Experts: Pistorius violated basic firearms rules

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Thursday Feb. 14, 2013 a police officer holds a gun that was alledgedly used in the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, at the home of athlete Oscar Pistorius, at the Boschkop police station east of Pretoria. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Pretoria News, Phill Magakoe, File) SOUTH AFRICA OUT

FILE - In this photo taken Wednesday Feb. 20 2013 two Tuesday newspaper headlines carrying the news of Olympian Athlete Oscar Pistorius' applications for six firearms are photographed in Johannesburg. Pistorius applied for licenses for six guns a few weeks before he shot and killed his girlfriend and Pistorius says the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp was accidental. Prosecutors have charged him with premeditated murder. Afrikaans newspaper headline left, reads "Police refuse Oscar weapon, gets 9mm license after appeal". Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell-File)

FILE - In this frame grab from CCTV footage leaked to M-Net's Carte Blanche program which viewed Sunday Feb 24, 2013, shows Reeva Steenkamp entering the secured access to the Silverwoods housing estate, home of Olympian athlete Oscar Pistorius, some hours before she was shot and killed at Pistorius' home. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/M-Net Carte Blanche, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe-File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Even if Oscar Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star athlete violated basic gun-handling regulations and exposed himself to a homicide charge by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it.

Particularly jarring for firearms instructors and legal experts is that Pistorius testified that he shot at a closed toilet door, fearing but not knowing for certain that a nighttime intruder was on the other side. Instead of an intruder, Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was in the toilet cubicle. Struck by three of four shots that Pistorius fired from a 9 mm pistol, she died within minutes. Prosecutors charged Pistorius with premeditated murder, saying the shooting followed an argument between the two. Pistorius said it was an accident.

South Africa has stringent laws regulating the use of lethal force for self-protection. In order to get a permit to own a firearm, applicants must not only know those rules but must demonstrate proficiency with the weapon and knowledge of its safe handling, making it far tougher to legally own a gun in South Africa than many other countries where a mere background check suffices.

Pistorius took such a competency test for his 9 mm pistol and passed it, according to the South African Police Service's National Firearms Center. Pistorius' license for the 9 mm pistol was issued in September 2010. The Olympic athlete and Paralympic medalist should have known that firing blindly, instead of at a clearly identified target, violates basic gun-handling rules, firearms and legal experts said.

"You can't shoot through a closed door," said Andre Pretorius, president of the Professional Firearm Trainers Council, a regulatory body for South African firearms instructors. "People who own guns and have been through the training, they know that shooting through a door is not going to go through South African law as an accident."

"There is no situation in South Africa that allows a person to shoot at a threat that is not identified," Pretorius added. "Firing multiple shots, it makes it that much worse. ...It could have been a minor ? a 15-year-old kid, a 12-year-old kid ? breaking in to get food."

The Pistorius family, through Arnold Pistorius, uncle of the runner, has said it is confident that the evidence will prove that Steenkamp's death in the predawn hours of Feb. 14 was "a terrible and tragic accident."

In an affidavit to the magistrate who last Friday freed him on bail, Pistorius said he believed an intruder or intruders had gotten into his US$560,000 (?430,000) two-story house, in a guarded and gated community with walls topped by electrified fencing east of the capital, Pretoria, and were inside the toilet cubicle in his bathroom. Believing he and Steenkamp "would be in grave danger" if they came out, "I fired shots at the toilet door" with the pistol that he slept with under his bed, he testified.

Criminal law experts said that even if the prosecution fails to prove premeditated murder, firing several shots through a closed door could bring a conviction for the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide, a South African equivalent of manslaughter covering unintentional deaths through negligence.

Johannesburg attorney Martin Hood, who specializes in firearm law, said South African legislation allows gun owners to use lethal force only if they believe they are facing an immediate, serious and direct attack or threat of attack that could either be deadly or cause grievous injury.

According to Pistorius' own sworn statement read in court, he "did not meet those criteria," said Hood, who is also the spokesman for the South African Gun Owners' Association.

"If he fired through a closed door, there was no threat to him. It's as simple as that," he added. "He can't prove an attack on his life ... In my opinion, at the very least, he is guilty of culpable homicide."

The Associated Press emailed a request for comment to Vuma, a South African reputation management firm hired by the Pistorius family to handle media questions about the shooting.

The firm replied: "Due to the legal sensitivities around the matter, we cannot at this stage answer any of your questions as it might have legal implications for a case that still has to be tried in a court of law." Vuma said on Monday it referred the AP's questions to Pistorius' legal team, which by Tuesday had not replied.

Culpable homicide covers unintentional deaths ranging from accidents with no negligence, like a motorist whose brakes fail, killing another road user, "to where it verges on murder or where it almost becomes intentional," said Hood. Sentences ? ranging from fines to prison ? are left to courts to determine and are not set by fixed guidelines.

The tough standards for legally acquiring a gun were instituted in part because of a wave of weapons purchases after the end of racist white rule in 1994, said Rick De Caris, a former legal director in the South African police. Under South Africa's white-minority apartheid regime, gun owners often learned how to handle firearms during military service. Many of the new gun owners had little or no firearms training, which brought tragic results, De Caris said.

"People were literally shooting themselves when cleaning a firearm," said De Caris, who helped draft the Firearms Control Act of 2000.

Prospective gun owners must now take written exams that include questions on the law, have to show they can safely handle and shoot a gun and are required to hit a target the size of a glossy magazine in 10 of 10 shots from seven meters (23 feet), said Pretorius of the Professional Firearm Trainers Council.

In his affidavit, Pistorius said he wasn't wearing his prosthetic limbs "and felt extremely vulnerable" after hearing noise from the toilet.

"I grabbed my 9 mm pistol from underneath my bed. On my way to the bathroom, I screamed words to the effect for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police. It was pitch-dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed," he testified.

Legal experts said they are puzzled why Pistorius apparently didn't first fire a warning shot to show the supposed intruder he was armed. Also unanswered is why, after he heard noise in his bathroom that includes the toilet cubicle, Pistorius still went toward the bathroom ? toward the perceived danger ? rather than retreat back into his bedroom.

"He should have tried to get out of the situation," said Hood, the attorney.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-Pistorius%20Shooting-Closed%20Door/id-d87a1cb6e5344be9ba8b91b6a40043ae

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The 'Argo' effect: Film could stoke suspicions about Americans abroad

The Oscar-winning film 'Argo' tells of how CIA operatives posed as a film crew to free hostages in Iran in 1979. The film could reinforce impressions in some countries that Americans are government agents.

By Gloria Goodale,?Staff writer / February 26, 2013

This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Bryan Cranston (l.) as Jack O?Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in 'Argo,' a rescue thriller about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

Claire Folge/Warner Bros./AP/File

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Filming in remote locations has never been a cakewalk, but thanks to Oscar?s top choice, ?Argo,? it just got a teensy bit harder, say some intelligence and entertainment industry watchers. The film depicts Hollywood producers helping the CIA spring six American diplomats from 1979 revolutionary Iran by posing them as a film crew.

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While the events are decades old, say experts, the message is current and more persuasive in many countries than ever: Americans abroad are the tools of their government and not to be trusted.

