You probably think of Ryan Lochte as a strong and focused Olympian -- the only swimmer to emerge as a worthy competitor for the insuppressible Michael Phelps.
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Americans back preparation for extreme weather and sea-level rise
Mar. 28, 2013 ? Images told the story: lower Manhattan in darkness, coastal communities washed away, cars floating in muck. Superstorm Sandy, a harbinger of future extreme weather intensified by climate change, caught the country off guard in October.
Unprepared for the flooding and high winds that ensued, the East Coast suffered more than $70 billion in property damage and more than 100 deaths.
Will Americans prepare and invest now to minimize the impact of disasters such as Sandy, or deal with storms and rising sea levels after they occur?
A new survey commissioned by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Center for Ocean Solutions finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans want to prepare in order to minimize the damage likely to be caused by global warming-induced sea-level rise and storms.
A majority also wants people whose properties and businesses are located in hazard areas to foot the bill for this preparation, not the government. Eighty-two percent of the Americans surveyed said that people and organizations should prepare for the damage likely to be caused by sea-level rise and storms, rather than simply deal with the damage after it happens.
Among the most popular policy solutions identified in the survey are stronger building codes for new structures along the coast to minimize damage (favored by 62 percent) and preventing new buildings from being built near the coast (supported by 51 percent).
"People support preventive action," said survey director Jon Krosnick, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and professor of communication, "and few people believe these preparations will harm the economy or eliminate jobs. In fact, more people believe that preparation efforts will help the economy and create jobs around the U.S., in their state and in their town than think these efforts will harm the economy and result in fewer jobs in those areas. But people want coastal homeowners and businesses that locate in high-risk areas to pay for these measures."
The challenges posed by rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms will only intensify as more Americans build along the coasts. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report released March 25 predicts that already crowded U.S. coastlines will become home to an additional 11 million people by 2020.
Survey questions were formulated to assess participants' beliefs about climate change and gather opinions about the impact of climate change, sea-level rise and storms on communities, the economy and jobs.
The survey also gauged public support for specific coastal adaptation strategies and how to pay for them. "People are least supportive of policies that try to hold back Mother Nature," Krosnick said. "They think it makes more sense to recognize risk and reduce exposure."
Among the survey's respondents, 48 percent favor sand dune restoration and 33 percent favor efforts to maintain beaches with sand replenishment, while 37 percent support relocating structures away from the coast and 33 percent support constructing sea walls.
Eighty-two percent of the survey's respondents believe that Earth's temperature has been rising over the last 100 years. However, even a majority of those who doubt the existence of climate change favor adaptation measures (60 percent).
"The question is, how does public support for preparation translate to action?" asked Meg Caldwell, executive director of the Center for Ocean Solutions. "Our impulse is to try to move quickly to put communities back together the way they were after devastation. But that impulse often leads to doubling down on high-risk investments, such as rebuilding in areas likely to experience severe impacts. To move toward long-term resiliency for coastal communities, we need to seize opportunities to apply new thinking, new standards and long-term solutions."
Krosnick presented the survey results this morning at a policy briefing hosted by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The survey was conducted via the Internet with a nationally representative probability sample of 1,174 American adults, 18 and older, conducted by GfK Custom Research March 3-18, 2013. The survey was administrated in both English and Spanish. The survey has a margin of error of +/-4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/vifyDohQlys/130329090624.htm
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Space shuttle Enterprise lands in historic places registry
NASA
NASA's space shuttle Enterprise, seen here during a test flight in 1977, was added to the National Register of Historic Places this month.
By Robert Z. Pearlman
Space.com
The?Enterprise, NASA's original prototype space shuttle, is now more than just a historic spacecraft. It is a historic place, too.
Located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the test orbiter has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first of NASA's retired space shuttles to receive the distinction.
"We are extremely proud to be the home of the space shuttle Enterprise," Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid, said in a statement. "It is an honor to receive this distinction from the National Park Service."
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the United States' properties that are considered worthy of preservation. Authorized in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act, the register is part of a national program to coordinate and provide support for public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America's historic and archaeological resources.
The space shuttle Enterprise is a full-scale test craft that was used for flight trials inside the atmosphere and tests on the ground, and paved the way for the subsequent space-worthy orbiters to launch into orbit. In 2012, Enterprise was transferred to its permanent home on board the Intrepid, a converted World War II aircraft carrier that is a National Historic Landmark. [See photos of Enterprise at the Intrepid]
Prior to landing in Manhattan, Enterprise was displayed by the Smithsonian at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Virginia annex to the National Air and Space Museum.
Enterprise's exhibit on the Intrepid's flight deck debuted to the public in July 2012. Its environmentally controlled, air-supported structure was open for only three months when Hurricane Sandy damaged the pavilion beyond repair. The shuttle also sustained minor damage to its tail.
A protective cover and scaffolding was erected above and around Enterprise to assist with the repairs to the orbiter. That temporary shelter was being taken down this week, revealing the repaired Enterprise in preparation for a new display structure to be raised around it.
The new space shuttle pavilion is expected to open to the public in early summer.
"We look forward to creating an exciting showcase of the extraordinary history of Enterprise, so that it may continue to educate and inspire the next generation of innovators for years to come," Marenoff-Zausner said.
