বৃহস্পতিবার, ৩১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

New TV series next summer crowns 'top hooker'

(AP) ? How far can reality television go? A new competition series will debut this summer called "Top Hooker."

Get your mind out of the gutter. It's on Animal Planet, and it's about fishing.

The network says the show will pit teams of expert fishers competing in odd challenges, like fishing with outlandish tools, catching fish blindfolded and netting fish with their mouth. It's all catch-and-release.

The series will run for eight episodes and be based in California fishing spots.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-30-US-TV-Top-Hooker/id-97a9613c933047b98e4f79bf35d8ac5a

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Mass. gov. picks ex-aide Cowan as interim senator (The Arizona Republic)

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বুধবার, ৩০ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Acer hints at very low-cost, quad-core 8- and 10-inch tablets

Acer Iconia B1-A71

Acer pushed the boundaries of price for major brand tablets with its $150 Iconia B1. It's not about to quit with just one model under its belt, however. The company's Greater China head, Linxian Lang, explained to China Times that there should also be 8- and 10-inch tablets on the way with "aggressive" prices. Acer isn't just adding more glass, either, as it's looking at quad-core MediaTek processors for a speed jump. There's no word on just when the larger budget slates might appear, although we wouldn't count on them coming to the US when the B1 has already been ruled out.

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Via: Notebook Italia (translated)

Source: China Times (translated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/acer-hints-at-extra-low-cost-quad-core-8-and-10-inch-tablets/

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Egyptian protesters defy curfew, attack police stations

CAIRO/ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egyptian protesters defied an overnight curfew in restive towns along the Suez Canal, attacking police stations after Islamist President Mohamed Mursi imposed emergency rule to end days of clashes that have left at least 52 people dead.

At least two men died in overnight fighting in the canal city of Port Said, the latest unrest in a wave of violence unleashed last week on the eve of the anniversary of the 2011 revolt that brought down autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Political opponents spurned a call by Mursi for talks on Monday to try to end the violence. Instead, huge crowds of protesters took to the streets in Cairo and Alexandria, and in the three Suez Canal cities - Port Said, Ismailia and Suez - where Mursi imposed emergency rule and a curfew on Sunday.

"Down, down with Mohamed Mursi! Down, down with the state of emergency!" crowds shouted in Ismailia. In Cairo, flames lit up the night sky as protesters set vehicles ablaze.

The demonstrators accuse Mubarak's successor Mursi of betraying the two-year-old revolution. Mursi and his supporters accuse the protesters of seeking to overthrow Egypt's first ever democratically elected leader by undemocratic means.

Debris from days of unrest was strewn on the streets around Cairo's Tahrir Square, cauldron of the anti-Mubarak uprising.

Youths clambered over a burned-out police van. But unlike on previous mornings in the past few days, there was no early sign of renewed clashes with police.

In Port Said, men attacked police stations after dark. A security source said some police and troops were injured. A medical source said two men were killed and 12 injured in the clashes, including 10 with gunshot wounds.

"The people want to bring down the regime," crowds chanted in Alexandria. "Leave means go, and don't say no!"

Since Mubarak was toppled, Islamists have won two referendums, two parliamentary elections and a presidential vote.

But that legitimacy has been challenged by an opposition that accuses Mursi of imposing a new form of authoritarianism, and punctuated by repeated waves of unrest that have prevented a return to stability in the most populous Arab state.

The army has already been deployed in Port Said and Suez and the government agreed a measure to let soldiers arrest civilians as part of the state of emergency.

WESTERN CONCERNS

The instability has provoked unease in Western capitals, where officials worry about the direction of a powerful regional player that has a peace deal with Israel. The United States condemned the bloodshed and called on Egyptian leaders to make clear violence is not acceptable. .

In Cairo on Monday, police fired volleys of teargas at stone-throwing protesters near Tahrir. Demonstrators burned two police vehicles and stormed into the downtown Semiramis Intercontinental hotel.

The political unrest in the Suez Canal cities has been exacerbated by street violence linked to death penalties imposed on soccer supporters convicted of involvement in stadium rioting in Port Said a year ago.

Mursi's invitation to opponents to hold a national dialogue with the Islamists on Monday was spurned by the main opposition National Salvation Front coalition, which rejected it as "cosmetic".

The only liberal politician who attended, Ayman Nour, told Egypt's al-Hayat channel after the meeting ended late on Monday that attendees agreed to meet again in a week.

He said Mursi had promised to look at changes to the constitution requested by the opposition but did not consider the opposition's request for a government of national unity.

The president announced the emergency measures on television on Sunday. "The protection of the nation is the responsibility of everyone. We will confront any threat to its security with force and firmness within the remit of the law," Mursi said.

His demeanour infuriated his opponents, not least when he wagged a finger at the camera.

Some activists said Mursi's measures to try to impose control on the turbulent streets could backfire.

"Martial law, state of emergency and army arrests of civilians are not a solution to the crisis," said Ahmed Maher of the April 6 movement that helped galvanise the 2011 uprising. "All this will do is further provoke the youth. The solution has to be a political one that addresses the roots of the problem."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-protesters-defy-curfew-emergency-rule-imposed-053334022.html

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Self-Improvement For Stress Management

When most people think of Stress Management, what comes to mind is usually basic information that?s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there?s a lot more to Stress Management than just the basics.

Stress is a part of life whether we like it or not. No matter how we try to get rid of it, it will always come back and haunt you every single day of your life. Stress can be expected as you go through your daily routine, or just come out into the open and surprise you.

