kassi tientsin: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Michigan To Final Four: Nik Stauskas Leads Wolverines In 79-59 Rout Of Florida

John Beilein, Jon Horford

Michigan head coach John Beilein and players including Jon Horford (15) react against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. Michigan won 79-59. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin, Will Yeguete

From left, Florida's Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin and Will Yeguete, watch action against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan watches action against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michael Frazier II, Spike Albrecht

Florida's Michael Frazier II (20) and Michigan's Spike Albrecht (2) go after a loose ball during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Spike Albrecht

Michigan's Spike Albrecht (2) reacts against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Casey Prather, Michael Frazier II, Glenn Robinson III, Will Yeguete

Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) dunks as Florida's Michael Frazier II (20), Casey Prather (24) and Will Yeguete (15) look on during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Will Yeguete

Florida's Will Yeguete pauses between plays against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mike Rosario, Kenny Boynton

Florida guard Mike Rosario (3) and Kenny Boynton (1) pause between plays against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tim Hardaway Jr., Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) passes the ball to Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) in front of Florida's Casey Prather (24) during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tim Hardaway Jr., Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) passes the ball to Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) as Casey Prather (24) defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Trey Burke

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) grabs a rebound as Florida's Casey Prather (24) defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) misses the pass as, Florida's Casey Prather defends during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin, right, shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) and Nik Stauskas (11) defend during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein reacts on the sideline against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan reacts on the sideline against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) celebrates his three-point basket as Mitch McGary (4) joins in against Florida during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mike Rosario

Florida's Mike Rosario (3) shoots against Michigan during the second half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Michael Frazier II, Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin

Florida players Michael Frazier II (20), Casey Prather (24) and Scottie Wilbekin (5) watch the big screen during the first half of a regional final game against Michigan in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein reacts against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mike Rosario, Erik Murphy, Scottie Wilbekin

Michigan's Trey Burke (3) drives against Florida's Mike Rosario (3), Erik Murphy, second from left, and Scottie Wilbekin during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) passes around Michigan's Nik Stauskas (11) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Erik Murph, Mitch McGary

Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) knocks the ball away from Florida's Erik Murphy (33) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jordan Morgan, Will Yeguete, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Florida forward Will Yeguete (15) shoots between Michigan's Jordan Morgan (52) and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10)during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Michigan guard Nik Stauskas reacts after making a 3-point shot against Florida during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Glenn Robinson III, Casey Prather

Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) shoots as Florida's Casey Prather (24) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Florida and Michigan compete during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tim Donnelly)

Patric Young, Mitch McGary

Florida's Patric Young (4) and Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) fight for possession of the ball during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

John Beilein

Michigan head coach John Beilein makes a call from the sideline during the first half of a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jordan Morgan, Patric Young

Michigan's Jordan Morgan (52) and Florida's Patric Young (4) fight for possession of the ball during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

John Beilein

Mike Rosario

Florida's Mike Rosario (3) grabs a loose ball against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan works the sideline against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan watches action against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas, Scottie Wilbekin, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) shoots as Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) and Nik Stauskas (11) defend during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Kenny Boynton, Jon Horford

Florida's Kenny Boynton (1) shoots as Michigan's Jon Horford (15) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Caris LeVert, Scottie Wilbekin

Michigan guard Caris LeVert (23) blocks a shot by Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin (5)during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Florida's Casey Prather (24) shoots as Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) defends during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Casey Prather, Kenny Boynton, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke

Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) shoots past Florida's Kenny Boynton (1) and Mike Rosario (3) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. Florida's Casey Prather (24) looks on. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Casey Prather, Kenny Boynton, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke

Billy Donovan

Florida head coach Billy Donovan reacts to action against Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nik Stauskas

Michigan's Nik Stauskas reacts after making a three-point shot during the first half of a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Erik Murphy, Glenn Robinson III

Florida's Erik Murphy (33) shoots past Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mitch McGary, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young

Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) shoots past Florida's Scottie Wilbekin (5) and Patric Young (4) during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Mitch McGary, Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young

The opening jump ball is tossed between Florida and Michigan during the first half of a regional final game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Fans cheer before a regional final game between Florida and Michigan in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Michigan senior Kayla MacLennan cheers before a regional final game against Florida in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Wichita State players celebrate their 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/31/michigan-final-four-florida-ncaa-elite-eight_n_2989574.html

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Hillsborough County sports briefs

Junior Women?s tournament: The Plant City Junior Women?s Club holds its inaugural charity golf tournament April 6 at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, 2001 Clubhouse Drive.

This event will be held to raise funds for the club?s Plant City Shoe Project. There will be trophies, prizes and a 50-50 drawing. For information contact Stephanie Eisenbach, president and Shoe Project chairwoman at (813) 468-0230 or Steph57b@yahoo.com.

Brandon Ballet golf tournament: Brandon Ballet holds a four-person golf scramble April 28 at River Hills Golf and Country Club, 3943 New River Hills Parkway.

Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Prizes will be provided for first, second and third as well as longest drive and closest to the pin. A post-tournament dinner will be served.

Sponsorships remain available and all proceeds go to Brandon Ballet.

The cost is $85 per individual or $320 per group if you register before April 19. For information, contact Monica Frost at (813) 545-6688.

Sickle Cell Classic: The Sickle Cell Association of Hillsborough County will host an Old School Celebrity Golf Classic April 20 at Heritage Isles Golf and Country Club, 10630 Plantation Bay Drive.

The four-person scramble begins with registration at 7 a.m., a shotgun start at 8 a.m. and an awards luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Pairings will be provided for individual golfers. Awards will be presented for first, second and third along with closest to the pin and longest drive. The cost is $85 per golfer.

Former NFL and USFL defensive back Luther Bradley will host the tournament, and sponsorship opportunities remain available. For information, go to oldschoolcelebritygc.com.

