Bananas could be future staple

30 October 2012 Last updated at 20:35 ET By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service

Climate change could lead to crops from the banana family becoming a critical food source for millions of people, a new report says.

Researchers from the CGIAR agricultural partnership say the fruit might replace potatoes in some developing countries.

Cassava and the little-known cowpea plant could be much more important food crops as temperatures rise.

People will have to adapt to new and varied menus as traditional crops struggle, say the authors.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

When the farmers see the problems they are having with production, they really are willing to shift?

End Quote Bruce Campbell CCAFS

Responding to a request from the United Nations' committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important agricultural commodities.

Blooming bananas

They predict that the world's three biggest crops in terms of calories provided - maize, rice and wheat - will decrease in many developing countries.

They suggest that the potato, which grows best in cooler climates, could also suffer as temperatures increase and weather becomes more volatile.

The authors argue that these changes "could provide an opening for cultivating certain varieties of bananas" at higher altitudes, even in those places that currently grow potatoes.

Dr Philip Thornton is one of those behind the report. He told BBC News that while bananas and plantains also have limiting factors, they may be a good substitute for potatoes in certain locations.

"It's not necessarily a silver bullet, but there may be places where as temperatures increase, bananas might be one option that small-holders could start to look at."

The report describes wheat as the world's most important plant-derived protein and calorie source.

But according to this research, wheat will face a difficult future in the developing world, where higher prices for cotton, maize and soybeans have pushed wheat to marginal land, making it more vulnerable to stresses induced by climate change.

One substitute, especially in South Asia, could be cassava - which is known to be tolerant to a range of climate stresses.

But how easy will it be to get people to adjust to new crops and new diets?

Bruce Campbell is programme director of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research group (CCAFS) which co-ordinates work among leading institutions around the world. He told BBC News that the types of changes that will happen in the future have already happened in the past.

Protein under pressure

"Two decades ago there was almost no rice consumption in certain areas of Africa, now there is. People have changed because of the pricing: it's easier to get, it's easier to cook. I think those sort of shifts do occur and I think they will in future."

Continue reading the main story

About bananas

• There are hundreds of types of banana plants but not all actually produce fruit
• They grow on plants that are giant herbs and are part of the Musaceae family
• Plantains are starchy like a potato, not sweet like a regular banana
• Organised banana plantations have been traced back to China in 200 AD
• Alexander the Great brought them back from India after his conquest in 327 BC
• Over the centuries they have been called banna, ghana and funana

Source: Dole

One of the big concerns among researchers is how to tackle the need for protein in the diet. Soybeans are one of the most common sources but are very susceptible to temperature changes.

The scientists say that the cowpea, which is known in sub-Saharan Africa as the "poor man's meat" is drought-tolerant and prefers warmer weather and could be a reasonable alternative to soya. The vines of the cowpea can also be used as a feed for livestock.

In some countries, including Nigeria and Niger, farmers have already moved away from cotton production to growing cowpeas.

There are also likely to be developments animal protein sources says the report, including a shift to smaller livestock.

"This is an example of something that's happening already," said Dr Campbell. "There's been quite a shift from cattle keeping to goat keeping in southern Africa in face of droughts - when the farmers see the problems they are having with production, they really are willing to shift.

"Change is really possible. It's not just a crazy notion."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20126452#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Aussies 4 Obama give the Australian perspective on why the U.S. should re-elect Obama

A group of politically active Australians have declared their support for the re-election of President Obama.

(PRWEB) October 29, 2012

A group of politically active Australians have declared their support for the re-election of President Obama.

Spokesman for the group, Joe Wigg said that President Obama has done a commendable job of promoting American interests in the world without resorting to the ?bull in the china shop? approach of the last U.S. President.

?President Obama inherited two ugly wars that are collapsing the economy from George W. Bush,? Joe Wigg said ?and four years later the Iraq war is over, the Taliban has been largely de-fanged in Afghanistan, and the U.S. economy is slowly building up to steam.?

?Here in Australia we have trouble understanding why the people of America could even think of electing a rich person with a history of tax avoidance. Do Romney supporters think he will remove the tax breaks from the rich and give them to the poor people who really need them?

?Mit Romney has also promised to increase U.S. military spending which means more international destabilisation, more homelessness, more needy, and less respect from a world sick and tired of arrogant U.S. militarism.

?Our group of Aussies has made a comedy skit outlining why we think U.S. citizens should re-elect President Obama. We invite all Americans to watch our skit at http://www.youtube.com/Aussies4Obama. We also invite U.S. citizens to read our website aussies4obama.com to try to understand the difference between a truly democratic society, and one controlled by its richest citizens.

?Ghandi once said ?the truest measure of a society was how it treated its neediest citizens?.

?In this respect we think America can do far better; and President Obama is the right man for the job.?

Contact: Joe Wigg

Website: aussies4obama.com

Comedy skit: http://www.youtube.com/Aussies4Obama

Joe Wigg
joe.wigg1234@gmail.com
0438976038
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aussies-4-obama-australian-perspective-why-u-elect-072614163.html

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Rockin' Teacher Materials: Don't Fall for Drugs!

This week has been Red Ribbon Week and there was a door decorating contest. I thought we would use our 'cut off the corners' trick to decorate the leaves for our?
'Don't Fall for Drugs' door. I have to say that the kids had a blast and came up with some very creative ways to remind us to stay away from drugs!

I made a variety of leaves on the Ellison die cutting machine and put out some scraps for the cut 'n paste fun! Check out these leaves!

Can you believe what drugs will do to your teeth?!?

hehehe Cracks me up!

Now, these are some groovy rockin' dudes!

If you haven't signed up for the {huge giveaway}, make sure you do! You can win 33 awesome teaching resources that are worth about $170! Wow!?

Happy Friday!

