Tuesday, January 31, 2012

George and John's Excellent Adventures in Quantum Entanglement [Video]

Simply put, bottomlessly deep: that is the definition of a great discovery in science. From the principle of relativity to evolution by natural selection, the concepts that govern our world are actually not that hard to state. What they mean and what they imply?well, that?s another matter. And so it is with quantum entanglement. One of the most important discoveries ever made, entanglement is fairly straightforward to describe, but has yet to be understood in any serious way. Physicists have barely even gotten over their amazement that the phenomenon even exists.

The two-part video that I put together with my colleagues John Matson and Mary Karmelek, working with Sci Am?s film guru Eric Olson, dramatizes entanglement. Part one presents it metaphorically; part two will show the real McCoy in a physics laboratory. The film follows in the footsteps of a steady progression of simplified versions of the original scientific arguments that has taken place over the past several decades. Not only has the theory been streamlined, so has the experimental apparatus. It could now fit on a living-room end table and should soon become a standard exercise in college physics-for-poets classes.

The basic point of entanglement is that the behavior of objects at spatially separated locations is random yet coordinated. Two (or more) particles behave as a single indivisible system, no matter how far apart they are. Indeed, even to speak of ?particles? in the plural is a falsehood; we see them as individual parts, but they possess collective properties that cannot be partitioned. In the 1930s, Albert Einstein argued that for entangled particles to behave in such a coordinated way, either their behavior must be choreographed in advance or they must surreptitiously influence each other on the fly. This influence cannot pass through the intervening space?it would be, as Einstein put it, ?spooky action at a distance.? Three decades later, physicist John Bell devised an experiment that rules out the first possibility, leaving the spooky one as a creepy fact of nature.

The first two card tricks in the video show the basic thought-experiment that Einstein devised and published in a famous paper with Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen. The third trick shows Bell?s elaboration. His basic insight was that it?s easy enough to choreograph a simple pattern of behavior, but impossible to prearrange a sufficiently complicated one. By the way, you can use Bell?s approach if any of your friends ever claims to be psychic. Ask the right types of questions, and no one will be able to respond unless they really are psychic. Humans, of course, aren?t. But particles do have a telepathic power, albeit of a very limited sort.

Some technical details: For sake of getting across the idea, we neglect the role that probability plays in the actual experiment. If John and I were to exploit entanglement for real, we?d create a pair of entangled photons, he?d take one and I the other, and each of us would send his photon through a polarizing filter and see whether it emerges on the other side. The choice of ?left? or ?right? card in the video would correspond to the orientation of the polarizer. For John, ?left? would be 0 degrees; ?right,? 45 degrees. For me, ?left? would be 22.5 degrees; ?right,? ?22.5 degrees. Assuming no experimental imperfections, the probability that we?d both see the same outcome would be about 85 percent for all possible permutations of orientations, except when both of us select ?right,? in which case it would be about 15 percent. Cheaters trying to mimic entanglement could manage 75 percent at best.

I hasten to mention that?some physicists and philosophers of physics doubt whether spooky action really occurs?to them, particles are no more psychic than humans are. But even in that case, something else equally weird must be going on to give the illusion of spooky action, such as a profusion of parallel universes, messages reaching us from the future, or a radically holistic view of reality. There?s no way to avoid the weirdness altogether.?Researchers also debate whether entanglement conflicts?in spirit if not in letter?with Einstein?s special theory of relativity, as David Albert and Rivka Galchen discussed in our March 2009 cover story.

Leaving aside what the entanglement means, so much remains to be learned about the phenomenon itself. A big question is why, even though entanglement is pervasive, we don?t notice it in our everyday lives. Quantum physicist Dagomir Kaszlikowski recently?offered a new approach to solving this problem.?The answer, ironically, may be that the very pervasiveness of entanglement camouflages it.

To help explain further what entanglement means, we?ve also asked quantum physicist Vlatko Vedral and physicist-historian David Kaiser to describe the long and winding road that quantum entanglement took to becoming accepted. In a sense, entanglement is so weird that we hope our video will not demystify it, but mystify it.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c4548f4ad6c19b1dc8197ea435023010

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Occupy Oakland: 400 arrested after violent protest

Beck Diefenbach / AP

Occupy Oakland protesters burn an American flag found inside Oakland City Hall on Saturday.

By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services

Crews cleaned up Oakland's historic City Hall on Sunday from damage inflicted overnight during violent anti-Wall Street protests that resulted in about 400 arrests, marking one of the largest mass arrests since nationwide protests began last year.

At a press conference on Sunday, Oakland police and city officials said they did not have a final tally of arrests. Earlier in the day, the city's emergency operations office put the figure at around 400. The skirmishes injured three officers and at least one demonstrator.


Police said a group of protesters burned an American flag in front of City Hall, then entered the building and destroyed a vending machine, light fixtures and a historic scale model of the edifice. The city's 911 emergency system was overwhelmed during the disturbances.

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"While City Hall sustained damage, we anticipate that all city offices will be open for regular business tomorrow," said Deanna Santana, Oakland city administrator.

Oakland has become an unlikely flashpoint for the national "Occupy" protests against economic inequality that began last year in New York's financial district and spread to dozens of cities.

The protests in most cities have been peaceful and sparked a national debate over how much of the country's wealth is held by the richest 1 percent of the population. President Barack Obama has sought to capitalize on the attention by calling for higher taxes on the richest Americans.

Related stories:

Occupy protests focused on Oakland after a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, Scott Olsen, was critically injured during a demonstration in October. Protesters said he was hit in the head by a tear gas canister but authorities have never said exactly how he was hurt.

The Occupy movement appeared to lose momentum late last year as police cleared protest camps in several cities.

Violence erupted again in Oakland on Saturday afternoon when protesters attempted to take over the apparently empty downtown convention center to establish a new headquarters and draw attention to the problem of homelessness.

'Violent splinter group'
Police in riot gear moved in to drive back the crowd, which they estimated at about 500 protesters.

"Officers were pelted with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares," the Oakland Police Department said in a statement. "The Oakland Police Department deployed smoke, tear gas and beanbag projectiles in response to this activity."

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan accused a "violent splinter group" of the Occupy movement of fomenting the Saturday protests and using the city as its playground. Protesters have accused the city of overreacting and using heavy-handed tactics.

Police move in on Occupy Oakland protesters on Oak Street and 12th as tear gas gets blown back on them in Oakland.

Oakland officials on Sunday were inspecting damage inside City Hall that was caused by about 50 Occupy protesters who broke in and smashed glass display cases, spray-painted graffiti, and burned the?U.S. and California flags.

The break-in on Saturday was the culmination of a day of clashes between protesters and police. At least 300 people were arrested on charges ranging from vandalism and failure to disperse.

At least three officers and one protester were injured.

Quan said Occupy protesters have caused an estimated $2 million in damages from vandalism since October. She said the cost to the city related to the Occupy Oakland protests is pegged at about $5 million.

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More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

This article includes reporting from NBCBayArea.com, The Associated Press and msnbc.com's Miranda Leitsinger.

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/30/10268080-occupy-oakland-400-arrested-after-violent-protest

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Consider a 3D Monitor For Gaming ? Centired.com - For All Things ...