Holy Innocents tourney: Holy Innocents Espicopal Church will hold a golf tournament May 18 at Bloomingdale Golfers Club, 4113 Great Golfer?s Place. The best ball scramble is $240 for foursomes and $65 for individuals. Price includes: cart, range balls, gift bag, prizes and a meal. Interested players and sponsors can contact Steve Purifoy at spurifoy@earthlink.net or (813) 495-4307.

From www.tampabay.com

Source: http://golf.blogm4u.com/2013/03/30/hillsborough-county-sports-briefs/

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Friday, March 29, 2013

An Interview with Naace ICT Impact Lifetime Achievement Award ...

Christina Preston was one of two people given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Conference of Naace, the subject association for ICT. I interviewed her to find out about her and her work.

Christina Preston receives her Lifetime Achievement Award from Graham Brown-MartinIt was almost inevitable that, sooner or later, Christina Preston would receive a lifetime achievement award from her home country. She is well-known on the educational ICT scene for her passionate and forthright views about the curriculum and pedagogy. And that applies not only in the UK, but all over the world.

In 1992, Christina founded the MirandaNet Fellowship (www.mirandanet.ac.uk), which is a Community of Practice in which teachers, teacher educators, researchers and developers can share practice and exchange views. Many of us enjoy, and benefit enormously, from taking part in the vibrant discussions on MirandaNet?s online mailing list and at events called MirandaMods (www.mirandanet.ac.uk/mirandamods), a type of seminar in which there is an online audience as well as a physically present one who try to link their ideas together to gain new insights. The event is recorded for future reference. More than just a seminar, a Mirandamod is a forum in which people from all different spheres (eg teachers and academics) may connect with each other and test out ideas.

In fact, Christina?s mission to foster collaboration goes back even further, as Professor Margaret Cox, Professor of Information Technology in Education at King's College London Dental Institute remembers:

?In the early 1980s, Professor Preston pioneered the development and use of networked educational software in English with the development of NewsNet, which was the first collaborative software environment engaging students to take on the role of reporters and work as teams to produce articles about specific activities and events in different countries.?

Importantly, Christina designed NewsNet with a group of teachers as a professional development exercise and she has spent the past two decades emphasising the need for teachers to support their practice with research ? especially action research which they themselves can carry out in their own classrooms.

Marilyn Leask, Professor of Educational Knowledge Management at the University of Bedfordshire, bears out Christina?s commitment to fostering collaboration:

?There are few people in the education sector who can have given as much personally to support collaboration and sharing knowledge about digital technologies as Professor Preston. Government agencies have come and gone and with them the specialist networks they supported which many educators relied upon. MirandaNet is the only network to continue and is now in its 20th year. This award is well-deserved."

I asked Christina Preston 10 questions in a telephone interview. It makes for fascinating reading.

TF: What has been your main aim since you started in educational ICT, i.e. the vision which underpins everything you have done?

CP: In the late 1980s teachers were finding one-day ICT courses inadequate for really understanding what computers could do for teaching and learning. The MirandaNet Fellowship was founded with the aim of supporting teachers better by developing a community of practice where they could teach each other about this complex subject. They had to learn on the job because the large majority had not had access to this subject at university.

A secondary aim, which ties in with this, is to encourage teachers to underpin their practice with action research. We?re carrying on this work with a new Education Futures Collaboration (http://www.edfuturescollaboration.org/) which aims to join up lots of pockets of innovation, evidence-based practice and excellence in teaching and learning, nationally and internationally.

TF: What has been your greatest success or proudest moment (besides the Naace ICT Impact Award!), and why?

CP: Well, I?m proud of two or three, of course. The Naace Award itself goes without saying, because it?s a great honour to be recognised by one?s own professional association. I was also pleased to receive the Digital Inclusion Associateship, at the University of Jujuy, Argentina in 2011, the Trnkova Medal for support in building democratic strategies for ICT teacher education from the Czech Technical University in 2002, and the World Academic Council Humanitarian Award for the enrichment of community opportunities for Bulgarian teachers and women returnees in 2000.

But I think the one I am most proud of is the European Union of Women ? Humanitarian Achievement Award for creating an Anglo-Czech online alliance working on democratic participation in learning. Dr Bozena Mannov?, my partner in this activity, had to come to England specially in order to be interviewed. We?d been working together on that particular community of practice since 1995, but Bozena felt she hadn?t done anything special. She feels that, like other Czechs, she has a very deep-seated sense of failure because the Czechs had ?allowed? themselves to be occupied.

We had a very tough interview from the EUW Board and at the end Bozena realised how much she had achieved herself since the wall came down. She said to me: ?I have done something, haven?t I?? It was a very touching moment for me, because much of my work is trying to help professionals to believe that they know as much about education as anybody else. My aim is to help them explain what they want to do, work out how to do it, and do it. That?s a vital aspect of living in a democracy: the freedom to realise your own potential.

TF: What in the course of your career so far have you been most grateful for?

CP: Absolutely the support of colleagues, especially Dr Bozena Mannov?, Dr John Cuthell, Professor Marilyn Leask and Professor Margaret Cox, but many, many more too ? and feedback from all MirandaNet?s 800 members in 80 countries.

TF: What in your opinion has been the greatest missed opportunity in educational ICT? And what, if anything, can we do about it?

CP: Well, my background is in teaching English, Drama and Media Studies, and what worries me the most is the reduction in the time we spend helping youngsters and teachers with digital literacy ? especially ownership, provenance, and ethics using digital technologies, as well as pedagogy in teaching about them. If we don?t pay attention now to issues like ownership of information and provenance then we?re going to run into massive problems from a citizenship point of view.

We can tackle these issues by facilitating teacher ownership of this whole area. I always suggest that teachers undertake their own action research projects as part of their professional development.

TF: What still needs to be done?

CP: It is a pity that Information and Communications Technology looks as if it is being reduced mainly to ?Computing? skills in the new programmes. The shortage of youngsters in England trained to enter the computing industry needs to be tackled quickly ? but it will not only be programmers who are required. An understanding of computational logic is very valuable as well, of course, but Digital Literacy and Information Technology must be given equal weight with Computing Science.