?It?s not something you can measure easily,? says David Barrett, a political scientist at Villanova University and author of "The CIA and Congress: The Untold Story from Truman to Kennedy." But, he says, ?if I were a film company sending my team into Iran or North Korea or Vietnam or any number of countries, it would be prudent to assume that my team would be the object of suspicion.?

?I would also assume this movie ["Argo"] may have confirmed this suspicion for many who do not read books but do see movies,? he adds.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science?s decision to bring in none other than first lady Michelle Obama to announce the best film Oscar ? which just happened to be "Argo" ? only amplifies the impression that the relationship between the US government and Hollywood is totally chummy.

?That decision crossed a line,? says Chuck Evered, a director and writer whose film, ?A Thousand Cuts,? was recently nominated for a Saturn Award, one that honors science fiction films.

If the industry wanted to send a message of independence from government influence, he says, ?that would not be the choice you would make.... If we are all in each other?s back pockets, how effective as storytellers can we be??

The CIA has used any number of covers over the years, says Peter Earnest, a 35-year CIA veteran and executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington. He says he was involved in numerous intelligence operations and points out that ?there are any number of countries where if you even speak a foreign language or ask questions you will become an object of suspicion, so Americans are not alone in this.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UXXYBET6MxU/The-Argo-effect-Film-could-stoke-suspicions-about-Americans-abroad

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The Biggest Stock Market Investing That You Actually Believe :: The ...

InvestorEducation / Learning to Invest Feb 25, 2013 - 10:35 PM GMT

By: DailyWealth

Steve Sjuggerud writes: You hear it all the time... but it's completely wrong.

I know, I know... It sounds so right and sensible, it must be true. But it's completely false.

It drives me nuts.

"Expert" after "expert" repeats this lie on the financial news... and the "experts" sitting across from them never correct the lie.

For me, it's an easy way to know if an "expert" is legitimate or not. If he spouts this lie, he doesn't know investing.

The simple, innocent lie goes something like this: "Well... the economy is doing better, so the stock market should do better, too."

Sounds believable. But it is simply not correct!

The truth is, to make the biggest gains going forward, you want to buy into a "bad" economy ? one where economic growth is zero or lower. The lesson of history is clear:

? When the economy is doing great, chances are stocks will underperform over the next year.
? When the economy is doing badly, chances are you'll do very well in stocks over the next year.

This isn't just my opinion, this is a fact...

You see, with my True Wealth Systems service, I have access to the best financial databases in the world. So to answer this question as completely as possible, I looked at U.S. stock prices versus the U.S. economy going back to 1800.

Astoundingly, since 1800, when the economy has been doing really well (when "real GDP" has grown at 6% a year or more over the preceding 12 months), you would have lost money in stocks over the next 12 months.

On the flip side, when the economy was contracting (shrinking), you'd have made a lot of money in stocks. The compound annual gain in the S&P 500 Index a year later was 50% higher than the gain in the index with "buy and hold."

You might say, "Steve, what happened in the 1800s doesn't matter as much here in the 2000s."

OK. Well let's take a closer look... Quarterly data for U.S. economic growth starts in 1947. So let's start in 1947 instead of 1800. The results turn out the same.

Since 1947, simply buying and holding stocks would have earned you a 7.3% compound annual gain.

But when the economic times are great ? when the economy has grown at 6% a year or faster over the preceding four quarters ? stocks have delivered a compound annual gain of 4.2% over the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, when the economy has contracted over the preceding four quarters, stocks have delivered an astounding 18.5% compound annual gain over the next 12 months.

Look... You've even experienced this effect ? recently!

The economy was shrinking for all of 2009... Stocks bottomed in early 2009 and then soared!

You know what I'm saying is true.

You see, great conditions get "priced in" to the stock market. By the time things are great, stocks are usually too expensive (and due for a big fall). When things are terrible, stocks become very cheap. You want to buy when things seem terrible.

You do make money in "normal" times, of course... But the biggest gains come after the economy has been shrinking. And stocks perform their worst after the economy has had a great run of growth.

Don't let the "experts" tell you any different!

Good investing,

Steve

P.S. We spent almost $1 million putting True Wealth Systems together. We've backtested it in 48 different sectors... including biotech, steel, gold, and emerging markets. The results are incredible: 249% gains in India... 331% gains in the tech sector... even 101% gains in safe "virtual banks." If you'd like to know more, I cover some of the details on how our systems work right here.

http://www.dailywealth.com

The DailyWealth Investment Philosophy: In a nutshell, my investment philosophy is this: Buy things of extraordinary value at a time when nobody else wants them. Then sell when people are willing to pay any price. You see, at DailyWealth, we believe most investors take way too much risk. Our mission is to show you how to avoid risky investments, and how to avoid what the average investor is doing. I believe that you can make a lot of money ? and do it safely ? by simply doing the opposite of what is most popular.

Customer Service: 1-888-261-2693 ? Copyright 2013 Stansberry & Associates Investment Research. All Rights Reserved. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. This e-letter may only be used pursuant to the subscription agreement and any reproduction, copying, or redistribution (electronic or otherwise, including on the world wide web), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of Stansberry & Associates Investment Research, LLC. 1217 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

? 2005-2013 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.

Source: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article39192.html

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Effective Leveraging Of Web Design Business Marketing: The ?how ...

Growth is indeed the result of a major investment and hard work you have in your web designer. Without constant growth, your web design business will not be profitable in the future. Here are perfect suggestions for you to keep your web design business growing.

Advertise your services in magazines. Magazines (especially specialty magazines) have a target demographic which can be found on their website. Narrow down a list of magazines who target your product?s demographic, and place an ad.

If you?re going to have sticky notes, you might as well have a custom made sticky note holder! This will make your desk look more organized, and a great promotional item to give to clients. It?s a classy way to support your web design business, and keep their items organized!

Do not be afraid to make the decisions. The majority can decide some decisions, but the final say should always come back to you. Not all your decisions are going to be popular, and that is okay. Just make sure that you implement the decisions you make with respect for everyone affected.

Lawn signs are a popular advertising method because of the affordability. Design a lawn sign which lists clearly and boldly your web design business name or logo, website and phone number. Avoid unnecessary clutter on the sign, as most people only have a few seconds to read the content.

Arrange a ?swap meet? with other entrepreneurs who belong to industries that don?t compete with yours. In the swap meet, you exchange leads and contacts for each other?s web design businesses. This is beneficial for each other?s marketing objectives.

Create pencils and bookmarks that contain your web design business, logo, and contact number. You can use this as free gifts, free bonuses to in-store buyers and customers, or a present for individuals who inquire about your offers.

You?ve probably seen them flying outside of large breweries, newspaper distributors and other big web design businesses but flags could do a lot for a small web design business too. Putting your logo anywhere it gets seen will help out your cause and up high on a flagpole is hard to beat. Your flags should be able to withstand winds.

Practice your skills to stay fresh and keep your web design business speeches, sales pitches and important web design business points in the front of your mind. Stay update on all things relevant to your web design business. Start by working on your public speaking skills at lifecollege.org.

If you are curious about online website builders, do not hesitate to go online and look for best website building software in Bing .

