Lewis says he's 'agitated,' not angry, about story

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. Lewis denied a report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. Lewis denied a report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. Lewis denied a report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis walks onstage to speak at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Ray Lewis is "agitated."

Not because the Baltimore Ravens linebacker thinks the magazine report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers will affect his play or that of his teammates against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl ? the final game of a 17-year NFL career that most assume will earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rather, Lewis did not want to spend time discussing the subject in private with his head coach or in public with the media, as he did Wednesday, when his forceful denials ? and attacks on the owner of the supplement company ? meant the matter intruded for a second consecutive day on his retirement send-off.

"It's so funny of a story, because I never, ever took what he says or whatever I was supposed to do. And it's just sad, once again, that someone can have this much attention on a stage this big, where the dreams are really real," Lewis said, wearing his white No. 52 Ravens jersey, gray sweat pants and a black hat with the team's purple logo. "I don't need it. My teammates don't need it. The 49ers don't need it. Nobody needs it."

He smiled widely when the first question at his media session was about the topic ? surely, he figured it was coming ? then chuckled later while addressing it. Known for his frequent references to God and faith, Lewis called the whole episode a "joke" and a "trick of the devil," adding that he told teammates: "Don't let people from the outside ever come and try to disturb what's inside."

Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that Lewis sought help from a company called Sports With Alternatives To Steroids (SWATS), which says its deer-antler spray and pills contain a naturally occurring banned product connected to human growth hormone. The 37-year-old Lewis, the MVP of the 2001 Super Bowl, is the leading tackler in the NFL postseason after returning from a torn right triceps that sidelined him for 10 games.

SI reported that company owner Mitch Ross recorded a call with Lewis hours after the player hurt his arm in an October game against Dallas. According to the report, Lewis asked Ross to send him deer-antler spray and pills, along with other items made by the company.

On Wednesday, Lewis called Ross a coward and said he "has no credibility."

Ross declined an interview request from The Associated Press but emailed a statement reading: "It is the view of SWATS and Mitch Ross that the timing of information was unfortunate and misleading and was in no way intended to harm any athlete. We have always been about aiding athletes to heal faster and participate at an optimum level of play in a lawful and healthy manner. We never encourage the use of harmful supplements and/or dangerous drugs."

Told by a reporter that he seemed angry, Lewis replied: "Me? Never angry. I'm too blessed to be stressed. Nah. You're not angry. You can use a different word. You can use the word 'agitated,' because I'm here to win the Super Bowl. I'm not here to entertain somebody that does not affect that one way or another."

Christopher Key, a co-owner of SWATS, said in a telephone interview that the company removed NFL players' endorsements from its website because "all the players were given letters by the NFL two years ago saying they had to cease and desist and could not continue to do business with us anymore."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that but did not respond to other requests for comment about SWATS or Lewis' involvement.

Teammates uniformly pushed the same message as Lewis and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh ? "Everybody heard about it, but we're not worried about it," is the way rookie running back Bernard Pierce put it ? and several said NFL players often are offered products to aid in muscle-building or recovery.

"You've got to be real careful. You've got to think there's a reason they're giving you this product," Pierce said. "If someone has success, another person wants to be mentioned in that ? like, 'Oh, I'm the reason for that.' If anybody tries to give me anything or tries to sell me on their stuff, I say, 'Go right to my agent.'"

Wary of using something that has no real benefit ? or, worse, that would result in a positive drug test administered by the league ? players seek approval first from the NFL, the union, or a team trainer or doctor.

"I've been approached," Baltimore nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu said. "They'll come to me and they tell me, 'This will help you with recovery and all that.' I say, 'OK. I appreciate it.' And then I will call the NFL."

Another athlete mentioned in the SI story, three-time golf major champion Vijay Singh, released a statement Wednesday at the Phoenix Open, acknowledging he used deer-antler spray and saying he wasn't aware that it may contain a substance banned by the PGA Tour.

Sports Illustrated reported that when it spoke to Lewis for its story, he acknowledged asking Ross for "some more of the regular stuff" on the night of the injury and that he has been associated with the company "for a couple years."

Lewis' stance was different Wednesday.

"He told me there's nothing to it. ... He's told us in the past, he's told us now, that he's never taken any of that stuff, ever," Harbaugh said. "And I believe Ray. I trust Ray completely. We have a relationship. I know this man. And I know what he's all about. It's just too bad it has to be something that gets so much play."

While Lewis did face a handful of questions about SWATS, plus some on-field topics, he never had to deal Wednesday with a single reference to a dark chapter in his life: He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing deaths of two men after a Super Bowl party at an Atlanta nightclub in 2000.

"We all in here have a past. You know? But how many people actually dwell into it? You know? Nah, it ain't about your past. It's about your future," Lewis said in response to a question about keeping focused on Sunday's game.

"And for me and my teammates, I promise you, we have a strong group of men that we don't bend too much, and we keep pushing forward. So it's not a distraction at all for us," he said, raising a clenched fist.

"The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do. There's no man ever trained as hard as our team has trained. There's no man that's went through what we went through," Lewis said. "So to give somebody credit that doesn't deserve credit, that would be a slap in the face for everything we went through."

Asked about deer-antler spray, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis' take was, "I don't think Ray would take any substance."

Carlos Rogers, a San Francisco cornerback, chuckled when asked about it and what effect the headlines could have on the Ravens.

"I don't think they'll get a distraction. I don't know what to make of that. I heard it was something that can't be detected. They can't test (for) it, anyway," Rogers said. "Him saying that he's never failed a test, he probably hasn't failed a test for what they test for."