An excellent monitor can enhance your gaming experience by tenfold. Not only will it have a higher resolution so you can experience a new degree of graphics, an outstanding monitor will have an excellent response rate which keeps images from trailing one another resulting in a ghost effect.

With developers embracing new 3D technology in the gaming world, a 3D monitor could take your gaming to the following degree. Above 100 games can be bought in 3D including, World of Warcraft, Warcraft Reloaded, Gridlock, Dawn of the Dead and Quake Live.

A good 3D monitor will cost $300- $1000 dollars and will still work in 2D. You simply must wear special 3D glasses to see the game in 3D. Some monitors is fine with the red and blue traditional 3D glasses but others will demand electronic shuttering glasses.

The more reduced response rate a monitor possesses the better it will be for gaming. A response rate of 5 milliseconds is about the highest rate that may work efficiently for gaming and anything lower than that should provide faster, better gaming.

Brightness is also a ingredient to consider when buying a monitor. LED lighted monitors provide you with the best light and sharpest display. They also use a lower measure of energy when compared to LCD monitors.

Resolution is critical for gaming monitors because if you have a high resolution you can view fine details within the game. This is important in case you are playing a combat game because you?ll have the opportunity to see your opponent from far away.

A 19- 23 inch monitor would be a good size for a gaming monitor. However you can never really go too big and when you have experienced gaming on a large screen it will be hard to return. There are lots of good brands that offer gaming monitors like Samsung, Sony, Acer, ViewSonic and Dell.

As technology advances 3D monitors and gaming monitors will simply get better with time. By reading reviews online from professionals and consumers you can discover much more about what works best for specific variants of games you play.

David works with Dell. If you?re a gamer consider a 3D monitor, which can mean a better experience. If you decide that is not for you, perhaps a 23 inch monitor will be sufficient.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 12:15 pm by David Borg and is filed under Computers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://centired.com/2012/01/consider-a-3d-monitor-for-gaming/

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Why MBA in Finance is Recommended | Foundations of Finance

Accounting and Finance Career Preparation Programs

Completing a degree program in accounting prepares students to step into various careers that involve accounting and finance. Accounting programs are available to students at the associate?s, bachelor?s, master?s, and doctorate?s degree level. Student?s career goals will determine which degree program to complete. Other possible accounting and finance career preparation programs can include:

  • Accounting Technology
  • Corporate Financing
  • Finance and Banking

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Corporate finance also awards undergraduate degrees unless students advance their training inside a finance degree program.

To gain the best career options in accounting and finance students should complete graduate degree training. Students study risk management, assurance, financial management, taxation, and much more. Master?s degree programs train students to understand business and taxation. Possible career options for students that have a graduate degree include risk assessors, corporate executives, financial managers, and auditors.

Students that complete a bachelor?s degree program will explore financial reporting, international market, and personal investments.

Accredited accounting and finance degree programs give students several career opportunities.

Accounting and Finance Career Preparation Programs

Accounting or financial managers are the people responsible for overseeing and maintaining the financial strategy and history of a company. The accounting manager is focused more on financial reporting, while the financial manager is focused on strategy and money management. The CFO supervises all accounting and financial operations, as well as administering the company?s general financial policies and strategies. The financial officer may formulate and implement strategies to raise capital, oversee cash management, or manage the company?s capital investment activity.

from your own site.

Source: http://www.icasm2009.org/why-mba-in-finance-is-recommended

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Fetal Armor: How the Placenta Shapes Brain Development (preview)

Feature Articles | Mind & Brain Cover Image: February 2012 Scientific American MagazineSee Inside

Scientists are finding that the placenta is far more than a passive filter


Image: Norman Barker

The placenta is unique among organs?critical to human life yet fleeting. In its short time of duty, it serves as a vital protective barrier to the fetus. The organ?s blood vessels?which resemble tree roots in this image by Norman Barker, associate professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine?also deliver essential oxygen and nutrients from the mother to her developing baby. Still, the placenta has been vastly underappreciated. Scientists are taking a closer look and finding that it is much more than a simple conduit: it actively protects the fetus and shapes neurological development.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Claudia Kalb, a former senior writer for Newsweek, is a freelance science journalist based in Washington, D.C.


Articles You Might Also Like

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=64f9d31331684688bf77e6b4b813834b

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Police open probe into 'malicious' mail at QPR

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:01 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2012

LONDON (AP) -Police have opened an investigation after Queens Park Rangers reportedly received a package in the mail addressed to defender Anton Ferdinand that contained a bullet.

QPR contacted police on Friday, a day before the team plays Chelsea for the first time since Blues captain John Terry was charged with racially abusing Ferdinand in a Premier League match in October.

Metropolitan Police says in a statement that "we are investigating an allegation of malicious communication received today at QPR football club."

SKY Sports is reporting that the package contained a bullet.

Chelsea and QPR put out a joint statement Wednesday ahead of the FA Cup fourth-round match appealing for fans to "show the world that hatred has no place in our game."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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More news
US women qualify for Olympics

The U.S. women's soccer team booked their way to London on Friday night with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in the semifinals of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.

Kuyt to the rescue

??Euro roundup: Liverpool reaches the 5th round of the FA Cup, beating rival Manchester United 2-1.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46166846/ns/sports-soccer/

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Expert who foresaw '08 crash warns of tough decade

Economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed "Dr. Doom" for his gloomy predictions in the run-up to the financial meltdown four years ago, says the fallout from that crisis could last the rest of this decade.

Roubini, widely acknowledged to have predicted the crash of 2008, sees tough times ahead for the global economy and is warning that without major policy changes things can still get much worse.

He also warned that a conflict with Iran over its controversial nuclear program could lead to a global recession.

Until Europe radically reforms itself and the U.S. gets serious about its own debt mountain, Roubini said, the world economy will continue to stumble along to the detriment of large chunks of the world's population who will continue to see their living standards under pressure, even if they have a job.

Meanwhile, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde ? speaking Saturday at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland ? said Europe was making progress to overcome the euro zone crisis, but need to do more to boost its financial firewall to contain the contagion of the debt crisis and restore trust.

"There is work under way. There is progress as we see it," Lagarde told a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum.

"But it is critical that the euro zone members actually develop a clear, simple, firewall that can operate both to limit the contagion and to provide this sort of act of trust in the euro zone so that the financing needs of that zone can actually be met," she said.

She added that there would be need for IMF funds to help the euro zone.

US economy ended 2011 at a healthy pace

Roubini, a professor of economics and international business at New York University, spoke in an interview this week with The Associated Press at a dinner on the sidelines of the meeting, where he is one of the hotly pursued stars.

Looking at economic prospects this year, he agreed with the International Monetary Fund's latest forecast that the global economy is weakening and said he might be "even slightly more bearish" on its prediction of 3.3 percent growth in 2012.

Video: Haass from Davos: We're looking at little growth in half the world (on this page)

He painted a grim picture of the eurozone in recession and key emerging markets in China, India, Brazil and South Africa slowing down, partly related to weakness in the eurozone.

Roubini predicted that the U.S. economy, the world's largest, will grow by just 1.7-1.8 percent this year, with unemployment remaining high. The government, he added, was "kicking the can down the road" and not taking measures to increase productivity and competitiveness.

