proclamation bitch: April 2013

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Google earnings top estimates

Google CEO Larry Page should be pleased with the company's first quarter results. But mobile is still a challenge.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Overall, Google's first-quarter revenue jumped to nearly $14 billion, in line with Wall Street expectations. Net income rose to $3.9 billion, or $11.58 per share, handily beating estimates.

Shares of Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) initially rose 3% in after-hours trading, but they lost some gains as investors digested the lackluster details on mobile.

Though Google is a dominant mobile player thanks to Android, the shift away from desktops has caused the company some problems. Of particular concern is a metric called cost-per-click, or the average amount that advertisers pay to Google each time a user clicks on an ad.

Mobile ads command lower prices than desktop ads do, so the average cost-per-click has fallen even as the number of paid clicks increase.

In the first quarter, Google's cost-per-click fell 4% compared with the prior year. That's the sixth consecutive quarterly decrease. The number of paid clicks rose 3% over the year.

Early in the quarter, Google announced it would reduce the number of ads on its mobile search page to avoid overwhelming users. At that time, the company wrongly predicted a higher cost-per-click and a drop in paid clicks.

Related story: Google's new bid to avoid EU fine

On a conference call with analysts, CEO Larry Page spoke only generally about mobile advertising in his prepared remarks.

Instead, Page spent most of his time talking about an area of concern for some analysts: Google's expansion into side businesses not related to its core search business, which made up 92% of the company's sales in the first quarter. Those projects include the wearable computer Google Glass, driverless cars and the high-speed Google Fiber Internet and TV service.

"Companies tend to get comfortable doing what they've always done with a few minor tweaks," Page said. "It's only natural to work on what you know."

Google, on the other hand, wants to do things "no one else is crazy enough to try," Page said.

Page also alluded to potential hardware innovations from Motorola, including improved battery life and a screen that won't shatter when dropped.

"Having seen Motorola's upcoming products myself, I'm pretty enthusiastic," Page said.

But Motorola is still very much a turnaround story. The business logged an operating loss of $179 million in the first quarter. During the fourth-quarter results conference call, Google CFO Patrick Pichette warned that he expects Motorola's financial results to be volatile "for quite a while."

While Android market share remains strong, even that business underwent turmoil in the first quarter. Android co-founder Andy Rubin stepped down in March to take on unspecified new projects at Google. (Page declined to reveal Rubin's new role when asked on Thursday's call.) Sundar Pichai, former Google head of Chrome and Apps, took Rubin's place at the Android helm.

Google rival Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) reported results earlier this week, and a sales drop -- led by an 11% decline in display ad revenue -- overshadowed a jump in profit. Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) also released its quarterly results Thursday, announcing profits that topped forecasts.

Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500), which has suffered a stock slump on concerns about declining profit margins, competition from Samsung and others with phones running on Android as well as the lack of an exciting new product, will report earnings next week. Facebook (FB), which competes with Google on the display ad front, is on tap to report results the following week.

First Published: April 18, 2013: 4:30 PM ET

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/Y2mS8Nba65A/index.html

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Midwestern flood warnings follow storms, torrential rain - U.S. News

Much of the Midwest has been affected by a big spring storm that left flooding in Illinois. Residents in Gurnee, Ill., said it's the worst flooding they've seen in a decade and officials are warning it could be a week or two before flood levels significantly drop. ?NBC's John Yang report.

By Jeff Black and Alastair Jamieson, NBC News

A massive weather system carrying potentially severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and possibly even tornadoes was soaking the nation?s midsection on Thursday, with flash floods reported in Chicago and heavy rain expected to cause major flooding along the Mississippi River.

Flooding in the Chicago area ? with more than 4 inches of rain reported ? closed major expressways and led the evacuations of residents stuck in flooded homes, apartments and a hospital.

Firefighter Jason Kelley and police officer Shannon Vandenheuvel carry children from Barbara Jones' partially submerged car in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Thursday.

The deluge caused a water main break on Chicago's South Side and the gushing water opened up a sinkhole that swallowed three cars.

Parts of the Edens and Eisenhower expressways in Lake County, Ill., were closed in both directions at one point during the day, NBCChicago.com reported.??

Gov. Pat Quinn declared a state of emergency across Illinois as thousands of people struggled with flood damage even as another wave of wet weather was on the way.

Quinn said a hospital in Morris, Ill., had to be evacuated and two trailer parks severely flooded. Residents living in The Towers at Four Lakes, a large apartment complex in a suburban area west of Chicago, were rescued from their flooded homes by boat, the DuPage County Sheriff's office said.

NewsNation's Tamron Hall reports on the massive storm which called flash flooding in Chicago.

Ajay Jha his wife Alo and daughter Aditi had to be evacuated through an open window of their home in Lisle by boat after a branch of the DuPage River overflowed.

"We lost everything" Ajay told the Chicago Tribune.??You can?t stop mother nature. We?re just happy we are safe.?

Illinois' governor warned people of the hazards of travel.

"Heavy rainfall over the past few days has created dangerous flooding in areas across the state," Quinn said, NBCChicago.com reported. "Everyone should stay home and off the roads if possible. To ensure safety as these storms continue, people should be alert and avoid flooded areas."

Residents were told to tune in to local TV and radio stations for updated information about any closed roadways or evacuations.