Boasting that "you will never fail a drug test from taking our product," SWATS co-owner Key said the company has sold its products to more than 20 college football players each at Southeastern Conference schools Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, LSU and Georgia.

Alabama has sent two cease-and-desist letters to SWATS, university spokeswoman Debbie Lane said, adding: "UA has been aware of this situation for some time, and we have monitored this company for several years." Auburn and LSU representatives also said they have asked the company to stay away from students.

___

AP Sports Writer John Zenor in Tuscaloosa, Ala., contributed to this report.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-31-Super%20Bowl-Lewis/id-cbceff7de42542e5b488733e15520576

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Rights group: 65 found shot in head in Syria

Thomas Rassloff/EPA

Locals gather at the banks of a small canal containg the bodies of dozens of people on Jan. 29 in Aleppo, Syria.

By Alexander Dziadosz and Oliver Holmes, Reuters

BEIRUT ? At least 65 people, apparently shot in the head, were found dead with their hands bound in a district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday, a pro-opposition monitoring group said.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll could rise as high as 80 in what it called a "new massacre."

It was not clear who carried out the killings.

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Photos posted online by activists showed the muddied bodies of about a dozen men lying by a small river in what they said was the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo.

Close-up shots of some of the corpses showed they had what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the head.

Government forces and rebels in Syria have both been accused by human rights groups of carrying out summary executions in the 22-month-old conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives.

Rebels pushed into Aleppo, Syria's most populous city, over the summer, but have been stuck in a stalemate with government forces. The city is divided roughly in half between the two sides.

Related:

PhotoBlog: Syrian rebels take fight into Damascus

Syrian refugees: 'We escaped death'

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16752712-rights-group-at-least-65-people-found-bound-shot-in-head-in-syria-massacre?lite

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'2-D' electronic devices, may be possible: Fine patterns made with single-atom-thick graphene and boron nitride

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rice University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

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

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

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

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

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Engineers use evolution to improve solar cell design

1 day

TechNewsDaily

Scientists are using principles of natural selection to evolve a more efficient solar cell.

Engineers at Northwestern University wrote a computer program that "mates" design elements and assesses the fitness of their "offspring" to come up with the most efficient possible organic solar cell. Organic solar cells are made with the so-called organic elements ? carbon, oxygen and nitrogen ? and are cheaper to make, lighter and more flexible than the traditional silicon cells available in solar panels today.

Organic cells aren't as efficient at turning the sun's energy into electricity as silicon cells, however. Many research groups are working to improve organic solar cells' efficiency. If they work well, such cells could go into? electricity-producing windows ?or clothes.

In their work, the Northwestern researchers focused on the top layer of an organic solar cell, called the scattering layer, which traps photons from sunlight. They wanted a scattering layer that would hold photos for a greater amount of time.

"We wanted to determine the geometry for the scattering layer that would give us optimal performance," Cheng Sun, a mechanical engineer and one of the creators of the new organic solar cell,? said in a statement. "But with so many possibilities, it's difficult to know where to start, so we looked to laws of natural selection to guide us."

Sun and his colleagues' program simulated more than 20 generations of matings to come up with their final design. The program also mimicked the biological processes of mutation and an exchange of traits called crossing over.

The resulting design traps photons for three times as long as the Yablonovitch Limit, which describes how long a photon is likely to stay in a semiconducting material. Researchers have only been able to reach and break the Yablonovitch Limit in the last few years.?

The engineers? published their work ?Jan. 3 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily, or on Facebook.

Copyright 2013 TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/engineersscientists-evolve-super-efficient-solar-cell-1C8124835

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Mercosur to unblock talks, EU trade chief sees U.S. negotiations

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - The European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur will exchange offers on opening up their markets by the end of this year, the EU's trade chief said on Saturday as both sides try to unblock long-stalled free-trade negotiations.

"A tremendous effort has been made to install new momentum into the discussions," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told Reuters in an interview.

De Gucht, who handles trade issues for the 27 nations of the European Union, also signaled he expected Europe and the United States to go ahead with talks on a possible free-trade accord.

(Reporting by Robin Emmott; editing by Helen Popper)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mercosur-unblock-talks-eu-trade-chief-sees-u-225140705--finance.html

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Create a ?Dinner Party in a Box? for easy entertaining at home ...

It?s the New Year and I couldn?t be more excited. 2013 will be a year full of successes, trying new things and most importantly, spending time with family and friends. I don?t know about you, but I often struggle to balance my career with my social life, and try to squeeze in time in with the people who are most important to me.?Well not this year! My resolution is to entertain at home more often in order to spend more quality time with my loved ones. The best way for me to do this is to plan ahead for an easy night in. For some people, hosting comes naturally. Others, like me, need a little help. Now, when I want to have people over, I can just grab this box and sift through the contents to get the party planning juices flowing. Think of this as a dinner party preparedness kit.

?

Here?s how I created a ?dinner party in a box.?

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1. Grab an old shoe box or a box you have stored in a closet somewhere. Wrap it, including the lid, with colorful or festive paper.?Really make it your own!


2. Make a list of the supplies you?ll need to host your dinner party. Invitations, menus, place cards, recipe cards, placemats, etc. can all be created at FedEx Office?. I chose a few of my own templates, uploaded them through Print Online, and picked them up at my local FedEx Office.


3. Next, choose a recipe. My go-to is spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and a side salad, and?print it on recipe cards so your guests know what to expect for the evening?s meal. Since I love to try new recipes, I ordered a few extra recipe cards to pass out to my friends while they?re over so we can test out new dishes. Then your dinner party doubles as a recipe swap!

