Body of Phoenix shooter positively identified

PHOENIX (AP) ? A body found early Thursday among bushes in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa has been positively identified as the man who killed a company CEO and critically wounded a lawyer a day earlier, police said.

A landscaper found the body of Arthur Douglas Harmon, 70. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a handgun was also found, police said. Nearby in a parking lot was a rented Kia Optima sedan he drove to the shooting scene on Wednesday, authorities said.

Harmon drew a gun and shot both men at the end of a mediation session Wednesday morning at an office building in north-central Phoenix, police said.

Steve Singer, 48, died hours later. Mark Hummels, 43, with the Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon, is in critical condition. A 32-year-old woman was also shot but suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"We believe the two men were the targets. It was not a random shooting," said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.

Harmon also shot at someone who tried to follow him to get his license plate number, authorities said.

"As he left the scene, an individual witness got in his own car and actually followed Harmon in his Optima, and he drove into a neighborhood and Harmon actually got out of his car and shot at that witness," Thompson said.

Singer was the CEO of Scottsdale-based Fusion Contact Centers LLC, which had hired Harmon to refurbish office cubicles at two call centers in California.

According to court documents, Harmon was scheduled to go to a law office in the building where the shooting took place for a settlement conference in a lawsuit he filed last April against Fusion.

Fusion said Harmon was paid nearly $30,000 under the $47,000 contract. But the company asked him to repay much of the money when it discovered that the cubicles could not be refurbished, according to the documents.

Harmon argued Fusion hung him out to dry by telling him to remove and store 206 "worthless" work stations after the mix-up was discovered. Harmon said Fusion then told him that the company decided to use a competitor.

Harmon's lawsuit had sought payment for the remainder of the contract, $20,000 in damages and reimbursement for storage fees and legal costs.

Hummels represented Fusion in the lawsuit. Harmon represented himself.

The shooting took place in the building where Pro tempore Judge Ira Schwartz, who scheduled the mediation meeting, has an office.

The response to the shooting centered on the building ? home to insurance, medical and law offices ? but soon spread to a north-Phoenix home and a central-Phoenix high-rise office building where Hummels' office is located.

SWAT teams and two armored vehicles surrounded the house. Police served a search warrant to enter the house, which county property records show was sold by Harmon to his son last year for $26,000.

For a time, officers used a megaphone to ask Harmon to surrender, believing he might be inside the home.

Lois Allen, who has lived across the street from the Harmon home for about eight years, said she was startled to see all the police cars in the neighborhood.

She said she never met Harmon but had seen him walking a dog before.

The gunfire at the office complex prompted terrified workers to lock the doors to their offices and hide far from the windows. SWAT officers searched the building.

"Everyone was just scared, honestly, just scared," said Navika Sood, assistant director of nursing at First at Home Health Services who along with her co-workers locked the entrances to their office.

Sood said police evacuated the office about 30 minutes after she first heard the popping noises.

Becky Neher, who works for a title company in the building, said she heard two gunshots.

"Someone yelled, 'We have a shooter,'" Neher said. She looked out her second-story office and saw two people lying on the ground outside the back of the building.

The shooting took place on the same day that hearings on legislation to address gun violence were convened in Washington, with former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords testifying for stricter gun controls. A gunman shot Giffords in the head during a shooting rampage in Tucson in January 2011.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Paul Davenport, Felicia Fonseca, Terry Tang and Walter Berry in Phoenix, and AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/body-phoenix-shooter-positively-identified-195532740.html

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Southern California Languages

Southern California Languages

Image by Travis S.
The Chumash language is very unique in that there are no languages that are closely related to it. Much like Basque of Finnish it?s an isolate surrounded by a group of languages that have an obvious familial tie.

The only language I know about in this list is the Uto-Aztecan. There is a theory that the Utes started in California and made their way west throughout the Great Basin. This is seen by the high numbers of diverse, but related languages clustered in western California, with a broad, large spread of the language family in lands further east. Later the language group pushed south to Mexico.

This entry was posted in Language and tagged California, Languages, Southern. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://artificialintelligenceseo.com/southern-california-languages/

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FCC filing reveals Apple TV model A1469 with slightly smaller dimensions (update: new antenna, CPU too?)

We don't generally find surprises from Apple in the daily stream of FCC documents and test reports, but a new filing published today seems to suggest that a new Apple TV model of some sort could be on the way. While the diagram pictured above doesn't suggest any major changes to the device's appearance, it does list some slightly smaller measurements: 93.78mm square compared to the 98mm of the current model. That's certainly not the biggest of differences, but the measurements in previous Apple FCC filings have been spot on. The model number, A1469, is also one that we haven't seen before, but the documents unfortunately don't offer much else in the way of details (only confirmation of the same WiFi capabilities as the current-gen Apple TV).

As MacRumors noted yesterday, a look at the download options for the latest Apple TV software update also revealed a new "AppleTV3,2" model, which it speculated could be an international version of the device -- although it of course remains to be seen if it and this model are one and the same. For now, you can get a closer look at the filing yourself at the source link.

Update: Anandtech has peeked through the filings and the source code, finding a new single antenna setup that follows the design of other iDevices, and reference to an updated A5X SoC at its heart.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple

Comments

Source: FCC, Anandtech

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/aTNR-ejcVkk/

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Study finds improvement in German consumer mood

BERLIN (AP) ? A closely-watched survey shows German consumers are more optimistic, buoyed by the current calm in financial markets and expectations the economy will gradually revive over the course of the year.

The GfK institute reported Tuesday that its forward-looking indicator rose to 5.8 points for February, up from a revised 5.7 in January.

Analyst Carsten Brzeski says the indicator is "another small piece of evidence that domestic demand should be an important growth driver in 2013."

The report shows overall economic expectations still in negative territory, at minus 11.3 in January ? but that was an improvement from December's minus 17.9.

Income expectations rose to 36 in January from 21.2 in December, while consumers' willingness to buy was up to 35.3 from 20.1.

The report is based on 2,000 consumer interviews.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-finds-improvement-german-consumer-mood-082011974--finance.html

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UK unveils ?159 billion defence equipment plan, but doubts remain

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain published on Thursday a 159-billion-pound long-term defence equipment spending plan, a move aimed at reversing decades of mismanagement but which drew only qualified praise from experts.

The plan covers spending from 2012 to 2022, the first time the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has outlined defence equipment spending over such a long period, reflecting the gestation time of major military projects.