TF: What?s something you know you do differently than most people?

CP: Well it all comes down to my background, in media and so on. I?m generally very focussed on the meaning that is being conveyed, and the performance. Performance in communication is very important to my approach to how we use digital technologies. I?m not very impressed by whizzy pyrotechnics for their own sake.

The MirandaMods are a very good example of trying to use remote technology, with an emphasis on what people are saying, how they are saying it and whether they are collaborating on something innovative. The emphasis is on effective communications rather than on wonderful new technology that doesn?t achieve much.

TF: What would you like to say to those who are just entering the field of educational ICT, in whatever capacity?

CP: Make sure you try to be an ?all-rounder? in this area. Make sure you give broad and balanced approach i.e. including computer science and digital literacy, whether you are teaching young people or teachers

TF: What are your top tips for anyone wishing to make an impact on a local, national or even international level?

CP: If you are in ICT, make sure you have a genuine vision, not just a desire to use technology: it?s important to avoid being sidetracked by technology. Take MirandaNet. We were the first community of practice for teachers, founded in 1992. We?ve had a website since 1994. That?s very important: your website is your shop window, so make sure you use it.

TF: What do you see as the role of Naace? How might the impact of our fellowship continue to develop into the future?

CP: I think Naace has done a tremendous job of building up an inclusive community of practice with immense knowledge about delivering Information and Communications Technology. It relies on this knowledge to influence politicians and policy makers. I think it should now bring in a stronger focus on Computer Science skills at one extremity and research and pedagogy at the other extremity.

I also think all the professional associations of educators should have ownership of their own practice and theory like medics and lawyers. In this context, as I said earlier, we are partnering with the Education Futures Collaboration ? and we hope Naace will too ? in order that the wider education community own our own resources. The current Coalition in England closed Teachers TV and Becta and other government funded websites where our research was held. We now want this kind of evidence to be reconstituted into MESH (Mapping Education Specialist knowHow) pathways (www.MESHguides.org). MESH provides access to subject-specific research-based knowledge about barriers to students? learning and interventions most likely to dissolve barriers. The MESH approach uses multimedia concept Maps, as a way of presenting complex knowledge, each node providing a link to an annotatable display of more in-depth fully referenced knowledge. These lead to credible findings like the Cochrane Review that stores doctors? research in the form of systematic reviews (http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane-reviews).

TF: Is there anything else you?d like to add to what you?ve said?

