordan Crawford (Detroit) from the Washington Wizards for center Jason Collins and injured guard Leandro Barbosa.

Golden State sent forward Jeremy Tyler to Atlanta and guard Charles Jenkins to Philadelphia in separate deals, slicing more than $1.5 million off its payroll after beginning the day about $1.2 million over the league's $70,307,000 luxury tax.

Rebuilding after trading Howard, the Magic decided Redick wasn't in their plans while averaging career highs in points (15.1) and field-goal percentage (45.0). He was traded along with center Gustavo Ayon and reserve point guard Ish Smith to the Bucks in exchange for guards Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih, and forward Tobias Harris.

The New York Knicks traded Ronnie Brewer to Oklahoma City to open a roster spot that will be used to give Kenyon Martin a 10-day contract. The Hawks couldn't find a good enough deal for Smith, who had largely been considered the biggest name that would move, and settled for sending Anthony Morrow to Dallas for Dahntay Jones.

With so little happening, Morey might have pulled off the most intriguing move this week when he acquired Thomas Robinson, the No. 5 pick in last year's draft, from Sacramento in one of his two deals.

"I thought the main thing that was different at this trade deadline was there was a big premium on cap space and draft picks," Morey said. "Usually, that's the currency that moves markets. They were at such a premium that every deal was very difficult. It became like a barter economy instead of a cash economy. That made deals harder.

"I do think you could say that maybe the CBA might be contributing to that. But I also think a lot of it is just the phase teams are in.

"There are a lot of good teams trying to maybe rebuild, for lack of a better word.

Lakers past and present pay tribute to Buss

Magic Johnson , Shaquille O'Neal , Kobe Bryant and Jerry West were among a host of basketball greats who gathered to remember the life and legacy of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss .

They spoke at a memorial service held Thursday for Buss, who died this week at 80 after an 18-month struggle with cancer. The stage at the Nokia Theatre across from Staples Center was bedecked with all 10 of the NBA championship trophies won by the Lakers under Buss and more than 30 floral arrangements.

Slam dunks

Magic PG Jameer Nelson has been diagnosed with a strained left knee patella tendon

? Bulls G Kirk Hinrich sat out Thursday's game against the Miami Heat because of an ongoing problem with his right elbow.

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130221/SPORTS0102/302210495/1127/rss13

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Adele, 'Les Miserables' cast sing on Oscar stage

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? It was an extra starry, musical day at the Dolby Theatre.

Adele took the stage first Friday, followed by the cast of "Les Miserables," singing together of the first time.

Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, along with co-stars Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sasha Baron-Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit and Samantha Barks rehearsed their performances on the Oscar stage. They were backed by members of the musical's stage productions from London and Broadway.

"Les Miserables" director Tom Hooper sat in the front row of the theater as his cast sang together on stage.

Moments earlier, Adele dazzled the tiny audience of show workers with her performance of the James Bond theme "Skyfall."

She giddily remarked, "We're seated in the front row!"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/adele-les-miserables-cast-sing-oscar-stage-020713244.html

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Opposition activists say 31 dead in Damascus blast

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Opposition activists say at least 31 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in Damascus near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy.

The Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the dead were civilians, but members of the Syrian security services were also killed in Thursday's attack.

Witnesses and opposition activists said the explosion targeted a security checkpoint central Mazraa neighborhood.

Syrian state TV also reported the blast, calling it a "terrorist" attack by a suicide bomber on a heavily populated area.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/opposition-activists-31-dead-damascus-blast-110637130.html

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This Shape Shifting House Is a Transformer That Hides in Nature

This house in the San Juan Islands of Washington hides itself in nature and reveals its transformer abilities depending on the day. There are floor to ceiling glass walls that can be exposed. Or can be made to be completely open. There is an extendable deck. There is a bathroom roof that can be raised away. Hell, even the interior walls can be re-arranged. It's a house that can change its personality according to nature. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EAGcjhBapUU/this-shape-shifting-house-is-a-transformer-that-hides-in-nature

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Should grandma join Facebook? It may give her a cognitive boost, study finds

Feb. 21, 2013 ? For older adults looking to sharpen their mental abilities, it might be time to log on to Facebook.

Preliminary research findings from the University of Arizona suggest that men and women older than 65 who learn to use Facebook could see a boost in cognitive function.

