Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/270362657?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Aviary CEO Says Its Company Goal Is To ?Democratize Creativity,? And It?s Clearly Working
It’s been launch city for a few big companies and new startups this week. Who’s had the very best week, possibly? That would be Aviary, a company that started out with a direct-to-consumer product that allowed people to beautify and share their photos. The company decided to switch gears and provide its tools to other apps and sites. Some people call it a pivot, but that word can be annoying. It was a pretty smart move, as Aviary now powers editing and filters for both Flickr’s brand-new iOS app and Twitter’s recent refresh. By focusing on editing photos and adding filters, the company can build great things that can be used by anyone who would like its feature set in their own app. I spoke with Aviary’s CEO and co-founder Avi Muchnick, whose name is all over this company, about what’s been going on. ——— TechCrunch: How did the relationship with Flickr get started? Avi Muchnick: We have known the folks at Flickr for a few years and have a great relationship with them, so they are familiar with our solutions. We first officially partnered with them by powering photo editing on Flickr.com in April earlier this year, and that integration was quite successful for everyone involved. So we worked with them again to power the photo editor in their new mobile app. TechCrunch: As a company, what are your goals? Avi Muchnick: Our mission is to democratize creativity. We want everyone in the world to feel artistic, no matter their skill level or talents. We’re going to accomplish that by providing our photo-editing SDK to every single app where people use photos to express themselves. TechCrunch: What things are coming along that are new? Will partners integrate them? Avi Muchnick: Unfortunately we can’t share the specifics about what’s coming up next but we are always working on innovative new features to take photos to the next level. We always develop new features with our partners’ needs in mind. We test out all new features in our showcase app (Photo Editor by Aviary), which gives partners a chance to see our full feature set, so they can decide which elements they would like to adopt. TechCrunch: Do you have fans and users who respect your “behind-the-scenes” nature? Avi Muchnick: Yes. We actually used to have a web-based creative suite which millions of people loved to use, and we were reallySource: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4sjR2yXvfQ0/
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
Kenshiro robot has muscle and bones, is ready to stretch its way into your nightmares
Add this to the list of terrifying robots we hope to never be chased by. Thankfully, Kenshiro here looks to be fairly slow from the video below. Still, this skeleton-and-muscle headless humanoid robot has secured a place in our nightmares for the foreseeable future, thanks in part to its lifelike movements. The 'bot, which is a followup to 2010's Kojiro model, stands about 5'1 and weighs around 110 pounds. It was developed by Yuto Nakanishi and a team of researchers at University of Tokyo, making its public debut at the recent Humanoids conference in Osaka. You can watch Kenshiro in action after the break.
Filed under: Robots
Via: IEEE Spectrum, Phys Org
Source: University of Tokyo
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ktaVYA7-bi0/
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Vatican denies free Christmas crib linked to corruption scandal
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Thursday there was no link between its decision to accept the gift of a nativity scene in St Peter's Square and allegations that it had previously paid inflated prices to have them built.
This year's larger-than-life Christmas tableau depicting the biblical scene of Jesus' birth, worth about 90,000 euros ($120,000), was donated by the southern region of Basilicata, one of Italy's poorest.
Some of the documents that sparked this year's 'Vatileaks' scandal indicated that in 2009 the Vatican paid an Italian company six times that amount, about 550,000 euros ($720,000), to build its nativity scene in the square.
The letters, leaked to the media, mentioned the payment as an example of corruption in the city state's business dealings.
Monsignor Giuseppe Sciacca, deputy governor of the Vatican City, was asked by reporters whether accepting a donated crib was a response to the scandal.
"This is exclusively the result of the offer by the Basilicata region to give us this gift, which, with a minimum of good sense, has been accepted," he said.
In the leaked documents, Sciacca's predecessor, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, said the exorbitant cost of the 2009 crib was an example of how the Vatican was losing money through corruption.
Vigano said he had managed almost to halve the cost of the 2010 crib. He was subsequently transferred to the United States, despite an appeal to his superiors to be allowed stay in his job, in what he saw as punishment for doing his work too well.
Two people were convicted by a Vatican court over the leaks of documents.
Paolo Gabriele, the Pope's former butler, is now serving an 18-month jail sentence in a Vatican jail cell for stealing sensitive papal documents and leaking them to the media.
A computer expert was given a suspended sentence for obstructing justice in the case.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella and Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-denies-free-christmas-crib-linked-corruption-scandal-173424507.html
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Pets, volunteers warm hearts at Providence; more help is sought ...
CHELSEA KROTZER | Staff writer Modified December 13, 2012
The cries that echoed from Room 813 in the William Jones Pediatric Unit at Providence St. Peter Hospital on Wednesday soon were subdued by a wagging tail.
PHOTO GALLERY
For more photos from pet visits at Providence St. Peter Hospital, click here.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can contact the Providence St. Peter Foundation at 360-493-7981 or click here.
Mandy, an 8-year-old Shetland Sheepdog who has been a therapy pet volunteer at the hospital for two years, stopped by the room of Kameryn Fagerness, a 1-year-old Rainier boy suffering from pneumonia.
Kameryn was dressed in a tiger-printed hospital gown. His eyes grew wide as the dog?s handler, Sherri Cote, picked Mandy up so the boy could reach her. His tears gave way to a smile and gargled sounds of joy as he sat on his knees against the bed, petting the dog?s long fur.
?My little man loves puppies,? said Kameryn?s mother, Heather Moxley. She and Kameryn?s father, Cory Fagerness, brought their son to the hospital at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
It was the boy?s second visit this month. Moxley said they first came Dec. 8, the day after Kameryn?s first birthday, and he was diagnosed with bronchiolitis. He was released and seemed to be doing better until Tuesday.
The family hopes to be able to go home Thursday, provided that Kameryn?s oxygen levels stabilize, Moxley said.
The boy has a house full of his own animals to return to, including a dog and two cats. But in the meantime, Mandy provided much-needed smiles for the entire family ? the reason the therapy-animal program was created in 1989.