Equipment covered in the plan contained no surprises, having been outlined in the MoD's last major planning exercise, the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which charted a course for British security needs by 2020.

British arms firm BAE Systems, Europe's largest defence contractor, is behind most of the large projects outlined in the plan, including submarines, ships, aircraft carriers and the Typhoon fighter jet.

The MoD has for years been criticised by spending watchdogs for over-optimistic cost and time forecasts for equipment projects, a matter that has grown in importance as Britain slashes spending to fix a budget deficit.

The spending plan includes a 4.8 billion pound contingency allowance to manage unexpected cost increases, as well as an unallocated 8 billion pounds for future equipment needs.

"Step by step, we are clearing up years of mismanagement under the last government by ending the culture of over-promising and under-delivering," Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, a Conservative, said in a statement, referring to the opposition Labour party.

Labour labelled Hammond "hubristic" and said his claims to have balanced the defence budget were "wild".

The MoD said the spending plan addresses what had been estimated to have been a 74 billion pound equipment funding gap, and that it had received the backing of the National Audit Office (NAO), parliament's spending watchdog.

OVER-OPTIMISM

However, the NAO said in a report reviewing the MoD's spending plan that while the ministry was approaching defence spending on a "more prudent basis" and had "taken significant positive steps", uncertainty remained.

"There is systemic over-optimism inherent in the department's assumptions around the costing of risk and uncertainty .... which may not be sufficiently mitigated by the contingency provision," the NAO said.

It stressed that its assessment of the spending forecast only took into account equipment procurement and not equipment support costs, which at 86 billion pounds makes up more than half of the spending plan.

The NAO also said the plan was "unlikely to be realistic" without a comprehensive analysis of risks and uncertainties.

John Louth, director for defence, industries and society at the Royal United Services Institute defence thinktank in London, said the MoD's plan lacked detail and was vulnerable to shocks.

"Whilst they should be applauded for publishing a 10-year plan, the information we have is very thin. It doesn't really talk about any accounting assumptions or anything that gives an understanding of how the numbers were generated," he said.

"If you have a 10-year forecast, you're making an awful lot of assumptions over how the world will be over that 10-year period .... We haven't been able to forecast any of the operations we've been involved with," he added.

An MoD spokesman said future "wider economic conditions" could have an impact on the plan, as well as another SDSR planned for 2015.

PROJECTS COVERED

The major defence equipment projects covered in the MoD spending plan are:

* 35.8 billion pounds on seven BAE-built Astute-class submarines and developing a replacement for the four Vanguard-class submarines used for Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent.

* 18.5 billion pounds on fighter jets, and UAVs, or drones, including the Joint Strike Fighter built by U.S. firm Lockheed Martin Corp, of which Britain has so far committed to buy 48, and the Typhoon, built by a consortium of BAE, Italy's Finmeccanica and European aerospace group EADS, of which Britain has ordered 160.

* 17.4 billion pounds on two aircraft carriers, six new Type 45 destroyers and the development of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, all built by BAE.

* 13.9 billion pounds on air-to-air refuelling, passenger and heavy lift capability by leasing Airbus aircraft through the EADS-led AirTanker consortium.

* 12.3 billion pounds on armoured fighting vehicles, including the Scout - built by General Dynamics - and the Warrior, built by GKN.

* 12.1 billion pounds on helicopters, including the Boeing-built Chinook and Apache, and the AgustaWestland-built Wildcat.

* 11.4 billion pounds on assorted missiles, torpedoes and bombs.

(Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-unveils-159-billion-defence-equipment-plan-doubts-001750291--sector.html

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Syria says Israeli airstrike destroyed military facility

JERUSALEM ? Israeli warplanes struck targets outside the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Wednesday, according to Syrian and Western reports, amid rising international fear that President Bashar Assad could lose control of his nation's stockpiles of chemical and advanced weapons.

A Western official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the airstrike hit a truck convoy believed to be carrying antiaircraft weapons for Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon. The shipment was thought to have included Russian SA-17 missiles, the official said. If such weapons were obtained by the Islamic militant group, it could weaken Israel's regional military power and hinder its ability to launch airstrikes in Lebanon.

Syrian state media, while also reporting an Israeli airstrike, denied that the target was a weapons shipment for Hezbollah, instead claiming that a military research facility and adjacent building had been destroyed. It said two people were killed and five were injured in the dawn attack.

Syria did not say what kind of research took place at the facility in Jamraya, northwest of the capital.

Israeli officials declined to comment on the reports. But such a strike would mark Israel's most aggressive military action in Syria during the nearly two-year uprising against Assad's rule.

Israeli officials have been sounding alarms in recent days that Syria's weapons might fall into the hands of militant groups that could use them against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised those concerns during a Cabinet meeting this week and officials have repeatedly said that any transfer of Syria's dangerous weapons outside the country might trigger a military response.

A Syrian military statement carried by the official Syrian Arab News Agency charged that the attack proved that Israel was behind efforts to oust Assad. "It has become clear to everyone that Israel is the motivator, beneficiary and sometimes executor of the terrorist acts which target Syria and its resistant people," it said.

Israel has tried to steer clear of the Syrian conflict, fearing any actions it might take, such as supporting opposition forces or launching a military strike, could backfire or become a propaganda coup for Damascus. Syrian officials have long charged that U.S. and "Zionist" forces are behind the rebellion against Assad. Each side in the Syrian conflict has portrayed itself as an implacable enemy of Israel.

There are also fears that an Israeli strike could draw others into the Syrian conflict. Iran, Syria's close ally, said this week that any foreign attack against Syria would be regarded as an attack on Iran.

In addition to chemical weapons, Israeli officials have been particularly worried about Syria's stockpile of SA-17 antiaircraft missiles.

"The initial speculation was about chemical weapons, but Israel is deeply concerned about Hezbollah acquiring this kind of advanced antiaircraft missile," said Jonathan Spyer, a senior research fellow at the Center for Global Research in International Affairs in Herzliya, Israel. "It would transform Hezbollah's game and potentially end Israel's air superiority over Lebanon. This is entirely about Hezbollah, not about Syria."

Officials in Lebanon denied knowledge of any Israeli attack, though they complained that Israeli jets had violated their airspace beginning Tuesday afternoon and through Wednesday morning. Though Israel routinely flies over Lebanon for reconnaissance missions on Hezbollah arms stocks and movements of weapons, the activity overnight was reportedly heavier than usual.

