Damn Handsome | Los Angeles, I'm Yours

One year ago Los Angeles was blessed with a gift, so unassuming, so every day, some might just miss its presence altogether, which would be a?tragedy, because damn if it aint Handsome. Handsome Coffee Roaster opened it?s doors on a chilly February morning, bright eyed with wonder and adventure and hoping for the best. Apparently their best was more than good enough. Here they are, one year later, flourishing.

I am a lover of all things coffee, so when I moved to LA I made it my goal to seek out the best cup in the city; to be fair I should warn you that I am a self proclaimed coffee snob. That being said, Handsome has it, hands down. The espresso is smooth and pulled to perfection, I have yet to be disappointed? and you guys, I go there a lot? like, a-lot-a-lot.

The staff is friendly and knowledgable. I can not tell you how many times I have sat at the counter and heard them explain to a customer why they don?t carry any sweeteners or substitutes for milk, ?Sweeteners cover up faults in the coffee. The coffee, on it?s own, or combined with milk, should be smooth enough to drink with out having to cover any of the other flavors up. So if you don?t like it, or feel like it is too bitter, let us know and we would be more than happy to remake it for you.? I kid you not!

The energy and atmosphere are both calming and up beat. I can go there to meet a client or simply sit and work without feeling overwhelmed or rushed, even though they are consistently one of the busiest shops I have been to in Los Angeles (and I have been to the majority of them, my caffeine addiction knows no bounds).

This coming Friday, March 1st, Handsome will be throwing a block party at their space, 582 Mateo St. There will be plenty of conviviality to go around! Food, drinks, coffee, music, and general good times will be had with or with out you. But I think maybe it should be with you. So come down, get a drink and some food, toast to their anniversary and wish them another incredibly handsome year.

Source: http://www.laimyours.com/38123/damn-handsome/

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Analysis - Emerging deadly virus demands swift sleuth work

LONDON (Reuters) - The emergence of a deadly virus previously unseen in humans that has already killed half those known to be infected requires speedy scientific detective work to figure out its potential.

Experts in virology and infectious diseases say that while they already have unprecedented detail about the genetics and capabilities of the novel coronavirus, or NCoV, what worries them more is what they don't know.

The virus, which belongs to the same family as viruses that cause the common cold and the one that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), emerged in the Middle East last year and has so far killed seven of the 13 people it is known to have infected worldwide.

Of those, six have been in Saudi Arabia, two in Jordan, and others in Britain and Germany linked to travel in the Middle East or to family clusters.

"What we know really concerns me, but what we don't know really scares me," said Michael Osterholm, director of the U.S.-based Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and a professor at the University of Minnesota.

Less than a week after identifying NCoV in September last year in a Qatari patient at a London hospital, scientists at Britain's Health Protection Agency had sequenced part of its genome and mapped out a so-called "phylogenetic tree" - a kind of family tree - of its links.

Swiftly conducted scientific studies by teams in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere have found that NCoV is well adapted to infecting humans and may be treatable medicines similar to the ones used for SARS, which emerged in China in 2002 and killed a tenth of the 8,000 people it infected.

"Partly because of the way the field has developed post-SARS, we've been able to get onto this virus very early," said Mike Skinner, an expert on coronaviruses from Imperial College London. "We know what it looks like, we know what family it's from and we have its complete gene sequence."

Yet there are many unanswered questions.

SPOTLIGHT ON SAUDI ARABIA, JORDAN

"At the moment we just don't know whether the virus might actually be quite widespread and it's just a tiny proportion of people who get really sick, or whether it's a brand new virus carrying a much greater virulence potential," said Wendy Barclay, a flu virologist, also at Imperial College London.

To have any success in answering those questions, scientists and health officials in affected countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan need to conduct swift and robust epidemiological studies to find out whether the virus is circulating more widely in people but causing milder symptoms.

This would help establish whether the 13 cases seen so far are the most severe and represent "the tip the iceberg", said Volker Thiel of the Institute of Immunobiology at Kantonal Hospital in Switzerland, who published research this month showing NCoV grows efficiently in human cells.

Scientists and health officials in the Middle East and Arab Peninsular also need to collaborate with colleagues in Europe, where some NCoV cases have been treated and where samples have gone to specialist labs, to try to pin down the virus' source.

"ONE BIG VIROLOGICAL BLENDER"

Initial scientific analysis by laboratory scientists at Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) - which helped identify the virus in a Qatari patient in September last year - found that NCoV's closest relatives are most probably bat viruses.

It is not unusual for viruses to jump from animals to humans and mutate in the process - high profile examples include the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS and the H1N1 swine flu which caused a pandemic in 2009 and 2010.

Yet further work by a research team at the Robert Koch Institute at Germany's University of Bonn now suggests it may have come through an intermediary - possibly goats.

In a detailed case study of a patient from Qatar who was infected with NCoV and treated in Germany, researchers said the man reported owning a camel and a goat farm on which several goats had been ill with fevers before he himself got sick.

Osterholm noted this, saying he would "feel more comfortable if we could trace back all the cases to an animal source".

If so, it would mean the infections are just occasional cross-overs from animals, he said - a little like the sporadic cases of bird flu that continue to pop up - and would suggest the virus has not yet established a reservoir in humans.

Yet recent evidence from a cluster of cases in a family in Britain strongly suggests NCoV can be passed from one person to another and may not always come from an animal source.

An infection in a British man who had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, reported on February 11, was swiftly followed by two more British cases in the same family in people who had no recent travel history in the Middle East.

The World Health Organisation says the new cases show the virus is "persistent" and HPA scientists said the cluster provided "strong evidence" that NCoV, which like other coronaviruses probably spreads in airborne droplets, can pass from one human to another "in at least some circumstances".

Despite this, Ian Jones, a professor of virology at Britain's University of Reading, said he believes "the most likely outcome for the current infections is a dead end" - with the virus petering out and becoming extinct.

Others say they fear that is unlikely.

"There's nothing in the virology that tells us this thing is going to stop being transmitted," said Osterholm. "Today the world is one big virological blender. And if it's sustaining itself (in humans) in the Middle East then it will show up around the rest of the world. It's just a matter of time."

(Editing by Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-emerging-deadly-virus-demands-swift-sleuth-132307091.html

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Leveraging Web Design Business Marketing | Internet Marketing ...

Accelerate The Growth Of Your Web Design Business

Spending the time and effort into creating a powerful web design business is usually an amazing a way to achieve even more wealth while carrying out work that you simply want to do everyday.

There are several important things to consider right before you start. For those who plan a well explained growth strategy and design consulting business plan, you are going to be the CEO of a successful prospering business in no time. Keep in mind these ideas and ways to grow your own effective design consulting business.

Tips For Marketing Your Web Design Business

Keep a close eye on your records and finances for the sake of your web design business. If you don?t feel you are capable of doing so, it?s best to hire outside professional help. This will allow you to focus on the day to day knowing the finances are handled.