Source: http://rockinteachermaterials.blogspot.com/2012/10/dont-fall-for-drugs.html

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Moderate drinking decreases number of new brain cells

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2012) ? Drinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. But a new Rutgers University study indicates that there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking -- a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.

In a study posted online and scheduled to be published in the journal Neuroscience on November 8, lead author Megan Anderson, a graduate student working with Tracey J. Shors, Professor II in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, reported that moderate to binge drinking -- drinking less during the week and more on the weekends -- significantly reduces the structural integrity of the adult brain.

"Moderate drinking can become binge drinking without the person realizing it," said Anderson."In the short term there may not be any noticeable motor skills or overall functioning problems, but in the long term this type of behavior could have an adverse effect on learning and memory."

Shors and Anderson worked with postdoctoral fellow Miriam Nokia from the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland to model moderate to heavy drinking in humans using rodents that reached a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent -- the legal driving limit in the United States and many other countries -- and found that brain cell production was affected negatively.

The researchers discovered that at this level of intoxication in rats -- comparable to about 3-4 drinks for women and five drinks for men -- the number of nerve cells in the hippocampus of the brain were reduced by nearly 40 percent compared to those in the abstinent group of rodents. The hippocampus is a part of the brain where the new neurons are made and is also known to be necessary for some types of new learning.

This level of alcohol intake was not enough to impair the motor skills of either male or female rats or prevent them from associative learning in the short-term. Still, Anderson said, th

is substantial decrease in brain cell numbers over time could have profound effects on the structural plasticity of the adult brain because these new cells communicate with other neurons to regulate brain health.

"If this area of your brain was affected every day over many months and years, eventually you might not be able to learn how to get somewhere new or to learn something new about your life," said Anderson, a graduate fellow in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology. "It's something that you might not even be aware is occurring."

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men who drink 14 drinks a week and women who drink seven are considered at-risk drinkers. Although college students commonly binge drink, according to the institute, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involved adults age 26 and older.

"This research indicates that social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health than what is now believed by the general public," she said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rutgers University. The original article was written by Robin Lally.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. M.L. Anderson, M.S. Nokia, K.P. Govindaraju, T.J. Shors. Moderate drinking? Alcohol consumption significantly decreases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Neuroscience, 2012; 224: 202 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.018

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/0fIxn3FWv74/121024164759.htm

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Protecting the Child Tax Credit as fiscal cliff looms near

A crucial safety net for low- and moderate-income families is jeopardized as the nation hurtles towards the fiscal cliff, Maag writes.

By Elaine Maag,?Guest blogger / October 25, 2012

Tax payers search through tax forms at the Illinois Department of Revenue in Springfield, Ill., in this April 2010 file photo. As the nation approaches a fiscal cliff, the future of the Child Tax Credit is in question, Maag writes.

Seth Perlman/AP/File

Enlarge

The Child Tax Credit (CTC), a key piece of the safety net for low- and moderate-income families, is in jeopardy as the nation hurtles towards the fiscal cliff. Not only could the 2001 expansion of the credit die, but so could provisions in the 2009 stimulus that made the credit much more available to low-income families.

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The Tax Policy Center is a joint venture of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. The Center is made up of nationally recognized experts in tax, budget, and social policy who have served at the highest levels of government. TaxVox is the Tax Policy Center's tax and budget policy blog.

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My biggest fear is that Congress will cut a year-end deal that extends the 2001 expansion but lets the important 2009 changes die.

To explain what?s happening, here is a bit of history: Prior to 2001, the credit was $500 per child. Families whose credit exceeded the income tax they owed could get the balance as a refundable credit only if they had at least three children and paid enough payroll tax. The credit phased out for single parents with income over $75,000 and married couples with income over $110,000.

The 2001 act doubled the credit to $1,000 per child and broadened its refundability. Families could receive 15 cents of their credit for each dollar of earnings over $10,000. (The threshold was indexed for inflation and would be about $13,000 in 2013.) Stimulus legislation in 2008 and 2009 reduced the threshold to $8,500 and then to $3,000. The more generous refundability level enacted in 2009 is critically important for low-income families.

Of the $38.3 billion in total child credits that TPC estimates families will claim this year, $29.5 billion comes from the 2001 tax law and another $8.8 billion from the 2009 stimulus. Most of the 2001 increase will go to families in the middle income quintile and higher (see chart). Families with the lowest incomes will get less than 3 percent of the 2001 increase. In contrast, fully 60 percent of the benefits from the 2009 changes will go to families in the lowest income quintile.

As we near the fiscal cliff, Congress should keep in mind the entire package of CTC changes, noting that the 2009 ARRA changes matter most for very low-income families.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/bC-zVJ_txdI/Protecting-the-Child-Tax-Credit-as-fiscal-cliff-looms-near

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Did bacteria spark evolution of multicellular life?

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2012) ? Bacteria have a bad rap as agents of disease, but scientists are increasingly discovering their many benefits, such as maintaining a healthy gut.

A new study now suggests that bacteria may also have helped kick off one of the key events in evolution: the leap from one-celled organisms to many-celled organisms, a development that eventually led to all animals, including humans.

Published this month in the inaugural edition of the new online journal eLife, the study by University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard Medical School scientists involves choanoflagellates (aka "choanos"), the closest living relatives of animals. These microscopic, one-celled organisms sport a long tail or flagellum, tentacles for grabbing food and are members of the ocean's plankton community. As our closest living relative, choanos offer critical insights into the biology of their last common ancestor with animals, a unicellular or colonial organism that lived and died over 650 million years ago.

"Choanoflagellates evolved not long before the origin of animals and may help reveal how animals first evolved," said senior author Nicole King, UC Berkeley associate professor of molecular and cell biology.