Heavy rain caused a sinkhole in Chicago that swallowed three cars. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

More than 500 flights were canceled at Chicago?s O?Hare Airport due to the extreme weather, and some trains were delayed. Air travelers were urged to check airline websites or call to confirm whether flights were still planned.

In Midland, Mich., Northwood University canceled classes for the rest of the week because of flooding problems, NBC station WDIV reported.

The Weather Channel's Greg Forbes, a severe weather expert, categorized the storm as a ?major/massive flood event? for the Midwest.

Flood watches and warnings were posted on Thursday stretching from northeastern Oklahoma to much of Missouri, northern and central Illinois, southern and central Wisconsin, and parts of Lower Michigan,?Weather.com said.

Flood warnings were issued in some cases for areas already swamped by melting snow.

Seventeen gauges placed along the Mississippi River to monitor the rising water already showed major flooding, Forbes said, and the water was predicted to rise in the next 24 hours in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Indeed, the band of predicted extreme weather stretched from northern Michigan to Houston and the Texas coastal area.

States along the Eastern Seaboard were set for heavy rain on Friday, Weather.com reported. The tornado risk, however, was expected to diminish as the storm moved east. Still,?heavy rain was likely in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area as well as the Atlantic Coast.

A forecast issued late Wednesday by the National Weather Service showed a 40 percent chance that the Red River will top the 2009 record of just under 41 feet.

Fargo City Administrator Pat Zavoral said he's confident the area will be protected. He said a forecast closer to 44 feet would have made things "a little dicey."

Related:

Wild spring weather snarls parts of country

This story was originally published on Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:51 AM EDT

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/18/17811214-midwestern-flood-warnings-follow-storms-torrential-rain

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Economist warns environment 'pushed to brink' | Eco News

In Professor Robert Costanza?s hometown of Donora, Pennsylvania, smog killed more than 20 people just a few years before he was born.

The freak event in the town studded with steel mills and zinc smelters put air pollution on the public agenda in the United States, and eventually encouraged the passage of the country?s first Clean Air Act.

Now a leading ecological economist at the Australian National University, Professor Constanza worries such a tragedy may be necessary before people start realising the global environment is in trouble.

?I think it does often take some sort of crisis,? Professor Costanza told AAP Newsagency.

?But I don?t think it?s too late,? he added.

In a report just launched in the national capital, Canberra, Professor Costanza warned the earth?s ecological limits were being pushed to the brink by society?s drive for material possessions and economic growth.

Professor Costanza?s report, co-authored with other experts on ecological economics, will today be published as part of the annual State of the World Report in Washington in the United States.

An alternative model, one that considers other measures of progress like a greener future and true wellbeing, was needed if humanity was to avoid a bleak existence.

Far from being a doomsday prediction, Professor Costanza said choosing to do nothing on a ?business as usual? basis would be far worse for humanity.

?It?s only doomsday if all you care about is material consumption,? he said.

?I?m arguing that that?s not what we should be caring about, because that?s not really everything that contributes to quality of life.?

People could create a better world if they stopped focusing on consumption and instead looked at the things that studies show really mattered, he said.

Family, income equality, crime rates, community and climate change were far more important to one?s overall wellbeing than a desire to buy more and ?keep up with the Joneses?.

AAP reports importantly, Professor Costanza stressed there needed to be a rethink on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the benchmark commonly used to rate economic success.

The focus on GDP growth was misplaced and unrealistic because it didn?t reflect the significant costs of pushing the environment ?a little too hard?.

?You can?t have infinite growth on a finite planet,? he said.

?If you?re only trying to increase GDP, then the environment gets in the way.?

Source: http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/economist-warns-environment-pushed-to-brink/

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Dad wasn't a fan of women in construction ? but then I bought him ...

Helen Loveless

IS there still a glass ceiling for women when it comes to running businesses and reaching the top?

A second annual report into the number of women on boards, carried out by Cranfield School of Management and published last week, shows that the rate of women being appointed to the boards of FTSE100 has slowed considerably in the past six months, from 44 per cent of new appointments to just 26 per cent.

While over the last decade the rate of female entrepreneurship has grown by 15 per cent, a Government-backed study published in 2011 found growth in the number of female entrepreneurs had stalled. About 14 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses are now run by women,

But there are still many female entrepreneurs flying high in what might be called a man?s world.

Julie White is managing director of D-Drill, a Coventry-based construction company specialising in diamond drilling. She took over the company from her father in 2008 in a management buyout. At the time Julie was also running her own construction business Superfloor UK, a construction company specialising in floor preparation techniques.

Julie, 45, faced obstacles. She says: ?Before I made my business a success my father didn?t think women should work in construction. Even as managing director I have gone to vital contract meetings where people assumed that as a woman I must be the secretary rather than the boss.?

Shortly after taking over the turnover of the business fell by ?about 40 per cent? from ?8 million, as the impact of the financial crisis and the collapse in the construction industry hit home.

But since then Julie has restructured and streamlined the business, including renegotiating supplier deals and making necessary redundancies. Turnover is now ?5 million and rising and the firm employs 150 people. She has also just appointed the first woman onto the board of the business.

Julie, who to date is the only woman running a business in this specialist sector, says: ?I actually think the Government is doing a lot to help women reach the top in business, though more needs to be done.

?I am against quotas for women on boards, however. Women need to believe that they can do anything. I have faced discrimination but it hasn?t stopped me.?