Israel often refuses to confirm or deny its activities in the region, partly out of a belief its silence might reduce the pressure on its enemies to respond.

Israeli is widely believed to have struck a Syrian nuclear facility in 2007. But it has never acknowledged the attack and Assad's regime, which was eager to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel, also dropped the sensitive matter.

In recent weeks, Israelis warned that Assad is losing control over his chemical weapons and military action might be taken.

"If we have solid evidence, shared by our own partners all over the world, that chemical warheads are being transferred from Syria to Lebanon to Hezbollah, no one will condemn Israel for trying to prevent it," said retired Brig. Gen. Amnon Sofrin, a defense contractor and former senior intelligence officer.

Amid the renewed warnings, Israelis living in the northern part of the country near the borders with Syria and Lebanon have been swarming into post offices and other distribution centers to pick up government-issued gas masks.

Israel relocated two of its five Iron Dome missile-interception systems to the northern part of the country, though military officials said the move was not related to fears of impending attacks.

edmund.sanders@latimes.com

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

Sanders reported from Jerusalem and McDonnell from Beirut. Staff writer David S. Cloud in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latimes/sports/hockey/nhl/ducks/~3/qG_x1jCbKt4/la-fg-israel-syria-20130131,0,6712054.story

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Hornets to Pelicans: Breaking Down the Worst Name Change in NBA History

Last week the New Orleans Hornets made it official that they?ll become the Pelicans next year by showcasing their new logo, completing what it is likely the worst name change of all time.

Admittedly, moving to New Orleans from Charlotte in 2002 and keeping the name the Hornets didn?t make much sense. That said, the Hornets is an established basketball brand and an acceptable name. The franchise didn?t surrender the name back to Charlotte when the Bobcats were created a few years later, but that is likely where the Hornets name will land in a year?s time.

Rebranding your franchise with a new name is a complicated process. It costs an organization roughly $3 million and takes a good bit of paperwork to make the deal go through unless the league is urgent to make the change happen. The league?s role in all this is important as they have a big say in what their teams are named, and as I sat and watched the Hornets battle the Lakers last night, I couldn?t help but stew a bit over the fact they would let Pelicans happen.

STATE BIRD OR NOT, IT?S A MISTAKE

Reasons to rename a franchise vary and in some cases it is warranted. Renaming the Bobcats makes sense due to the organization?s lack of success under that name and the fact that Charlotte had an established basketball tradition under the moniker of the Hornets.

Washington rebranded the Bullets to the Wizards in 1997 due to the disturbing crime rate in the nation?s capital at that time. Owner Abe Pollin liked the name Wizards and a public contest to rename the team brought his desire to fruition. That case, although somewhat ridiculous and still facing calls to go back to the Bullets, was at least understandable because Pollin felt the word bullet had a negative connotation considering the social issues at that time facing the city which the team calls home. But Pelicans? Why?

Owner Tom Benson made it clear when he bought the Hornets that he wanted a name change, supposedly to reflect more accurately the culture and flavor of New Orleans. The team immediately began sifting through team names and has said they looked at over 100 names. A hundred names and the best was Pelicans? Really? If so, I have to wonder what were the other suggestions? Hurricanes? Levees? Flashers? How much more poorly could they have rolled off the tongue than Pelicans?

The marketability of a team name is something that has to be kept in mind. Pelicans is not a particularly catchy name like the Heat or Magic, Lakers or Trail Blazers. It?s not a name that can be shortened like Knicks or Mavs, T-Wolves or Cavs. What would you call them? The Cans? The Pels? Not likely, and the team colors will be lost in favor of a much more bland and predictable red, blue and gold that sort of resembles a different configuration of Cleveland?s colors.

Ultimately, the decision is done, but how could this regrettable mistake have been avoided?

THE LEAGUE

Many would say it?s not the NBA?s place to step in and tell the franchises what to do when it comes to their names? Well, it?s okay for the league to step in and veto trades that two parties have agreed to and it?s okay for the league to hand down suspensions for sometimes minor infractions and to implement a dress code policy for its players when they aren?t on the court. So why then, is it not okay for the league to tell a franchise they can?t use a certain name when that name could be seen as negative to the marketability of not only the team and its players, but the league as a whole? Does anyone really think the Pelicans is a good name?

The best way out of this conundrum was for the league to tell the Utah Jazz to finally face facts and admit that jazz music has about as much significance in Utah?s history as Scandanavian culture has in the bayou. The Hornets name should move to Charlotte returning that tradition to its rightful home and the Jazz name should return to the city that is the reason that name exists, New Orleans.

What would the Jazz then be called? Truthfully, I don?t know. Utah is the Beehive state, how about the Swarm? The Utah Killer Bees or any other generic name that would ultimately produce a moniker that has more to do with Utah than Jazz. Jazz goes home to New Orleans and order is restored to the world.

Watching Chris Webber laugh hysterically just saying Pelicans and looking at that ridiculous logo during last night?s broadcast on NBA TV, I couldn?t help but laugh too. Unfortunately, that is what is going to happen to New Orleans, they?re the laughing stock of the league no matter how fun their team is to watch, no matter how young and hip their players are. Pelicans in nature are very cool, but on a basketball court, not so much.

Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/hornets-pelicans-breaking-down-worst-name-change-nba-history

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Next hurdle for Malala after Taliban attack: Skull surgery

The Pakistani schoolgirl, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, will soon have what doctors hope will be her final operation, before she returns to full health. Malala Yousufzai's surgeons will fit a titanium plate over a hole in her skull which was shattered by the gunman's bullet. ITV's Rupert Evelyn reports.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/30/16777542-next-hurdle-for-malala-after-taliban-attack-skull-surgery?lite

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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Recap: Dinner, Drinks & Stripper Poles

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-recap-dinner-drinks-and-str/

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Analysis: Immigration reform could boost U.S. economic growth

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The sluggish U.S. economy could get a lift if President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators succeed in what could be the biggest overhaul of the nation's immigration system since the 1980s.

Relaxed immigration rules could encourage entrepreneurship, increase demand for housing, raise tax revenues and help reduce the budget deficit, economists said.

By helping more immigrants enter the country legally and allowing many illegal immigrants to remain, the United States could help offset a slowing birth rate and put itself in a stronger demographic position than aging Europe, Japan and China.