"We live in a world where there is still a huge amount of economic and financial fragility," he said. "There is a huge amount of uncertainty ? macro, financial, fiscal, sovereign, banking, regulatory, taxation ? and there is also geopolitical and political and policy uncertainty."

Too little, too late? Factory jobs making a comeback

"There are lots of sources of uncertainty from the eurozone, from the Middle East, from the fact that the U.S. is not tackling its own fiscal problem, from the fact that Chinese growth is unbalanced and unsustainable, relying too much on exports and fixed investments and high savings, and not enough on consumption. So it's a very delicate global economy," Roubini said.

He said the biggest uncertainty is the possibility of a conflict with Iran over its nuclear program that involves Israel, the United States, or both. That could lead oil prices now hovering around $100 a barrel to spike to $150 per barrel, he said, and lead to a global recession.

Almost half of young Spaniards unemployed

Unemployment and economic insecurity have become big issues from the Mideast to the Occupy Wall Street movement in the U.S., and protests from Israel and India to Chile and Russia ? and at the same time there is rising inequality between rich and poor.

"All these things lead to political and social instability," he said. "So we have to reduce inequality. We have to give growth to jobs, skills, education, and increase human capital so workers can compete."

Video: Protesters build igloos at 'Occupy Davos'? (on this page)

Roubini called for a major change in policy priorities.

"We have to shift our investment from things that are less productive like the financial sector and housing and real estate to things that are more productive like our people, our human capital, our structure, our technology, our innovation," he said.

Roubini said slow growth in advanced economies will likely lead to "a U-shaped recovery rather than a typical V," and it may last for another three to five years because of high debt.

"Once you have too much debt in the public and private sector, the painful process could last up to a decade, where economic growth remains weak and anemic and sub-par until we have cleaned up the balance sheet and invested in the things that make us more productive for the future," he said.

Iran warns Europe
On Friday, Iran warned that it may halt oil exports to Europe next week in a move calculated to hurt ailing European economies.

The Tehran government ? grappling with its own economic crisis under Western trade and banking embargoes ? will host a rare visit on Sunday by U.N. nuclear inspectors for talks that the ruling clergy may hope can relieve diplomatic pressure as they struggle to bolster public support.

Since the U.N. watchdog lent independent weight in November to the suspicions of Western powers that Iran is using a nuclear energy program to give itself the ability to build atomic bombs, U.S. and EU sanctions and Iranian threats of reprisal against Gulf shipping lanes have disrupted world oil markets and pushed up prices.

Amid forecasts Iran might be able to build a bomb next year, and with President Barack Obama facing re-election campaign questions on how he can make good on promises ? to Americans and to Israel ? not to tolerate a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic, a decade of dispute risks accelerating towards the brink of war.

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday it would send its undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, David Cohen, to Britain, Germany and Switzerland next week to talk about how to enforce sanctions against Iran's central bank.

Those sanctions aim to starve Iran of funds for developing nuclear weapons.

Western diplomats see little immediate prospect that renewed talks between Iran and the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency, scheduled from Sunday to Tuesday in Tehran, would result much in the way of concessions to Western demands.

EU states have given themselves until July to enforce an oil import embargo on Iran.

The EU accounted for 25 percent of Iranian crude oil sales in the third quarter of 2011. But China, India and others have made clear that they are keen to soak up any spare Iranian oil, even as U.S. Treasury measures to choke Tehran's dollar trade make it harder to pay for supplies.

Moayed Hosseini-Sadr, a member of the energy committee in the legislature, said there would be no delay of the kind the EU allowed to its members.

"If the deputies arrive at the conclusion that the Iranian oil exports to Europe must be halted, parliament will not delay a moment," Hosseini-Sadr said. "The Europeans will surely be taken by surprise and will understand the power of Iran."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46172944/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/

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Monday, January 23, 2012

This 350 Piece K'Nex Value Tub Is Your Creative-Building Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

When I was a wee pup, my parents told me to always stay open minded. Be accepting, try everything and don't ever discriminate. I think that was some sort of life lesson about people but I took it as COOL, I'LL EAT PIZZA, BURGERS AND ICE CREAM. Not really. I didn't eat ice cream. I actually don't even like ice cream. ANYWAY. It's good to grow up with an open mind. You fall in love with every sport. You play every game console. You drink every soda, eat every candy and get every cavity on every teeth. Ah too be young and open minded! The best part was the toys. Oh the toys! If you were open minded, you got to play with Lego bricks, Erector sets and even *gasp* K'nex sets. Man I forgot about those. You can buy a K'Nex Value Tub of 350 pieces for only $10 right now. Do it if you're open minded. -CC More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oDSosRtfXg0/this-350-piece-knex-value-tub-is-your-creative+building-deal-of-the-day

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Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket

Two K-words we're almost always pleased to hear: Korg and Kaoss. Good, then, that the former has decided to make more of the latter -- the mini Kaoss Pad 2 (effects unit), and Kaossilator 2 (synthesizer), to be precise. Both new editions will slip in your pocket, and are dominated by that all-important X-Y pad. The mini Kaoss Pad 2 is all about effects, packing 100 programs, three memory slots, and MP3 playback (with pitch adjust). The traditional flanger, filter, delay, and reverb ear candy are also joined by looper, vinyl break, and ducking compressor.

But what good are effects without anything to, er, affect? Enter Kaossilator 2. It's a palm-sized synthesizer, with 150 onboard sounds and a PCM engine for drums. You can sample via a built-in mic, gate and arpeggiate sounds, and create layered textures with loops. Both can record your performance, save it to SD, or impose share with others via a built-in speaker. It's all peace and quiet, though, until April when the Kaossilator lands for about £168 ($260). The KPad, on the other hand won't hit the market until May, retailing at the same price. Full PRs after the break.

Continue reading Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket

Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/korg-unveils-kaossilator2-and-mini-kaoss-pad2/

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Apple education event: Everything you need to know

The (now digital) ink has dried on Apple's education event, we've met the new apps, we've seen the new services, and we've gotten an idea of where Apple is heading when it comes to schools, textbooks, and learning.


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

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Kenny G's Wife Files For Legal Separation | TMZ.com

Kenny G Wife Files for Legal Separation

Lyndie Benson-Gorelick and Kenny GKenny G's wife has filed for legal separation in their 20 year marriage ... TMZ has learned.

Lyndie Benson-Gorelick filed papers in L.A. County Superior Court -- citing "irreconcilable differences."

The couple has 2 sons.

There's a lot of money on the line.? There's a report Kenny is worth around $50 million.

There's one big sign the case is eventually headed to divorce court ... both Lyndie and Kenny have lawyered up with high-powered legal guns. Lyndie has Gary Fishbein, who has repped numerous celebs including Gabriel Aubry, Nikki Sixx, and Kenny has Laura Wasser, who has repped Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian, to name a few.