?

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4. Lastly, and most importantly, enjoy yourself. Planning this way couldn?t be easier.?For your next party, pick a new color to write with, try a few new recipes, and invite more people! It?s as easy as that.

I hope this idea allows you to spend extra time with family and friends this year and makes hosting evenings like these a snap. Be sure to let me know if you come up with some super recipes and as always, I would love to hear your entertaining tips!

?

Jamie is a Marketing Account Executive working for FedEx Office. Her favorite things to do in her free time are ?playing catch with her sweet dog Luna,?traveling with her husband Mark, reading, being crafty by painting, decorating, entertaining friends and experimenting with fun DIY projects.?

Source: http://www.outofoffice.fedex.mediacdt.com/blog/create-%E2%80%9Cdinner-party-box%E2%80%9D-easy-entertaining-home

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Volunteer Candidates Sought for Utility Customer Review Panel

City looking for residents to guide the development of a strategic plan

The Seattle City Council and Mayor are looking for nine volunteers to serve on a Customer Review Panel that will provide feedback and guidance during the new Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Strategic Planning Process.

This year, Seattle Public Utilities will be developing a comprehensive Strategic Business Plan, similar to the one created by Seattle City Light to guide its investments, service levels and rate path over the next six years.

The primary goal of the Strategic Business Plan is to provide direction for all of SPU?s business lines (water, drainage, wastewater and solid waste services) that reflects customer values, provides rate predictability and results in the best value for customer dollars.

?Seattle residents rely on SPU for a wide array of services. And we are always working to deliver those services as efficiently and effectively as possible,? said Mayor Mike McGinn. ?I will look to this panel to help us deliver the best possible services for our customers.?

?Customers? feedback on rates and services will be at the forefront of the strategic planning effort.? I encourage Seattleites to apply,? said Councilmember Jean Godden Chair of the Libraries, Utilities and Center Committee.

The Customer Review Panel will guide development of the strategic plan, allowing residents and rate payers to provide leadership and guidance on priorities, direction and the future goals of SPU.

The Panel will meet bi-monthly between March 2013 and December 2014.? The Panel will not continue to meet after the strategic plan is complete.

Specific Panel Duties include the following:

1. Gaining a working knowledge of SPU services, financial policies, costs and rates;
2. Reviewing the plan?s assumptions, technical evaluations, policy directions, and action alternatives;
3. Working closely with staff to understand the issues and challenges;
4. Providing advice to the Mayor and Council on the Strategic Business Plan concurrent with delivery of the final proposed plan to Council;
5. Assisting the Mayor and Council in engaging customers in discussions of the merits and implications of the Strategic Business Plan.

Requirements:? Service on the Committee will require a significant investment of time to learn about Seattle Public Utilities four lines of business (water, drainage, wastewater, and solid waste services) and in depth bi-monthly meetings between March 2013 and December 2014. Candidates should have an interest in learning about SPU?s services and a commitment to the customers of SPU, including considering rates, fees, and utility services from the customer perspective.

Interested candidates should send a brief paragraph of interest (no more than 300 words) to Diane Clausen to Diane.Clausen@seattle.gov by 5 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2013.? Of the nine positions five are Mayoral appointments and four are appointed by the Council.

Source: http://atyourservice.seattle.gov/2013/01/23/volunteer-candidates-sought-for-utility-customer-review-panel/

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'Death Wish' director Michael Winner dies aged 77 | Showbiz | GMA ...

LONDON- Flamboyant British film director Michael Winner, best known for the "Death Wish" series of the 1970s and 80s, died at his London home on Monday. He was 77.

In a statement released to the media, his wife Geraldine said: "A light has gone out in my life."

Winner, who reinvented himself in recent years as an outspoken restaurant critic in the Sunday Times, had been ill for some time, and revealed last summer that specialists had given him 18 months to live due to heart and liver problems.

He said in a later interview that he had considered going to the Dignitas assisted-dying clinic in Switzerland.

Winner's movie career spanned some 40 years and more than 30 feature films, including the successful Death Wish series starring Charles Bronson as a vigilante out to avenge family murders.

He worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including Marlon Brando, Robert Mitchum and Faye Dunaway, but his success was overshadowed by a divisive image in Britain as a pompous bon viveur who did nothing to hide his wealth.

According to Winner's official online biography, actor Michael Caine once said of him: "You are a complete and utter fraud. You come on like a bombastic, ill-tempered monster. It's not the side I see of you. I see a man who has a tremendous artistic eye."

In its obituary, the Daily Telegrah wrote: "Flamboyant, often boorish, he was, in many ways, his own worst enemy."

Early interest in showbusiness

Born in London in 1935, Winner took an early interest in showbusiness, writing an entertainment column aged just 14 which was published in 30 local newspapers.

According to his website, he studied law and economics at Cambridge University and worked as a film critic as a teenager before entering the world of movies full time in 1956 when he started marking documentaries and shorts.

In the 1960s Winner focused on comedies like "The Jokers" and "I'll Never Forget What's 'Isname", both of which starred Oliver Reed.

The following decade he moved on to crime capers like "The Mechanic" and "The Stone Killer" before the commercially successful Death Wish, which was released in 1974 and spawned several sequels.

The original movie proved controversial for its portrayal of urban violence, but Winner defended a film he always knew he would be best remembered for.

"Death Wish was an epoch-making film," he told the Big Issue charity publication last year. "The first film in the history of cinema where the hero kills other civilians.