Posted by Helen Loveless on Monday, April 15th, 2013 at 9:00 am.

Filed under Feature, News, SMEs, Tagged as: .

Source: http://www.fmwf.com/media-type/news/2013/04/dad-wasnt-a-fan-of-women-in-construction-but-then-i-bought-him-out/

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Obama Vows 'We Will Find Out Who Did This' (ABC News)

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AT&T's Galaxy S 4 page lists April 30th ship date, $199 / $639 price for 16GB

We saw AT&T open up a registration page for the Galaxy S 4 almost as soon as Samsung's presentation was over, but now that link is exposing a bit more information. Several tipsters let us know that for customers in certain areas, the website is now showing the 16GB GS 4 available for pre-order in White Frost or Black Mist. Anyone can see some of the details, including that it's promised to ship April 30th and has an off-contract pricetag of $639 ($199 w/ two-year agreement). Those who can get further in the ordering process report it's promised to arrive at their homes on or before May 3rd, with two-day shipping. Hit the link below if you're move to get your pre-order for Samsung's latest standard-bearer as soon as possible.

[Thanks, Stephen, Asim, Jeff]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, AT&T

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Source: AT&T

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/QRxIgab3Hlc/

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'Fifty Shades' makes list of challenged books

NEW YORK (AP) ? Here's a list "Fifty Shades of Grey" was destined to make: The books most likely to be removed from school and library shelves.

On Monday, E L James' multimillion selling erotic trilogy placed No. 4 on the American Library Association's annual study of "challenged books," works subject to complaints from parents, educators and other members of the public. The objections: Offensive language, and, of course, graphic sexual content.

No. 1 was a not a story of the bedroom, but the bathroom, Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" books (Offensive language, unsuited for age group), followed by Sherman Alexie's prize-winning "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" (Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit), and Jay Asher's "Thirteen Reasons Why"(Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide). Also on the list, at No. 10, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison's "Beloved" (Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence).

"It's pretty exciting to be on a list that frequently features Mark Twain, Harper Lee, and Maya Angelou," Pilkey said in a statement. "But I worry that some parents might see this list and discourage their kids from reading 'Captain Underpants,' even though they have not had a chance to read the books themselves."

The library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as a "formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness." The office received 464 challenges last year, a jump of more 25 percent from 2011, but still low compared to the 1980s and '90s. Exact numbers, including how many books were actually pulled, are hard to calculate. The association has long believed that for every complaint registered, 4-5 go unreported by libraries, and that some librarians may restrict access in anticipation of objections.

"One reason we think the number went up in 2012 is that we made challenges easier to report by including a portal on our Web page," said Barbara M. Jones, director of the OIF.

The challenged books list was included in the library association's annual "State of the Libraries" report (http://tinyurl.com/salr2013) which examines how libraries are responding to budget cuts and the financial advice they offer for patrons during hard economic times.

The "Fifty Shades" books were released last spring and public libraries in Georgia, Florida and elsewhere soon pulled the racy romance trilogy or decided not to order the books, saying they were too steamy or too poorly written. Local library representatives at the time denounced the novels as "semi-pornographic" and unfit for "community standards."

But the list also included some works highly regarded in the literary community: Morrison's "Beloved," winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Alexie's novel, a National Book Award winner; and a book club favorite, Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" (Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit). Young adult star John Green was on, for "Looking for Alaska" (Offensive language, sexually explicit), along with perennial chart-maker "And Tango Makes Three," by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, the story of two male penguins who raise a baby penguin. Also on the list were Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories" (unsuited for age group) and Jeanette Wells' memoir "The Glass Castle." (Offensive language, sexually explicit).

The "Captain Underpants" books, which Green said he's currently reading to his 3-year-old son, have long been debated among parents and educators. Some praise the books because they encourage boys to read, others criticize them for their toilet humor and irreverent attitude; the title character is a superhero devised by two 4th graders about their grouchy principal, Mr. Krupp.

"I don't see these books as encouraging disrespect for authority. Perhaps they demonstrate the value of questioning authority," Pilkey said. "Some of the authority figures in the Captain Underpants books are villains. They are bullies and they do vicious things."

Pilkey said his characters are based in part on teachers and principals he had between grades 2 and 5 ? some of whom were villains who got away with it because they were authority figures.

"None of the children in my school, including me, thought to question them," he said. "So, I do feel there is real value in showing kids that not all authority figures are good or kind or honorable."

Challenged books are a measure of trouble, but also a measure of popularity, whether as a cause or an effect. Some famous entries from recent years have dropped off the top 10, likely a sign of reduced attention overall: J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books, Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series, Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" trilogy. Jones thinks some publishers "love it when their book is mentioned" because of the attention it receives, while Green agrees that getting on the list "means lots of people are reading your book."

The president of Scholastic's trade division, Ellie Berger, said in a statement that the "appearance of Captain Underpants on the 2012 ALA list coincides with the publication of Dav Pilkey's first new 'Captain Underpants' book in six years and the series' return to national bestseller lists ? both of which are evidence that this longtime bestselling series continues to inspire a love of reading (and underpants) for a new generation of kids."

___

Online:

American Library Association: www.ala.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fifty-shades-makes-list-challenged-books-041601310.html

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Monday, April 15, 2013

Trial to start in Zetas cartel racehorse case

HOUSTON (AP) ? One of Mexico's most powerful and violent drug cartels intended a racehorse-buying operation to be a clandestine means of laundering its illegal proceeds in the United States, prosecutors say.

