Unemployment rates fell in 26 US states in March

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Unemployment rates fell in more than half the U.S. states in March even though job growth slowed. Rates fell largely because many of those out of work stopped looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed.

Unemployment rates fell in 26 states, rose in seven and were unchanged in 17.

Only 23 states reported a net gain in hiring in March, the fewest since August 2011. Employers cut jobs in 26 states, and New Mexico reported little change. That was much worse than in February, when 42 states reported job gains.

Nationwide, hiring slowed sharply in March. Employers added only 88,000 jobs, down from an average of 220,000 from November through February. The national unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent, but only because more Americans ended their job searches.

Nevada reported the highest unemployment rate last month, at 9.7 percent. It was followed by Illinois at 9.5 percent and California and Mississippi, both at 9.4 percent. North Carolina had the fifth-highest rate, at 9.2 percent.

Rhode Island's rate has fallen from 10.6 percent to 9.1 percent in the past year. Florida's has dropped from 8.9 percent to 7.5 percent and Michigan's from 9 percent to 8.5 percent.

All those states have added jobs, although in Rhode Island the gain was only 700. But rates have also fallen because fewer people are looking for jobs. When people without jobs stop actively looking for work, the government no longer counts them as unemployed.

Illinois' unemployment rate has risen from 8.8 percent to 9.5 percent, and Mississippi's has jumped from 9 percent to 9.4 percent.

Florida and California reported the biggest job gains in March from February. Florida added 32,700, California 25,500.

Employers in Ohio, though, cut 20,400 jobs, the biggest loss of any state. Illinois reported a loss of 17,800 jobs, the second-largest loss.

North Dakota's unemployment rate of 3.3 percent was the lowest in the nation, followed by Nebraska at 3.8 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-19-State%20Unemployment/id-42fe9c5df55b43b48aef60f5a70dcf8a

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Film Review: Lessons In Forgetting | Mumbai Boss

Director: Unni Vijayan
Cast: Adil Hussain, Roshni Achreja, Maya Tideman, Raghav Chanana
Rating: ?????

The first person that comes to mind on seeing Smriti Krishnamurthy?s body being washed by waves on the beach is Scarlett Keeling, the 15-year-old British tourist who was drugged, raped, beaten and left to die on a beach in Goa in February 2008. While Keeling?s death drew attention to Goa?s seamy underbelly of drug peddlers and dodgy tour guides, the teenaged character in Unni Vijayan?s National Award-winning English film landed on the beach of Minjikapuram after she investigated the practice of female infanticide in the small town in Tamil Nadu.

Solving the mystery surrounding Smriti?s (Maya Tideman) condition becomes a mission for her father J. A. Krishnamurthy aka Jak (Adil Hussain). Krishnamurthy, an academic who moved to Bangalore from the US,?interviews his daughter?s friends one by one. The picture that emerges is of a wilful girl, who unwittingly seduces?and confuses?a lot of boys by her free spirit and liberal style of dressing. Eventually her determination and desire to do good lands her in trouble with the Minjikapuram mafia.

Vijayan?s film, which is based on the eponymous novel by Anita Nair, is as much about infanticide as it is about the relationship between parents and children. Jak, a package of quiet strength and vulnerability well-played as usual by Hussain, discovers his daughter anew in the course of his investigation suggesting that parents are often clueless about their kids. A parallel story involves Jak?s assistant Meera (Roshni Achreja), who has recently been abandoned by her husband. While her son seems sympathetic, her daughter blames her for his actions.

Ultimately however the film leaves you unsatisfied. Meera has little to do with Jak?s story. Her husband?s disappearance is never explained and she doesn?t come across as someone particularly hurt by his loss. She only serves to set the stage for Rishi (Raghav Chanana), a model/actor who figures in both their lives. Consequently her story ends up diffusing Jak?s. The film is also let down by the supporting cast, which, with the exception of Uttara Baokar as Jak?s aunt, puts up a performance more suited to the amateur stage.

Lessons In Forgetting will be screened at PVR Cinemas across the city from Friday, April 19. For details, see here.

Tags: Adil Hussain, Anita Nair, Film, film review, film reviews, Lessons in Forgetting, Maya Tideman, movie reviews, movies, PVR Director's Rare, Raghav Chanana, Roshni Achreja, Unni Vijayan, Uttara Baokar

Source: http://mumbaiboss.com/2013/04/19/film-review-lessons-in-forgetting/

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91% Jurassic Park: An IMAX 3D Experience

All Critics (92) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (92) | Rotten (8) | DVD (38)

The enthralling man-vs.-nature parable based on the late Michael Crichton's best-selling novel hasn't aged one bit.