"Numerous industries in the United States can't find the workers they need, right now even in a bad economy, to fill their orders and expand their production as the market demands," said Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration specialist at the libertarian Cato Institute.

The emerging consensus among economists is that immigration provides a net benefit. It increases demand and productivity, helps drive innovation and lowers prices, although there is little agreement on the size of the impact on economic growth.

President Barack Obama plans to launch his second-term push for a U.S. immigration overhaul during a visit to Nevada on Tuesday and will make it a high priority to win congressional approval of a reform package this year, the White House said.

The chances of major reforms gained momentum on Monday when a bipartisan group of senators agreed on a framework that could eventually give 11 million illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens.

Their proposals would also include means to keep and attract workers with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This would be aimed both at foreign students attending American universities where they are earning advanced degrees and high-tech workers abroad.

An estimated 40 percent of scientists in the United States are immigrants and studies show immigrants are twice as likely to start businesses, said Nowrasteh.

Boosting legal migration and legalizing existing workers could add $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy over the next 10 years, estimates Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, a specialist in immigration policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. That's an annual increase of 0.8 percentage points to the economic growth rate, currently stuck at about 2 percent.

REPUBLICANS' HISPANIC PUSH

Other economists say the potential benefit to growth is much lower. Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard, believes most of the benefits to the economy from illegal immigrants already in the United States has already been recorded and legalizing their status would produce only incremental benefits.

While opposition to reform lingers on both sides of the political spectrum and any controversial legislation can easily meet a quick end in a divided Washington, the chances of substantial change seem to be rising. Top Republicans such as Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana are not mincing words about the party's need to appeal to the Hispanic community and foreign-born voters who were turned off by Republican candidate Mitt Romney's tough talk in last year's presidential campaign.

A previous Obama plan, unveiled in May 2011, included the creation of a guest-worker program to meet agricultural labor needs and something similar is expected to be in his new proposal.

The senators also indicated they would support a limited program that would allow companies in certain sectors to import guest workers if Americans were not available to fill some positions.

An additional boost to growth could come from rising wages for newly legalized workers and higher productivity from the arrival of more highly skilled workers from abroad. Increased tax revenues would help federal and state authorities plug budget deficits although the benefit to government revenues will be at least partially offset by the payment of benefits to those who gain legal status.

In 2007, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that proposed immigration reform in that year would have generated $48 billion in revenue from 2008 to 2017, while costing $23 billion in health and welfare payments.

There is also unlikely to be much of a saving on enforcement from the senators' plan because they envisage tougher border security to prevent further illegal immigration and a crackdown on those overstaying visas.

One way to bump up revenue, according to a report co-authored by University of California, Davis economist Giovanni Peri, would be to institute a cap-and-trade visa system. Peri estimated it could generate up to $1.2 billion annually.

Under such a system, the government would auction a certain number of visas employers could trade in a secondary market.

"A more efficient, more transparent and more flexible immigration system would help firms expand, contribute to more job creation in the United States, and slow the movement of operations abroad," according to a draft report, soon to be published as part of a study by the Hamilton Project, a think tank.

There was no immediate sign that either the Obama or the senators' plan would include such a system.

The long-term argument for immigration is a demographic one. Many developed nations are seeing their populations age, adding to the burden of pension and healthcare costs on wage-earners.

Immigration in the United States would need to double to keep the working-age population stable at its current 67 percent of total population, according to George Magnus, a senior independent economic adviser at UBS in London,

While Magnus says a change of that magnitude may prove too politically sensitive, the focus should be on attracting highly skilled and entrepreneurial immigrants in the way Canada and Australia do by operating a points system for immigrants rather than focusing mainly on family connections.

"The trick is to shift the balance of migration towards those with education (and) skills," he added.

HARD ROAD

Academics at major universities such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology often lament that many of their top foreign graduates end up returning to their home countries because visas are hard to get.

"We have so much talent that is sitting here in the universities," said William Kerr, a professor at Harvard Business School. "I find it very difficult to swallow that we then make it so hard for them to stay."

The last big amnesty for illegal immigrants was in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan legalized about 3 million already in the country. Numerous studies have shown that subsequently their wages rose significantly.

Research on how immigration affects overall wages is inconclusive. George Borjas at Harvard says immigration has created a small net decrease in overall wages for those born in the United States, concentrated among the low-skilled, while Giovani Peri at UC Davis found that immigration boosts native wages over the long run.

Hinojosa-Ojeda stresses that any reform needs to make it easier for guest workers to enter the country to avoid a new build-up of illegal workers.

"If we don't create a mechanism that can basically bring in 300,000 to 400,000 new workers a year into a variety of labor markets and needs, we could be setting ourselves up for that again," said Hinojosa-Ojeda.

Nowrasteh at Cato also believes an expanded guest worker program would stem illegal immigration and allow industries to overcome labor shortages.

He found that harsher regulations in recent years in Arizona were adversely affecting agricultural production, increasing financial burdens on business and even negatively impacting the state's struggling real estate market.

Some large companies have fallen foul of tougher enforcement regulations.

Restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc fired roughly 500 staff in 2010 and 2011 after undocumented workers were found on its payrolls. Putting the chill on other employers, it is now subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into its hiring.

"The current system doesn't seem to work for anyone," Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said.

(Reporting By Edward Krudy; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-immigration-reform-could-boost-u-economic-growth-060933796.html

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Brazilian cities crack down on nightclubs after deadly fire

SANTA MARIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Cities across Brazil are cracking down on nightclubs to ensure that they comply with fire regulations after a weekend blaze destroyed a club in the southern university town of Santa Maria, killing 235 people.

The fire was Brazil's deadliest in half a century and the tragedy resonated across the country, with many people demanding those responsible be prosecuted and that the government tighten up on safety.

Police said a flare that ignited the fire and was used by the band for visual effects was meant for outdoor use, the club's emergency exit signs were not working and the only available exit was too small.

Outraged Brazilians blame what they see as lax regulation and corrupt officials for the tragedy. There are fears that similar fires could break out at other clubs and public venues, especially as the country gears up to host the soccer World Cup next year and the Olympic Games in 2016.

Sensitivity is also growing in the run-up to next month's Carnival celebrations, which feature throngs of unruly revelers in parades and street parties in cities across the country.

As funerals and an official investigation proceeded, government officials and lawmakers pressed for tougher laws. President Dilma Rousseff, who visited Santa Maria over the weekend, urged local officials on Monday for more rigor in enforcing safety regulations.