Since first starting to study choanoflagellates as a post-doc, King has been trying to figure out why some choanoflagellates live their lives as single cells, while others form colonies. After years of dead ends, King and undergraduate researcher Richard Zuzow discovered accidentally that a previously unknown species of bacteria stimulates one choanoflagellate, Salpingoeca rosetta, to form colonies. Because bacteria were abundant in the oceans when animals first evolved, the finding that bacteria influence choano colony formation means it is plausible that bacteria also helped to stimulate multicellularity in the ancestors of animals.

"I would be surprised if bacteria did not influence animal origins, since most animals rely on signals from bacteria for some part of their biology," King said. "The interaction between bacteria and choanos that we discovered is interesting for evolutionary reasons, for understanding how bacteria interact with other organisms in the oceans, and potentially for discovering mechanisms by which our commensal bacteria are signaling to us."

No one is sure why choanoflagellates form colonies, said one of the study's lead authors, UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellow Rosanna Alegado. It may be an effective way of exploiting an abundant food source: instead of individual choanoflagellates rocketing around in search of bacteria to eat, they can form an efficient bacteria-eating "Death Star" that sits in the middle of its food source and chows down.

Whatever the reasons, colonies of unicellular organisms may have led the way to more permanent multicellular conglomerations, and eventually organisms composed of different cell types specialized for specific functions.

Sequencing the choanoflagellate genome

King's 12-year search for the trigger of choanoflagellate colony development was reignited in 2005 when she started to prime cultures of the choanoflagellate S. rosetta for a genome sequencing project. The sequencing of another choanoflagellate, the one-celled Monosiga brevicollis, gave some clues into animal origins, but she needed to compare its genome to that of a colony-forming choanoflagellate.

Surprisingly, when Zuzow tried to isolate the colony-forming choanoflagellate by adding antibiotics to the culture dish to kill off residual bacteria, strange things happened, said King.

"When he treated the culture with one cocktail of antibiotics, he saw a bloom of rosette colony formation," she said, referring to the rose petal-shaped colonies that were floating in the culture media. "When he treated with a different cocktail of antibiotics, that got rid of colony formation altogether."

That "rather mundane but serendipitous observation" led Zuzow and Alegado to investigate further and discover that only one specific bacterial species in the culture was stimulating colony formation. When other bacteria outnumbered it, or when antibiotics wiped it out, colony formation stopped. Alegado identified the colony-inducing bacteria as the new species, Algoriphagus machipongonensis. While she found that other bacteria in the Algoriphagus genus can also stimulate colony formation, other bacteria like E. coli, common in the human gut, cannot.

Working with Jon Clardy of Harvard Medical School, a natural products chemist, the two labs identified a molecule -- a fatty acid combined with a lipid that they called RIF-1 -- that sits on the surface of bacteria and is the colony development cue produced by the bacteria.

"This molecule may be betraying the presence of bacteria," Alegado said. "Bacteria just sit around blebbing off little membrane bubbles, and if one of them has this molecule, the choanoflagellates all of a sudden say, 'Aha, there are some bacteria around here.'"

The signal sets off a predetermined program in the choanoflagellate that leads to cell division and the development of rosettes, she said. The molecule RIF-1 is remarkably potent; choanos detect and respond to it at densities that are about one billionth that of the lowest concentration of sugar that humans can taste in water.

"We are investigating this molecule from many sides. How and why do bacteria make it? How do choanoflagellates respond to it, and why?" King said. She and her team also are analyzing the genome of the colony-forming choanoflagellate and the colony-inducing bacteria for clues to their interaction.

King hopes that this unexpected signaling between choanoflagellates and bacteria can yield insights into other ways in which bacteria influence biology, particularly the biology of the gut.

Coauthors with King, Alegado and Clardy are Zuzow, now a graduate student at Stanford University; Laura Brown, now a faculty member at Indiana University; Shugeng Cao and Renee Dermenjian of Harvard Medical School; and Stephen Fairclough of UC Berkeley. Dermenjian is now at Merck.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Berkeley. The original article was written by Robert Sanders.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Rosanna A Alegado, Laura W Brown, Shugeng Cao, Renee K Dermenjian, Richard Zuzow, Stephen R Fairclough, Jon Clardy, Nicole King. A bacterial sulfonolipid triggers multicellular development in the closest living relatives of animals. eLife, 2012; 1 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.00013

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/top_environment/~3/jc083uSCCwo/121024101758.htm

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Platypus airboats have a Nexus S for a brain, we go eyes-on (video)

Here's another extremely cool offshoot of the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute. Platypus LLC build autonomous robotic airboats that can be deployed for a wide range of usages including environmental data and monitoring hard-to-reach spots after natural disasters like flooding. The hull of the boat looks a good deal like a boogie board, built from polyurethane. On top, you'll find a propulsion fan assembly, just behind a hard plastic electronics compartment that houses internals like the Arduino board. That microcontroller communicates via Bluetooth with a smartphone that sits in the front of of the boat, safely cocooned inside an Otterbox case.

The models we saw this week were carrying Nexus S handsets -- relatively cheap solutions bought second-hand off of eBay. Just about any Android phone should do the trick, but in the case of this project, where phones can get wrenched loose or just outright pilfered, cheaper is certainly better. Platypus' proprietary app helps control the boat autonomously, using the handset's camera to provide situational awareness. Sensors mounted on the boat, meanwhile, offer up information on oxygen and PH levels, temperature and more.

Gallery: Platypus Android handset-powered airboats eyes-on

Continue reading Platypus airboats have a Nexus S for a brain, we go eyes-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Science

Platypus airboats have a Nexus S for a brain, we go eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/24/platypus-airboats-have-a-nexus-s-for-a-brain-we-go-eyes-on-vid/

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Auburn wants to play keep-away from Texas A&M, says Scot Loeffler (video)

AUBURN, Alabama ? Auburn needs to keep the ball away from Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, and Tigers' offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler hopes he has a plan to do it.