But with the millions of dollars spent ? sometimes in the form of duffel bags stuffed with cash ? on horses named with names such as Number One Cartel and Mr. Ease Cartel, it wasn't long before authorities learned of the alleged scheme and reined it in.

The federal investigation resulted in indictments last year against 18 individuals. Now, at least four of the accused in the money laundering scheme, including the brother of two of the top leaders of the Zetas drug cartel, are set to go on trial Monday in an Austin federal courtroom.

The trial, which could last up to six weeks, is expected to offer insight into the internal workings of the Zetas, as well as highlight what some cartel experts say was a rookie mistake by an organized crime outfit: drawing attention to yourself.

"It's just sort of flashy, ostentatious behavior that is not smart if you are involved in organized crime," Howard Campbell, a professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso who has studied drug cartels, said of the racehorse-buying operation's high profile.

Federal authorities have accused Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, believed to now be the leader of the Zetas drug operation, of setting up the horse operation that his younger brother, Jose Trevino Morales, ran from a sprawling ranch near Lexington, Okla. The operation spent millions of dollars buying horses in California, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, prosecutors said.

Authorities allege Jose Trevino Morales and his wife, who had lived in North Texas before moving to Oklahoma, did not have the means to support the ranch operation, which bought, trained, bred and raced quarter horses throughout the Southwest, and that drug money paid for everything.

Neighbors said those who worked with the ranch spent lots of cash, bought land and made improvements at a time when others in the industry were struggling financially.

Workers at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Casino in New Mexico said Jose Trevino Morales' stables were known as the "Zetas' stables."

The U.S. Attorney's Office in San Antonio, which is handling the case, declined to comment on Friday about the trial.

Jose Trevino Morales' attorney, David Finn, said his client is not guilty of money laundering, describing him as a hard-working person who learned to raise horses while growing up on a ranch in Mexico.

"This is not about Jose Trevino Morales and his family. This is about his brothers and their alleged criminal activity in Mexico," Finn said. "He is not involved in any Zeta activity ... They couldn't get the brothers so they are focusing on my client."

Miguel Angel Trevino Morales and another brother alleged to be a top Zetas leader, Oscar Omar Trevino Morales, were also indicted. But they ? along with five others also charged ? remain at large. Three others indicted have pleaded guilty, including Jose Trevino Morales' wife and daughter.

Campbell said while the racehorse-buying operation might have been a creative way to launder money, it was also "really stupid because it was so public."

"The smarter people launder money more discreetly," he said.

Campbell attributed the mistake to the Zetas' relative inexperience as an independent drug trafficking group. Originally a band of assassins made up of ex-special forces soldiers from the Mexican Army, the Zetas worked for the Gulf Cartel before splitting off in 2010.

The Zetas, known for beheading rivals, have been blamed for some of Mexico's most shocking atrocities and mass killings.

"The Zetas seem to be a little more out of control and not as sort of hip to how they should operate in order to avoid getting caught," Campbell said. "They've learned their lesson in this case."

George W. Grayson, an expert on Mexican politics and drug cartels at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., said the Zetas might have been drawn to the idea of using a horse-buying operation because of their love of such animals, especially thoroughbreds.

"With horses and laundering money, you have a daily double on which they thought they couldn't lose," said Grayson, who co-authored "The Executioner's Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs and the Shadow State They Created."

Campbell called the upcoming trial a "slam dunk" for prosecutors, citing the extensive evidence.

Grayson said he doesn't think the shutting down of the horse-buying operation was a major blow to the Zetas' operations.

"It's a thorn in their side but not a dagger in their heart," Grayson said.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano at http://www.twitter.com/juanlozano70

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trial-start-zetas-cartel-racehorse-case-165601626.html

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Beyond The Bitcoin Bubble

A few months ago, while visiting a hacker friend's magnificent new San Francisco loft, he gestured to a little alcove stuffed with server racks and said: "And over there are the Bitcoin mines." I smiled and nodded, thinking, Oh, right, Bitcoin. Is that still a thing? Andy, if you're reading this, I apologize. Is it ever, and how. Over the last few weeks the hype around everyone's favorite distributed cryptographic currency has gone insane. It's a Ponzi scheme; no, it's the first instance of the third era of currency; no, it will spiral up and down forever; no, it's the new venture-capital frontier; no, it's an existential threat to the modern state. No, possibly, conceivably, maybe, and no. But: I realized this week that Bitcoin actually is a really big deal -- in a way that's been almost entirely obscured by all the hype.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RSk6cKxXP1o/

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Sales Leads Should Not Result In Cultural Collisions | Business 2 ...

Accounting firms can find it tough to acquire sales leads when culture comes into play. Your company not only seems to speak a different language. Your values can also differ from your prospect businesses. But perhaps what can be worse is when you have actually acquired a lot of sales leads and the clash happens between them and a new target market.

Sales Leads Should Not Result In Cultural Collisions image jocksvsartists rco410 Think of it like this, suppose your accounting firm is like an educational TV show. For a long time, your sales leads are like the faithful followers who like to follow on the latest updates in the accounting industry. What are the implications of rising or reduced taxes? How are today?s businesses keeping tabs on their money? These are all subjects of interest as well as ways to indicate possible sales leads.