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Source: http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/19/kenny-g-wife-legal-separation-divorce/

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Suleika Jaouad: 10 Things Not to Say to a Cancer Patient

When I was diagnosed with leukemia last May, I couldn't imagine what lay ahead for me. The last eight months may have well been eight years. It's been a blur of blood tests and bone marrow biopsies, fevers and infections. Any cancer patient can tell you that the disease turns you into an ersatz medical student, whether you like it or not. But navigating the social dynamics of living with cancer -- communicating with family and friends about my diagnosis, symptoms, fears and hopes -- was a challenge I did not expect.

The oncology world is overdue for an etiquette guide. As a commenter noted on my blog, unless you're Seth Rogen in 50/50, there's no script for what to say to someone with a life-threatening illness. But if you can avoid saying these 10 things, you're off to a good start:

1. Don't ask, "Is there anything I can do?" unless you mean it. If you do, then just do something! When you're sick, asking for help is tiring -- and it can make you feel guilty or pathetic.

2. Don't ignore someone with cancer because you don't know what to say. Say something authentic and from the heart (just not anything on this list!). The old joke about voting applies: do it early and often.

3. Avoid questions about mortality. "What are your chances?" and "How long do you have?" are major no-nos.

4. Don't talk about your friend/cousin/uncle who died of the same cancer.

5. Don't use nicknames that refer to the person's disease. They can come off as offensive, even if they're meant as a joke. These are a few names that I've actually been called: fuzz head, baldy, Suleikemia (really?!).

6. Don't say to someone who's just lost all of her hair, "You look like [insert: an alien, avatar, Pinky or The Brain, Gollum]." This is not the time for the Beat-poet game of "first thought, best thought."

7. Don't put undue pressure on a patient to change doctors or therapies. You may mean well (and you may be right), but be aware that how you offer input can be as important as what you're offering. What worked for you may not apply to someone else.

8. Don't just repeat phrases like "everything will be OK" if the patient is feeling scared or upset. Instead, just be a good listener.

9. Don't tell someone, "Wow, that sucks" upon hearing of their illness. Yes, we know it sucks. Reminders are not necessary.

10. If you say or do something awkward, rude or out of line, don't pretend that it never happened. Apologize, and ask for a redo! It's OK to make mistakes. Cancer patients are used to these kinds of blunders. We'll understand. Just don't play the ostrich in the sand.

If you've made any of these "mistakes," welcome to the club. I created this list from my own experience, not to inspire guilt or cast blame, but to unite us all in the realization that to talk about cancer is first to fail -- then, to "fail better" the next time.

Stay tuned for a future post, "10 Things You Can Do for a Friend With Cancer"

For more by Suleika Jaouad, click here.

For more on cancer, click here.

Suleika Jaouad writes a blog about her experience with cancer at Secrets of Cancerhood. You can follow her on Twitter at @suleikajaouad. Email questions and comments to her at secretsofcancerhood@gmail.com and/or make a comment below!

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Follow Suleika Jaouad on Twitter: www.twitter.com/suleikajaouad

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suleika-jaouad/cancer-advice_b_1205633.html

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Analysis: Nigeria protests up pressure to reform oil sector (Reuters)

LAGOS (Reuters) ? A week of protests over fuel prices has put Nigeria's government under more pressure than ever to make good on long-unfulfilled promises to reform its notoriously inefficient and corrupt energy sector, and this time it will be harder not to act.

The powerful oligarchs in charge of the oil industry, Africa's largest, have been attacked in the media and pilloried at rallies after their abrupt withdrawal of the fuel subsidy on New Year's Day unleashed protests that crippled the economy.

"We call for a forensic audit of all the payments that have been made in the name of subsidy in the last 10 years," independent daily This Day wrote in an editorial on Wednesday. "We call for the law to take its full course on those that have (become) fat on the nation's misery."

Strikes nearly led to a shutdown of some of Nigeria's 2 million barrels per day of oil output, when oil workers threatened to join the action before the crisis was resolved.

President Goodluck Jonathan, elected with a healthy majority last April on an agenda to transform Africa's most populous country, was forced to partially row back on scrapping the subsidy, a key economic reform.

Its removal had doubled petrol pump prices to around 150 naira ($0.93) per liter from 65 naira, but Jonathan on Monday partially reinstated the subsidy, pegging the price at 97 naira.

Although the immediate cause of the strikes and protests was fuel prices, protesters said the underlying anger was more about years of frustration at corruption and mismanagement of the country's huge oil wealth.

Apparently sensitive to this, Jonathan and oil minister Diezani Allison-Madueke promised prompt action this week to implement long delayed reforms to the oil sector.

Allison-Madueke promised to investigate corruption in the sector and this week Nigeria's corruption watchdog on her orders launched an investigation into the subsidy system, sending agents to the state oil company and petroleum pricing regulator.

Since then, the Senate has opened a probe into the fuel subsidy system and the oil ministry set up a committee designed to facilitate passing of a crucial oil bill.

On Wednesday, the government ordered a fresh audit of its entire oil and gas sector covering the last three years, a move likely to prompt skepticism given that previous such audits have usually not been acted on.

"This is the best outcome of this whole saga. If they bring in the long promised changes to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and others it will be the best thing that happens," said Stephen Eze, a lawyer involved with the oil industry.

"People are asking serious questions and government is on its toes."

WILL HEADS ROLL?

Allison-Madueke told a hearing of a parliamentary committee on Tuesday there had been some malpractice in the fuel subsidy but steps were being taken to root out fraud.

"Yes, there have been some manipulations in the sector; there is no doubt about it," she said.

Nigeria's oil sector has long been under fire for lacking transparency and for mismanagement, including in a report compiled by international accounting firm KPMG.

Allison-Madueke pledged to review such reports, but some analysts questioned her ministry's good faith in doing so now.

"The KPMG report has been on your desk for over a year. So why now?" asked Kayode Akindele, partner at Lagos-based financial advisory firm 46 Parallels, suggesting this may be too little, too late.

"The president might have to sacrifice somebody, and it might have to be the petroleum minister. Nobody has said anything in support of her during all of this - they've defended the finance minister, but not the petroleum minister," he added.

Others doubt Jonathan will go that far because he has always stopped short of removing her under pressure in the past.

"Normally a sacrifice would be in order - sack a minister or something like that - to draw a line under it," said Antony Goldman, the head of London-based PM Consulting. "But the trouble is the oil minister was always vulnerable. She was vulnerable before, but she has special protection."

Similarly, few Nigerians are holding out much hope that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will deliver up top officials for prosecution after its latest investigation.

The watchdog has been seen as ineffective over the years, arresting senior political figures, including former state governors, but the cases often fail to go anywhere.

CRUCIAL OIL BILL

Despite being among the world's top 10 oil producers, Nigeria relies heavily on imported fuel as its own refineries are dilapidated, so the subsidy has become a cash handout of billions of dollars to a cartel of wealthy fuel importers.

Investment on refining and developing further oilfields for production hinges on passing a wide-ranging Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that has been stuck in parliament for more than four years, costing Nigeria billions of dollars in lost investment.

Crude oil exports account for 80 percent of government revenue and 95 percent of foreign currency earnings.

Allison-Madueke also said on Monday she would meet legislators to try to speed up this massive bill aimed at changing everything from fiscal terms to the state oil company, before setting up the committee to do so.

