Prison for 2 Egyptians over train crash killing 52

ASSUIT, Egypt (AP) ? An Egyptian court has sentenced two railway workers to ten years in prison over a train crash that killed 52 people when a bus full of schoolchildren was hit last year.

The court, in the southern city of Assiut, found Sayed Radwan and Hussein Abdel Rahman guilty of manslaughter and endangerment of public transport on Saturday. It sentenced each to 10 years prison and a fine of about $14,000.

Last November, the speeding train crashed into a bus carrying Egyptian children to their kindergarten. The crash led to local protests and accusations from outraged Egyptians that President Mohammed Morsi was failing to respond to demands for basic rights made in the 2011 uprising.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/prison-2-egyptians-over-train-crash-killing-52-134914455.html

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Women Fight Back: Ohio Bill Makes Erectile Dysfunction Her Business (Little green footballs)

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afreena: Northern Food: Devonshire Arms, Baslow, Derbyshire

I've been pretty underwhelmed with the dining options since moving to a small town in Derbyshire. This wasn't entirely unexpected, the more rural areas of the country just can't match the offer of the cities at the budget end of the market, the end where my eating out firmly rests at the moment.?

The big northern city combo of bargain Asian restaurants and a highly competitive casual drinking and dining market mean that it's easy to eat well for under twenty quid, all in, including a drink or two. Down here there are plenty of good options in the high end pub category, but when the average main course is upwards of fifteen quid alone, you're no longer in the cheap and cheerful range.

It would be daft, of course, to criticise the Peak District for not being Sheffield or Manchester. I'm not expecting to get Vietnamese food, but what has so far been disappointing is the pub food. There are loads of non-chain pubs in the vicinity, but sadly a lot of them aren't really serving anything better than a chain, and in some cases are dishing up something far worse. Rule of thumb: if the only chicken you have is in the freezer, and it's been there for god knows how long and has gone all grey and fibrous looking, then maybe take it off the menu. Just a suggestion.

So Sunday lunch at the Devonshire Arms in Baslow came as something of a surprise. Very nice food, served by some nice people who actually seemed to give a shit. Well done them.

The Sunday roast wasn't perfect, because they never are in pubs, but it was a good effort. Thick slices of pink beef rump, good gravy, a Yorkshire pudding that was fresh and pliable rather than ancient and fractured, and accurately cooked veggies. Only the roasts were a bit of a let down, being almost devoid of roasty brown goodness.

Pudding actually was perfect, at least it was as far as I'm concerned. Lemon posset, lemon sorbet and ginger biscuits. I thought the double lemon approach might have been citrus overkill, but it wasn't, it was divine, rich and creamy offset wonderfully by sweet and sharp. And anything can be improved by the addition of ginger biscuits.

Including service we paid exactly twenty quid each for two courses and a drink or two, great value for the quality and locale. I liked it here, but I'll still have to dock them half a point for the lacklustre roast potatoes.

7.5/10

Nether End

Baslow

Derbyshire

DE45 1SR

Source: http://m62food.blogspot.com/2013/06/devonshire-arms-baslow-derbyshire.html

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US agency sues Corzine over failure of MF Global

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jon Corzine once saw a boutique brokerage called MF Global as his best hope to rescale the heights of Wall Street he'd once occupied as head of Goldman Sachs.

Now, MF Global is bankrupt. And Corzine faces a lifetime ban from the futures industry.

On Thursday, federal regulators sued Corzine, a onetime U.S. senator and governor of New Jersey. They allege that he was responsible for the misuse of customer money while CEO of MF Global, which collapsed in 2011.

A civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission seeks to restrict Corzine's ability to trade investments and demands he pay unspecified penalties.

The suit charges that MF Global violated U.S. laws in the weeks before it collapsed by using customer funds to support its own trading operations. About $1.2 billion in customer money vanished when the firm collapsed.

Corzine bore responsibility for the unlawful acts by MF Global because he controlled the firm and its holdings and "either did not act in good faith or knowingly induced these violations," the lawsuit says.

In a conference call with reporters, CFTC Enforcement Director David Meister said Corzine failed to do enough to "prevent the firm from dipping into customers' funds to stay afloat."

MF Global has agreed to pay a $100 million penalty as part of a settlement announced Thursday. The money will come from bankruptcy proceedings.

Corzine has disputed the allegations by the CFTC, which regulated New York-based MF Global. He did so again Thursday through his lawyers.

"Mr. Corzine did nothing wrong, and we look forward to vindicating him in court," attorney Andy Levander said in a statement.

James Giddens, the court-appointed trustee overseeing MF Global's bankruptcy, called the settlement with the CFTC "appropriate." He said the $100 million penalty will be paid only after the firm's customers and creditors have received all their claims.

The CFTC also filed civil charges against Edith O'Brien, the firm's former assistant treasurer. Last year, O'Brien was summoned to a congressional hearing into what happened in MF Global's final days. She declined to answer questions, invoking her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Attorneys for O'Brien didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

The lawsuit seeks to bar Corzine and O'Brien from working for any firms that trade commodities or other investments regulated by the CFTC. Corzine and O'Brien would also be barred from trading any such investments on their own. They could still trade stocks and bonds.