Now imagine that before your slot though, there is another show and before your accounting leads, there is another target audience watching it. The show can represent any industry outside your own and they are targeting this audience for their own sales leads. Then again, it could be that neither the show nor the audience care about business at all.

Suppose that, before the end of their show, you decide to announce in a small commercial that you are up next. Your previous sales leads are happy and excited. On the other hand, the currently viewing audience only rolls their eyes and more or less tell you to get on with it. See the atmosphere brewing here? It makes you want to think twice about reaching out to an unfamiliar market (even for the sake of trying something different).

Still, what if you want to play a sort of peace ambassador between these two different cultures? Your accounting firm needs all the sales leads it can get, even if they think cash counting is the only sort of accounting they will need. You do not like all this tension and divide between your target market and a different group. How can you unite the two into one whole audience of accounting sales leads?

1. Learn more about the new first ? Your old sales leads are familiar territory so it is only logical that you should be exploring more when it comes to learning about your new target market. For example, what are they about? Who do they cater to? What is it about their work that makes things like financial information seemingly trivial?

2. See what you can take back ? Learning and teaching should not form into only a one-way street. What can you learn from these new sales leads that is specific to their business culture? How can you apply this for future campaigns? Finally, what values can you take that can expand the ones you already have and can be used to align with more sales leads?

3. Bring them together slowly ? Do not forget that there can still be significant differences between what concerns them. That is why you need to use what they have in common in terms of accounting to bring them together slowly. There is still room for diversity in your sales leads but gradually focus on that commonality when you are bringing them together.

Your B2B lead generation campaign should not be divisive but it should watch out if it starts to collide with lines already drawn. Avoiding those collisions is the first thing you need to know if you want to bridge those gaps and generate more accounting services leads.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/sales-management/sales-leads-should-not-result-in-cultural-collisions-0458169

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Sunday, April 14, 2013

IMF recognizes Somalia after 22 years of chaos

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The International Monetary Fund announced Friday that it is recognizing Somalia's new government after a 22-year break in relations with the once-chaotic country, part of a general push by the United States, United Nations and the West toward encouraging rehabilitation there.

The U.S. formally recognized the African nation's new government in January ? the first time the U.S. had recognized a Somali government since 1991, when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Siad Barre and then turned on one another.

The U.N. Security Council in March voted unanimously to partially suspend an arms embargo on Somalia for 12 months for military equipment intended solely to develop the country's security forces and provide security for the Somali people.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama cleared the way for the U.S. to arm and train Somali forces.

The International Monetary Fund on Friday announced it was recognizing the Somali government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office last September.

The move will allow the IMF to offer Somalia technical assistance and policy advice. But the IMF said Somalia will not be able to borrow IMF funds until it repays some $352 million in arrears that it owes the agency.

A relative peace has returned to Somalia's war-battered capital of Mogadishu since African Union forces ousted al-Shabab - a militant group loosely associated with al-Qaida - from the city over 18 months ago. But al-Shabab rebels are not yet defeated, and the U.S. remains concerned about the threat the group could pose to the region's stability.

___

Associated Press writer Peter James Spielmann contributed to this story from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/imf-recognizes-somalia-22-years-013003184.html

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Pop Quiz: Earth Day Quiz ? College of the Atlantic

[unable to retrieve full-text content]As Earth Day approaches, we asked: What makes this planet so remarkable?

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/education/edlife/earth-day-quiz-college-of-the-atlantic.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Keep Ants Away From Your Home (or Garden) with Mint

Keep Ants Away From Your Home (or Garden) with Mint We've talked about some of the ways to keep ants out of your home, but weblog Apartment Therapy notes that a little mint can go a long way.

Not only will it make some delicious mojitos, it'll keep the bugs at bay:

While it attracts 'good bugs' [like honeybees and hoverflies], mint also deters 'bad bugs.' Repel ants and flies by growing pennyroyal mint right outside your door, or spray diluted peppermint essential oil (ten parts water to one part oil) around doorways and windows. Keep pets free of bothersome fleas with this homemade repellent: Bundle two parts fresh spearmint, one part fresh thyme and one part fresh wormwood, and tuck it inside a small pillow. Place the pillow near your pet's bed or another favorite resting place.

This seems particularly useful if, say, you have a small garden that's getting eaten by bugs. Add a bit of mint to the existing garden and you can keep them away. Hit the link for more great mint uses.

15 Household Uses for Mint | Apartment Therapy

Photo by Zach Beauvais.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/2qa021y9Qm4/keep-ants-away-from-your-home-or-garden-with-mint

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Chef Bruce Logue Previews BoccaLupo | Food and More with John ...

Bruce Logue in the La Pietra kitchen/ AJC

At Atlanta?s La Pietra Cucina, chef Bruce Logue focused on what he calls the ?handmade aspects? of Italian cuisine, building a reputation for some of the best Italian cooking in the city ?? a surprising achievement for an Atlanta native of Scots-Irish descent.

Logue?s background includes stints at several well-regarded contemporary Italian and modern French restaurants in Boston, and a recent turn at STG in Atlanta. But his experiences in the kitchen at Mario Batali?s Babbo in New York City still define his style.

On Monday, Logue is set to open his much-anticipated new Italian-American neighborhood restaurant, BoccaLupo, in the former Sauced space in Inman Park. Here?s what he had to say about that today.