Volunteer Ann Howie and her dog Falstaff were the first in the nation to get involved in bringing dogs to hospital patients as a form of therapy and care, according to Animal-Assisted Activities & Therapy program coordinator Danni Sabia.
?It was so well-received and had so many benefits,? she said.
Sabia said animals help lower humans? blood pressure in stressful situations, increase self-esteem and emotional stability in children, improve seniors? quality of life and help patients work through anxiety.
The program receives financial support from donors to the Providence St. Peter Foundation. The program already has 55 human volunteers, 30 dogs and a cat; leaders are looking to expand by as many as 24 human-animal teams next year.
The hospital trains new volunteers twice yearly, a process that took Mandy and Cote 50 to 60 hours over three months to complete, Sabia said.
The next training session is scheduled for February.
?Teams have to pass evaluations before they go in to visit, and (we) make sure they have good teamwork,? Sabia said. ?We have to make sure the animal wants to do it as much as the human.?
Mandy appeared more than willing to lend a paw. Wearing a blue hospital badge with her name and a pair of red bow pins on her head, the dog was ready to meet and greet in the pediatric ward.
?Sherri with her pet partner Mandy have come for a visit,? Cote told hospital staffers, waiting for the door to the pediatric unit to unlock.
Her first patient, a 6-year-old Tumwater boy, had fallen asleep before she arrived, so they changed plans and visited Kameryn after hearing cries from his room. His parents said it was perfect timing.
?I think it?s a great idea to bring animals in,? Moxley said. ?If I were a little kid sick in the hospital, I would want to have a dog visit me.?
?You don?t even have to be a kid; it made me happy,? Fagerness added, laughing.
Volunteers are trained to find the safest and easiest ways for patients to have access to the animals, which can include putting the dog or cat on the patient?s bed, Sabia said.
The volunteers make notes of each visit, detailing what happened and how the animal was received.
?We have notes on every visit that has been made in this hospital,? she said.
Chelsea Krotzer: 360-754-5476
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/thisjustin
@chelseakrotzer
Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/12/2351637/pets-volunteers-warm-hearts-at.html
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Computers, creativity and learning: Motherhood and HCI - call for ...
I am excited because we got a workshop proposal accepted for CHI 2013 on Motherhood and HCI.Write a position paper! Come along! It'll be fun!
Here's a previous post of mine about interface design issues for breastfeeding mothers, written, as I recall, while feeding a sleeping and very heavy baby.
?Call for Participation: CHI 2013 Workshop on Motherhood and HCI Important Dates 11 January 2013: Workshop Submission Deadline 8 February 2013: Notification of Acceptance 27/ 28 April 2013: Workshop held in Paris, France Website: http://motherhoodandhci.wordpress.com/ *********************************** Becoming a mother and the experience of being a mother are increasingly influenced, mediated and invaded by technology and digital interactions. We invite the CHI community to grow and nurture the emerging topic of motherhood and HCI and explore how the lens of ?motherhood? changes implications for design, development, and notions of care through participation in the CHI 2013 workshop ?Motherhood and HCI? (http://motherhoodandhci.wordpress.com/). This one-day workshop will address research and design issues relating to technology use associated with the processes and experiences of conception, pregnancy and infertility, labour, childcare and the mother?s work in the family and home. Topics include (but are not limited to) the experience of motherhood, technologies for supporting mothers, and perspectives on the role of the mother, as well as everyday practices relating to technology and motherhood. We invite non-mothers,mothers and mothers-to-be to participate in our workshop through the submission of a 2-page position paper in CHI Extended Abstracts format that describes the authors experience engaging with a specific theme, or challenge involved with designing, using, or evaluating technologies that relate to the concept or experience of ?motherhood?. We positively encourage submissions from a diverse range of participants, perspectives and disciplines. We also encourage active participation from industries already engaged in the design and development of technologies for motherhood. Submissions will be selected based on their originality, quality and ability to promote discussion amongst the community. Submissions and questions should be directed to madeline.balaam@ncl.ac.uk. More details can be found at: http://motherhoodandhci.wordpress.com/. At least one author of each accepted paper must attend the workshop. Please submit your position paper by Friday 11th January 2013. *********************************** Workshop Organisers Madeline Balaam, Newcastle University Judy Robertson, Heriot-Watt University Rebecca Say, Newcastle University Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Vienna University of Technology Gillian Hayes, UC Irvine Melissa Mazmanian, UC Irvine Belinda Parmar, ladygeek.com
Source: http://judyrobertson.typepad.com/judy_robertson/2012/12/motherhood-and-hci-call-for-papers.html
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Mali's PM forced to resign, after arrest by junta
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? Soldiers arrested Mali's prime minister and forced him to resign before dawn on Tuesday, showing that the military remains the real power in this troubled West African nation despite handing back authority to civilians after a coup in March.
The prime minister's ouster comes as the United Nations considers backing a military intervention in Mali, a once-stable country now in constant turmoil. By late Tuesday, a new prime minister had been named, but the developments drew international rebuke and raised questions about the viability of the military operation, which would use the country's military to try to take back Mali's north from Islamic extremists.
Prime Minister Cheikh Modibo Diarra, dressed in a dark suit, his expression somber, appeared on state television at 4 a.m. to announce his resignation, hours after soldiers stormed his house.
"Our country is living through a period of crisis. Men and women who are worried about the future of our nation are hoping for peace," he said on television. "It's for this reason that I, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, am resigning along with my entire government on this day, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. I apologize before the entire population of Mali."
The 60-year-old Diarra is a NASA astrophysicist who has contributed to numerous space exploration missions including the Magellan probe to Venus and the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter. He is now under house arrest, said a spokesman for the junta, Bakary Mariko.
The government remains technically under the control of the interim president, Dioncounda Traore, who waited nearly 24 hours after Diarra's arrest to address the nation. Late Tuesday, he issued a decree naming a longtime civil servant, Django Sissoko, as the new prime minister. And in an oblique speech, he spoke of the need for Mali to remain united in its goal of reconquering the north and installing democracy, never mentioning the military.