Cities across the country quickly responded.

"We were all evidently shocked by the Santa Maria tragedy," Bosco Saraiva, the acting mayor of Manaus, a city of 2 million people in the Amazon region, told Reuters. "Yesterday we started a total cleanup."

The campaign featured club inspections and city authorities closed 17 because of fire hazards and expired permits. Americana, a city in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, issued a blanket order for all nightclubs to shut down temporarily while new safety standards are discussed.

Brasilia and other cities including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have also deployed inspectors. In Salvador, Brazil's third-biggest city, the mayor ordered inspections of all entertainment venues, including Carnival installations now being erected.

Safety experts have criticized carnival floats and decorations in the past because they are often made with paper, plastics and other highly flammable materials.

'SOMEBODY HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE'

Cries of "Justice!" rose from a crowd of 15,000 people who marched through the center of Santa Maria on Monday night. Marchers carried flowers to a local gym that has served as a morgue and funeral parlor since the fire early on Sunday.

The death of a 21-year-old man at a hospital in nearby Porto Alegre raised the death toll to 235, authorities said on Tuesday. An additional 121 people were still hospitalized, 83 of whom were in critical condition.

Most of the dead were students suffocated by toxic fumes that rapidly filled the club after the flare set fire to soundproofing material on the ceiling. Others were trampled as they stampeded toward the sole exit of the "Kiss" nightclub, whose permits were under review.

Witnesses said club bouncers initially blocked the exit because they thought fleeing customers were trying to leave without paying for their drinks.

Families of the victims demanded explanations.

"Somebody has to be responsible," said Elaine Marques Gon?alves, who lost one son in the fire and has another critically injured.

"I will not get my son's life back, but I want the authorities to investigate and act, for the sake of other young people," she said in a video interview on the website of the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Police have detained the two owners of the club and two members of the band whose performance led to the blaze. No charges have been filed against them, and prosecutors said they could be held for up to five days for questioning.

The popular club was authorized to hold 690 people and was believed to have been packed with about 1,000 revelers at the time of the fire, police said.

Santa Maria's police chief, Marcelo Arigony, said the band had bought a $1.25 outdoor flare at a local shop instead of spending $35 on a flare for indoor use. He said the club's fire extinguisher tags were either expired or falsified.

"Any child could tell the place wasn't safe," Arigony told a news conference.

Experts say Brazilian safety laws seem sufficient on paper but that enforcement is weak and codes can vary from state to state.

The Kiss nightclub appeared to have no fire escape, no alarm and no sprinklers. Experts said the soundproofing material that caught fire was banned.

"Inspection in this country is a joke. It's time for that to change," said the owner of several nightclubs in Sao Paulo, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of his position.

(Additional reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello and Peter Murphy in Brasilia, and Eduardo Sim?es and Asher Levine in Sao Paulo; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Kieran Murray, Christopher Wilson and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brazilian-cities-crack-down-nightclubs-deadly-fire-012800594.html

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Soldier talks about his new arms after transplant

BALTIMORE (AP) ? A soldier who lost all four limbs in an Iraq roadside bombing has two new arms following a double transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Twenty-six-year-old Brendan Marrocco along with the surgeons who treated him will be at the Baltimore hospital on Tuesday to discuss the new limbs.

The transplants are only the seventh double-hand or double-arm transplant ever conducted in the United States.

The infantryman was injured by a roadside bomb in 2009. The New York City man also received bone marrow from the same dead donor. The approach is aimed at helping his body accept the new arms with minimal medication to prevent rejection.

The military is sponsoring operations like these to help wounded troops. About 300 have lost arms or hands in the wars.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-01-29-Soldier-Transplanted%20Arms/id-71f1657393a7434e862724e06d4842b6

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IMF tells Romania to push on with reforms

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? The International Monetary Fund has called on the Romanian government to implement deeper structural reforms and to apply for more European Union development funds to help economic growth.

Romania is borrowing rescue loans from the IMF, and the two sides this week agreed to extend the ?5 billion ($6.72 billion) aid scheme by three months to June to give the government more time to meet its reform commitments.

Erik de Vrijer, the IMF's chief of mission for Romania, said Tuesday that one key problem is a lack of economic growth.

"Growth is lower than what it could be even though what it could be is lower than what it should be," he said.

Economic growth nudged slightly above zero in 2012, a year of political instability when the country had three prime ministers and Parliament sought to impeach the president. The IMF forecasts growth of 1.5 percent this year.

De Vrijer said that besides more reforms of the economy, Romania could tap more EU structural funds, money that is earmarked for development and infrastructure projects.

"Progress in structural reforms is difficult and susceptible to delays ... but if the government succeeds in doing the things we agreed, it will get high marks," he said at the end of a visit which began on Jan. 15.

He urged the government to appoint professional managers to run state-owned companies. Some such companies could be privatized "to try and attract capital and know-how." Critics claim large state companies are inefficient due to cronyism and a lack of accountability about the way they are managed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/imf-tells-romania-push-reforms-120727682--finance.html

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Hydrogen sulfide: The next anti-aging agent?

Jan. 29, 2013 ? Hydrogen sulfide* (H₂S) may play a wide-ranging role in staving off aging, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology. In this review article, a team from China explores the compound's plethora of potential anti-aging pathways.

"H₂S has been gaining increasing attention as an important endogenous signaling molecule because of its significant effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems," the team writes. The evidence is mounting, they note, that hydrogen sulfide slows aging by inhibiting free-radical reactions, by activating SIRT1, an enzyme believed to be a regulator of lifespan, and probably through its interactions with a gene, klotho, which appears to have its own market basket of anti-aging activity.

Hydrogen sulfide is produced within the human body, and has a variety of important physiological effects. For example, it relaxes the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells, which is important to maintaining clean arteries as one ages, says first author Zhi-Sheng Jiang, of the University of South China, Hunan. It functions as an antioxidant. And it inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory factors, all of which "imply an important role in aging and age-associated diseases," according to the paper. For example, mice lacking CSE, the gene for an enzyme involved in producing H₂S, manifest extensive, premature arteriosclerosis, an inevitable consequence of aging, says Jiang.