"The set up of a bipartisan Special PIB Task Force is probably one of the positive outcomes of the recent events in Nigeria," said Samir Gadio at Standard Bank.

"My feeling is that there is now the right momentum to speed up the adoption of the long-delayed bill, although the risk of public policy inertia will remain a concern," he added.

Another factor that protests brought to light is anger over the huge cost of government, particularly in the national assembly, where pay and perks are among the world's highest.

That could also help nudge the PIB along.

Akindele said: "One good thing is: this might push the PIB forward, because if this drags on, someone might start saying to the national assembly: what about your own salaries? ... It will be a case of anything to keep the focus away from us. Let's pass the PIB quickly."

But even if it passes, Nigeria might struggle to attract investment into refineries unless it can scrap the fuel subsidy, analysts say, as few will invest in a sector where prices are fixed below the market rate.

"In order to attract private capital to the refining sector, Nigeria will need to provide a path toward full deregulation of the sector so investors can earn returns excess of their cost of capital," said Melissa Cook, Africa investment strategist at U.S.-based Enclave Capital LLC.

Economists say the fuel subsidy encouraged corruption and the wasteful use of fuel. The government estimates it will save 1 trillion naira ($6.2 billion) in 2012 by eliminating it.

But the government's willingness to back down on full deregulation because of the protests - the latest of several attempts that have been scuppered - has re-established a red line. That bodes ill for boosting refining capacity.

"You cannot alter the structure of that industry so long as there's a subsidy which means the price (of retail petrol) is fixed. ... nobody is going to invest in that industry," Bismarck Rewane of the Lagos-based consultancy Financial Derivatives, said.

That is not likely to be the end of it. The 2012/13 national budget is due to come into effect in April, and Nigeria has made no provision for a fuel subsidy. Some commentators reckon the drama just witnessed could be replayed.

(Additional reporting by Tim Cocks and Chijioke Ohuocha in Lagos and Joe Brock in Abuja; Editing by Tim Cocks)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/wl_nm/us_energy_nigeria

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(AP)

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_en_mo/eu_apnewsalert

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Cuba Gooding Jr. Calls 'Red Tails' An 'Amusement Park Ride'

'It didn't hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story' made, actor tells MTV News.
By Kevin P. Sullivan


Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Red Tails"
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The upcoming World War II drama "Red Tails" tells many stories. First and foremost, it's the story of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first African American air regimen. Within that story are tales of social injustice and a historical wartime drama. It's also a big-budget action movie produced by George Lucas.

With so much to accomplish, "Red Tails" has a lot on its plate dramatically speaking. One of the stars of the film, Cuba Gooding Jr., told MTV News recently that the film manages to find the right balance.

"I think it strikes it in the subject matter," Gooding said. "It didn't hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story onto the big screen.

"The fact that you have the story of these warriors, whose story has been suppressed up until this date — except for smaller instances — are finally getting their due, educating the audience of what African Americans did in the war effort in World War II ... told by George Lucas, Star Wars," Gooding said. "You're going to see an amusement park ride."

Gooding concluded that all of those elements came together for a proper telling of the story. "I think that's how you get the balance," he added. "You get a filmmaker who is so passionate he's putting his own dough up to the tune of $100 million-plus. You see it on the screen."

Gooding's co-star, Nate Parker, tried to chime in with a comment of his own, but the Academy Award-winning actor stopped Parker jokingly. "No, no, no, no. That was enough," Gooding said. "I'm just kidding. Speak your mind, brother."

For Parker, the answer to the film's success is simple. "Risk and reward," he said. "He took a risk, and now I think he's being rewarded in a major way because I think the film is fantastic."

Check out everything we've got on "Red Tails."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677427/red-tails-cuba-gooding-jr.jhtml

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German investor sentiment rises in Jan (AP)

BERLIN ? German investor sentiment rose strongly in January, indicating that economic activity in the country should stabilize over the next six months rather than deteriorate further, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday.

The ZEW investor sentiment index for January rose 32.2 points in January, to minus 21.6 points overall. The rise puts the indicator at its highest level since last July, though ZEW noted it is still well below its historical average of plus 24.5 points.

The survey, which polled 293 analysts and institutional investors from January 2 to January 16 about their medium-term expectations, also saw a 21.6 point rise in economic sentiment toward the 17-nation eurozone, taking the index to minus 32.5 points.

In addition to suggesting that investors expect the German economy to stabilize over the next half year, ZEW said that improved economic data from the United States as well as recent declines in yields from Spanish and Italian bonds may have contributed to the increase.

Even though the government reported in the middle of the survey period that the German economy had likely contracted by 0.25 percent during the last quarter of 2011, the poll also posted a 1.6 point rise in investors' assessment of the current situation in the country, for a 28.4 overall rating.

The investors assessment of the eurozone's current situation dropped 7.7 points, however, to minus 51.8 points overall.

Though there have been fears that the German economy would follow the downward trend of other eurozone nations, ING Global Research economist Carsten Brzeski said the survey indicates "the trough of negativity might be behind."

In fact, he said, Germany may be set to benefit from the weakness of its neighbors.

"With more than 60 percent of all exports going into non-eurozone countries, Germany is among the main beneficiaries of the recent euro weakness," he said. "Moreover, the latest downgrades of nine eurozone countries have rather strengthened than weakened Germany's safe haven role, keeping government bond yields at record lows."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_economy

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

What you sign away when you book a cruise

It's all fun and margaritas when you first book a cruise. But that "ticket" is actually a contract that can run more than a dozen pages, and gives away more rights to the cruise ship company than you may realize.

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"People will buy the ticket without knowing this, and they won't even look at it before they step on the cruise ship," said Joseph Goldberg, a Harrisburg, Pa.-based consumer attorney who reviewed the ticket contract posted on the Carnival Cruise Lines website for Reuters.

Carnival dominates about half of the cruise market, and its contract, which runs almost 8,000 words and mentions "liability" 20 times, could be considered typical for the industry.

"It's not until something does happen that you find out how stuck you are," Goldberg said.

Something did happen, of course. The Costa Concordia, operated by a company owned by Miami-based Carnival, ran aground in Italian waters on Friday, leaving at least 11 passengers dead and some 24 more missing. That was an extreme and unusual event, likely to have lawyers fighting for years over the various and sometimes contradictory laws, agreements and contracts that may come into play, according to Lewis "Mike" Eidson, a Miami trial lawyer who specializes in representing cruise passengers.

He said he expects to represent Costa Concordia passengers and crew members, and that he will argue that the usual contractual limitations shouldn't apply, because the particulars of this case were so extreme.

But anyone thinking of a nice mid-winter cruise should consider those limitations anyway. If you know what you're signing away, you may be able to protect yourself in the event of lesser tragedies, like lost luggage or a minor injury.

Here are seven rights you sign away when you buy a cruise ship ticket.

  • The right to privacy. When you sign the Carnival contract, you give the company the right "at all times with or without notice" to search your bags and personal effects. That's so they can make sure you're not smuggling any firearms, explosives or bourbon (that you didn't buy at their bar) onto the ship.

Furthermore, that contract gives Carnival the right to use pictures and videos of you any way they want. You may not want your office buddies seeing pictures of you in a bathing suit, but that image could make its way into a commercial, without Carnival paying you or getting any additional release signed by you.