Related posts:

• Corporate Logo Design: Why Bother Doing A Professional Logo Design ? Some Tips A good logo is one which conveys the core message of your brand in a fashion which is simple to understand, but achieving this objective is often not easy. Another key need which makes the development of a corporate logo even more difficult is to create a design such that it is striking and slick....
• Exactly why Simplexes Counts in a Logo Design? In the world of business, simplicity provides an awesome place. If your techniques are simpler and easier, your life will become a lot easier and you will become more successful. When it comes to producing a logo design, it is always advised that you must make a simple design. Loads of specialized designers advise that you stay clear of complex designs. Quite possibly if you evaluate some of the most well known logos, you will notice that they are very simple yet sophisticated....
• Making The Cost Of Logo Design Worth It For most people, the average cost of logo design that is made by a professional is the main thing that pushes them towards DIY logo design websites. They think that the money that they are saving is definitely worth it. What they seem to leave out is the fact that most of the time, the logos that are being generated from DIY websites actually get turned down a lot by the US patent office a lot due to copyright issues....
• Ways Logos Contribute To Business Image Designing is such a wonderful aspect that everyone is basically very much interested in learning what exactly is basically designing ? Well, if you are commonly, you should take up designing career By doing so, you will gain systematic knowledge about the different logo Design denver practices and skills involved in design along with its development....
• Leveraging Your Web Design Business Marketing To Meet Your Goals One of the most significant processes for your web design business is expansion. In order to accelerate web design business growth, you have to implement methods in order to succeed. Here are the following methods on how to grow your web design business for a long time....

Source: http://blog.onewaylinksite.com/effective-leveraging-of-web-design-business-marketing-the-how-to-guide-for-effective-customer-reach/

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Save Yourself The Hassle And Get Your Software, Online ...

In this technical age there are myriad kinds of software and web applications that are out there on the market and online for people and companies to download. When your company is ready to get online it is essential to download these web applications however, it?s equally essential to run web application testing and software performance testing. By doing this, it guarantees that your business is safe, protected, and is prepared for your company to be on the Internet and get the most out of your software programs.
Some things to do to get your company off the ground and online is by performing web application load testing, software security testing, and performance testing web applications. All of these tests are essential to conduct in the early stages of your company so that you could get back to work without needing to bother with software safety and all your web applications will run as efficiently as possible.
When you do a web application load test, you are basically ensuring that your business?s computer systems can deal with multiple connections instantly when working on different databases at the same time. This is important since opportunities are you will be doing a great deal of work on numerous data sources to get the most from your business?s on-line efforts. Databases can reduce your work efficient therefore, by performing a web application load test you could go about your day not having to bother with sluggish software and programs.
Because we are living in a connected and online world where information is so readily available and simple to gain access to, protection is an downright necessity. Thankfully, a software testing company can help you with software security testing that highlights any risks or potential dangers that your company could run into in the future. Preventative measures ought to be taken with any and all hazards that can occur with the safety of your online business. If these hazards are not taken care of it can negatively impact your business and source of income for that reason, do not take this softly. Take for instance, a doctor office that utilizes software that residences the information for thousands of their patients. If software security testing did not take place on all the office computers there?s an increased possibility that a hacker can infiltrate the software and get their hands on classified info such as doctor records, and account and billing information. functional software testing
To keep your business running efficiently and successfully it is very important to carry out efficiency screening for web applications. Screening for web applications looks deep into the efficiency of the software to see why software is running slow-moving and how to make it run rapidly and appropriately. By preventing any bottlenecks that can decrease the work you must never have problems with your software.
Generally, by contacting a software testing company, you will optimize your company from the first day. These professionals will make sure that your software, protection, and web applications are taken care of. After that, your business will be ready to handle your workload with convenience.

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Source: http://www.damm-net.org/blog/2013/02/save-yourself-the-hassle-and-get-your-software-online-applications-and-software-security-tested/

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Sony to Start Mass Production of PlayStation 4 in Q3 2013 - Report

Sony Corp. admits that it does not have a mass-production PlayStation 4 box that it can bring out to the public. Nonetheless, the company seems to be pretty open about its plans regarding the new system and its current state. While the price of the PS4 is something that has yet to be determined, some reports point to the company?s alleged plans to start mass production of the device in Q3 2013.

?We are certainly capable of showing playable game content, but we do not have a mass-production box that we can bring out and pull out. That is still in development in terms of final specs and design,? said Jack Tretton, the president and chief exec of Sony Computer Entertainment America, in an interview with AllThingsD web-site.

In the meantime, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report (which was partly translated by DigiTimes web-site), Taiwan-based supply chain participants for the PlayStation 4, plan to begin shipments in the second quarter of 2013, which means that actual assembly of the console may start in the third quarter, or even earlier, depending on availability of components.

According to the report, including power supply maker Delta Electronics, connector maker Cheng Uei Precision Industry (Foxlink), and thermal module maker Foxconn Technology, will ship PS4 components in Q2.

At present, it is unclear which contract manufacturer will assemble the PlayStation 4 game console. The PS3 is produced by Sony EMCS, Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision Industries) and Pegatron.

Sony PlayStation 4 is based on a semi-custom AMD Fusion system-on-chip that integrates eight AMD x86 Jaguar cores, custom AMD Radeon HD core with unified array of 18 AMD GCN-like compute units (1152 stream processors which collectively generate 1.84TFLOPS of computer power that can freely be applied to graphics, simulation tasks, or some mixture of the two), various special-purpose hardware blocks as well as multi-channel GDDR5 memory controller.

The PS4 will come with 8GB of unified GDDR5 memory sub-system (with 176GB/s bandwidth) for both CPU and GPU as well as large-capacity hard disk drive. Sony PS4 will be equipped with Blu-ray disc drive capable of reading BDs at 6x and DVDs at 8x speeds, USB 3.0 connectivity in addition to a proprietary aux port, Gigabit Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR wireless technology as well as HDMI, optical and analog outputs. The new system will also utilize new DualShock 4 game controller with integrated touchpad as well as better motion sensing thanks to new PS4 Eye tracking cameras.

Tags: Sony, Playstation, Orbis, AMD, Jaguar, Radeon, ATI, 28nm, Delta, Foxlink, Foxconn, Pegatron

Source: http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20130223122753_Sony_to_Start_Mass_Production_of_PlayStation_4_in_Q3_2013_Report.html

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Iowa blows 19-point lead, NCAA hopes at Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. ? The narrative to Iowa?s men?s basketball season now has gone to press.

Only an epilogue erasing the entire campaign can rewrite the season ? or a game ? like Saturday?s 64-60 tragic collapse at Nebraska. The latest installment of epic defeats featured the Hawkeyes (17-10, 6-8 Big Ten) blowing a 19-point, first-half lead on the road against the Big Ten?s worst scoring offense. It featured a stunning reversal of execution, energy and effectiveness.

It was the loss that likely will keep Iowa from the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight season. But it was just like all the others.

Saturday, Nebraska point guard Dylan Talley nailed a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock with nine seconds left to give the Cornhuskers (13-14, 4-10) a 63-60 lead. Iowa?s Mike Gesell tried to tie the game with a 3-pointer of his own, but the shot went long and bounced over the backboard. Nebraska inbounded, Ray Gallegos was fouled and knocked down one of two free throws to seal the win.

Players line up for the presentation of colors and playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" on Saturday at Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.

?It hurts,? Iowa senior Eric May said. ?I expected to win this game.?

