Exclusive: Queen Noor presses U.S. to reduce nukes

Insisting "every nuclear weapon is a catastrophe waiting to happen," Queen Noor of Jordan told Yahoo News on Tuesday that President Barack Obama must make good on a pledge he made in Prague in April 2009 to reduce the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The queen said it was incumbent on the United States to work in concert with Russia to reduce both countries' nuclear arsenals in a process that could then coax other nuclear states to begin to disarm as well.

"If we do not seize this moment it may be impossible to rein in the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world," Queen Noor said in an exclusive interview.

Queen Noor is the widow of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999, and the leader of Global Zero, an international organization working to eradicate nuclear weapons around the world.

[Mobile users: Tap here to watch the video of Beth Fouhy's interview with Queen Noor]

In the interview, the queen acknowledged that the nuclear ambitions of rogue states like North Korea and Iran complicated Global Zero's mission. But she said she was "profoundly concerned" at the prospect of the U.S. taking military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"There are many in Israel and in the U.S. and in our region who consider it would be impossible to effectively deal with another country's nuclear program through military strikes," Queen Noor said.

Obama has refused to rule out military action to stop Iran's nuclear capability even as the U.S. has imposed crippling sanctions and other efforts to pressure Iran to end its ambitions. Vice President Joe Biden reiterated that position in a speech before the pro-Israel organization AIPAC on Monday, saying, "The president of the United States doesn't bluff."

Queen Noor said she feared an escalation of nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East that would be "impossible to rein in."

She added, "Israel would be more secure if the entire region did not become a nuclear tinderbox, and Iran would be far safer if it didn't have a program like that."

Queen Noor said residents of the Middle East were anticipating with interest Obama's much-publicized visit to Jordan and Israel later this month.

"People are looking with interest at what the president will bring to the region in terms of ideas," she said, saying she hoped the U.S. would play a "constructive role" in addressing humanitarian concerns throughout the Middle East.

As for the so-called Arab spring in which Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt have overthrown autocratic leaders in recent years, Queen Noor said it would take time before it was clear whether those countries would reject extremism and embrace hopes for greater democracy and freedom instead.

"You have to give it some time, and yet you have to be vigilant and engaged in trying to help nurture constructive, positive, inclusive and open systems of governance, constitution, development and the institutions of civil society that are so essential," she said.

Queen Noor said that despite setbacks for women's rights in those countries post-Arab spring, she was optimistic women would work their way back.

"With every revolutionary process that's occurred throughout history, women are often the first sacrificed," she said. "Women have so much to offer in our region on so many fronts. It's a question of evolving a sense of how much they are needed at every level to participate, for their voices to be heard."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/yahoo-news-interview-queen-noor-presses-u-reduce-170130104--politics.html

nfl hall of fame 2012 ufc diaz vs condit

Facebook reportedly launching new 'content-specific' news feeds

We've already had one major Facebook press event this year for the launch of Open Graph personalized search features but according to TechCrunch, another one later this week will herald the arrival of a revamped news feed. The new main page will filter content by type to pull out photos, music, with larger images overall and larger images for advertisements. The mockup shown above is based on information distilled from various sources that indicates the social network's plan is to put currently buried feeds like Pages users have liked in a more central and easier to access area, along with information pulled in by the ever expanding number of services linked to one's Facebook ID. What isn't confirmed however, according to the TechCrunch rumor are revamp views for the mobile apps, despite the company's stated plan to go "mobile best" in 2013. Hit the source link for more details on how your mother will be keeping tabs on you in the near future,

Filed under: Internet, Facebook

Comments

Source: TechCrunch

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xDx6U8liSqI/

Prince Harry naked

Are IED blasts causing military suicide crisis?

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Traumatic brain injuries sustained by more than 200,000 U.S. troops during combat explosions may be fueling the military?s suicide crisis, according to a letter co-signed by 53 congressional members who are seeking additional data to investigate the new theory.

In the letter, sent Tuesday to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the lawmakers urged both agencies to provide Congress with a raft of figures, including the number of Iraq and Afghanistan service members and veterans who committed suicide or tried to end their lives after being brain injured by the detonation of an improvised explosive device ? ?the weapon of choice? in both wars.

?Evidence has suggested that blast injuries, including but not limited to those causing damage to vision or hearing, can have a severe psychological impact ... that can play a major contributing role in suicides,? read the bi-partisan letter.

Between November 2011 and October 2012, there were more than 15,000 IED attacks against U.S. service members in Afghanistan, and 58 percent of all coalition casualties during that span were caused by the hidden bombs, the letter states.

---

At least three veterans groups, including the Blinded Veterans Association, are backing the congressional push to ? as the letter to DOD and VA states ? ?get a better understanding of the connection between blast injuries and suicide.?

?I?ve talked to a lot of neurologists, military neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons who have all started to ponder if the IEDs that have caused the TBIs are the real cause of the suicides, versus the traditional approach that suicides are all caused by the psychological stresses of combat,? said Thomas Zampieri, head of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association.

?Let?s collect more information and maybe the epidemiologists will find a way to unlock some of this mystery: Are military suicides actually more related to the brain injuries? I think there may be a big connection,? added Zampieri, who served as a Vietnam-era Army medic. ?As the numbers of TBIs go up, the numbers of suicides continue to go up.?

The portion of U.S. service members who sustained TBIs increased each year from 2001 to 2011 ? with a total of 266,180 brain injuries diagnosed in American troops between 2000 and 2012, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, part of the DOD.

Army soldiers account for the vast majority of diagnosed TBI cases, and those injuries range from ?mild? (a concussion) to ?severe.? Within the Army, the suicide rate among active-duty members has risen from 9 per 100,000 in 2001 to nearly 23 per 100,000 in 2011, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

During that same span, according to the DOD?s brain injury center, the number of annual TBI diagnoses among American troops has ballooned from 11,580 in 2001 to 32,609 in 2011 ? an increase of 182 percent.

?What is significant is that we are looking at a potential paradigm shift of significant proportion if the link between low-level TBI from IEDs emerges,? said retired Army Col. Bob Morris, founder of the Global Campaign against IEDs.

?The current automatic approach is to connect everything to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and look at it all as psychological when it may be a physiological,? Morris added.?