Thursday's lawsuit is striking in that regulators have seldom charged individuals with financial crisis-era misdeeds. They have instead imposed fines and penalties against companies, often with no one having to admit blame.

Nearly 90 percent of the money belonging to the firm's U.S. customers has been recovered. Many farmers, ranchers and business owners used futures contracts through MF Global to hedge their risks against fluctuating crop prices. A futures contract allows someone to agree with someone else to buy or sell something ? corn, say, or gold ? at a set price at some point in the future.

The CFTC need not show in court that Corzine personally authorized the use of customer money, said Anthony Sabino of the New York law firm Sabino & Sabino, which specializes in white-collar crime. Top executives can be liable for "failure to maintain internal controls" or "failure to supervise," Sabino said.

Under a 2002 anti-corporate fraud law ? which Corzine co-wrote as a U.S. senator ? CEOs of public companies must personally certify the accuracy of their company's financial statements.

"When the Titanic went down, you didn't blame the cook; you didn't blame the guy in the engine room," Sabino said. "You blamed the captain. And Corzine is the captain of the ship called MF Global."

The CFTC has "a very substantial case" against Corzine and MF Global, Sabino said.

Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor, predicted that Corzine and the CFTC would eventually settle but not before a drawn-out battle.

That the CFTC filed suit against such a major defendant signals confidence that they have a strong case, he suggested.

"A defeat in a case like this, in such a high-profile setting, would come at some cost to the reputation of the agency," said Mintz, now at McCarter & English in New Jersey.

It isn't clear how much money Corzine is worth. He spent roughly $100 million of his fortune to win a U.S. Senate seat and the New Jersey governorship. In 2005, the last full year that he was a U.S. senator, he was estimated to be worth between $125 million and $175 million.

MF Global sought bankruptcy protection in 2011 after a disastrous bet on European countries' debt. Under Corzine's leadership, the firm bet $6.3 billion on bonds issued by Italy, Spain and other nations with deeply troubled financial systems. Those bonds plummeted in value in the weeks before MF Global's failure as fears intensified that some European countries might default.

The firm's $41 billion bankruptcy was the eighth-largest in U.S. history. It was also the first collapse of a Wall Street firm since the 2008 financial crisis ended. Critics have long complained that regulators have failed to aggressively pursue much bigger financial firms, whose high-risk bets nearly toppled the financial system.

Corzine, 66, had been a CEO of Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs before entering politics in 2000. He served as a Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey and later governor of the state. He took the top job at MF Global in March 2010 after losing his 2009 bid for re-election as governor to Chris Christie.

MF Global was a small commodities broker when Corzine arrived. His vision was to transform the firm into a full-scale investment bank, similar to Goldman. The CFTC's lawsuit says he sought to do so by generating revenue from aggressive trading strategies.

The plan worked for a while even as the firm's investments grew increasingly risky, the lawsuit said. In the second half of 2011, its investments put heavy strains on its cash flow and capital. By October 2011, the lawsuit says, sources of cash were drying up.

Corzine and other employees communicated with one another, by email and sometimes on recorded phone lines, about the firm's "dire situation," the lawsuit says.

It says a treasurer of the firm's parent company, MF Global Holdings Ltd., told a chief financial officer and another employee in a recorded conversation on Oct. 6, 2011, that "we have to tell Jon that enough is enough. We need to take the keys away from him."

Corzine "disparagingly nicknamed the Global treasurer 'the Gravedigger,'" the lawsuit says

Corzine stepped down as MF Global chief in November 2011, a few days after the firm filed for bankruptcy protection.

Three reports on MF Global's collapse, by a House panel and two court-appointed trustees, placed most of the blame on Corzine. It said his risky strategies caused the failure.

Shareholders of MF Global have sued Corzine and other top managers. The investors say they lost about $585 million in just a week as the firm foundered. They accuse MF Global and the executives of making false and misleading statements about the firm's financial strength.

Giddens, the trustee, also joined a lawsuit filed by MF Global customers against Corzine and the other top executives.

Corzine testified at three hearings of House and Senate committees in December 2011 after lawmakers subpoenaed him. It was a rare sight in Washington: A former member of Congress being called by former colleagues to testify publicly about potential violations of law.

Corzine's testimony offered little to satisfy lawmakers or MF Global customers who lost money. Yet his explanations would be hard to disprove, legal experts said.

He said he never intended to "misuse" client money or to order anyone else to do so. Corzine also rebuffed an assertion that he knew about customer money that might have been transferred to a European affiliate just before MF Global collapsed.

O'Brien, the former assistant treasurer, was subpoenaed to testify at a hearing last year about an email she sent that appeared to contradict testimony from Corzine. The email said Corzine ordered a transfer of customer money to cover an overdraft in the firm's bank account in London.

"On the advice of counsel," she told Congress, "I respectfully decline to answer based on my constitutional right."

___

Neumeister and Rexrode contributed from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-agency-sues-corzine-over-failure-mf-global-185641107.html

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Cantor: ?I can?t tell you what?s in that big Senate bill?

A bill that would overhaul the nation's immigration system passed with bipartisan support in the Senate Thursday, but some of the top Republican leaders in the House say they haven?t bothered to find out what?s in it.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo News Thursday evening, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said he?s not aware of the details in the Senate version of the immigration bill and reiterated that the House would move ahead with its own approach.

