Carl Thunberg's Japanese plants to be digitized

Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
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Contact: Stefan Ekman
stefan.ekman@em.uu.se
46-184-712-821
Uppsala University

In stiff competition the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University, Sweden, has been granted funding for digitising the Japanese parts of the Thunberg collection. The project will make the valuable plants available to the whole world, online.

It will soon be 350 years since Linnaeus's disciple Carl Thunberg travelled with the Dutch East India Company to Japan, via South Africa, Sri Lanka and Java. In total he collected almost 28,000 plants on his journey, of which 731 were from Japan.

"They represent to a large extent the first description of Japanese plants", says Mats Hjertson, curator at Uppsala University's Museum of Evolution.

The pressed plants are kept in their original sheets of paper, in a specially built room at the Museum of Evolution. Sadly inaccessible to most researchers, since no samples are lent out.

Vinnova, which is the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, and JSPS the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science have now chosen to fund the museum's project to carefully document and digitise the Japanese plants.

The collection consists to a large part of so called type specimens which connect species with their names. But the names used today can differ somewhat from the names decided on by Carl Thunberg towards the end of the 18th century.

"What will happen is that Japanese systematists will come here to study all the Japanese specimens from a modern taxonomic viewpoint. At the same time we will scan them to get high quality digital images", says Stefan Ekman, first curator of the Museum of Evolution.

All the data will then be published in an open database online, available to the whole world.

Previously, anyone who has wanted to study the plants in the collection have had to travel to Uppsala to view them on location, or ask the museum to send lower resolution images taken with a digital camera.

"It is still relatively expensive for Japanese researchers to come here, so this will simplify things tremendously", says Stefan Ekman.

"It is also a question of democracy. You will no longer need the financial backing of a department, you could just as well be a competent amateur", says Mats Hjertson.

The Museum of Evolution's project is one of three that have been granted funding by Vinnova and JSPS, out of 14 applicants. The project will be carried out together with the National Museum of Nature and Science in Japan, beginning in September 2013. The long-term goal is to digitise the whole Thunberg collection.

###

For more information, please contact:

Stefan Ekman, Senior curator at Museum of Evolution, tel: +46 18-471 2821, e-mail: stefan.ekman@em.uu.se Mats Hjertson, Curator at Museum of Evolution, tel: + 46 18-471 2765, +46 70 4250977, e-mail: mats.hjertson@em.uu.se

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stefan Ekman
stefan.ekman@em.uu.se
46-184-712-821
Uppsala University

In stiff competition the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University, Sweden, has been granted funding for digitising the Japanese parts of the Thunberg collection. The project will make the valuable plants available to the whole world, online.

It will soon be 350 years since Linnaeus's disciple Carl Thunberg travelled with the Dutch East India Company to Japan, via South Africa, Sri Lanka and Java. In total he collected almost 28,000 plants on his journey, of which 731 were from Japan.

"They represent to a large extent the first description of Japanese plants", says Mats Hjertson, curator at Uppsala University's Museum of Evolution.

The pressed plants are kept in their original sheets of paper, in a specially built room at the Museum of Evolution. Sadly inaccessible to most researchers, since no samples are lent out.

Vinnova, which is the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, and JSPS the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science have now chosen to fund the museum's project to carefully document and digitise the Japanese plants.

The collection consists to a large part of so called type specimens which connect species with their names. But the names used today can differ somewhat from the names decided on by Carl Thunberg towards the end of the 18th century.

"What will happen is that Japanese systematists will come here to study all the Japanese specimens from a modern taxonomic viewpoint. At the same time we will scan them to get high quality digital images", says Stefan Ekman, first curator of the Museum of Evolution.

All the data will then be published in an open database online, available to the whole world.

Previously, anyone who has wanted to study the plants in the collection have had to travel to Uppsala to view them on location, or ask the museum to send lower resolution images taken with a digital camera.

"It is still relatively expensive for Japanese researchers to come here, so this will simplify things tremendously", says Stefan Ekman.

"It is also a question of democracy. You will no longer need the financial backing of a department, you could just as well be a competent amateur", says Mats Hjertson.

The Museum of Evolution's project is one of three that have been granted funding by Vinnova and JSPS, out of 14 applicants. The project will be carried out together with the National Museum of Nature and Science in Japan, beginning in September 2013. The long-term goal is to digitise the whole Thunberg collection.

###

For more information, please contact:

Stefan Ekman, Senior curator at Museum of Evolution, tel: +46 18-471 2821, e-mail: stefan.ekman@em.uu.se Mats Hjertson, Curator at Museum of Evolution, tel: + 46 18-471 2765, +46 70 4250977, e-mail: mats.hjertson@em.uu.se

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/uu-ctj031113.php

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Tech-savvy Newark Mayor Booker: Government flunking social media (reuters)

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Connecticut massacre records remain secret

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) ? There is no doubt who is responsible for the Newtown school massacre. The shooter is dead and the prosecutor handling the case has said he does not expect any charges.