Q. So what?s BoccaLupo about?

A. Originally, I wanted to open a no-frills pasta bar, a lot like a noodle bar or ramen shop, where it was just about the noodles and the sauce. I wanted an open kitchen with the bar right in front of it. I couldn?t find a space like that, where I could just slide in and make that happen. And I didn?t have the money to build a restaurant like that.

Q. What attracted you to the former Sauced space in Inman Park?

A. The size and the shape and the kind of weirdness of it. It just kind of worked for me. If you don?t have the money to build an Empire State or an Optimist or any of these really pretty, awesome restaurants, it sucks when you have to come up short. So I decided to go in a totally different direction in a building that?s not trying to be that, and couldn?t be that, and work around that.

Q. And what did that mean?

A. We want to be neighborhood and small and really able to focus on the food and the guests and the beverage pairings. And we hope it will be a neighborhood restaurant that?s worth traveling to, even if you?re not from the neighborhood.

Q. What?s the menu like?

A. For the opening, we?ve taken our rough sketch menu and paired it down a bit. Last count, I think I had nine pastas. Half of them are extruded and half of them are fresh egg noodles. One of them is baked. Then we have a couple of pasta-based entree things. There are nine antipasti. And three or four desserts ? sort of simple things, like zeppoli, semifreddo, and a cookie and gelato plate.

Q. What?s the influence from La Pietra?

A. Literally, what I?ve done is take some of the favorites from the old La Pietra menu, like the black spaghetti, the pappardelle bolognese, the penne pomodoro ricotta, the prosciutto, the calamari. I?ve taken things we?ve done in the past, and that people liked, and that will be our starting menu. There will be some more seasonal things, too, like asparagus with green garlic. But that made it a really comfortable place to start. I know we can execute those dishes really well and then we can grow from there and push the boundaries a little.

Q. And what about ingredients?

A. We?ve kind of taken the pasta part of an Italian menu, and ingredient-wise, we?ve said, OK, what things can we use that are made in America, instead of importing them? So we have a killer Parmigiano-Reggiano-style cheese made in Wisconsin, that?s perfect for grating on pasta. We have good California olive oil that?s well-balanced and has the right kind of flavor profile. We have some wonderful California tomatoes. Instead of importing everything from Italy, we?re cooking Italian-American food. Doing that is really more Italian, in a way ? cooking from your region and country.

Q. How about the beverage program?

A. I have Questa Olsem, who ran the bar at La Pietra and worked at STG. She knows my food really well, because she worked with me for over three years, and she has tried to build a wine list that supports my cooking. But our big thing was to be really affordable, especially on the by-the-glass side of things. I think our range will be from $6 to $12. She has quite a few Italian wines but there?s also a lot of American stuff that?s Italian varietals. We want to play with the boundaries and expectations and make it interesting. She?ll start with four signature cocktails and then some of the classics tweaked a little bit. And we?ll have beers in the bottle.

Q. Are you ready to open on Monday?

A. I just didn?t really want to do a big opening. I wanted to just open the doors, and people who knew about it would show up, and people who didn?t would show up later. I?m still keeping that same m.o. We?re going to open it up, pull it together as quick as possible, and really start doing what we do.

? Bob Townsend, AJC Food and More blog.

Source: http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2013/04/11/chef-bruce-logue-previews-boccalupo/?cxntfid=blogs_food_and_more

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Research team restores monkey's hand function with artificial neural connection

Scientists working together from Japanese and American universities may have made a pretty large leap in restoring neural function for those with non-paralyzing spinal cord injuries. The researchers applied a "novel artificial neuron connection" over lesions in the spinal cord of a partially paralyzed monkey, partially restoring its arm / brain circuit and allowing greater hand control purely by brainpower. The team also created a reverse circuit where muscle activity from the arm stimulated the spinal cord, reinforcing the signals and "boosting ongoing activity in the muscle." There's no word on whether it would help those with full paralysis, though for lesser "paretic" damage, "this might even have a better chance of becoming a real prosthetic treatment rather than the sort of robotic devices that have been developed recently," according to the team. See the source and More Coverage links for more.

Filed under: Science

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Source: National Institute for Physiological Sciences

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/m0fPsqNands/

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Friday, April 12, 2013

RIM's largest investor says he stands by company

TORONTO (AP) ? The largest investor in Research In Motion said Thursday that he will stick with the BlackBerry company despite founder Mike Lazaridis's announcement that he will leave the company.

Prem Watsa, a board member who owns 10 percent of the company, first became interested in RIM because of his friendship with Lazaridis.

The 52-year-old Lazaridis last month announced plans to leave RIM on May 1. He stepped down as co-chief executive in January 2012, but stayed on as vice chairman and a board director.

Watsa said Thursday at his annual meeting for Fairfax Financial Holdings that CEO Thorsten Heins has done a great job since taking over last year, and he expects the company will do well over time. He has called Lazaridis a technical genius who invented the modern smartphone and said he will be missed. Lazaridis, RIM's second largest shareholder, started a new venture capital fund last month and is also a major philanthropist.

"Mike very simply said to us that he was tired. He had a ton of work. He's going to be a big supporter of the company. He's not going to sell his shares," Watsa said. "He chose Thorsten Heins to be CEO and Thorsten has done an outstanding job in the last year and continues to."