The outcome fit into a similar mosaic of Iowa?s season. The Hawkeyes led by 12 in the first half and inside of two minutes against Michigan State before losing by three. Iowa blew a four-point lead and a last-second chance to win in overtime at Purdue. The Hawkeyes allowed up a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to give up the lead and ultimately the win 62-59 at Minnesota. Iowa led Wisconsin by nine with six minutes to at Kohl Center before a late 3-pointer tied the game, and the Badgers won in double overtime.

?If you look down at the schedule, all of those close ?games have an impact on the NCAA tournament chances,? Iowa sophomore Aaron White said. ?You don?t think about that now, but obviously when you look back, you look at the resume at the end of the season, we?re going to look at it frustrated because what is it, five possessions in six games, maybe??

?Out of all the shots, that one was the most difficult one,? Iowa junior Devyn Marble said. ?At least we made him make the shot. At Minnesota, it was kind of an open shot in with a good shooter in Hollins. Wisconsin, it wasn?t as bad, but it wasn?t as good of defense as today was. We try to give credit.?

But Saturday?s damages Iowa?s NCAA hopes more than any of the others. Nebraska already had clinched a losing Big Ten season. In three consecutive possessions, May and Marble (two) sank 3-pointers to put Iowa up 41-22 with 48 seconds left in the half. Nebraska?s Shavon Shields got to the rim on the next possession and was fouled by Iowa?s Adam Woodbury. Shields made the basket and the free throw, but Iowa was up 16 at halftime.

That?s when the game changed. Nebraska?s focus, center Brandon Ubel said, was increasing the energy level. Iowa instead slipped into complacency. Nebraska shot 62.5 percent in the second half, while Iowa sank just 28 percent from the floor.

?The second half, we just weren?t ready to play,? said Iowa guard Mike Gesell, a South Sioux City, Neb., native. ?Coach (Fran McCaffery) emphasized at halftime that we?ve really got to come out and play tough the first four minutes, and I think we did the exact opposite. We blew our lead right away. That?s something that you can?t do.?

Nebraska trimmed at Iowa?s lead before cutting its deficit to 53-50 with 7:17 left. Marble twice answered with a pair of jumpers to keep the Hawkeyes in the lead at 57-52 with 4:45 remaining. But the game?s momentum had swung toward the Cornhuskers, based on Iowa?s sluggish play and Nebraska?s offensive rhythm and defensive persistence.

?We got tentative trying to hold on to it,? McCaffery said. ?You can?t hold on to a lead in a seven-possession, eight-possession game for 20 minutes. You?ve got to go attack the same way you got the 16-point lead. We didn?t do that.?

Nebraska then scored eight points on four consecutive possessions to take a 60-57 lead. White drilled a 3-pointer to knot the game up with 1:29 left. The Hawkeyes forced Talley to miss a shot off the glass, and Josh Oglesby pulled down a rebound with 1:11 left. Marble dribbled into a double team in front of the basket and was called for a change. That gave Nebraska one final chance, and Talley took advantage.

With an RPI hovering at 79 Saturday, Iowa?s chances for an NCAA tournament bid could rest with either an upset at No. 1 Indiana next Saturday or a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament. White isn?t giving up hope.

?I?m not going to say it?s slipping away,? White said. ?We still have got four games left, Big Ten Tournament. It?s not over with.?

Only the epilogue remains.

Source: http://thegazette.com/2013/02/23/iowa-blows-19-point-lead-ncaa-hopes-at-nebraska/

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Midwest swaddled in blanket of snow; travel tough

Tom McReynolds clears snow from a neigbors' house in Wichita, Kans.,Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of Wichita buried under 13 inches of still-falling snow, but winter storm warnings stretched eastern Colorado through Illinois. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Jaime Greene)

Tom McReynolds clears snow from a neigbors' house in Wichita, Kans.,Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of Wichita buried under 13 inches of still-falling snow, but winter storm warnings stretched eastern Colorado through Illinois. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Jaime Greene)

Two men help push a car down a snow-covered street Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in St. Louis. Blinding snow bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, making major roadways all but impassable and shutting down schools and state legislatures. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Traffic moves steadily along Interstate 70 East and West in St. Charles, Mo. on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. Blinding snow, at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, making major roadways all but impassable and shutting down schools and state legislatures. Freezing rain and sleet were forecast for southern Missouri, southern Illinois and Arkansas. St. Louis was expected to get all of the above , a treacherous mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

Braden Center jumps his sled over a mound of snow on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in Wichita. Kan. Parts of Kansas have received over a foot of snow since a strong winter storm moved through the area. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)

Emergency crews work to get a van out from the snow packed shoulder of I-70, Thursday afternoon Feb. 21, 2013 in Topeka, Kan. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of the state buried under 14 inches of powdery snow, but winter storm warnings stretched from eastern Colorado through Illinois.(AP Photo/The Topeka Capital Journal, Chris Neal)

ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Powdery snow, up to a foot and a half in some places, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, impeding travel and shutting down airports, schools and state legislatures.

The widespread winter storm system swirled to the north and east Thursday night, its snow, sleet and freezing rain prompting winter storm warnings in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

Corey Mead, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the winter storm would be centered in the upper Midwest by Friday morning.

"Even across Kansas, the snowfall rates should continue to taper off through the evening," Mead said.

The system left behind impressive snow accumulations, especially in western Kansas, where 17 inches fell in Hays.

Several accidents and two deaths were blamed on icy and slushy roadways; two people died in crashes Wednesday. Most schools in Kansas and Missouri, and many in neighboring states, were closed Thursday and legislatures shut down in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Truett said it was "pouring snow" earlier Thursday, with it falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour or more in some spots.

Topeka, Kan., got 3 inches of snow in a 30-minute period, leaving medical center worker Jennifer Carlock to dread the drive home.

"It came on fast," Carlock said as she shoveled around her car. "We're going to test out traction control on the way home."

Snow totals passed the foot mark in many places: the Kansas cities of Hutchinson, Macksville and Hanston all saw 14 inches, and Wichita, Kan., had 13 inches. A few places in far northern Oklahoma saw between 10 to 13? inches of snow. Missouri's biggest snow total was 10 inches, shared by the Kansas City metropolitan area, Rockport in the northwest corner and Moberly in the central part of the state.

Transportation officials in affected states urged people to simply stay home.

"If you don't have to get out, just really, please, don't do it," Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said. Interstate 70 through Kansas was snow-packed, and a 200-mile stretch between Salina and Colby was closed.

In Iowa, visibility was down to a quarter- to a half-mile on some southern and central Iowa roads, the state Department of Transportation said early Thursday evening.

Driving in the region's cities wasn't much better. Richard Monroe, 27, technology manager and marketing representative for the Missouri State University bookstore in Springfield, and eight of his colleagues arrived in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday for a conference.

He said a shuttle bus that was taking participants from the Weston Crown Center hotel to Bartle Hall, about five minutes away, got stuck in the snow and then ran into a truck. The vehicle was incapacitated for nearly two hours.

"We saw today that Kansas City is just shut down. I've never seen a big city like this where nothing is moving," Monroe said.

But some people came down with cabin fever, like Jennifer McCoy of Wichita, Kan. She loaded her nine children ? ages 6 months to 16 years ? in a van for lunch at Applebee's.

"I was going crazy, they were so whiny," McCoy said.

Cases of wine and beer ? as well as bottles of scotch and whiskey ? were flying off the shelves at Ingersoll Wine and Spirits ahead of the storm's arrival in Des Moines, Iowa.