Yet authorities are continuing to keep search warrants and police records secret. Media outlets have pressed for the release of more records, which could shed light on a crime that has revived the national debate over gun control and could change the way guns are regulated.

The massacre has led to proposals for universal background checks on gun buyers and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. It also prompted reviews of school security and mental health care and led to proposed legislation in Connecticut that would forbid arcades and other establishments from allowing children under 18 to play point-and-shoot video games.

The 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza, killed his mother at their home before killing 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. He killed himself as police arrived.

Prosecutor Stephen Sedensky III successfully argued in December to keep search warrant affidavits and applications related to Lanza's house and the car he drove to the school sealed for 90 days, saying disclosure would jeopardize an ongoing investigation. He said at the time no arrests were anticipated but had not been ruled out.

News media advocates say the records should be unsealed, arguing the public has a right to see such records, which include what was found in the house and car. They say records may be sealed only when an investigation would be hurt by disclosure.

"There seems to be absolutely no reason that they would need to. It's not going to jeopardize the case in any way," said Linda Petersen, chairwoman of the Freedom of Information Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists.

William Fish, an attorney who has represented the news media in high-profile cases that were sealed in Connecticut, also said the sealing does not appear justified since no prosecution is likely. He conceded, however, that "it's not a surprise to me that a court has in fact sealed the records just because it's so horrible."

Newtown police denied requests by The Associated Press for 911 calls and any police reports involving Lanza or his family. State police also declined to release records, citing the pending investigation.

In an editorial last week, The Hartford Courant said such records should be released sooner, not later, since they might answer the public's questions about the murders and could guide legislators making policy decisions in reaction to the crime.

Richard Hanley, graduate journalism director at Quinnipiac University, said he understood the 90-day sealing while the investigation unfolded but said there should be no extension of that sealing.

"This was a case that had a profound impact on people beyond the immediate area and it will have a profound impact on public policy," Hanley said Monday. "It's imperative that the authorities release the full investigative records, the 911 calls and other documents relative to this slaughter, because the overriding interest is the public's right to know."

Sedensky, the prosecutor, noted that authorities have disclosed details about the weapons used in the shooting: a Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle was used to kill the children and educators and a handgun to kill himself. He said he advised Newtown officials not to disclose the 911 calls.

Danbury Superior Court Judge John F. Blawie on Dec. 27 granted the 90-day seal on search warrant affidavits and applications after concluding that the state's "interest in continuing nondisclosure substantially outweighs any right to public disclosure at this time."

Sedensky said he has not decided yet whether to seek an extension of the sealing. A police report on the probe may not be ready until the summer, he said.

In denying a request by the AP for police reports and 911 calls, the Newtown Police Department said releasing the documents was prohibited by state law "as information to be used in a prospective law enforcement action." AP's request sought all police calls for service to the Lanza house and to Sandy Hook Elementary School, 911 calls and any police reports involving Lanza and his family.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe has said there were only two calls to the Lanza house several years before the shooting. One was in 2006 in which Lanza's mother Nancy reported someone rang the doorbell and ran off and the other was to report a larceny in 2003 that turned out to be in another jurisdiction, Kehoe said.

Chase Kowalski, 7, was an active boy who was always riding his bicycle (Reuters)

?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conn-massacre-records-secret-media-seek-access-194010901.html

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The Jacksons to perform in Mawazine Festival 2013 | Morocco ...

RABAT, March 4, 2013 (MAP)

Legendary and all-time best-selling group, the Jacksons, will take part in Mawazine Music festival held in Rabat in the month of May, ?Maroc-Cultures? association announced Sunday in a statement.

The group will perform May 28, 2013 on the OLM Souissi stage in Rabat, as part of the 12th edition of Festival- Mawazine World Rhythms.

An iconic soul group, The Jacksons, or The Jackson Five as named before, has forever changed the landscape of pop music. Since the 1970s with the success of Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and their late brother Michael Jackson, the group became a world phenomenon.

Their unique style ? a mixture of soul, pop and funk, and their many hits and incredible performances, made the Jackson Five one of the most beloved bands of all times, the source said.

After nearly three decades, the Jackson brothers got back on stage with their first tour in 2012. The group will perform in Morocco for the first time in its history.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/03/80997/the-jacksons-to-perform-in-mawazine-festival-2013-2/

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Alaska heli-skiing guide killed in mountain accident

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A heli-skiing guide in Alaska was killed when he fell while traversing over the snow with two clients on a mountain peak outside Haines, one of the nation's top heli-skiing destinations, authorities said on Monday.

Christian Arcadio Cabanilla, 34, died in what appeared to be a snow cornice collapse on Sunday afternoon, Alaska State Troopers said. The two clients with him suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were able to summon help.

Cabanilla was a guide with Southeast Alaska Backcountry Adventures, which described him on its website as an experienced back country snowboard guide and former commercial helicopter pilot who worked for many years in Alaska, Chile and Antarctica. He was also described as an avalanche and wilderness first-aid expert.

The case is being investigated and an autopsy is planned, said Megan Peters, a trooper spokeswoman.