Texas A&M, which ran 104 plays against LSU last Saturday, visits Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday with the SEC's No. 1 offense.

?"To help our defense, we've got to keep our defense off the field," Loeffler said.

That means Auburn's offense will have to be a lot better to play keep-away from the Aggies. While Texas A&M is first in the SEC in offense, Auburn is last.

Auburn defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder says he figures his players will be busy either way.

"The biggest concern is tempo. They're so fast. It takes a player so much out of his routine," VanGorder says in this Tuesday video. He says more about the Aggies, his Tigers and linebacker Cassanova McKinzy after the linebacker made his first start last week (he's got more to learn, VanGorder says).?

In the meantime, Auburn is trying to turn around a 1-6 season.?

"I feel bad for our players, I feel bad for the Auburn people, however, we're going to continue to fight," Loeffler said. "It's a struggle, there's no question about it.

"You either pound the rock or run and hide. Our players haven't done that and our coaches haven't done that.

"I think this group will develop into a really good team. As this group matures, they're not going to forget this, and neither are we."

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Source: http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2012/10/auburn_wants_to_play_keep-away.html

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Ubisoft announces Far Cry 3 mod for MineCraft - Video Games - Digit

If you?re a Minecraft nut who just loves his (or her) mods, then Ubisoft has something pretty damn exciting to offer. Ubisoft has announced that they will be putting out a Far Cry 3 mod out for Minecraft that will also include a texture pack. What you can expect from the free pack is a brilliant fusion of Minecraft with the Far Cry 3 universe, giving you the ability to explore terrain and such in the upcoming shooter.

Every aspect of the game will get modified, including the environment, weapons and tools to reflect those from Far Cry 3.

Ubisoft has said that you will also run into Pixelated versions of characters from Far Cry 3. Ubisoft has been revealing character details as their game gets closer to launch and now that we?ve seen some of the savages and tribe members, we can?t help but wonder whether it will be these characters who are included in the mod or some totally new characters.

The mod will be available on October 26 for free on the PC and the actual Far Cry 3 game should be hitting store shelves on December 4, 2012.

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Gaming/Ubisoft-announces-Far-Cry-3-mod-for_11088.html

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Samsung announces Jelly Bean update plans for American Galaxy S III users

At long last?Samsung (005930) today announced that it will start pushing out the?Galaxy S III?s?Android 4.1 Jelly Bean?upgrade to American users. However, the company did not release any specific timelines for when various carriers would have the upgrade ready, saying only that all American Galaxy S III customers would be able to download Jelly Bean from Kies ?in the coming months.? Individual wireless carriers will make separate announcements to reveal when their customers can upgrade their devices to Jelly Bean. Samsung?s full press release is posted below.

Samsung Mobile to Begin Jelly Bean Update with TouchWiz? Enhancements for Galaxy S? III Smartphones in the U.S.?

Available in the coming months, the Galaxy S III update offers the latest Android? platform; new camera, video and customization enhancements; and access to ESPN?s ScoreCenter app with custom AllShare? integration

DALLAS ? October 17, 2012 ? Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) ? the No.1 mobile phone provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide¹ ? continues its commitment to bringing the latest innovation to market with the rollout of Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, the latest version of the world?s most popular smartphone operating system, to all Galaxy S III smartphones in the U.S. in the coming months.

The update will be made available both over the air and as a download via Kies, Samsung?s content sync and software update solution. The specific timing and update method will be announced by each carrier partner, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular.

Galaxy S III owners will receive the Jelly Bean update as well as a host of new and enhanced TouchWiz features, making it a faster, richer and more responsive device experience. Samsung?s best-selling flagship smartphone just got even better.

Samsung refined and enhanced the Galaxy S III experience by adding new capabilities to the camera, video and user interface, including:

????????? Camera Enhancements:

o??? New live camera and camcorder filters offer a range of new ways to spark your creativity. Warm vintage, cold vintage, black and white, sepia, color highlights (blue, green, red/yellow), and many more are selectable from the main camera screen.

o??? Pause and resume while recording video allows users to string together multiple captured video clips from a party, birthday or sporting event into a single file with no post editing required.

o??? Low light photo mode takes advantage of Galaxy S III?s best-in-class High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities and offers an optimized mode for low light and indoor photos.

????????? Pop Up Play Update: Users can now easily resize or pause the Pop Up Play picture-in-picture video window, taking full advantage of the Galaxy S III?s powerful processor and large 4.8-inch screen.

????????? Easy Mode: Easy Mode is a simplified user experience option for first-time smartphone owners, providing large home screen widgets that focus on the device essentials. The Easy widgets include both 4?2 and 4?4 arrangements of favorite contacts, favorite apps, favorite settings, clock and alarm.

????????? Blocking Mode: Galaxy S III owners can disable incoming calls, notifications, alarms and LED indicators for a designated period of time.

????????? Improved Usability: Users now have multiple keyboard options with the addition of the Swype? keyboard.

?

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean offers users a smoother, faster and more fluid experience with expanded feature functionality, including:

????????? Google Now?: Google Now gives users the right information at the right time, like how much traffic to expect before leaving work, when the next train is scheduled to arrive at the subway station or the score of a favorite team?s current game ? conveniently delivered as notifications. Additionally, Google Now provides powerful voice assistant functionality across a range of domains, including weather, maps, navigation, search, image search, flight status and more. Google Now can conveniently be launched from the lock screen shortcut or by a long press on the menu button from any screen.

????????? Rich Notifications: Notifications can now expand and shrink with a pinch to show the right amount of information a user needs. Notifications have been enhanced so action can be taken without having to launch the app first ? like sharing a screenshot directly from the notification.