The Intrepid's application for Enterprise to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places was prepared in September 2012, with letters of endorsement from New York Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Rep. Carolyn Maloney and astronauts Robert Crippen, Fred Haise and Richard Truly.
"I am pleased to offer my support for a nomination of the space shuttle Enterprise, OV-101, to the National Register of Historic Places," wrote Truly, who served on board the USS Intrepid as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA astronaut and piloting Enterprise. "I am proud to be one of only four astronauts to fly this historic spacecraft and I can personally attest to its historic significance."
Enterprise was granted Historic Place status on March 13.
Enterprise is not the only structure from space history to be listed in the registry. The iconic large countdown clock and flag pole located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida were granted Historic Place status as a combined entity in 2000. In addition, the Saturn V rockets on display in Houston, Texas and Huntsville, Ala. are both registered structures.
Since its creation in 1966, more than 1.4 million buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, providing a link to the United States' heritage at the national, state and local levels.
See shuttles.collectspace.com?for continuing coverage of the delivery and display of NASA's retired space shuttles.
Follow collectSpace on Facebook?and onTwitter at @collectSpace. Copyright 2013 collectSpace.com. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2013 Space.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Heavy workload awaits next pope; church in turmoil
VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The moment Cardinal Albino Luciani learned his colleagues had elected him pope, he responded: "May God forgive you for what you've done." The remark, by the man who became Pope John Paul I, was seen as an expression of humility ? but also a commentary on the mammoth task ahead.
There is no job like that of pope. He is the CEO of a global enterprise, head of state, a moral voice in the world and, in the eyes of Roman Catholics, Christ's representative on earth.
And the man who emerges as pontiff from the conclave starting Tuesday has a particularly crushing to-do list.
Here are some of the challenges awaiting the next pope:
___
REFORM: The next pope will have to restore discipline to the scandal-plagued central administration of the church. Benedict XVI, the former pope, commissioned a report on the Vatican bureaucracy, or Curia, that will be shown only to his successor. Benedict's butler had leaked the pope's private papers revealing feuding, corruption and cronyism at the highest levels of administration. The secretive Vatican bank recently ousted a president for incompetence and is under pressure for greater financial transparency. Bishops in several countries say nonresponsive Vatican officials are hampering local churches. The Curia decides everything from bishop appointments and liturgy, to parish closings and discipline for abusive priests.
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SEX ABUSE: The Vatican remains under pressure to reveal more about its past role in the church's failures to protect children worldwide. The issue erupted ahead of the conclave, when victims from the U.S., Chile and Mexico pressured cardinals to recuse themselves because they had shielded priests from prosecution. Benedict instructed bishops around the world to craft policies to keep abusers from the priesthood, but church leaders in some nations haven't yet complied. "There's still the victims," Chicago Cardinal Francis George said in a news conference last week. "The wound is still deep in their hearts, and as long as it's with them it will be with us. The pope has to keep this in mind."
___
EMPTY PEWS: Secularism has already taken a toll on churches in Europe and the U.S., where a growing number of people don't identify with a faith. The move away from organized religion is also hurting parishes in Latin America. Churches in Brazil and other predominantly Catholic countries in South America already had been losing members to the spirited worship found in independent Pentecostal movements. As the church loses members, it also loses influence in public life in many countries. Church opposition to same-sex marriage has been largely ineffective in the West. The next pope must be a missionary-in-chief, with the gravitas, charisma and personal holiness to bring Catholics back to church.
___
EMPTY PULPITS: Europe and North America need more priests. Clergy in developing countries need more resources. And everywhere, priests are struggling with the outsized burdens of the modern-day pastor. The job requires fundraising, personal counseling and an ability to uphold doctrine, often to Catholics who don't want to listen. The abuse crisis, meanwhile, casts a shadow on today's clergy, even though most known molestation cases occurred decades ago. In recent years, some priests have made their own proposals to strengthen their ranks. Clergy in heavily Catholic Austria in 2011 called for ordaining women and relaxing the celibacy requirement. Benedict rebuked them.
___
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION: Catholics and other Christians live as religious minorities in many countries, including Syria, India and China, where they face discrimination, government interference and, in many cases, violence as they try to practice their faith. The issue is a rare one that unites religious leaders across faiths. The pope is considered a key voice in the fight. Some of the tougher conditions are in Muslim nations, which often ban and punish Christian evangelizing. Addressing the issue requires utmost diplomacy; a misstep can cost lives.
___
GLOBALIZATION: While the church is shrinking in the West, it's booming in Africa and Asia. The new pope will have to shift much of his attention to the challenges for these relatively new dioceses: a life-and-death fight against poverty; threats from radical Muslim movements; and maintaining Catholic orthodoxy while leaving room for local styles of worship.
___
OTHER FAITHS: The new pope will have to keep up friendships with a long list of other Christian groups and other religions, including Orthodox Christians, Anglicans and Jews. But his most pressing task will be navigating relations with Islam. The importance of the issue was made starkly clear in the fallout from Benedict's 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germany, in which he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman." Benedict made many efforts to mend fences, including praying beside an imam that same year at the historic Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
___
UNITY: The next pontiff inherits a church divided over the role of lay people and women, on doctrine and social justice teaching ? even on what is required to be considered Catholic. In Benedict's final audience with cardinals, he urged them to work "like an orchestra" where "agreement and harmony" can be reached despite diversity. He could have been talking to the whole church.