"A lot of people have been buying liquor to curl up by the fire," wine specialist Bjorn Carlson said. NWS forecasts showed 3 to 9 inches of snow were expected in Iowa overnight, and Nebraska will see an additional 2 to 5 inches.

Heavy, blowing snow caused scores of businesses in Iowa and Nebraska to close early, including two malls in Omaha, Neb. Mardi Miller, manager of Dillard's department store in Oakview Mall, said most employees had been sent home by 4 p.m., and she believed "only two customers are in the entire store."

The storm brought some relief to a region that has been parched by the worst drought in decades.

Vance Ehmke, a wheat farmer near Healy, Kan., said the nearly foot of snow was "what we have been praying for." Climatologists say 12 inches of snow is equivalent to about 1 inch of rain, depending on the density of the snow.

Near Edwardsville, Ill., farmer Mike Campbell called the precipitation a blessing after a bone-dry growing season in 2012. He hopes it is a good omen for the spring.

"The corn was just a disaster," Campbell said of 2012.

Areas in the Texas Panhandle also had up to 8 inches of snow, and in south central Nebraska, Grand Island reported 10 inches of snow. And Arkansas saw a mix of precipitation ? a combination of hail, sleet and freezing rain in some place, 6 inches of snow in others.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Thursday morning. All flights at Kansas City International Airport were canceled for Thursday night, and officials said they'd prepare to reopen Friday morning. More than 320 flights at Lambert Airport in St. Louis were canceled by Thursday afternoon. Traffic throughout the state was snarled by hundreds of accidents and vehicles in ditches.

The University of Missouri canceled classes for one of the few times in its 174-year history. At a nearby Wal-Mart, some students passed the ice scrapers and snow melt, heading directly to the aisles containing sleds and alcohol.

"This isn't our usual Thursday noon routine," Lauren Ottenger, a senior economics major from Denver, said as she stockpiled supplies.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Scher Zagier in Columbia, Mo.; Bill Draper and Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Mo.; Margery Beck in Omaha, Neb.; John Hanna in Topeka, Kan.; Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kan.; Catherine Lucey and Barbara Rodriguez in Des Moines, Iowa; Tim Talley in Oklahoma City; Chuck Bartels in Little Rock, Ark.; and Jim Suhr in St. Louis contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-21-Winter%20Storm/id-56d3944cfa584243a755abdb7d6a754f

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Fred T. Foard looking for a new head football coach

NEWTON, NC (WBTV) -

Jason Phelps has resigned today?as head football coach at Fred T. Foard.

Phelps came to Foard back in 2011 and in 2 seasons compiled a record of 5-15.?

The Tigers finished in last in the Northwestern Conference last season as they went 0-6 in conference play.? The year before, they went 2-4 with one of those wins coming via forfeit from Hickory.

Since 2000,?the Fred T. Foard?program has only had?3 winning seasons (2000, 2006, 2008).?

Phelps is an alum of Watauga High School who currently has an opening at the head coaching position as well in football.

Copyright 2013 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.wbtv.com/story/21299209/fred-t-foard-looking-for-a-new-head-football-coach

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Strategy Seeks To Ensure Bid Of Brennan For C.I.A.

The New York Times:

WASHINGTON -- The White House is refusing to share fully with Congress the legal opinions that justify targeted killings, while maneuvering to make sure its stance does not do anything to endanger the confirmation of John O. Brennan as C.I.A. director.

Read the whole story at The New York Times

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/strategy-seeks-to-ensure-_n_2730248.html

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Bowling tax? Part of Ohio tax revamp plan.

Bowling tax, along with levies on concerts, football games, and museums, are part of Ohio Governor Kasich's plan to lower the overall sales tax but broaden its reach. Bowling tax 'scares' one alley owner.

By John Seewer,?Associated Press / February 19, 2013

The sun sets on the midway at the Miami County Fair in Troy, Ohio. Gov. John Kasich plans to lower but expand the reach of Ohio?s sales tax for concerts, high school football games, and amusement parks. There's even a bowling tax.

Mike Ullery/Piqua Daily Call/AP/File

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Expanding Ohio's sales?tax?might take some of the fun out of going to concerts, football games, amusement parks, and bowling.

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A bowling tax?

Gov. John Kasich wants to cut the state's overall sales-tax rate while also putting the lower 5 percent sales?tax on a long list of new items that include circuses, arcade games and carnival rides.

Admission to fairs, museums, and theme parks would fall under Ohio's sales?tax?for the first time too. So would tickets to pro, college and high school games.

The governor is proposing sweeping changes in the way Ohio?taxes?businesses and individuals in his two-year budget that still must be approved by lawmakers. Kasich's plan includes cutting the income?tax?rate by 20 percent over three years and the small business?tax?by 50 percent.

The reductions add up to $1.4 billion in?tax?cuts over three years.

At the same time, his proposal tacks on Ohio's sales?tax?to attorney fees, cable TV and pet grooming as well as entertainment options.

"By broadening this?tax, by broadening it, we're actually bringing greater fairness to the system," Kasich said last week.

Adding the sales?tax?on arts, entertainment, and recreation alone is projected to bring in $85 million to the state government over the coming two years.

It's also likely to add to the cost of seeing a ballgame or a play.

Some entertainment businesses and sports teams will pass the costs onto ticket buyers and customers while others are likely to absorb the costs, fearing that a price increase will drive away business.

"There has to be a decrease somewhere, either in my profits or customers," said Eric Bates, president of Bates Brothers Amusements Co., which is based in Wintersville in eastern Ohio and supplies carnival rides to fairs and festivals.

He worries that some cash-strapped county fairs won't survive if they're forced to give up 5 percent of their gate fees to the government.

"I don't know that it's wise at this time," Bates said.

Bowling?alley owner Marty Teifke agreed that it would hurt to pay a bowling tax?on lane rentals.

"It's not easy to raise prices, and the economy is not the best around here" said Teifke, who runs TimbersBowling?in Maumee near Toledo. "It scares me to hear this."

Most entertainment businesses and groups that would be affected by a wider sales?tax?are still trying to figure out what the impact might be and how they'll respond, including Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., owners of Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky and Kings Island near Cincinnati.

Both parks have fought against past attempts by local governments that have tried to?tax?tickets and parking.

The addition of a 5 percent state sales?tax?on admissions would amount to $2.75 on the price of a $54.99 Cedar Point ticket at the gate.

A $22 Cincinnati Reds ticket in the upper deck ticket would generate $1.10 for the state.

Close to 70 cities and villages in Ohio already have some sort of admission?tax?with most coming in at 3 percent. Cleveland's is at 8 percent.

Tickets for high school sports wouldn't be exempt from the governor's proposal.

Jim Stoyle, athletic director at Centerburg High School north of Columbus, said he wouldn't want the cost of admission to go up. "That's the one thing I hate in sports today," he said.

Game tickets at the school now are $6 for adults and $4 for students. He's concerned that families would be stretched thin if the price goes up, especially for those with several children playing, and that the teams would suffer as well.

"Most of our high school athletic programs survive on ticket gate sales," Stoyle said.

Community theater groups would face the same decisions.

"There wouldn't be much choice but to pass along a sales?tax?increase to the customers," said Tom Neff, board president of the Chagrin Valley Little Theater outside Cleveland. "People would understand it's part of what you would have to do. I don't think there's any way around it."