Cabanilla's death came a year after another accident in the Haines area that killed two helicopter skiers. In that accident last March, a guide with a different company, Alaska Heliskiing, and one of his clients died after being buried by an avalanche.

Haines is an increasingly popular destination for skiers willing to pay for helicopter flights to reach new and steep back country terrain. The city of about 2,000 is located at the northern tip of southeast Alaska's Inside Passage and is surrounded by towering peaks in the Chilkat Range.

A year ago, Outside magazine named Haines one of North America's top 10 heli-skiing destinations, citing "big lines that will soil your skivvies" and the opportunity to "nail a first descent."

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alaska-heli-skiing-guide-killed-mountain-accident-235644531--spt.html

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Student Database Backed By Gates Foundation Jazzes Tech Startups, Spooks Parents

By Stephanie Simon
(Reuters) - An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares.
But the most influential new product may be the least flashy: a $100 million database built to chart the academic paths of public school students from kindergarten through high school.
In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, address and sometimes social security number. Learning disabilities are documented, test scores recorded, attendance noted. In some cases, the database tracks student hobbies, career goals, attitudes toward school - even homework completion.
Local education officials retain legal control over their students' information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services.
Entrepreneurs can't wait.
"This is going to be a huge win for us," said Jeffrey Olen, a product manager at CompassLearning, which sells education software.
CompassLearning will join two dozen technology companies at this week's SXSWedu conference in demonstrating how they might mine the database to create custom products - educational games for students, lesson plans for teachers, progress reports for principals.
The database is a joint project of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided most of the funding, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and school officials from several states. Amplify Education, a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, built the infrastructure over the past 18 months. When it was ready, the Gates Foundation turned the database over to a newly created nonprofit, inBloom Inc, which will run it.
States and school districts can choose whether they want to input their student records into the system; the service is free for now, though inBloom officials say they will likely start to charge fees in 2015. So far, seven states - Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Massachusetts - have committed to enter data from select school districts. Louisiana and New York will be entering nearly all student records statewide.
"We look at personalized learning as the next big leap forward in education," said Brandon Williams, a director at the Illinois State Board of Education.
IF DATA LEAKS, WHAT REMEDIES?
Federal officials say the database project complies with privacy laws. Schools do not need parental consent to share student records with any "school official" who has a "legitimate educational interest," according to the Department of Education. The department defines "school official" to include private companies hired by the school, so long as they use the data only for the purposes spelled out in their contracts.
The database also gives school administrators full control over student files, so they could choose to share test scores with a vendor but withhold social security numbers or disability records.
That's hardly reassuring to many parents.
"Once this information gets out there, it's going to be abused. There's no doubt in my mind," said Jason France, a father of two in Louisiana.
While inBloom pledges to guard the data tightly, its own privacy policy states that it "cannot guarantee the security of the information stored ... or that the information will not be intercepted when it is being transmitted."
Parents from New York and Louisiana have written state officials in protest. So have the Massachusetts chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Parent-Teacher Association. If student records leak, are hacked or abused, "What are the remedies for parents?" asked Norman Siegel, a civil liberties attorney in New York who has been working with the protestors. "It's very troubling."
VENTURE CAPITAL MAGNET
Fans of the project respond that the files are safer in the database than scattered about school districts. Plus, they say, the potential upside is enormous, with the power to transform classrooms across the U.S.
Does Johnny have trouble converting decimals to fractions? The database will have recorded that - and may have recorded as well that he finds textbooks boring, adores animation and plays baseball after school. Personalized learning software can use that data to serve up a tailor-made math lesson, perhaps an animated game that uses baseball statistics to teach decimals.
Johnny's teacher can watch his development on a "dashboard" that uses bright graphics to map each of her students' progress on dozens, even hundreds, of discrete skills.
"You can start to see what's effective for each particular student," said Adria Moersen, a high school teacher in Colorado who has tested some of the new products.
The sector is undeniably hot; technology startups aimed at K-12 schools attracted more than $425 million in venture capital last year, according to the NewSchools Venture Fund, a nonprofit that focuses on the sector. The investment company GSV Advisors tracked 84 deals in the sector last year, up from 15 in 2007.
In addition to its $100 million investment in the database, the Gates Foundation has pledged $70 million in grants to schools and companies to develop personalized learning tools.
New products regularly come to market, but both educators and entrepreneurs say adoption has been slow because of technical hurdles.
WARNING SYSTEMS TO FORESTALL DROPOUTS?
Schools tend to store different bits of student information in different databases, often with different operating systems. That makes it clunky to integrate new learning apps into classrooms.
At the Rocketship chain of charter schools, for instance, administrators must manually update at least five databases to keep their education software running smoothly when a child transfers from one teacher to another, said Charlie Bufalino, a Rocketship executive.
The extra steps add expense, which limits how many apps a school can buy. And because the data is so fragmented, the private companies don't always get a robust picture of each student's academic performance, much less their personal characteristics.
The new database aims to wipe away those obstacles by integrating all student information - including data that may previously have been stored in paper files or teacher gradebooks - in a single, flexible platform.
Education technology companies can use the same platform to design their software, so their programs will hook into a rich trove of student data if a district or state authorizes access.
That prospect has some companies dreaming big.
Larry Berger, an executive at Amplify Education, says the data could be mined to develop "early warning systems." Perhaps it will turn out, for instance, that most high school dropouts began to struggle with math at age 8. If so, all future 8-year-olds fitting that pattern could be identified and given extra help.
Companies with access to the database will also be able to identify struggling teachers and pinpoint which concepts their students are failing to master. One startup that could benefit: BloomBoard, which sells schools professional development plans customized to each teacher.
The new database "is a godsend for us," said Jason Lange, the chief executive of BloomBoard. "It allows us to collect more data faster, quicker and cheaper."
Whether all this data, and all the programs that use it, will transform education is another question. Most data-driven software has only been tested on a small scale; results are often mixed.
Though he is bullish on the sector, Michael Moe, the chief investment officer at GSV Capital, cautions that there is as yet no proof the new technology will produce "game-changing outcomes" for students - or, for that matter, sterling profits for investors.
Others are more skeptical still.
"The hype in the tech press is that education is an engineering problem that can be fixed by technology," said Frank Catalano of Intrinsic Strategy, a consulting firm focused on education and technology. "To my mind, that's a very naive and destructive view."
(Reporting by Stephanie Simon; editing by Prudence Crowther)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/03/student-database-gates-foundation_n_2800684.html