_____
Follow Rachel Zoll at www.twitter.com/rzollAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heavy-workload-awaits-next-pope-church-turmoil-164626575.html
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Job seekers use Pinterest to showcase 'living resume'
Amy Craparo / Pinterest
Amy Craparo, owner of Wow Factor Cakes in Charlotte, N.C., uses Pinterest as a portfolio for her creations.
By Isolde Raftery, TODAY
The social media site Pinterest is known for its eye-appealing recipes, wedding pictures and DIY projects ? and it?s also becoming a place for pinners to market themselves professionally.
Sarah Gubara of Baltimore, Md., describes?her Pinterest boards?as a ?living resume,? a place where she can show off her accomplishments and her interests. One of her boards includes articles she has written, but the rest are mostly personal: wedding ideas and places she'd like to travel.?
?When you?re applying for jobs, no one has the time to listen to people tell their story,? Gubara said. ?I felt that Pinterest displays your personality visually.?
Gubara, 23, works for Maroon PR (she said she ?stalked? her future co-workers on Pinterest to learn more about them) said she has been contacted via Pinterest to speak on a panel and to write an article. She has since created a company page that she can pull up on her phone and at a conference or meeting.?
?When you connect with someone on LinkedIn ? and I like LinkedIn a lot ? there?s not that two-way street. It?s more of a Rolodex,? Gubara said.
Pinterest ? one of the fastest-growing social networks with 28.9 million visitors, according to comScore ??loves that some of its users market themselves on the site.
?Whether it?s a photographer displaying a portfolio, a local wedding planner showcasing event concepts, or a teacher organizing classroom projects and ideas, people use Pinterest in a number of interesting, inspiring ways for their careers,? said spokeswoman Annie Ta.????
Self-branding on Pinterest can be tricky, however, as the site rewards being personal. But branding expert Maria Elena Duron, founder of marketing firm Buzz to Bucks in Midland, Texas, says that allows employers to get a better read on applicants? personalities and whether they would be a good fit.
Duron recommends using a professional profile photo ? similar to one used on LinkedIn ? and writing a short profile in the third-person, using keywords an employer might use in a Google search engine. ?
Duron suggests signing up for LinkedIn?s advanced feature ? free for the first month ? and taking note of which keywords send searchers to your profile. Tweak your LinkedIn profile until you?re happy with who lands on your profile, and then use those words for your Pinterest page. And, of course, list your full name.
?If you?re looking for a marketing position, one of the boards could be greatest marketing books, and you pin every marketing book,? Duron said. Also, she recommends maintaining control of your boards. ?Do not share boards for your personal Pinterest page.?
The Pinterest portfolio is a natural for artists and designers but also works for words-oriented people. Duron posts her blog items on Pinterest, which allows a reader to see a bulletin board of her posts. The trick: Upload an image and attach a URL.?
Balance personal items with pins from other boards, says Melissa Taylor, a teacher from Denver, Colo. and author of?Pinterest Savvy. ?Nobody likes a braggart,? Taylor said.
Some small companies, particularly those in the wedding industry, have also come to rely on Pinterest to display their work. ?Amy Crapero, owner of Wow Factor Cakes in Charlotte, N.C., posts her own cakes and also the gowns and haute-couture that inspire them.
It also helps with clients, she said, who find it hard to ?communicate verbally what they?re thinking visually.?
?If a client says, ?I want my cake to be lacy, I can go to Pinterest and do a search on ?lace cakes? that they have posted and all the lace cakes will pop up and a variety of styles of lace cakes.?
Wow Factor has three employees and one intern, so Pinterest, which is free to use, has helped in a small way. Craparo said several brides a month walk in after spotting her cakes on Pinterest.
?The first time, (the bride) came in with a picture of our cake -- I don?t know if she realized it was our cake,? Craparo said. ?She said, ?I like this one.? It was neat to see it unfold as a tool that they?re using.?
Related content:
Resume with cookies: Standing out in job market
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
Private sector must help the movie industry - Sierra Express Media
Desmond Finney (photo) is a born and bred Sierra Leonean, young and multitalented.? He is by every level a leader in the emerging filming sector in this country.
Finney attended Leone Preparatory, Prince of Wales schools. He then did his 6th Form at the immaculate Saint Edwards Secondary School in Kingtom, from where he proceeded to the country`s bastion of learning, the University of Sierra Leone`s Fourah Bay College. He studied Drama under Dr Julius Spencer.? Mr. Finney furthered his education in theatre education in England, and he has since returned home to do his work.
In this interview, Finney tells it all about the arts and entertainment industry in Sierra Leone, with emphasis on movie making.
Here is an excerpt:
Salone Jamboree: How did you become a movie star?
Desmond: I started acting at Leone Preparatory School, the Saint Edwards Theatre, and at the FBC. Dr.Spencer spotted me among others at the university and encouraged and catapulted my professional acting career. I started film acting in 1994 after completing university, and upon returning back home from the UK, I was featured in the first Sierra Leonean movie titled: ?Hawa?.
Of? late you have been starred in many films, what is the secret behind this?