Problems, big or small, can affect us emotionally, mentally and physically. Even if we keep smiling on the outside, stress usually troubles us from within. Leaving us in doubt, desperate, anxious, or even irritable if we let if get out of control. The best way to deal with stress is to not let it get a foot hold in your life. You should control it before it even begins to grow ? and the secret to that success depends on you.

Body self-improvement techniques

Taking care of your body is the initial step to self-improvement. We should be sensitive to what our body needs by knowing how stress affects our physical self to adapt to it. Here are some techniques that you can use to improve your body and getting stress out of your system.

1. Give your body a break. It is very important to know the limits of our body especially when it comes to dealing with stress. Some people would justify that the more our body is exposed to stress, the stronger we become ? so not true. Our body can only do so much and will deteriorate rapidly when we exceed our capacity. If you feel some aches and pains while working, then you better take some time off and relax before it turns to something serious

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Stress Management story from informed sources.

2. Relax and enjoy. To help your body relieve stress then you need to engage in some activities that will push it along the road to recovery. A massage is perfect for energizing your body while getting rid of those tight muscles that will eventually lead pain and limit your body flexibility. Pamper yourself by visiting a health at least once week; a few hours with professional hands can do wonders.

3. Exercise and sweat it out. Indulging in physical exercise is a great way to get rid of stress while keeping your body in top shape. Not many can allocate the time and effort for a physical exercise, but if you really want a stress free life then you better accommodate. Daily 1 hour exercise can do wonders to your cardiovascular functions and keep your heart in proper working order.

Self-improvement for a stress free life

The tips above borders on the physical side of releasing stress, but your mind is till vulnerable to its attacks. Physical exercise can provides an outlet for emotional problems like anxiety, fear and depression. But your mind is something else.

Before you can dispel any stress from your life, you need to improve your coping mechanism first, and it all starts in your mind. Even if we feel the physical and emotional backlash of the problems that we face, it will always start with how you think and how you devise ways in dealing with it.

Before you can apply the tips above, you have to condition your mind by focusing on the need to improve yourself in getting rid of stress.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, now offering the host then profit baby plan for only $1 over at Host Then Profit

Anders Eriksson Stress Management

Source: http://www.chxa.info/blog/stress-management/self-improvement-for-stress-management.htm

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মঙ্গলবার, ২৯ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Senate confirms Kerry nomination for State Dept.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., emerges after a unanimous vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approving him to become America's next top diplomat, replacing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Kerry, who has served on the Foreign Relations panel for 28 years and led the committee for the past four, is expected to be swiftly confirmed by the whole Senate later Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., emerges after a unanimous vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approving him to become America's next top diplomat, replacing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Kerry, who has served on the Foreign Relations panel for 28 years and led the committee for the past four, is expected to be swiftly confirmed by the whole Senate later Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., emerges after a unanimous vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approving him to become America's next top diplomat, replacing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Kerry, who has served on the Foreign Relations panel for 28 years and led the committee for the past four, is expected to be swiftly confirmed by the whole Senate later Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., emerges after a unanimous vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approving him to become America's next top diplomat, replacing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Kerry, who has served on the Foreign Relations panel for 28 years and led the committee for the past four, is expected to be swiftly confirmed by the whole Senate later Tuesday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed President Barack Obama's choice of five-term Sen. John Kerry to be secretary of state, with Republicans and Democrats praising him as the ideal successor to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The vote Tuesday was 94-3. One senator ? Kerry ? voted present and accepted congratulations from colleagues on the Senate floor. The roll call came just hours after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved the man who has led the panel for the past four years.

Kerry could be sworn in as early as Wednesday. A welcoming ceremony is planned at the State Department on Monday.

Obama tapped Kerry, 69, the son of a diplomat, decorated Vietnam veteran and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, to succeed Clinton, who is stepping down after four years. The Massachusetts Democrat, who had pined for the job but was passed over in 2009, has served as Obama's unofficial envoy, smoothing fractious ties with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"Sen. Kerry will need no introduction to the world's political and military leaders and will begin Day One fully conversant not only with the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy, but able to act on a multitude of international stages," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who will succeed Kerry as committee chairman.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the panel's top Republican, called Kerry "a realist" who will deal with unrest in Egypt, civil war in Syria, the threat of al-Qaida-linked groups in Africa and Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Kerry, a forceful proponent of climate change legislation, also will have a say in whether the United States moves ahead on the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, a divisive issue that has roiled environmentalists.

Voting against Kerry were three Republicans ? Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas. Absent from the vote were Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and John Hoeven, R-N.D.

"Sen. Kerry has a long history of liberal positions that are not consistent with a majority of Texans," Cornyn said in a statement. The senator is up for re-election next year and could face a tea party challenge.

Kerry's smooth path to the nation's top diplomatic job stands in stark contrast to the harsher treatment for Obama's other national security nominees ? Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary and John Brennan to be CIA director.

Hagel, the former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, faces strong opposition from some of his onetime GOP colleagues who question his support for reductions in the nuclear arsenal and cuts in defense spending. Lawmakers also have questioned whether he is sufficiently supportive of Israel and strongly opposed to any outreach to Iran.

Democrats have rallied for Hagel, and he has the announced support of at least a dozen members in advance of his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Six Republicans have said they would vote against him, with some opposing Obama's choice even before the president's announcement.

Brennan faces questions from the GOP about White House leaks of classified information and from Democrats about the administration's use of drones.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to block the nomination of both men until he gets more answers from the Obama administration about the assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Graham, who earlier this month signaled he would delay Brennan's pick, said in an interview Monday night with Fox News' "On the Record" the he would "absolutely" block Hagel unless Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Clinton testified for more than five hours last Wednesday before the House and Senate, but that wasn't sufficient for Graham.