The shake-up in Bamako is already looking like it may endanger plans for the military intervention. The African Union is proposing sending several thousand African troops to help the Malian military take back the north, which fell to al-Qaida-linked Islamists in the chaos that followed the March 21 coup.
The military's meddling in state affairs has concerned the international community. Many worry that supporting the operation will simply further arm and embolden the very officers responsible for Mali's current state.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle warned Tuesday that Diarra's forced resignation makes Western countries wary of getting involved in a military incursion.
"One thing is clear: Our offers of help come with the condition that the process of restoring constitutional order in Mali be conducted credibly," he said.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called Diarra's arrest a setback for Mali. "We need Sanogo and his brothers-in-arms to stay out of politics," she told reporters, referring to coup leader Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo.
The U.N. Security Council threatened to impose sanctions against those blocking a return to constitutional order in Mali and called on the armed forces to stop interfering in state affairs.
The now-ousted prime minister was arrested between 10 and 11 p.m. Monday at his home by the military, who drove him the Kati military camp, the sprawling base where the March 21 coup was launched.
Late Tuesday, Sanogo said on state television that he had no regrets over the prime minister's resignation. But he denied that the military forced him out, saying simply that his soldiers "facilitated" his departure.
At the moment of his arrest, the aging leader was getting ready to leave for the airport for a medical trip to Paris, said a police officer who was on duty at the airport and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
"The plane that was to take the prime minister to France was on the point of departure," said the policeman. "It was stopped by people from the Yerewoloton group who invaded the airport," he said.
Yerewoloton is a civic group believed to be backed by the junta which has carried out violent actions on the military's behalf. This same group in May invaded the presidential palace and beat Traore, the interim president, until he lost consciousness.
That incident brought the international community down like a hammer on Mali's junta. Sanogo signed an accord agreeing to step down and retreated from public life. Despite his retreat, there were numerous signs suggesting that the junta still called the shots in Bamako.
On state television Tuesday, Sanogo accused Diarra of pursuing his personal ambitions rather than the good of the country.
"We didn't force him. We facilitated (his resignation). A few weeks ago, he himself told us that if we really wanted him to leave, that he would hand in (his resignation) but not to the president of the republic, nor to any other authority ? only to us," said Sanogo. "Yesterday we realized that it was really necessary for him to resign. And it's for this reason that we brought him to Kati."
Human Rights Watch's senior researcher for West Africa, Corinne Dufka, said the events fit with the pattern of abuse by soldiers since the coup eight months ago.
"They've arrested, beaten and intimidated journalists; tortured and disappeared military rivals; and now, apparently, arbitrarily detained the prime minister. None of these incidents have been investigated and those responsible appear to have been emboldened by the shameful lack of accountability," Dufka said.
Bamako remained calm Tuesday, despite waking up to what is being called a "mini-coup." People went about their daily lives, yet with a sense of disappointment in this nation once held up as a model democracy in Africa.
"I really am struggling to understand ? so if the prime minister is not doing his job properly, it's up to the junta to come and arrest him?" said Aboubacrine Assadek Ag Hamahady, a university professor. "Based on what law, on what legal text can the junta justify this arrest?"
___
Callimachi reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Don Melvin in Brussels, Bradley Klapper in Washington, Edith Lederer at the United Nations and Jamey Keaton in Paris contributed to this report.
___
Rukmini Callimachi can be reached at www.twitter.com/rcallimachi
Baba Ahmed can be reached at www.twitter.com/Babahmed1
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/malis-pm-forced-resign-arrest-junta-160941902.html
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Nutrition & Biology/Chemistry Expert - Original Articles Needs to be ...
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
eftinasrin: groupware corina: Home & Family; Gardening, Pets, Bus ...
Plant perennials that slugs and snails won?t be interested in eating. Slugs and snails will quickly destroy your garden if you let them. They gravitate towards perennials with smooth thin leaves, particularly on younger plants. Perennials with hairy, tough leaves as well as those with unpleasant taste are not appetizing to snails and slugs. Achillea, euphorbia, helleborus, heuchera and campanula are good choices that slugs don?t like.
A set of comfortable knee pads makes a great investment if your garden is full of plant material that stays low to the ground. If you spend a large portion of your gardening session on your knees, it could create pain over time. Having a good pair of knee pads will cushion your knees in comfort.
Vegetables tend to soften during the hottest part of the day, which means they are easily damaged, even when handled with care. Cut them with a tool rather than pulling or twisting, otherwise you could damage the plant itself.
Add more value to your property. When you landscape, you can get one of the highest returns. Investing in plants can raise the value of your property by 20%, or sometimes even more. Select plants that will adapt well to your regional area and require minimum maintenance.
In order to rid your garden of pests, take advantage of plant materials and other organic matter. For example, slugs can be deterred by the presence of marigolds or onions. Using wood ash as mulch around the base of trees and shrub seedlings will also help keep away insect pests. By utilizing these methods, you will not have to apply chemical pesticides on your vegetation.
Pull all the weeds in your garden. Weeds will cause your garden to become overgrown and cluttered. To help with weed destruction, use white vinegar. The acid in white vinegar kills weeds. You may also be using plants that need that very same acid. Apply it full strength to any areas where weeds are a problem.
One should build a border with a fence around their garden before they even start planting their garden. A protective barrier that protects a garden from animals gives plants the chance they need to grow from seeds to maturity.
Identify a plant that will be the most prominent object of the landscape. A solid focal point will draw peoples attention to your garden, leaving them to admire your unique design. Usually this focal point is a luscious plant that is distinctly different from the plants and scrubs that surround it.
You should think about planting evergreens that yield berries in your garden. This will aid in giving your garden great color, even during the winter when other plants have lost their colors. Other winter plants include the American Holly, Winterberry, The American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.