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Eye of a Hurricane

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Academic Tutoring - Online Tutoring

Basically, academic tutoring involves giving private lessons to a student by a tutor. A tutor is an instructor and should never be confused with a teacher who performs the duties of tutoring. Private tutoring has being proved as an excellent strategy to help achievers reach higher levels in academic achievement. It is also the best solution to slow learners as it aids them to keep in line with the other scholars/students. In order to provide children with more educational advantages, the use of academic tutors is fast spreading and intensifying. This is also spreading to parents or adults who are schooling and feel they are lagging behind their peers.

Online tutoring

Recently, research has shown that the availability of regular tutoring which is available on demand, increases the scholars pass rates. Highly qualified academic tutors with excellent knowledge of their subject and training are now available to provide effective intervention in the learning process. With the advancement in technology, those seeking private tutoring seek to do it online. Online tutoring is the process of tutoring in a virtual environment, internet worked with tutors and learners who are only separated by time and space. The distinctions which are involved in it include online content, an interface and tutor training methodologies designed specifically to suit the learners and tutors at large. Instructions are often held on the computer and involve the use of media devices as well as interactive tools such as webcams, video audio among others.

Benefits

The benefits of online academic tutoring are not only increasing learners' access to tutors but goes beyond that. Students who previously were not able to get the full face to face attention benefits largely from this practice as tutors make sure they interact with every learner.

Flexible

Academic tutoring can be held 24/7 if teaching materials is pre-recorded. Students can also connect with tutors on demand as they are very flexible. As compared to actual tutoring which is limited to the hours the tutor is available those who opt for online tutoring are at an advantage.

Provides structure and motivation to learners

Academic tutoring sessions act as useful immediate deadlines, breaking up a large project into manageable segments. Periodic check ups with tutors ensure desired progress is achieved and the tutor can double up as a motivator and a calendar for the student.

In the situation where a student is preparing for a term paper, they may need assistance with some questions and in such a case online tutoring is exactly what they need. This in the long run is even cheaper in terms of cost involved as compared to the face-to-face tutor.

The best option for the physically challenged

For the individuals who suffer from various disabilities such as hearing problems, unable to speak or travel online academic tutoring is the best solution to getting tutoring which may have otherwise being inaccessible.

The online tutoring system is designed in such a way that the tutor after every session prepares a transcript of the session and following up plus managing the student's study pattern becomes easy and accurate.

For more information on online academic tutoring, check out the Good Grades Guide Review. I'm sure you'll like it!!

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/academic-tutoring-online-tutoring-319052

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Rove: GOP needs candidates who reflect diversity

Republican strategist Karl Rove speaks at a luncheon at the California Republican Party convention, in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, March 2, 2013. Rove told California Republicans to "get off the mat", and to find candidates to reflect the party's diversity. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Republican strategist Karl Rove speaks at a luncheon at the California Republican Party convention, in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, March 2, 2013. Rove told California Republicans to "get off the mat", and to find candidates to reflect the party's diversity. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Republican strategist Karl Rove gestures while at a luncheon at the California Republican Party convention, in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, March 2, 2013. Rove told California Republicans to "get off the mat", and to find candidates to reflect the party's diversity. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? GOP strategist Karl Rove said Saturday that rebuilding the Republican brand in California will be a tough task that will require them to diversify and create a strategy to spread their message to a wider audience.

Referring to the state party's deep losses in recent years, Rove said it needs to focus on larger themes of restoring jobs and reducing government spending.

He also said the party must recruit candidates who reflect the diversity of the country, and in particular, California. By next year, Hispanics will overtake whites as the state's largest demographic group.