The 3-D process adds not just dimension but depth - a technological extension of cinematographer Gregg Toland's deep-focus innovations in The Grapes of Wrath and Citizen Kane. The change in perspective creates greater intensity.

I'm a fan of this movie. It is thrilling, and the 3-D treatment is a nice enhancement.

This movie doesn't just stand the test of time, it transcends it.

"Jurassic Park" remains an absolute thrill from a Spielberg in top form: Funny, scary, fast-moving and full of just-right details.

"Jurassic Park" was impressive in 1993. Twenty years later, it's flawless.

Kids who love dinosaurs will love it. And who doesn't?

confirms both Spielberg's mastery of cinematic thrills and the comparatively empty bombast of today's summer tentpole movies, even the better ones.

Jurassic Park shows us a director in transition, and the film captures his transformation in its own kind of cinematic amber.

[The] 3D [conversion] provides the definitive version of this classic film. Jurassic Park has been transformed with with artistry, nuance and sophistication, and it's an absolute must-see during this brief run.

The 3D effects had me nearly jumping out of my seat. Some say Hollywood is converting too many old films to 3D. But, "Jurassic Park" was the perfect choice. There's nothing more fun than sharing a seat with a snapping dinosaur.

Spielberg treats us as he does his characters, leading us into a strange land and expecting us to make it out with all our faculties intact; it's a tall order, given the heart-stopping, bloodcurdling, limbs-numbing excitement packed into the second hour.

It is as if time has passed the movie by. "Jurassic Park" remains solid entertainment, but the awe and wonder have faded.

The thrill of seeing live dinosaurs on screen is not as acute today as it was 20 years ago admittedly, but there is still some 3D awe left in the creations that roared 65 billion years ago...

The 3D isn't pushed on the audience, but it does reveal the amount of depth that Spielberg actually put into the film 20 years ago.

While it's not the most profound of Spielberg's works or the most entertaining from a popcorn perspective, it's one of the most technically flawless movies he's ever produced.

Jurassic Park 3D is like being reunited with an old friend; an old friend that wants to eat you and maul you to death, but still. A classic is reborn in glorious IMAX with a vibrantly stunning use of 3D.

If releasing the film in 3-D is the only way to get it back in theaters, then the gimmick is an acceptable addition. The 3-D is good. But when a movie is this near flawless, nothing is needed to make it better.

The 3D conversion ruins everything, like the comet that killed the dinosaurs, making Jurassic Park the rare amusement I'd prefer to revisit at home.

A beast of a movie is gifted a superfluous-but-superb rouging of the cheeks, offering fanatics something new to study while newcomers will be ruined for any future television airings.

The tasteful Jurassic Park 3D conversion injects new wonder and excitement into one of the most captivating adventure movies ever made.

There is nothing like experiencing this fabulous, larger-than-life, groundbreaking movie where it was meant to be experienced. And in 3D!

This is an immensely entertaining film, as long as you can overlook the many minor flaws that permeate its structure. (Complete Content Details for Parents also available)

But really, what makes "Jurassic Park" great is that it is a Steven-Spielberg-master-class in constructing action set-pieces.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jurassic_park_an_imax_3d_experience_1993/

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The Bar Fight Dominator Is A Slingshot That Shoots Glass Ashtrays

What is there to even say? Joerg Sprave dreamed up a slingshot that shoots glass ashtrays and has a broken beer bottle attached as a bayonet. It's all pretty legit. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rGm87NUpQd0/the-bar-fight-dominator-is-a-slingshot-that-shoots-glass-ashtrays

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Reflections on Brazil's Real Estate Market | Student Travel with the ...

After one week, two cities, fifteen meetings, four site visits, and an ungodly number of caipirinhas, I think our REA/Chazen group has gotten a basic handle on the Brazil real estate market.? From what we?ve seen, it is clear that Brazil continues to develop on the back of a large and young population, a strong consumer culture, and the opening of credit markets.? Yet, the country?s built environment will need to catch up quickly in order to support the next phase of Brazil?s growth and economic development.? In the two cities we visited, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the existing infrastructure, commercial buildings, hotels, etc were clearly being taxed by the growing demands placed on them.? As this process of infrastructure and real estate upgrade takes place, there appear to be significant opportunities for both local and international investors alike.

Brazil?s real estate market is still very much dominated by local developers and investors, although sources of capital for institutional quality real estate are still scarce.? Established sources of real estate capital in other countries, such as pension funds and insurance companies, have not traditionally invested in real estate in Brazil due to the legacy of high bond yields resulting from rampant inflation.? Now, although some of these institutions are moving into real estate investment, the learning curve is extremely steep, with many of these institutions unaccustomed to the private equity promote structures and limited control rights employed by the fund GPs.