The gene, klotho, which appears to be upregulated by hydrogen sulfide, is thought to extend lifespan via a number of different pathways, some of which promote production of endogenous antioxidants, according to the report. Produced in the kidneys, it has direct angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting activity; that is, it's an ACE inhibitor, just like certain drugs that mitigate high blood pressure. Not surprisingly, plasma H₂S declines with age, and is lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in those with normal blood pressure. More generally, a lack of H₂S is implicated in cardiovascular disease.

A decline in H₂S is also thought to undermine neurological health. Endogenous H₂S has been found wanting in an animal model of Parkinson's disease, and is found to be depressed in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. There are even suggestions, mostly in animal models, but also in human studies, that H₂S may be protective against cancer, according to the report.

"Data available so far strongly suggest that H₂S may become the next potent agent for preventing and ameliorating the symptoms of aging and age-associated diseases," concludes Jiang. In the future, he says, people may take H₂S via food, or as an anti-aging supplement.

* Hydrogen sulfide (British English: hydrogen sulphide) is the chemical compound with the formula H₂S. It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas that gives off the odor of rotten eggs.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Y. Zhang, Z.-H. Tang, Z. Ren, S.-L. Qu, M.-H. Liu, L.-S. Liu, Z.-S. Jiang. Hydrogen Sulfide: Next Potent Preventive and Therapeutic Agent in Aging and Age-associated Diseases. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2013; DOI: 10.1128/MCB.01215-12

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/top_news/~3/jEAT1lRShRo/130129121945.htm

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Apple releases iOS 6.1, giving Siri the power to buy movie tickets

10 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

Apple has released a software update?? iOS 6.1 ? which gives you the ability to purchase movie tickets through?Fandango using Siri, supports LTE?capabilities?for a bunch of carriers around the world?and adds the ability to download individual songs from iCloud.

You can find a complete list of the newly supported LTE-capable carriers on Apple's website.?(There's now support for LTE connectivity for 36 additional iPhone carriers and 23 additional iPad carriers around the world.)?

iOS 6.1 is available is compatible with the?iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, third- and fourth-generation?iPad, iPad Mini, iPad 2,?and fourth- and fifth-generation?iPod Touch. You can snag it by?connecting your device to iTunes and hitting the "check for updates" button. (Alternatively, head into your gadget's "Settings" menu, select the "General" tab, and tap the "Software Updates" option to download the update over?the air.)

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/apple-releases-ios-6-1-giving-siri-power-buy-movie-1C8144611

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Super Bowl Ads 2013: Century 21 Real Estate "Wedding ... - FanSided

Home ? NFL ? Super Bowl ? Super Bowl Ads 2013: Century 21 Real Estate ?Wedding? Commercial

Super Bowl Sunday is loaded with a little bit of everything so that we can all come together and enjoy the day. Whether you are a lover of snack foods, prop bets, football, commercials or the occasional adult beverage, Super Bowl Sunday has that special something for you.

Following the game, the Super Bowl ads are one of the most talked about aspects of the night. Companies spend absurd amounts of money to get a thirty second spot during the big game.

We have already shown the finalists for the Doritos: Crash the Super Bowl ad and GoDaddy.com?s Super Bowl ad featuring Danica Patrick, and now another company has given a sneak peak of their Super Bowl commercial.

Century 21 Real Estate unveiled their Super Bowl ad titled ?Wedding.?

The ad features a wedding ceremony, go figure, that includes a wife and her nervous husband to be. The husband doesn?t seem to thrilled about the idea of moving in with his mother-in-law, so a Century 21 agent must come to the rescue.

The idea is there, but the execution seems off. It is more of a commercial that will get a little chuckle than one that will be memorable at the conclusion of the night.

Here is the Century 21 ad:

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com for non-stop and up-to-date coverage leading up to Super Bowl XLVII.

Topics: Super Bowl Ads, Super Bowl XLVII, Super Bowl XLVII Commercials

Source: http://fansided.com/2013/01/28/super-bowl-ads-2013-century-21-real-estate-wedding-commercial/

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Senators reach agreement on immigration reform

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

The deal, to be announced at a news conference Monday, also covers border security, non-citizen or "guest" workers and employer verification of immigration status.

Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.

President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting comprehensive immigration legislation and will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.

Passage of legislation by the full Democratic-controlled Senate is far from assured, but the tallest hurdle could come in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans who've shown little interest in immigration reform.

Still, with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the GOP say this time will be different.

"What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle ? including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle ? that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"I think the time is right," McCain said.

Besides McCain, the senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn't get enough GOP support.

The group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform."

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:

?Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on visas.

?Reforming the legal immigration system, including awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, math, technology or engineering from an American university.

?Creating an effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants in the future, including requiring prospective workers to verify legal status and identity through a non-forgeable electronic system.

?Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.

The principles being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide agreement in identifying problems with the current immigration system. The most difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.

In order to satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.

Even then, those here illegally would have to pass background checks and pay fines and taxes in order to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow them to live and work here ? but not qualify for federal benefits ? before being able to apply for permanent residency, a critical step toward citizenship. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.

That could be a highly cumbersome process, but how to make it more workable is being left to future negotiations. The senators envision a more streamlined process toward citizenship for immigrants brought here as children, and for agricultural workers.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that the framework agreed on by the senators could provide important protections for illegal immigrants who are exploited by employers and live in "constant fear" over their immigration status.

But the ACLU took issue with the proposal to require employers to use an electronic employment-verification system, calling it "a thinly disguised national ID requirement" that would undermine employees' privacy and lead to discrimination against those "who look or sound 'foreign.'"

The debate will play out at the start of Obama's second term, as he aims to spend the political capital afforded him by his re-election victory on an issue that has eluded past presidents and stymied him during his first term despite his promises to the Latino community to act.

"As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support," a White House spokesman, Clark Stevens, said in a statement. "At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved."

For Republicans, the November elections were a stark schooling on the importance of Latino voters, who voted for Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent, helping ensure Obama's victory. That led some Republican leaders to conclude that supporting immigration reform with a path to citizenship has become a political imperative.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-reach-agreement-immigration-reform-085239296--politics.html

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China Might Look to Lift Ban on Video Game Consoles ...

by Joey Davidson | January 28, 2013

In China, it?s illegal to buy video games consoles. The country instituted the ban in 2000 based on the fear that violent games would corrupt the minds of China?s youth.

According to a source from the Chinese government that?s spoken with?China Daily, that ban might be coming to an end. That source remains anonymous.

?We are reviewing the policy and have conducted some surveys and held discussions with other ministries on the possibility of opening up the game console market?