????????? Automatic Widget Adjustment: Customizing the home screen is easier than ever before. Users can simply place a new icon or widget on the screen, and existing icons will move out of the way to make space. When widgets are too big, they automatically resize to fit on the screen.

In addition to the operating system update, Samsung and ESPN worked together to integrate AllShare? technology into ESPN?s popular ScoreCenter? application. This means Galaxy S III owners will now be able to wirelessly push on-demand ESPN global sports coverage and highlights from the ESPN ScoreCenter app to their Samsung SMART TV?. When on the same Wi-Fi network as a Samsung SMART TV, a sharing icon will appear within the ScoreCenter video player which allows users to seamlessly push what they are watching to the TV. The ScoreCenter app with AllShare integration is available today for download through S Suggest? on all U.S. Galaxy S III devices.

With the Jelly Bean update, the Galaxy S III will also add support for some exciting new accessory experiences.

????????? AllShare? Cast Wireless Hub: The AllShare Cast Wireless Hub accessory allows users to wirelessly mirror their phone screen to any HDTV or HDMI? display. Whether it?s sharing pictures, browsing the Web, playing games, streaming music, watching videos or projecting business presentations, users can control the action on the big screen wirelessly from their smartphone. AllShare Cast Wireless Hub even supports licensed content playback of premium TV and movies.

????????? NFC One Touch Pairing Support: Galaxy S III can now pair with supporting NFC Bluetooth? accessories in a single touch. The Samsung Galaxy HM3300 Bluetooth headsetwill be the first Samsung portfolio accessory to support this functionality (available in the near future), allowing users to pair their headset by touching it to the back of their device.

?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-announces-jelly-bean-plans-american-galaxy-iii-142549538.html

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Editorial: A ban on therapy to 'pray away the gay' | StarTribune.com

Earlier this month, California became the nation's first state to adopt a law banning harmful counseling therapies that purport to "cure" gay minors of their sexual orientation.

In signing the law, Gov. Jerry Brown rightly said that such practices, based on junk science, "will now be relegated to the dustbin of quackery."

This is a welcome step forward, and a small, but significant sign of how Americans' understanding of human sexuality is slowly progressing. Although Minnesota and other states are wrestling mightily over legal definitions and access to marriage, for the most part society is no longer talking about sexual orientation as a choice.

The change in thinking didn't come swiftly, and some perspective is in order. Nearly four decades have passed since the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality wasn't a mental illness. In 2000, the organization challenged the scientific validity of "conversion" or "reparative" therapies bent on changing gay individuals' sexual orientation or minimizing same-sex attractions.

Earlier this year, 80-year-old Dr. Robert Spitzer recanted and apologized for his 2001 study that claimed that prayer and counseling could lead "highly motivated" gay people to reach their "heterosexual potential." More recently, Exodus International, long dubbed a "pray away the gay" evangelical Christian group, also distanced itself from counseling "cures" for homosexuality. That change in stance is significant and shows evolving opinions in even religiously conservative groups.

Although many religious groups still consider same-sex intercourse a sin, there's widespread agreement that gays and lesbians should be treated with respect. Other religious groups embrace same-sex relationships, ordain gay and lesbian clergy, and affirm individuals' sexual orientation as God-given. But like the rest of society, many religions are somewhere in between: They may welcome gay clergy but not yet offer blessing rituals for same-sex unions.

The California law smartly targets the vulnerable -- young people under age 18. It prevents mental-health providers from attempting to change clients' sexual orientation or trying to "eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings" toward people of the same sex. "Being lesbian, gay or bisexual is not a disease, disorder, illness, deficiency or shortcoming," the legislation said.

The California bill's sponsor, state Sen. State Sen. Ted Lieu, a Democrat, joined with numerous medical, psychological and gay-rights groups in likening so-called reparative therapies to child abuse, and said they contributed to higher rates of depression and suicide among gay and lesbian youths. Many studies bear out those concerns.

It comes as no surprise that the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative Christian legal group, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the law on the grounds that it violates First Amendment free speech, privacy and religious freedom. "This unprecedented bill is outrageously unconstitutional," Brad Dacus, the group's president, said in a statement.

But religions should never be allowed to use the Constitution as a shield to exploit and abuse children. That California has taken an unprecedented stand against harmful therapies grounded in archaic understandings of sexual orientation is to be lauded. Let's hope, over time, other states will be as courageous.

---------------------------

The Opinion section is launching a newsletter this fall. Please sign up here.

Source: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/174277421.html

ibooks author

Freeplane: Solid Mind Mapping but You May Need a Map

Freeplane is an application for creating mind maps. A mind map is the doodling you draw with shapes and other symbols around words connected with lines to make charts representing your thoughts and ideas on a particular topic or project. I rarely find tasks that seem easier to do the old fashioned way with paper and pencil than on a computer screen. But creating a mind map with Freeplane comes close.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/249395d0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C7640A10Bhtml/story01.htm

mark buehrle

Energy policy is shaped by what you think about energy

Friend of the blog Sheril Kirshenbaum has a piece up over at NPR?s 13.7 blog about energy perception and policy reality (link). Her point? That what the public thinks about energy ? what they want, think they want, or think they know ? shapes the decisions politicians make about energy and environmental policy:

Personal attitudes, concerns, and priorities are determined by more than just ?the facts.? We take into account stories in the media, the talking points of politicians, vocal celebrities and religious leaders, as well as the opinions of family and friends. All of these perspectives flow together to, in the aggregate, influence which energy issues our representatives ? regional and national ? address through policy and legislation.

Which can be maddening! In a perfect world, the electorate would be fully informed and rationale and able to discern between distorted facts and messaging campaigns by lobbies and political action committees and those with the loudest bullhorns. The truth is, not everyone dedicates their time to understanding the ins-and-outs of energy technology and policy.