Probably it is because it?s part of my mission to help raise the Sierra Leone movie industry up to a certain level that we will be able to compete with other African countries and beyond. I am in a position and very passionate about this, and also I am in a place (Premiere Media) to make many of these films myself or through premiere media. Sometimes I work with Jimmy B, and of late Desmond Elliot and several other local and international movie stars.
How can you describe the movie industry in the country at the moment?
I think we all can agree that filming in Sierra Leone is a ?virgin? industry.? But, from where the country has taken off from it is a much higher pace as to be compared with many other countries. For example, we are far ahead of the Gambians. In Nigeria, there is the debate now about my nationality which is a pointer to the fact that our standard is a bit high.
I believe that we started up from a relatively higher pace unlike many other countries. However, there is a good number of people involving in the movie realm who are not fit to be onboard.
The substandard products of some of these wallpaper movies are affecting some of us that are serious in the business, and in general discouraging the watching audience. This is a challenge which I believe that the Sierra Leone film industry must look into. Having said that, I believe we have a lot of potentials in this country and I am pleased with some of the movies coming these days.
What do you make up of Sun Valley and Sollywood?
The name Sollywood came out as a result of the fact that Jimmy B is the first actor to be watched internationally. Sun Valley is a Union of Sierra Leonean film stakeholders. It is a good thing to bring onboard everyone that has a stake in the movie sector. I understanding that there are internal dispute in SunValley but I believe that it can be overcome as quickly as possible. Such interest groups are needed for actors, directors, cameramen etc.
But the union needs to make itself relevant and I don?t see a problem with the name.
How do you think we can overcome the problem of substandard films?
Basically I think the answer is capacity building and training. For example, in terms of shooting and editing, Sierra Leone has improved a lot because we are learning very fast, thus we need to continue such training for actors, directors, film makers, script writers and all. And it will basically improve the status of standard of movies.
Apprenticeship also can be a useful tool since we don?t have the schools at the moment. Before claiming titles, those involved in movie business must have something to show for, learning from those that know more than you. For example when Desmond Elliot was in town I apprenticed myself to him because no matter what, he knows the movie business more than I do. This will make one a better person. Sierra Leoneans must not be prideful by thinking that we have arrived, which is far from being the case despite starting from a high point.
We are seeing many movie productions sprouting. How does or should a film production establishment operate?
These many productions I will call production houses. It goes more than getting actors and directors in a group.
A standard production needs an executive producer, the person with the money; a director, the person with the knowhow who calls auditioning for the best casts. What we are seeing today is a group of financially placed people creating so-called productions. It is not a bad thing but in a group where everyone is inexperienced you need to have a cameraman, editor, director and such.
What more successes can you highlight apart from Sierra Leonean movies starting from a relatively high point as you have earlier on stated?
Obviously, right now international TV stations (TV Africa, DSTV, etc.) in Africa are playing our movies.? Also, if you travel outside Sierra Leone you will discover that some of us are recognized as actors. Bit by bit people are recognising the existence of our movie sector and hopefully this will attract more investors, tourists etc.
In fact, ?Enemy in the Family? along ?Sometimes in Africa? were nominated Best Drama in the Tiana Awards in Houston Texas, thus bringing international recognition and improvement on the image of the film sector back here in Sierra Leone.
How much role has government and the private sector got to play in the development of the emerging film sector in Sierra Leone?
The contribution of the private sector is extremely invaluable. We need people to come onboard and help by spending money in filming. Companies must see a need to help as part of their corporate social responsibilities. As for government, they need to help put in place adequate regulations for a film classification and censorship board. The government must also help to protect us from an unfair competition from the numerous foreign films making their way into the country and sold at uncompetitive prices (Le 5.000 compared to Le 10.000 for Sierra Leonean films). We need an alternative to the influx of these so-called cheap series films which are hugely pirated here because when you go out some of these films cost ranging from 5 to 25 dollars.
This issue is killing our thriving film sector which needs the support of everyone for quality and cost. The citizenry must also be willing to buy these films despite the good or bad production argument.
Nevertheless, having a level playing field in the movie sector comes with a responsibility on the part of film makers, making sure that our films can be able to compete in terms of standards. Both government and the private sector must work side by side because their role is invaluable. For instance, the third movie (Crack) produced by Premiere Media, the then Zain helped in the promotion. Africell has also been helping movie groups apart of which I have not seen much significant help from the private sector except private individuals. We need them to come onboard.
How can you describe a standard or competitive movie?
I do believe that we have true film makers in the country.
For example, ?Refugees? is one of such international standard production. ?Aminata, For the Love of money?, etc., are now all competing. I believe that by the next African Movie Viewers Story Awards, our films will be nominated.
At the moment we have films in the Beijing Film Festival in China all of which are indicators that we are slowly getting to the helm of film affairs in the continent and beyond. Sierra Leonean actors and directors are beginning to be honoured.
Today, we have Sierra Leonean actors and actresses (Susan Sayat, Antonet Koroma, Martha Sesay, etc.) acting in Ghanaian and Nigerian films. If we were not good we would not be featured in these foreign films.
The potential is there but we need the support of all. The ordinary people must appreciate and feel proud of our films.
What make up a good movie maker and movie star?