"It had never been done before. Since then it has been the most copied film ever. Tarantino put it in his top 10 films ever made."

He later turned his hand to food criticism in a typically outspoken column for the Sunday Times called Winner's Dinners. His last column appeared on Dec. 2 and was titled: "Geraldine says it's time to get down from the table. Goodbye."

Winner, whose appearance in adverts for insurance coined the catchphrase "Calm down dear, it's only a commercial", founded and funded the Police Memorial Trust following the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984.

More than 50 officers have been honored by the trust at sites across the country.

He was reportedly offered an OBE in the Queen's honors' list in 2006 for the campaign, but turned it down, saying: "An OBE is what you get if you clean the toilets well at King's Cross station." ? Reuters

Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/291385/showbiz/showbizabroad/death-wish-director-michael-winner-dies-aged-77

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Bolshoi ballet chief has surgery after acid attack

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 18, 2000 file photo, Sergei Filin as Albrecht and Nina Ananiashvili as Giselle perform a tragic scene during a dress rehearsal of the Bolshoi Ballet's United States premiere of "Giselle" at The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in New York. Filin was attacked in Moscow on Thursday night, Jan. 17, 2013, by an unknown person who splashed acid onto his face. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 18, 2000 file photo, Sergei Filin as Albrecht and Nina Ananiashvili as Giselle perform a tragic scene during a dress rehearsal of the Bolshoi Ballet's United States premiere of "Giselle" at The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, in New York. Filin was attacked in Moscow on Thursday night, Jan. 17, 2013, by an unknown person who splashed acid onto his face. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 file photo, Sergei Filin, center, poses with members of the Bolshoi Theater company involved in the Sleeping Beauty ballet, after a rehearsal, in the Bolshoi Theater that underwent renovation, in Moscow, Russia. A Moscow police said Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, that Filin, an artistic director at the legendary Bolshoi Theater, was attacked Thursday night by a man who splashed acid onto his face as the 43-year-old former dancer came out of his car outside his home in central Moscow. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 file photo, then, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, speaks with choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, center, and Bolshoi ballet art director Sergei Filin as he attends the premiere of Sleeping Beauty in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. Filin was attacked Thursday night, Jan. 17, 2013, by an unknown person who splashed acid onto his face. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service, File )

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 file photo, fireworks are seen during the re-opening of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. The Moscow police said Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, that artistic director at the legendary Bolshoi Theater Sergei Filin was attacked Thursday night by a man who splashed acid onto his face as the 43-year-old former dancer came out of his car outside his home in central Moscow. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 file photo the Bolshoi Theater Sergei Filin artistic director visits a gala opening of the Bolshoi in Moscow, Russia. The Moscow police said Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, that artistic director at the legendary Bolshoi Theater Sergei Filin was attacked Thursday night by a man who splashed acid onto his face as the 43-year-old former dancer came out of his car outside his home in central Moscow. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Vladimir Rodionov, Presidential Press Service, File)

MOSCOW (AP) ? An acid attack on the artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet has shone the spotlight on the fierce "Black Swan" -like competition for starring roles at the famed Russian dance company.

The attack on Sergei Filin could be in retaliation for his selection of certain dancers over others for the prized roles, his colleagues said Friday. They expressed fears that Filin, a 42-year-old former Bolshoi star, could be left partially blind after a masked assailant threw acid in his face as he returned home in Moscow late Thursday.

Filin suffered third-degree burns on his face and underwent eye surgery Friday evening to try to save his sight, Bolshoi spokeswoman Katerina Novikova said. Doctors said his right eye was badly burned and it would not be clear for days whether the operation was a success.

The Bolshoi Theater is one of Russia's premier cultural institutions, best known for "Swan Lake" and the other grand classical ballets that grace its Moscow stage. But backstage, the ballet company has been troubled by deep intrigue and infighting that have led to the departure of several artistic directors over the last few years.

The Bolshoi's general director, Anatoly Iksanov, said he believes the attack was linked to Filin's work.

"He is a man of principle and never compromised," Iksanov said on Channel One state television. "If he believed that this or that dancer was not ready or was unable to perform this or that part, he would turn them down."

The fierce competition for roles in classical ballet was highlighted in the 2010 Oscar-winning film "Black Swan." In the psychological thriller, dancers played by Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis vie to prove to the artistic director that only they should be chosen to perform as the sensual Black Swan.

Anastasia Volochkova, a former Bolshoi ballerina who danced with Filin, described a "terrible, wild fight" for roles at the Bolshoi.

"The cruelty of the ballet world is astoundingly pathological," Volochkova said in an interview on Ekho Moskvy radio.

She said Filin had done nothing to deserve such an attack. "Of course, this position is sweet," the former ballerina said. "The director of the ballet decides everything: the amount of grants given to every artist, or perhaps not given, who will dance which roles and who will not dance them."

Novikova, the Bolshoi spokeswoman, also appeared to confirm that a disagreement over dancing roles may have played a part in the attack.

"We never imagined that a war for roles ? not for real estate or for oil ? could reach this level of crime," Novikova said on Channel One.

Filin knew that someone was threatening him or trying to undermine his position, Iksanov said, explaining that Filin's car tires had been slashed this week and he was targeted earlier this month by hackers who had posted his professional correspondence online.

"He said, 'I have a feeling that I am on the front lines,'" Iksanov quoted Filin as telling him Thursday before the attack.

Filin, speaking from a hospital bed, said he was unable to recognize his attacker, who wore a hood and either a mask or a scarf so that only his eyes were visible.