"Hillary Clinton got away with murder, in my view," he said. "She said they had a clear-eyed view of the threats. How could you have a clear-eyed of the threats in Benghazi when you didn't know about the ambassador's cable coming back from Libya?"

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., told reporters Tuesday that a hearing with Panetta on Libya is planned though the date is uncertain. Graham welcomed that news and said he would not thwart a committee vote on the nomination.

"Happy as a clam. News to me," said Graham, who met with Hagel for 20 minutes on Tuesday.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said Panetta had not responded yet to the request but that the department has been forthcoming with information. He insisted that the Hagel confirmation process move as quickly as possible.

Two former chairmen of the committee ? Democrat Sam Nunn of Georgia and Republican John Warner of Virginia ? plan to introduce Hagel, according to officials close to the confirmation process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the committee has not formally made an announcement.

As a White House emissary, Kerry has tamped down diplomatic fires for Obama. He also has stepped ahead of the administration on a handful of crises. He joined Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as an early proponent of a more aggressive policy toward Libya, pushing for using military forces to impose a "no-fly zone" over Libya as Moammar Gadhafi's forces killed rebels and other citizens. He was one of the early voices calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down as revolution roiled the nation two years ago.

During his tenure, Kerry has pushed for reducing the number of nuclear weapons, shepherding a U.S.-Russia treaty through the Senate in December 2010, and has cast climate change as a national security threat, joining forces with Republicans on legislation that faced too many obstacles to win congressional passage.

He has led delegations to Syria and met a few times with President Bashar Assad, now a pariah in U.S. eyes after months of civil war and bloodshed as the government looks to put down a people's rebellion. Figuring out an end-game for the Middle East country would demand all of Kerry's skills.

The selection of Kerry closes a political circle with Obama. In 2004, it was White House hopeful Kerry who asked a largely unknown Illinois state senator to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic convention in Boston, handing the national stage to Obama. Kerry lost that election to President George W. Bush. Four years later, Obama was the White House hopeful who succeeded where Kerry had failed.

___

Follow Donna Cassata on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/DonnaCassataAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-29-Kerry-State/id-a6c06161952041d3a174238903a7d1c3

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Glial cells assist in the repair of injured nerves

Jan. 28, 2013 ? Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in G?ttingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves.

From their cell bodies to their terminals in muscle or skin, neuronal extensions or axons in the peripheral nervous system are surrounded along their entire length by glial cells. These cells, which are known as Schwann cells, envelop the axons with an insulating sheath called myelin, which enables the rapid transmission of electrical impulses. Following injury to a peripheral nerve, the damaged axons degenerate. After a few weeks, however, they regenerate and are then recovered with myelin by the Schwann cells. For thus far unexplained reasons, however, the Schwann cells do not manage to regenerate the myelin sheaths completely. Thus the function of damaged nerves often remains permanently impaired and certain muscles remain paralysed in affected patients.

In a current research study, the scientists have succeeded in showing that the growth factor neuregulin1 supports nerve repair and the redevelopment of the myelin layer. This protein is usually produced by neurons and is localised on axons where it acts as an important signal for the maturation of Schwann cells and myelin formation. Because the axons rapidly degenerate after injury, the remaining Schwann cells lose their contact with the axons. They thus lack the neuregulin1 signal of the nervous fibres. "In the phase following nerve damage, in which the axons are missing, the Schwann cells must carry out many tasks without the help of axonal signals. If the Schwann cells cannot overcome this first major obstacle in the aftermath of nerve injury, the nerve cannot be adequately repaired," explains Ruth Stassart, one of the study authors.

To prevent this, the Schwann cells themselves take over the production of the actual neuronal signal molecule. After nerve damage, they synthesise the neuregulin1 protein until the axons have grown again. With the help of genetically modified mice, the researchers working on this study were able to show that the neuregulin1 produced in Schwann cells is necessary for the new maturation of the Schwann cells and the regeneration of the myelin sheath after injury. "In mice that lack the neuregulin1 gene in their Schwann cells, the already incomplete nerve regeneration process is extensively impaired," explains co-author Robert Fledrich.

The researchers would now like to examine in greater detail how the Schwann cells contribute to the complete repair of myelinated axons after nerve damage, so that this information can also be used for therapeutic purposes.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Ruth M Stassart, Robert Fledrich, Viktorija Velanac, Bastian G Brinkmann, Markus H Schwab, Dies Meijer, Michael W Sereda, Klaus-Armin Nave. A role for Schwann cell?derived neuregulin-1 in remyelination. Nature Neuroscience, 2012; 16 (1): 48 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3281

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/HRvmYNurR2M/130128133820.htm

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Preserve CIA prisons as evidence, lawyers for 9/11 suspects ask

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Lawyers for five alleged 9/11 conspirators who claim they were tortured in secret CIA prisons have asked a U.S. military judge to order that the prisons be preserved as evidence.

The issue is one of more than two dozen on the docket for a week of pretrial hearings set to begin on Monday in the war crimes tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba.

The defendants include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the hijacked plane attacks that killed 2,976 people on September 11, 2001, and four other prisoners accused of training and aiding the hijackers.

Defense lawyers also asked the judge to order the U.S. government to turn over all White House or Justice Department documents authorizing the CIA to move suspected al Qaeda captives across borders without judicial review and to hold and interrogate them in secret prisons after the September 11 attacks.

President George W. Bush announced in 2006 that the 9/11 defendants were among a group of "high-value" captives sent to Guantanamo from the secret prisons.

The CIA has acknowledged that Mohammed was subjected to the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, and the defendants said they were also subjected to sleep deprivation, threats, and being chained in painful positions.