A good movie maker or producer must seek to have cleaner pictures and sound, fine language usage, avoid obstinacy, possesses the necessary training or exposure or apprenticeship. Someone with these can be considered as a good movie maker.
For a good movie star, firstly it is enough passion despite the absence of huge money; they must have humility by appreciating people; the fans make the star. ?Teachablity? can all be attributes of a good movie star.
What are your best wishes for the movie industry in the years to come?
A continuation of the improved standard of Sierra Leone films and we will be recognised globally as a movie making country. That way we will have stars and ambassadors from Sierra Leone taking a place in the global stage this year not even years to come.
What is your worst fear for the thriving movie industry?
It is that of people putting self above country in the industry. Issues like these are what will stall the movie industry. Also, that ?bad beleh? or bad heart, as observed by one of my Nigerian friends, may not overshadow the industry.
I and my partners will always work against being a party to [bad] attitudes that will move the movie industry business backward.
By: Melvin Tejan Mansaray, SaloneJamboree
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
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? 2013, Sierra Express Media. All rights reserved.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Nasdaq, SharesPost to set up market for unlisted stocks
(Reuters) - Nasdaq OMX Group Inc
The new venture, Nasdaq Private Market, will help the exchange rebuild its reputation as the exchange of choice for unlisted companies, after it was criticized for its role in the botched Facebook Inc
"NYSE was taking a lot of share away from the Nasdaq even in tech listings, so I think it's kind of an opportunistic move for Nasdaq," said Josef Schuster, founder of Chicago-based financial services firm IPOX Schuster LLC.
Major market makers and broker dealers say they lost upward of $500 million because of technical glitches on the Nasdaq during Facebook's May 18 stock market debut.
Nasdaq will own most of the new venture, to be based in San Francisco and led by SharesPost founder Greg Brogger. They hope to launch the new market later this year.
San Bruno, California-based SharesPost began in 2009 and its fortunes rose in step with technology startups such as Facebook Inc
But it ran into regulatory trouble when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stepped up scrutiny of Wall Street banks and electronic markets offering investors a chance to trade shares in hot technology companies before they went public.
Privately held SharesPost was charged by the SEC for failing to register as a broker-dealer before offering securities in its marketplace. It registered as a broker-dealer and paid $100,000 to settle the allegations.
The new venture gives SharesPost a leg up in the increasingly crowded market for trading unlisted stocks, said Jay Ritter, a finance professor at the University of Florida.
"Most young companies that go public in the U.S. go public on the Nasdaq and so the joint venture gives SharesPost a lot of credibility," he said.
SharesPost's broker dealer and investment advisory business will continue to operate separately from the joint venture.
Recent legislation, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, has boosted opportunities for trading of unlisted companies. Under the act, an unlisted company can have 2,000 shareholders, up from 500.
(Additional reporting by Jochelle Mendonca; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Rodney Joyce)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-sharespost-set-exchange-unlisted-stock-123741663--sector.html
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Washington, D.C., Area Awaits Midweek Snowstorm
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for most of the counties west of Washington, D.C. The warning anticipates heavy snow, with some counties receiving between 6 and 10 inches, and the possibility of sleet or ice accumulations.
As noted by WTOP, the storm warning is in effect from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 3 a.m. Thursday for Frederick County, Maryland, and Loudoun, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, Nelson, Albemarle, Greene, and Rappahannock counties in Virginia.
The National Weather Service has also issued a Winter Storm Watch for the majority of counties in central and southern Maryland, along with a band of counties extending into central Virginia from Washington, D.C. The watch goes into effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday evening, noting that snow accumulations of 5 or more inches are possible.
Residents in those areas should expect rain mixed with snow. It will gradually turn into snow from west to east through Tuesday.
The Washington Post has dubbed the snowstorm the "Snowquester" and said the effects could be "crippling" for the western section of Washington's metro area. Power outages could occur in areas north and west of Manassas, Fairfax, and Rockville.
The Washington area has been without a snowstorm of at least 2 inches for 769 days, its longest streak on record, the Washington Post reports. It is also expected that total accumulations will surpass that of "Commutageddon" on January 26, 2011, with double-digit snowfall in Oakton, Gaithersburg, Sterling, Germantown, Warrenton, and Leesburg.
The storm is also expected to cause large waves due to wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour. There could be significant beach erosion or minor to moderate flooding at Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia beaches, according to the Washington Post.
Snow is predicted to lessen gradually starting early Wednesday evening.
Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal who lives near Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/washington-d-c-area-awaits-midweek-snowstorm-200500524.html
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Shinwataisen
RolePlayGateway is proudly powered by obscene amounts of caffeine, duct tape, and support from people like you. It operates under a "don't like it, suggest an improvement" platform, and we gladly take suggestions for improvements or changes.
The custom-built "roleplay" system was designed and implemented by Eric Martindale as of July 2009. All attempts to replicate or otherwise emulate this system and its method of organizing roleplay are strictly prohibited without his express written and contractual permission; violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
? RolePlayGateway, LLC | with the support of LocalSense
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/KlRpVXP5EUk/viewtopic.php
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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Obama Administration Backs Effort to Legalize Cell Phone Unlocking
Late last month, the White House petition initiated to undo the questionable policy change outlawing new cell phones from being unlocked reached its goal. The petition needed to secure 100,000 signatures by midnight on February 23, 2013 in order to mandate a response from The White House.