By the same token, there has only been limited investment in the Brazil real estate market by international institutions (save for Sam Zell and Equity International, who own or formerly owned significant stakes in several of the most successful Brazilian real estate companies).? ?A few major developers and investors, such as Tishman Speyer, Hines, and GTIS, have penetrated the market.? However, large international institutions have traditionally been at a disadvantage compared to smaller, local players who know the region and can make decisions very quickly.

This dynamic would appear to be changing quickly, though.? First off, the allure of strong returns in the Brazilian market ? several of the companies we talked to spoke of achieving mid-20s IRRs with minimal leverage ? and the growing acceptance of Brazil as a destination for institutional real estate investment should attract foreign capital in significant quantities in the coming years, especially given the low yields in the US and other developed markets.? Secondly, as the local institutions become more sophisticated in their investment strategies, an enormous source of capital for real estate investment will be released.? The continuing development and opening of Brazil?s real estate credit markets will further support the flow of funding to the industry.

Against this backdrop, which of the two cities we visited offers a better investment environment?? I?m glad you asked.? Sao Paulo is clearly the more established business and commercial center of the two cities.? There are several brand new Class A office towers under construction and at the moment office rents are at the same level as those of Midtown Manhattan.? However, the city is a sprawling metropolis and has very few barriers to entry.? The city?s core commercial center seems to shift every few years as new, higher quality offices are built.? The constantly shifting spatial dynamics result in little long term certainty regarding the investment value of a building.? Furthermore, the onslaught of new office supply may be cause for concern if tenant demand cannot keep pace.

Rio, by comparison, has served as more of a leisure destination in recent history.? However, overcrowding in Sao Paulo and the infrastructure investments for the upcoming World Cup and Olympics have been attracting increased commercial demand.? As it stands, there is very limited Class A office property in Rio, and top offices also command prices on par with Midtown given the shortage of supply.? The city is undertaking a redevelopment of an old port, Porto Maravilha, that will provide a sizeable amount of modern commercial development.? The natural constraints on the city imposed by its geography reduce the likelihood of unconstrained development, and the presence of an attractive commercial district following the port redevelopment could provide a big boost to Rio as a real estate investment destination.

??????????????? Thanks for tuning in to the blog.? Hope it has been interesting, informative, insightful and even more.? I?ll leave you with a few pictures from our trip.

James Hoeland ?13

The group meeting with Tishman Speyer
Photo by Andrea Sulyanto

Group shot on the roof of a newly completed building by Tishman Speyer
Photo by Andrea Sulyanto

The building we affectionately called ?The Watermelon?
Photo by Gary Hack

Group shot at an abandoned hotel project
Photo by Andrea Sulyanto

The obligatory Christ the Redeemer shot
Photo by Andrea Sulyanto

Group shot on Sugarloaf Mountain
Photo by Andrea Sulyanto

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Source: http://cbschazenstudenttravel.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/reflections-on-brazils-real-estate-market/

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Hamas Gaza ruler meets Egypt intelligence chief

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's state news agency says the Gaza Strip's Hamas ruler has met with Egypt's intelligence chief to discuss Palestinian reconciliation and the cease-fire between the militant group and Israel.

Ismail Haniyeh's met with Rafaat Shehata on Sunday, a day after arriving in Egypt. Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi mediated a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel last year.

Relations between Egypt and Hamas are high on the agenda. Hamas, a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood ? the group from which Morsi hails ? has come under attack by some in Egypt who accuse it of harboring militants that operate in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is also in Egypt, where the group is expected to choose its next leader. Mashaal is a top candidate for the post.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hamas-gaza-ruler-meets-egypt-intelligence-chief-190516638.html

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Karisma Kapoor's Fitness Secrets | Tips on Food Fitness Life Love

Karisma Kapoor, the gorgeous actress who entertained us with her moves, enviable figure and a beautiful face is married and a mother of two today. She still maintains her drop dead gorgeous looks. How? Well, that no more a celebrity secret.

Karisma is highly inspired by Victoria Beckham. This helped her lose post-pregnancy fat in no time.
Today, Karisma has maintained a fit body and enviable looks just as Victoria Beckham. She eats really healthy. Her favourite cuisines include Japanese food, lots of fish, and chicken. The actress also believes in including a lot of raw vegetables and fruits in her diet.

Karisma believes in maintaining a healthy diet regime and does not starve herself. Today, she keeps a very slim physique. She does this by eating right, exercising occasionally, and running around after her two children.

Karisma Kapoor Diet Chart

Breakfast

? 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with some vegetables

Lunch

? Mango/fruit salad

Snack

? Grilled Sandwich

Or

? Dhokla

Or

Prawns

Supper

? Soup

Dinner

? Chicken breast (no skin, no sauces) and roasted veggies

Karisma believes in eating healthy. She brings variety in her food by introducing vegetable curry and brown rice or steamed fish and chicken in her regular diet chart. The actress also includes 2-3 egg whites in the day to ensure adequate protein intake.