Put your gardening plan down on paper. Make sure to write down your list of what vegetables you are going to plant, as well as make a very detailed drawing of the garden. Be sure to remember things like the heights of the plants you want to grow, maturity and what they need in terms of moisture and sunlight.
Add some heather plants to your garden, to attract good insects. Heather is great for getting bees to stop by at the beginning of spring, as heather plants have nectar available early in the season. Because heather beds require very little maintenance, they often become the home of spiders, ground beetles, and other insects that can benefit your garden. If you choose to employ the use of heather, always make sure to throw on a pair of gloves during the pruning process.
Start your peas in a protected indoors environment rather than outside. Pea seeds germinate better indoors. This method also results in hardier seedlings that can better resist insects and disease. Once the seedlings are sturdy enough, they can be transplanted to their rightful place in the garden.
You can be friendly to the environment by using rainwater to water your plants. You can collect the rainwater in a barrel or other container. This will lessen your water bill, and help you use more natural resources. Try this alternative to help save you money and keep your garden natural.
Watering your garden too little or too much is to be avoided if you want your garden to grow properly. Over watering can cause the roots of your plants to rot and under watering does not give your plants the moisture they need to grow healthy and strong. Check the moisture level of your plants often to keep the soil as moist as necessary.
Select plant varieties capable of producing large yields. There are genetically modified plants that resist cold and/or disease. These often give higher yields due to higher survival rates.
Try using chicken tractors to fertilize your garden area. Chicken tractors are mobile chicken coops that include an open floor beneath a covered living area. As the chickens drop that needed fertilizer, they are nourishing themselves with any available nutrition from their surroundings. When your chickens have effectively cleared and fertilized one area, you simply move the chicken tractor on to the next patch.
Pay attention to how you lay sod. You want to prepare the soil before you lay down the sod. Thoroughly weed the soil, and work it into a fine, smooth tilth. Flatten your soil and make it slightly compact. Dampen the soil completely. Lay the sod down in alternated rows, keeping the joints set off from one another. Compact the sod down so you form a flat and even surface, then fill in any crevices within the sod by using some soil. Your sod should be watered everyday for at least two weeks, then it will root itself and walk on it.
After reading this article, you should now see how beneficial gardening can be. You also now have the basic knowledge base to began gardening on your own. The advice given here will help you to be able to plan and execute a beautiful and bountiful garden. Use this advice to enjoy your own beautiful garden.
Source: http://picturegardenmemories.com/5878/home-family-gardening-pets-bus-stop-weddings-weather-com/
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Source: http://groupware-corina.blogspot.com/2012/12/home-family-gardening-pets-bus-stop.html
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Source: http://implemented-quotation.blogspot.com/2012/12/groupware-corina-home-family-gardening.html
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Source: http://eftinasrin.blogspot.com/2012/12/groupware-corina-home-family-gardening.html
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Mandela faces more tests in hospital after "good night's rest"
PRETORIA (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela, the 94-year-old former South African president and revered anti-apartheid leader, is to undergo more tests in hospital on Monday after having a good rest on his second night in the facility, the government said.
A statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma, who visited the Nobel Peace laureate on Sunday, gave no details other than to say, "President Mandela had a good night's rest" and was "in good hands". It also thanked members of the public for their messages of support.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told reporters after paying Mandela a visit in Pretoria's "1 Military" hospital that he was doing "very, very well". The military is responsible for the health of sitting and former South African presidents.
Mandela, South Africa's first black president and a global symbol of resistance to racism and injustice, spent 27 years in apartheid prisons, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town.
He was released in 1990 and went on to be elected president in the historic all-race elections in 1994 that ended white-minority rule in Africa's most important economy.
He used his unparalleled prestige to push for reconciliation between whites and blacks, setting up a commission to probe crimes committed by both sides in the anti-apartheid struggle.
Mandela's African National Congress has continued to govern since his retirement from politics in 1999, but has been criticised for perceived corruption and slowness in addressing apartheid-era inequalities in housing, education and healthcare.
When Mandela was admitted on Saturday, officials stressed there was no cause for concern although domestic media reports suggested senior members of the government and people close to him had been caught unawares.
The City Press newspaper said both the Nelson Mandela Foundation and his ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, had not known about his transfer to the capital from his home in the remote village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape province.
"I wish Mr Mandela a quick recovery from his sickness so we can be with him all the time. He was a good president, a good leader, so he must be with us," said John Sekiti, a petrol station attendant in Pretoria.
Mandela remains a hero to many of South Africa's 52 million people and two brief stretches in hospital in the last two years made front page news.
He spent time in a Johannesburg hospital in 2011 with a respiratory condition, and again in February this year because of abdominal pains. He was released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing serious.
He has since spent most of his time in Qunu.
His fragile health prevents him from making any public appearances in South Africa, although he has continued to receive high-profile domestic and international visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton in July.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-faces-more-tests-hospital-good-nights-rest-140018801.html
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Do we live in a computer simulation run by our descendants? Researchers say idea can be tested
Dec. 10, 2012 ? A decade ago, a British philosopher put forth the notion that the universe we live in might in fact be a computer simulation run by our descendants. While that seems far-fetched, perhaps even incomprehensible, a team of physicists at the University of Washington has come up with a potential test to see if the idea holds water.
The concept that current humanity could possibly be living in a computer simulation comes from a 2003 paper published in Philosophical Quarterly by Nick Bostrom, a philosophy professor at the University of Oxford. In the paper, he argued that at least one of three possibilities is true:
- The human species is likely to go extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage.
- Any posthuman civilization is very unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of its evolutionary history.
- We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.
He also held that "the belief that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation."
With current limitations and trends in computing, it will be decades before researchers will be able to run even primitive simulations of the universe. But the UW team has suggested tests that can be performed now, or in the near future, that are sensitive to constraints imposed on future simulations by limited resources.