Today, the White House responded and it backs the underlying sentiment of the movement.
The following is the complete statement released today by R. David Edelman, Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation, & Privacy in the Obama Administration:
Thank you for sharing your views on cell phone unlocking with us through your petition on our We the People platform. Last week the White House brought together experts from across government who work on telecommunications, technology, and copyright policy, and we?re pleased to offer our response.
The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties. In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smart phones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren?t bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It?s common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers? needs.
This is particularly important for secondhand or other mobile devices that you might buy or receive as a gift, and want to activate on the wireless network that meets your needs ? even if it isn?t the one on which the device was first activated. All consumers deserve that flexibility.
The White House?s position detailed in this response builds on some critical thinking done by the President?s chief advisory Agency on these matters: the Department of Commerce?s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). For more context and information on the technical aspects of the issue, you can review the NTIA?s letter to the Library of Congress? Register of Copyrights (.pdf), voicing strong support for maintaining the previous exception to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for cell phone carrier unlocking.
Contrary to the NTIA?s recommendation, the Librarian of Congress ruled that phones purchased after January of this year would no longer be exempted from the DMCA. The law gives the Librarian the authority to establish or eliminate exceptions ? and we respect that process. But it is also worth noting the statement the Library of Congress released today on the broader public policy concerns of the issue. Clearly the White House and Library of Congress agree that the DMCA exception process is a rigid and imperfect fit for this telecommunications issue, and we want to ensure this particular challenge for mobile competition is solved.
So where do we go from here?
The Obama Administration would support a range of approaches to addressing this issue, including narrow legislative fixes in the telecommunications space that make it clear: neither criminal law nor technological locks should prevent consumers from switching carriers when they are no longer bound by a service agreement or other obligation.
We also believe the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with its responsibility for promoting mobile competition and innovation, has an important role to play here. FCC Chairman Genachowski today voiced his concern about mobile phone unlocking (.pdf), and to complement his efforts, NTIA will be formally engaging with the FCC as it addresses this urgent issue.
Finally, we would encourage mobile providers to consider what steps they as businesses can take to ensure that their customers can fully reap the benefits and features they expect when purchasing their devices.
We look forward to continuing to work with Congress, the wireless and mobile phone industries, and most importantly you ? the everyday consumers who stand to benefit from this greater flexibility ? to ensure our laws keep pace with changing technology, protect the economic competitiveness that has led to such innovation in this space, and offer consumers the flexibility and freedoms they deserve.
So? do you agree with the White House?s response to the petition? Please weigh in with? a thought or comment below.
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Green tea extract interferes with the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease
Mar. 5, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of Michigan have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain.
The aggregation of these proteins, called metal-associated amyloids, is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
A paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explained how U-M Life Sciences Institute faculty member Mi Hee Lim and an interdisciplinary team of researchers used green tea extract to control the generation of metal-associated amyloid-? aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease in the lab.
The specific molecule in green tea, ( -- )-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, also known as EGCG, prevented aggregate formation and broke down existing aggregate structures in the proteins that contained metals -- specifically copper, iron and zinc.
"A lot of people are very excited about this molecule," said Lim, noting that the EGCG and other flavonoids in natural products have long been established as powerful antioxidants. "We used a multidisciplinary approach. This is the first example of structure-centric, multidisciplinary investigations by three principal investigators with three different areas of expertise."
The research team included chemists, biochemists and biophysicists.
While many researchers are investigating small molecules and metal-associated amyloids, most are looking from a limited perspective, said Lim, assistant professor of chemistry and research assistant professor at the Life Sciences Institute, where her lab is located and her research is conducted.
"But we believe you have to have a lot of approaches working together, because the brain is very complex," she said.
The PNAS paper was a starting point, Lim said, and her team's next step is to "tweak" the molecule and then test its ability to interfere with plaque formation in fruit flies.
"We want to modify them for the brain, specifically to interfere with the plaques associated with Alzheimer's," she said.
Lim plans to collaborate with Bing Ye, a neurobiologist in the LSI. Together, the researchers will test the new molecule's power to inhibit potential toxicity of aggregates containing proteins and metals in fruit flies.
Other authors of the paper, all from U-M, are: Sanghyun Lee and Jung-Suk Choi of the Life Sciences Institute; Alaina DeToma, Suk-Joon Hyung, Akiko Kochi and Brandon Ruotoloa of the Department of Chemistry; and Jeffrey Brender, Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and Subramanian Vivekanandan of the Department of Chemistry and Biophysics.
The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, American Heart Association, and a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation Study.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Michigan.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- S.-J. Hyung, A. S. DeToma, J. R. Brender, S. Lee, S. Vivekanandan, A. Kochi, J.-S. Choi, A. Ramamoorthy, B. T. Ruotolo, M. H. Lim. Insights into antiamyloidogenic properties of the green tea extract (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate toward metal-associated amyloid-? species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220326110
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/mN7TfjpDxS4/130305145137.htm
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Friday, March 1, 2013
Saharan and Asian dust, biological particles end global journey in California
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Public release date: 28-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Robert Monroe
scrippsnews@ucsd.edu
858-534-3624
University of California - San Diego
UCSD, NOAA study is the first to show that dust and other aerosols from 1 side of the world influence rainfall in another
A field study of aerosol impacts on clouds and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada mountains shows that dust and microorganisms transported from as far away as the Sahara desert help to spur the precipitation that California counts on for its water supply.