___

Associated Press writer Ann Sanner in Columbus contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6lSwdv8_EMU/Bowling-tax-Part-of-Ohio-tax-revamp-plan

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Berlin?s Productivity App Maker 6Wunderkinder Plucks Chad Fowler From LivingSocial As New CTO

6Wunderkinder, the Berlin-based developer of cross-platform productivity app Wunderlist, today announced a step up in its ambitions as a “productivity platform” for a global audience: it has hired American Chad Fowler as its new CTO. Fowler, well known as an expert and leader in Ruby on Rails, had been the SVP for technology at troubled daily deals provider LivingSocial — a position he resigned from suddenly in January with the news that he was moving to Berlin. Now we understand why. The move is significant for 6Wunderkinder because it coincides with the company gearing up to launch an API for Wunderlist — expected sometime in Q2 — as well as a “pro” version of Wunderlist — which will be out some time this quarter. Although the app is already used as a bridge between work and consumer productivity, Christian Reber, the CEO and founder of the startup, says that the professional version this will be 6Wunderkinder’s first major foray into paid enterprise content to start monetizing its service, which is currently available as a free web and native app on multiple platforms. It’s another step in the growth of the startup. In December 2012, 6Wunderkinder shifted to making its Wanderlust app available across a number of native platforms — in addition to remaining as a web app — which Reber says has resulted in the company seeing a bump of 500,000 more users in the last eight weeks. It now has 3.5 million active users on 8.5 million total downloads, and some 20 million tasks have been amassed on the service. In his new role, Fowler will be tasked with making sure that Wunderlist remains stable as it continues to grow. The plan is to release more apps in future that will complement Wunderlist, with the API being a link through to the company’s wider ambitions to act as a holder of data that can be used both in those apps as well as those of others. Fowler’s previous company, LivingSocial, has been one of the beneficiaries, and then later casualties, of the rise and fall of daily deals. With layoffs hitting the company last year, some people see it as suffering from a “brain drain,” with Fowler leaving one sign of that. Fowler sees it differently. “This move is not about getting away from LivingSocial, which is definitely what some of the people in the U.S. think,” he told

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/mrLluT-fcts/

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Blog To Express: Online SEO Training

The purpose of this blog is posted on Why Blog? .

When found these unknown blogs which contains unappealing or distasteful content, stocks and shares market news and other unusual stuff :

1. Please do not follow the instructions of the spammers or click on any links on these spam blogs.

2. Spam blog topics are unusual, uncharacteristic blog contents with links. Pls do not proceed if found doubtful or by anonymous writers.

Thank you for navigating carefully in a "spamless blog-free zone" where every effort is taken to remove the spams when immediately found. Please surf the Internet with precautions and safety for your protection.

Source: http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.com/2013/02/online-seo-training.html

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Canada's Raonic advances to SAP Open final against Tommy Haas

Rick Eymer, The Associated Press | Feb 16, 2013 | Last Updated: Feb 17, 2013 - 1:50 UTC

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Milos Raonic's dominant run at the SAP Open is on the verge of becoming historic.

The Thornhill, Ont., native advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-2 win over third-seeded Sam Querrey on Saturday.

Raonic, undefeated in San Jose, is attempting to become the first player in the Open era began in 1968 to win here three consecutive years, and the first overall since Tony Trabert did it between 1953-55.

Raonic will next face Tommy Haas for the first time. Haas advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win against John Isner.

The 13th-ranked Raonic recorded 12 aces in his match against Querrey and won 88 per cent of his second serve points.

"I've been going up and down in regards to my return," Raonic said. "I started aggressively and carried that through the match. I'm returning well, moving well and serving well, the whole thing. Everything is on the right track and that gives you confidence that all the work is paying off."

Raonic leads the tournament in service games won (31 of 31), first serve points (90 per cent) and has 39 aces.

Querrey said the inability to handle Raonic's serve made all the difference.

"He's the only guy in the field who has been over 140 (m.p.h.) on his serve consistently all week," Querrey said. "Even if you can get your racket on it, you might not get it clean. You try to get the ball in play and go from there. I wasn't even close to getting to it."

Haas meanwhile reached his first final in six months.

"Numbers and rankings don't mean as much to me as reaching the final of a tournament," Haas said. "At my age, you're always looking for another title. Hopefully I can play well again tomorrow."

The 22nd-ranked Haas made his debut in San Jose in 1998 and reached this final for the first time. He played in just his second semifinal, his first since 2005.

"It's a tough sport, it's a grind," Haas said. "Moments like this, when you're on such a high winning these matches, make you appreciate all the hard work you put in. You never know. It can be easy to just say, 'Oh, maybe next week.' Mentally I thought I can still achieve something and that has kept me going."

The 34-year-old German qualified for his 25th career final and will be looking for his 14th career title.

"You can always improve your game," Haas said. "You might start thinking that all these younger guys have passed you by, but you can help your all-around game. That's what you have to keep thinking."

Isner, who missed the Australian Open because of a bruised right knee, was successful on just 58 per cent of his first serves.

"Normally I can serve better than how I did," Isner said. "That's what decided the match. He played a lot better than I did. He didn't miss too many serves. He was very good."

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F287/~3/FLgVq1XIkck/story.html

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Figure skaters spin, twirl, and glide in competition : News ... - Wluc

Read?more: Local, News, Skaters, Figure Skaters, Ice, Lakeview Ice Arena, Compete, Dedication, Determination

MARQUETTE -- This weekend was the Ron Carlson Marquette International Open at the Lakeview Arena in Marquette.

For the past 44 years boys and girls ages three to nineteen ice skate and compete to qualify for the national solo dance series and the state high school figure skating series.

Skaters also participated in free skate events where a figure skating routine is choreographed to music.

Coaches and skaters both agree that when it comes to figure skating, it takes a lot of practice and determination.

"It's hard. You know, you get there and it's almost like you're pushing yourself and when you're doing these jumps and stuff, you know, your coach is telling you what you're doing wrong but you're the one who's fixing it so it's really self-directed," said Nora Gaffney, figure skater.

This year 128 skaters were in the competition.

Source: http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?id=861656

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Impact Investing for the New Economy

By Atlee McFellin

With?350.org?s Do the Math Tour?to get universities and other institutional investors to divest their holdings in the fossil fuels industry, there?s reason to be optimistic.? With?Unity College and Hampshire College divesting from fossil fuel, students at another 100 campuses pushing their universities to do the same and the passionate intent of the Mayor of Seattle to have the?city employees? pension fund divest as well, there?s certainly reason to hope that 2013 will see a considerable rise in investment in the transition to a more sustainable economy.

In a?recent Grist article by Asher Miller, Executive Director of the Post-Carbon Institute, he argued that we must figure out ways to not only get institutional investors to divest from fossil fuel, but to also drive capital to solutions that help us transition to a clean energy economy while simultaneously creating opportunities for local communities. With seemingly countless examples of communities catalyzing clean energy solutions for themselves, the time is ripe to promote?divestment from?fossil fuels and?investment into?marginalized communities, supporting their transition to a?new economy?that fosters economic prosperity at the same time as environmental sustainability and positive social impact.