The lawmakers additionally asked the DOD and VA to supply "specific autopsy findings (of service members or veterans) potentially indicative of prior TBI." The members said they want to know whether such post-mortems found "chronic traumatic encephalopathy", which has been detected in the brains of a number of NFL players who recently committed suicide.?

Numerous Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with both TBIs and PTSD, as well as with hearing loss ? the most common disability among the men and women who served in those wars.?

"There is no higher priority for VA than the mental health and well-being of our courageous men and women who have served the nation," said a?VA spokesman, responding to the congressional letter. "Under the leadership of Secretary Shinseki, VA has made significant progress in providing increased access to mental health care services and strengthening our suicide prevention efforts, but there is more work to do. VA is committed to providing all Veterans the care and benefits they have earned and deserve.?

A Pentagon spokeswoman said Hagel "responds?directly to correspondence received" and that it would?inappropriate for her comment on the letter.?

Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich., a surgeon who worked at a VA medical center for 20 years, led the effort to collect congressional signatures for the letter to Hagel and Shinseki.

?Far too many of our veterans and military personnel have taken their own life after bravely serving our nation. Frankly, it?s tragic and unacceptable,? Benishek said in a statement Tuesday. ?I am hopeful that by working together we can make sure our guys and gals in the military and the VA have the support they need to recover from the damaging psychological effects of war.?

"There is particular evidence linking suicide to those wounded by IEDs," added Rep. Richard?Hanna, R-N.Y. "It is my?hope that through additional research we will be able to identify and reverse this painful trend.?One suicide is too many and we should do all we can to address this as quickly as possible."

Related:

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/05/17197076-are-brain-injuries-from-ied-blasts-causing-the-military-suicide-crisis?lite

kanye west Univision josh hamilton Susan Rice American Airlines the Who jon bon jovi

Video: John Harwood on the latest sequester talks

>> for more on the budget impasse, we are joined tonight by cnbc's chief washington correspondent, john harwood . why don't i just put this question to you. why can't they get their act together?

>> underneath the partisan maneuvering, lester , thereville a deep philosophic divide u republicans want to shrink the size of government by more than the public supports right now but president obama can't force republicans to raise taxes to pay for government as it is and in that way, they reflect the contradictions of the american people , who collectively like receiving government benefits more than they like paying for it.

>> what's not going to get done while this standoff continues?

>> it may be that the two sides, lester , blow the whistle , take a timeout, work on things that they can agree on, like immigration. maybe even some gun control measures. but this fiscal debate could come back in the next few months, either because of the sequester backlash or because republicans decide they really do need to rein in spending on those big problgrams of medicare and social security and the only way they can make that happen is by accepting more tax increases, lester .

>> john harwood , good see you.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51028738/

marysville

Portuguese march against austerity, want government out

LISBON (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Portuguese poured into the streets of Lisbon and other cities on Saturday to demand an end to austerity dictated by an international bailout and the resignation of the center-right government.

The rallies, which follow the introduction of the biggest tax hikes in living memory, mark the greatest public show of discontent since demonstrations last September forced the government to adjust some of its austerity measures.

More than 200,000 protesters in Lisbon packed the vast imperial Praca do Comercio square, home to the Finance Ministry, and surrounding streets, chanting: "It's time for the government to go".

Organizers said as many as 500,000 people took part in the rallies around Lisbon, which would make the protest bigger than in September, but the numbers could not be independently confirmed. Police, as is customary, would not provide estimates.

Many carried banners with slogans such as "Austerity kills" and "Screw the troika, power to the people!", aimed at the so-called troika of lenders from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

"Grandola", the signature tune of the 1974 "Carnation revolution" that overthrew the fascist dictatorship of Antonio Salazar after the army rebelled, reverberated through the crowds in Lisbon, which has a population of about 3 million, and elsewhere where protesters gathered. Many cried as they sang.

Protesters have used the song increasingly in the past month to interrupt government ministers speaking at public events.

"We are in a new dictatorship. Everything that the revolution achieved is being destroyed," said one elderly protester in Lisbon who did not give his name.

The rallies, which coincide with a quarterly review by the EU/IMF bailout inspectors, are the first large protests since the government acknowledged last month the economic downturn this year will be nearly double its earlier predictions.

The forecast 1.9 percent decline will further deepen the worst recession since the 1970s, already in its third year.

Tax hikes and spending cuts ordered by the terms of the 78 billion euro ($101.3 billion) bailout agreed in mid-2011 have slashed consumer demand and pushed unemployment to record levels of 17 percent, causing thousands of small businesses to go bust.

"This government has left the people on bread and water, selling off state assets for peanuts to pay back debts that were contracted by corrupt politicians to benefit bankers," said Fabio Carvalho, a movie-maker, protesting on Lisbon's main Liberdade thoroughfare.

"If not today, things have to change tomorrow and we need to remain in the streets for the government to fall."

The rallies were organized in Lisbon, Porto and several dozen other cities via the Internet by a group of activists known as Que Se Lixe a Troika, or Screw the Troika.

Veronica Pereira, an unemployed mother who says she has no means to send her daughter to college said: "Our people have the habit of letting things happen, but I think this is changing radically now. We need to protest to change things," she said.

Echoing her words, Bob Dylan's 1964 anthem "The Times They are a-Changin'" blared from a car with loudspeakers.

PATIENCE RUNNING OUT

Portugal had shown a tolerance for austerity compared with countries like Greece with its frequent protests and strikes, but opposition has begun to rise in recent weeks as the economic outlook has worsened. Protests have largely been peaceful, but one Lisbon rally in November ended in clashes with police.

On Friday, the main opposition Socialists hardened their stance on the bailout, demanding an end to the austerity which they said pushed the country into a recessive spiral - the position they outlined to visiting EU/IMF bailout inspectors.

Socialist leader Antonio Jose Seguro said he felt the lenders were more open to his proposals of a growth-oriented strategy but doubted they would act soon enough.

The government's strategy, that has been praised by Brussels, is to cut the budget deficit as quickly as possible in order to exit the bailout as scheduled in the middle of 2014 after regaining full access to debt markets.

The government says it is likely to request an extra year to meet budget goals under the bailout, but political opponents and some business leaders say much more time is needed.