The defense lawyers will argue that their clients' treatment was illegal pretrial punishment and constituted "outrageous government misconduct" that could justify dismissal of the charges, or at least spare the defendants from execution if convicted.

"By its nature, torture affects the admissibility of evidence, the credibility of witnesses the appropriateness of punishment and the legitimacy of the prosecution itself," the defense lawyers wrote in court documents.

At least one potential witness was also held in the CIA prisons and his treatment could raise questions about the admissibility of his testimony, said James Connell, defense attorney for Mohammed's nephew, defendant Ali Abdul-Aziz Ali.

The chief prosecutor, Brigadier General Mark Martins, said the prosecution does not plan to introduce any evidence obtained from the defendants or anyone else via torture, cruelty or inhuman treatment - which is prohibited by U.S. law and international treaty.

ABU GHRAIB PRISON

The judge presiding over the 9/11 trial, Army Colonel James Pohl, ordered in 2004 that the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq be preserved as a "crime scene." He was at the time presiding over the trial of U.S. military police officers accused of torturing and photographing prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Iraq was then under U.S. occupation. It was unclear whether Pohl had authority to order the preservation of the CIA prisons, whose location the government has kept secret, arguing that disclosure could threaten U.S. national security and put allies at risk.

Polish prosecutors are investigating allegations that one of the sites was in Poland, and there is evidence the CIA set up others in Romania, Lithuania and Thailand, according to reports by the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

But before the court considers the CIA prisons, it will hear issues such as whether attorney-client communications are being improperly monitored and censored at Guantanamo and how to handle sensitive but non-classified data such as medical records.

Mohammed and his nephew are Pakistani citizens. The other defendants are Yemenis Walid bin Attash and Ramzi Binalshibh and Saudi Mustafa al Hawsawi.

They have been in U.S. custody for a decade but there are still numerous legal and evidentiary issues that must be resolved before their trial begins on charges that include murder, hijacking, terrorism and attacking civilians.

"We are inching methodically toward judgment day," Martins said.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/preserve-cia-prisons-evidence-lawyers-9-11-suspects-083009892.html

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সোমবার, ২৮ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Why are there redheads? Birds might hold the clues

Jan. 28, 2013 ? Red coloration -- historically seen as costly in vertebrates -- might represent some physiological benefit after all, according to research published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.

Pheomelanin, which is responsible for red hair and freckles in humans and orange and chestnut coloration in other animals, is known to increase the damage to skin cells and melanoma risk when present in large amounts. Furthermore, its creation involves the consumption of glutathione, a beneficial antioxidant.

In an attempt to unearth the factors favoring the evolution of pheomelanin in spite of its costs, Ismael Galv?n and Anders P. M?ller of the University of Paris-Sud examined the survival from one breeding season to the next of a wild European population of barn swallows, as well as the annual survival rates of 58 species of American birds.

A recent hypothesis claims that the consumption of cysteine (a component of glutathione) that occurs when pheomelanin is produced can be beneficial under conditions of low stress. Cysteine, which is mainly acquired through diet, can be toxic at high levels, so the production of pheomelanin may help to sequester excess quantities of this amino acid.

Galv?n and M?ller measured birds' blood levels of uric acid and analyzed the coloration of their chestnut throat feathers (an indication of pheomelanin content). When they compared birds that had similar uric acid levels (and therefore similar capacities to excrete excess amino acids), they found that both the European barn swallows and the American birds with larger amounts of pheomelanin in their feathers survived better.

This study is the first to propose that the costs/benefits of pheomelanin may depend on prevailing environmental conditions, and its results suggest that the production of this pigment may even be beneficial in some circumstances. Given that all higher vertebrates, including humans, present pheomelanin in skin, pelage, and plumage, Galv?n and M?ller's findings increase the scant current knowledge on the physiological consequences of pheomelanin and open new avenues for research that will help us understand the evolution of pigmentation.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Chicago Press Journals.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Ismael Galv?n, Anders P. M?ller. Pheomelanin-Based Plumage Coloration Predicts Survival Rates in Birds. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 2013; : 000 DOI: 10.1086/668871

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/O3RD1GRHQyY/130128151930.htm

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9 Absurd Ways Gadgets Can Be Destroyed (VIDEO)

Have you ever thrown your favorite gadget into a tub of liquid nitrogen? Or taken one of your extra laptops and smashed it with a metal bat? Or, for kicks, sprayed a tablet of yours with paintballs?

Well, we've compiled nine videos uploaded by people who have done all of those things -- and more. Why people destroy electronics and posted YouTube videos of the demolitions, we'll never know. But what we can tell you is that the acts are fascinating to see. Browse through the gallery below to watch the most absurd clips of modern technology burned, beaten and even blended.

  • 127 Doomed Counterfeit iPhones

    Bulldozed several times, just to be safe.

  • The Most Dramatic Droid Destruction Ever

    If our title doesn't convince you, the epic music will.

  • When An iPhone Met Liquid Nitrogen

    Let's just say this doesn't end well (though AC/DC puts up quite a fight).

  • Blender Battles: iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3

    Buying a used phone from this guy might not the best idea.

  • Digital Inferno?

    Burn, iPod, burn.

  • Galaxy Tab Paintball Takedown

    Orange you glad you got to see that in ultra slow motion?

  • MacBook Destroyed By Giddy Gigglers

    This leaves us with nothing to say but... OHOHO.

  • Hey Batter Batter, SWING!

    This YouTube user had four of these laptops "laying around." Clearly he had no choice but to beat 'em with a bat.