This so-called?new economy?is distinct from the green economy movement because the transition to a clean energy economy doesn?t necessarily entail or focus on the well-being of communities and workers.? The new economy movement shares concerns for clean energy and that the economy must be environmentally sustainable, but also prioritizes a positive impact for local communities and workers to the same extent.?

Within the new economy movement, there is a push to transform the role and nature of money, a focus on transforming the nature of ownership over businesses and other productive assets, a commitment to eliminating the power of the financial system in favor of more localized economy where the people, the planet, and economic prosperity are intimately connected, concerns with changing the nature of power in the political system, and more.? Concurrently, though largely separate from the new economy movement, over the last few years a new investment discipline has emerged that?s focused on?maximizing social or environmental impact?with a considerable potential to harness capital for local development inline with the broader goals of the movement to build a new economy.

As the?Global Impact Investing Network?defines it:

?Impact investments aim to solve social or environmental challenges while generating financial profit.? ??

With the U.S. economy in a state of prolonged stagnation (since the near collapse of the capital markets in September 2008), it?s never been more important to drive investment into communities for a more sustainable economy where it?s needed the most. ?Impact investing stresses that investing to maximize social or environmental impact doesn?t necessarily have to mean sacrificing financial returns.

There are a growing number of funds and other investment products in the U.S. with goals to have a positive economic, social, and environmental impact on local communities. As the new economy movement grows in communities around the country, it?s imperative that it finds direct ways to integrate its activities with impact investors to best assist in expanding solutions at the local level, especially in historically marginalized communities that may otherwise get passed over just like we saw with the rise of the dot.com industry.

Impact investing for the new economy entails not just maximizing social?or?environmental impact, but maximizing social?and?environmental impact. An increasing set of funds and other products seek to provide loan capital to help small businesses and micro-enterprises grow, as well as help them transition to more socially and environmentally sustainable products, processes, or services. A number of equity or venture capital funds are focused on helping these triple bottom line businesses achieve scale without compromising their mission. ?An entirely different set of loan and equity sources of capital address the lack of commercial and residential property that is affordable, energy efficient, and free of hazardous materials in the declining urban cores of many of America?s cities, large and small.

The legacy of a toxic economy has left contaminated land in or near marginalized communities all over the country, from Detroit to Dallas, Philadelphia to Oakland. ?Though there is more to be done, there are a number of loan and equity funds working to clean the land and revitalize brownfields into thriving centers for a sustainable and socially responsible economy. ??Other funds are transforming vacant properties into solutions for marginalized communities whether it be residential, commercial, or mixed-use development. ?Some focus on conserving natural resources and business development at the same time, so called ?ecosystem services.?

As interest grows in rebuilding our urban cores, places now home to brownfields, funding-starved public schools, and a continually dwindling tax base, some impact investors have made the move towards smart growth and development oriented towards expanding solutions for marginalized communities around public transportation hubs. By harnessing the power of impact investors, the new economy movement can drive capital to communities to build the new economy from the ground up with those passionately striving to transform their lives and the lives of those around them.

The new economy movement is poised to increasingly align their activities with impact investors to address the biggest social and environmental challenges we are faced with today. ?As discussed in a?recent article in CSRwire, two impact investors address this very issue and recommend the creation of local and low-cost loan funds to provide capital to communities in a way that?s meaningful, equitable, and drives capital to places most investors regard as too risky.? They suggest leveraging the growing interest in crowdfunding to create funds that aggregate small investments by local community residents, while simultaneously providing an opportunity for impact investors to invest larger sums of money. As Living Cities and the Initiative on Responsible Investment at Harvard University noted in a?recent report, one of the issues impact investors are faced with is a lack of local funds and investment opportunities.??Local new economy funds?could help drive capital to marginalized communities, while providing much needed investment opportunities for impact investors looking to align their money with their mission or values.

These funds could be created in communities across the country, as the new economy movement champions?support for?and?expansion of?solutions?with?low-income communities and communities of color in an equitable fashion. Between the establishment of these local new economy funds while increasingly bridging the gap between marginalized communities, new economy solutions, and sources of impact investment more broadly, the new economy movement can help catalyze a stronger national mass movement to fundamentally transform the economy.

By supporting the expansion of local economic opportunities firstly by aggregating small amounts of capital from local residents, the new economy movement can strengthen the accountability of new economy solutions to the needs of marginalized communities. Attracting larger impact investors to fund local new economy solutions and help them achieve a degree of scale they might otherwise not be able to achieve without patient, low-cost capital.? The new economy movement can support the ability of local communities to fight for social, economic, and environmental justice by supporting economic opportunity and security.

The new economy movement can leverage its growing network of local organizations to support the businesses and other solutions receiving capital from local new economy funds. This could take the form of local organizations promoting the products or services of a given company to a broader consumer market via buy local initiatives or complementary currency, for example.? It could take the form of promoting the products or services to a local triple bottom line business community. It could take the form of working with local anchor institutions (hospitals, universities, municipalities, etc.) to help those businesses and other solutions get larger contracts from institutional community anchors. Through the growth of an expansive new economy movement that directly catalyzes local solutions, it can create a support system that actually reduces the risk traditionally associated with investing in underserved communities.

With a stagnating economy and a gridlocked Congress, the time has come for a new concerted effort to drive investments into the most marginalized of communities to ensure an equitable and sustainable future for everyone. Growing interest in divesting from the fossil fuel industry holds promise. The likely growth of the impact investment movement over the next 20 years, as noted by Calvert Foundation CEO Lisa Hall in a?recent edition of the Greenmoney Journal, also holds promise.

It?s imperative that the new economy movement drives capital to underserved communities to build a new economy together with those who, far too often, get left behind when opportunities arise. And if the new economy movement can coordinate its activities to drive solutions and capital for?equitable development?in local communities, it can help expand immediate opportunities rather than what is far too common; promises, rhetoric, and theory amidst unemployment, foreclosures, poverty, food insecurity, utility shut-offs, and other manifestations of our current economic system.

***

Atlee McFellin is a Co-Founder & Principal of The Symbiosis Center LLC where he specializes in the creation of innovative economic development strategies and programs. ?He is also the founder and President of Inge?s Place: The Space for Innovation; a 6,000sqft co-working space in his hometown of Battle Creek, MI fostering entrepreneurship and collaboration amongst small non-profits, microenterprises, and the creative community.? Inge?s Place, named after his grandmother, is also the home of the BC New Economy Initiative, a loose network of organization working together to create economic opportunity for the local community.? He is also on the Board of Directors of the New Economics Institute (soon to be New Economy Coalition), a national network of diverse organizations building a new economy from the ground up.? His writings can be found on his company website at blog.symcenter.org. ?

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Source: http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/02/impact-investing-new-economy/

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Britain says intelligence sharing crucial despite abuse risks

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is justified in sharing intelligence with countries suspected of human rights abuses to protect itself, Foreign Secretary William Hague will say on Thursday, despite concerns over the torture of suspects and costly court cases.

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Britain has been wrestling with how to uphold its opposition to all forms of torture whilst ensuring it could gather information about planned attacks by militants, some of which might have been obtained through ill-treatment of suspects.

That has led to accusations of collusion in torture and a number of embarrassing legal defeats.

In a speech setting out the government's counter-terrorism strategy, Hague will argue that Britain faces a "stark choice" over whether to turn away from states unable to guarantee that suspects won't be abused or tortured.