Karisma Kapoor?s Exercise Regimen

Karisma Kapoor has always maintained a fit body. She used to swim a lot during her school days. Today, she maintains the same regime by swimming with her kids during their holidays.

Karisma also likes to practise yoga. She takes long walks the natural way. Karisma prefers to walk in the building and even take the stairs whenever possible.

The actress is not a fan of gyms. In fact, her gym routines are just to maintain a toned body. She has appointed a personal trainer who would help her workout at least 3-4 times in a week.

Today, the actress keeps her children in her priority. However, she believes that her own health and fitness is equally important and works hard for it. She makes it a point to take care of her health, hair, and skin.

Karisma Kapoor?s Fitness Mantra

Eat healthy, workout and live healthy!

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Tags: karishma kapoor diet, karishma kapoor diet and fitness, karishma kapoor diet secrets, karishma kapoor fitness mantra, karishma kapoor fitness routine, karishma kapoor fitness tips, karishma kapoor workout, Karisma Kapoor Fitness, Karisma Kapoor Fitness Secrets

Source: http://www.foodfitnesslifelove.com/health-fitness/karisma-kapoors-fitness-secrets/

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NOvA neutrino detector captures cosmic rays in 3D, aims to unlock the mysteries of the universe

All apologies accepted if you mistook that image above as cover art for Daft Punk's new album -- it's not (although the duo should consider it.). That Tron-ish, equalizer-like graphic is actually a 3D representation of particle activity left behind by cosmic rays interacting within NOvA, the Department of Energy's under construction neutrino detector. It's the first such visual record made possible by the University of Minnesota-operated facility that, when completed, will extend for more than 200 feet underground in an area near the Canadian border and endure regular bombardment by a controlled stream of neutrinos. Beyond its obvious visual appeal, data like this should give physicists at the DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory insight into the nature of neutrinos (some of which are said to have been issued from the Big Bang) and, by extension, the origins of our ever-expanding universe. For now, though, the project's still in the baby steps phase -- only 12 feet of the detector (the currently operational portion) has been successfully built out -- so the reality-shattering, scientific epiphanies will have to wait. Until then, it's all still life as we safely know it.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/4g1kb_JCZqw/

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Loughner's parents hid shotgun from him, slew of new documents show

AFP - Getty Images, file

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

Jared Loughner hadn't been the same since he got fired from a job at a mall?in Tucson, his parents said. He had been expelled from college. After a visit from campus police, his parents decided to hide a shotgun that Loughner owned in the trunk of their car in the garage so he didn't have access to it in the house.

A slew of details about Loughner, 24 -- who has pleaded guilty to killing six people and wounding former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and a dozen others in a Jan. 8, 2011, shooting spree in Tucson -- emerged as authorities investigating the rampage released more than 2,700 pages of documents that they have compiled.

Among the thousands of interviews, police reports and survivors' statements released Wednesday, one theme was constant about Loughner, who has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia: As his father, Randy Loughner, told investigators at the time, he "just doesn't seem right lately."

Loughner was fired more than a year before the shooting, his father told investigators after the shooting, according to the documents. Trying to have a rational conversation with his son became more and more difficult after that, he said.

"Lost, lost and just didn't want to communicate with me," Randy Loughner said.

After Loughner was expelled, things got worse: Randy Loughner said his son felt harassed by campus police, who came to the Loughner home and asked if there were any firearms in the house. Loughner had bought a 12-gauge shotgun in 2008; at the recommendation of Pima Community College campus police, who recommended any firearms be taken away, they hid the shotgun and an antique weapon they owned.

"He had a shotgun. And I took it away," Randy Loughner told police. "They suggested that if I had any firearms, to take them away. And I did."

A former friend of Loughner's, Zachary Osler, was an employee at a store where Loughner later purchased a Glock handgun used in the Tucson rampage. Osler described the awkward encounter he had with Loughner.

"His response is nothing. Just a mute facial expression. And just like, he, he didn't care," Osler told investigators. He said the change in Loughner's personality made him uncomfortable to be around.?

"He would say he could dream and then control what he was doing while he was dreaming," Osler said, adding Loughner never mentioned Giffords in conversation to him.

Loughner's mother, Amy, felt her son's behavior was so odd that she tested him for drugs. Loughner kept a journal that was written in illegible script, his father said. Despite their concerns, Loughner's parents said they never sent him to get help and he had never been diagnosed as mentally ill.

On the morning of the shooting, Loughner's father said his son had been "acting strange." Loughner had taken his father's car early in the morning, returned home briefly, left again, then returned home once more before leaving on foot with a backpack.