"We need to be asking for votes in the most powerful way possible, which is to have people asking for the vote who are comfortable and look like and sound like the people that we're asking for the vote from," Rove said.

His message to delegates, activists and local party officials throughout California was in line with the philosophy behind his new political action committee, the Conservative Victory Project. The committee was established to support Republican candidates it deems electable, offsetting GOP candidates who might offend key parts of the electorate.

Rove told activists at the Republican Party's spring convention in Sacramento that rebuilding would be "a big task," but noted Texas as an example. Once a Democratic stronghold, the state elected Republicans to 95 of 150 state House seats in November. Democrats have not won a statewide office in Texas since 1994.

Republicans hold the opposite status in California, where Democrats won supermajorities in the Legislature last fall and hold every statewide office. The GOP accounts for less than 30 percent of the state's voters and has been losing favor with Latinos, women and younger voters.

Rove said rebuilding the California Republican Party might be so tough that party activists might choose to continue on their current path, "or you can get up off of the mat and throw yourself back into this contest."

"Think smart, be active, be committed, rebuild the organization, ask for the vote in the right way, and speak boldly and proudly about our universal principles in a way that attracts support of your fellow Californians," he said.

Rove appeared at the convention as a favor to former state Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte, a longtime friend who was expected to be elected as the state party's new chairman on Sunday.

His suggestions on expanding the types of candidates being fielded struck a chord with Tyson Greaves, a 63-year-old party member from San Jose who said pushing for diversity within the party is crucial.

"It's pretty clear to me that you don't have authenticity or credibility in a community if you show up only in an election cycle," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-02-US-California-GOP-Rove/id-9bc6f02528ab44918830e4362689c0a7

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Splashy A-B ads tackle lawsuit over watery beer

The maker of Budweiser is using splashy newspaper ads to poke fun at a lawsuit that alleges its beer is watered down.

In full-page ads in U.S. newspapers nationwide Sunday, Anheuser-Busch InBev shows one of the 71 million cans of drinking water it has sent to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations in disasters.

"They must have tested one of these," the ad says.

The class action lawsuit, filed in several states, accuses the brewer of cheating consumers out of the stated alcohol percentage by adding water just before bottling its beers.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has called the claims groundless. In the ads, the company calls its beer "the best beer we know how to brew."

"We take no shortcuts and make no exceptions. Ever."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/splashy-b-ads-tackle-lawsuit-over-watery-beer-231832209--finance.html

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How Can I Make My Cubicle More Comfortable and Less Boring?

Dear Lifehacker,
I am condemned to being stuck in a small cubicle with low walls. I know Lifehacker has plenty of showcases for home offices but what do people like me do when they work in an office? I'd like some advice on what to do to make my cubicle a more comfortable and less sterile place.
Signed,
Cube Dweller

Dear C.D.,
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the cubicle?a long sentence for office workers like yourself indeed. Although there's not much you can do about the tight space, you don't have to put up with the generic gray color scheme and other uninviting features of your cubicle. Here's how you take that cube from cookie cutter to comfortable and customized.

One thing to find out before you make any changes, though, is what kind of decorating upgrades you're allowed to do in your workplace. Some offices are fine with accessories but might not be too happy if you hang up a privacy curtain or turn your cubicle into an indoor garden.

Mask the Largest Surfaces: the Walls and Floor

Most likely you're boxed in by boring gray or dull white modular panels and the carpet is some equally bland industrial type. Since these constitute the greatest area of your small space, the most effective way to upgrade your workspace is to customize those panels and floor.

The floor is pretty easy to change: Just add an area rug with a pattern or colors that appeal to you. If you tend to use your chair's casters a lot, though, you could instead get an attractive chair mat, like this bamboo rollup mat.

You have a lot of options for the walls too, from covering them up completely to more subtly decorating them. Many cubicle walls are made of bulletin-board like panels, so a simple solution is to tack fabric over them. If yours isn't the kind that accommodates tacks, use fabric and starch to make a removable wall covering or decorations or tape on printed paper, such as actual wallpaper or even gift wrap. (If you really want to go crazy, you could even cover your walls and floor in mahogany wood or cover your entire cubicle in camouflage, as Mark MacAskill did in our 2008 Coolest Cubicle Contest.)

Other options include hanging motivational posters on each panel, using vinyl wall stickers, or simply putting up photos or postcards.Those 3M hooks and picture hanging strips are great for nail-free hanging, by the way.

Improve the Lighting and Temperature

Your office's lighting and temperature greatly influence your productivity and mood. Although you can't do anything about the soul-draining overhead fluorescent lighting, spot lighting can reduce some of its ills. Consider adding string lights (who doesn't like Christmas lights?), a small accent lamp with a bold shade (as in the Noir Cubicle shown at right), or a lamp with a full spectrum bulb (to make you feel like you're working in sunlight).

If your office thermostat is set to "frigid," get the temperature just right for you with a portable heater. Conversely, a desk fan might help if it feels like your officemates are trying see how fast they can bake you.