But as Sheril points out, what we think about energy and the environment ? gas prices, clean water, GMO crops, transportation, whatever ? is the critical piece in determining our energy policy.

When I asked if climate change should have been included in the first presidential debate, I was also indirectly asking if this was an issue the electorate has been pushing its representatives to address. Is this a topic that?s on everyone?s minds? We?ll see what happens after the second presidential debate Tuesday night, which will focus on foreign and domestic policy. The debate is a town hall format, so we?ll have some sort of pulse on what issues are on the minds of the electorate this time around.

Source: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2012/10/15/energy-policy-is-shaped-by-what-you-think-about-energy/

Aurora victims usher

Brad Pitt jokes: 'I'm a drug addict' at screening

Alberto Pizzoli / AFP - Getty Images

By Us Weekly

Brad Pitt still hasn't said very much about his wedding plans with Angelina Jolie. One subject he opened up about a bit more on Friday? Drugs.

"I'm Brad Pitt and I'm a drug addict," the "Killing Them Softly" star, 48, joked, laughing, at Friday's "The House We Live In" screening in Los Angeles, where he introduced filmmaker Eugene Jarecki, whose new documentary investigates the drug epidemic in the U.S.

PHOTOS: Celebrity pot smokers

"No, my drug days have long since passed," clarified the engaged father of six. Pitt (who announced his engagement to Jolie, 37, this past spring) has been frank about his marijuana use in the past. In a controversial Parade interview from September 2011, Pitt said the earlier phase of his superstardom (including his marriage to Jennifer Aniston) left him depressed -- and smoking pot. "I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out." Pitt told Parade.

PHOTOS: Angie and Brad's romance

Slamming efforts to squash the illegal drug trade in the U.S. the star said at Friday's event: "It's certainly true that I could probably land in any city, in any state, and get you whatever you wanted. I could find anything you're looking for, give me 24 hours or so. And yet we still support this, I have to say, this charade called the drug war."

The actor-humanitarian continued of the "drug war": "We've spent a trillion dollars, it's lasted, it's gone on, for over 40 years -- a lot of people have lost their lives for it. And we still talk about it like it's a success. And yet it's a flawed, a backwards system/strategy that actually perpetuates itself."

PHOTOS: Brad's hair through the years

Pitt's love Jolie and their children were last spotted in the South of France (near the brood's Chateau Miraval) in September. No definitely word yet on when Jolie and Pitt tie the knot.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/10/14/14432544-brad-pitt-laughs-im-a-drug-addict-at-movie-screening?lite

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Which Characters Will ?Guardians of the Galaxy? Focus On?

There were five characters confirmed to appear in?Guardians of the Galaxy when Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige officially announced the film at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, using concept art to showcase the roster. The villainous Thanos was unsurprisingly confirmed months later, bringing the total to six, three of which will likely be CG-animated, and three that could be played by actors with prosthetics and makeup.

According to the latest rumor, it?s the three certainly-non-animated characters that are currently the focus for Marvel Studios and James Gunn in adapting Guardians of the Galaxy for the big screen.

Latino-Review nabbed the scoop last week which indicates that Marvel?s ?at the moment? focus is on fleshing out the characters of?Star-Lord (center), Gamora (far right) and Drax The Destroyer (far left), by giving them ?visual and backstory updates? so they mesh better with the style of the cinematic universe.

But what about Rocket Raccoon? And poor Michael Rooker, he loves raccoons (and as a friend of director James Gunn, would love to voice this one in particular)!

The smallest and furriest (albeit deadliest) Guardian has been the ?poster boy? character for Marvel since the film?s announcement. Before unveiling the official?Guardians of the Galaxy logo to 6000 anxious fans during the Iron Man 3 Comic-Con presentation, Marvel even had Rocket Raccoon artwork on the screens. Even in the Marvel NOW relaunch of the comics, Rocket Raccoon is getting spotlight attention. He even has his own mug.

That?s not going to change. At this point, there?s no reason to discount any of Guardians of the Galaxy?characters. Groot, the walking tree, doesn?t say too much in the comics so there?s fewer expectations there. Rocket Raccoon however, will hold his own in the film relative to his humanoid counterparts when it comes to screen time. No matter what, the raccoon ? as a supporting character or otherwise ? will get memorable moments in the action sequences.

What this simply means is that the overarching narrative of the film may follow the backstory of the three humanoid characters, since their origins in the books tie directly into Thanos, the grinning villain from the post-credits sequence of?The Avengers who will return for both?Guardians of the Galaxy and?The Avengers 2.

Star-Lord for instance, was the focus of the unofficial logline (below) for?Guardians and could serve as the audience?s anchor into the cosmic setting for the film.

About a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants.

Gamora is the last of her species and an adopted daughter of Thanos, but eventually turned against him after a brutal and violent upbringing.?Drax The Destroyer on the other hand, was a human who after an incident with Thanos was?re-purposed?with the sole desire of hunting him down. As you can imagine, their (more grounded) origins are more crucial to the story than a raccoon from a planet of?genetically enhanced animal companions and an alien tree who?s died multiple times in the comics. Chances are, all of their origins will be altered slightly if the logline is anything to go by.

These three also all have ties to other cosmic characters long-rumored to show up in?Guardians of the Galaxy, including Nova (also spotlighted in the Marvel NOW artwork above) and Adam Warlock. So, it?s almost a certainty that there will be even?more humanoid characters on top of those already announced.?Be sure to check out all the?concept art?and find out the latest on the?villain Thanos.

Iron Man 3?releases May 3, 2013,?Thor: The Dark World?on November 8, 2013,?Captain America: The Winter Soldier?on April 4, 2014,?Guardians of the Galaxy?on?August 1, 2014,?The Avengers 2?on May 1, 2015 and?Ant-Man?on November 6, 2015.