?However, since the ban was issued by seven ministries more than a decade ago, we will need approval from all parties to lift it??

Of course, this news still stands as a complete rumor, but the implications of a ban lift could be massive to the gaming industry. Consider the fact that China, according to the most recent estimates, has something like 1.3 billion people living within its borders. If those people can suddenly buy games and consoles legitimately from stores, the world market for video games will have grown exponentially.

A bigger market means a stronger potential for sales. It also means that the video game industry could see a massive boom in money and development. What if the nation of China got into making video games like we see from studios from the U.S., Europe, Russia and Japan?

Join the discussion

Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/01/28/china-lift-video-game-ban-rumor/

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Toward 2-D devices: Single-atom-thick patterns combine conductor and insulator

Jan. 27, 2013 ? Rice University scientists have taken an important step toward the creation of two-dimensional electronics with a process to make patterns in atom-thick layers that combine a conductor and an insulator.

The materials at play -- graphene and hexagonal boron nitride -- have been merged into sheets and built into a variety of patterns at nanoscale dimensions.

Rice introduced a technique to stitch the identically structured materials together nearly three years ago. Since then, the idea has received a lot of attention from researchers interested in the prospect of building 2-D, atomic-layer circuits, said Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan. He is one of the authors of the new work that appears this week in Nature Nanotechnology. In particular, Ajayan noted that Cornell University scientists reported an advance late last year on the art of making atomic-layer heterostructures through sequential growth schemes.

This week's contribution by Rice offers manufacturers the possibility of shrinking electronic devices into even smaller packages. While Rice's technical capabilities limited features to a resolution of about 100 nanometers, the only real limits are those defined by modern lithographic techniques, according to the researchers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.)

"It should be possible to make fully functional devices with circuits 30, even 20 nanometers wide, all in two dimensions," said Rice researcher Jun Lou, a co-author of the new paper. That would make circuits on about the same scale as in current semiconductor fabrication, he said.

Graphene has been touted as a wonder material since its discovery in the last decade. Even at one atom thick, the hexagonal array of carbon atoms has proven its potential as a fascinating electronic material. But to build a working device, conductors alone will not do. Graphene-based electronics require similar, compatible 2-D materials for other components, and researchers have found hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) works nicely as an insulator.

H-BN looks like graphene, with the same chicken-wire atomic array. The earlier work at Rice showed that merging graphene and h-BN via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) created sheets with pools of the two that afforded some control of the material's electronic properties. Ajayan said at the time that the creation offered "a great playground for materials scientists."

He has since concluded that the area of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene "has grown significantly and will play out as one of the key exciting materials in the near future."

His prediction bears fruit in the new work, in which finely detailed patterns of graphene are laced into gaps created in sheets of h-BN. Combs, bars, concentric rings and even microscopic Rice Owls were laid down through a lithographic process. The interface between elements, seen clearly in scanning transmission electron microscope images taken at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, shows a razor-sharp transition from graphene to h-BN along a subnanometer line.

"This is not a simple quilt," Lou said. "It's very precisely engineered. We can control the domain sizes and the domain shapes, both of which are necessary to make electronic devices."

The new technique also began with CVD. Lead author Zheng Liu, a Rice research scientist, and his colleagues first laid down a sheet of h-BN. Laser-cut photoresistant masks were placed over the h-BN, and exposed material was etched away with argon gas. (A focused ion beam system was later used to create even finer patterns, down to 100-nanometer resolution, without masks.) After the masks were washed away, graphene was grown via CVD in the open spaces, where it bonded edge-to-edge with the h-BN. The hybrid layer could then be picked up and placed on any substrate.

While there's much work ahead to characterize the atomic bonds where graphene and h-BN domains meet and to analyze potential defects along the boundaries, Liu's electrical measurements proved the components' qualities remain intact.

"One important thing Zheng showed is that even by doing all kinds of growth, then etching, then regrowth, the intrinsic properties of these two materials are not affected," Lou said. "Insulators stay insulators; they're not doped by the carbon. And the graphene still looks very good. That's important, because we want to be sure what we're growing is exactly what we want."

Liu said the next step is to place a third element, a semiconductor, into the 2-D fabric. "We're trying very hard to integrate this into the platform," he said. "If we can do that, we can build truly integrated in-plane devices." That would give new options to manufacturers toying with the idea of flexible electronics, he said.

"The contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the general process," Lou added. "It's robust, it's repeatable and it creates materials with very nice properties and with dimensions that are at the limit of what is possible."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. C. Drexler, S. A. Tarasenko, P. Olbrich, J. Karch, M. Hirmer, F. M?ller, M. Gmitra, J. Fabian, R. Yakimova, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, M. Wang, R. Vajtai, P. M. Ajayan, J. Kono, S. D. Ganichev. Magnetic quantum ratchet effect in graphene. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.231

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Z5aTSo83LOQ/130127134208.htm

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Guest Post: Hope Has Changed - It Died | Zero Hedge

Originally posted at Monty Pelerin's World,

Hope is dying in the US.

The performance of financial markets affects everyone. For savers and investors, these markets represent the means to an improved life, at least as they define it. Savings and wealth provide options and opportunities, the quintessential aspect of being an American. These options and opportunities differentiated an American from someone who was born and destined to die in a hut or remain locked in a societal class from which there was no hope of escape.

Bonds and stocks were the primary means for savings and investments for generations of Americans. When these do not perform up to expectations, lives are changed. Plans and dreams are dashed. College educations, retirements and similar major events are deferred or never happen.

We are twelve years into this new century and Americans are losing their hopes, dreams and aspirations. Hard reality has crushed the optimistic spirit that once drove the country. The first decade rivaled the 1930s in terms of stock market performance. Twice, stock market wealth was halved in this ten-year period. Twelve years in, the S&P 500 has returned a total of 14%. That puny return has not come close to covering the decline in purchasing power of the dollar during the same period. Worse, a generation or two, has lost probably 33% of their wealth-producing years.

College graduates come out of school under-educated and buried in debt. Most cannot find a job commensurate with their education or aspirations. Taxes rise and will accelerate in the future as the federal debt and social promises become more binding. Young people find it difficult to imagine getting out from underneath their student loans or buying a home.

Outcomes in the housing and stock markets have affected millions. Equity in homes has dropped dramatically. Some have lost their homes as a result. Savings and wealth that were reasonably expected based on historical precedents did not materialize.