Pima County Sheriff's Deputy T. Audetat Jr. wrote in his police report that when he arrived at the scene, he saw a man being held down by "two or three people". He handcuffed the shooter; in the shooter's pocket, in addition to two Glock magazines, fully loaded, he found a folding knife and a credit card and ID card, he said.?

He described what the shooter was wearing: black beanie, black hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants. Another deputy noticed he was wearing earplugs, he wrote in his report.

One of the victims of the shooting outside the Safeway supermarket, Ronald Barber, told police of the rampage, "I was laying on my right side and I could see the blood coming out. You know, and, uh, and all I remember is seeing the congresswoman with her back to me, on her side. On her right side, uh, with her head up against the window, you know, of the Safeway. And Daniel, um, who is our intern, saying, 'Stay with me, congresswoman, stay with me.'"

Once in the patrol car, Loughner pleaded the Fifth Amendment repeatedly, Deputy Audetat wrote. At the police station, Loughner said very little besides,?"I just want you to know that I'm the only person that knew about this," according to the deputy.

In his four-hour interview with authorities following the morning rampage, Loughner sat in restraints and was polite and cooperative with authorities, documents show. He asked to use the restroom at one point, saying thank you when he was permitted to. Although after a while he complained, "I'm about ready to fall over."

Loughner will spend the rest of his life behind bars but is not eligible for the death penalty because of his plea deal in the case. Giffords retired from her position in Congress a year after the shooting to focus on her recovery.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a10a1f2/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C270C174885290Eloughners0Eparents0Ehid0Eshotgun0Efrom0Ehim0Eslew0Eof0Enew0Edocuments0Eshow0Dlite/story01.htm

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Petraeus apologizes for affair that led to CIA resignation

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Former CIA director and retired four-star general General David Petraeus makes his first public speech since resigning as CIA director at University of Southern California dinner for students Veterans and ROTC students on March 26.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

David Petraeus apologized Tuesday for the extramarital affair that led to his resignation?as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency last November in his first public speech since then.

Petraeus was invited a year ago -- before the scandal broke -- to be the keynote speaker before 600 guests at the University of Southern California annual ROTC dinner.

The retired four-star general has remained out of the public eye since the revelations of the affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, but decided to keep this appointment.

??It truly is a privilege to be here with you this evening -- all the more so given my personal journey over the past five months,? he said. ?I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago ? I'm also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing,? he said Tuesday night.

?So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret and apologize for the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters,? he added.

Petraeus then stressed that the evening was ?not about me,? but the cadets, active duty military and veterans from USC and efforts to support them.

ISAF via Reuters file

Meet the people who have been pulled into the scandal that caused Gen. David Petraeus to resign.

He said that the post 9/11 generation of veterans deserved to be known as America?s greatest generation. More could and should be done to help veterans, particularly those with physical injuries and mental health problems, he argued.

'Instructive' to others who stumble
The general said that hanging up the uniform and leaving comrades behind was difficult, and returned to the reasons for his departure at the end of his speech.

?As I close, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you as well to those who provided words of encouragement to my family and me in recent months. That support meant a great deal as we sought to look forward rather than backward,? Petraeus said.

?This has obviously been a very difficult episode for us. But perhaps my experience can be instructive to others who stumble or indeed fall as far as I did. One learns, after all, that life doesn't stop with such a mistake. It can, and must, go on,? he said.

?And the effort to move forward over the rocky path of one's making is vital, inescapable, and ultimately worth it,? he added. ?I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and a number of others. I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings, and as best possible to make amends to those I have hurt and let down, and that is what I will strive to do.?

The discovery of Petraeus? affair came after another woman, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, complained to the FBI that she was receiving harassing emails from Broadwell.

The ensuing bureau investigation revealed a string of emails indicating an affair between Petraeus and Broadwell.

In a letter to the CIA workforce announcing his decision to step down last fall, Petraeus acknowledged "extremely poor judgment" and said, "such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."

Days after the high-profile resignation, President Barack Obama announced there was no reason to believe the ex-CIA director compromised national security or divulged classified information to Broadwell, who had unprecedented access to the general while writing his biography.

And supporters like Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., maintained that the personal transgression should not have led to Petraeus' departure.

With the former high-profile military leader's resignation came the end of a nearly four-decade career in the military and intelligence.

As a commander in the U.S. Army, Petraeus was largely credited with salvaging the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and helping develop U.S. counterinsurgency strategy.

He was one of the most popular military commanders in modern history, and was talk about as a future presidential candidate.

Tuesday's speech may mark the beginning of attempts by the 60-year-old Petraeus to rebuild his image. His appearance in front of former and future members of the armed services made for a friendly audience.