Currently, supercomputers using a technique called lattice quantum chromodynamics and starting from the fundamental physical laws that govern the universe can simulate only a very small portion of the universe, on the scale of one 100-trillionth of a meter, a little larger than the nucleus of an atom, said Martin Savage, a UW physics professor.
Eventually, more powerful simulations will be able to model on the scale of a molecule, then a cell and even a human being. But it will take many generations of growth in computing power to be able to simulate a large enough chunk of the universe to understand the constraints on physical processes that would indicate we are living in a computer model.
However, Savage said, there are signatures of resource constraints in present-day simulations that are likely to exist as well in simulations in the distant future, including the imprint of an underlying lattice if one is used to model the space-time continuum.
The supercomputers performing lattice quantum chromodynamics calculations essentially divide space-time into a four-dimensional grid. That allows researchers to examine what is called the strong force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature and the one that binds subatomic particles called quarks and gluons together into neutrons and protons at the core of atoms.
"If you make the simulations big enough, something like our universe should emerge," Savage said. Then it would be a matter of looking for a "signature" in our universe that has an analog in the current small-scale simulations.
Savage and colleagues Silas Beane of the University of New Hampshire, who collaborated while at the UW's Institute for Nuclear Theory, and Zohreh Davoudi, a UW physics graduate student, suggest that the signature could show up as a limitation in the energy of cosmic rays.
In a paper they have posted on arXiv, an online archive for preprints of scientific papers in a number of fields, including physics, they say that the highest-energy cosmic rays would not travel along the edges of the lattice in the model but would travel diagonally, and they would not interact equally in all directions as they otherwise would be expected to do.
"This is the first testable signature of such an idea," Savage said.
If such a concept turned out to be reality, it would raise other possibilities as well. For example, Davoudi suggests that if our universe is a simulation, then those running it could be running other simulations as well, essentially creating other universes parallel to our own.
"Then the question is, 'Can you communicate with those other universes if they are running on the same platform?'" she said.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Washington. The original article was written by Vince Stricherz.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal References:
- Silas R. Beane, Zohreh Davoudi, Martin J. Savage. Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation. Arxiv, 2012 [link]
- Nick Bostrom. Are You Living in a Computer Simulation? Philosophical Quarterly, (2003) Vol. 53, No. 211, pp. 243-255 [link]
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Five audio players that desktop users like the most
There are many different audio players available for desktops. Although there is no proper definition for a ?good? audio player, there are certain aspects that separate the good ones from the average. Users look for different features in a music player that suit their individual needs. Amusic player that has a huge database of songs , advanced Search functionality and offers music to be synced with different devices can be classified under best music players.
Following is a brief description of five music players that are unanimously liked by a large community of desktop users. Let?s check them out.
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Foobar2000
This is a free music player for Windows operating system which can be easily customized. It has a huge collection of songs and it supports all the different formats. You can choose to play music at a stretch without any pauses in between. There are loads of keyboard shortcuts on it which can be utilized to the fullest for different functions. Developers are allowed to come up with plug-ins and various additions for the Foobar2000. Users can thus download lots of components to update the player with new features whenever they come out.
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MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is a combination of a jukebox and a music player that keeps all your audio tracks arranged in one place. With this Windows based application, you get a built-in podcast manager, optical disk ripper, audiobook player as well as a compact device syncing tool in the MediaMonkey. This audio player searches for tags, album art and music related details even when the user is not operating it. This app comes free of cost and is popular for its organization of music files and playlists.
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Winamp
Winamp features itself actively in the list of best music players. Of late, it has made its way into Android and has won rave reviews. Desktop users are pretty familiar with this app which has multiple skins, can be customized and comes free of cost to Windows and Mac users. This audio player has an integrated software for ripping CDs and plays audio as well as videos. It can sync music with all the mobile devices which are quite beneficial especially if you are using the Android version. There is a dedicated music and podcast directory and you can download music from within the app itself.
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iTunes
Arguably the most popular audio player globally, iTunes has a wide range of features to give music lovers an enthralling experience. Besides being a music player, it has a gigantic music store, offers music syncing across Apple devices and also has a built-in podcast organizer. The most popular music app on Mac OS till date is the iTunes. Mac users love to remain hooked on to it. However, it is quite unpopular on Windows due to some system related issues. The app is free and supports iCloud and the features and the wireless features are worth noticing. This is one of the best apps for playing music on the move.
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MusicBee
This is another freeware that is swift and has received positive reviews from many users for its performance on Windows based desktops. Apart from playing music, this app can be used to tag, organize and obtain song related details from various websites, particularly, Last.fm. You can put your own tags and have a methodical collection of music. Using this, you can also trace duplicate tracks and tags. MusicBee supports music in different formats and can also be used to rip optical disks.
Music is one of the best forms of leisure that is enjoyed by people. As mentioned earlier, there are tons of music players available for desktops. But a music player that with advanced features like syncing with mobile devices, ripping optical drives, tagging and podcasts is preferred over the rest.
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Friday, December 7, 2012
Social Security fast-tracks rare-disease claims
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2010 file photo, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue answers questions in Akron, Ohio. In an effort to ease the burden of being stricken with a debilitating condition, the Social Security Administration is expanding a program that fast-tracks disability claims by people who get serious illnesses such as cancer, early-onset Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease ? claims that could take months or years to approve in the past. The Compassionate Allowances program approves many claims for a select group of conditions within a few days, Astrue said. The program is being expanded Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 to include a total of 200 diseases and conditions. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 15, 2010 file photo, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue answers questions in Akron, Ohio. In an effort to ease the burden of being stricken with a debilitating condition, the Social Security Administration is expanding a program that fast-tracks disability claims by people who get serious illnesses such as cancer, early-onset Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease ? claims that could take months or years to approve in the past. The Compassionate Allowances program approves many claims for a select group of conditions within a few days, Astrue said. The program is being expanded Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 to include a total of 200 diseases and conditions. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? In an effort to ease the burden of being stricken with a debilitating condition, the Social Security Administration is expanding a program that fast-tracks disability claims by people who get serious illnesses such as cancer, early-onset Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease ? claims that could take months or years to approve in the past.