CP: I believe it is very important for educators to continue to build communities of practice, to raise the professional standing of teachers through action research, and to base what we do on sound pedagogical principles. And we need to continue to try to ensure that politicians and government are held to account. We live in a very exciting time as far as technological developments are concerned, but it is educational ownership and ethical elements that we need to get right.

~~~

As we closed the interview, Christina was preparing to go to Australia and New Zealand to further the Education Futures Collaboration aims under the thought-provoking title ?Re-engineering: a call for collective action?. The work continues, but let?s leave the last word to Professor Cox:

?I am sure that when most of us are forgotten Professor Preston?s name will live on across the globe in villages, schools, colleges, universities and ministries because she manages to drive forward the use of new technologies in all sectors of education, but achieves the hardest task of all which is to take everyone with her.?

Why not join Naace if you?re not already a member. Check out the Naace website at www.naace.co.uk for details of membership, courses, and other interesting and useful information.

Source: http://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/2013/3/28/an-interview-with-naace-ict-impact-lifetime-achievement-awar.html

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Editor's Letter: A not-so simple choice

In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

At a rather vitriolic (and frequently profane) presentation given to a small group of frequently bemused journalists (myself included), T-Mobile CEO John Legere laid out the company's reinvention. In the interest of keeping things PG I won't repeat the colorful language, but Legere accused the other major carriers of being not only confusing, but also misleading -- ignoring the fact that his own company has, for years, enacted the very same policies. No more. It's time for the UnCarrier to step up.

But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone.

First is a series of contract-free Simple Choice plans, which are similar to those the company offered before. It's $50 for "unlimited talk + text + web" -- though the data use is indeed limited to 500MB. Stepping up to truly unlimited everything is $20 more, which is a fair bit cheaper than the biggest plans from competing carriers. But, it's important to note that you'll be paying full price, or near to it, for your smartphone.

Filed under: Misc, Apple, Blackberry

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/8r09pXBFfqY/

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Wal-Mart tests in-store lockers for online orders | The Associated ...

SAN BRUNO ? Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will be testing this summer an option for consumers to be able to order product on its website and then have it kept in a physical locker at the store so they can pick it up without having to wait in line or talk to a store clerk.

The test, which will be conducted in about a dozen stories in an undisclosed market, is part of the world's largest retailer's overall strategy to offer increasingly demanding web-savvy shoppers the ability to shop any way they want. The company is also expanding its offerings online and improving a new "scan and go" shopping app so customers can immediately download coupons personalized to them.

Officials disclosed the moves Tuesday at a media event at its company's global e-commerce offices in San Bruno, Calif., located in Silicon Valley.

The six-story offices, which house more than 1,000 employees ranging from engineers to merchandisers, includes (at)WalmartLabs, where many of the shopping innovations are coming from. It was formerly a webs analytics company called Kosmix which the discounter purchased in 2011 and then renamed (at)WalmartLabs.

The offices are different from the staid, sprawling corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Clearly, it looks like an Internet startup. On the floor housing employees at (at)WalmartLabs, some workers are playing ping pong and pool. On another floor, web analysts watch oversized screens of Walmart.com and Samsclub.com to track any technology problems with the site.

The company conducts so-called "hack days" twice a year where most of the staff are allowed to pursue prototypes of their own liking. At the end of the day, they must show their work.

"We are tenacious about building the best-in-class e-commerce. We're developing a density of talent that understands competition at Internet speed," said Neil Ashe, who joined the discounter as president and CEO of the company's global e-commerce division in January 2012. He had been president of CBS Interactive where he oversaw such online properties as cbs.com and CNET.com.

Wal-Mart used the one-day event to showcase how the discounter is meeting the challenges to fight off online rivals like eBay Inc. and amazon.com, which have been luring shoppers to the Web with their vast offerings of products and low prices. But the discounter is also following its own customers. More than half of its shoppers have smartphones and one third of its online traffic now comes from smartphones. For the holiday shopping season, that percentage figure was up to 40 percent.

Over the past year, Wal-Mart has been launching a number of initiatives that merge its online business with the power of its 4,000 stores. That's all with the purpose of meeting the company's overall mission of "saving people money so they can live better." That includes same-day delivery in five markets, and an app that allows shoppers to scan their purchases with an Apple device while in the aisle and then pay at a self-checkout terminal. In 10 months, it also rebuilt its search engine from scratch, and the improved search tool has resulted in an increase of the number of browsers to buyers on walmart.com by 20 percent.

Wal-Mart doesn't break down its e-commerce sales for the U.S., but officials reiterated Tuesday that it expects global e-commerce sales to hit $9 billion this year. That's still a small fraction of the company's overall sales of $443.8 billion in the latest year ended Jan. 31. But the company is fast expanding its global presence which include nine other countries outside the U.S. It's also making big improvements to its ranking among shoppers. For example, in Brazil, www.walmart.com is now the most popular retail website in terms of traffic, up from being ranked No. 8 last year. And the company is creating a global platform so that lessons in Brazil can be quickly adopted in other countries.

As for Wal-Mart.com's U.S. business, which sells more than 2 million items ? including products it sells through other retailers like ebags.com ? the company plans to expand the number of items. It didn't disclose by how much.

With the test of the new lockers, Wal-Mart is catering to shoppers who want to be left alone when they buy. Joel Anderson, president and CEO of walmart.com's U.S. division, says that 75 percent of its shoppers want to buy interrupted.

The new tests with lockers work like this: once shoppers buy the product online, they're emailed a password. They then can go to the store to pick up the items that are stored in the locker. Anderson says that lockers will vary in size, and the company is still figuring out where to locate them.

The service is an evolution of another shopping option called "site to store" launched in 2007 where shoppers can order online and then pick up the items at a special counter within two weeks. The company has also been testing an option where shoppers can pick up their purchases they bought online at select FedEx locations.

"The customer is in charge," Anderson. "The customer wants to control their own environment."

Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/news/2013/03/wal-mart-tests-store-lockers-online-orders

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Powerball jackpot winner owes $29,000 in child support -sheriff

By Dave Warner

(Reuters) - The winner of one of the biggest Powerball jackpots of all time owes $29,000 in overdue child support payments, the Passaic County, New Jersey, sheriff's office said on Thursday.

Pedro Quezada, 44, a county resident who is married and the father of five children ages 5 to 23, was the sole winner of a $338 million jackpot on Saturday.

Because he chose the lump sum option, instead of annual payments over 30 years, he will actually receive $211 million, lottery officials said on Thursday. Officials said that is the third-largest lump sum payment in Powerball history.

The lottery will take out a total of 28 percent in federal and state taxes, which would leave Quezada, who until this week was the owner of a bodega in Passaic, New Jersey, with about $152 million.