(Additional reporting by Miguel Pereira; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/portuguese-march-against-austerity-demand-government-step-down-191201228--business.html

autism awareness angelman syndrome

Population growth is threat to other species, poll respondents say

Nearly two-thirds of American voters believe that human population growth is driving other animal species to extinction and that if the situation gets worse, society has a "moral responsibility to address the problem," according to new national public opinion poll.

A slightly lower percentage of those polled ? 59% ? believes that population growth is an important environmental issue and 54% believe that stabilizing the population will help protect the environment.

The survey was conducted on behalf of the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, which unlike other environmental groups has targeted population growth as part of its campaign to save wildlife species from extinction.

Special report: Beyond 7 billion -- bending the population curve

The center has handed out more than half a million condoms at music concerts, farmers markets, churches and college campuses with labels featuring drawings of endangered species and playful, even humorous, messages such as, "Wrap with care, save the polar bear."

The organization hired a polling firm to show other environmental groups that their fears about alienating the public by bringing up population matters are overblown, said Kieran Suckling, the center's executive director. When the center broke the near-silence on population growth with its condom campaign, other environmental leaders "reacted with a mix of worry and horror that we were going to experience a huge backlash and drag them into it," he said.

Instead, Suckling said the campaign has swelled its membership ? now about 500,000 ? and donations and energized 5,000 volunteers who pass out prophylactics. He said a common response is, "Thank God, someone is talking about this critical issue."

The poll results, he said, show such views are mainstream.

In the survey, the pollsters explained that the world population hit 7 billion last year and is projected to reach 10 billion by the end of the century. Given those facts, 50% of people reached by telephone said they think the world population is growing too fast, while 38% said population growth was on the right pace and 4% thought it was growing too slowly. About 8% were not sure.

Special report: Beyond 7 billion -- bending the population curve

Sixty-one percent of respondents expressed concerned about disappearing wildlife. Depending how the question was phrased, 57% to 64% of respondents said population growth was having an adverse effect. If widespread wildlife extinctions were unavoidable without slowing human population growth, 60% agreed that society has a moral responsibility to address the problem.

Respondents didn't make as clear a connection between population and climate change, reflecting the decades-old debate over population growth versus consumption. Although 57% of respondents agreed that population growth is making climate change worse, only 46% said they think having more people will make it harder to solve, and 34% said the number of people will make no difference.

Asked about natural resources, 48% said they think the average American consumes too much. The view split sharply along party lines, with 62% of Democrats saying the average American consumes too much, compared with 29% of Republicans. Independents fell in the middle at 49%.

The survey of 657 registered voters was conducted Feb. 22-24 by Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh, N.C., firm that takes the pulse of voters for Democratic candidates and Democratic-leaning clients. It has a margin of error of 3.9%.

ken.weiss@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/PvhFKnxHrDM/la-me-population-poll-20130302,0,6885994.story

andrew breitbart dead sheriff joe arpaio limbaugh aaron smith wilt chamberlain joe arpaio cat in the hat

The Platinum Girl Celebrity Blog | Relationship Love Gossip Rumors ...

Good for Rachel McAdams!

I saw the news break earlier this week that she was no longer dating Michael Sheen. Initially, we weren't given much information on what went wrong. Today, though, an article surfaced detailing why the two split.

According to the report,?Michael couldn't fully commit. "Rachel wants to settle down and dreams of having a family. Michael always seemed content with their relationship. Since he already has a 14-year old daughter, he?feels no need to have more children. He wants to focus on his career."

I'm sad for Rachel because she must have loved Michael very much if she wanted to have a family with him. It's so hard when a woman realizes?she wants more than a man does.?I admire any woman who has the courage to leave because she's going after?what?she wants in life!

Like Rachel, it isn't a good?idea to stay?and hope he'll change his mind.?This could?wreck your self-esteem.?Make the effort to find someone who wants what you do.

Take note?that if you've never had children and are dating a man who?already has that he might not want?more babies -- especially if his are almost adults as is the case with Michael. It's not an absolute?because plenty of men love children. But,?keep an eye out.

As I suggest with all relationships, don't fall asleep at the wheel. If a man has children, pay attention to what he says about whether he'll ever do it again. The last thing a woman has time to do is spin her wheels in a romance?going nowhere.

Until next time...

Shine like Platinum!
Vanessa

Text. Love. Power.: The Ultimate Girls Relationship Guide to Texting and Dating in the New Millennium

"Text. Love. Power." is a bold manifesto for the modern woman who wants to capture and keep the man of her dreams. It teaches you to use the power of texting--and not texting--to win his love and make him pursue you in earnest. It will convince you that playing hard-to-get is your best bet if you crave an exciting dating life and a committed relationship.

iBooks chart-topper in US, UK, France, and Canada!

Buy through iTunes for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can even read it on your Android, Kindle, Nook, and computer!

Available internationally in Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Japan.

For any country not listed, visit eBooks.com.

Visit www.TextLovePower.com for more information.

Learn more about my services and book a private consultation!


Top Stories

Source: http://www.platinumgirlcelebrityblog.com/2013/03/rachel-mcadams-makes-great-decision-to.html

beverly hills hotel the watchmen

Dale Robertson, actor in U.S. westerns, dies at 89

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dale Robertson, the star of scores of Hollywood Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, has died at the age of 89 in Southern California, Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla said on Thursday.

Robertson, who was best known for his role of special agent Jim Hardie in the NBC television series "Tales of Wells Fargo" from 1957-1962, died on Tuesday, the hospital said.

The "Sitting Bull" star had been in poor health for about two years and had a cancer diagnosis last week, his niece, Nancy Love Robertson, told The Oklahoman newspaper.

Born Dayle Lymoine Robertson in Harrah, Oklahoma, in 1923, the actor attracted the attention of Hollywood agents after a Los Angeles photographer posted his photo in a display window.

Robertson, who served in Europe and Africa during World War Two, starred in 60 films and television shows over his five-decades acting career, starting out with roles in 1950s Westerns such as "Devil's Canyon" and "Dakota Incident."

The actor was inducted in 1983 into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Western Performers Gallery in Oklahoma City, alongside some of Hollywood's most famous on-screen cowboys including John Wayne and Roy Rogers.