?I can?t tell you what?s in that big Senate bill, and the well over 1,000 or 1,500 pages that it may be, and that?s my concern,? Cantor told Yahoo News. ?I don?t know if you could ask a lot of the senators what?s in that bill. And that?s my concern.?

The Senate bill is comprehensive, combining mandates for border security and a pathway to legal status for immigrants living in the United States unlawfully. House Republican leaders have signaled that they will take a piecemeal approach to immigration reform instead, a move that could make it difficult for the chambers to reconcile the two versions.

In the interview, Cantor declined to say explicitly if he thought the House could pass a bill that includes a pathway to legality, but he did say ?there are a lot of discussions that still need to be had" about the issue. Cantor emphasized his support for a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for children of immigrants with unlawful status.

Even though the Senate moved swiftly on immigration, Cantor suggested that the House would not hurry to pass its own version of an immigration bill.

?In the House, we?re going to be very deliberative about the approach, trying to address a very broken immigration system and to see what we can do to try and fix it,? Cantor said.

Yahoo News will air the rest of the wide-ranging interview with Cantor on Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/cantor-immigration-vote-t-tell-big-senate-bill-233320198.html

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Aerial mosquito spraying study finds no immediate public health risks

June 27, 2013 ? In what researchers say is the first public health study of the aerial mosquito spraying method to prevent West Nile virus, a UC Davis study analyzed emergency department records from Sacramento area hospitals during and immediately after aerial sprayings in the summer of 2005. Physicians and scientists from the university and from the California Department of Public Health found no increase in specific diagnoses that are considered most likely to be associated with pesticide exposure, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, eye and neurological conditions.

The study appears in the May-June 2013 issue of Public Health Reports.

This week, mosquito control officials said the region's recent rainstorms and warming temperatures have increased stagnant water and favorable conditions for mosquitoes, which will likely magnify the incidence West Nile virus and the risks of human transmission. The mosquito-borne disease first appeared in the state about 10 years ago. It already has been detected in dead birds and mosquitoes in at least 10 counties in recent weeks, including Sacramento and Yolo. However, the adult mosquito population has yet to increase to levels that require aerial spraying over heavily urbanized areas as was done in the Sacramento region in previous years.

"Unfortunately, West Nile virus is endemic in California and the United States, and the controversy of mosquito management will likely arise every summer," said Estella Geraghty, associate professor of clinical internal medicine at UC Davis and lead author of the study. "Findings from studies such as this one help public health and mosquito control agencies better understand the risks and benefits of their practices."

West Nile virus has become an increasingly serious problem throughout the United States and may become more of a threat as the climate warms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the United States. The virus is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected with the virus when they feed on infected birds.

In California around the time of the study ? 2004 and 2005 ? hundreds of people were sickened by West Nile virus and 48 died. Most people exposed to the disease do not have symptoms, but in about 1-in-150 people it can be fatal or result in permanent neurological effects.

The study evaluated emergency room visits in Sacramento County hospitals on days that pesticides were sprayed as well as the three days following spraying. Spraying was done in north Sacramento over three nights, and in south Sacramento over four nights in August 2005. Data were compared with emergency room visits on other days during the same period as well as from nearby areas that were not exposed to aerial spraying.

Emergency room visits were classified by specific diagnostic categories, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, eye and neurologic diseases. Importantly, they found that exposure to aerial spraying was not associated with increased rates of emergency department visits for any of these conditions.

More than 250,000 emergency room visits were analyzed and stratified by 785 diagnostic codes. According to Geraghty, because there were so many data points, statisticians predicted that by chance alone, two conditions would appear to have occurred too frequently or too infrequently. In fact, a type of abdominal hernia was found to occur more often than the background rate during the time of spraying, and death and disease due to unusual causes was found to occur less frequently. The authors concluded that because these conditions have no known plausible biological connection with aerial spraying, the results related to these conditions are indeed likely to have occurred by chance.

Integrated mosquito management ? a method to control mosquitoes through targeted interventions based on mosquito biology that includes surveillance of mosquito activity, reducing breeding sites such as neglected swimming pools, and the killing of larval and adult mosquitoes ? are all used in California to control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus. When local methods prove inadequate, aerial spraying is used to rapidly reduce large, adult mosquito populations.

During the time of the study, ultra-low volume of pyrethrin insecticide was used for spraying; the chemical is derived from an African chrysanthemumand acts by blocking chemical signals at nerve junctions in insects. It is the same pesticide used to treat head lice in children and to kill fleas and ticks in pets.

Exposure to the pesticide has been reported to pose risks to human health, including skin and eye irritation, respiratory and gastrointestinal disturbances, lethargy, fatigue and dizziness. According to the UC Davis researchers, the exposure to pyrethrin during the urban aerial sprayings in 2005 was minimal due to the use of ultra low volume technology. Coverage required only about three-quarters of an ounce or less of the chemical per acre.

Geraghty cautioned that potential long-term effects of aerial spraying were not addressed in the study and would be extremely difficult to investigate on human populations. She said it would be worthwhile to reproduce the study for other pesticides and spraying techniques.