His Apple Deli & Grocery now has a "for sale" sign on the door. Quezada told reporters on Tuesday that the business is now closed.

Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said in a statement that his office is attempting to notify Quezada about the support payment. He said that generally the state's lottery division would pay the judgment out of the winnings.

"Like everyone else, until this warrant is satisfied, Mr. Quezada is subject to potential arrest," the statement said.

The child support issue dates back to 2009, according to local media reports.

Quezada could not be reached for comment.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/powerball-jackpot-winner-owes-29-000-child-support-163424715.html

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Wall St flat as S&P 500 bumps against record close

By Angela Moon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 index hit resistance again on Thursday near its record closing high, unable to break through that milestone for the 14th session.

While the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been hitting new highs for the past few weeks, attempts by the S&P 500 to break past its record closing has been unsuccessful, prompting investors to think there may be a higher chance of a sharper pullback.

At the same time, buyers continue to move in on any signs of weakness, which has enabled the benchmark index to quickly erase declines and trade within 10 points of its all-time closing peak for the past 14 sessions.

"This suggests that there is a lot of money being run on technicals and there is this nervousness about the market being at all-time high. Less and less money is being run on fundamentals," said Jack DeGan, chief investment officer of Harbor Advisory.

"Fundamentally, the economy is improving and we are getting good earnings. I think soon or later we will move above this level to hit a all-time high."

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 25.76 points, or 0.18 percent, at 14,551.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 1.24 points, or 0.08 percent, at 1,564.09. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 1.20 points, or 0.04 percent, at 3,257.72.

U.S. stocks were set to close out a strong quarter with the S&P 500 up nearly 10 percent for the first quarter, the Dow up 11 percent and the Nasdaq up 8 percent. Thursday is the U.S. stock markets' last trading day of the quarter as Friday is Good Friday holiday.

Data showed the economy expanded at a sluggish pace of 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter although a big gain in business investment and higher exports of services led the government to push up its previous estimate for growth.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, but probably not enough to suggest the labor market recovery was taking a step back.

Cypriots lined up calmly at banks despite tight controls imposed on transactions at Cyprus's banks after the government was forced to accept a stringent EU rescue package to avert bankruptcy.

BlackBerry announced an unexpected fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, driven by demand for its new touchscreen device which holds the key to a successful turnaround for the smartphone maker. U.S.-listed shares were up 2 percent at $14.86.

Chesapeake Energy Corp's search for a new chief executive to replace Aubrey McClendon is likely to extend beyond an April 1 deadline, according to a person familiar with the situation. The stock was off 0.9 percent at $20.36.

Influential proxy advisory firm ISS threw its weight behind opponents of MetroPCS Communications Inc's proposed merger with T-Mobile USA, saying the deal undervalued the company and shareholders should vote against it. MetroPCS shares were up 2.2 percent at $10.76.

A federal judge on Wednesday said JPMorgan Chase & Co must face a lawsuit by a pension plan that accused it of mismanaging its money by investing in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc notes before that bank filed for bankruptcy in 2008. JPMorgan's stock fell 0.7 percent to $47.45.

(Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-flat-p-500-bumps-against-record-143200169--finance.html

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A glance at the agreement for the Cyprus bailout

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Authorities from Cyprus and the so-called troika of international lenders ? the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund ? reached agreement on a bailout loan for the country of up to 10 billion euros. A look at key parts of the deal:

?Cyprus had to come up with 5.8 billion euros somehow to secure the bailout.

?Depositors in the country's second-largest bank, Laiki, with accounts of more than 100,000 euros will lose an unspecified amount of their money. The move is expected to yield 4.2 billion euros overall ? or most of the needed amount.

?The remainder of the money will come from tax increases and privatizations.

?Cyprus had to agree to restructure its banking sector, which is unusually large for the size of its economy.

?Laiki will be dissolved at once and split into a "good bank" and a "bad bank." The "good bank" portion of Laiki will be folded into the largest bank, the Bank of Cyprus.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-25-Cyprus-Financial%20Crisis-Glance/id-b8dedc7a204c404980d626ae8cb19646

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Horse Carriage Owners to Miley Cyrus: What Do You Know?!?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/horse-carriage-owners-to-miley-cyrus-what-do-you-know/

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Saplings from Anne Frank's tree take root in US

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Saplings from the chestnut tree that stood as a symbol of hope for Anne Frank as she hid from the Nazis for two years in Amsterdam are being distributed to 11 locations in the United States as part of a project that aims to preserve her legacy and promote tolerance.

The tree, one of the Jewish teenager's only connections to nature while she hid with her family, was diseased and rotted through the trunk when wind and heavy rain toppled it in August 2010. But saplings grown from its seeds will be planted starting in April, when the Children's Museum of Indianapolis will put the first one in the ground.

The 11 U.S. locations, which also include a park memorializing 9-11 victims in New York City, an Arkansas high school that was the heart of the desegregation battle and Holocaust centers in Michigan and Washington state were chosen by The Anne Frank Center USA from 34 applicants.

Winners were selected based on their commitment to equality, demonstration of the consequences of intolerance or historical significance to civil rights and social justice in the U.S., according to a news release from the center.

"The heart of our mission is tolerance. ... Tolerance is really essential for being able to bring better welfare to everybody," said center spokesman Mike Clary.

The tree is referenced several times in the diary that Anne Frank kept during the 25 months she remained indoors until her family was arrested in August 1944.

"Nearly every morning I go to the attic to blow the stuffy air out of my lungs," she wrote on Feb. 23, 1944. "From my favorite spot on the floor I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree, on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide on the wind."

A global campaign to save the chestnut was launched in 2007 after city officials deemed it a safety hazard and ordered it taken down. The tree was granted a last-minute reprieve after a battle in court, but age and nature ultimately brought it down.

Jeffrey Patchen, president and chief executive officer of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, said the sapling planted in the museum's Peace Park will stand next to a limestone carving of a podium with Anne's diary on it. A mock chestnut tree looms over the entrance to the museum's permanent Anne Frank exhibit, which features live performances in a space that teaches visitors about life in the Secret Annex where the Franks hid.

"We're taking the lead in producing the educational materials that will go along with the tree," Patchen said. "We're producing this unit of study ... that focuses heavily on the humanities and presents the tree through selections of her diary and ... as a symbol of renewal."

Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. plans to plant its sapling in September, on the 56th anniversary of the previously segregated high school's integration. A group of black students called the Little Rock Nine, who braved angry mobs in the fall of 1957 to integrate the school, became a symbol of the civil rights movement.