Robertson is survived by his wife, Susan, and two daughters.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/westerns-actor-dale-robertson-dies-age-89-201134534.html

scalloped potatoes the ten commandments charlton heston moses tulsa shooting doug fister rick warren

NYT: Barnes & Noble may be moving away from Nook hardware

Barnes & Noble's hardware division hasn't exactly been glowing recently, and if one New York Times source is to be believed, it'll take more than cute (and charitable) rhymes to keep investors happy. According to the NYT source, company executives want to shift from making Barnes & Noble branded hardware to licensing its content to other manufactures. "They are not completely getting out of the hardware business, but they are going to lean a lot more on the comprehensive digital catalog of content," the paper was told. The source went on to explain that the company will emphasize this new strategy in its Q3 2013 fiscal report next week, committing to building deeper relationships with device makers like Samsung and Microsoft. The unnamed informant didn't say which devices the bookseller planned to shelve, but we wouldn't be too surprised to see the more expensive SKUs fall by the wayside. Either way, we'll see the facts for themselves when the company posts its earnings next week.

Update: Barnes & Noble followed up with us to clarify the situation, stating plainly that it has "no plans to discontinue our award-winning line of Nook products."

Comments

Source: New York Times

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/nyt-barnes-and-noble-less-hardware/

dodgers sale tami roman jetblue captain los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera

Greece helicopter prison escape attempt foiled

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? A helicopter swooped down on a prison courtyard Sunday as armed men on board fired on guards and lowered a rope to help a convicted killer make his fourth attempt to escape from a Greek prison.

But the plot was foiled after the prisoner was shot and the chopper forced to land in the prison's parking lot.

The dramatic escape attempt was one of a handful involving helicopters in Greece, and the first time such plans have failed.

Authorities said the chartered helicopter ? carrying two armed passengers, a pilot and a technician ? first tried to rip off the chicken-wire fence surrounding Trikala prison with a hook dangling from a rope. But that didn't work, so a rope was lowered down to whisk away Panagiotis Vlastos. Another prisoner, an unnamed Albanian national also in the courtyard at the time, may also have been part of the escape plan.

At the same time, the armed passengers used AK-47 assault rifles to fire on the prison guards. One guard, who was inside a post, was slightly injured by shards of flying glass. He and others returned fire, injuring Vlastos, who had managed to climb into the helicopter, as well as the helicopter's technician. Vlastos fell from a height of about 3 meters (10 feet) into the courtyard, and the helicopter was eventually grounded in the parking lot.

Vlastos, 43, is a convicted murderer and racketeer serving a life term who had tried and failed three times before to escape from prison.

Prison officials told TV stations Mega and NET that they recovered well over 500 bullets fired from the helicopter. The Ministry of Justice, in statements describing the escape attempt, added that the helicopter passengers also carried, but did not use, "improvised explosive devices."

Authorities said Vlastos was wounded in the legs but is being treated in the prison hospital because his injuries were not deemed serious enough for a transfer elsewhere. The technician's hand was slightly wounded.

It was not immediately clear if the pilot and flight technician had willingly participated in the escape attempt or had been forced to fly to the prison, which is located 328 km (205 miles) northwest of Athens. Also unclear was whether the second would-be escapee was in on the scheme or just happened to be in the courtyard and tried to take advantage of the situation.

The helicopter was hired from a western Athens suburb and was supposed to fly to Thessaloniki, in northern Greece. But it deviated from is flight path to head to the prison.

This is the third time a helicopter has been used in an attempted prison escape in Greece. Convicted criminals Vassilis Paleokostas and Alket Rizaj were whisked by helicopter from the high-security Korydallos prison in Athens in June 2006. They were caught, but escaped for a second time ? again using a helicopter ? in February 2009. Paleokostas is still at large.

Vlastos was first arrested in 1994 in the murder of two members of a rival criminal gang. He was convicted last year as the behind-the-bars mastermind of the kidnapping of shipping tycoon Pericles Panagopoulos. Panagopoulos was kidnapped in January 2009 and released after eight days, when a ransom of ?30 million was paid.

While awaiting trial for the kidnapping, Vlastos tried to escape in December 2011 from Korydallos prison along with three members of armed anarchist group Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire. The four used a pistol and knives to take hostage three prison guards and 25 visiting relatives of other prisoners. The four surrendered to authorities after a five-hour standoff.

Vlastos had also tried to escape, unsuccessfully, in 1994 and 1998.

___

Demetris Nellas contributed to this report from Athens.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greece-helicopter-prison-escape-attempt-foiled-220755584.html

freddie mercury Horshack Beady Eye Eric Idle rory mcilroy Fatboy Slim Rio de Janeiro

Great news for Americans aged 35 and younger! You have less household debt than...

Household debt falls sharply among younger Americans: study

www.reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The recession had a strong impact on young Americans who saw the credit crisis up close: they are taking on less credit card debt, delaying plans to buy homes and owning fewer cars,

Source: http://www.facebook.com/GetRichSlowly/posts/130003673844295

calvin johnson sound of music Peter Billingsley festivus festivus nfl playoff picture nfl playoff picture

Stay Cool But Lost With This Spherical Mapless Globe Fan

Idea International's new Aero Sphere isn't quite poised to shake up the fan industry like Dyson's bladeless offering did. But it still manages to stand out in a boring and crowded market with a spherical teardrop honeycomb design that's as functional as it is eye candy. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/o7oikzC3Olg/stay-cool-but-lost-with-this-spherical-mapless-globe-fan

2013 lincoln mkz burger king mary j blige google project glass google goggles one tree hill projectglass stock act

What should we do to improve school/education - The Student Room

(Originally Posted by Pings)
At my school I would like to see new and improved teachers; they could undergo numerous tests - firstly to see if they actually like kids, if they can handle teenagers, how well they can teach and finally the higher the qualification the better. ie if the teacher is a Doctor they are more likely to enjoy their subject and teach it better Although it may be harder for state schools to employ teachers with a higher qualification (I'm not sure if the government would have to pay more for them?)

The latest textbooks for students, written by the exam board you are with. I take latin and we use Cambridge Latin Course books but I'm taking an OCR exam so the textbook only helps for really basic/waaaay too complicated grammar and a little bit of vocab.