While providing faster benefits, the program also is designed to ease the workload of an agency that has been swamped by disability claims since the economic recession a few years ago.
Disability claims are up by more than 20 percent from 2008. The Compassionate Allowances program approves many claims for a select group of conditions within a few days, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue said. The program is being expanded Thursday to include a total of 200 diseases and conditions.
Many of the conditions are rare; all of them are so serious that people who suffer from them easily meet the government's definition of being disabled, Astrue said. With proper documentation, these are relatively easy cases for the agency to decide, too easy to put through the usual time-consuming process that other applicants face, he said.
"Why for someone who is going to die within 15 months do we need 15 years of medical records?" Astrue said in an interview. "If somebody's got a confirmed diagnosis of ALS, you know that in essence, it's not only a disability, it's a death sentence, and there is no use in burdening them with paperwork."
High demand during the sour economy has made it difficult for Social Security to reduce disability claims backlogs and wait times for decisions. About 3.2 million people have applied for disability benefits this year, up from 2.6 million in 2008, the agency said.
Disability claims usually increase when the economy is bad because people who managed to work even though they had a disability lose their jobs and apply for benefits. Others who have disabilities may not qualify for benefits but apply anyway because they are unemployed and have nowhere else to turn.
Two-thirds of initial applications are rejected, according to the agency. If your benefit claim is rejected, you can appeal to an administrative law judge but the hearing process takes an average of 354 days to get a decision. In 2008, it took an average of 509 days, according to agency statistics.
Judge Randy Frye, president of the Association of Administrative Law Judges, said judges have been working hard to reduce backlogs while some decide more than 500 cases a year. But, Frye said, his group was not consulted on the Compassionate Allowances program.
"We want claimants that are worthy of the benefits, that meet the definitional standard for disability, to be paid as quickly as possible," said Frye, who is an administrative law judge in Charlotte, N.C. "On the other hand, I think we are not interested in seeing programs designed to simply pay down the backlog. Whether this is that kind of program or not, I don't know."
Social Security's standard is to award benefits to people who cannot work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death.
More than 56 million people get Social Security benefits. Nearly 11 million beneficiaries are disabled workers, spouses and children. Benefits for disabled workers average $1,112 a month, or about $13,300 a year.
The Compassionate Allowances program is designed to render decisions in 10 days to 15 days. It was started in 2008, about a year after the agency did an internal review of how it handled initial applications from people with a handful of serious but rare conditions.
In about 40 percent of the cases studied, the agency mishandled the claim, either rejecting valid claims or taking too long to approve them, Astrue said. Among the conditions studied was ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a debilitating condition that causes people to lose muscle strength and coordination, eventually making it impossible to do routine tasks such as walking up steps, standing or even swallowing.
Since the Compassionate Allowances program was started, 200,000 people have received expedited benefits, Astrue said. On Thursday, the agency is scheduled to announce that it is adding 35 more diseases and conditions to the program, bringing the total to 200.
The program includes some well-known conditions, including many kinds of cancer such as acute leukemia, adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma and advanced breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
Others are more obscure, such as Alpers disease, a progressive neurologic disorder that begins during childhood, type 2 Gaucher disease, an inherited disorder in which the body accumulates harmful quantities of certain fats, and Menkes disease, a genetic disorder that affects the development of hair, brain, bones, liver and arteries.
"Some of the (conditions) aren't killing you, some of them are just keeping you to the point where you can't physically work," said Peter Saltonstall, president and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders. "But you're still alive and breathing, and in that case you need to buy groceries, you need to be able to support yourself in some fashion. And so this is a program that helped solve that problem."
Robert Egge, vice president of public policy for the Alzheimer's Association, said the program is a godsend for people who have just received diagnoses that promise to be extraordinarily difficult for patients and their families.
"This is difficult for anybody to negotiate," Egge said of the disability claims process. "But by the nature of the disease it can often be especially difficult for this community, as they are dealing with not only a terrible diagnosis but then the nature of the disease makes it very hard to go through this year-by-year process of getting the benefits they are entitled to under the law."
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
Sexting on Snapchat Isn't as Safe as You Think
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/g83FBjTNlmI/sexting-on-snapchat-isnt-as-safe-as-you-think
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Software guru McAfee held in Guatemala
Johan Ordonez / AFP - Getty Images file
U.S. anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee listens to questions from a journalist in front of the Supreme Court in Guatemala City on Dec. 4.
By NBC News staff and wire services
Anti-virus software guru John McAfee was detained by Guatemalan police on Wednesday for illegally entering the country, interior minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said.
McAfee's lawyer said he would be held until it could be determined if he entered the country legally, according to NBC News' Fabiola Lacayo.
McAfee crossed into Guatemala to evade authorities in Belize who want to question him in connection with the murder of his neighbor. There is no international arrest warrant for McAfee.
McAfee smuggled himself and his girlfriend, who he calls Samantha, across the porous land border that Belize shares with Guatemala. He stayed at a hotel in a national park before heading for Guatemala City on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, McAfee said he would seek political asylum in Guatemala. "I have no plans much for the future now. The reason I chose Guatemala is two-fold," McAfee told Reuters by telephone from Guatemala's Supreme Court, flanked by his lawyer, former attorney general and lawyer Telesforo Guerra.
"It is a country bordering Belize, it is a country that understands the corruption within Belize and most importantly, the former attorney general of the country is Samantha's uncle and I knew that he would assist us with legal proceedings."
McAfee has denied involvement in the murder and told Reuters on Monday he would not turn himself in. He posted repeatedly on his blog while on the run, describing how he would constantly change his disguise to elude capture.
On Tuesday, McAfee appeared with his hair and goatee dyed black, and wearing a dark suit and tie - a far cry from the surfer-style blonde hair highlights, shorts and tribal-tattooed bare shoulders he sported in Belize.