USC president C. L. Max Nikias praised Petraeus ahead of his appearance at the university.?

?In our post 9/11 world, Gen. Petraeus? influence on our military is unmatched, and his contributions to the CIA are far-reaching,? Nikias said.

?Gen. Petraeus is arguably the most effective military commander since Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower,? he added.

NBC News' Denise Ono and Ian Johnston contributed to this report.

Related:

David Petraeus: Battlefield 'hero' and savvy Washington insider

'I screwed up royally,' Petraeus writes to old Army chum

Jill Kelley speaks out: 'I knew I was being stalked'

This story was originally published on Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:25 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a0830ca/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C270C174776420Epetraeus0Eapologizes0Efor0Eaffair0Ethat0Eled0Eto0Ecia0Eresignation0Dlite/story01.htm

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North Korea says it has cut key military hotline

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Raising tensions with South Korea yet again, North Korea cut a military hotline that has been essential in operating the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation: an industrial complex in the North that employs hundreds of workers from the South.

There was no immediate word about what cutting one of the few remaining official North-South links would mean for South Korean workers who were at the Kaesong industrial complex. When the link was last cut, in 2009, many South Koreans were stranded in the North.

The hotline shutdown is the latest of many threats and provocative actions from North Korea, which is angry over U.S.-South Korean military drills and recent U.N. sanctions punishing it for its Feb. 12 nuclear test. In a statement announcing the shutdown, the North repeated its claim that war may break out any moment.

Outside North Korea, Pyongyang's actions are seen in part as an effort to spur dormant diplomatic talks to wrest outside aid, and to strengthen internal loyalty to young leader Kim Jong Un and build up his military credentials.

South Korean officials said that about 750 South Koreans were in Kaesong on Wednesday, and that the two Koreas had normal communications earlier in the day over the hotline when South Korean workers traveled back and forth to the factory park as scheduled.

Workers at Kaesong could also be contacted directly by phone from South Korea on Wednesday.

A South Korean worker for Pyxis, a company that produces jewelry cases at Kaesong, said in a phone interview that he was worried about a possible delay in production if cross-border travel is banned again.

"That would make it hard for us to bring in materials and ship out new products," said the worker, who wouldn't provide his name because of company rules.

The worker, who has been in Kaesong since Monday, said he wasn't scared.

"It's all right. I've worked and lived with tension here for eight years now. I'm used to it," he said.

Pyongyang's action was announced in a message that North Korea's chief delegate to inter-Korean military talks sent to his South Korean counterpart.

Seoul's Unification Ministry called the move an "unhelpful measure for the safe operation of the Kaesong complex."

North Korea recently cut a Red Cross hotline with South Korea and another with the U.S.-led U.N. command at the border between the Koreas. The Unification Ministry said only three telephone hotlines remain between the North and South, and those are used only for exchanging information about air traffic.

Kaesong is operated in North Korea with South Korean money and know-how and a mostly North Korean work force. It provides badly needed hard currency in North Korea, where many face food shortages.

Other examples of joint inter-Korean cooperation have come and gone. The recently ended five-year tenure of hard-line South Korean President Lee Myung-bak saw North-South relations plunge. Lee ended an essentially no-strings-attached aid policy to the North.

North Korea last cut the Kaesong line in 2009, as a protest to that year's South Korean-U.S. military drills. North Korea refused several times to let South Korean workers commute to and from their jobs, leaving hundreds stranded in North Korea. The country restored the hotline and reopened the border crossing more than a week later, after the drills were over.

Shinwon Group, a South Korean apparel maker with a factory at Kaesong, said it would call its workers on Thursday morning to check on them. Shinwon's South Korean employees stay in Kaesong for two weeks before returning to Seoul. Workers at Kaesong talked by phone with the Seoul office Wednesday morning, but there was nothing unusual about the call, said spokesman Lee Eun-suk.

Lee said that the last time the phone line was cut off between Kaesong and Seoul, it was "inconvenient" but did not affect business.

North Korea's actions have been accompanied by threatening rhetoric, including a vow to launch a nuclear strike against the United States and a repeat of its nearly two-decade-old threat to reduce Seoul to a "sea of fire." Outside weapons analysts, however, have seen no proof that the country has mastered the technology needed to build a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile.

In a sign of heightened anxiety, Seoul briefly bolstered its anti-infiltration defense posture after a South Korean border guard hurled a hand grenade and opened fire at a moving object several hours before sunrise Wednesday. South Korean troops later searched the area but found no signs of infiltration, and officials believe the guard may have seen a wild animal, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.