  • Concrete Block Smashes TV

    The Sony TV can handle bricks, but can it survive a concrete block?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/gadgets-destroyed-video_n_2544160.html

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FACT CHECK: The stretched case against Chuck Hagel

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, president Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama, left, shakes hands with his choice for Defense Secretary, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, after announcing Hagel's nomination in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

(AP) ? Republican-leaning groups opposing President Barack Obama's choice of Chuck Hagel to head the Defense Department have let loose a barrage of claims about the former GOP senator.

They say he endorses automatic cuts to the defense budget, that he wants to decimate the nation's nuclear arsenal, that his membership on the board of a major company that had a Pentagon contract is a conflict of interest that he's ignoring.

A look at Hagel's record suggests many of the contentions are overblown.

In statements and attack ads, the groups have sought to undermine Hagel's nomination in the weeks leading up to his confirmation hearing on Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. His opponents face a tough challenge as Democrats have begun to rally around the president's choice, and the party has the majority votes to confirm the former two-term Nebraska senator, barring surprises.

Here's a look at the validity of some of the criticism of Hagel.

___

THE CLAIM: "We live in a dangerous world. Iran, North Korea, even Russia. But Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of defense wants America to back down. An end to our nuclear program. Devastating defense cuts. A weaker country."? An ad being run by Americans for a Stronger Defense in the home states of five Democratic senators up for re-election next year ? Alaska's Mark Begich, Arkansas' Mark Pryor, Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, Colorado's Mark Udall and North Carolina's Kay Hagan.

THE FACTS: Hagel has not proposed ending the nuclear weapons program, though he has supported deep cuts.

Hagel was co-author of a May 2012 study by the advocacy group Global Zero that called for an 80 percent reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons and elimination of all nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The group argued that with the Cold War over, the United States needs no more than 900 total nuclear weapons. Currently, the U.S. and Russia have about 5,000 each, either deployed or in reserve. Both countries are on track to reduce the deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 by 2018, the number set in the New START treaty that the Senate ratified in December 2010.

The study said: "These steps could be taken with Russia in unison through reciprocal presidential directives, negotiated in another round of bilateral arms reduction talks or implemented unilaterally." The report was by Hagel, former ambassadors Richard Burt and Thomas Pickering, retired Gen. James Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired Gen. John J. Sheehan.

An arsenal of 900 nuclear weapons would not be an "end" to the U.S. nuclear program, but Hagel and the organization did raise the possibility of unilateral reductions. In a statement Monday, Burt and others defended Hagel and dismissed suggestions that they were "unilateralists."

The group running this anti-Hagel ad was formed recently and offers little information about itself on its website. Board member Mauricio Claver-Carone also is director of the US Cuba Democracy Advocates in Washington and favors tighter restrictions on the Castro government.

___

THE CLAIM: "Opposition is growing even more due to his support for sequestration of the military: huge budget cuts that the Joints Chiefs have already warned the Senate Armed Forces Committee would result in a 'hollow force.'" ? A Jan. 22 statement from Move America Forward, a California-based group founded by conservatives in 2004 to show support for U.S. troops.

THE FACTS: The group offered no evidence Hagel supports sequestration, the budget mechanism that will mean automatic, across-the-board spending cuts March 1 if Congress does not act to avert them. The White House says he opposes the mechanism, which came into play after Hagel left the Senate.

To be sure, Hagel has spoken about cutting Pentagon spending. In a 2011 interview with the Financial Times, Hagel said, "the Defense Department, I think in many ways, has been bloated" and "has gotten everything it's wanted the last 10 years and more."

The base defense budget has nearly doubled over 10 years, to about $528 billion this year. That doesn't include the billions spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama and congressional Republicans agreed in August 2011 on a deficit-cutting plan that would cut $487 billion from projected defense spending over 10 years. Democrats and Republicans also voted for automatic cuts of $55 billion this year if a special congressional panel can't come up with a sweeping deficit-cutting plan.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned against the approach of across-the-board cuts, and Hagel has given no sign that he has a different view.

___

THE CLAIM: "Now Hagel sits on the board of Chevron, which receives hundreds of millions in Pentagon contracts. ... How can Chuck Hagel run the Pentagon with so many ethical questions about his own record?" ? Ad by the American Future Fund, which is running a "Hagel No" campaign. The group describes itself as advocating conservative, free-market ideals.

THE FACTS: It's widely assumed that Hagel will be leaving the Chevron board, a move common for nominees who face the prospect of such ethical conflicts. The Senate Armed Services Committee has some of the most stringent rules for nominees for senior civilian positions in the Defense Department. The panel requires nominees to divest all financial interests in companies doing business with the department. Stepping down from any board would certainly be required.

The committee bases its decisions on the Defense Department list of companies with contracts valued at $25,000 or more. The list is 330 pages long and includes Chevron.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-28-US-Hagel-Fact-Check/id-4a96295119594ab0a65fbf671ab223d4

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রবিবার, ২৭ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Paartunagais-Golden Voyager

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In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies a great city. This is the great city of Rofantal'qos, the home of the Sea Demon. [MORE INSIDE]

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Attention shoppers: Another credit card fee is here

1 day

It could soon cost you more to shop with a credit card at some stores. As of this Sunday, Jan. 27, merchants who accept credit cards issued by Visa and MasterCard will be allowed to add a service charge to the purchase price.

Visa and MasterCard had always prohibited merchants from doing this. They agreed to change the rules and allow the surcharge as part of the settlement of an antitrust suit brought by retailers.

The surcharge is supposed to equal the actual cost of processing the credit card transaction, which is typically 1.5 to 3 percent. Under the agreement, the fee is capped at 4 percent. The surcharge can vary based on the type of card. For example, it could be higher for a rewards card or premier card.