"Both (Anne Frank and the Little Rock Nine) dealt with hatred from ignorant people," said Nancy Rousseau, the school's principal. "All of them displayed great bravery and courage, which wasn't necessarily seen then or now, also, in adults. They were all children."

Other states that have sites receiving saplings are Massachusetts, Idaho and California.

The Anne Frank Center wants the sapling project to go beyond the initial planting of the trees. The center is launching an education initiative called Confronting Intolerance Today that will encompass a "teaching and discovery" website to create dialogue and show how the sites are using the sapling project to advance tolerance, a distinguished speaker series and temporary exhibits from the center that will show the history of Anne Frank.

"We know that the tree was a sign of hope of Anne Frank who was unable to leave her living quarters," said Yvonne Simons, executive director of The Anne Frank Center USA. "She wrote about it in a diary. For us, the tree portrays a symbolism of hope and growth and renewal."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saplings-anne-franks-tree-root-us-163048542.html

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Iran says not linked to group arrested in Saudi Arabia for spying

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry said the country was not linked to a group of alleged spies arrested in Saudi Arabia, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that it had detained an Iranian, a Lebanese, and 16 Saudis for spying. Political analysts and press in Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia have accused Shi'ite Iran of being behind the alleged espionage.

The two countries are locked in a struggle for influence across the region, backing opposing sides in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Gulf Arab foreign ministers, meeting in Riyadh last month, issued a statement condemning what they said was Iranian "meddling" in their countries - an accusation Tehran rejects.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, denied that an Iranian national was involved in the alleged spy ring and called the allegations a "repetitive scenario", according to Iran's English-language Press TV on Sunday.

"Raising such baseless issues at the media level is merely for domestic consumption," he said, according to Press TV.

Leaders of Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority have also criticized the arrests of 16 members of their community, which they said sought to exploit sectarian tension.

The Saudi government has previously blamed unrest among Shi'ites in the Qatif district of oil-producing Eastern Province on an unnamed foreign power, which officials privately acknowledge means Iran - a charge local Shi'ite activists have denied. Sixteen people have been killed in Qatif in clashes with police in the past two years.

Riyadh also accuses Tehran of having masterminded an alleged plot to assassinate its ambassador in Washington that was announced by U.S. police in late 2011. Iran denies this.

Kuwait said in 2010 it had uncovered an Iranian spy ring, Yemen said last year it had arrested Iranian spies and that Tehran was backing rebels in the north, and Bahrain has accused Iran of plotting attacks on its territory. Tehran has denied all these charges.

(Reporting By Yeganeh Torbati; Additional reporting by Angus McDowall in Riyadh; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-not-linked-group-arrested-saudi-arabia-074225533.html

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

On the moon, NASA probe sees where sun never shines

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Elevation color coding lights up the inside of the moon's Shackleton crater, a permanently shadowed region.

By Space.com

Some parts of the moon haven't seen the sun in millions, and even billions, of years but an unmanned NASA spacecraft is shedding light on these lunar lands of permanent darkness.

A new video from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio explains just how the agency's powerful?Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter?(LRO) is collecting data on the moon's coldest, darkest craters.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

An artist's rendering of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter craft.

Earth's axis is titled about 23.4 degrees from vertical, meaning sunlight reaches every surface, even the north and south poles, for at least part of the year. The moon, meanwhile, is tilted just 1.6 degrees, nearly perpendicular to the direction of the sun's light. This means that there are some deep craters near the moon's poles that haven't seen the sun for over 2 billion years.

Scientists are interested in the moon's permanently shadowed regions?because they are thought to have the right conditions to trap volatiles such as water, which would normally vaporize and escape into space, according to NASA. In fact, LRO helped confirm the presence of water ice on the moon along with other lunar probes from Japan and India. In October 2009, LRO detected the presence of frozen water when its sister craft,?Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, crashed into a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole.

NASA launched the $504 million LRO mission in June 2009. The spacecraft is equipped with a suite of instruments, including a laser ranging tool, to create the most-detailed ever topographical maps of the lunar surface of its mysterious shadowed regions. The lunar probe also has tools designed to measure temperature and neutron absorption in the moon's darkest corners.

And while the sun can't get into the moon's permanently shadowed regions, LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) instrument can detect how faint light from others stars reaches some of these craters.

Google+. Follow us?@Spacedotcom,?Facebook?and?Google+. Original article on?Space.com

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/29e0604a/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C220C174162720Eon0Ethe0Emoon0Enasa0Eprobe0Esees0Ewhere0Esun0Enever0Eshines0Dlite/story01.htm

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Human Pilots Are a Problem, and Robot Controlled Planes May Be the Solution

The pilot of Air France Flight 447 was operating on one hour of sleep before the plane crashed into the Atlantic. In Philadelphia, a man impersonating a pilot made it into a US Airways cockpit. The era of robot pilots can't get here fast enough.

RELATED: Your Plane Was Delayed Because the Tarmac Melted

After a day of pilot-related news like today, it's hard not to wonder. A pilot for Air France, responsible for the lives of 228 people, stays up all night entertaining his girlfriend. The Telegraph reports that he was asleep when the plane began to display signs of trouble. It then took him more than a minute to get back to the controls. The transcript of the cockpit conversation and data from the flight recorder reveal that he and his co-pilot made a series of errors that led to the 2009 crash.

RELATED: Should News Corp. Be Trusted with a Flying Robot Camera?

And then this morning, a French man in a shirt with an Air France logo was found sitting in the pilot's seat of a US Airways plane that was about to begin boarding. Clearly he was going to be discovered before the plane pulled away from the gate, but the incident necessarily raises questions about the security of airline cockpits.

RELATED: Women at the Olympics, Syrians in Iraq, and Discarded Pianos

This isn't a new problem. According to PlaneCrashInfo.com, pilot error is the cause of half of all fatal accidents ? and always has been.

RELATED: Five Best Monday Columns

RELATED: Boeing's Dreamliner Could Make Flying Better

So why have pilots? The primary impediment isn't technology. Planes are currently flown primarily by instruments. Nor is complete autonomy impossible; after all, here's what a small plane developed by MIT can do in a confined space.

Granted, that would be a bumpy flight. But at least the plane didn't crash.

In December of 2011, IEEE Spectrum?discussed the possibility of pilotless planes, outlining the existing technology and suggesting real problem: psychology.

One factor that's often cited for keeping a pilot in charge is what's known as "shared fate." That's the reassurance passengers get from knowing that the human in the cockpit wants to live just as much as they do. But shared fate is not the only way, or even the normal way, to ensure safe service. After all, restaurants don't employ food tasters to reassure diners, nor do losing defense lawyers join their clients in jail. It's usually enough for a professional to demonstrate sheer competence?the "right stuff" of aviator lore. And it's clear that automatic pilots?like those that land F-18s?now have a goodly amount of it.