The article is titled "Correlation between aerial insecticide spraying to interrupt West Nile virus transmission and emergency department visits in Sacramento County, California." Other authors are Peter Franks and Helene Margolis of the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, Anne Kjemtrup of the California Department of Public Health, William Reisen of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

The study was supported in part by a UC Davis, Clinical and Translational Science Center K12 Career Development Award (grant #UL1 RR024146) from the NationalCenter for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health to the lead author, Geraghty.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District provided the aerial spraying data.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/QyKDGXuf60k/130627142559.htm

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Half-Life 2 crowbars its way out of Linux beta, brings Oculus Rift support with it

Valve's Half-Life 2 along with Episodes One and Two are out of beta and available for download on Steam for Linux, the company announced today. While we welcome any Half-Life news, it's hard to not get disappointed when the number three isn't involved. Gordon Freeman's last known appearance uses the new SteamPipe content delivery system and "numerous" community bug fixes have been implemented.

That's not all! Oculus Rift (and other virtual reality device) support has been added as well. We aren't aware of any other VR units besides the Rift, but in March Valve told us it's pursuing hardware itself. Speculating about other VR systems isn't far from speculating about Half-Life 3's existence -- we don't know anything at this point. However, Linux gaming site Phoronix says to expect more good Valve Linux news in July. We reached out to Valve for more info and will update if we hear anything back.

Filed under: Gaming

Comments

Via: Phoronix

Source: Steam

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/tS1Rq0WIAZY/

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Dow back over 15,000 on upbeat data and Fed reassurance

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

23 minutes ago

Stocks were sharply higher on Thursday, thanks to better-than-expected reports on unemployment, home sales and consumer spending, as well as reassuring comments from Federal Reserve policymakers, who said markets had overreacted to the Fed's recent policy statements.

(Read More: US Economy Could Grow 5% in Late 2014: Fund Manager)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 130 points higher in early afternoon trading, regaining its footing above the psychologically-significant 15,000-point level and looking to log its first three-day rally since late April. The blue-chip index has seen triple-digit moves in 15 of the 19 trading sessions in the month of June, the most in a month since October 2011.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were also sharply higher. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, slid below 17.

All key S&P sectors were in positive territory, led by telecoms and financials.

Upbeat economic data from China also helped bolster sentiment. Industrial profits unexpectedly rose 15 percent in May year-on-year, defying expectations of a slowdown. Japan's Nikkei rallied nearly 3 percent, logging its biggest percentage gain in 13 sessions, while the Shanghai Composite Index finished flat.

"Any China data carries significant weight these days as investors are desperate for signs that the world's second biggest economy is still ticking along," wrote Stan Shamu, market strategist at IG.

On the economic front, weekly jobless claims fell 9,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, according to the Labor Department, largely in line with expectations. The four-week moving average for new claims fell 2,750 to 345,750. And consumer spending rebounded 0.3 percent in May, matching estimates, after a revised 0.3 percent decline in the prior month, according to the Commerce Department.

Treasury prices extended their gains as yields tumbled to session lows following the data.

(Read More: Why All the Bond Selling Hysteria May Be Overdone)

"I think it makes the Fed even more confident that they're doing the right thing," said Drew Matus, senior U.S. economist and managing director at UBS. "And if you look at these numbers, they suggest that the second quarter's going to be better than the first quarter."

Also, pending home sales for May soared 6 percent to hit a six-year high, according to the National Association of Realtors.

New York Fed president William Dudley said the central bank's asset purchases would be more aggressive than the timeline Chairman Ben Bernanke outlined last week if economic growth and the labor market turn out weaker than expected.

Dudley added that the recent market forecasts for an earlier rate gain are "quite out of sync" with the statements and expectations of the policy-making Federal Open Market Committee. Dudley is a voting member of the FOMC.

Fed Board Governor Jerome Powell agreed that markets over-reacted to the central bank's statements on tapering off its stimulus package.

"Market adjustments since May have been larger than would be justified by any reasonable reassessment of the path of policy," Powell said in a speech. "To the extent the market is pricing-in an increase in the federal funds rate in 2014, that implies a stronger economic performance than is forecast either by most FOMC participants or by private forecasters."

Markets have been fixated on Fed commentary this week, after Bernanke said last week that the central bank could begin to wind down its $85 billion monthly bond purchases before the end of the year. That sent already rising yields higher and sent stocks on a roller-coaster ride.

Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart was also expected to speak later on Thursday.

In addition, the Treasury will auction $29 billion in 7-year notes later. The auction follows a $35 billion 5-year auction Wednesday and a $35 billion 2-year auction Tuesday, both with anemic results.

"The results for the 2- and 5-year do not bode well for the 7-year tomorrow," said Ian Lyngen, senior Treasury strategist at CRT Capital, speaking on Wednesday. "There's limited risk appetite ahead of the end of the quarter."

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Senate Vote on Immigration Could Come Today (ABC News)

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This topic is gasoline, and I?m missing a match (Unqualified Offerings)

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Various New Airlines have emerged In the Indian Aviation Industry

The industry of travel and tourism in India is experiencing a vast boom. The profit margins of travel and tourism companies have ascended to heights one has never envisioned before. India has diverse culture, habitats and religions. One can witness everything from green forests to mountains, from historical monuments to modern constructions and from snowfalls to hilly regions in India. India attracts tourists from across the globe with cheap domestic Air tickets. Connectivity from any part of the world to India has become viable as many airlines have been established here. To avail ticket booking from any of the esteemed airlines, all you have to do is log on to their web portal and pick the suitable options.