More teachers; so the staff to student ratio is a lot smaller, students would then feel more comfortable to ask questions

Have interactive white boards in every teaching classroom

Have a lesson based on life skills and general knowledge; it's too easy these days to 'live in a hole'

Cheaper, healthy food in the Dinning Hall/tuck shop. Any food is brain food

And finally to have a more lively atmosphere!

hope this helps!

Source: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2261537

between two ferns

Free Natural Health Ebook: Easing Anxiety in a Shaky Society ...

As part of our ongoing effort to provide our readers with quality information on natural holistic health, we?d like to offer you this completely free ebook.

Our ebooks cover a wide variety of topics including men?s health, child health, women?s health, herbal remedies, natural beauty, natural help for anxiety and depression, and alternative medicine and remedies for a myriad of other common health complaints.

All ebooks are in pdf format are certified virus and spyware free. You will need Adobe Reader to view our ebooks. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you can download it for free HERE.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our free ebooks and that they help you keep yourself and your family happy and healthy ? naturally!

Your Free PDF Health Ebook?

Easing Anxiety in a Shaky Society

Simply right click the ebook title above, and choose Save As to save to your desktop!

You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!

Please also consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter and we?ll drop you a line each week when new articles come up. Simply fill out the form to your right and get all of Natural Holistic Health?s latest news and articles!

Have no fear, our strict privacy policy keeps your email address 100% safe & secure!

Free PDF Health Ebook...

Natural Help for Halitosis

? ? Simply right click the ebook title above, and choose Save As to save to your desktop!? You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!

---

About Dee Braun

Dee is an Adv. Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Adv. Color/Crystal Therapist, Herbalist, Dr. of Reflexology and single mom who is dedicated to helping others any way she can. One way she chooses to help is by offering information on the benefits and uses of natural health and healing methods for the well-being of both people and pets. Dee also teaches Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Color/Crystal Therapy at the Alternative Healing Academy

Source: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/free-natural-health-ebook-easing-anxiety-in-a-shaky-society/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-natural-health-ebook-easing-anxiety-in-a-shaky-society

how to hard boil eggs new nfl uniforms easter derbyshire

9 Rome bars and restaurants charged for serving minors

ROME?Nine individuals have been arrested for selling alcohol to minors at local establishments on Saturday night, according to the Rome Police.

During an undercover investigation members of the Rome Police Community Impact Unit and Oneida County Stop DWI checked approximately 17 different locations in Rome.

Locations where alcohol was sold to a minor were:

Korps Corner, 800 West Dominick Street

Applebee?s, 1794 Black River Blvd.

Palisades Hotel, 1921 North James Street

Trace?s, 1109 Oneida Street

Bucky?s, 1305 Floyd Ave.

DeMatteo?s Bar, 705 East Dominick Street

Lupia?s Bar, 701 East Dominick Street Continued...

The Mill Bar, 611 East Dominick Street

Philly?s Bar, 415 West Dominick Street

Locations that did not sell alcohol to a minor were:

Midnite Mikes Bar, 443 South James Street

Legends Sports Bar, 526 Erie Blvd. West

Rhine Haus, 513 West Dominick Street

Black River Ale House, 1747 Black River Blvd.

Aquino?s, 910 Floyd Ave.

Sammy G?s Bar, 417 West Dominick Street

Ramblin Inn, 415 North James Street Continued...

ROME?Nine individuals have been arrested for selling alcohol to minors at local establishments on Saturday night, according to the Rome Police.

During an undercover investigation members of the Rome Police Community Impact Unit and Oneida County Stop DWI checked approximately 17 different locations in Rome.

Locations where alcohol was sold to a minor were:

Korps Corner, 800 West Dominick Street

Applebee?s, 1794 Black River Blvd.

Palisades Hotel, 1921 North James Street

Trace?s, 1109 Oneida Street

Bucky?s, 1305 Floyd Ave.

DeMatteo?s Bar, 705 East Dominick Street

Lupia?s Bar, 701 East Dominick Street

The Mill Bar, 611 East Dominick Street

Philly?s Bar, 415 West Dominick Street

Locations that did not sell alcohol to a minor were:

Midnite Mikes Bar, 443 South James Street

Legends Sports Bar, 526 Erie Blvd. West

Rhine Haus, 513 West Dominick Street

Black River Ale House, 1747 Black River Blvd.

Aquino?s, 910 Floyd Ave.

Sammy G?s Bar, 417 West Dominick Street

Ramblin Inn, 415 North James Street

Delvecchios Bar, 416 West Dominick Street

The police charged those individuals with first degree unlawfully dealing with a child, a Class A misdemeanor.

?

Source: http://www.romeobserver.com/articles/2013/02/11/news/doc511931beab417482555176.txt

blunt amendment justin bieber birthday read across america vikings stadium breitbart dead db cooper fafsa

Rick Ross Shooting Proves 'Devils' Are Out There

Ace Hood tells MTV News he's staying 'prayed up' for Ross a week after the Maybach boss was shot at in Florida.
By Rob Markman

Ace Hood
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701543/rick-ross-shooting-ace-hood-comments.jhtml

mary louise parker mary louise parker cher morgellons nhl all star draft seal team 6 touch

Vonn to have surgery in US next week after crash

SCHLADMING, Austria (AP) ? Lindsey Vonn will head home for surgery in Colorado next week after tearing two ligaments in her right knee and breaking a bone in her lower leg in a crash at the world championships.

Vonn said Wednesday that she plans to compete in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which start in 12 months. She was released from the hospital late Tuesday and returned to the team hotel.

"I am grateful to my fans for the outpouring of support, which has really helped me stay positive," Vonn said in a statement. "I can assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi."

The Olympic downhill champion will have surgery next week in Vail, Colo. Because of intense media attention, neither she nor the U.S. Ski Team would say when she's leaving Austria.

"She'll be heading back to Vail (Colorado) and I will be doing surgery on her knee early next week," team physician William Sterett told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "Lindsey is doing well. She's in good spirits."

Sterett would not set a return date to skiing for Vonn until after the surgery, but other doctors believe she will be sidelined for up to eight months.

Vonn wants to be back for the World Cup speed races in Lake Louise, Alberta, in late November or early December, a course she has won 14 times on.

"She's got her mindset, she's going to come back stronger than she was," Alpine director Patrick Riml told the AP. "She's got her goal ? 'I'll be back in Lake Louise' ? and Lindsey will do whatever it takes to be back."