Take caution in where you distribute your advertising materials, in particular when posting signs. If you are putting a sign in the window of another store, make sure to check with the owner or manager before posting your materials. You will not see a return for your investment if you materials are immediately removed.

Check and balances are important to a web design business. If one person becomes too power hungry or gets a big head, he or she can ruin the whole design consulting business with relative ease. One way to combat this is by assigning a special outsider group that will review and evaluate any major decision made by the head honcho at the business. This is a nice way to get objective design consulting business help.

When you hire employees, make sure that they are helpful by nature; if not, train them the way you think is best. You can look for online instructions for guiding your employees. This will definitely increase your product sales.

Find popular industry related blogs, and ask if you can write a guest post. Do a bit of research on the blog, and be ready to pitch interesting ideas relevant to the blog?s content. If they accept, extend the invitation for the writer to guest post on your blog as well.

If you want your web design business to expand a bit, how about getting the attention of other design consulting businesses. Work in unison with others and share insights and start a helping hand with one another. Web Design Services Businesses need to stick together, the economy?s not really great right now, and you?ll need all the help you can get.

When you speak of managing a lucrative web design business, then time is of the essence. You have to critically spend time design consulting business activities. If you are in the development phase, then you must spend time developing your site, rather than concentrating on any other aspect of the business, which can be dealt with at a later date.

Idle labor time can be very harmful for the web design business. This idle labor can only cost you money by doing nothing. Therefore, try to avoid the idle labor by keeping them busy in doing any other work.

You might also be interested to see how you can leverage your web design business marketing through our viral blogging platform.

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/ardivjauhari/blog/leveraging-web-design-business-marketing/

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Court orders publisher to add Strauss-Kahn insert

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, left, the former International Monetary Fund chief, addresses the media, as he files a lawsuit over a new book about a past relationship, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Paris. Dominique Strauss-Kahn says he's sick of people trying to exploit his private life to make money. The former International Monetary Fund chief filed a lawsuit over a new book by a woman describing a sexual relationship with him last year. Strauss-Kahn met with a Paris judge on Tuesday about the book by Marcela Iacub, called "Beauty and the Beast." The judge is expected to rule on the complaint later Tuesday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, left, the former International Monetary Fund chief, addresses the media, as he files a lawsuit over a new book about a past relationship, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Paris. Dominique Strauss-Kahn says he's sick of people trying to exploit his private life to make money. The former International Monetary Fund chief filed a lawsuit over a new book by a woman describing a sexual relationship with him last year. Strauss-Kahn met with a Paris judge on Tuesday about the book by Marcela Iacub, called "Beauty and the Beast." The judge is expected to rule on the complaint later Tuesday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS (AP) ? A lawyer for Dominique Strauss-Kahn is claiming victory after a judge ruled that a publisher must add an insert to a book about the former International Monetary Fund chief's sexual relationship with the author.

Jean Veil said Wednesday the publisher will be fined ?50 ($65) for each copy of Marcela Iacub's "Beauty and the Beast" that fails to comply. The Nouvel Observateur newspaper, which printed an interview with Iacub and excerpts, also must put a legal notice on its front page, the French newspaper said. It said the insert text must say that the book violates Strauss-Kahn's privacy.

Strauss-Kahn's private life was thrown in the spotlight in 2011 when a New York hotel maid accused him of trying to rape her. Strauss-Kahn reached a legal settlement with her last year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-27-France-Strauss-Kahn/id-ca1359862b6c4748a1aab52cd98fcf2c

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Bob Woodward Wishes Obama Was More Like His Imaginary George W. Bush

Today on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Bob Woodward blasted President Obama's "madness" for letting budget considerations influence military policy, continuing to stumble through his transition from Bush turncoat to Obama hater. It's the latest attack from the Washington Post reporter, following a column late last week charging that the massive cuts from the imminent sequestration are the president's fault?? a charge the administration labelled "willfully wrong."

RELATED: Poll Majority Sees Obama Doing the Same or Worse Than Bush

Today's skirmish stems from an announcement by the Navy earlier this month that the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman wouldn't deploy to the Persian Gulf, citing imminent NBC News notes, the Navy is slated to lose $4 billion by fall due to the cuts, on top of operating at a $4.6 billion deficit due to Congress' failure to enact a new budget for 2013.

RELATED: Some Suggested Small Talk for When Bush Visits the White House

Presumably after having crunched the numbers, Woodward disagrees with that decision.

RELATED: Scott Brown Goes All In on Warren's Cherokee Pa-Paw

RELATED: From Hawks to Doves in Five Days Flat

As transcribed by Politico:

?Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying ?Oh, by the way, I can?t do this because of some budget document??? Woodward said Wednesday on MSNBC?s ?Morning Joe.?

?Or George W. Bush saying, ?You know, I?m not going to invade Iraq because I can?t get the aircraft carriers I need? or even Bill Clinton saying, ?You know, I?m not going to attack Saddam Hussein?s intelligence headquarters,? as he did when Clinton was president because of some budget document?? Woodward added. ?Under the Constitution, the president is commander-in-chief and employs the force. And so we now have the president going out because of this piece of paper and this agreement, I can?t do what I need to do to protect the country. That?s a kind of madness that I haven?t seen in a long time.?

Bush indeed never said, "You know, I?m not going to invade Iraq because I can?t get the aircraft carriers I need." As the Bush administration's primary historian, Woodward should know that Bush's attitude was quite the opposite.

RELATED: Obama Tries Not to Take 'Victory Lap' at Ground Zero

At a 2004 town hall meeting in Kuwait, a soldier asked then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: "Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles, and why don?t we have those resources readily available to us?" Why, in other words, don't we have the resources we need? Rumsfeld's famous reply:

As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

The exchange?occurred?shortly after Woodward's laudatory 2004 book Plan of Attack: The Definitive Account of the Decision to Invade Iraq, but well before 2007's heavily critical State of Denial. The latter book seemed to complete Woodward's transition away from being a Bush hagiographer, documenting the "detailed, behind-the-scenes story of how the Bush administration failed to tell the truth about the Iraq War." Perhaps today's comments indicate that the pendulum is swinging back.

Over the weekend, Woodward described how he saw Obama's pick of Chuck Hagel to lead the department of defense.

[Obama and Hagel's shared] worldview is part hawk and part dove. It amounts, in part, to a challenge to the wars of President George W. Bush. It holds that the Afghanistan war has been mismanaged and the Iraq war unnecessary. War is an option, but very much a last resort.

So, this thinking goes, the U.S. role in the world must be carefully scaled back -- this is not a matter of choice but of facing reality; the military needs to be treated with deep skepticism; lots of strategic military and foreign policy thinking is out of date; and quagmires like Afghanistan should be avoided.

Apparently Woodward meant those lines as a critique.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bob-woodward-wishes-obama-more-imaginary-george-w-153556398.html

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NewsMaker - NBN rolls out; Small Business shrugs

Four in ten small business owners say the National Broadband Network (NBN) will not help their business according to the latest State of the Nation Report (No. 14), launched today by Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan Research.