"(Guerra) is now attempting to get political asylum for myself and for Sam. I don't think there will be much of a problem. From here I can speak freely and safely," McAfee said.
Reporter's iPhone photo reveals John McAfee's location
He was traveling with a photographer from Vice magazine, which revealed his location by posting a photo of the two together under the headline, ?We are with John McAfee right now, suckers.?
Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/05/15711272-software-guru-mcafee-held-in-guatemala?lite
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What to Do When You Can't Afford Therapy | World of Psychology
One of the biggest reasons people don?t seek therapy is money. People look at a therapist?s hourly rates ? which might range from $100 to $250 ? and immediately assume they can?t afford professional help. So they stop there.
But you do have various helpful options. Below, clinicians share, in no particular order, what you can do if you can?t afford treatment.
1. Check with your insurance.
?If you have insurance, ask your insurance plan to give you a list of providers who are either in your geographic?area or who specialize in the issue you are seeking help with,? said Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. You might only have to pay a small co-pay, he said.
However, even if your insurance doesn?t cover therapy, get the details on what they do cover, said Julie A. Fast, a coach and author of Get It Done When You?re Depressed. For instance, your policy might still include the words ?social worker,? she said.
2. Try a training clinic.
Training clinics offer clients a sliding scale. They?re typically located in universities where graduate students prepare to become clinical or counseling psychologists, said Kevin L. Chapman, Ph.D, a psychologist and associate professor in clinical psychology at the University of Louisville. There, he said, students are ?trained and supervised by licensed psychologists who typically have years of experience with specific mental health conditions.?
3. Try a community mental health center.
?Community mental health centers provide free or low-cost therapy options and services covered by Medicaid insurance,? said Julie Hanks, LCSW, a therapist and blogger at Psych Central. To find a center, search using Google or look at your state government website for the Department of Human Services, she said.
4. Read self-help books.
?Books are my first recommendation,? Fast said. Along with her book, Get It Done When You?re Depressed, she also suggested ?the rather esoteric The Four Agreements for personal development [and] The Idiot?s Guide to Controlling Anxiety.?
You also can contact a local therapist for book recommendations for your specific concern, Olivardia said. ?It can help narrow down the options and allow you to focus on quality resources,? he said.
5. Attend support groups.?
Support groups typically are free or at least more affordable than individual therapy. They may be run by mental health professionals or peers. Always ask a therapist if they also offer lower-cost group sessions, Fast said. (?Groups can be a lot less expensive if they accept cash,? she said.)
She suggested attending moderated support groups. ?I always stress that groups that are run by the people in the group rarely work.?It should be a structured system where a dispassionate person runs things. Otherwise it can just be a complaining session,? Fast said.
The great thing about groups is meeting other people who are struggling with similar issues, which can create ?a safe, validating space,? Olivardia said.
Learn more about support groups in your area by visiting NAMI and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Also, consider organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Consider, too, online support groups, such as one of the 180+ mental health support groups here at Psych Central.
6. Ask about discounted rates.
?Cash is often more lucrative than going through the whole paperwork insurance thing,? Fast said. As such, some therapists might offer discounts. For instance, Fast?s therapist typically charges $200 an hour, but she worked with Fast for $50 an hour for a year.
Fast suggested asking clinicians the following questions: ?If I don?t have insurance, do you have a cash policy?? Or, ?I?m looking for a therapist but am on limited funds. Do you have any discount programs or a group available???If they don?t, they might be able to refer you to a practitioner who does, she said.
7. Re-evaluate your expenses.
?There are some situations where ?can?t afford? is really about priorities,? Hanks said. Consider if you can reorganize your budget to accommodate therapy.
?I?ve worked with clients who ?can?t afford? my services but highly value therapy and choose to go without other things because they ?can?t afford? not to be in therapy,? she said.
8. Check out podcasts and videos.
Fast also recommended self-help podcasts and videos, such as TED talks on YouTube. ?They are very inspirational and have good advice,? she said. When searching for podcasts on iTunes, consider terms such as therapy or personal growth, she said. ?I know this is not like seeing a therapist, but I believe that self growth requires personal time as well. It doesn?t all have to be about psychology either,? she said.
9. Visit websites for your particular concern.
?When an individual is privy to their mental health needs ? [such as] ?I?m having panic attacks? or ?I think I have OCD? ? landing on an association?s website can be ideal,? Chapman said.
For instance, he said, if you?re struggling with anxiety, you can find valuable resources at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the International OCD Foundation.
There is also a wealth of information at Psych Central about self-help techniques, treatments, and books to check out. You can start by looking-up your mental health condition here.
10. Consult your congregation.
?If you belong to a religious congregation, talk to your preacher, pastor, or priest about your need and see if your church offers therapy services or is willing to help pay for therapy,? Hanks said.
11. Consider body therapy.
?Don?t forget body therapy? including chiropractic and massage,? Fast said. Schools usually charge small fees for services given by their students, she said.
As Olivardia said, ?Nothing is more important than your physical and mental health.? If self-help resources and groups aren?t working, consider the price of not seeking professional help ? because that might be steeper.
?Consider that there are costs for not getting treatment such as lost wages for missing work, strain on family relationships, and quality and length of your life,? Hanks said.
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless.Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed).
????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 4 Dec 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
APA Reference
Tartakovsky, M. (2012). What to Do When You Can?t Afford Therapy. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 5, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/04/what-to-do-when-you-cant-afford-therapy/
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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/12/04/what-to-do-when-you-cant-afford-therapy/
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Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Short sales outpacing sales of bank-owned homes
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Sales of U.S. homes facing foreclosure are on the rise and outpacing sales of bank-owned homes, a reflection of stepped up efforts this year by lenders to avoid foreclosing on homes with mortgages gone unpaid.
In the third quarter, sales of homes already in the foreclosure process jumped 22 percent compared to the previous quarter and a year earlier, foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
Short sales, when a lender agrees to accept less than what the homeowner owes on their mortgage, accounted for 65 percent of those so-called preforeclosure sales in the quarter, the firm said.