Vonn tore her anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in her right knee. The broken bone was described as a lateral tibial plateau fracture.

"The fracture is called an impaction fracture," Sterett said. "It should not require any surgery. It just needs to be non-weight on crutches."

The accident happened after Vonn landed a jump in the opening super-G race at the championships. As she hit the ground, her right leg gave way and she spun forward, throwing an arm out to protect herself. She ended up on her back as she smashed through a gate.

"The hospital staff did an excellent job with X-rays, MRI," Sterett said. "She had very good care and they were very, very helpful."

Sterett said Vonn was "a little banged up, and sore everywhere."

"She's intently focusing on the next step and the next step now is getting from point A to point B, with point B being next season," he said. "She's determined and upbeat."

U.S. speed coach Chip White also found Vonn motivated by her injury.

"Last night she was (angry) but she was also positive that she's coming back and she's going to come back strong," he said. "We're looking forward to her return. She's a great competitor and always will be.

"She has that determination. If she wants to be (as strong as before) she will be."

Sterett left open the possibility of Vonn requiring more than one surgery, saying that with these types of injuries "that's always a possibility."

However, the plan now was only one operation.

"I want to say thank you to the amazing medical staff that cared for me," Vonn said. "I plan on returning to Vail as soon as I can to have the necessary surgeries."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vonn-surgery-us-next-week-crash-094241900--spt.html

danielle fishel FedEx Gabriel Aubry halle berry

Editorial: BlackBerry slumps into history of Super Bowl tech ads

The comparison is obvious: BlackBerry's already-infamous "Can't Do" commercial in this year's Super Bowl vs. Apple's legendary "1984" spot in the 1984 game. Let's do the comparison anyway, and consider some other tech advertising over 35 years of Super Bowls.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Blackberry

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/05/blackberry-slumps-into-history-of-super-bowl-tech-ads/

Prince Harry naked Prince Harry Vegas Melky Cabrera Mayim Bialik Rich Kids of Instagram felix hernandez julia child

Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking

Public release date: 5-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brianna Lee
eAJPM@ucsd.edu
858-534-9407
Elsevier Health Sciences

New study among current and former smokers in 4 countries reveals awareness, perceptions, and usage patterns, American Journal of Preventive Medicine Reports

San Diego, CA, February 5, 2013 Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

Researchers from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada investigated ENDS awareness, use, and perceptions among current and former cigarette smokers.

"We were not aware of any studies to date that examined cross-national patterns of ENDS use," says lead investigator Richard J. O'Connor, PhD, Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. "No studies have examined use in markets where ENDS are nominally banned."

Data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four-Country Survey, collected from nearly 6,000 respondents through telephone and web surveys from July 2010 to June 2011, formed the basis of the study. Across countries, ENDS awareness reached nearly 47 percent, ranging from 73 percent in the United States where ENDS are legal, to 20 percent in Australia where they are banned. Awareness was higher among younger (aged 18-24), non-minority populations with higher incomes. Of those aware, 16 percent had tried ENDS.

Slightly more than 70 percent of respondents said that ENDS were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Perceptions of harm were higher in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Current users included non-daily smokers and those who smoked twenty or more cigarettes a day. Nearly 80 percent reported they used ENDS because they were considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Seventy-five percent said they used ENDS to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. Eight-five percent reported using ENDS to help them quit smoking. Nearly three-quarters reported use of ENDS to access nicotine in smoke-free spaces, suggesting the use of ENDS to satisfy nicotine addiction during periods of temporary abstinence.

The high level of awareness of ENDS in countries where they are banned may demonstrate the importance of the Internet's promotion of the product.

Says Dr. O'Connor: "This study represents a snapshot in time of the use of ENDS from mid-2010 to mid-2011. As the market evolves, awareness, trial, and use of ENDS is likely to increase. Should regulatory authorities approve direct claims about reduced harm, one might expect greater adoption of these products, at least among current cigarette smokers. If credible evidence can be provided to regulators, through independently researched, well-controlled studies, that ENDS reduces the number of cigarette smokers and does not attract use among nonsmokers, then the net public health effect is likely to be positive."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 5-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Brianna Lee
eAJPM@ucsd.edu
858-534-9407
Elsevier Health Sciences

New study among current and former smokers in 4 countries reveals awareness, perceptions, and usage patterns, American Journal of Preventive Medicine Reports

San Diego, CA, February 5, 2013 Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

Researchers from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada investigated ENDS awareness, use, and perceptions among current and former cigarette smokers.

"We were not aware of any studies to date that examined cross-national patterns of ENDS use," says lead investigator Richard J. O'Connor, PhD, Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. "No studies have examined use in markets where ENDS are nominally banned."

Data from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four-Country Survey, collected from nearly 6,000 respondents through telephone and web surveys from July 2010 to June 2011, formed the basis of the study. Across countries, ENDS awareness reached nearly 47 percent, ranging from 73 percent in the United States where ENDS are legal, to 20 percent in Australia where they are banned. Awareness was higher among younger (aged 18-24), non-minority populations with higher incomes. Of those aware, 16 percent had tried ENDS.

Slightly more than 70 percent of respondents said that ENDS were less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Perceptions of harm were higher in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Current users included non-daily smokers and those who smoked twenty or more cigarettes a day. Nearly 80 percent reported they used ENDS because they were considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Seventy-five percent said they used ENDS to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. Eight-five percent reported using ENDS to help them quit smoking. Nearly three-quarters reported use of ENDS to access nicotine in smoke-free spaces, suggesting the use of ENDS to satisfy nicotine addiction during periods of temporary abstinence.

The high level of awareness of ENDS in countries where they are banned may demonstrate the importance of the Internet's promotion of the product.

Says Dr. O'Connor: "This study represents a snapshot in time of the use of ENDS from mid-2010 to mid-2011. As the market evolves, awareness, trial, and use of ENDS is likely to increase. Should regulatory authorities approve direct claims about reduced harm, one might expect greater adoption of these products, at least among current cigarette smokers. If credible evidence can be provided to regulators, through independently researched, well-controlled studies, that ENDS reduces the number of cigarette smokers and does not attract use among nonsmokers, then the net public health effect is likely to be positive."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/ehs-end020113.php

kentucky wildcats oakland school shooting nike nfl jerseys katie couric barista university of kentucky ncaa

92% Skyfall

All Critics (284) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (261) | Rotten (23)

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a Bond movie so much.