"I got scared and I thought he was going to shoot me," Filin, his face and head covered with white bandages, told REN TV. "I turned around to run, but he raced ahead of me."

The attacker then fled the scene. Police, who spoke with Filin in the hospital, said they were working to determine the attacker's identity. Blurry video of the attack from a closed-circuit camera was shown on state television.

The attack left Bolshoi management jittery. Iksanov later Friday backed away from the suggestion that it was linked to Filin's casting decisions, and Channel One deleted his statement from its reports.

Filin, who danced for the Bolshoi from 1989 until 2007, was appointed artistic director of the Bolshoi's ballet company in March 2011. Before that, he served as artistic director at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, Moscow's second ballet company.

He is the sixth artistic director at the Bolshoi since Yuri Grigorovich, who led the dance company for three decades, resigned in 1995 after losing a protracted dispute with theater management. Successive artistic directors have been unable to overcome the resistance from dancers and teachers still loyal to Grigorovich as they tried to inject new life into the company. But Filin was seen as capable of bridging that gap, since he was a Bolshoi veteran who later brought modern works to Moscow's second ballet company.

Yet several stars at the Bolshoi, including celebrated dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, have complained about what they called Filin's unfair treatment of dancers at the theater.

In a newspaper interview Friday, Tsiskaridze said the attack on Filin was most likely related to either his love life or his control over the lavish government funds allocated to the theater.

Alexei Ratmansky, the Bolshoi ballet's artistic director from 2004 until 2008, described an atmosphere of intrigue at the dance company.

"What happened with Sergei Filin was not accidental," Ratmansky, now an artist-in-residence at the American Ballet Theater, posted on his Facebook page. "The Bolshoi has many ills. It's a disgusting cesspool, of those developing friendships with the artists, the speculators and scalpers, the half-crazy fans ready to bite the throats of the rivals of their favorites, the cynical hackers, the lies in the press and the scandalous interviews of staff.

"This is all one snowball caused by the lack of any ethics at the theater."

But Bolshoi dancers Svetlana Zakharova and Yan Godovsky downplayed the tensions at the company, saying there were disagreements but not "on this scale." Zakharova, a prima ballerina, teared up when speaking about Filin.

"We've just realized that the job of a Bolshoi Theater director is a very dangerous one," she said.

Shortly after Filin's appointment, two soloists left the theater in protest. Also around that time, ballet company manager Gennady Yanin quit after erotic photographs of him were posted online in what appeared to be an effort to push him aside.

"The Bolshoi Theater is no isolated island," theater critic Alla Gerber, a cultural adviser to the Kremlin, said on a television talk show devoted to the attack. "It has absorbed all of the horrors happening in Russia."

---

Mansur Mirovalev contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-18-Russia-Bolshoi/id-ce8f114cbd6e4c6a9ac0fcec0a88c158

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Startup Battlefield Applications Are Open For TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013

It's time! Startup Battlefield Applications are now open for TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013. Disrupt NY will take place on April 29th through May 1st at our new venue, the Manhattan Center. Last year, UberConference was the breakout star of the New York Battlefield companies and walked away with $50,000, the coveted Disrupt Cup, and more press and headlines than they could have ever imagined. Join the ranks of previous Battlefield companies like Mint, Yammer, Dropbox, Fitbit and more.

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Report: NBA relocation committee met about Kings sale

by KING 5 News

KING5.com

Posted on January 14, 2013 at 12:10 PM

The NBA?s relocation committee met in a conference call last week to discuss details about the potential sale of the Sacramento Kings and their move to Seattle.

Yahoo! Sports reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who broke the story last week that a deal between the Maloof family and the Seattle group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, reported Monday that the call took place last Tuesday ? one day before the report came out.

Sources tell Yahoo! That the call detailed ?a non-binding set of deal points? for a $525 million sale.

The relocation committee includes several NBA owners and is headed by Clay Bennett, the man who bought the Seattle SuperSonics in 2006 and moved them to Oklahoma City two years later.

There have been reports that the Maloofs wanted to maintain some stake in ownership, but that the Seattle group wants them out.

NBA TV analyst David Aldridge reported Monday he believes that, regardless of reports that the Maloofs may sell to new, local owners, the Kings will end up in Seattle. He suggests that Hansen might have been waiting for the Seahawks season to end because he didn?t want to upstage the football team.

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Source: http://www.king5.com/home/Report-NBA-relocation-committee-met-about-Kings-sale-186834622.html

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Gun lobby: Congress doesn't have the muscle to pass gun control

Nearly a month after the massacre of 27 people in Newtown, Conn., lawmakers on Capitol Hill are dialing back expectations on what Congress can ? or should ? do on its own to curb gun violence.

After initial expressions of outrage, lawmakers and the White House are getting down to counting votes on what can actually be achieved on Capitol Hill, where limits on gun rights have has been a taboo for more than a decade.

On Sunday, top gun lobbyists predicted that there?s not enough support in Congress for a new ban on assault weapons and that even curbs on high-capacity magazine clips were in doubt.

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?When a president takes all the power of his office, if he?s willing to expend political capital, you don?t want to make predictions,? said David Keene, president of the National Rifle Association, on CNN?s ?State of the Union.?

?But I would say that the likelihood is that they?re not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through the Congress,? he added.

Since the Sandy Hook shootings, gun sales and request for background checks have spiked, in anticipation of new curbs on guns. The NRA reports that it has gained 100,000 new members since the Dec. 14 shootings and expects to soon top 5 million members.