These outcomes are explained away in terms of markets "underperforming." To speak of housing and stocks as if they are independent entities that suddenly somehow turn bad is to miss what is really happening. Markets" are nothing more than millions of us making individual decisions intended to improve our lives. Markets do not under or overperform. It is people, the millions of buyers and sellers, that drive markets. When markets "underperform" it is because people have "underperformed" or more properly, bought less common stock or fewer homes.

People are acquisitative by nature, wanting more rather than less. When they "underperform" in terms of purchasing decisions it is because they had to. Unlike the federal government, people cannot print money or spend beyond their means, at least for extended periods of time. Eventually they hit budget constraints. That is what is being reflected in stock prices and home values. They are reflecting the lower standard of living of the country.

The feel-good spending of the prior two decades caught up with the American consumer. He was never as rich as he believed. Now, as a result of having to service this debt binge, he is poorer than he should be. That is why markets are underperforming. That and the fact that fewer people have jobs.

A recent article, "You Haven't Made Any Money In The Stock Market This Century," struck a nerve with some readers. Reader Chugar submitted comments that expressed the general sentiment of many (my emboldening added):

I am still in the stock market and hate it daily.

?

The feeling of it being a wise investment left long ago. I watch the flash crashes, read about HFT, the endless blabber on business shows about "buying opportunities" have grown old.

?

Since all these talking heads have a vested interest in keeping the game going, if we aren't buying their products they make no commission or their advertisers are not kept happy. It isn't hard to figure out.

?

With that said we are trapped, for my working career I was told, buy and hold, dump money into the 401k/457/ROTH or Traditional IRA. Not to mention an underfunded pension, which may run out of money before I can even draw.

?

I lost track of firms and brokerage firms over the years who not only had ethical problems but legal problems. So much for confidence in what appears to be a grand scam run by well-dressed crooks.

?

My local credit is advertising a 3 year CD for 0.7%... Thanks ZIRP and Mr. Bernanke

?

I was just reminded I never really own my home with a year end property tax bill.

?

Taxation,user fees, access fees on and on are coming our way to finance a government that will never get enough, whether its local, state or federal.

?

Its criminal what is taking place in this country.

The frustration and anger is apparent in these comments. It should be. When one thinks about what has happened, it is difficult not to become angry. The stock market is not the problem. It is merely a scorecard that reflects what is happening to the country. Here are but a few of the factors:

• Freedom as a concept is praised, while government actions designed to reduce it for ordinary citizens continue.
• Working longer and harder produces less wealth than was possible for your parents.
• Living standards will be less for your children and grandchildren than they were for you.
• Leisure (going on the dole) is now a choice unaccompanied by either shame or hardship.
• Politicians have made dependency a tool to gain votes and power.
• As freedom decreases, government becomes increasingly more violent in order to achieve the behavior it demands.
• Laws are enforced selectively in favor of the political class and their cronies. No bigger rape of justice has ever been committed than the unwillingness to prosecute the banksters, regulators and legislators? responsible for the looting of taxpayers.
• Government lies with impunity with respect to the true condition of the country. This behavior is obvious with respect to economic statistics but also spills over into all other areas, like personnel decisions.
• Cover-ups like "Fast and Furious" and Benghazi are ignored by a corrupt and compliant media. Lesser problems (Watergate) were cause for removing a president in simpler more honest times.
• Government's insatiable spending has decimated the private sector economy. Capital and talent increasingly flee to other countries to avoid economic persecution.
• Eventually this spending will cause much of the economy and all of the government to collapse. Massive debt defaults, impoverishment and social unrest lie ahead.
• The phrase "government ethics" is little more than a comedian's tool for generating laughter.
• The Mafia has far better ethics. It treats its customers better than government. The key word is "customer" which they must attract. Government does not have customers; it has "slaves." That is how government views private enterprice.
• Compare the payouts on illegal gambling to those of government sanctioned lotteries for a simple comparison between the two methods of organized crime. You do much better dealing with the Mafia.

The country's financial condition is deplorable and cannot continue much longer. So, too is virtually everything else the government has touched whether it be education, Amtrak, the post office, Social Security, Medicare, ad nauseum. Nothing government has done has not been a Ponzi scheme dependent upon additional theft from taxpayers to keep going.

The system is now broken. There is no one to blame for this other than government. Despite this obvious conclusion, government is still seen to be a savior by a large proportion of the country.

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Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-28/guest-post-hope-has-changed-it-died

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Clean Your Windows, an Easy and Worthwhile Home Improvement ...

Our focus is to meet a high degree of quality on a wide range of services. We utilize only the best eco-friendly chemicals and materials to leave your windows free of streaks and clean. Our window cleaning is available for both residential and commercial properties, even high rise buildings. Our friendly staff can work with you to schedule a deep one-time cleaning or a regular scheduled cleaning. Instead of being a dirty, grimy embarrassment, your windows will start to offer incredible views and increased sunlight for your house. For the most professional window cleaners you can find anywhere, call us now. Utah Window Cleaning

Source: http://www.jaysonhahn.com/clean-your-windows-an-easy-and-worthwhile-home-improvement-project/

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How To Create Deep Intimacy In Imperfect Relationships ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Arielle Ford is a leading presence in the personal growth and contemporary spirituality movement. She is the bestselling author of eight books including Wabi Sabi Love. She believes that with a simple Wabi Sabi shift in ...

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-love/201301/how-create-deep-intimacy-in-imperfect-relationships-0

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Leading Democrat: Gun control faces uphill climb

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Democrat who's introduced an assault weapon ban acknowledges the measure faces an "uphill climb" to pass Congress but says public support is on her side.

Sen. Diane Feinstein of California says a coalition of police, clergy and voters would push forward her bill over objections from the nation's largest gun-rights lobby, the National Rifle Association.

The White House and other Democrats, however, remain skeptical the effort is going anywhere.

Feinstein tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that the NRA is a politically potent force but that its main supporters are gun-makers, not gun enthusiasts.

In the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., President Barack Obama is pushing to expanded background checks, restoring the assault weapons ban and banning high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/leading-democrat-gun-control-faces-uphill-climb-160828132--politics.html

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Saving Tasmanian Devils From Extinction

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Australian officials are racing to save the fierce doglike marsupials from a rare infectious cancer and as a backup have set up a tumor-free population on another island.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/science/saving-tasmanian-devils-from-extinction.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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