But trusting software to safely shepherd hundreds of passengers across thousands of kilometers? A suspicious public isn't likely to buy into that vision, because safety is one of those things you can't have enough of.

Part of the psychological impediment stems from danger being largely imagined, not real. Oversexed-but-sleepy pilots notwithstanding,?planes are an enormously safe way to travel. The New York Times notes that you could fly every day for 123,000 years before you'd be likely to be in a fatal crash.?But that's not reassuring once the cabin doors close, so people seek irrational comfort in empty gestures: removing your shoes at security, human pilots at the controls. When the danger is real and immediate, there's less need for such frippery.

Like when your aircraft is on a bombing mission in enemy territory. The increased use of drones isn't only about economics; it's about safety. On June 2, 1995, Scott O'Grady was shot down in Serbia. A week later he was rescued, despite the odds of a successful retrieval. That August, an unmanned drone was similarly grounded. That one, they never made a movie about, but it did earn a mention in a 1997 report submitted to the Department of Defense: "The Pilotless Air Force? A Look at Replacing Human Operators with Advanced Technology." In the years since, that rhetorical question has been answered. The Air Force is scrambling to fill drone pilot positions, and may be considering a majority-drone force. Air Force unmanned aerial vehicles still have a human at the controls, of course ? just as a commercial flight could still have a human emergency backup.

That psychological barrier may fall more quickly in a decade or so, once self-driving cars become more common. Driving is statistically much more dangerous than flying, but offers a sense of control that flying doesn't. If we become accustomed to surrendering our cars to technology, it's hard to see why we wouldn't be more likely to allow the same in the cockpit. So long as we're not afraid.

Airlines aren't known for their embrace of innovation or safety improvements. But at some point, the current streak of unprecedented airline safety may end ? and tragically. If the cause is pilot error, it's worth considering how to remove pilots from the equation once and for all.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/human-pilots-problem-robot-controlled-planes-may-solution-150409043.html

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Some Pebble smartwatches bricking after shutdown, company replacing faulty units

It appears that Pebble's smartwatch is officially feeling its largest growing pain since debuting just two months ago. A five-page long (and growing) thread on the company's forum has some owners describing a bug that's leaving their Pebbles ~~pebbled~~ bricked after shutdown. Pebble's Eric Migicovsky let us know that is actively replacing affected units, while examining those being sent in to find out the root cause:

We've had reports of this issue, and we understand of course that it's annoying for users. We're replacing any Pebbles for users who report this issue. We're reviewing the Pebbles that get returned, working to get to the bottom of the issue. We have our support team ready to follow up to any user that reports this issue.

As it stands, there's no word on whether firmware update 1.9 has any role in keeping the devices from turning on after being shut down. Owners have further reported that no amount of charging their Pebble will help it to actually come back to life. We've reached out to the company for more info on the matter ~~(including nailing down how many units the company has replaced so far)~~, and we'll be sure to keep you updated. For now, let us know whether your experience with Pebble has been rocky at all so far.

Update: That was fast -- apparently Pebble has received about 30 reports of this issue since Friday. Here's the official word from Migicovsky:

We're tracking a few reports of this issue. Up to Friday, we've had 20-30 reports (out of 30,000+ pebbles in the field). We've gotten several back to the office, and we're getting to the bottom of it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wearables, Mobile

Comments

Source: Pebble (forum)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/jSVId_7NQxg/

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National Geographic May Use Recycled Paper ? Environmental ...

Home???National Geographic May Use Recycled Paper

March 21, 2013

National Geographic May Use Recycled Paper

National Geographic is considering using recycled paper for its publications, following a study that found using recovered fiber in place of virgin fiber for magazine paper has a benefit in 14 of 14 environmental impact categories.

Categories studied in Life Cycle Assessment of?Deinked and Virgin Pulp ? a?life-cycle assessment by Environ International Corporation ? include total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, carcinogenicity, non-renewable energy use, eutrophication and wood use.

For example, a kilogram of deinked pulp is responsible for 0.6 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent over its entire life-cycle, compared to 2.87 kg of CO2e for 1 kg of displaced virgin pulp, the report says. One kg of deinked pulp uses, on average, 6.72?megajoule of non-renewable energy in its life cycle compared to 1 kg of virgin pulp that uses, on average, 22.57 MJ over its life-cycle.

The report identifies four key areas where data variability and assumptions might affect results, namely:

The amount of energy used in pulping.
The fuel mix used in pulping.
The environmental impact characterization method used in the model.
The method for allocating recycling benefits in the model.

The analysis shows that, even considering the range of possible values for these key areas, using recovered fiber reduces negative environmental impacts for the majority of the environmental impact categories studied.

Environ says that the report?debunks any myths promoted by magazine and paper industries that question the environmental benefits of using recycled fiber in publication-grade paper. The production of magazine paper in the US emits more than 7.2 million metric tons of CO2e each year, Environ says.

If National Geographic does begin using recycled paper for its magazines, it will join a growing list that includes large and small publications such as?Fast Company,?Audubon,?YES! and?Ranger Rick?? all of which have been using recycled paper for a long time, Environ says.

In September, the National Geographic Society and fellow publishers?Time Inc.,?Macmillan, and Pearson?formed a partnership with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative eco-label in a bid to help spur the growth of certification to preserve and protect forests.?By the end of 2014, SFI Forest Partners aims to certify 5 million acres of forests to the SFI 2010-2014 standard. By the end of 2017, the program hopes to certify 10 million acres of forest across the United States and Canada.

Stay Up-to-Date On Environmental Management, Energy & Sustainability News with EL's Free Daily Newsletter

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Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/03/21/national-geographic-may-use-recycled-paper/

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House passes GOP budget plan promising deep cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Moving on two fronts, the Republican-controlled House on Thursday voted to keep the government running for the next six months while pushing through a tea-party flavored budget for next year that would shrink the government by another $4.6 trillion over the next decade.

The spending authorization on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature leaves in place $85 billion in spending cuts to the Pentagon and domestic programs. The result will be temporary furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and contractors over the next six months and interrupted, slower or halted services and aid for many Americans.

The nonbinding GOP budget plan for 2014 and beyond calls for a balanced budget in 10 years' time and sharp cuts in safety-net programs for the poor and other domestic programs.

Thursday's developments demonstrated the split nature of this year's budget debate. Competing nonbinding budget measures by each party provide platforms for political principles; at the same time Capitol Hill leaders forged a bipartisan deal on carrying out the government's core responsibilities, in this case providing money for agencies to operate and preventing a government shutdown.