  • The right to show off your pictures. Just because Carnival reserves the rights to your pictures doesn't mean you can use them yourself, says Goldberg. While the company is unlikely to complain if you adorn your Facebook page with deck pics, passengers who use the tickets do agree that they "will not utilize any photographs ... for non-private use without express written consent of Carnival." So much for that travel blog you wanted to publish.
  • The right to be repaid if your jewelry gets stolen or your luggage gets accidentally dropped in the Caribbean. The ticket contract limits the company's liability for lost or damaged bags and their contents to $50 per guest or $100 per stateroom. If your items are worth much more than that, you can buy added coverage by declaring the value of what you are bringing onto the ship and paying 5 percent of its value.

If you're bringing expensive jewelry or other items on board, make a written list of the value, pay the 5 percent and make sure the crew gets a copy of that list, says Goldberg.

  • The right to count on that vacation. Carnival can cancel any cruise at any time, according to the contract. It will owe you a refund if the cruise is completely cancelled, or a partial refund if the company changes its mind and leaves you at some port along the way. There's no additional refund in the contract for airfare home. And if you cancel within two weeks of booking? You'll most likely owe full fare anyway, under the contract.
  • The right to sue when and where you want. Like most consumer legal contracts these days, the Carnival ticket contract includes an arbitration clause that requires you to submit claims for lost luggage and the like to binding arbitration in Miami-Dade County, Florida. If you do want to file suit for a personal injury, you would be required to do that in the U.S. Federal District Court in Miami.

Furthermore, there are lawsuit deadlines in cruise contracts that many attorneys and passengers aren't even aware of, said Eidson. The contract requires injured parties to notify Carnival within six months and file suit within a year. "The biggest claim in the world could be defeated if you don't file your claim within the year," he said.

  • The right to ask for sizeable punitive damages. There are two different kinds of ticket contracts, says Eidson: Domestic ones, which do not cap liability, and international contracts, such as the ones the passengers of the Costa Concordia likely agreed to when they boarded their ship. That contract is subject to an international agreement called the "Athens Convention," which limits liability to about $80,000, according to legal experts. Because of the egregious nature of this case, lawyers like Eidson will seek to blow through those limits by claiming the ship's owners and operators were reckless.
  • The right to be legitimately upset. What if you're traumatized by your cruise? Not because the raw bar ran out of shrimp or those margaritas were watery, but because a loved one was injured or killed on the ship. Unless you personally were at risk for the same injury (as would likely be the case in a disaster like the Costa Concordia's accident), you probably waived your right to claim emotional distress in the contract. You could try to take another cruise to calm yourself down, but you might want to bring your lawyer.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46030557/ns/travel-cruise_travel/

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Pakistan Taliban leader believed dead: intelligence officials (Reuters)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) ? The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, the militant movement that poses the gravest security threat to the country, is believed to have been killed by a U.S. drone strike, four Pakistan intelligence officials told Reuters on Sunday.

The officials said they intercepted wireless radio chatter between Taliban fighters detailing how Hakimullah Mehsud was killed while travelling in a convoy to a meeting in the North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border.

A senior military official told Reuters there was no official confirmation that the Pakistani state's deadliest enemy had been killed. The Pakistani Taliban issued a denial. U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, could not confirm his death.

If Hakimullah did die, it could ease pressure on security forces, who have struggled to weaken the group, which is close to al Qaeda and has been blamed for many of the suicide bombings across one of the world's most unstable countries.

But it may not ease violence in the long term in Pakistan, which is seen as critical for U.S. efforts to fight global militancy, most crucially in neighboring Afghanistan.

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or see http://link.reuters.com/kac58m

Pakistan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/pakistan/

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The death of Hakimullah's predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, in a drone strike in 2009 raised false hopes that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, could be broken.

"Six to seven TTP members were talking to each other through wireless radio in the conversations we heard, talking about Hakimullah Mehsud being hit by a drone when he was heading to a meeting at a spot near Miranshah," said one of the intelligence officials.

"They referred to him by his codename."

Officials refused to disclose Mehsud's codename.

"Based on our intercepts, Mehsud was heading to a meeting in Nawa Adda," said another intelligence official. Nawa Adda is a village in the Dattakhel area of North Waziristan.

PREVIOUS REPORTS OF HAKIMULLAH'S DEATH FALSE

The Pakistani Taliban said Hakimullah was still alive, but the denial was far less assertive than one issued in 2010 after media reports said he had been killed in a drone strike.

"There is no truth in reports about his death. However, he is a human being and can die any time. He is a holy warrior and we will wish him martyrdom," said TTP spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan.

"We will continue jihad if Hakimullah is alive or dead. There are so many lions in this jungle and one lion will replace another one to continue this noble mission."

The TTP launched an insurgency in 2007 after the military began a major crackdown on militants.

Fighters were particularly incensed when Pakistani security forces stormed the Red Mosque complex run by hard-line clerics in the capital, Islamabad. The government said 102 people were killed in fighting in the incident.

The TTP delivered on threats to carry out revenge attacks in Pakistan after U.S. special forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a secret raid in a Pakistani town in May last year.

More recently, some senior Taliban commanders said the umbrella group had started exploratory peace talks with the government. But it is not clear if all factions were on board.

Hakimullah was not only in danger of being killed by the drone campaign that President Barack Obama has escalated, or by Pakistani military operations. He and his powerful deputy, Wali-ur-Rehman, were at each other's throats and hostilities were close to open warfare, Taliban sources say.

Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afganistan have been trying to sort out differences between Pakistani Taliban commanders so they can aid their fight against U.S.-led NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.

Any division within the TTP could hinder the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda's struggle in Afghanistan against the United States and its allies, making it tougher to recruit young fighters and disrupting safe havens in Pakistan that Washington says are used by the Afghan militants.

Hakimullah, who has a sharp face framed by shaggy hair and a disarming grin, is considered to be one of the most ruthless Taliban commanders. He is also ambitious. Under his leadership, the Taliban has vowed to expand its violent campaign overseas to hit Western targets.

A suicide bombing at a U.S. base in Afghanistan's Khost province in 2009 killed seven CIA employees. In video footage released after the attack, the bomber was shown sitting with Hakimullah Mehsud.

Shortly afterwards, the United States added the TTP to its list of foreign terrorist organizations and set rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to Hakimullah Mehsud or Wali-ur-Rehman.

A Pakistani-born American who tried to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square in 2010 told a U.S. court he received bomb-making training and funding from the Pakistani Taliban.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Peter Graff and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/wl_nm/us_pakistan_taliban_leader

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How Michelle Williams Channeled Marilyn Monroe at Bedtime

"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second," she said. "I want to say thank you [to Matilda] for sending me off to this job every day with a hug and a kiss."

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/D1P248QkkfY/

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Monday, January 16, 2012

NASA switching its Public Channel and Media Channel to HD

The current NASA HD channel, that your provider may or may not carry, is going away. In its place, both the NASA TV Public Channel and Media Channel will be making the switch to HD on February 17th, while the Education Channel will remain in SD. What isn't so clear is what your premium TV provider will do once NASA flips the switch. We'd imagine they'll pass on the HD signal, but if they're short on bandwidth, there's the chance they could down convert it to SD in order to continue to provide the channels on their strained infrastructure.