There's a window for action after incidents like the Sandy Hook shootings, and that window is beginning to close, says Julian Zelizer, a congressional historian at Princeton University in Princeton, N. J. "Memories of the shooting start to fade, the NRA starts to be more comfortable, reformers start to back off and they are much more timid."

"If Obama wants to do something, he has to make this front and center, because it's getting harder by the day," he adds.

Vice President Joe Biden, who met last week with a wide range of interest groups on gun violence, is expected to deliver recommendations to the president on Tuesday.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are proposing measures to renew the assault weapons ban, limit the size of high-capacity magazine clips, require universal background checks, increase mental health screenings, and pressure Hollywood and the video game industry to dial back the violence.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia electrified the pro-gun control community when he announced that the slaughter of children at Sandy Hook ?changed me,? and called on his ?friends in the NRA? to be ?at the table? on preventing gun violence.

But his main focus in appearances on Sunday talk shows was to assure gun owners that Congress will not rein in gun rights.

?I would tell all of my friends in the NRA, I will work extremely hard and I will guarantee you that there will not be an encroachment on your Second Amendment rights,? he said on ABC?s ?This Week.?

?An assault weapons standalone ban on just guns alone will not go anywhere in the political reality we are in,? Senator Manchin said on CNN?s ?State of the Union.? It has to be a ?comprehensive approach,? he added, including mental health and video violence. The issues is not guns, he said, it?s a ?culture of mass violence.?

The assault weapons ban passed mainly with Democratic votes in 1994 contributed to the GOP takeover of the House (for the first time in 40 years) in November elections that year. The loss of pro-gun Democratic voters in states like West Virginia also helped sink Al Gore?s presidential bid in 2000. It?s been a toxic issue for most Democrats ever since.

Most Republicans still oppose curbs on gun rights. ?We obviously have a situation where crazy people, deranged individuals are having access to guns,? said Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona on CBS?s ?Face the Nation? on Sunday. But ?just taking guns away from people? is not the answer, he added.

Meanwhile, Democrats are proposing administrative measures that the White House can take on its own to rein in gun violence. Senior Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee wrote to Vice President Biden on Jan. 11, urging him to include a recommendation in his report to increase research on gun-related violence. Since 1997, House appropriations laws have included language to bar the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using funds ?to advocate or promote gun control," language which has had a chilling impact on studies of gun violence, they say.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) of Connecticut on Friday called on the Obama administration to ensure that all federal agencies are providing needed records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check system. "Many federal agencies still do not report the necessary information to the database," he wrote in a letter to Vice President Biden.

Also on Friday, Sens. Tom Harkin (D) of Iowa and Al Franken (D) of Minnesota, called on the Obama administration to use executive powers to expand access to mental health and substance abuse services.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) of Maryland told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that "it's going to be very difficult" to revive the assault weapons ban. But there's a better chance of winning agreement on universal background checks and limits on high-capacity magazines, he added.

But even such measures are now in doubt, says Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America on ?Fox News Sunday.? "We don't think that there is much likelihood that the Congress is going to move on making gun-control laws worse than they are.?

Last week, Roll Call reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, launched an e-mail petition drive to support the president to take up the gun issue, a new version of the 2012 ?Have His Back? campaign.

?We hear from the White House that they are going to lay down political capital on this issue,? says Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, speaking on "Fox News Sunday."

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-lobby-congress-doesnt-muscle-pass-gun-control-202436760.html

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BMW Wants To Make Your Next Car A Truly Mobile 4G LTE Hotspot

BMW has rolled out a new feature that will let riders stay connected, by adding 4G LTE WiFi connectivity to its cars. BMW owners will be able to buy an optional hotspot that connects with the car and can use its antenna to provide blazing-fast wireless Internet speeds.

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'Lincoln,' 'Life of Pi,' top Oscar nominations

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

The Academy Awards are a lively, high-spirited event, but many of the films nominated Thursday morning feature grim topics. From the waterboarding of "Zero Dark Thirty" to the desperation and revolution of "Les Miserables," movies this time around were rewarded for tackling dark subject matter with skill. Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" led all comers with 12 nominations, with Ang Lee's?"Life of Pi" next with 11.

Up to 10 films can be nominated in the best picture category, and this year, nine were chosen. "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Amour" were three of the lesser-known titles making the cut. "Zero Dark Thirty," "Lincoln," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Django Unchained" and "Argo" were among the other films in the best picture category.

The best actress category offers a chance for history, as it features both the oldest (Emmanuelle Riva, 85, for "Amour") and youngest (Quvenzhane Wallis, now 9, for "Beasts of the Southern Wild") nominees ever. Tatum O'Neal, 10, won the best supporting actress award for "Paper Moon" in 1974. But Jessica Chastain is likely to be favored in that category for her role as a CIA agent in "Zero Dark Thirty." Also nominated there are Naomi Watts for "The Impossible" and Jennifer Lawrence for "Silver Linings Playbook."

Many of the names Oscar watchers expected to hear were indeed called. Anne Hathaway was figured early on to be a favorite in the best supporting actress category for her role as Fantine, who sells her body, hair and teeth to save her daughter in the adaptation of the beloved stage musical. She's nominated, as is Sally Field, who plays Mary Todd Lincoln in "Lincoln," another expected name. Others in the category are Jacki Weaver for "Silver Linings Playbook," Helen Hunt for "The Sessions," and Amy Adams for "The Master."

Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays the title role in "Lincoln," will likely be named a favorite in the best actor category. Also nominated there were Hugh Jackman for "Les Miserables," Denzel Washington for "Flight," Bradley Cooper for "Silver Linings Playbook" and Joaquin Phoenix for "The Master." Phoenix was snubbed in the same category by the Screen Actors Guild award nominations.