During the past few years, very few options were obtainable for travelling by air. But now, the aviation industry has revolutionized entirely and there are a vast number of airlines that provide amenities for international as well as domestic trips. Many companies have embarked into the air travel business and various new routes are being constructed to travel, within and outside India. No frill airlines are also immense in number and cheap airfare tickets are available for everyone. Travelling by air is gradually becoming more popular among people from all categories. India has such an affluent cultural and historical heritage, that various tourists come and visit all famous destinations of this country every year.

Every tourist attraction in India has its own uniqueness. Almost all the airlines in incredible India provide direct cheap domestic flights, cheap airfare flights to almost all these locations, at very reasonable rates. The hospitality industry is also benefiting enormously, due to the ever increasing number of tourists. The aviation business has extended so widely, that you have many choices and airlines to choose from.

You will find that there are routes connecting every major city of India to another by cheap airfare flights. All the major cities of the world are linked to India by Cheapest Airlines with Cheap Airfare. Proficient operators in this business as Indian Airlines, Go Air, Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Indigo Airlines etc provide flights to all prima destinations with many facilities for convenient travelling.

There are many international and domestic airports in India and new ones are being constructed as the demand for air travel is persistently increasing. The Government of India and many corporate and MNC?s have invested in the Indian air travel industry.

Kailash kumar is an Associate Editor with Thecheapairefare.com that offers: Cheap Airfare and Cheap Domestic Air tickets or Cheap tickets booking.

Source: http://naughtmuch.com/various-new-airlines-have-emerged-in-the-indian-aviation-industry/

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Rihanna Calls Daily Mail Writer 'a Sad Sloppy Menopausal Mess'

After Daily Mail writer Liz Jones pens a critical editorial about her, Rihanna calls the piece a 'menopausal mess.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709533/rihanna-daily-mail-twitter.jhtml

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Samsung denies giving up on desktop PC tower business

Yesterday, The Korea Times reported that Samsung was to close its "unprofitable" desktop PC business as "demand for conventional desktop PCs is going down," according to an unnamed spokesperson. The weirdly written article also quoted another Samsung official saying "tablets, all-in-one and hybrid PCs are Samsung's current focus," thus suggesting the company seemed to be singling out desktop PC towers or boxes.

Even though it's been a while since some of us last saw a Samsung desktop PC tower (the latest models we covered date back to 2006, though there have been more recent efforts), something didn't smell right here so we reached out to Samsung directly. The response we got was that this rumor is all "groundless," and the company also specifically said it'll keep an open mind about its PC tower business. Here's the full statement:

"The rumor that Samsung is withdrawing from the PC desktop business is groundless. Samsung will continue to offer diverse products according to market needs, including our recently announced ATIV One 5 Style, a stylish all-in-one PC. We will continue to open all possibilities in PC business including our PC Tower business, to satisfy consumer's diverse lifestyle and needs."

So in a nutshell: nothing to see here, move along. And technically speaking, the Chromebox kinda counts too, right?

Filed under: Desktops

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/BUKG0CvPss4/

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Future Stunt Pilots Could Train in These All-Electric Planes

Didier Esteyne and EADS turned heads at the 2011 Paris Air Show when they debuted the the world's first all-electric airplane, the single-seat Cri-Cri. Fast forward two years, and the miniscule Cri-Cri has grown into a sleek tandem-seat training craft that's as green as it is acrobatic.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5xLjBPRKhYU/future-stunt-pilots-could-train-in-these-all-electric-p-533027421

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Jay-Z Blows Up Times Square Ads With Magna Carta Holy Grail: See It Here!

Hov buys up the U.S.'s most coveted ad space in just one of his big album moves.
By Emilee Lindner

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709522/jay-z-magna-carter-holy-grail-ads-times-square.jhtml

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Tick-caused bobcat fever can be deadly to domestic cats

June 24, 2013 ? Kansas State University veterinarians are warning pet owners to watch out for ticks carrying a disease that could kill cats.

Cytauxzoon felis, also known as bobcat fever, is a blood parasite that infects domestic cats and has a very high death rate. Susan Nelson, a veterinarian and clinical associate professor at Kansas State University's Veterinary Health Center, says this disease was thought to be carried only by the American dog tick, but now may be carried by the lone star tick, which is quite prevalent in northeast Kansas.

"Most people have probably seen a lone star tick even if they're not familiar with them by name," Nelson said. "They're the ones that have a bright white spot on their back."

Bobcat fever does not affect humans or dogs. It is called bobcat fever because bobcats are considered the main reservoir for the disease, as it is typically not fatal for them.

Most cases of bobcat fever occur from March through September, which coincides with the times cats are most likely to encounter ticks. Late spring and early summer are the peak times for ticks in Kansas.

Nelson says cats that live outside the city boundaries are at a higher risk of getting bobcat fever because they are more likely to encounter ticks in a rural environment; however, that doesn't necessarily mean that your city-living kitty can't get the disease. If your cat has contracted the disease, it can be anywhere from five to 20 days before symptoms appear.