NASA switching its Public Channel and Media Channel to HD originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/15/nasa-switching-its-public-channel-and-media-channel-to-hd/

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

After encampment ends, NYC Occupiers become nomads (AP)

NEW YORK ? It was only a few nights after the Occupy protesters began sleeping in his church sanctuary when the Rev. Bob Brashear realized that his laptop was missing.

The refugees from Manhattan's Zuccotti Park had found their way to his cavernous Presbyterian church on a cold winter evening, hoping to stay for a few nights, maybe longer. It was the latest stopover for the nomadic group, which has been living in a rotating series of churches since the city shut down its camp in November.

"There was a sense of shock and sadness that it had happened," said Brashear, whose laptop will soon be replaced by Occupy organizers. "And there's a common understanding that if there's one more theft in the church, that's it."

This is what the Occupy encampment has become: a band of homeless protesters with no place to go. Amid accusations of drug use and sporadic theft, they've been sleeping on church pews for weeks, consuming at least $20,000 of the donations that Occupy Wall Street still has in its coffers. Their existence is being hotly debated at Occupy meetings: Are these people truly "Occupiers" who deserve free food and a roof over their heads?

"We don't do this out of charity," said 34-year-old Ravi Ahmad, who works for Columbia University and volunteers with Occupy in her spare time. "We do this so that whoever wants to work in the movement can work in the movement. This is a meritocracy."

But money is draining rapidly from Occupy's various bank accounts, which currently amount to about $344,000. Including church maintenance costs and meals, living expenses are more than $2,000 per week.

"We are all aware that the NYPD destroyed the tent homes of many Occupiers in just one night," someone recently wrote on http://www.nycga.net, Occupy's General Assembly website for New York City. "However, where were they living before Zuccotti Park? Are we paying for housing for homeless people who may be relocated to City shelters?"

The movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, has been fighting to stay afloat in the city where it began. Media attention and donations have dropped off. And although protesters regularly meet to plan demonstrations, recent marches have had none of the spectacle that captivated New Yorkers and watchers worldwide.

On Monday, the metal barricades surrounding Zuccotti Park were removed for the first time since the November raid. But protesters still can't set up tents to camp overnight ? and they don't have a long-term solution to the housing problem.

Their current home is Brashear's West-Park Presbyterian Church, a stately 100-year-old house of worship on the Upper West Side that badly needs renovation. Occupy organizers see the cracks in the ceiling as an opportunity to repay the favor by helping to fix the place up.

There are about 70 Occupiers staying there and another 30 or so at Park Slope United Methodist Church in Brooklyn.

"Everybody tries to get along, make things work," said Donna Marinelli, 52, of New Britain, Conn., who was sitting on the floor in a sleeping bag alongside her cousin, David Monarca. "We were in the park in tents until they raided us. We wanted to stay for the movement. We didn't want to leave when we just got here."

During the daylight hours, Marinelli attends Occupy events and volunteers at an Occupy kitchen in Brooklyn. Nobody is allowed to stay in the church during the day. At night, the place is patrolled by an Occupy security team led by Marine Corps Sgt. Halo Showzah, a 27-year-old Iraq war veteran from the Bronx.

"We walk around the church with flashlights, making noise to wake these people up and making sure they're good," he said. "No sex in the church, no drinking, no smoking, no shooting, no sniffing."

The church was quiet and cozy Wednesday night as about two dozen people staked out their respective corners of the room. Some prefer the balcony; others like to curl up by the door. Someone fiddled around on the piano and sang a few songs as a cat watched from a pew. Showzah wandered around and chatted with everyone, making jokes and doling out advice to the singer.

The security threat is very real here. At least 30 percent of the crowd is a mix of chronically homeless, drug-addicted people, some of whom suffer from "psychological issues," as several protesters put it. Among other rules, the pastor has demanded that the Occupiers station at least one mental health expert "within easy reach" of the church every night.

Even some of the church dwellers themselves are fed up with their fellow pew mates. Chris Allen, 36, is working on a backup plan in case they get kicked out.

"I feel people are messing up the church and we're not going to have it much longer, so I'm worried about putting money in my pocket," said Allen, an unemployed construction worker from Long Island who lives here with his wife. "Because when it snows and I have nowhere to go, I'm not going to be stuck on the streets like everyone else for being idiots."

Who is allowed to stay at the church is a source of contention and perpetual infighting. If you're not on the official list kept by Occupy organizers, you're not allowed inside. But it's unclear what distinguishes the general populace from an Occupier.

One night in December, police officers were called to the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew when people who weren't on the list came to the door and refused to leave.

"I was turned away one night in the cold and rain," said David Everitt-Carlson, a 55-year-old unemployed former advertising executive who lived in a teepee at Zuccotti Park. "And I slept at Grand Central Station. I found a place behind a Christmas decoration."

About a month ago, a telephone hotline was set up so people could call and request a spot at one of the churches. But space is limited. And each church sojourn has an expiration date.

Some churches willingly opened their doors to provide temporary shelter after the police raid. None of them are equipped to house protesters forever.

"It's a lot of wear and tear on the space," said Michael Ellick, a minister at Judson Memorial Church, which housed protesters for several nights in November. "We're broke, so we don't have a custodial staff. We can't be a full-time housing unit."

During daylight hours, some people migrate down to Occupy's atrium at 60 Wall St., while others head off to hunt for jobs or disappear into the city. At night, there are often counselors on hand for emotional support.

Typical arguments are reminiscent of life at Zuccotti, which had its own share of criminal activity. A frequent complaint, for example, involves a man who apparently never takes showers.

"No fistfights, no weapons involved," said Jeff Brewer, 34, an Occupy organizer. "I believe there was a shampoo bottle that was thrown one time."

Meals are donations from food pantries and leftovers dropped off by nearby restaurants. Occupy's financial donations mostly come in small amounts from private donors, who can funnel money through a myriad of online payment services.

The debate over providing food and shelter for the church Occupiers plays into a larger one that has divided New York's protesters ever since the police raid. While some are determined to occupy another space somewhere in the city, others say an encampment is unnecessary and, at its worst, a burden.

The church dwellers believe they are carrying the torch for the lost encampment ? and that, someday, they will form the foundation of a new one.

"We really have been calling it the `Occupiers army' that we are building," explained protester Jason Harris, a teacher from Massachusetts.

First, though, they'll have to find a way to survive the winter. Brashear hasn't yet decided whether he will allow the protesters to stay at West-Park beyond next week. If they are truly dedicated to forming a community ? and not simply seeking shelter within the church's walls ? he'll be more willing to extend their unspoken lease.