Around three in ten owners do expect a benefit, with the rest still unsure about what the business benefits will be of the Federal Government?s $37.4 billion infrastructure project.

NBN attitudes may connect to general small business opinion of the Federal Government. Small businesses in NSW and Queensland are the harshest critics of the Federal Government?s performance at fostering a climate of business growth: 61% of small businesses in these States rate the government?s performance as ?very poor?. These States also report the most scepticism of the NBN, with 43% not expecting any benefit.

Victorian and Tasmanian small businesses are the most likely to expect to benefit from the NBN (33%), with South and Western Australians least likely (24%).

Capital city small businesses are more positive about the future impact of the NBN than those in regional areas. Agriculture, Mining and Transport industry businesses are the least likely to expect a benefit to high-speed internet. However while almost half of small Mining businesses can?t see a benefit, 34% can?the highest positive reaction behind Professional Services, of whom 36% see some benefit.

As of December, 339,700 home, business or public premises have access to either fibre-to-the-premises, fixed wireless or satellite broadband.

However only 72,400 of these are the fibre connections which will ultimately reach 93% of Australian premises.

NBN Co expects fibre to be available to almost another 270,000 premises by mid-2013. The rollout plans to reach over another 3 million premises in the next two years, with completion by 2021 and recovery of costs by 2033.

?Do you expect the NBN to benefit or be useful to your business??

Base: Small Businesses. Source: Roy Morgan Research Business Survey; 12 months to December 2012.

Roy Morgan?s State of the Nation Report for Australia includes an extensive spotlight on Small Business attitudes and behaviours.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees constitute 95.6% of Australian businesses and employ 47% of the workforce.

The spotlight covers demographic profiling of owners and operators, their attitudes to national and personal issues, business performance and outlook factors, finances and B2B relationships.

Michele Levine, Roy Morgan Research, says:

?

?Apart from providing almost half of all paid employment, small businesses generate competition, entrepreneurialism and creativity that can offset economic imbalances created by big business, government or international economic conditions.

?This State of the Nation report shows that small business is currently experiencing a modest recovery from a period of relatively low Business Confidence and overall performance from mid-2011 through to late 2012.

?Most Australian small businesses currently rate the Federal Government?s performance in fostering growth as very poor. The proportion in favour of the government?s performance has been quite low since the 2010 Federal Election.?

Source: http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/24238

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Green Blog: Feeding Ourselves on a Warming Planet

As we have often noted here on the Green blog, one of the biggest uncertainties humanity faces regarding climate change is the potential effect on the world?s food supply.

If there?s a risk that global warming and related changes could hit us much sooner and much harder than scientists are expecting, agriculture could be the crucial realm where that occurs. In fact, we have already entered an era of sharply higher global food prices, with climate change as one of the likely causal factors.

A new paper from researchers associated with Tufts University puts the overall risk in perspective. It is billed as a working paper, meaning it has not gone through formal scientific review, but it strikes me as worth highlighting nevertheless. The findings pretty closely match the conclusions presented in some of my reporting from 2011.

The authors, Frank Ackerman and Elizabeth A. Stanton, point out that in the 1990s, research suggested that climate change would be fairly benign for agriculture. The first few degrees of warming would help agriculture expand in chilly regions, and the rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide would act as plant fertilizer, boosting crop yields, the thinking went. More recent science has cast sharp doubt on some of those conclusions.

Yet the earlier, rosy scenario is still incorporated into a lot of economic models of global warming. As a result, economists sometimes come to the conclusion that relatively modest efforts to tackle climate change are adequate for now.

?Can we muddle along without expensive climate initiatives, and go on living ? and eating ? as before?? the authors of the new paper ask. ?Not for long, according to some of the new research on climate and agriculture.?

I would say the research they cite, though clearly an improvement over the work from the 1990s, is by no means definitive; a major new program designed to improve our predictions about climate and agriculture is still in its early phases. Anyway, what attempt to predict the future is ever definitive?

But anybody who wants a tight synopsis ? less than 20 pages ? of the emerging evidence that we are in trouble on the food supply could do worse than consulting this working paper. It recaps recent findings that the benefits on plant growth of rising carbon dioxide levels may not be as great as originally hoped, that temperature extremes due to climate change may have a severe effect on crop yields, and that fresh water scarcity could exacerbate the problems.

?If warming continues unabated, it will, in a matter of decades, reach levels at which adaptation is no longer possible,? the researchers conclude. ?Any long-run solution must involve rapid reduction of emissions, to limit the future extent of climate change.?

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/feeding-ourselves-on-a-warming-planet/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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SKorea's 1st female leader yet to hire many women

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? The country with the developed world's biggest gender income gap now has its first female president, but Park Geun-hye already has South Koreans wondering whether she'll improve the status of women in a society still dominated by men.

Wearing a traditional Korean dress of red and gold silk, Park strode up the steps of the presidential Blue House after her inauguration Monday. So far, she has chosen only two women to join her in top positions ? two less than a male liberal predecessor.

Park faces expectations that she will do something about pervasive sexism, and many other issues. Those include authoritarian rival North Korea, which conducted a nuclear test two weeks ago and warned Monday of a fiery death for Seoul and its ally Washington.

South Korea also struggles with deep societal rifts that many trace back to the 18-year dictatorship of Park's father. With a stagnant economy and job worries, there's pressure for Park, a member of the conservative ruling party, to live up to campaign vows to return to the strong economic growth her father oversaw ? the so-called Miracle on the Han River.

Park's election in December was an important moment for women in South Korea, who on average earn nearly 40 percent less than men, the largest gap among the 26 member nations of the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development. South Korean women are often paid less for doing the same work as men and seldom rise to the top of high-profile industries.

During her presidential campaign, Park criticized "traditionally male-centered politics" for corruption and power struggles, saying that "South Korean society accepting a female president could be the start of a big change."

Critics, however, are taking note that Park has nominated women for only two of 18 Cabinet posts ? and that one of those positions, the minister responsible for gender equality, hasn't been held by a man since being launched in 2001. Park's conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, also nominated two women to start his term, while former President Roh Moo-hyun, Lee's liberal predecessor, named four.

Kyunghyang Shinmun, a liberal daily newspaper, pointed out in a recent editorial that there are no women among the 12 officials tapped as senior presidential advisers.

Park's nomination of so few women is disappointing, as there was a high public expectation for better gender equality in her Cabinet, said Park Seon-young, a researcher at the government-affiliated Korean Women's Development Institute in Seoul.

Park either didn't search hard enough for qualified women for her Cabinet, the researcher said, or such women were filtered out during a screening process.

Park's inauguration was attended by at least one other female world leader, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso also attended.

Before Park took her oath of office, South Korean superstar PSY performed his global hit "Gangnam Style" before tens of thousands. Children and the elderly alike joined him in the contagious horse-riding dance he made famous in the song's video.