"First, you're probably going to notice they're going to be really lethargic and tired," Nelson said. "Their appetite is going to decrease. They may feel very hot to you as they will tend to run a high fever early in the course of the disease. As the disease progresses, you might see breathing problems, dehydration and the whites of their eyes or the inside of their ears might start looking yellow as they start getting jaundiced. Their body temperature will start to drop as they near the end stages of the disease."

A cat may be infected even if you don't see a tick on the animal, because the tick may have already fed and dropped off the cat before the animal starts showing symptoms of the disease.

No vaccine is available for this disease. Treatment can be expensive and often unsuccessful, so it is important to take precautionary steps to keep your cat from being bitten. Nelson says the best thing to do is to keep your cat indoors. If you can't do that, then keep your yard well maintained -- it's a myth that ticks from fall from trees.

"If your cat likes to stay in the yard, try to keep your grass mowed down so it's not tall," she said. "The ticks tend to like the taller grasses. Keep the shrubbery trimmed short and remove debris around your house. Do daily tick checks on the cats and remember to look between their toes. If your cat lives with a dog, make sure you are using some type of tick control on the dog as it can bring ticks into your house, which can then feed on your cat."

Nelson also suggests talking to your veterinarian about types of tick control medications to determine which is best for your pet.

Tick expert Michael Dryden, university distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University, tracks the lone star tick and says they are mainly found in eastern Kansas and in the Southeastern states. So far, he has not found any lone star ticks west of Clay Center, Kan., but he expects its territory will expand.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/AqB-HnyRfKc/130624103807.htm

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Rdio updates family plan, bumps the limit to five users for $32.99 a month

On its blog today, Rdio announced that it will now support up to five people on its family plan. Previously, only three customers were able to buddy up on the music-streaming service, with monthly pricing set at $17.99 for two users and $22.99 for three. Fees for two and three users will remain the same, while four members cost $27.99 and maxing out with five listeners will set you back $32.99 per month. If you already have an account and want to get your sibs in on the actions, head to your Rdio settings and select "Unlimited Family." From there, you can invite the family to sign on.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Rdio Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/24/rdio-updates-family-plan-five-users/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Is a Neighbor Hurting Your Home's Value? | AOL Real Estate

A recent survey by Harris Interactive and State Farm Insurance found that 60 percent of Americans have a pet peeve with someone who lives nearby.

A bad neighbor "can make your life a total nightmare," says Bob Borzotta, managing editor of NeighborsFromHell.com, whose message boards contain more than 42,700 posts on unfriendly neighbor behavior.

At the extreme, certain next-door nuisances -- such as annoying pets, unkempt yards, foul odors, and dangerous trees -- could reduce your home value by 5 percent or more, according to the Appraisal Institute.

Case in point: Omaha real estate appraiser John Bredemeyer says that a few years ago he saw a house in his area sell for 8 percent less than comparable homes nearby, owing largely to the large, snarling dogs next door. "Raising kids there?" he says. "I don't think so."

So what's your recourse? "You can move to the woods," Borzotta says. "Or you can expect issues and learn how to deal with them properly."

Try this conversation before you start eyeing log cabins.

The Ground Rules

Temper your temper. "The worst thing to do is march over when you're angry and demand action," says Mary Greenwood, author of How to Negotiate Like a Pro. Take 24 hours.

Give notice. Don't try to work this out over the hedgerow. Schedule a time to chat. Maybe even invite the offender to your house, a friendly gesture that also allows him to see his ugly satellite dish from your perspective.

Do your homework. Before the conversation, research what state laws or local ordinances apply, in case your neighbor needs extra persuading.

Keep a log. A record of your dispute can help refresh your memory should you eventually go to the authorities or to court, says Emily Doskow, co-author of Nolo's Neighbor Law.

Your Best Approach

1. Opening gambit: "Hey, Doris, I haven't seen you in a while. Everything okay with you?"
Why it works: Understanding your neighbor's circumstances may allow you to see the problem differently, says Susan Hackley, managing director of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Maybe the dog that's been incessantly barking is outside more often because the owner has a visitor who's allergic. Or the yard is a mess because your neighbor was ill. Best case, you'll find out that the situation is temporary. But if not...

2. Make it about you: "My child naps in the afternoon and won't sleep unless it's quiet. Thing is, Champ is often outside barking then."

Why it works: Focus on how the problem affects you, and your comments will probably be better received than "Your beagle barks too much" -- which sounds like a criticism. Using "I" statements rather than "you" statements helps you avoid coming across as confrontational, says Matt Phillips, executive director of the National Association for Community Mediation.

3. Parrot back: "I totally understand that you can't bring Champ to work and that doggie day care is too costly."

Why it works: "The neighbor needs to feel like you get it," says Michael Donaldson, author of Negotiating for Dummies. Show you understand her perspective by rephrasing what she says in your words.

Hearing what's important to her can also help you come up with solutions that work for both of you. Should you learn that she's concerned about the cost of removing a sick tree that hangs over your house, for example, you could suggest splitting the bill (if you're feeling so generous).

4. Know what you'll take: "It'd be great if Champ stopped barking altogether, but what I really need is for him to be quiet from 2 to 4 p.m."