Watsa said he's a "big supporter" of Heins and called his promotion the right decision a year ago. He also said he's excited about the new BlackBerry 10 operating system.

"It's not early days. Thorsten has done a tremendous job. He's got new management into the company and he's building for the future," Watsa said

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and phone calls. RIM faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system with the BlackBerry 10. During that time, it had to cut more than 5,000 jobs and saw shareholder wealth decline by more than $70 billion.

RIM surprised Wall Street last month by returning to profitability and shipping about 1 million new touch-screen BlackBerry Z10 phones in the most recent quarter, which ended March 2. It will take several quarters, though, to know whether RIM is on a path toward a successful turnaround. RIM had just entered the critical U.S. market with the Z10 phone. The more anticipated Q10 keyboard phone won't be on sale until late May or June because U.S. wireless companies are still testing it.

Watsa said he thinks there "will be sufficient response in a positive way" from Americans, particularly when the keyboard version is released..

Watsa noted RIM still has more 75 subscribers worldwide and said the BlackBerry is known for its security. He also noted that there are 6 billion cellphones in the world and that only a billion are smartphones.

"They have many advantages, lots of challenges too, competition from Apple and Google. It's not easy but it's a growing market," he said.

RIM shares fell $1.13, or 7.7 percent. to $13.56 in afternoon trading after two analysts said store checks indicate modest initial Z10 sales in the U.S.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rims-largest-investor-says-stands-company-201445243.html

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Scientists use islands to gauge rainfall's effect on landscapes

Apr. 10, 2013 ? If you've ever stood on a hill during a rainstorm, you've probably witnessed landscape evolution, at least on a small scale: rivulets of water streaming down a slope, cutting deeper trenches in Earth when the rain turns heavier.

It's a simple phenomenon that scientists have long believed applies to large-scale landforms as well -- that is, rivers cut faster into mountains that receive heavier precipitation. It's thought that if rainfall patterns influence how rivers cut into rock, over time, the cumulative erosion and its effects on rock deformation can ultimately control how entire mountain ranges take shape. However, this seemingly intuitive theory -- that precipitation influences how quickly landscapes erode -- has been difficult to verify, because many other factors, such as rock strength and tectonic-plate motions, can also influence erosion rates.

Now researchers in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) have tested this theory by studying the relationship between precipitation and erosion on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, which has one of the world's steepest gradients in annual rainfall. The center of the island receives more than 9 meters (about 350 inches) of rain per year, while its shores remain relatively dry, with as little as half a meter (about 20 inches) of rainfall annually.

The researchers charted the island's precipitation and estimated how much land has eroded over Kauai's 4-million-year history. They found a clear pattern: The more rain a region receives, the more efficiently its rivers cut into rock, forming deep canyons in the wettest areas. The group used these measurements to test a widely used but rarely tested mathematical formula for erosion, and found that when they factored precipitation rates into the equation, they could accurately predict how rivers carved out the island over time.

"We now have empirical support for an idea that has been around for a while," says Ken Ferrier, who led the study while a postdoc at MIT and is now a postdoc at Harvard University. "That idea is that precipitation really should affect how quickly rivers cut through rock, which has many implications for how landscapes evolve."

Ferrier published the results of the study this week in the journal Nature. The study's co-authors are MIT graduate student Kimberly Huppert and Taylor Perron, the Cecil and Ida Green Assistant Professor of Geology in EAPS.

Rain versus the volcano

According to the researchers, Kauai's steep rainfall gradient and uniform volcanic rock make it an "exceptional natural laboratory" for testing the relationship between precipitation and erosion. Wind patterns sweep rain clouds from the ocean toward the peak of the island's volcano, where they rain out most of their moisture before passing over the rest of the island. As a result, annual rainfall is highest in the island's center, with a dramatic drop-off toward the coasts, and is also higher on the side of the island that faces the wind. If rainfall indeed has an effect on erosion, the team reasoned, then the island's erosion rates should exhibit a similarly dramatic pattern.

To test their theory, the researchers first looked at Kauai's current topography, which features large canyons funneling into the middle of the island, with smaller valleys on the outskirts. They then created a map of what the island looked like when it first formed more than 4 million years ago, before erosion altered its surface. To do that, the researchers identified gently sloping, nearly planar surfaces around the island that likely are remnants of the volcano's original terrain. They then used a simple mathematical equation to, in essence, stretch the remnant surfaces together into a roughly conical shape -- what Kauai's topography likely resembled when the island first formed.

Ferrier and his colleagues then measured the difference between the modern topography and this reconstructed topography to estimate the amount of rock eroded over time -- and divided this difference by the age of the uppermost volcanic flows to calculate an erosion rate. The researchers performed this exercise for more than 13,000 locations along 32 rivers throughout the island, measuring the erosion rates along each river. They then plotted these erosion rates against precipitation rates across the island and found that, after correcting for each river's steepness and the size of its drainage basin, rivers that received more rainfall eroded the land faster than those with less rain.

Feeding the flow

The researchers compared their measured erosion rates to a mathematical equation widely used to predict a river's erosion rate. This equation attributes the erosion rate to the river's steepness and the rate of flow through its channel, but the flow rate is typically assumed to depend only on the size of the river's drainage basin, ignoring spatial differences in rainfall. Other factors that might influence erosion rate, but which are not explicitly included in this equation, include the type of rock being eroded and the kinds of vegetation in the area.