Christoph Waltz was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as a dentist turned bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained." Waltz won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2010 for his role in another Tarantino film, "Inglourious Basterds." Also nominated in his category: Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Master," Robert DeNiro for "Silver Linings Playbook," Tommy Lee Jones for "Lincoln" and Alan Arkin for "Argo."

Tarantino himself was not named in the best director category, nor was Ben Affleck, whom many expected to see there for his work on "Argo." Steven Spielberg was nominated for "Lincoln," Ang Lee for "Life of Pi," David O. Russell for "Silver Linings Playbook," Michael Haneke for "Amour" and Benh Zeitlin for "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

In past years, the best original song category has been shrunk to as few as two nominees, but this year it was filled out with five. "Skyfall," singer Adele's song for the latest James Bond movie, is the best-known of the group. She'll compete against "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice" (a documentary about climate change), "Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi," "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables" and "Everybody Needs a Best Friend," from "Ted."

Oscar host Seth MacFarlane and actress Emma Stone read the nominations, and MacFarlane, who stars in and directed "Ted," was notably pleased that a song from his film was included. "That's kinda cool," MacFarlane said. "I get to go to the Oscars now."

Animated fim nominees are "Wreck-It Ralph," "Frankenweenie," "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," "Brave" and "Paranorman."

The Academy Awards ceremony will be held Feb. 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/01/10/16446994-lincoln-life-of-pi-top-oscar-nominations?lite

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Tim Cook heads to China again, meets with government officials

For the second time in less than a year Apple head Tim Cook has taken a trip across the Pacific and headed to China. What exactly the purpose of his visit is and what's on his schedule is a bit of a mystery, but it does appear he met with Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The two likely discussed the country's broader tech efforts, as well as Apple's operations which Cook toured back in March. With the communist republic becoming increasingly important to Apple's bottom line -- accounting for $23.8 billion in revenue in 2012 -- we wouldn't be shocked to see trips to the far east become a regular part of the CEO's schedule.

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TV documentary features presidents' staff chiefs

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) ? Makers of a Discovery network documentary on presidential chiefs of staff have a perfect participation record.

All 19 living men who had that job gave interviews for "The Presidents' Gatekeepers." The four-hour documentary is expected to air in two parts early this summer.

Filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet (naw-DAY) said Saturday that their well-regarded previous documentary on the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York was a calling card that probably helped them convince some former chiefs to participate.

Chris Whipple, formerly of ABC News, and ex-White House photographer David Hume Kennerly are also producers.

Their longest interview was with former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was President Gerald Ford's chief of staff in the 1970s.

Cheney said a chief is more powerful than a vice president.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-05-US-TV-Discovery-Gatekeepers/id-47361730f53345d3824defa82c48045d

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Passing the trash ing K-12 Schools - Laurie Lima

Around the 10-year anniversary of his first book, ?The Lecherous University: What Every Student and Parent Should Know about the Epidemic of Sexual Harassment on Campus,? lead author Charles Hobson, Ph.D., decided the book?s second edition should include a chapter about the problem in K-12 schools.

But, when the Indiana University Northwest Professor of Management set out to research the topic, he said, the information he discovered was so unspeakably shocking that the topic begged a book all its own.

?Doing the background research for what I was planning to have as just a chapter,? Hobson said, ?I ran into some statistics that I had never seen or heard before that were so shocking, I said, ?Somebody has to do something about this.??

The resulting book, ?Passing the Trash: A Parent?s Guide to Combat Sexual Abuse/Harassment of Their Children in School,? published by CreateSpace in the fall of 2012, educates readers about the alarming frequency of sexual abuse and harassment in K-12 education and provides advice to help parents protect their children and hold the appropriate leaders and institutions accountable.

Hobson said three studies prompted his fervor about releasing a book devoted to the problem of sexual abuse and harassment in K-12 education.

First, a 2004 report by the U.S. Department of Education estimated that nearly 4.5 million (almost 10 percent) of students will have been sexually abused or harassed by an educator sometime between kindergarten and 12^th?grade.

Second, Hobson learned from a 2010 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress about the frequency of a silent practice happening in schools known as ?passing the trash,? in which sexual offenders are encouraged to resign voluntarily in exchange for the school providing positive letters of reference and not reporting incidents to police or taking any disciplinary action.

Finally, Hobson learned from a 2001 national survey by the American Association of University Women that 81 percent of students in grades 8 through 11 had experienced sexual harassment at school and that 38 percent of the respondents said that teachers (and other school employees) sexually harass students.

Despite having his own children in the K-12 system for 25 years, Hobson said that he, like most parents, was unaware of the problem of sexual abuse/harassment in the schools and had never heard of the ?unconscionable passing-the-trash practice.? Hobson has two grown children, two step-children ages 14 and 12, and a 7-year-old grandson. As a parent, Hobson said the research infuriated him so much that he had trouble sleeping at night.

?I had naively assumed that incidence rates of this problem would be low for two major reasons,? he explained. ?First, given that any sexual contact between a teacher and a young student would constitute a criminal offense, I assumed such sexual misconduct would be minimal.? Second, since K-12 schools typically have close and direct control over students, I believed this would also reduce the likelihood of educator sexual misconduct.?

Once enlightened about the problem, Hobson felt compelled to pen a guide specifically aimed at parents.