-

Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes.

Source: Latino-Review

"Follow us if you want to live."

Source: http://screenrant.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-main-characters/

red tails trailer

Report: Amazon In Advanced Talks To Buy Texas Instruments? Mobile Chip Business In Deal Worth Billions

Amazon is in "advanced negotiations" to buy Texas Instruments' mobile chip business, according to Israeli newspaper Calcalist, with the price expected to be in the billions of dollars range. If the deal goes ahead Amazon would take a step close to rivals Apple and Samsung by gaining the ability to design and manufacture its own mobile chips.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/oRMbfYGbbL0/

Taken 2

To boost that self esteem try Yoga ? Billy Roids

By admin on October 14th, 2012 Posted in ADT Home Security

Yoga Littleton Colorado You may think that yoga is only for the very fit or flexible, but this is not the case. Yoga is made for anyone who has a desire to be more healthy, relax from all the cares of a busy life, and find a sense of inner peace. Yoga provides leads to incredible health advantages including controlling asthma, back pain, and headaches, just to name a few. Yoga can also help you mentally, helping to decrease stress, eliminate depression, and improve self-esteem. With several types of yoga classes, you will easily find the right one for you. Enroll in one of our classes today and start making yoga part of your life.

Source: http://billyroids.com/to-boost-that-self-esteem-try-yoga-3/

presidents

4 players file bounty appeals to NFL

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? All four players punished in the NFL's bounty investigation have filed appeals with the league. People familiar with the situation say the players have asked Commissioner Roger Goodell to remove himself as arbitrator because they do not believe he can be impartial.

One of the people also says New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma expects to play at Tampa Bay on Oct. 21 while his appeal is pending. The people spoke to The Associated Press Friday on condition of anonymity because the appeals were filed as private documents with the league.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed Friday that all four players had filed appeals, but said the league would decline comment on the substance of those documents.

It's the latest round of appeals by the players.

About a month ago, a three-member appeal panel created by the NFL's collective bargaining agreement vacated initial disciplinary rulings handed down by Goodell. Then Tuesday, the commissioner upheld his initial suspensions of Vilma and Saints defensive end Will Smith, and revised his suspensions of Cleveland linebacker and former Saint Scott Fujita and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.

Vilma has been on the Saints' physically unable to perform list while continuing his comeback from offseason surgery on his left knee, but may be activated after the first six weeks of the regular season. Goodell said Vilma could be paid for his time on New Orleans' PUP list. New Orleans has a bye this week.

Vilma remains suspended for the season, while Smith remains suspended four games. Hargrove's suspension was reduced from eight to seven games and Fujita's was cut from three games to one.

In effect, Hargrove now faces a two-game ban because his initial eight-game suspension was reduced by one and he was given credit for five games missed as a free agent after he was cut by Green Bay in the preseason.

The appeals filed Friday are only the latest of many maneuvers in a contentious back-and-forth involving the players, the NFL Players Association and the league office.

Vilma has a related defamation case pending against Goodell in federal court in New Orleans.

In addition, Vilma and the NFLPA, which is representing the other three players, could ask U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan to revisit their earlier legal challenge of the suspensions.

The union and Vilma would have to refile those requests with Berrigan, who placed the matter on indefinite hold when the three-member NFL appeal panel vacated the initial suspensions on technical ground and informed Goodell that he had to clarify his basis for the punishment.

The panel, which did not address the merits of the investigation, said it needed to be clear that Goodell's disciplinary decisions in the Saints' cash-for-hits pool pertained exclusively to conduct detrimental to football, and not salary cap violations, which would have to be handled by an arbitrator other than the commissioner.

Berrigan has stated that she found the NFL's disciplinary process unfair and that she would be inclined to grant Vilma at least a temporary restraining order if she believed she had jurisdiction on the matter.

However, Berrigan also has stated that she is hesitant to rule until she is certain the players have exhausted all possible remedies available to them through the NFL's labor agreement. She has further stressed that all parties would be wise to settle the matter out of court, but a federal magistrate has had little success getting meaningful settlement talks moving.

The four players were implicated in what the NFL said was a bounty pool run by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and paid improper cash bonuses for hits that injured opponents. The players have acknowledged a pool but denied they intended to injure anyone. Goodell has been unmoved by the players' distinction regarding intent, outlining several instances in which Williams made notations of player rewards due for hits that knocked opponents out of games.

Williams, now with St. Louis, has cooperated with the league's investigation but is currently suspended indefinitely. Saints head coach Sean Payton is suspended for the season, general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six games. They were punished separately from the players and all are serving out their punishment.

By contrast, the players and their union have put up intense resistance for the past half-year with no sign of letting up.

Even after his suspension was reduced this week, Fujita was harshly critical of Goodell, calling the "condescending tone" of his disciplinary letter unproductive, accusing the commissioner of misusing his power and questioning Goodell's record on player safety.

"The commissioner says he is disappointed in me," Fujita said Wednesday. "The truth is, I'm disappointed in him."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/4-players-file-bounty-appeals-nfl-152814050--nfl.html

frank gore

Bathroom Remodeling Project in Parsippany ? Morris Plains, NJ

Here are some pictures of a bathroom remodeling project we completed in Parsippany ? Morris Plains, in Morris County, NJ. We installed a new shower with ceramic tile and sliding glass doors. There is a new vanity and new ceramic tile floor, and the entrance is new pocket door.

Source: http://www.essexhomeimprovements.com/2012/10/13/bathroom-remodeling-project-in-parsippany-morris-plains-nj/

fox sports

Shuttle X-ing: Endeavour spacecraft slowly winds through L.A.

In retirement, it's crawling along the streets of Los Angeles at a sluggish 2 mph, a pace that rush-hour commuters can sympathize with.