Bring in Your Own Furniture

Because you're going to sit in that office chair for a great deal of your working day, it's worth it to spend money on a more ergonomic, comfortable one. If you're lucky, you might even be able to get your office manager to get you a better chair. In not, see if it's okay to order a replacement chair delivered to your cube. (We have some chair suggestions when you're ready to upgrade.)

If you'd rather avoid the health problems associated with sitting all day, you can create a standing desk in your cubicle. The one at right, by Christopher, winner of our office Hacker Challenge, manages to blend into the beige cubicle decor, but there are also simpler solutions such as using reams of printer paper or a monitor mount to get your monitor to standing-friendly height.

Accessorize

Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to personalize your cubicle is through accessories. A few suggestions:

Live things like plants and bowls of fish: These add a unique energy to a workspace, and there are both cubicle-friendly plants and cubicle-friendly fish available. Don't have a green thumb or knack for keeping things alive? Don't worry, neither do I. Try one of these ultra-low-maintenance plants, make a tabletop biosphere, or just fake it. You can get amazingly realistic fake plants and flowers these days to brighten up your work area. They thrive in extreme conditions!

Toys and collections: While you probably don't want to go overboard with a ton of stuffed animals or other tchotchkes in your cubicle, a few well-placed, fun items could make your workspace more joyful. Some people like Sci-Fi action figures, some like building blocks, and others even more eclectic desk paraphernalia and accessories. Add a few of these?they work best if themed together?but be careful of going overboard cluttering your space or including items that could be deemed inappropriate for work. (Decorating your cubicle isn't the same as decorating your college dorm.)

Privacy-Boosting Accessories: If you have a problem with coworkers randomly invading your cubicle when you're trying to work, a folding shoji screen could come in handy. (Or at the very least, keep a pair of headphones at the ready so you can put up that universal sign for "don't bother me.")

Get Inspiration from Others' Cubicle Hacks

Here are some of the inspiring and creative cubicle upgrades and advice we've seen on Lifehacker. Adopt the ideas that work for you and enjoy making your workspace feel more like home and a little less like just another cell in the hive.

Love,
Lifehacker

Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to tips+asklh@lifehacker.com.

Photo remixed from originals by maraga (Shutterstock) and OCAL

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/1BAzeNgVti0/how-can-i-make-my-cubicle-more-comfortable-and-less-boring

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Sony's 4K Movie Streaming Will Work on PS4?At 100GB a Pop

While there's still little known about Sony's efforts to pioneer the first 4K movie download service, one thing we can say almost definitely now is that the service will in fact be compatible with its (supposedly) upcoming PS4. In an interview with The Verge, Sony President and COO Phil Molyneux almost sort of definitely confirmed that the service would be compatible with the ethereal console by promising that we "will not be disappointed." Oh, and by the way, a typical 4K movie download will chew up more than 100 GB of bandwidth. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9qAlPvfH0jk/sonys-4k-movie-streaming-will-work-on-ps4++at-100gb-a-pop

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Suicide bombing rocks oil-rich Iraqi city

The attack on a provincial police headquarters in the disputed city of Kirkuk killed at least 15 people and wounded 90 others.?

By Sinan Salaheddin,?Associated Press / February 3, 2013

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at the scene of a suicide bombing Sunday in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Emad Matti/AP

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A suicide car bomber joined by other suicide attackers on foot assaulted a provincial police headquarters in a disputed northern Iraqi city on Sunday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 90 others, officials said.

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The blast in?Kirkuk?appeared to be a fresh attack by militants seeking to undermine government efforts in maintaining security nationwide.

Two police officers said the car bomber drove his vehicle into the?Kirkuk?headquarters, after which a second car bomb ? parked rather than driven ??also went off. Then, two suicide attackers on foot armed with machine guns and grenades tried to break into the station, but were killed before they could enter the building and set off their explosive-rigged belts.

The officers spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release information. The head of the provincial health directorate, Sidiq Omar Rasool, confirmed the casualty figures.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, car bombs and coordinated attacks are favorite tactics for Sunni insurgents such as Al Qaeda's Iraq branch.

The blast damaged the police offices and nearby buildings. Several dead bodies could be seen on the street along with the debris of the car bomb. Police and rescuers dug in the rubble for survivors.

Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, is home to a mix of Arabs, Kurds, and Turkomen, who all have competing claims to the oil-rich area. The Kurds want to incorporate it into their self-ruled region in Iraq's north, but Arabs and Turkomen are opposed.

The city is at the heart of a snaking swath of territory disputed between the Kurds, who have their own armed fighting force, and Iraq's central government.

Al Qaeda and other insurgent groups are believed to exploit ethnic tensions throughout Iraq's north.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6ztRG5rTfTY/Suicide-bombing-rocks-oil-rich-Iraqi-city

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Mayors Against Illegal Guns To Air Super Bowl Ad In Washington Area

NEW YORK -- A gun control group founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is airing a Super Bowl advertisement calling for background checks.

The 30-second spot by Mayors Against Illegal Guns will air in the Washington area during the game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

The ad calls on lawmakers to pass rules requiring background checks on guns. It is narrated by children, with "America the Beautiful" playing in the background.