Hobson asked his 7-year-old grandson to illustrate the cover of the book. He wanted to portray a child?s view of what is supposed to be a safe environment. The crayon rendering of a school and school bus has the word ?danger? stamped over it to emphasize Hobson?s point.

?I wanted to convey a common, simple, innocent, upbeat image of a school, overshadowed or interrupted by an ominous signal of danger,? Hobson said.

Hobson wants parents to get riled up and take action against this problem.

To help them do that, Hobson?s book provides conversation starters and sample letters that parents can customize when talking with administrators. He outlines the rights of parents and children and provides guidance on steps to take. As a parent, he used them with his own district?s school boards while advocating for his own kids.

Hobson said the book does not ?sugar coat? the problem or the culprits.

?Criminal culpability rests not only with the child sexual predators, but also with school administrators, union officials, and teachers who have enabled the abuse by failing to report it, as required by law,? Hobson said.

?I provide parents with aggressive strategies to confront school officials and teachers, in order to ensure the safety of their children. I also provide detailed information about how to file and document complaints with government agencies and law enforcement.?

Rochelle Brock, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Urban Education and Director of the Urban Teacher Education Program at IU Northwest, applauded Hobson?s effort to empower parents through knowledge and said that she intends to recommend the guide to her students.

Brock agreed that, ultimately, parents are the ones who will have to take action. Like Hobson, she had never heard the term ?passing the trash? before, but she acknowledged that many teachers and administrators have a tendency to ?bury their heads in the sand,? not only about sexual harassment and abuse, but also other social problems such as suicide and bullying about sexual preferences.

?Passing the Trash: A Parent?s Guide to Combat Sexual Abuse/Harassment of Their Children in School,? is available at Amazon.com both in hard copy and in a Kindle version.

Hobson holds a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. He has served as an expert witness in 39 court cases involving workplace and educational sexual abuse and harassment. Hobson has offered training and consultation services to organizations wishing to prevent and correct any abuse or harassment, and he has spent his 31-year-career at IU Northwest as an outspoken advocate for student rights.

Source: http://laurielima.blogspot.com/2013/01/passing-trash-ing-k-12-schools.html

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Try Editing Your Vimeo Masterpieces On This Monstrosity of Analog Film

Digital video editing has been so engrained in our collective techno-consciousness, that it seems absurd that film was once—actually—film, and movies had to be assembled by hand on a huge table like this. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/aUBWqLuSyGs/try-editing-your-vimeo-masterpieces-on-this-monstrosity-of-analog-film

eastbay

Relive the Paralympics' Most Inspiring Moment of the Year

During an oddly jokey statement at the White House as the fiscal deadline bore down Monday afternoon, President Obama said, "I'm going to be president for the next four years. I?hope." He was warning Republicans that, yes, they'd have to deal with him for a while. But it was, to be sure, a strange moment. Could he actually have been joking about assassination? About impeachment? The?apocalypse? Or has everyone just had enough of these negotiations??

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/relive-paralympics-most-inspiring-moment-161255474.html

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FDA approves 1st new tuberculosis drug in 40 years

FILE - This July 19, 2002 file photo shows the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer, File)

FILE - This July 19, 2002 file photo shows the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades.

The agency approved J&J's pill, Sirturo, for use with older drugs to fight a hard-to-treat strain of tuberculosis that has not responded to other medications. However, the agency cautioned that the drug carries risks of potentially deadly heart problems and should be prescribed carefully by doctors.

Roughly one-third of the world's population is estimated to be infected with the bacteria causing tuberculosis. The disease is rare in the U.S., but kills about 1.4 million people a year worldwide. Of those, about 150,000 succumb to the increasingly common drug-resistant forms of the disease. About 60 percent of all cases are concentrated in China, India, Russia and Eastern Europe.

Sirturo, known chemically as bedaquiline, is the first medicine specifically designed for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. That's a form of the disease that cannot be treated with at least two of the four primary antibiotics used for tuberculosis.

The standard drugs used to fight the disease were developed in the 1950s and 1960s.

"The antibiotics used to treat it have been around for at least 40 years and so the bacterium has become more and more resistant to what we have," said Chrispin Kambili, global medical affairs leader for J&J's Janssen division.

The drug carries a boxed warning indicating that it can interfere with the heart's electrical activity, potentially leading to fatal heart rhythms.

"Sirturo provides much-needed treatment for patients who have don't have other therapeutic options available," said Edward Cox, director of the FDA's antibacterial drugs office. "However, because the drug also carries some significant risks, doctors should make sure they use it appropriately and only in patients who don't have other treatment options."

Nine patients taking Sirturo died in company testing compared with two patients taking a placebo. Five of the deaths in the Sirturo group seemed to be related to tuberculosis, but no explanation was apparent for the remaining four.

Despite the deaths, the FDA approved the drug under its accelerated approval program, which allows the agency to clear innovative drugs based on promising preliminary results.

Last week, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen criticized that approach, noting the drug's outstanding safety issues.

"The fact that bedaquiline is part of a new class of drug means that an increased level of scrutiny should be required for its approval," the group states. "But the FDA had not yet answered concerns related to unexplained increases in toxicity and death in patients getting the drug."

The FDA said it approved the drug based on two mid-stage studies enrolling 440 patients taking Sirturo. Both studies were designed to measure how long it takes patients to be free of tuberculosis.

Results from the first trial showed most patients taking Sirturo plus older drugs were cured after 83 days, compared with 125 days for those taking a placebo plus older drugs. The second study showed most Sirturo patients were cured after 57 days.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-31-FDA%20Approval-Tuberculosis/id-9aacd160703243699718f6784ed6ea81

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