Why it works: You're stating what you see as a reasonable resolution. Donaldson suggests figuring out in advance what your ideal outcome is, what you'll tolerate, and when you'll walk away. Walking away means being ready with an "or else" plan -- like calling the cops if your neighbor refuses to turn down the blaring music after midnight.

5. Lay on the law: "You probably didn't know that there's a local ordinance on noise. I brought a copy."
Why it works: As the saying goes, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Handing your neighbor a copy of the law shows that you're serious and, if needed, have some powerful next steps, says Roger Dawson, author of Secrets of Power Negotiating. "But approach it gently," he advises. You don't want to come across as a jerk who's looking for any excuse to escalate.

6. Seek outside help: "Hmmm. We don't seem to be getting anywhere. Can we give mediation a try?"
Why it works: At mediation, you and your neighbor sit down with a third party to find a solution. "It puts positive attention toward the goal of working the issue out for both sides," says Nolo's Doskow.
Roughly 75 percent of those who use mediation walk away with an agreement, according to the NAFCM, which supports about 400 centers. Prices typically range from zero to $200 a person (often based on what you can afford) for a three- to four-hour session. Hiring a lawyer costs a lot more. An initial consult usually runs $500 to $1,000; going to court can add $2,500 at minimum.

Plus, you'd be stuck living next door to someone you're litigating against. Awkward. Better to try to settle the issue with a neighborly handshake.

See more about bad neighbors:
Keep Bad Neighbors From Derailing a Home Sale
Helipad Plan Lands Pilot in Trouble With His Neighbors
Loud Laugh Sends Him to Court

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Find homes for rent in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/06/24/is-neighbor-hurting-homes-value/

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Iconic figure of Egypt's uprising to Morsi: Quit

CAIRO (AP) ? The most iconic youth figure of Egypt's 2011 revolution has asked Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to step down ahead of planned protests to force him out on June 30.

In a video message posted on the Internet on Sunday, Wael Ghonim accused Morsi of reneging on promises he made ahead of his 2012 election. The president, he said, must act like a "patriotic Egyptian" and step down to prevent "strife" he said Egypt was headed to.

Many Egyptians have been alarmed by statements from Morsi supporters vowing to "smash" the protesters. Several hard-line Islamists have declared the protesters infidels whose killing is justified.

Morsi's supporters say that his opponents should try to remove him through the ballot box, and attempting to force him out is an attack on electoral legitimacy.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iconic-figure-egypts-uprising-morsi-quit-125927191.html

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Sun emits a solstice CME

June 22, 2013 ? On June 20, 2013, at 11:24 p.m., the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.

Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 1350 miles per second, which is a fast speed for CMEs.

Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they funnel energy into Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. The CME's magnetic fields peel back the outermost layers of Earth's fields changing their very shape. Magnetic storms can degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids. They also can cause aurora. Storms are rare during solar minimum, but as the sun's activity ramps up every 11 years toward solar maximum -- currently expected in late 2013 -- large storms occur several times per year.

In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength and direction have usually been mild.

In addition, the CME may pass by additional spacecraft: Messenger, STEREO B, Spitzer, and their mission operators have been notified. If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from the solar material.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

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

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/IpwnFNziCYY/130622154606.htm

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Soprano talks of her 'sabbatical' from opera

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Obama to unveil climate plan in Tuesday speech

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is preparing to unveil his long-awaited national plan to combat climate change in a major speech, he announced on Saturday.

"There's no single step that can reverse the effects of climate change," Obama said in an online video released by the White House. "But when it comes to the world we leave our children, we owe it to them to do what we can."

People consulting with White House officials on Obama's plan, to be unveiled Tuesday at Georgetown University, say they expect him to put forth regulations on heat-trapping gases emitted by existing coal-fired power plans. They were not authorized to disclose details about the plan ahead of the announcement and requested anonymity.

Environmental groups have been pleading with Obama to take that step, but the administration has said it's focused first on controls on new power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency, using its authority under the Clean Air Act, has already proposed controls on new plants, but the rules have been delayed ? to the chagrin of states and environmental groups threatening to sue over the delays.

An administration official said last week that Obama was still weighing whether to include existing plants in the climate plan. The official wasn't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.

The White House wouldn't disclose any details Saturday about what steps Obama may call for. But his senior energy and climate adviser, Heather Zichal, said last week that controls on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants would be a major focus. She also said the plan would boost energy efficiency of appliances and buildings, plus expand renewable energy.

Putting a positive spin on a contentious partisan issue, Obama said the U.S. is uniquely poised to deal with the serious challenges posed by climate change. He said American scientists and engineers would have to design new fuels and energy sources, and workers will have to adapt to a clean energy economy.

"We'll need all of us, as citizens, to do our part to preserve God's creation for future generations," Obama said.

Environmental groups have for months been pushing Obama to make good on a threat he issued to lawmakers in February in his State of the Union address: "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will." Obama's move to take the matter into his own hands appears to reflect a growing consensus that opposition in Congress is too powerful for any meaningful, sweeping climate legislation to pass anytime soon.

"They shouldn't wait for Congress to act, because they'll be out of office by the time that Congress gets its act together," Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in an interview.