Janelle Wohltmann, a graduate student in the UA department of psychology, set out to see whether teaching older adults to use the popular social networking site could help improve their cognitive performance and make them feel more socially connected.

Her preliminary findings, which she shared this month at the International Neuropsychological Society Annual Meeting in Hawaii, show that older adults, after learning to use Facebook, performed about 25 percent better on tasks designed to measure their ability to continuously monitor and to quickly add or delete the contents of their working memory -- a function known in the psychology world as "updating."

Wohltmann, whose research is ongoing as part of her dissertation work, facilitated Facebook training for 14 older adults who had either never used the site or used it less than once a month. They were instructed to become Facebook friends only with those in their training group and were asked to post on the site at least once a day.

A second group of 14 non-Facebook using seniors instead was taught to use an online diary site, Penzu.com, in which entries are kept private, with no social sharing component. They were asked to make at least one entry a day, of no more than three to five sentences to emulate the shortness of messages that Facebook users typically post.

The study's third group of 14 was told they were on a "wait-list" for Facebook training, which they never actually completed.

Prior to learning any new technologies, study participants, who ranged in age from 68 to 91, completed a series of questionnaires and neuropsychological tests measuring social variables, such as their levels loneliness and social support, as well as their cognitive abilities. The assessments were done again at the end of the study, eight weeks later.

In the follow-ups, those who had learned to use Facebook performed about 25 percent better than they did at the start of the study on tasks designed to measure their mental updating abilities. Participants in the other groups saw no significant change in performance.

Wohltmann conducted the study with help from her research adviser Betty Glisky, professor and head of the department of psychology, and a team of undergraduate and graduate research assistants. It was based on existing evidence about how learning new tasks can help older adults with overall cognitive function, as well as research suggesting a possible link between social connectedness and cognitive performance.

"The idea evolved from two bodies of research," she said. "One, there is evidence to suggest that staying more cognitively engaged -- learning new skills, not just becoming a couch potato when you retire but staying active -- leads to better cognitive performing. It's kind of this 'use it or lose it' hypothesis."

"There's also a large body of literature showing that people who are more socially engaged, are less lonely, have more social support and are more socially integrated are also doing better cognitively in older age," she said.

In Wohltmann's research, further analysis is needed to determine whether using Facebook made participants feel less lonely or more socially connected, she said.

Likewise, further analysis is needed to determine whether, or by how much, Facebook's social aspect contributed to improvements in cognitive performance. However, Wohltmann suspects that the complex nature of the Facebook interface, compared to the online diary site, was largely responsible for Facebook users' improved performance.

"The Facebook interface is actually quite complex. The big difference between the online diary and Facebook is that when you create a diary entry, you create the entry, you save it and that's all you see, versus if you're on Facebook, several people are posting new things, so new information is constantly getting posted," she said.

"You're seeing this new information coming in, and you need to focus on the new information and get rid of the old information, or keep it in mind if you want to go back and reference it later, so you have to constantly update what's there in your attention," she said.

Participants in the study, who had an average age of 79, represent a demographic whose social media behavior has not been closely examined.

"Facebook is obviously a huge phenomenon in our culture," Wohltmann said. "There's starting to be more research coming out about how younger adults use Facebook and online social networking, but we really don't know very much at all about older adults, and they actually are quite a large growing demographic on Facebook, so I think it's really important to do the research to find out."

One in three online seniors use a social networking site like Facebook, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Wohltmann says she also sees Facebook as a potential alternative to some online games marketed to seniors to help boost mental acuity.

"Those games can boring after a while, and this might be a new activity for people to learn that's more interesting and keeps them socially engaged," she said, adding that it can also help older adults stay connected with grandchildren and other family and friends.

Yet, Wohltmann cautions it may not be for everyone.

"One of the take-home messages could be that learning how to use Facebook is a way to build what we call cognitive reserve, to help protect against and stave off cognitive decline due to normal age-related changes in brain function. But there certainly are other ways to do this as well," she said.

"It's also important to understand and know about some of the aspects of Facebook that people have concerns about, like how to keep your profile secure," she said. "So I wouldn't suggest to anyone to get out and get Granny online right away, unless you or somebody else can provide the proper education and support to that person, so that they can use it in a safe way."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/GwmOxbCG0vw/130221143912.htm

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