The GOP budget proposal, similar to previous plans offered by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., demonstrates that it's possible, at least mathematically, to balance the budget within a decade without raising taxes. But to do so Ryan, his party's vice presidential nominee last year, assumes deep cuts that would force millions from programs for the poor like food stamps and Medicaid and cut almost 20 percent from domestic agency budget levels assumed less than two years ago.

Ryan's plan passed the House on a mostly party-line 221-207 vote, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats against it.

Meanwhile, the Democrat-controlled Senate debated for a second day its first budget since the 2009 plan that helped Obama pass his health care law. A vote on the Senate measure is expected late Friday or early Saturday.

The Senate cast several politically freighted tallies Thursday night, including a move by Democrats to force a vote on the controversial Ryan budget, which was defeated 59-40, with five Republicans ? including tea party stalwarts Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah ? joining every Democrat in opposition.

Republicans countered with a move by Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., putting Democrats on record in opposition to balancing the budget by the end of the decade. It failed on a near party-line vote.

But the Senate gave sweeping bipartisan approval to a proposal by Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to put senators on record in favor of repealing an unpopular $30 billion tax over 10 years on medical devices enacted to help pay for Obama's health care bill.

The dueling House and Senate budget plans are anchored on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum in Washington, appealing to core partisans in warring GOP and Democratic tribes long gridlocked over how to attack budget deficits. The GOP plan caters to tea party forces while Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., crafted a measure designed to nail down support from liberal senators like Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who vehemently oppose cuts to safety net programs, like Medicare and Social Security.

The sharp contrast over the 2014 budget and beyond came as the House cleared away last year's unfinished fiscal business ? a sweeping, government-wide bill to keep Cabinet agencies running through the 2013 budget year, which ends Sept. 30.

The House passed the bipartisan 2013 measure by a sweeping 318-109 vote. The Senate had approved the measure on Wednesday.

The measure would authorize money for the day-to-day operations of every Cabinet agency through Sept. 30, provide another $87 billion to fund overseas military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and maintain a pay freeze for federal workers. Automatic spending cuts of 5 percent to domestic programs and 8 percent to the Pentagon are left in place, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers facing job furloughs.

But the bill eases the effect of the trims on food inspections and college assistance for active-duty military and relieves the Pentagon from a cash crunch in accounts for training and readiness. Veteran health programs will get their scheduled increases and there are big boosts to modernize the Pentagon's nuclear arsenal. It also ensures full funding for a food program for pregnant women and their babies.

The long-term, nonbinding GOP budget plan authored by Ryan, the party's failed 2012 vice presidential nominee, makes lots of promises about "reforming" costly benefits programs like food stamps, Medicare and Medicaid, but it's often scant on details about the cuts. And while pledging a tax reform plan that would lower the top income tax bracket from 39.6 percent to 25 percent, it doesn't say which tax breaks, deductions and credits it would eliminate to replace almost $6 trillion in lost revenue over a decade.

The Ryan measure also revives a controversial plan to turn the Medicare program for the elderly into a voucher-like system for future beneficiaries born in 1959 or later. Critics say the idea would mean ever-spiraling out-of-pocket costs for care, but Ryan insists the plan would inject competition into a broken system.

"This is an uncompromising, ideological approach to our budget issues," said the Budget Committee's top Democrat, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. "The American people voted, and they resoundingly rejected the approach that is now taken, once again, for the third year in a row, in this Republican budget."

Fresh from passing the 2013 wrap-up measure on Wednesday, the Senate was turning to Murray's plan, which would add nearly $1 trillion in new taxes over the coming decade in an attempt to stabilize the $16 trillion-plus national debt.

It's the first budget debate scheduled by Senate Democrats in four years. Democratic leaders have seemed intent on protecting members from a slew of politically troublesome votes forced by Republicans and don't seem to have suffered from charges that they've been shirking their budget duty.

But Murray's plan would actually increase government spending ? on top of a "baseline" that already assumes automatic budget increases averaging more than 5 percent a year ? after accounting for the $1.2 trillion cost of repealing the automatic cuts, known as sequestration. That means the net cuts to the deficit would amount to just a few hundred billion dollars in a federal budget estimated at $46 trillion or so over the coming decade.

Murray's position is that the automatic cuts were designed to prod Washington into action on the debt and were never intended to take effect. By that math her budget promises $1.85 trillion in lower deficits after 10 years. She points out that Republicans on a 2011 deficit "supercommittee" used the same math when describing their proposals.

"Sequestration was not deficit reduction," Murray said. "It was there to trigger deficit reduction that would come from replacing it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-passes-gop-budget-plan-promising-deep-cuts-150804511--finance.html

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Friday, March 22, 2013

Neil Oberfeld Appointed to the Law Conference Planning Committee ...

By Admin on Mar 21, 2013 with Comments 0

Greenberg Traurig?s Neil Oberfeld was appointed to the Law Conference Planning Committee of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for its upcoming annual U.S. Shopping Center Law Conference. Oberfeld is involved in a number of non-profits, including National Commissioner and Regional Director for the ADL?s Rocky Mountain Region; Trustee of the Rose Community Foundation and chair of the Foundation?s Jewish Life Committee and Committee on Aging; and much more.

Many similar attorneys and real estate executives, from Avi Goldberg and Michael Levy to Ron Hershco and others are additional prominent executives in business and philanthropy.

Oberfeld will be pivotal in determining the direction and content of over 65 sessions for 1,200 legal professionals in the real estate industry attending the four-day conference, where attendees can gain specific industry knowledge and insight from some of the country?s leading legal authorities in areas that will impact shopping centers.

Filed Under: Business

Tags: greenberg traurig ? ICSC ? neil oberfeld

Source: http://www.jewocity.com/blog/neil-oberfeld-appointed-to-the-law-conference-planning-committee/7957

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Justin Bieber Vs. Selena Gomez: Fans Takes Sides After 'Letterman' Dis

Beliebers strike back after Gomez makes a joke to 'Late Show' host David Letterman about bringing her ex-boyfriend to tears.
By Jocelyn Vena

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber in 2011
Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Key senator pushes immigration negotiators (The Arizona Republic)

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Google Currents for Android now supports audio playback, improves syncing between devices

We don't see the Android -- or iOS, for that matter -- version of Google Currents get quite as many updates as, say, Google+ or Maps, but today its Mountain View creators have stuffed the app with some tidbits that are sure to come in handy to those using it on a daily basis. Most notably, Currents for Android is now more friendly with editions including audio content, adding a media bar which will allow for easy playback of such files within the application. Additionally, Google also gave its magazine-like app a boost by enhancing syncing between devices, making it rather facile for folks to pick up where they left off on a story. Go on and grab the updated version now from Google Play -- in the meantime, we'll still be pondering whether or not we should insert a shameless plug.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play