Environmental groups applauded the announcement that Obama was finally releasing a plan for executive action, but made clear they want to see firm proposals ? including controls for existing power plants.

"Combating climate change means curbing carbon pollution ? for the first time ever ? from the biggest single source of such dangerous gases: our coal-fired power plants," said Frances Beinecke, president of the National Resources Defense Council. "We stand ready to help President Obama in every way we can."

Another key issue hanging over the announcement ? but unlikely to be mentioned on Tuesday ? is Keystone XL, a pipeline that would carry oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. A concerted campaign by environmental activists to persuade Obama to nix the pipeline appears to be an uphill battle. The White House insists the State Department is making the decision independently.

Obama's speech on Tuesday will come the day before he leaves for a weeklong trip to three African nations.

___

Online:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcL3_zzgWeU

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-22-US-Obama-Climate-Change/id-f720b89da85949c8a69abe7bac2e11fd

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End of the Golden Age: Are Games Consoles Too Generic ...

Following the Microsoft-Sony PR circus that was E3 a number of fairweather gamer friends asked me: "What's new about those new consoles?" That's a pretty tough question. "The games sort of look a bit nicer", I'd answer.

"So similar are these black electronic monoliths that the major focus of E3 was each system's DRM. And now even that's the same"

Traditionally the trigger to buy a games console has come from a feature over the past generation: CD sound, 3D graphics, online connectivity, DVD playback, HD graphics et al. However, the Xbox One and the PS4 seem at best to offer incremental updates on existing characteristics, such as TV and motion tracking, rather than sizable new features.

In fact, despite closely watching the E3 coverage I had to rebrief myself on what these machines actually did new. I struggle to find a clear (?350+ clear) distinction over the current machine under my TV or indeed a major distinction between the two consoles. So similar are these black electronic monoliths that the major focus of E3 was each system's DRM. And now even that's the same.

To me it's clear that games consoles are heading towards becoming generic appliances with little distinguishing features, like microwave ovens. Indeed in the current generation Xbox or PlayStation was a coin flip decision: ultimately they delivered the same content in the same way.

As budgets for AAA games continue to push upward, so to does the need for the widest possible audience. This financial risk makes betting on one platform, when there are two so similar with roughly equal audience share, a bad business decision. This is unlikely to change in the next generation, unless supporting both platforms is considerably difficult (looks unlikely) and one takes considerable marketshare over the other (ditto).

What does this homogenisation mean? Firstly the console market is unlikely to grow this generation by Sony or Microsoft's hand. Even as the best TV and movie experience, these machines are games machines and will be bought by self-identifying gamers. If you had no interest in the last two generations, you're unlikely to find this generation appealing.

Secondly, the uptake for this generation will be much slower. With ostensibly incremental feature improvements, the pitch falls on the shoulders of the content and with budgets increasing this content is likely to be incrementally more explosive, yet fewer. Whilst early adopters will early adopt, I expect the sales tail will be long.

Thirdly, with hardware and software so similar, like the previous generation, neither Sony nor Mircosoft are going to run away with the market. However, it's clear that consumers are concerned about the overall quality and convenience of the service (see DRM forum rage), which could well be how the platforms are able to distinguish themselves. This however is a long slow dance.

Finally, whilst I know that there's a great number of gamers to whom console gaming is important and to me that very much used to be the case, in writing this piece I have to admit something that I'd rather not: I'm no longer excited by games consoles. And I think it's not just only me.

The next generation of consoles are not only vying for my wallet, but also my time, against a backdrop of abundant free or very cheap fresh content on PC, web and mobile. Even board games. Whilst the titles on display at E3 looked pretty and deep, they also looked tired and generic compared to what new independent developers and startups (many of whom, as I wrote last month, are still locked out from consoles) are doing elsewhere.

Being so jaded by consoles makes me feel broken; I often drag myself to GAME looking for discs to feed my PS3. I meander the aisle hoping something will grab me, hoping that there's something on the shelves I can love. I look at the boxes of men with guns, the shiny cars and myriad sports and feel unable to part with ?40. I'm pervaded by the sense that I've played these games before and they aren't for me.

"If you had no interest in the last two generations, you're unlikely to find this generation appealing"

And therein lies a truth: Console gaming is still a niche aimed at a slither of the population. Over 16 years Grand Theft Auto, one of console gaming's biggest titles, has sold around 120 million copies, whilst in only four years the Angry Birds series has seen over 1 billion downloads. That's roughly a 1:8 ratio.

Gaming is bigger than just consoles now; it's a mainstream media approaching the level of reach and cultural significance as movies, music or TV. Yet I can't shake the feeling that, despite the abundant enthusiasm of many vocal gamers, that the next generation of consoles will be met with a great deal of apathy from many more. It's a sector that many in the industry have predicted runs the risk of stagnating and stalling. I fear it already has.

Whilst I don't expect the complete disappearance of consoles, I think their golden age is drawing to an end, leaving them wide open to erosion from the varied, cheap and ever evolving content on platforms already in players' lives and those on the horizon.

Will Luton is a free-to-play designer and consultant. This is part of a regular series of features for GamesIndustry International looking at the future of the video game business. You can follow him on Twitter and visit his personal site here.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-20-end-of-the-golden-age-are-games-consoles-too-generic

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