In her inauguration speech, Park mentioned North Korea's Feb. 12 nuclear test, its third since 2006, calling it "a challenge to the survival and future of the Korean people" and saying Pyongyang should abandon its nuclear ambitions and work for peace.

"There should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none other than North Korea itself," she said.

As Park was sworn in, North Korea's state media, referring to the North as a "full-fledged nuclear weapons state," criticized Seoul and Washington over annual military drills that Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal, warning that the allies would "die in flames" if they attack.

North Korea's nuclear test sets up a challenge to Park's vow to soften Seoul's current hard-line approach to Pyongyang.

Pyongyang, Washington, Beijing and Tokyo are all watching to see if Park pursues an ambitious engagement policy meant to ease five years of animosity on the divided peninsula, or if she sticks with the tough stance of former President Lee Myung-bak.

Park's decision will likely set the tone of the larger diplomatic approach that Washington and others take in stalled efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"If Park Geun-hye wants to contain, the U.S. will support that," said Victor Cha, a former senior Asia adviser to President George W. Bush. "But if Park Geun-hye, months down the road, wants to engage, then the U.S. will go along with that too."

Park's last stint in the presidential Blue House was bookended by tragedy: At 22, she cut short her studies in Paris to return to Seoul and act as President Park Chung-hee's first lady after an assassin targeting her father instead killed her mother; she left five years later, in 1979, after her father was shot and killed by his spy chief during a drinking party.

Her first weeks in office will be complicated by North Korea's warning of unspecified "second and third measures of greater intensity," a threat that comes as Washington and others push for tightened U.N. sanctions as punishment for the nuclear test.

That test is seen as another step toward North Korea's goal of building a bomb small enough to be mounted on a missile that can hit the United States. Pyongyang called the test a response to U.S. hostility.

Park has said she won't yet change her policy, which was built with the high probability of provocations from Pyongyang in mind. But some aren't sure if engagement can work.

The economic aid and other benefits that North Korea would have received by "choosing electricity over bombs ... will be made much more difficult, if not impossible, for at least the next five years," American scientist Siegfried Hecker, a regular visitor to North Korea, said in a posting on the website of Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

As she takes office, however, Park will be mindful that many South Koreans are frustrated at the state of inter-Korean relations after the Lee government's five-year rule, which saw the North conduct two nuclear tests and three long-range rocket launches. In addition, attacks blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010.

So far, Park's transition to power has been rocky.

She began her first day as president with lawmakers deadlocked over her government restructuring plans, which include newly created or revamped ministries. Some of the people she has nominated for ministry posts have been accused of tax evasion, real estate speculation and ethical lapses.

Park handed top jobs to people with ties to her father, reviving claims in the campaign that she doesn't fully understand her father's complicated legacy. Park Chung-hee is both reviled as a dictator and human-rights abuser, and revered for leading South Korea from the economic rubble of the Korean War.

To help an economy facing weak overseas demand for South Korean products and record household debt that's hurting domestic demand, Park plans to spend more than two thirds of the annual budget during the first half of the year, and announced an 18 trillion won ($16.6 billion) fund meant to aid debt-burdened South Koreans.

__

AP business writer Youkyung Lee contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skoreas-1st-female-leader-yet-hire-many-women-091522822.html

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Future evidence for extraterrestrial life might come from dying stars

Feb. 25, 2013 ? Even dying stars could host planets with life -- and if such life exists, we might be able to detect it within the next decade. This encouraging result comes from a new theoretical study of Earth-like planets orbiting white dwarf stars. Researchers found that we could detect oxygen in the atmosphere of a white dwarf's planet much more easily than for an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star.

"In the quest for extraterrestrial biological signatures, the first stars we study should be white dwarfs," said Avi Loeb, theorist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and director of the Institute for Theory and Computation.

When a star like the Sun dies, it puffs off its outer layers, leaving behind a hot core called a white dwarf. A typical white dwarf is about the size of Earth. It slowly cools and fades over time, but it can retain heat long enough to warm a nearby world for billions of years.

Since a white dwarf is much smaller and fainter than the Sun, a planet would have to be much closer in to be habitable with liquid water on its surface. A habitable planet would circle the white dwarf once every 10 hours at a distance of about a million miles.

Before a star becomes a white dwarf it swells into a red giant, engulfing and destroying any nearby planets. Therefore, a planet would have to arrive in the habitable zone after the star evolved into a white dwarf. A planet could form from leftover dust and gas (making it a second-generation world), or migrate inward from a larger distance.

If planets exist in the habitable zones of white dwarfs, we would need to find them before we could study them. The abundance of heavy elements on the surface of white dwarfs suggests that a significant fraction of them have rocky planets. Loeb and his colleague Dan Maoz (Tel Aviv University) estimate that a survey of the 500 closest white dwarfs could spot one or more habitable Earths.

The best method for finding such planets is a transit search -- looking for a star that dims as an orbiting planet crosses in front of it. Since a white dwarf is about the same size as Earth, an Earth-sized planet would block a large fraction of its light and create an obvious signal.

More importantly, we can only study the atmospheres of transiting planets. When the white dwarf's light shines through the ring of air that surrounds the planet's silhouetted disk, the atmosphere absorbs some starlight. This leaves chemical fingerprints showing whether that air contains water vapor, or even signatures of life, such as oxygen.

Astronomers are particularly interested in finding oxygen because the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is continuously replenished, through photosynthesis, by plant life. Were all life to cease on Earth, our atmosphere would quickly become devoid of oxygen, which would dissolve in the oceans and oxidize the surface. Thus, the presence of large quantities of oxygen in the atmosphere of a distant planet would signal the likely presence of life there.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled for launch by the end of this decade, promises to sniff out the gases of these alien worlds. Loeb and Maoz created a synthetic spectrum, replicating what JWST would see if it examined a habitable planet orbiting a white dwarf. They found that both oxygen and water vapor would be detectable with only a few hours of total observation time.

"JWST offers the best hope of finding an inhabited planet in the near future," said Maoz.

Recent research by CfA astronomers Courtney Dressing and David Charbonneau showed that the closest habitable planet is likely to orbit a red dwarf star (a cool, low-mass star undergoing nuclear fusion). Since a red dwarf, although smaller and fainter than the Sun, is much larger and brighter than a white dwarf, its glare would overwhelm the faint signal from an orbiting planet's atmosphere. JWST would have to observe hundreds of hours of transits to have any hope of analyzing the atmosphere's composition.

"Although the closest habitable planet might orbit a red dwarf star, the closest one we can easily prove to be life-bearing might orbit a white dwarf," said Loeb.