Merchants still cannot add a surcharge to debit card transactions.

The big question is: Will any stores do this? Should you worry about paying a credit card surcharge?

?We have discussed the settlement with many, many merchants, and not a single merchant we have spoken to plans to surcharge,? Craig Sherman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation (NRF), said in a statement. The NRF was not involved in the class action lawsuit.

NBC News contacted some of the country?s largest retailers. Wal-Mart,?Target, Sears and Home Depot said they have no plans to add a credit card surcharge.

Credit card surcharges are banned by law in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas.

Visa and MasterCard have rules that require retailers to handle credit cards the same way in all of their stores across the country. That means a chain with stores in any of the 10 states where a surcharge is banned would not be able to have a surcharge at any of its stores.

The National Retail Federation points out that under terms of the settlement, a merchant who adds a surcharge to purchases on a Visa or MasterCard would have to do the same with American Express cards. But AMEX prohibits surcharge fees. So a merchant who accepts American Express as well as Visa/MasterCard would not be able to surcharge any of those cards.

?The bottom line is that very few retailers would be able to surcharge under the settlement, and that the vast majority don?t want to surcharge even if they could,? the NRF?s Sherman said.

Ed Mierzwinski, Director of Consumer Programs at U.S. PIRG agrees.

?In the brick-and-mortar world, no one who does any sort of volume business is going to want to surcharge because it will drive their customer crazy and slow down transactions,? Mierzwinski said.

In fact, most consumer advocates believe that except for some small retailers, a credit card surcharge is a non-issue in the short-term.

But Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, worries that over time surcharges will gain traction.

?It?s predictable what?s going to happen,? he said. ?We?re at the top of the hill and we?re going to start going down that slippery slope.?

Dworsky points out that stores factor in the cost of processing credit cards when they price their merchandise. Charging for that again, he said, would be double-dipping, unless stores rolled back their prices ? which no one expects them to do.

?We shouldn?t have gotten to the point, but unfortunately because of the court settlement we have,? Dworsky told me. ?There?s no one standing up for consumers and saying that this is really bad.?

Dworsky points to Australia, where surcharging credit card use began in 2003. At first, few merchants charged the fee.? His research shows that approximately one-third of the sellers there ? including some hotels, supermarkets, department stores and utilities ? now charge extra to use a credit card.?

What about disclosures??
The advocacy group Consumer Action has published a booklet on credit card checkout fees. It warns shoppers to be on the lookout for these fees and advises them to express their dissatisfaction.?Customers shouldn?t stand for it,? said Ruth Susswein Consumer Action?s deputy director of national priorities. ?Our advice is to tell them you don?t like the fee and this makes you want to take your business elsewhere.?

The new rules from Visa and MasterCard require retailers who apply a credit card surcharge to post a notice at the store?s entrance. The exact percentage of the surcharge does not need to be disclosed until the point of sale. The customer receipt must list the amount of the surcharge.

Online stores with a surcharge will not be required to have a notice on the home page. They only need to alert shoppers about this when they reach the page where credit cards are first mentioned. In most cases, that means the final step of checkout when the purchase is being completed.

Not the end of this story?
The settlement that allows merchants to impose a surcharge is only preliminary. The court has yet to issue its final ruling in this case. That?s expected later this year.?

Once that happens, various retailers and business groups plan to challenge the settlement. That could drag into late 2014.

For now, the possibility that the settlement could be modified will probably keep most businesses of any size from instituting credit card fees.

?We?re not convinced this is going to be an issue,? Consumer Action?s Susswein told me. ?They may never do it, but as individual consumers we need to be aware.?

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitteror visit The ConsumerMan website.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/attention-shoppers-another-credit-card-fee-here-1C8086499

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Which DSLR Camera Is The Best For 2012?

Photography is a great hobby (and a great profession). It is fun, it is rewarding and it helps exercise your creativity. Still, it is difficult to be creative and have fun with photography if you don't have the right camera. Sure you can accomplish a lot with a basic point and shoot camera and some good photo editing software, but using a DSLR camera is a lot more fun. DLSR cameras are digital cameras that replicate the older manual cameras functions. Figuring out which of the best Digital SLR cameras of 2012 is right for you can be quite difficult. Here are some things that should help you narrow down your options.

The Canon EOS 6D is a great, professional quality digital SLR camera that is a great bridge between the basic model DSLR and the more complicated professional DSLR cameras. This is especially true when it comes to budgeting for a quality Canon camera. You can usually find this model (base only) for between one and two thousand dollars. The biggest problem is that the buttons on the body of the camera are small and hard to find, which can make taking photos quickly a little bit difficult. Features wise, this camera offers a wide selection and can help you do more than you would with a basic DSLR model and definitely more than you would find in a point and shoot model.

When people think of professional or high quality cameras, they usually think of the Nikon or Canon brands. The Olympus E-3, though, is a great and professional quality digital SLR camera. The body of this camera usually costs around fifteen hundred dollars which is great for the budget conscious, especially considering that you will still need to buy lenses to go with the body. One of the best things about this camera is the flexible LCD screen, which can allow you to shoot from angles that might make regular DSLR shooting awkward.

Perhaps the most important thing to think about when you are shopping for your digital SLR camera is your budget. If you are new to this type of photography, you probably aren't going to want to spend the money that you would need to spend on a higher end, professional quality DSLR camera. If you're new, you should start small and work your way up to the more complicated cameras. There are lots of really great digital SLR cameras, though more basic, at lower price points that you can start with. Figuring out your budget will help narrow the field considerably so make sure to give it some thought before you start shopping in earnest.