By Alicia Chang,?Associated Press / October 12, 2012

The space shuttle Endeavour sits in a strip mall as a Hawaiian Airlines jet approaches a runway at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 12. Endeavour's 12-mile road trip kicked off shortly before midnight Thursday as it moved from its hangar at the airport en route to the California Science Center, its ultimate destination.

Jae C. Hong/AP

Enlarge

At its prime, the space?shuttle?Endeavour circled the globe at 17,500 mph, faster than a speeding bullet.

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In retirement, it's crawling along the streets of Los Angeles at a sluggish 2 mph, a pace that rush-hour commuters can sympathize with.

Endeavour's two-day, 12-mile road trip to the California Science Center where it will be put on display kicked off early Friday. Rolled on a 160-wheeled carrier, it left from a hangar at the Los Angeles International Airport, passing diamond-shaped "Shuttle?Xing" signs, and reached city streets about two hours later.

Hundreds of spectators, some with pajama-clad children in tow, waited in the predawn darkness. In unison, they held up their cameras and cellphones and gaped as the 170,000-pound Endeavour inched by with its tail towering over streetlights and its wings spanning the roadway.

It made stop-and-go progress, with some halts to check its balance and to prune trees in its path as it crept past strip malls and storefronts.

In a massive feat of parallel parking, the?shuttle?was backed into a shopping center parking lot in the Westchester neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. ? later than expected.

Janet Dion, a family therapist from nearby Manhattan Beach, was in awe as she marveled at Endeavour, its sides weathered by millions of miles in space and two dozen re-entries.

"You can sense the magnitude of where it's been," Dion said, focusing on the heat tiles that protected theshuttle?during the return to Earth.

"It's exciting to see the tiles up close, especially the texture of the tiles," she said. "It's amazing. You can almost feel the fabric of it, like a skin. Like our skin."

Everyone it seemed wanted to pose with Endeavour. Firefighters, police officers and construction workers on duty took turns standing in front of it.

Others saw an opportunity to make a buck. Jason Duran and his friend printed up Endeavour T-shirts and hawked them for $30.

"We're entrepreneurs," he said.

Endeavour will remain at the parking lot for a nine-hour layover as crews worked to widen the carrier so that it could straddle the median during the next part of the trip. It was expected to move again in early afternoon then stop for several more hours to transfer to a special dolly for the cross over the busy Interstate 405 at night.

Ushering a?shuttle?through an urban core is a logistical challenge that took almost a year to plan. Guarded by a security detail reminiscent of a presidential visit, police enforced rolling street and sidewalk closures as early as Thursday night in some locations and discouraged spectators from swarming side streets.

The behemoth transport has caused headaches for shopkeepers along the route who counted on cheering crowds jamming the curbs to boost business.

In the days leading up to Endeavour's move, the owners of Randy's Donuts sold shuttle-shaped pastries emblazoned with the NASA logo and even hung a miniature?shuttle?replica inside the giant doughnut sign visible from the freeway.

Co-owner Larry Weintraub planned to watch the?shuttle?creep by the roadside sign, which has been featured in several movies. But the store, which serves up sweets 24-7, will be closed.

"I'm still excited, but I'm disappointed that people aren't going to be able to stand in the streets and shout 'Yay,'" he said.

Saturday is typically the busiest day for James Fugate, who co-owns Eso Won Books in South Los Angeles. But with Endeavour expected to shuffle through, Fugate braced for a ho-hum day in sales.

"We don't close because we're slow. That's when you pull out a book to read," he said.

The baby of the?shuttle?fleet, Endeavour replaced Challenger, which exploded during liftoff in 1986, killing seven astronauts. It thundered off the launch pad 25 times, orbited Earth nearly 4,700 times and racked up 123 million miles.

Last month, it wowed throngs with a dizzying aerial loop, soaring over the state Capitol, Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood Sign and other California landmarks while strapped to the back of a modified 747 before finally landing at LAX.

The last leg of Endeavour's retirement journey skips the tourist attractions and instead, winds through blue-collar communities in southern Los Angeles County. While viewing will be severely curtailed due to sidewalk shutdowns, crowds are still expected.

Moving the Endeavour required a specialized carrier typically used to haul oil rigs, bridges and heavy equipment. The wheels can spin in any direction, allowing the?shuttle?to zigzag past obstacles. An operator walks alongside, controlling the movements via joystick. Several spotters along the wings are on the lookout for hazards.

To make room for the five-story-tall?shuttle?and its 78-foot wingspan, some 400 trees were chopped down, cable and telephone lines were raised, and steel plates were laid down to protect the streets and underground utilities.

Endeavour will mostly travel on wide boulevards with some boasting as many lanes as a freeway. While there have been advance preparations, there is remaining work to be done during the move, including de-energizing power lines. Southern California Edison warned of outages in the suburb of Inglewood.

One of the trickiest parts involves trundling through a narrow residential street with apartment buildings on both sides. With Endeavour's wings expected to intrude into driveways, residents have been told to stay indoors until the?shuttle?passes.

The route was selected after ruling out other options. Dismantling the?shuttle?would have ruined the delicate heat tiles. Helicoptering it to its destination was not feasible. Neither was crossing on freeways since theshuttle?is too big to fit through the underpasses. The cost of transporting it cross-town was estimated at over $10 million.

As complex as the latest endeavor is, Southern California is no stranger to moving heavy things.

In 1946, Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" aircraft was built in sections and hauled from Culver City to Long Beach, 30 miles away. In 1984, an old United Airlines DC-8, with its wings and tail disassembled, was towed from Long Beach to the science center.

Earlier this year, a two-story-tall chunk of granite was hauled 105 miles from a rock quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/eGBWH67SNP8/Shuttle-X-ing-Endeavour-spacecraft-slowly-winds-through-L.A

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