It includes decades-old footage of National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre saying the gun lobby group approves of the checks. LaPierre recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the NRA no longer supports background checks for all gun sales.

A Bloomsberg spokesman would say only that the ad cost in the six-figure range.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of more than 900 mayors from 48 states.

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/gun-control-super-bowl-ad_n_2608902.html

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Today on RE360Radio | Joe & Lori Join Forces To ... - Real Estate 360

Good afternoon and Happy Monday! I am pleased that I will be joined by RE360Radio co-host Lori Greymont to discuss a variety of issues related to real estate investing in the current market and more. Many of you may know Lori as the host of our program every Thursday. She is also the Founder and CEO of Summit Assets Group, and brings 20 years of real estate and entrepreneurial experience to Bay Area investors. While her business is focused on turn-key properties in Atlanta, Lori offers strategies and considerations that are critical to anyone entering the property investment arena. Today, Lori and I will discuss:

* With all of the lack of inventory, how are you finding properties?

* What are some of the avenues an investor can take to come up with the funds for investing?

* When an investor buys from you ? do you encourage him to do his ?due diligence? and if so, what do you suggest they look into or research?

* What type of investor do you usually deal with?

* What should an investor know in order to get started building a portfolio?

* What is the biggest mistake most investors tend to make?

Lori and I hope that you will join the discussion on all of the above and more ? today at 3pm on KDOW AM 1220. We also hope to hear your questions, so call live during the show: 1.800.516.1220. ~ Joe

Source: http://re360radio.com/today-on-re360radio-joe-lori-join-forces-to-discuss-anything-everything-real-estate-investing/2791/

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President Obama sworn in for 4 more years in office

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Stepping into his second term, President Barack Obama took the oath of office Sunday in an intimate swearing-in ceremony at the White House, the leader of a nation no longer in the throes of the recession he inherited four years ago but still deeply divided.

The president, surrounded by family in the ornate White House Blue Room, was administered the brief oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts. With Obama's hand resting on a Bible used for years by Michelle Obama's family, the president vowed "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," echoing the same words spoken by the 43 men who held the office before him.

About a dozen family members were on hand to witness Obama's swearing in, including the first lady, daughters Malia and Sasha, the president's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and her family. Mrs. Obama's mother Marian Robinson, and the first lady's brother, Craig Robinson and his family. A few reporters also were in the room.

The president will repeat the swearing in ritual again Monday on the west front of the Capitol, before a jubilant crowd of up to 800,000 people.

Sunday's smaller ceremony was a function of the calendar and the Constitution, which says presidents automatically begin their new terms at noon on Jan. 20. Because that date fell this year on a Sunday ? a day on which inaugural ceremonies historically are not held ? organizers scheduled a second, public swearing-in for Monday.

The mood in the nation's capital was more subdued during this year's inaugural festivities than it was four years ago, when Obama swept into office on a wave of national optimism, becoming the first black man to hold the nation's highest office. Since then, he has endured fiscal fights with Congress and a bruising re-election campaign ? and has the gray hair and lower approval ratings to show for it.

Ahead of his swearing in Sunday, Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, solemnly honored the nation's fallen soldiers during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. On a crisp, sun-splashed morning, Obama and Biden placed a large wreath adorned with red, white and blue ribbon, in front of Arlington's Tomb of the Unknowns. Placing their hands over their hearts, the two leaders stood motionless as a bugler played "Taps."

From Arlington, Obama joined his family at a church service celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. The president's public swearing-in on Monday coincides with the national holiday marking the fallen civil rights leader's birthday, and Obama has invoked King's memory throughout the lead-up to the inauguration.

The Rev. Jonathan V. Newton, an assistant pastor at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, prayed for God to prepare Obama for battle, "because sometimes enemies insist on doing it the hard way."

Biden took the oath of office earlier in the morning, surrounded by family and friends for a brief ceremony at the Naval Observatory, his official residence in northwest Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by Obama as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court, administered the oath of office to Biden, who placed his hand on a Bible his family has used since 1893.

Among the 120 guests on hand to witness the vice president's second swearing-in were Attorney General Eric Holder, departing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and several Democratic lawmakers.

A crowd of up to 800,000 people is expected to gather on the National Mall to witness Obama's second swearing-in, which will take place on the Capitol's red, white and blue bunting-draped west front. Roberts, who famously flubbed the oath of office that Obama took in 2009, will administer the oath on Monday.

Once the celebrations are over, Obama will plunge into a second-term agenda still dominated by the economy, which slowly churned out of recession during his first four years in office. The president will also try to cement his legacy with sweeping domestic changes, pledging to achieve both an immigration overhaul and stricter gun laws despite opposition from a divided Congress.

But for one weekend at least, Washington was putting politics aside. Obama called the nation's inaugural traditions "a symbol of how our democracy works and how we peacefully transfer power."

"But it should also be an affirmation that we're all in this together," he said Saturday, as he opened a weekend of inaugural activities at a Washington elementary school.