Banks have become more amenable to short sales as an alternative to foreclosure, which can often end up leading to bigger losses and mire lenders and borrowers in a time-consuming and expensive process.
"More and more, they're seeing that they're going to lose less by approving a short sale than by dealing with the foreclosure process," said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.
Attempts to fast-track that process, particularly in states where the courts must sign off on foreclosures, led to allegations last year that many banks and mortgage servicers processed foreclosures without verifying documents. Five of the biggest U.S. banks agreed in February to pay $25 billion to settle the claims as part of a deal with federal and state officials.
In the months since, the banks have increasingly used short sales as a way to provide mortgage relief to borrowers.
The lenders have reported that they provided $26 billion in home-loan relief between March 1 and Sept. 30, with about half of that stemming from short sales.
Some banks, like JPMorgan Chase & Co., have been giving borrowers financial incentives to pursue a short sale. Others are trying to speed up the transactions, which in years past could easily take six months or more before being finalized.
"A lot of the banks right now are setting the expectation that it will take about 60 days to process, some even faster," said Jenna Smith, a listing agent for real estate website Redfin in Chicago. "In prior years I've had them drag out for nine to 12 months."
Banks also have been approving short sales for borrowers who have yet to enter the foreclosure process.
These types of short sales increased by 15 percent in the third quarter versus the previous three months and were up 22 percent from the third quarter of last year, RealtyTrac said.
As short sales and other preforeclosure sales have become more common, they have begun to outpace sales of bank-owned homes.
Some 98,125 homes in some stage of foreclosure were sold in the third quarter, while 94,934 bank-owned homes were sold in the same period. Preforeclosures have outnumbered sales of bank-owned homes through the first nine months of the year, RealtyTrac said.
Sales of bank-owned homes rose 19 percent versus the second quarter, but fell 20 percent from a year earlier.
All told, foreclosure sales totaled 193,059 in the July-to-September period, an increase of 21 percent from the second quarter, but a drop of 3 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said.
Despite the growth in short sales, foreclosure sales made up a slightly smaller share of all U.S. home sales in the third quarter. They accounted for 19 percent of all residential sales, down from 20 percent in the previous quarter, and unchanged from the third quarter of 2011.
Buyers who purchased a bank-owned home or a preforeclosure property in the third quarter got a bigger discount relative to other types of homes.
The average price of a foreclosure sale in the third quarter was 32 percent below the average sale price of non-foreclosure homes, RealtyTrac said.
That's up from a 29 percent discount in the second quarter and a 31 percent discount in the third quarter of 2011.
Homebuyers who purchased a foreclosure sale in the third quarter paid an average of $177,430. That's down 4 percent from the second quarter and up 3 percent from a year earlier.
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Startup Weekend Winner Groupnotes Finds Plenty Of Early Appetite For Its Collaborative Education Product
Groupnotes, a Canadian startup with a team spread across Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario, was crowned the overall winner of Startup Weekend's Global Startup Battle today. The international contest is all about launching a startup in just 54 hours, which the Groupnotes team managed with gusto, even signing on a number of customers willing to pay for early beta access before going hands on with an actual shipping product.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dubwEKFIenk/
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Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Japan's campaign starts, focus on economy, nuclear
TOKYO (AP) ? Leaders for Japan's biggest political parties are kicking off the campaign for parliamentary elections to be held in less than two weeks with visits to nuclear crisis-hit Fukushima prefecture.
Nuclear energy and the economy are key issues in the Dec. 16 election, which is widely expected to send Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's unpopular Democratic Party of Japan to defeat after three years in power.
The opposition Liberal Democratic Party is leading in the polls, but is unlikely to win a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament.
The most likely outcome of the election is a coalition government whose makeup is far from clear.
Polls show more than 40 percent of voters don't know which party they'll support in the election.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japans-campaign-starts-focus-economy-nuclear-025520103.html
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Israel gets same-sex divorce before same-sex marriage
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli court has awarded the country's first divorce to a gay couple, which experts called an ironic milestone since same-sex marriages cannot be legally conducted in the Jewish state.
A decision this week by a family court in the Tel Aviv area "determined that the marriage should be ended" between former Israeli lawmaker Uzi Even, 72, and his partner of 23 years, Amit Kama, 52, their lawyer, Judith Meisels, said on Tuesday.
Legal experts see the ruling as a precedent in the realm of gay rights in a country where conservative family traditions are strong and religious courts oversee ceremonies like marriages, divorces and burials.
While Israel's Interior Ministry still has the power to try and veto the decision, it would likely have to go court in order to do so, Meisels said.
A 2006 high court decision forced the same ministry, headed by an ultra-Orthodox cabinet member, to recognize same sex marriages performed abroad and ordered the government to list a gay couple wed in Canada as married.
Same sex marriages are performed in Israel, but they have no formal legal status.
"The irony is that while this is the beginning of a civil revolution, it's based on divorce rather than marriage," newly divorced Kama, a senior lecturer in communications in the Emek Yizrael College, told Reuters.
He and Even, both Israelis, married in Toronto in 2004, not long after Canada legalized same-sex marriage. They separated last year, Kama said.
It took months to finalize a divorce as they could not meet Canada's residency requirements to have their marriage dissolved there. At the same time in Israel, rabbinical courts in charge of overseeing such proceedings threw out the case, Kama said.
By winning a ruling from a civil court, Kama and Even may have also set a precedent for Israeli heterosexual couples, who until now have had to have rabbis steeped in ancient ritual handle their divorces, legal experts say.
"This is the first time in Israeli history a couple of Jews are obtaining a divorce issued by an authority other than a rabbinical court, and I think there is significant potential here for straight couples" to do so as well, said Zvi Triger, deputy dean of the Haim Striks law school near Tel Aviv.
(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-gets-same-sex-divorce-same-sex-marriage-215632782.html
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