Ferrier used measured precipitation rates to calculate the flow rate at every point along each river, and found a strong correlation between the equation's predicted erosion rates and the measured erosion rates -- a result that indicates how much precipitation really matters when it comes to predicting how a landscape will erode.

Sean Willet, a professor of geology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, says the group's greatest strength was in its choice of experimental setting.

"In earth sciences, we cannot simulate many of these things in the laboratory; we have to go out in the field and find naturally occurring experiments," Willet says. "The study they did in Kauai did this beautifully. They found a place on the Earth where we knew much about what the original landscape looked like, we had a fantastic change in the climate where the rainfall went from half a meter to 9 meters over a few kilometers, and they used that as a naturally occurring experiment in order to quantify these processes. And to me, that's really what made this a valuable contribution."

"This is exciting because it shows that some bold ideas that have been proposed about landscapes are probably right," Perron says. "For example, if it rains more on one side of a mountain range, it might actually make the mountain range asymmetric and change its width. Just by changing atmospheric processes, you can change how the solid Earth is deforming. Now there is some empirical support for these ideas."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Jennifer Chu.

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

Journal Reference:

Ken L. Ferrier, Kimberly L. Huppert, J. Taylor Perron. Climatic control of bedrock river incision. Nature, 2013; 496 (7444): 206 DOI: 10.1038/nature11982

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/top_news/~3/u6yM3fNUGjE/130410154955.htm

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

New public recreation amenities now open in Botetourt County | The ...

Residents and visitors to Botetourt County have several new opportunities to enjoy the outdoors as the Botetourt County Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department (PR&T) announces the opening of several free recreational amenities.

As part of the County?s development of the Upper James River Water Trail, the new Gala Public Boating Access, located just off Route 220 between Eagle Rock and Iron Gate, is now open for boaters and anglers. The County recently completed the construction of a hand-carry boat ramp and a parking area for over 20 vehicles and trailers with direct access to the James River via Sinking Creek for rafts, canoes, kayaks and john boats.

?The site is ideal and one that the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries had identified many years ago as a prime location for a boat launch,? stated Pete Peters, Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for Botetourt County. ?By utilizing Sinking Creek and the existing railroad trestle, we are able to provide a safe passage to the James River and make another section of the river more accessible to recreational paddlers and fishermen.?

The Gala site became possible after the County signed separate lease agreements with Bonnie Anderson and Richard Thompson for 4 acres along Sinking Creek and with Jerry Fraley to utilize a gravel road off of Route 220 to access the property. Funding for the site was realized through contributions from local stakeholders and grants from the NiSource Charitable Foundation and the Alleghany Foundation.

The Gala site becomes Botetourt?s second new public boating access on the James in the last twelve months, as the County opened the Alpine Public Boating Access, located off of Rocky Point Road and Gilmer?s Mill Road just north of Buchanan, in April of 2012. In total, the Upper James River Water Trail now offers eight public boating access points along the 45-miles of river located in Botetourt County. To learn more, including suggested itineraries and maps, information on canoe and kayak outfitters, visit www.upperjamesriverwatertrail.com.

The Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department has also recently opened the new Blue Ridge Springs Trail Loop located within Boxley Park in the Blue Ridge community of Botetourt County. The natural surface trail is approximately 0.6 miles in length as it loops through woodlands, with multiple overlooks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and several great vantage points of the N&W Railroad. The trail also contains a small trail spur that leads to an outdoor classroom complete with wooden benches and a lectern.

The trail gets its name from the former Blue Ridge Springs Hotel, which operated in the valley just below the trail in the late 1800s as a popular vacation spot similar to the Homestead, until it burned down around the turn of the 20th century.

?This new trail was constructed over the winter by the ?Mid-Week Crew?, a volunteer group compromised of retirees who are associated with the Roanoke Valley Greenways, led by Bill Gordge?, stated Peters. ?Bill and his group have constructed hundreds of miles of trails throughout the Roanoke Valley and we are fortunate to have had their talents in Botetourt to create a great addition to our walking trail inventory.?

In addition to the new Blue Ridge Springs Trail Loop, PR&T also maintains many other trails throughout the County for walkers to enjoy. The Greenfield Trail System provides over seven miles of various walking options including two natural surface trails, a wheelchair accessible compacted stone surface trail, a regulation cross country trail opened to foot traffic, mountain bikes and horseback and a ? mile paved walking track circling the Botetourt Sports Complex. Blue Ridge Park offers a 0.65 mile walking trail that encompasses the Park and runs along the Blue Ridge Parkway and also provides a view of a private farm vineyard. Each of the County?s eleven schools also offers paved walking tracks that vary in length from ? to ? miles.

The County?s trails and walking tracks are open to the public year round from dawn to dusk. The walking tracks located at the County Schools are also open year round from dawn to dusk, although they are not open to the public when school is in session. For directions or more information regarding these walking options, please contact the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Office at 540-473-8326 or visit www.botetourt.org/recreation.

There are also numerous other trail options open to the public throughout the vast National Forrest, federal and privately owned property in Botetourt County, including the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding Carvin?s Cove. For more information regarding these trail options, please visit www.visitbotetourt.com under ?Recreation? or www.roanokeoutside.com.

- Submitted by Wendy Farkas

Source: http://blogs.roanoke.com/botetourtview/2013/04/new-public-recreation-amenities-now-open-in-botetourt-county/

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