Obama and Biden were to address supporters Sunday evening at an inaugural reception.

The president planned to save his most expansive remarks for Monday's inaugural address to the crowd gathered on the Mall and millions more watching across the country and the world. Obama started working on the speech in early December and was still tinkering with it into the weekend, aides said.

Local officials were busy touching up Washington for all the hundreds of thousands of guests arriving for Monday's swearing-in. Work crews were trimming overgrown grass and trash from walkways along city underpasses, erecting first aid tents and setting up traffic detours. Swarms of tourists easily roamed city streets Sunday ahead of the pedestrian gridlock sure to come with Monday's full inaugural program.

The president's address will set the stage for the policy objectives he seeks to achieve in his second term, including speeding up the economic recovery, passing comprehensive immigration and gun control measures and ending the war in Afghanistan. Aides said Obama would save the specifics of those agenda items for his Feb. 12 State of the Union address.

The president launched a weekend of inaugural activities Saturday by heading up a National Day of Service. Along with his family, Obama helped hundreds of volunteers spruce up a Washington area elementary school.

Obama wore rubber gloves, picked up a paint brush and helped volunteers stain a bookshelf.

Obama added the service event to the inaugural schedule in 2009 and is hoping it becomes a tradition followed for future presidents.

Mrs. Obama, speaking to volunteers Sunday, espoused the importance of giving back in the midst of the weekend of pomp, circumstance and celebration.

"The reason why we're here, why we're standing here, why we're able to celebrate this weekend is because a lot of people worked hard and supported us, and we've got a job to do and this is a symbol of the kind of work that we need to be doing the next four years," Michelle Obama said at Burrville Elementary.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Josh Lederman, Matthew Daly and Nancy Benac contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-sworn-4-more-years-office-170309814--politics.html

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93% Zero Dark Thirty

All Critics (189) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (176) | Rotten (13)

Chastain makes Maya as vivid as a bloodshot eye. Her porcelain skin, delicate features and feminine attire belie the steel within.

No doubt Zero Dark Thirty serves a function by airing America's dirty laundry about detainee and torture programs, but in its wake, there's a crying need for a compassionate Coming Home to counter its brutal Deer Hunter.

While "Zero Dark Thirty" may offer political and moral arguing points aplenty, as well as vicarious thrills,as a film it's simply too much of a passable thing.

From the very first scenes of Zero Dark Thirty, director Kathryn Bigelow demonstrates why she is such a formidable filmmaker, as adept with human emotion as with visceral, pulse-quickening action.

A timely and important reminder of the agonizing human price of zealotry.

Not only is Zero Dark Thirty one of the year's best movies, it's an inspiring one to share with your daughters. That is, if they're old enough to deal with explicit torture scenes.

Gripping throughout, with an impressive central performance, this is like a Dogme 95 redo of a Chuck Norris film ...

The outcome is never in doubt, of course, but Bigelow's sublime skill as an action director comes into play as she's able to create tense shoot-outs viewed through infra-red goggles in the dead of night.

This thing is an embarrassment of riches; the jewel in director Kathryn Bigelow's crown.

It is played out in a matter-of-fact way, like a documentary. Step by step we follow the evidence with Maya as she doggedly pursues Osama Bin Laden for more than a decade.

With a little editing and some greater humanity infused into it, this could have been brilliant. 'Zero Dark Thirty' is solid and good overall, but not great. (Full Content Review for Parents also available)

I'd call it efficient. I would not call it inspired, groundbreaking, brilliant, innovative -- or even particularly effective as drama.

The fact that commentators, pundits, and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum are condemning Zero Dark Thirty is a sure sign that director Kathryn Bigelow and journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal have done something right.

What makes Zero Dark Thirty such a fascinating film is that it plays both as an engaging procedural thriller and a serious examination of the country's moral compass. It is already doing what great movies do-starting conversation.

It asks its audience: When does the risk of doing something outweigh the risk not doing anything? What are the costs of revenge? Where will the "war on terror" take us next?

Zero Dark Thirty is the perfection The Hurt Locker promised.

Zero Dark Thirty is a model of artistic restraint, a film letting fantastic history trump the need to score partisan points.

An effective and expertly made film, but a more character-driven story would've added some flesh to the bones of a great, true story.

It's particularly comparable to Zodiac, while there are also obvious parallels to Homeland, and a riveting, Call Of Duty-type finale.

This is an instant classic.

Zero Dark Thirty is a gripping, authentic-feeling account of the dark side of the war on terror.

Chastain's Maya is a red-tressed Pre-Raphaelite madonna with the cleft chin and chiseled features of an action hero.

After the lengthy torture scenes, procedural repetition takes over until the murkily-filmed Seal Team 6 raid. But Jessica Chastain is quite convincing as a CIA operative dedicated to her job.

A well-acted, well-intentioned, disjointed mess.

A well-produced and well-acted procedural/thriller film that stays focused on the frustrating nuts and bolts CIA led search for the elusive Al Qaeda leader.

A gripping, almost necessary, piece of filmmaking.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zero_dark_thirty/

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