The CalWater field campaign, funded by the California Energy Commission and led by UC San Diego and NOAA, could help western states better understand the future of their water supply and hydropower generation as climate change influences how much and how often dust travels around the world and alters precipitation far from its point of origin.
"UC San Diego is a leader in addressing complex, multi-disciplinary global challenges, such as water shortages and environmental concerns," said UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Our researchers work collaboratively to investigate and produce meaningful and impactful research that will further our understanding of our planet and environment, so we can improve human life and our world."
Jessie Creamean, a postdoctoral associate at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., co-authored the paper appearing in the journal Science with Kaitlyn Suski, a graduate student in the laboratory of Distinguished Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry Prof. Kimberly Prather, who holds appointments at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSD.
"We were able to show dust and biological aerosols that made it from as far as the Sahara were incorporated into the clouds to form ice, then influenced the formation of the precipitation in California," said Creamean, who conducted the fieldwork as a UCSD graduate student under Prather, the study leader. "To our knowledge, no one has been able to directly determine the origin of the critical aerosols seeding mid-level clouds which ultimately produce periods with extensive precipitation typically in the form of snow at the ground."
The study, "Dust and Biological Aerosols from the Sahara and Asia Influence Precipitation in the Western US," appears Feb. 28 in online versions of Science.
Researchers have long known that winds can carry aerosols such as dust at altitudes above 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) from continent to continent. An unrelated 2009 study found that in one instance, Asian dust made a complete circuit around the planet in 13 days.
These dust particles can act as ice nuclei within clouds at warmer temperatures than would occur in their absence. They initiate the freezing of water vapor and water droplets, then precipitate as rain, snow, or hail depending on whether meteorological conditions enable them to attain sufficient mass to fall from the sky before evaporating. Without ice nuclei, ice would likely not form in clouds with temperatures above -38 degrees C (-36.4 degrees F).
Besides dust, aerosols can be composed of sea salt, bits of soot and other pollution, or biological material. Bacteria, viruses, pollen, and plants, of both terrestrial and marine origin, also add to the mix of aerosols making the transcontinental voyage.
The researchers' analysis of winter storms in 2011 found that dust and biological aerosols tend to enhance precipitation-forming processes in the Sierra Nevada. In previous studies, researchers have found that pollution particles have the opposite effect, suppressing precipitation in the Sierra Nevada.
The bulk of the data collected during CalWater came from instruments known as aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometers (ATOFMS), co-developed by Prather, and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, which tracked the transport of aerosols through the atmosphere from continent to continent. Measurements in and around clouds utilized the Department of Energy's G-1 research aircraft, which carried other vital instruments, such as a specialized detector for the presence of dust ice nuclei feeding clouds and their presence in the collected residue of ice crystals. That portion of the study was led by co-author Paul DeMott, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University.
Using these tools, the researchers were able to determine that at least some of the dust and bioparticles detected by an aircraft-mounted ATOFMS unit during February 2011 flights through Sierra Nevada storm clouds were in the skies over Oman 10 days earlier, having likely originated in the Sahara a few days earlier. Along the journey, the Saharan dust and microbes mixed with other aerosols from deserts in China and Mongolia before wafting over the Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival in California, the aerosols effectively seeded the storm clouds and contributed to the efficiency of clouds in producing precipitation. Two other transportable ATOFMS units housed in trailers at Sugar Pine Dam just south of Interstate 80 in the Tahoe National Forest and other instruments made further measurements. They determined the chemical composition of aerosols at the end of their journey by looking at the particles present in precipitation samples that were collected during storms.
The researchers said it is a major challenge to sort out the relative impacts of meteorology, atmospheric dynamics, and the original sources of the cloud seeds on precipitation processes. They added that further studies like CalWater are necessary to further identify which aerosols are conducive to precipitation formation and which aerosols stifle its production.
"Due to the ubiquity of dust and co-lofted biological particles such as bacteria in the atmosphere, these findings have global significance," the study concludes. "Furthermore, the implications for future water resources become even more substantial when considering the possible increase in [wind-blown] dust as a result of a warming climate and land use changes."
"Hydropower is an essential source of electricity in California providing, on average, 15 percent of our annual generation. More importantly, it provides electricity during hot summer days when it is needed the most," said Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller. "This state-funded study in cooperation with NOAA will help us understand how small particles in the air affect precipitation and hydropower generation. Additionally, this information will be useful in estimating the effects of our changing climate."
###
Besides Creamean, Suski, and Prather, study coauthors include Daniel Rosenfeld of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Alberto Cazorla of UCSD, Paul DeMott of Colorado State University, Ryan Sullivan of Carnegie Mellon University, Allen White, F. Martin Ralph of NOAA, Patrick Minnis of NASA's Langley Research Center, and Jennifer Comstock and Jason Tomlinson of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.