"It's a sort of sink or swim situation," he said. "I think, long-term, they have to make a decision about what, exactly, their movement is about."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_on_re_us/us_occupy_wall_street

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Peru court sentences Van der Sloot to 28 years

A live image of Joran van der Sloot is seen on a monitor outside the court in the press room during the reading of his sentence at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday Jan. 13, 2012. The Peruvian court sentenced Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for murder of a young woman he met at a Lima casino, as the family of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway sought to have him prosecuted in the U.S. over her disappearance in 2005. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

A live image of Joran van der Sloot is seen on a monitor outside the court in the press room during the reading of his sentence at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday Jan. 13, 2012. The Peruvian court sentenced Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for murder of a young woman he met at a Lima casino, as the family of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway sought to have him prosecuted in the U.S. over her disappearance in 2005. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Joran van der Sloot sits in the courtroom before his sentencing at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday Jan. 13, 2012. Van der Sloot will be sentenced Friday for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a young woman he met at a Lima casino. Prosecutors have asked for a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and theft. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Joran van der Sloot, left, looks down in the courtroom as Ricardo Flores, father of Stephany Flores, far right, attends the sentencing for Van der Sloot at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. The Peruvian court on Friday sentenced Joran van der Sloot to 28 years in prison for murder of Stephany Flores, a young woman he met at a Lima casino, as the family of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway sought to have him prosecuted in the U.S. over her disappearance in 2005. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Joran van der Sloot looks over his shoulder after entering the courtroom for his sentence at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday Jan. 13, 2012. Van der Sloot will be sentenced Friday for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a young woman he met at a Lima casino. Prosecutors have asked for a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and theft. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Joran van der Sloot arrives to the courtroom for his sentence at San Pedro prison in Lima, Peru, Friday Jan. 13, 2012. Van der Sloot will be sentenced Friday for the 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a young woman he met at a Lima casino. Prosecutors have asked for a 30-year sentence for first-degree murder and theft. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

(AP) ? Joran van der Sloot knew his guilty plea in the strangulation death of a young woman he met at a Lima casino was a big gamble as he tried to get a reduced sentence. On Friday, the poker-loving Dutchman lost.

A three-judge panel sentenced him to 28 years in prison, discarding his claims of contrition in a killing his lawyer said was triggered by trauma from being the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway.

Asked if he accepted the sentence, Van der Sloot, standing in a green T-shirt and faded jeans in a hot Lima courtroom, said he would appeal.

The sentencing marked the latest chapter in the tabloid-sustaining saga and came a day after a judge in Alabama declared Holloway legally dead as her parents try to bring Van der Sloot, 24, to the U.S. for a related crime.

"I believe he is beyond rehabilitation," Dave Holloway in Birmingham, Ala., after that hearing.

The Peruvian judges said Friday that due to time already served, van der Sloot's sentence would end in June 2038.

While the parents of Holloway and Flores want him to experience the greater deprivation of a U.S. prison, they will have to wait for him to serve his time before any extradition on U.S. charges related to his alleged extortion of Holloway's mother, a Peruvian legal expert said.

Late Friday, prison authorities told the AP that Van der Sloot had been transferred to the high-security Piedras Gordas prison in northern Lima in response to reports that he had enjoyed privileges like television, internet access and a cell phone in Castro Castro prison. Piedras Gordas holds local crime bosses and terrorism convicts, including Shining Path guerrillas.

"He will be in an individual cell at Piedras Gordas to give authorities greater control of him and cut off some of the facilities he has had in Castro Castro," said prison service spokeswoman Janeth Sanchez.

Earlier Friday, the three female judges showed no sign of believing his contrition for the May 2010 killing of Stephany Flores. Their sentence, which took a clerk nearly two hours to read as Van der Sloot repeatedly wiped sweat from his brow, said he was guilty of "first-degree murder with aggravating factors of ferocity and great cruelty."

Van der Sloot stood passively as the clerk detailed how he elbowed Flores, a 21-year-old business student, in the face, beat her repeatedly, then strangled her with his bloodied shirt.

Van der Sloot's expression didn't change when the sentence was rendered, including the judges' order to pay $75,000 in reparations to the victim's family. No members of Van der Sloot's family attended the trial.

It is the first sentence ever imposed on Van der Sloot despite repeated efforts to prove he was involved in Holloway's apparent death on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba where he grew up. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with him.

The Peruvian victim's father, Ricardo Flores, complained after the sentencing that Van der Sloot was living well in a Lima prison, where he has been segregated from the general population.

"A jail isn't a five-star hotel," Ricardo Flores told reporters. "Since the first day, we've been complaining about the excessive privileges" Van der Sloot allegedly enjoyed in jail.

Unconfirmed news reports, denied by penal authorities, say Van der Sloot has had a cell phone, television, a video gaming console and Internet access in his cell. A Peruvian TV station published a photo Friday it says was taken by Van der Sloot himself of his prison cell that shows a 42-inch LCD television, a Blu-ray player and an Internet modem.

Flores said that "everything they showed on the TV has been proven" but that he would not have documentation of it to present to the news media until Monday.

Van der Sloot's attorney, Jose Jimenez, said he is not familiar with his client's prison cell.

As in many developing nations, foreigners with money can buy superior treatment in Peru's prisons, including decent food, while the vast majority of inmates suffer overcrowding and constant peril from criminal gangs.

Under Peru's penal system, Van der Sloot could become eligible for parole after serving half the sentence with good behavior, including work and study. The judges specified that Van der Sloot, as a foreigner, be expelled from Peru after serving his sentence.

Peruvian criminal law expert Luis Lamas said Peru's legal code specifies that Van der Sloot serve his time before he can be extradited.

But Ken Randall, dean of University of Alabama law school, said he believes Peru's extradition treaty with the United States would allow for Van der Sloot to be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial on the extortion and fraud charges before his sentence ends.

"In this extraordinary case of Natalee Holloway, Peru would be well advised to do so," he said.

There is no indication U.S. officials have moved to seek to extradite Van der Sloot.

Van der Sloot was indicted on those charges in Alabama the same day he was arrested for the Flores murder. He is accused of accepting $25,000 in return for a promise to lead a lawyer for Holloway's mother to her daughter's remains.

Van der Sloot didn't deliver on the offer, and U.S. authorities say he may have used some of the money to fly to Peru two weeks before the Flores murder. After killing the Lima woman, he took nearly $300 in cash from Flores as well as credit cards, and was captured four days later in Chile.

Van der Sloot told police he flew into a rage when she discovered his connection to Holloway while they were playing online poker in his hotel room. He had received an instant message from someone about the case.

Police forensic experts disputed that story, and the judges who sentenced him noted that Van der Sloot later recanted the confession, claiming it was exacted under duress and without an official translator. The victim's family contends Van der Sloot killed Flores so he could rob her.

The imposing young man raised on a tourist island has been a staple of tabloids and true crime TV, as well as the subject of several books about Holloway.

The 18-year-old from a wealthy Birmingham suburb disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip. Her body was never found and repeated searches turned up nothing even as the case garnered worldwide attention.

Van der Sloot said he was involved in her disappearance in a videotape clandestinely made by a Dutch journalist. He later denied it, however, and has told several interviewers that he is a pathological liar. A homicide investigation into her death remains open in Aruba though there has been no recent activity, officials said.

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Associated Press Writers Martin Villena, Carla Salazar and Franklin Briceno contributed to this report.

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Online:

AP interactive: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/natalee-holloway

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Frank Bajak on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fbajak

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-13-LT-Peru-Van-der-Sloot/id-36d5d19852c74adea37936beb38cb17b

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