Their paper has been accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. CfA scientists, organized into six research divisions, study the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Abraham Loeb, Dan Maoz. Detecting bio-markers in habitable-zone earths transiting white dwarfs. Arxiv, 2013 [link]

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/N7HMdoJEg3U/130225131618.htm

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Long-Lost Continent Found under the Indian Ocean

The beaches of Mauritius contain fragments of a type of rock typical of ancient continental crust ? rock which could have been brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions. Image: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.9116.1361551494!/image/HIRES%2042-32415022%20reduced.jpg

The drowned remnants of an ancient microcontinent may lie scattered beneath the waters between Madagascar and India, a new study suggests.

Evidence for the long-lost land comes from Mauritius, a volcanic island about 900 kilometers east of Madagascar. The oldest basalts on the island date to about 8.9 million years ago, says Bj?rn Jamtveit, a geologist at the University of Oslo. Yet grain-by-grain analyses of beach sand that Jamtveit and his colleagues collected at two sites on the Mauritian coast revealed around 20 zircons ? tiny crystals of zirconium silicate that are exceedingly resistant to erosion or chemical change ? that were far older.

The zircons had crystallized within granites or other igneous rocks at least 660 million years ago, says Jamtveit. One of these zircons was at least 1.97 billion years old.

Jamtveit and his colleagues suggest that rocks containing the wayfaring zircons originated in ancient fragments of continental crust located beneath Mauritius. They propose that geologically recent volcanic eruptions brought shards of the crust to Earth?s surface, where the zircons eroded from their parent rocks to pepper the island?s sands. The team's work is published today in Nature Geoscience.

Crustal remains
The paper also suggests that not just one but many fragments of continental crust lie beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean. Analyses of Earth?s gravitational field reveal several broad areas where sea-floor crust is much thicker than normal ? at least 25 to 30 kilometers thick, rather than the normal 5 to 10 kilometers.

Those crustal anomalies may be the remains of a landmass that the team has dubbed Mauritia, which they suggest split from Madagascar when tectonic rifting and sea-floor spreading sent the Indian subcontinent surging northeast millions of years ago. Subsequent stretching and thinning of the region?s crust sank the fragments of Mauritia, which together had comprised an island or archipelago about three times the size of Crete, the researchers estimate.

The team chose to collect sand, rather than pulverize local rocks, to ensure that zircons inadvertently trapped in rock-crushing equipment from previous studies did not contaminate their fresh samples. The nearest known outcrop of continental crust that could have produced the Mauritian zircons is on Madagascar, far across a deep sea, Jamtveit notes. Furthermore, the zircons came from Mauritian sites so remote that it is unlikely that humans carried them there.

?There?s no obvious local source for these zircons,? says Conall Mac Niocaill, a geologist at the University of Oxford, UK, who was not involved in the research.

Also, it does not seem as if the zircons rode to Mauritius on the wind, says Robert Duncan, a marine geologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis. ?There?s a remote possibility that they were wind blown, but they?re probably too large to have done so,? he adds.

Other ocean basins worldwide may well host similarly submerged remains of ?ghost continents?, Mac Niocaill notes in an accompanying News & Views article. Only detailed surveys of the ocean floor, including geochemical analyses of their rocks, will reveal whether the splintered and now submerged Mauritia has any long-lost cousins, he suggests.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on February 24, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=98967f401313e8e83cc0c1ba93166c57

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CoreAlign From the Perspective of a World Champion 800m Runner ...

By Diane Cummins, 800m Olympic Champion 2012 Women?s Age 35 ? 39 and 10x Canadian National Champion

I am a runner, and I love CoreAlign. As an Olympic athlete it may be hard to believe that CoreAlign has taught me more about how to run and about my athletic strengths and weaknesses than any other form of exercise I have done to date. The exciting aspect of CoreAlign is that you can?t cheat. You can?t hide from your weaknesses, and you can?t fake your strengths or lack thereof I soon found out.

Through CoreAlign, I learned what is needed to get to the finish line stronger and faster without having to ?try harder?.

CoreAlign is a set of hundreds of exercises incorporating every day functional movements that require the recruitment of the appropriate muscles in sequence to perform the task efficiently and correctly. Through what appears to be some basic exercises, I have built a foundation of strength, balance, and flexibility, all of which were previously lacking in my training program. This addition to my training program has a strong correlation with improved running performance and decreased running related injuries.

The principles and theory behind CoreAlign directly relate to running and running form. I have found them to be extremely beneficial in the following ways:

1. I have learned how to use the ground as a source of ENERGY, effectively moving me horizontally with a stronger, more powerful stride.
2. I have learned that being able to stand BALANCED and strong on one leg helps me be more stable while in the running stride, and more efficient in transferring my body weight to the other leg in the running stride pattern.
3. I have learned that SYMMETRY is important for overall performance. It lends to good technique especially in a fatigued state. Good technique creates efficiency in movement, which ultimately leads to faster times at easy efforts. Good symmetrical running technique/form needs to be executed repetitively over time or distance to avoid compensations that could lead to injuries.
4. I have learned that the small STABILIZING MUSCLES we often ignore in strength workouts are as important as the big powerhouse ones that make us move. Developing strong, correct and effective use of the stabilizing muscles can prevent some of the more common running injuries.
5. I have learned that STRENGTH is not necessarily defined by how many times I can lift my body weight but rather the ability to execute functional movements pain free with efficiency and then repeat.
6. I have learned that FLEXIBILITY is required for full range of motion in the running stride and it can prevent muscle tension leading to aches, pains and injuries.
7. I have learned that a STRONG CORE can be developed through all exercises and not just by doing sit-ups every day. Core strength is a functional necessity that cannot be ignored by any runner.

The exercises in CoreAlign have helped me become a more efficient, stronger runner with fewer injuries, which in the end, has been a far more enjoyable overall experience.

I have definitely gained a lot from CoreAlign by making it a part of my training schedule on a regular basis.? I encourage you try it out and discover a deeper understanding of running, and of the running potential you never thought possible.

For more information on CoreAlign, visit or Core Studio website by clicking here.

Join us next time for CoreAlign from the Perspective of an Expert Physical Therapist, Angela Listug-Vap, DPT, FAAOMPT.

Source: http://healthandfitness101.com/?p=3601&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corealign-from-the-perspective-of-a-world-champion-800m-runner

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This Aeropress Coffee Maker Is Your Deal of the Day

The Aeropress is a cult coffee maker that is absolutely adored by its devotees. In fact, there's an annual international competition to see who can make the best cup of coffee using an Aeropress. (This year it's in Melbourne, Australia.) Coffee snobs love the Aeropress because it is perfect for experimentation and has a superfast brew and extraction time. Other folks just like it because it's cheap and simple to use. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/iK3qdQsaRJc/this-aeropress-coffee-maker-is-your-deal-of-the-day

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Sister Named As Interim President of OLLU

? Our Lady of the Lake University today returned to its roots, naming the former Superior General of the Congregation of Divine Providence to be Interim President, succeeding Tessa Martinez Pollack, who resigned last week.

?

? Sister Jane Slater has a long history at OLLU, she is a former chemistry professor, dean of faculty, and chairperson of the Academic Affairs Committee.

?