There are so many different brands and models of Digital SLR cameras out there. In this article we've talked about some of the best digital SLR cameras that you can choose from as well as how to shop for the one that will be the best fit for you. As you keep reading and doing your research you'll be able to narrow your focus even more and, eventually, find the perfect camera for yourself.

And for people who prefer Canon DSLRs, the Canon 6D is a good choice to consider. This camera is not only good for taking photos, it works very well for videos too.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/which-dslr-camera-is-the-best-for-2012--314093

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শনিবার, ২৬ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Ruwaida Abd?s New Book Reveals the Transforming Power of Love

Author tells the poignant story of two very different people and a love that transcends culture and race.

ONTARIO, Canada (PRWEB) January 25, 2013

Blonde blue-eyed William can have any woman he wants, but he finds himself drawn to an Iraqi girl working in a bar. Ishtar doesn?t know what to make of the American who constantly follows her with his eyes. Little did she know that her life was about to change in ways she never imagined. Readers can witness the intriguing events unfold as author Ruwaida Abd tells her story in Ishtar.

Despite coming from different backgrounds, William and Ishtar find themselves attracted to each other. He is experienced and has gone through many relationships while Ishtar at 26 is still a virgin and na?ve of the ways of men. Still none of these matters as they both learn to accept each other?s differences including language, traditions, and lifestyle. The couple?s love grows stronger after they overcome obstacles and reunite after a break up. William finally decides to cement their relationship by proposing on Ishtar?s birthday. The happy couple had no inkling that September 11, 2001 would forever alter the course of their lives.

A dramatic tale that will rivet readers, Ishtar tells a poignant love story between two very different people. Truly memorable from beginning to end, this book will give readers a glimpse of Iraqi culture as well as the transforming power of love.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author


Ruwaida Abd was born in Iraq and studied there. In 2008, she moved to Canada and studied English there. She decided to write her first novel during her spare time, while she was raising her newborn son.????

Ishtar * by Ruwaida Abd


Publication Date: October 11, 2012


Trade Paperback; $19.99; 340 pages; 978-1-4771-5707-7


Trade Hardback; $29.99; 340 pages; 978-1-4771-5708-4


eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4771-5709-1

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ruwaida-abd-book-reveals-transforming-power-love-050031667.html

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New Orleans On The Cheap (PHOTOS)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? It's expensive to be a tourist in a town that's hosting two of the biggest events of the new year ? Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl ? but New Orleans has plenty of free things to do.

The nearly 300-year-old French city has walkable neighborhoods and scenic public parks dotted with centuries-old oak trees draped in Spanish moss, along with a free ferry and historic market.

MARDI GRAS AND BOURBON STREET

New Orleans is perhaps best-known for hosting one of the biggest free parties in the world: Mardi Gras. The Carnival season includes parades with costumed riders, marching bands and decorated floats, but it only lasts a few weeks. But visitors can get a taste of the madness and revelry of Carnival any time of year on Bourbon Street, the city's most famous thoroughfare, where scantily-clad women beckon patrons from strip club doorways and beads are flung from balconies to revelers down below year-round. It's also a hot spot for live music, which spills out onto the street from clubs with doors and windows flung open. Bourbon Street is also the one place where a costume can be flaunted any time of year.

JACKSON SQUARE

Artists painting on canvas, clowns making balloon animals, street performers and jazz musicians are among the free entertainment to be found in Jackson Square, a one-block section of the French Quarter anchored by a lush green space with benches set amid gardens and grand oak trees. The square is bordered by pedestrian-only walkways with restaurants, storefronts and upper-level balconies boasting decorative ironwork. Benches allow visitors to take in the architecture of the square's historic buildings, including the Cabildo and Pontalba Apartments, believed to be among the oldest apartment buildings in the country.

Visitors are also welcome at St. Louis Cathedral, a place of worship for Catholics since the 1720s. Its towering white facade with three steeples fronts the Mississippi River. Inside are religious mosaics, colorful stained glass and a small gift shop. Masses are held daily and free concerts are held regularly, http://www.jackson-square.com and http://stlouiscathedral.org

CITY PARK

City Park is the largest green space in New Orleans with more than 1,300 acres of gardens, lagoons and walking trails set amid centuries-old oak trees draped in Spanish moss and filled with birds, http://neworleanscitypark.com/.

The New Orleans Museum of Art is located in the park, and while there's a fee to enter the museum, just beyond the museum are dozens of art objects you can see for free in the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The sculptures, valued at more than $25 million, can be viewed in a relaxing setting that includes meandering footpaths, pedestrian bridges and reflecting lagoons. Among the artists represented are Antoine Bourdelle, Gaston Lachaise, Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, Barbara Hepworth and Seymour Lipton.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER FERRY

A boat ride is one of the best ways to get a look at the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River's daily parade of river barges, steamships and cruise ships. The Algiers Point ferry, which has been in operation since the early 1800s, is free to pedestrians. It runs every 30 minutes between the landing at the foot of Canal Street near the Aquarium of the Americas and the historic Algiers Point neighborhood directly across the river from the French Quarter.

Algiers Point, established in 1719, boasts a trove of historic Victorian-style homes, magnolia tree-lined streets with several parks, cafes, historic churches and bars with live music. But perhaps its best feature is an unobstructed view of the city skyline and river traffic, from enormous cargo vessels to the city's iconic Natchez paddlewheel boat. Visitors can also enjoy a free self-guided tour of the Algiers Point neighborhood with the help of an online brochure from the Algiers Historical Society, http://www.algiershistoricalsociety.org/walking-tours.html

FRENCH MARKET

The smell of sweet pralines and freshly-brewed coffee wafts through the air of the New Orleans French Market. The centuries-old commercial hub stretches for several city blocks along the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter and includes Cafe du Monde, home of the deep-fried, sugar-coated beignet, a popular New Orleans pastry. The market is a mix of open-air retail spaces dotted with produce stands and enclosed stores carrying specialty clothing and jewelry. It's an ideal destination for window-shopping and people-watching.