___

AP writers Sam Kim and Youkyung Lee contributed to this report from Seoul.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-says-cut-key-military-hotline-104813809.html

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Trees used to create recyclable, efficient solar cell

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Solar cells are just like leaves, capturing the sunlight and turning it into energy. It's fitting that they can now be made partially from trees.

Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University researchers have developed efficient solar cells using natural substrates derived from plants such as trees. Just as importantly, by fabricating them on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates, the solar cells can be quickly recycled in water at the end of their lifecycle.

The technology is published in the journal Scientific Reports, the latest open-access journal from the Nature Publishing Group.

The researchers report that the organic solar cells reach a power conversion efficiency of 2.7 percent, an unprecedented figure for cells on substrates derived from renewable raw materials. The CNC substrates on which the solar cells are fabricated are optically transparent, enabling light to pass through them before being absorbed by a very thin layer of an organic semiconductor. During the recycling process, the solar cells are simply immersed in water at room temperature. Within only minutes, the CNC substrate dissolves and the solar cell can be separated easily into its major components.

Georgia Tech College of Engineering Professor Bernard Kippelen led the study and says his team's project opens the door for a truly recyclable, sustainable and renewable solar cell technology.

"The development and performance of organic substrates in solar technology continues to improve, providing engineers with a good indication of future applications," said Kippelen, who is also the director of Georgia Tech's Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE). "But organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle."

To date, organic solar cells have been typically fabricated on glass or plastic. Neither is easily recyclable, and petroleum-based substrates are not very eco-friendly. For instance, if cells fabricated on glass were to break during manufacturing or installation, the useless materials would be difficult to dispose of. Paper substrates are better for the environment, but have shown limited performance because of high surface roughness or porosity. However, cellulose nanomaterials made from wood are green, renewable and sustainable. The substrates have a low surface roughness of only about two nanometers.

"Our next steps will be to work toward improving the power conversion efficiency over 10 percent, levels similar to solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates," said Kippelen. The group plans to achieve this by optimizing the optical properties of the solar cell's electrode.

Purdue School of Materials Engineering associate professor Jeffrey Youngblood collaborated with Kippelen on the research.

A provisional patent on the technology has been filed with the U.S. Patent Office.

There's also another positive impact of using natural products to create cellulose nanomaterials. The nation's forest product industry projects that tens of millions of tons of them could be produced once large-scale production begins, potentially in the next five years.

The research is the latest project by COPE, which studies the use and development of printed electronics. Last year the center created the first-ever completely plastic solar cell.

This research was funded in part through the Center for Interface Science: Solar Electric Materials, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001084 (Y.Z., J.S., C.F., A.D.), by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant No. FA9550-09-1-0418) (J. H.), by the Office of Naval Research (Grant No. N00014-04-1-0313) (T.K., B.K.), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture -Forest Service (Grant No. 12-JV-11111122-098). Funding for CNC substrate processing was provided by USDA-Forest Service (Grant No. 11-JV-11111129-118) (R.J.M., J.P.Y., J.L.). The authors thank Rick Reiner and Alan Rudie from the U.S. Forest Service- Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) for providing CNC materials.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Yinhua Zhou, Canek Fuentes-Hernandez, Talha M. Khan, Jen-Chieh Liu, James Hsu, Jae Won Shim, Amir Dindar, Jeffrey P. Youngblood, Robert J. Moon, Bernard Kippelen. Recyclable organic solar cells on cellulose nanocrystal substrates. Scientific Reports, 2013; 3 DOI: 10.1038/srep01536

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/matter_energy/electronics/~3/3eP5hoGrcgI/130326111958.htm

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You need to comment on Jim?s post! (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/294522916?client_source=feed&format=rss

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One on One, Anyone?

First and foremost:
I have an extremely twisted way of storytelling. I like Horror, Drama, Mystery, Realistic, and Romance all wrapped into one! I?m not exactly one for fluffy romance, but that doesn?t mean I won?t do it I just prefer dark and twisted!

A little about my RP style:
I prefer playing female roles, but I don?t mind doubling and playing a male and female role as long as you?re willing to do the same. I?m dedicated and won?t bail after two or three post (Please note though that I do have a job and a life so I may not be able to post nine times a day.). I can write long posts up to 500 words or as little as 100, I?ll give you the same amount of effort you give me?or I?ll try my hardest. I put a lot of thought into my plots as well as my characters, so please respect that and don?t bail on me!