'Quantum of Solace,' was a dour, dire letdown. This picture's a substantial bounce back, and easily the best Craig Bond picture. Emotional depth and all.

Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall': sleek, slithery, sensual

The cool accomplishment of Skyfall, 23rd in the Broccoli franchise, is that it seems a necessary, rather than mandatory, addition to the year's popular culture.

Among the most ambitious imaginings of Bond to date: dark, supple, and punctuated with moments of unanticipated visual brilliance.

Mendes' approach to action is classical and elegant - no manic editing and blurry unintelligible images here - but what makes the movie special is the attention he pays his actors.

One of the ten best films of 2012.

The film serves as a trip back to the beginning of the 50-year-old cinematic legend and the promise of a golden future with Craig in the role of 007.

What propels this grisly chapter is the characters' keen sense of agency.

Skyfall epitomizes what a Bond movie should be, and its director, for once, justifiably deserves much of the credit.

Skyfall isn't quite a throwback to the absurd thrills of the 007 films of old, but it does inject some fun back into the franchise.

As the saying goes, you've got to shake 22 Bond films, before the 23rd is stirred to perfection. Without a doubt, this is the best James Bond movie.

James Bond looks broken and weary, an embodiment of a traditional model of international spydom, the one premised on national borders, white-Western-wealthy entitlements, and excessive consumptions of alcohol, cars, and women.

I have no compulsion whatsoever in declaring Skyfall, in terms of cinematography, the best looking Bond film ever ... Action movies simply don't look like this - but ... this is no ordinary action movie.

Sentimental touches underscore the fun and frivolity of Bond's past while relishing the brutal landscape of the modern day super-spy.

This makes the list of truly great 007 films alongside the list of Goldfinger, Thunderball, Live And Let Die, Licence To Kill, Goldeneye and Casino Royale.

Worlds collide in this near-brilliant, meticulously refined 21st-century redefinition of James Bond.

Sam Mendes has done a magnificent job, creating both a relevant and timeless entry into the Bond canon, while deftly adding homages to the series' past.

...tough and grim but still spry ... feels like something of a rearguard action in the case of the British Empire.

Sometimes the old ways are the best. This is a theme and repeated line running throughout the new James Bond film Skyfall and never has it been more true.

Skyfall does what all of the best franchise entries do: it makes you want to see the next one immediately. Consider me (physically) shaken and (emotionally) stirred.

Not the best Bond movie ever but a very good one; a little darker but still unsettled as to what type overall it wants to be.

Too often this martini is sloppy, not smooth.

This is one of the 50-year-old series' most exciting and commandingly compelling entries. Yes, James Bond is back to being James Bond.

Seen against the ineffectual backdrop of 2008's Quantum of Solace, this is a return to form but it doesn't exceed Craig's impressive debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/skyfall/

what time is the super bowl my bloody valentine

NASA marks 10 years since loss of Columbia, crew

Evelyn Husband-Thompson, left, widow of Colonel Rick Husband, space shuttle Columbia commander, speaks at a remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the loss of space shuttle Columbia crew at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On the memorial, in upper left of photo, is the name of her late husband and the other astronauts that lost their lives in the accident.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Evelyn Husband-Thompson, left, widow of Colonel Rick Husband, space shuttle Columbia commander, speaks at a remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the loss of space shuttle Columbia crew at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On the memorial, in upper left of photo, is the name of her late husband and the other astronauts that lost their lives in the accident.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

FILE - This photo provided by NASA in June 2003 shows STS-107 crew members,from the left (bottom row), wearing red shirts to signify their shift?s color, are astronauts Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Rick D. Husband, mission commander; Laurel B. Clark, mission specialist; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist. From the left (top row), wearing blue shirts, are astronauts David M. Brown, mission specialist; William C. McCool, pilot; and Michael P. Anderson, payload commander. The astronauts were killed on Feb. 1, 2003, in the final minutes of their 16-day scientific research mission aboard Columbia. Altogether, 12 children lost a parent aboard Columbia. The youngest is now 15, the oldest 32. (AP Photo/NASA, File)

A wreath placed at the Space Mirror Memorial is seen during a remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the loss of space shuttle Columbia crew at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Ten years ago, the space shuttle Columbia and its seven astronauts were lost. They were returning from a 16-day mission and were just 16 minutes from home when the shuttle disintegrated on Feb. 1, 2003. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Sandra Anderson, left, widow of astronaut Michael P.Anderson, and Evelyn Husband-Thompson, widow of Colonel Rick Husband, space shuttle Columbia commander, embrace in front of a memorial wreath during a remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the loss of space shuttle Columbia crew at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Evelyn Husband-Thompson, left, widow of Colonel Rick Husband, space shuttle Columbia commander, speaks at a remembrance ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the loss of space shuttle Columbia crew at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. To her right is NASA Kennedy Space Center director, Bob Cabana and NASA Human Exploration and Operations associate administrator, William Gerstenmaier. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? Schoolchildren joined NASA managers and relatives of the lost crew of space shuttle Columbia on Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy and remember the seven astronauts who died.

More than 300 people gathered at Kennedy Space Center for the outdoor ceremony, just a few miles from where Columbia was supposed to land on Feb. 1, 2003, following a 16-day science mission. It never made it, bursting apart in the sky over Texas, just 16 minutes from home.

Representing the families of the Columbia seven, the widow of commander Rick Husband told the hushed audience that the accident was so unexpected and the shock so intense, "that even tears were not freely able to fall."

"They would come in the weeks, months and years to follow in waves and in buckets," said Evelyn Husband Thompson.

She assured everyone, though, that healing is possible and that blessings can arise from hardships. She attended the ceremony with her two children, her second husband and Sandra Anderson, widow of Columbia astronaut Michael Anderson.

"God bless the families of STS-107," said Thompson, referring to the mission designation for Columbia's last mission. "May our broken hearts continue to heal and may beauty continue to replace the ashes."

A pair of songs added to the emotion of the day. The young nephew of a NASA worker performed a song he wrote, "16 Minutes from Home," on the keyboard, along with a vocalist. And Grammy award-winning BeBe Winans, an R&B and gospel singer, performed "Ultimate Sacrifice," which he wrote for soldiers serving overseas.