Visitors can watch candy-makers mix up batches of pralines, a New Orleans treat made with brown sugar and pecans, or stop by an open-air flea market where eye-catching jewelry, accessories and handmade crafts are sold. Newer vendor spaces have ceiling fans and full kitchens where cooks prepare meals using fresh Louisiana produce and seafood. The French Market dates to 1791 and was originally the site of a Native American trading post. European immigrants traded there, as did African-Americans selling coffee, pralines and calas, a rice fritter popular in 19th century New Orleans. Choctaw Indians from north of Lake Pontchartrain sold herbs, spices and handmade crafts. Many such items are sold in the market today, http://www.frenchmarket.org

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/5-free-things-to-do-in-ne_n_2541796.html

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Inventor Of The World Wide Web Calls For More Online Innovation ...

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the hyperlinked World Wide Web, isn?t entirely happy with what he has helped create ? and has thrown down the gauntlet to web developers to come up with more disruptive forms of online communication that can break down cultural not just geographical barriers.

Talking about the web as it is today, rather than the ?collaborative tool? he originally designed, he said:??World peace has not miraculously occurred. People still mainly talk to their neighbours, people still mainly talk to the people who have the same religion, and the same culture, so for all its breaking down geographical boundaries in principle it hasn?t really broken down cultural boundaries.?Can we develop systems on the web which will actually help solve that sort of ?challenge??

Berners-Lee was speaking in an interview at the World Economic Forum today,?entitled ?what?s wrong with social networking?? but he joked the title had been cooked up merely to draw in the crowds.

?As a universal platform the web wasn?t supposed to dictate what you did with it,? he told his audience in Davos. ?The world wide web is a platform and humanity does what it can with it??There?s lots of people who think we could do more. What do we really want to get out of this web thing? What do we really want to get out of human communication??

While it began as a collaborative tool, the web subsequently took off as a publishing medium ? or it did to a ?certain extent?, said Berners-Lee, pointing to the fact that publishing online remains a relatively elite activity and therefore, again, does not live up to his original collaborative vision for a truly global web.

?We?ve got wikis, we?ve got blogs, but still most people? aren?t publishing on the web. And actually when you go to most places you?re not in a position where you can take place in the conversation very much. Sometimes you can comment but actually the comment tends to be at a second level,? he said.

Asked about the erosion of online openness threatened by walled garden social networks, Berners-Lee said the networks both help humanity by providing the data that enables computers to help people but also highlighted how there is ?a lot of frustration, from a lot of people? that they can?t connect up the personal data they have entered into different services in all the ways they might like to.

?Each of these social network systems is a silo so there is a frustration that I?ve told it all my data but I don?t have access to that,? he said.

Despite yearning for more openness and fewer shackles stifling the free flow of online data, Berners-Lee was careful to say he was not calling for an online data free-for-all. There do need to be ?reasonable boundaries?, he accepted ? whether it?s sensitive personal or government or military data. ?The web isn?t about just sharing everything, destroying privacy? [but] if I want to share something with you it shouldn?t be the technology that gets in the way.?

Turning to the economic argument, Berners-Lee conceded there is a problem with current online business models ? especially when it comes to finding ways to pay musicians. The web should be ?about spreading culture, music and getting payment back to musicians?, he said. ? We?ve got to find new ways of doing that.?

Specifically he called for new protocols to be developed to support online payments. ?We need to find a whole lot of new business models ? I think we should develop new payment protocols so that when you?re using a web browser it?s a lot easier to pay for things.?

He also argued for the economic value in opening up data that is unnecessarily locked away, pointing to a U.K. initiative to open up government data so that the citizens who have paid for the data to be created in the first place can have the benefit of using it ? and use it to create new businesses. ?You?re making a great common good, that?s making the world run more efficiently,? he argued.

Likewise, he argued that the benefit to humanity of opening up scientific data ? to ?scientists everywhere? ? would be ?huge?.??It?s a?question of unlocking this potential that we really already have ? it?s getting huge benefit for very little cost,? he said.

Berners-Lee was also asked about Internet activist?Aaron Swartz, who was arrested for downloading academic journals and subsequently committed suicide ? and argued that Swartz?s tragedy is an example of what can happen when ?legislation gets too strong?.

?He was an incredibly ethical person. He thought a huge amount about what was right and how the world should be? but because [the FBI] saw that what he was doing was accessing a computer system there seems to be a deep suspicion of that,? he said.

?He used his programming to try to make a point, in a way as a protest. But they ended up using a very unfair law which had been changed from its original form which said that if you break into a computer system in any way then you are guilty of a felony? ?People are thinking now about that law, and there already proposals to change it.?

?To be a hacker ? when I use the term ? is somebody who is creative and does wonderful things,? Berners-Lee added. ?We need more coders, we need more people who understand how to put data online.?


A graduate of Oxford University, England, in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, an internet-based hypermedia initiative for global information sharing while at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. He wrote the first web client and server in 1990. His specifications of URIs, HTTP and HTML were refined as Web technology spread. He is the 3COM Founders Professor of Engineering in the School of Engineering with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science...

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/25/inventor-of-the-world-wide-web-calls-for-more-online-innovation-to-break-down-cultural-barriers-and-build-new-business-models/

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