? She is also a former Superior General of the Congregation.

?

? "I am pleased that Sister Jane Ann has accepted the important charge to lead the University during this transitional period, Roy Terracina, chairman of the OLLU Board of Trustees, said.? "Her membership in our sponsoring order and long history with the University will allow a seamless transition and make it possible for the University to move forward rapidly with its Strategic Plan."

?

? One of the complaints against Martinez Pollack was her alleged downplaying of religion and religious studies.

?

? "Our Lady of the Lake University is a distinctive institution of higher education in San Antonio and South Texas" Slater said.? "The work we do transforms the lives of our undergraduates and graduate students, many of whom are first generation college students."

?

? Slater is a respected scientist, with a PhD in inorganic chemistry.

?

? She will serve until a permanent President is selected, a process which will take several months.

?

?

Source: http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119078&article=10869390

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Colorado Senate Considers Granting In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants

The Colorado state Senate gave an initial approval on a voice vote to Senate Bill 33 on Friday. The bill would allow in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants. Here are the details.

* According to the Denver Post , a recorded vote from the senate will be needed on the third reading of the bill before it can go to the house. The voice vote on Friday came along with debate and the support of three senate Republicans.

* The bill would allow students who does not have lawful immigration status to pay in-state tuition if that student has attended a public or private high school for at least three years immediately preceding graduation or completion of a general equivalency diploma and is admitted to a Colorado institution.

* The student must submit an affidavit stating that he or she has applied for lawful presence or will apply soon if able to do so.

* The bill exempts requirements that students receiving educational services or benefits from colleges in the state from providing any documentation of lawful presence in the U.S.

* According to the legislative analysis of the bill, an estimated 500 additional students would attend colleges within the state in 2013-14 if the bill passes.

* A General Fund appropriation of $930,000 would be required for the year in order to provide College Opportunity Fund stipends for the students. In addition the governing board tuition amounts would be increased for the fiscal year by $2,043,000.

* Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who opposes the bill, reported on Friday that, though the bill currently only affects a few hundred students, "it is the first official step Colorado will take down the road of amnesty. I am opposing the bill because I do not believe amnesty is fixing the problem."

* The final reading and vote on the bill will probably be on Monday, Lundberg stated.

* According to the Colorado Springs Gazette , the three Republicans in support of the bill include Owen Hill of Colorado Springs, Greg Brophy of Wray and Larry Crowder of Alamosa.

* Gov. John Hickenlooper is in favor of the bill, the Gazette reported.

* Earlier this month, the Colorado State University System Board of Governors voted to support the measure.

* "This isn't about immigration status," said Mary Lou Makepeace, a member of the board, "this is about ensuring that the pathways to opportunity are open to all of Colorado's children."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-senate-considers-granting-state-tuition-illegal-immigrants-220800907.html

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Oregon QB Says A&M?s Manziel Plays ?Backyard Football?

So maybe his nickname should be Johnny Backyard Football.? At least that?s what Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota seems to think.

Judging by the comments on a couple of Aggie messageboards, the Ducks? QB seems to have ruffled some feathers ? pun intended ? when he described Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel?s game as ?backyard football.?

?For a lot of us, it?s how we were introduced to the game ? just going out and making plays.? I?d like to do that.? It would be fun.? But it would be outside of my calling here.?

?

Now, personally I don?t see what?s so inflammatory about that comment.? Granted, Manziel was once committed to Oregon and perhaps there?s a bit of history between the two signal-callers, but this seems to be a case of looking for trash talk.

Mariota simply alluded to the differences between his role in Eugene and Manziel?s role in College Station.? And judging by that Heisman Trophy he picked up in December, Manziel seems to fit his role perfectly.

Stay tuned, but I don?t think Aggie fans should be losing any sleep over this one.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mrseccom/~3/QiWEm9VPFzY/

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TECH TIME REVIEW: 8X is best Windows Phone offering yet, but app and storage limitations hold it back

Overall screen size on the Windows Phone 8X is 4.3 inches, not as big as some of the new phones coming out, but big enough for most people. It?s a size that fits quite comfortably in the hand, and allows for one hand typing on the on-screen keyboard.

The resolution on the phone is 720p, so it?s HD but not 1080p full-HD like some other new phones.

Corning Gorilla Glass 2 helps keep your screen safe from damage.

Operating system

As the name might indicate, the Windows Phone 8X runs the Windows 8 operating system.

While I wasn?t too big on the new crop of Windows Phone offerings when they first came out a couple years back, I must admit that Windows 8, especially the tile setup out front that gives you quick access to your favorite apps and features, and live updating tiles, is starting to grow on me. Once you figure out how to use it and make your most common features quickly accessible, it?s as easy to use as most Android or Apple phone offerings.

The other nice feature about Windows Phone devices is their strong integration with other Microsoft products (such as Outlook, Office, OneNote, SharePoint,SkyDrive, Xbox), if you are invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

For those of you with kids who like to use your phone, a feature called Kid?s Corner gives them access only to the aspects of the phone you choose to give them access to.

If you?re into cloud storage of your files, SkyDrive keeps your items online and they are accessible from any device that can access the Internet.

APPS Continued...

NETWORK, CALLS

You get access to Verizon?s 4G LTE network on the Windows Phone 8X, and the download and upload speeds are super snappy as usual.

Phone calls that I made were clean, which no dropped calls, and little noise or interference.

For messaging, the on-screen keyboard is responsive, but was a little too tiny for my tastes, especially when held vertically (horizontal was more manageable even for larger fingers).

CAMERA

One of the camera features that I like the most on the Windows Phone 8X is more of a design feature -- and that is the button on the side of the phone that works as a camera shutter.

That dedicated camera button is much better than what I?ve seen on many phones where they want you to tap the screen to take a picture. That just isn?t natural with how we are trained to take pictures. So I like the dedicated button.

You get a 8MP auto-focus rear?facing camera with flash, and photos were decent -- though not the best I?ve seen on newer smartphones. Sharing your photos to social networking sites on online storage like Skydrive is very easy.

The front-facing camera is 2.1 megapixels, and features an 88-degree ultra?wide angle; this is used primarily for video chat or self-portraits; and again, it?s nothing too special.

One thing I do like about the camera is how you can instantly launch the camera, even from a locked screen, by pressing the shutter button on the side of your phone -- so a shorter delay before shooting.

In terms of video, both the front and rear cameras can record in 1080p HD quality.

MUSIC

Like almost all of HTC?s new phones, the Windows Phone 8X features Beats Audio, which aims to improve the overall sound quality.

It?s a decent improvement, but is only really noticeable when listening via headphones. Out loud, a cell phone is still going to sound like a cell phone.

OTHER FEATURES

? The phone is global ready

? You can use data and voice simultaneously

? For an extra monthly fee, you can use the phone as a Mobile Hotspot, with support for up to 8 Devices on 3G or 4G

? NFC allows for Tap and Share of files with other NFC devices

? Voice commands: Make a call, launch an app, send a text, take a note, find something online

PRICE

The Windows Phone 8X will cost you $99.99 with a 2-year contract from Verizon, or $549.99 without contract.