[ | 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: 28-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Robert Monroe
scrippsnews@ucsd.edu
858-534-3624
University of California - San Diego
UCSD, NOAA study is the first to show that dust and other aerosols from 1 side of the world influence rainfall in another
A field study of aerosol impacts on clouds and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada mountains shows that dust and microorganisms transported from as far away as the Sahara desert help to spur the precipitation that California counts on for its water supply.
The CalWater field campaign, funded by the California Energy Commission and led by UC San Diego and NOAA, could help western states better understand the future of their water supply and hydropower generation as climate change influences how much and how often dust travels around the world and alters precipitation far from its point of origin.
"UC San Diego is a leader in addressing complex, multi-disciplinary global challenges, such as water shortages and environmental concerns," said UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Our researchers work collaboratively to investigate and produce meaningful and impactful research that will further our understanding of our planet and environment, so we can improve human life and our world."
Jessie Creamean, a postdoctoral associate at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., co-authored the paper appearing in the journal Science with Kaitlyn Suski, a graduate student in the laboratory of Distinguished Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry Prof. Kimberly Prather, who holds appointments at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSD.
"We were able to show dust and biological aerosols that made it from as far as the Sahara were incorporated into the clouds to form ice, then influenced the formation of the precipitation in California," said Creamean, who conducted the fieldwork as a UCSD graduate student under Prather, the study leader. "To our knowledge, no one has been able to directly determine the origin of the critical aerosols seeding mid-level clouds which ultimately produce periods with extensive precipitation typically in the form of snow at the ground."
The study, "Dust and Biological Aerosols from the Sahara and Asia Influence Precipitation in the Western US," appears Feb. 28 in online versions of Science.
Researchers have long known that winds can carry aerosols such as dust at altitudes above 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) from continent to continent. An unrelated 2009 study found that in one instance, Asian dust made a complete circuit around the planet in 13 days.
These dust particles can act as ice nuclei within clouds at warmer temperatures than would occur in their absence. They initiate the freezing of water vapor and water droplets, then precipitate as rain, snow, or hail depending on whether meteorological conditions enable them to attain sufficient mass to fall from the sky before evaporating. Without ice nuclei, ice would likely not form in clouds with temperatures above -38 degrees C (-36.4 degrees F).
Besides dust, aerosols can be composed of sea salt, bits of soot and other pollution, or biological material. Bacteria, viruses, pollen, and plants, of both terrestrial and marine origin, also add to the mix of aerosols making the transcontinental voyage.
The researchers' analysis of winter storms in 2011 found that dust and biological aerosols tend to enhance precipitation-forming processes in the Sierra Nevada. In previous studies, researchers have found that pollution particles have the opposite effect, suppressing precipitation in the Sierra Nevada.
The bulk of the data collected during CalWater came from instruments known as aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometers (ATOFMS), co-developed by Prather, and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, which tracked the transport of aerosols through the atmosphere from continent to continent. Measurements in and around clouds utilized the Department of Energy's G-1 research aircraft, which carried other vital instruments, such as a specialized detector for the presence of dust ice nuclei feeding clouds and their presence in the collected residue of ice crystals. That portion of the study was led by co-author Paul DeMott, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University.
Using these tools, the researchers were able to determine that at least some of the dust and bioparticles detected by an aircraft-mounted ATOFMS unit during February 2011 flights through Sierra Nevada storm clouds were in the skies over Oman 10 days earlier, having likely originated in the Sahara a few days earlier. Along the journey, the Saharan dust and microbes mixed with other aerosols from deserts in China and Mongolia before wafting over the Pacific Ocean. Upon arrival in California, the aerosols effectively seeded the storm clouds and contributed to the efficiency of clouds in producing precipitation. Two other transportable ATOFMS units housed in trailers at Sugar Pine Dam just south of Interstate 80 in the Tahoe National Forest and other instruments made further measurements. They determined the chemical composition of aerosols at the end of their journey by looking at the particles present in precipitation samples that were collected during storms.
The researchers said it is a major challenge to sort out the relative impacts of meteorology, atmospheric dynamics, and the original sources of the cloud seeds on precipitation processes. They added that further studies like CalWater are necessary to further identify which aerosols are conducive to precipitation formation and which aerosols stifle its production.
"Due to the ubiquity of dust and co-lofted biological particles such as bacteria in the atmosphere, these findings have global significance," the study concludes. "Furthermore, the implications for future water resources become even more substantial when considering the possible increase in [wind-blown] dust as a result of a warming climate and land use changes."
"Hydropower is an essential source of electricity in California providing, on average, 15 percent of our annual generation. More importantly, it provides electricity during hot summer days when it is needed the most," said Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller. "This state-funded study in cooperation with NOAA will help us understand how small particles in the air affect precipitation and hydropower generation. Additionally, this information will be useful in estimating the effects of our changing climate."
###
Besides Creamean, Suski, and Prather, study coauthors include Daniel Rosenfeld of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Alberto Cazorla of UCSD, Paul DeMott of Colorado State University, Ryan Sullivan of Carnegie Mellon University, Allen White, F. Martin Ralph of NOAA, Patrick Minnis of NASA's Langley Research Center, and Jennifer Comstock and Jason Tomlinson of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.
[ | 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/uoc--saa022813.php
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Video: Last-minute sequester alternatives fail
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/50997670/
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