As it turns out, Anderson had taken a CD of Winans' music into orbit with him. It was recovered in the debris that rained down on East Texas that fateful morning. Winans did not know that until it was mentioned at Friday's ceremony.

"I honor you today, I really do honor the families and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice," he added. Some in the crowd wiped away tears as he sang.

Also present were 44 students from Israel, the homeland of Columbia astronaut Ilan Ramon. He was Israel's first astronaut.

The teenagers were proud to note that they go to the same school as Ramon once did. They wore white sweat shirts with an emblem of their nation's first spaceman and the religious items he took into orbit.

"He represented Israel in the best way possible, so I think it's an honor for us to be here," said Eden Mordechai, 15.

The other Columbia crew members were co-pilot William McCool, Kalpana Chawla, Dr. Laurel Clark and Dr. David Brown.

NASA's human exploration chief, Bill Gerstenmaier, said no single person or event caused the Columbia disaster. Rather, "a series of technical and cultural missteps" were to blame, dating back to the first shuttle launch in 1981 when fuel-tank foam insulation started coming off and doing damage.

A chunk of foam punched a hole in Columbia's left wing during liftoff, leading to the catastrophic re-entry.

The astronaut who led the charge back to shuttle flight two years later, Eileen Collins, stressed that the 30-year shuttle program had its share of successes along the way and achieved its ultimate goal, building the International Space Station. The shuttles were retired in 2011.

"We still miss you," Collins said of the Columbia seven. "How can we ever thank you for your contributions to the great journey of human discovery."

The hourlong ceremony was held in front of the huge black granite monument bearing the names of all 24 astronauts who have died in the line of NASA duty. The three-man crew of Apollo 1 died in the Jan. 27, 1967, launch pad fire. The Challenger seven were killed Jan. 28, 1986, during liftoff. Husband and his crew honored them during their own flight, just four days before dying themselves.

On Friday, the names of each of the dead were read aloud. Afterward, mourners placed carnations and roses on the grating in front of the mirror-faced monument.

"I felt compelled to be here to memorialize those who were a big part of my life," said David Nieds, 39, a grocery store manager who got up early to drive from Fort Lauderdale with his mother and 16-year-old nephew.

He attended dozens of launches. Some people like sports, he explained, while he follows the space program.

Memorial services also were held at Arlington National Cemetery, where three of the Columbia crew are buried; in East Texas, where the shuttle wreckage fell; and in Israel.

"Space exploration and the sacrifice these pioneers made benefits us all," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "Today, we honor their lives and recommit ourselves to living up to their shining example."

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-02-01-Columbia%20Anniversary/id-dc2b2d83976d42e484cbf50c659472e1

royals nicole richie lyme disease symptoms esperanza spalding jessica sanchez robert kennedy cardinals

NATO chief dismisses Russian missile defense worry

MUNICH (AP) ? NATO's secretary general said Saturday the alliance has no intention of backing down on its plans for a European missile defense system, despite ongoing criticism from Russia.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a small group of reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that in dealings with Moscow "this question of missile defense remains ... the big elephant in the room." But he said NATO's decision has been made and he hopes Russia will work together with the alliance on the issue.

"We have made clear from the outset that NATO has made the decision to establish a NATO missile defense system because it's our obligation to ensure effective defense of our populations," Fogh Rasmussen said. "Having said that, we have invited Russia to cooperate and ... now it's up to Russia to engage in that."

The comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the gathering of top diplomats and defense officials that NATO's missile defense program and eastward expansion have caused undue friction reminiscent of the Cold War.

"Officially we have abandoned the mindset of the Cold War ? Russia and NATO countries say that they do not see each other as adversaries ... but we should admit that we should still come a long way to match our words with deeds," Lavrov said.

The U.S. and NATO say the missile defense plan is aimed at fending off an Iranian missile threat, but Moscow has rejected the claim, saying the system may eventually grow powerful enough to threaten Russia's nuclear deterrent.

Fogh Rasmussen flatly rejected the criticism, saying: "I clearly denounce these allegations."

"There is a clear link between what we say and what we do," he said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's office said he met with Lavrov later behind closed doors and "emphasized the importance of the two countries working together in the interest of international peace and security."

During the conference, Fogh Rasmussen urged cash-strapped European nations not to use the alliance's drawdown of forces in Afghanistan as an excuse to cut defense spending.

"We must build on what we have gained in operations such as Afghanistan, not cash in on what some may perceive as the post-ISAF dividend," he said.

"In this age of austerity, that looks like an attractive option, but it would be the wrong option. Because security challenges won't wait while we fix our finances, and more cuts now will lead to greater insecurity in the future, at a cost we simply can't afford. We saw this after the Cold War, when we were ill prepared to respond to the crises in the Balkans."

He noted that since 2001, the U.S. share of NATO defense spending has risen from 63 percent to 72 percent, while most European nations have cut their defense budgets.

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter noted that U.S. officials speaking at the conference have in the past often exhorted allies to "provide the necessary resources for defense."

"This time ... I have to add my own country to this exhortation," he said, pointing to the prospect of across-the-board cuts as politicians in Washington wrangle over the budget.

Carter said there is "the very real prospect of huge and reckless additional cuts of a size and magnitude and manner that I, as the Department of Defense's chief management officer, cannot tell the president will do anything other than devastating damage to the military."

"It can be avoided and it can be reversed," he said. "In that regard I used to be hopeful and optimistic, and now I'm just hopeful."

Fogh Rasmussen said that, instead of cuts, European NATO countries should use funds saved from the Afghanistan drawdown to invest in capabilities where they have found themselves lacking.

"We have learned lessons from our operations in Afghanistan as well as Libya and Mali," where the alliance isn't operating but some of its members are. "What we see is that ... such operations couldn't be carried out successfully without a significant American contribution," he said.

"It is necessary for Europe to invest more in long-distance airlift capacity, in air-to-air refueling as we learned in Libya, in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance capabilities ? in all these areas."

_____

Geir Moulson contributed to this story

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-chief-dismisses-russian-missile-defense-worry-135206842.html

constitution day constitution day dolly parton stephen colbert running for president richard threlkeld moonrise kingdom coachella lineup