BOTTOM LINE

The Windows Phone 8X is a fast and easy-to-use phone, and probably the best Windows Phone that has been released to date.

But it lacks in some key areas and is not as great as it needs to be to truly compete against phones like the Samsung Galaxy phones or iPhones.

It will find some fans, particularly those who are big fans of the Windows Phone OS as compared to Apple or Android. And maybe some people new to smartphones who don?t yet have a favorite system might go for it.

But with no real standout features that puts it above those competitors, there?s no way it can expect to be a big hit and make a major impact on the smartphone market overall.

In the grand scheme of the smartphone world, Windows Phones still make up a very small percentage of the overall market.

But that hasn?t stopped Microsoft from continuing to improve on their phone offerings on the various carriers, and this year there have been several offerings aimed at raising the profile of the Windows Phone ecosystem, as they try to dent the market domination of Apple and Android phones.

One such offering from Verizon Wireless is the new Windows Phone 8X by HTC, which I recently had the chance to test.

I?m back with a full report of what it offers compared to its smartphone competition.

LOOKS

One demand that smartphone buyers today have is that their phones are thin and light. Gone are the thick, heavy phones of the past, and even big-screen phones are low in the ounce count these days.

Windows Phone 8X delivers in this department, with dimensions of 5.21 (H) x 2.61 (W) x 0.40 (D) inches. The weight is 4.66 oz.

My test phone was an attractive blue color on the back and on the front border, but there are also black and red options from Verizon if that suits your tastes more.

The rubbery material on the back of the phone provides a decent grip, and overall, while it?s not the sturdiest of all smartphones, it?s still well-made and should withstand the usual amount of abuse and spills a phone might take.

Display

Overall screen size on the Windows Phone 8X is 4.3 inches, not as big as some of the new phones coming out, but big enough for most people. It?s a size that fits quite comfortably in the hand, and allows for one hand typing on the on-screen keyboard.

The resolution on the phone is 720p, so it?s HD but not 1080p full-HD like some other new phones.

Corning Gorilla Glass 2 helps keep your screen safe from damage.

Operating system

As the name might indicate, the Windows Phone 8X runs the Windows 8 operating system.

While I wasn?t too big on the new crop of Windows Phone offerings when they first came out a couple years back, I must admit that Windows 8, especially the tile setup out front that gives you quick access to your favorite apps and features, and live updating tiles, is starting to grow on me. Once you figure out how to use it and make your most common features quickly accessible, it?s as easy to use as most Android or Apple phone offerings.

The other nice feature about Windows Phone devices is their strong integration with other Microsoft products (such as Outlook, Office, OneNote, SharePoint,SkyDrive, Xbox), if you are invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

For those of you with kids who like to use your phone, a feature called Kid?s Corner gives them access only to the aspects of the phone you choose to give them access to.

If you?re into cloud storage of your files, SkyDrive keeps your items online and they are accessible from any device that can access the Internet.

APPS

The biggest knock on Windows Phone offerings that helps keep down the food chain in smartphones is the apps gap. Basically, that means that, in my view, Microsoft?s store for apps comes nowhere near what is offered by Apple and Android, leaving users frustrated with the offerings they have to choose from. This will continue to be a main problem for Microsoft, and is a byproduct of them being late to step up their game in the smartphone arena while their competitors soared.

PROCESSOR, STORAGE

No complaints here, as the 1.5GHz dual?core processor and 1GB of RAM keep the phone humming along without delays. Web browsing, game play and other duties on the phone were not a burden on the system.

In terms of storage, you get 16GB of internal memory, but there is no way to upgrade. This will be a concern for people who like to store a lot of apps and large files on their phone, as the room will go away very quickly.

BATTERY LIFE

The Windows Phone 8X and its 1800 mAh Li?Ion battery do a solid job of keeping the phone running, as it got me through each day.

The concern, though, is that the battery is nonremovable, meaning that you don?t have the option to carry a spare in case you?re going to be unable to charge it for a longer period of time.

WIRELESS CHARGING

The good news: This phone features the ability to do wireless charging.

The bad news: Wireless charging port sold separately, which is disappointing.

NETWORK, CALLS

You get access to Verizon?s 4G LTE network on the Windows Phone 8X, and the download and upload speeds are super snappy as usual.

Phone calls that I made were clean, which no dropped calls, and little noise or interference.

For messaging, the on-screen keyboard is responsive, but was a little too tiny for my tastes, especially when held vertically (horizontal was more manageable even for larger fingers).

CAMERA

One of the camera features that I like the most on the Windows Phone 8X is more of a design feature -- and that is the button on the side of the phone that works as a camera shutter.

That dedicated camera button is much better than what I?ve seen on many phones where they want you to tap the screen to take a picture. That just isn?t natural with how we are trained to take pictures. So I like the dedicated button.

You get a 8MP auto-focus rear?facing camera with flash, and photos were decent -- though not the best I?ve seen on newer smartphones. Sharing your photos to social networking sites on online storage like Skydrive is very easy.

The front-facing camera is 2.1 megapixels, and features an 88-degree ultra?wide angle; this is used primarily for video chat or self-portraits; and again, it?s nothing too special.

One thing I do like about the camera is how you can instantly launch the camera, even from a locked screen, by pressing the shutter button on the side of your phone -- so a shorter delay before shooting.

In terms of video, both the front and rear cameras can record in 1080p HD quality.

MUSIC

Like almost all of HTC?s new phones, the Windows Phone 8X features Beats Audio, which aims to improve the overall sound quality.

It?s a decent improvement, but is only really noticeable when listening via headphones. Out loud, a cell phone is still going to sound like a cell phone.

OTHER FEATURES

? The phone is global ready

? You can use data and voice simultaneously

? For an extra monthly fee, you can use the phone as a Mobile Hotspot, with support for up to 8 Devices on 3G or 4G

? NFC allows for Tap and Share of files with other NFC devices

? Voice commands: Make a call, launch an app, send a text, take a note, find something online

PRICE

The Windows Phone 8X will cost you $99.99 with a 2-year contract from Verizon, or $549.99 without contract.

BOTTOM LINE

The Windows Phone 8X is a fast and easy-to-use phone, and probably the best Windows Phone that has been released to date.

But it lacks in some key areas and is not as great as it needs to be to truly compete against phones like the Samsung Galaxy phones or iPhones.

It will find some fans, particularly those who are big fans of the Windows Phone OS as compared to Apple or Android. And maybe some people new to smartphones who don?t yet have a favorite system might go for it.

But with no real standout features that puts it above those competitors, there?s no way it can expect to be a big hit and make a major impact on the smartphone market overall.

Source: http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2013/02/21/life/doc51262ca31dfb4825440579.txt

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One Direction Return To The Studio, Says One Direction's Producer ...