Hague, who oversees Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Government Communications Headquarters intercept agency, said there were risks in working with some countries, but that the dangers of disengaging were even greater.

Many countries would be able to give "credible assurances" that they will not mistreat suspects, Hague will say, according to advance extracts of his speech released by his office.

"Where this is not the case, we face a stark choice," he will say. "We could disengage, but this would place our citizens at greater risk of terrorist attack, in the UK or overseas. Or we can choose to share our intelligence in a carefully controlled way."

PAYMENTS

In 2010, Britain agreed to make payments to 16 former Guantanamo Bay detainees in out-of-court settlements over allegations they were mistreated abroad with the knowledge and in some cases complicity of British security services.

The same year, the government lost a legal battle to prevent disclosure of secret U.S. intelligence material relating to the "inhuman" treatment of one former Guantanamo Bay detainee, which officials said risked future U.S. cooperation.

Meanwhile, London has also suffered repeated court defeats in its attempt to deport radical cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan because judges believed evidence obtained using torture could be used against him in a future trial.

British authorities say they would never use, or encourage others to use, torture to obtain information. Hague said in 2011 that the very fact allegations had been made had "undermined Britain's standing in the world".

However, human rights groups condemned British Prime Minister David Cameron's decision last year to scrap an inquiry into whether its security services knew about the torture of terrorism suspects overseas.

In his speech, Hague will outline a new approach to counter-terrorism that "supports justice and the rule of law as well as our security".

Under the strategy, Britain will work with countries where there is a security threat to try to improve their approach to human rights, law enforcement and criminal justice.

Hague will also say al Qaeda posed the biggest threat to Britain's security, with last month's hostage crisis in Algeria and fighting in Mali highlighting how this had become more "fragmented" and how militants exploited regional unrest.

(Editing by Michael Holden)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/britain-says-intelligence-sharing-crucial-despite-abuse-risks-000945637.html

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Nature Methods study: Using light to control cell clustering

Public release date: 12-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael mullaney
mullam@rpi.edu
518-276-6161
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

New study advances leading-edge field of optogenetics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and UC Berkeley

Troy, N.Y. A new study from engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, pairs light and genetics to give researchers a powerful new tool for manipulating cells. Results of the study, published in the journal Nature Methods, show how blue light can be used as a switch to prompt targeted proteins to accumulate into large clusters.

This process of clustering, or oligomerization, is commonly employed by nature to turn on or turn off specific signaling pathways used in cells' complex system of communications. The new study details how this process can be replicated with great precision, giving researchers new capabilities to control and influence the process of oligomerization and cell signaling.

Ravi Kane, the P.K. Lashmet Professor in the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and faculty member of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer, co-led the study with Professor David Schaffer of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the UC Berkeley. This study was made possible with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Science.

"Our study shows a new use for using energy, in this case light, as a tool to understand and control cellular function. In this study, we demonstrated a new method for turning specific cell signaling pathways on and off with spatial and temporal precision, and use this to help better understand the dynamics of the pathway. At the same time, our technique can be used to control certain cell functions," Kane and Schaffer said.

Looking ahead, Kane said, it is possible the new process may also one day be able to help optimize cellular function and produce products of interest to energy production, such as biofuels.

Results of the study, titled "Optogenetic protein clustering and signaling activation in mammalian cells," were published online last week by Nature Methods and will appear in a future print edition of the journal. The study may be viewed online at: http://go.nature.com/jPqpHa

Light is an attractive tool to manipulate oligomerization, Kane said, because of three properties: most biological cells do not normally react or respond to light; light is easy to make; and researchers can easily control light properties including its color and intensity. In this new study, the research team shined blue light onto cells containing a bioengineered protein, and by doing so they were able to activate cell signaling more effectively than they could using the natural ligand Wnt3a. This protein clustering induced by shining light was reversibleupon removing the blue light, the cluster broke up within a few minutes. The researchers also demonstrated how to use this modular technique to cluster proteins that control cell shape.

"The new process can be applied to many different types of proteins, signaling pathways, and cells," said study co-author Lukasz Bugaj, graduate student at UC Berkeley. The research team plans to continue investigating new ways of controlling different aspects of cells and cellular function with light.

###

Along with Kane, Schaffer, and Bugaj, co-authors of the paper are UC Berkeley graduate student Colin Mesuda and research assistant Atri Choksi.

For more information on Kane and his research at Rensselaer, visit:

Contact
Michael Mullaney
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY
518-276-6161
mullam@rpi.edu www.rpi.edu/news

Visit the Rensselaer research and discovery blog: http://approach.rpi.edu Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RPInews

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 12-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael mullaney
mullam@rpi.edu
518-276-6161
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

New study advances leading-edge field of optogenetics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and UC Berkeley

Troy, N.Y. A new study from engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, pairs light and genetics to give researchers a powerful new tool for manipulating cells. Results of the study, published in the journal Nature Methods, show how blue light can be used as a switch to prompt targeted proteins to accumulate into large clusters.

This process of clustering, or oligomerization, is commonly employed by nature to turn on or turn off specific signaling pathways used in cells' complex system of communications. The new study details how this process can be replicated with great precision, giving researchers new capabilities to control and influence the process of oligomerization and cell signaling.

Ravi Kane, the P.K. Lashmet Professor in the Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and faculty member of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer, co-led the study with Professor David Schaffer of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the UC Berkeley. This study was made possible with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Science.

"Our study shows a new use for using energy, in this case light, as a tool to understand and control cellular function. In this study, we demonstrated a new method for turning specific cell signaling pathways on and off with spatial and temporal precision, and use this to help better understand the dynamics of the pathway. At the same time, our technique can be used to control certain cell functions," Kane and Schaffer said.

Looking ahead, Kane said, it is possible the new process may also one day be able to help optimize cellular function and produce products of interest to energy production, such as biofuels.

Results of the study, titled "Optogenetic protein clustering and signaling activation in mammalian cells," were published online last week by Nature Methods and will appear in a future print edition of the journal. The study may be viewed online at: http://go.nature.com/jPqpHa

Light is an attractive tool to manipulate oligomerization, Kane said, because of three properties: most biological cells do not normally react or respond to light; light is easy to make; and researchers can easily control light properties including its color and intensity. In this new study, the research team shined blue light onto cells containing a bioengineered protein, and by doing so they were able to activate cell signaling more effectively than they could using the natural ligand Wnt3a. This protein clustering induced by shining light was reversibleupon removing the blue light, the cluster broke up within a few minutes. The researchers also demonstrated how to use this modular technique to cluster proteins that control cell shape.

"The new process can be applied to many different types of proteins, signaling pathways, and cells," said study co-author Lukasz Bugaj, graduate student at UC Berkeley. The research team plans to continue investigating new ways of controlling different aspects of cells and cellular function with light.

###

Along with Kane, Schaffer, and Bugaj, co-authors of the paper are UC Berkeley graduate student Colin Mesuda and research assistant Atri Choksi.

For more information on Kane and his research at Rensselaer, visit:

Contact
Michael Mullaney
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY
518-276-6161
mullam@rpi.edu www.rpi.edu/news

Visit the Rensselaer research and discovery blog: http://approach.rpi.edu Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RPInews

---

[ | 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/2013-02/rpi-nms021213.php

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