Who needs time to develop artistically? Certainly not?One Direction! The boys?of 1D appear to be taking a page out of?Rihanna?s book by churning out music with unparalleled speed ? and as recently as last week, they were in the studio with producer Julian Bunetta?(who helmed tunes on their 2012 LP?Take Me Home?as well as their recent charity cover of ?One Way or Another?).

Helpfully, Bunetta mostly just stalled and treaded water when asked about their sessions: ?I was just with them last week in London ? hanging out, working on a few new things,? he told MTV News. ?So that?ll be fun.?

As for what?they were doing, he continued:??I can?t really say, but it?s gonna be pretty cool. I mean it?s just? I mean obviously we?re working on new music but they didn?t say what the new music is for. It might be for nothing. It might only be for my ears? or, it might be something that gets put out for the world to hear. I could just rent my ears out,? he joked.

Our money?s on a?Take Me Home?re-release, but they could just as easily drop an entirely new album. Fingers crossed for a concept album about?Harry Styles? relationship with?Taylor Swift.

[via?MTV News]

Source: http://idolator.com/7442287/one-direction-new-music

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On the Street?. At Somerset House, London

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheSartorialist/~3/u53hoVfmQoc/

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Will rising tensions in Asia push Japan toward a full-fledged military?

Prime Minister Abe is proposing small steps, such as renaming the Self Defense Forces, with an eye toward moving away from the legal restrictions that have governed Japan's military since World War II.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / February 21, 2013

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waves before his departure for Washington at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Thursday.

Shizuo Kambayashi/AP

Enlarge

At the heart of Japan?s tense military standoff with China over a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea lies a paradox.

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Weekly Digital Edition

Japan is governed by a famously ?pacifist? Constitution, imposed by the United States after World War II, whose ninth article declares that ?land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.?
?
Yet military experts here and abroad are confident that should the current crisis degenerate into an open fight with China, Japan would win.

?Japan?s Self Defense Forces could easily repel Chinese forces from the Senkakus,? says Takashi Kawakami, a defense expert who advises leaders of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), using the Japanese name for the islands that China calls the Diaoyu.

That is because for half a century successive Japanese governments have interpreted ? or ignored ? the Constitution in such a way as to build the most sophisticated armed forces in Asia.

?
They may have limited themselves to spending less than 1 percent of Japan?s GDP on defense, but even 1 percent of the third largest GDP in the world buys a lot. Japan ranked sixth in global defense spending last year, just behind France and the United Kingdom.

Full fledged Japanese military?

Now, new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is moving to fulfill a dream that right wing Japanese nationalists have long nurtured ? to amend the Constitution in ways that would loose the nation?s soldiers from some of the legal constraints that bind them.

He is moving slowly, his aides say, and not only so as to avoid spooking Japan?s neighbors, who still harbor ugly memories of Japanese aggression. Japanese public opinion, too, is nervous about steps that could lead the country down familiar, and much feared, paths.
?
One proposal Mr. Abe has made is to rename the ?Self Defense Forces? the ?National Defense Forces." Even that apparently minor tweak worries some.
?
?People are convinced it would not just be a name change, but would really be turning [the SDF] into a full fledged normal military, allowing them to get offensive weaponry. I don?t think the Japanese are ready for that,? says a Western diplomat.

But China?s incursions into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and North Korea?s recent tests of a nuclear device and missiles to carry it are prompting a re-think here.
?
?People?s mindsets have greatly changed with the North Korean tests and Chinese intrusions,? says Akihisa Nagashima, a former vice Defense minister and member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. ?Support is widening for the idea that Japan should assume a bigger security role.?
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Indicative of that trend, says Masaru Kohno, a professor of Politics at Waseda University in Tokyo, is ?an across the board tidal shift in favor of strengthening the SDF.? Abe?s proposal to increase Japan?s defense budget for the first time in more than a decade ?is in line with public opinion,? says Professor Kohno.
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This mood is spurred in part by alarmist media reports of the way in which Chinese military vessels had "locked on" their missile guidance systems to a Japanese helicopter and ship.? ?China-Japan War Starts: Their Target ? Metro Tokyo? blared last week?s cover of Shukan Gendai, Japan?s biggest-circulation weekly magazine.

The other trigger

It has also been triggered by a widening realization that the current Constitution does not allow Japan to forge military alliances with other nations except the US, or even exercise a right to ?collective self defense,? meaning that Tokyo cannot militarily help its allies.

Were North Korea to launch a nuclear missile aimed at San Francisco, for example, Japan would be legally barred from shooting it down en route.

Nor can Japanese troops pull their weight in international peacekeeping operations, where they are embarrassed by the need to have ?minders? from foreign armies to protect them. The Japanese contingent withdrew recently from the UN force in the Golan Heights, for example, because the civil war in Syria was making the situation too dangerous for them.

The right to collective self defense is likely to be enshrined in legislation that the government hopes to pass by the end of this year, assuming that the LDP wins the Upper House elections this summer and takes full control of parliament.

Article 9 of the Constitution, however, as a barometer for Japan?s potentially aggressive intentions, is much more sensitive at home and abroad, and much harder to amend: It would take a two thirds majority in both houses of Parliament and a referendum.

The article has traditionally been a hot-button issue for nationalists dreaming of a return to Japan?s Imperial glory days, who find the Constitution?s restrictions humiliating. But the idea of rewording the article is now finding support in more moderate quarters.

?We should revise? the paragraph saying that Japan will not maintain armed forces, says Mr. Nagashima. ?It is hypocrisy ? and we need to straighten out the conflict between the ideal of the Constitution and reality.?

?We need to clarify Article 9,? agrees Taro Kono, a moderate LDP legislator. ?The same wording both banned military forces after the war and allowed us to send forces to Iraq. We need to change the wording so that if the Chinese read it they understand what it means.?

But if the government moves too quickly, warns Kawakami, ?public opinion won?t keep up, so they want to go step by step in Parliament? to lay the legislative groundwork for an eventual constitutional revision.

'Japan will become a normal country'

It could be several years before Japan trusts itself with a conventional military force, some observers here believe. In the meantime, Abe?s bold words about the nation?s readiness to defend itself ring a little hollow.
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In Parliament just after North Korea?s most recent nuclear test, the prime minister said he believed that ?under the precondition that no alternative exists,? the Constitution allowed Japan the right to preemptively strike ?enemy bases that hold guided missiles and other weapons.?
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But Japan does not have the means to launch such a strike. It has no bombers, no offensive missiles, ?not even any maps of where the targets might be,? points out Nagashima.
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That is the kind of situation that ordinary Japanese are finding increasingly unacceptable, says Kawakami. ?The harsher China is on Japan, the less the Japanese public worries about revising or re-interpreting the Constitution,? he says. ?Thanks to China and North Korea, Japan will become a normal country.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/p35rlfb8H10/Will-rising-tensions-in-Asia-push-Japan-toward-a-full-fledged-military

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