What I?m not fond of:
(but, that doesn?t mean I won?t do it!)
-Vampires themes
-Zombies themes
-Werewolves themes
-Mafia themes
-Anime images (I prefer real images)
-Kidnapping themes
- Insane asylums
~I just feel like these objects are kind of over done?~

What I would love to do:
(Something with these type of themes anyways)
- Dealing with the loss of a loved one
- Elements of Drugs & Alcohol
- Elements of Murder
- Gothic Romance theme
- Post Apocalyptic theme
- Dangerous Love triangle
- Destructive, abusive, and tragic relationships elements
- Bad boy, good girl theme (Yes, yes it?s over done but still)
- RPs based of a song (music is power full and each song creates a story)

There you have it, I am willing to do a one on one or maybe even a small group! Hopefully I pecked your interest! PM me with some themes or any of the ideas you liked and we can discuss a plot line together!

hope to hear from you soon!

"I'll miss the winter, A world of fragile things, Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree, I know you hear me,I can taste it in your tears." -My Last Breath, Evanescence

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/EBUfATG0jnA/viewtopic.php

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Kandi Burruss: Suing Kim Zolciak Over Rights to Awful Song

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/kandi-burruss-suing-kim-zolciak-over-rights-to-awful-song/

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Cryptic clams: Biologists find species hiding in plain view

Mar. 12, 2013 ? Cryptic comments seem to have an ambiguous, obscure or hidden meaning. In biology, cryptic species are outwardly indistinguishable groups whose differences are hidden inside their genes.

Two University of Michigan marine biologists have identified three cryptic species of tiny clams, long believed to be members of the same species, which have been hiding in plain view along the rocky shores of southern Australia for millions of years.

The unusual convergence of a climate-cooling event and the peculiarities of local geography caused the three cryptic species to split from a common ancestor more than 10 million years ago, the U-M researchers propose in a paper to be published next month in the journal Molecular Ecology.

The U-M scientists conducted a genetic analysis after collecting thousands of the crevice-dwelling, rice grain-sized clams from hundreds of miles of southern Australia coastline over the past decade. Their findings provide insights about the forces that shape evolution and solve a puzzle that has stumped marine biologists for decades.

"This study provides important clues about how marine regional biotas can evolve, including our observation that these processes can involve major global climate change modulated by local geography," Jingchun Li, lead author of the report and a doctoral student in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Li conducted the research as part of her dissertation with co-author Diarmaid O'Foighil, Li's adviser and director of the U-M Museum of Zoology.

"You cannot tell them apart physically, but their genes indicate that their evolutionary divergence predates that of humans from chimpanzees," O'Foighil said of the three clam groups, which are currently classified as members of the same species, Lasaea australis.

Australia's southern coastline is home to three evolutionarily distinct assemblages of marine species known as biogeographic provinces. Each province contains hundreds of species of invertebrates, fish, algae and other organisms, and there are substantial differences between the species living in each province.

Here's the riddle that has perplexed biologists for decades: How did these three distinct biogeographic provinces evolve along a continuous coastline? The emergence of new species often begins when gene flow between populations is reduced or eliminated. This type of genetic isolation happened routinely throughout evolutionary history when populations became physically separated -- when a new physical barrier such as a mountain or a river split the geographic range of a species, for example.

But what force could drive speciation along an unbroken coastline with no obvious barriers to gene flow?

The genetic analysis by Li and O'Foighil, which is backed by evidence from the fossil record, shows that the three cryptic clam species began splitting away from a common ancestor 13 or 14 million years ago.

That's about the same time that a major climate-cooling event called the middle Miocene climate transition permanently lowered sea-surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific Ocean -- including the southern coast of Australia -- by 10.8 to 12.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Li and O'Foighil propose that the cooling event partitioned Australia's southern coastline into three zones with a cool region, including the present-day southeastern state of Victoria and the island of Tasmania, flanked on either side by two relatively warm ones.

The emergence of three temperature zones created opportunities for local adaptation that isolated the organisms living within each zone. That isolation led, in turn, to the evolution of the three biogeographic provinces seen today, according to Li and O'Foighil.

In their study, Li and O'Foighil showed that each of the three cryptic clam species is found in only one of the three biogeographic provinces.

"I know of no other case where you start out with one marine biota, then a climate-change event results in the generation of three biotas from that one," O'Foighil said. "A key finding of the study is that relatively ancient climate-change events can shape marine biotas."

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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/strange_science/~3/kpL2Fr5It2M/130312121847.htm

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Mo. golfer survives mid-round Illinois sinkhole

Mar 11 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 2. Tiger Woods $2,671,600 3. Matt Kuchar $2,055,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,491,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 11. Charles Howell III $1,238,219 12. Brian Gay $1,171,721 13. Jason Day $1,080,664 14. Chris Kirk $1,004,053 15. Keegan Bradley $976,993 16. Josh Teater $883,229 17. Bill Haas $876,800 18. Scott Piercy $868,592 19. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mo-golfer-survives-mid-round-illinois-sinkhole-131852702--spt.html

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Knowledge is power when it comes to online security : Tech Digest

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Forewarned is forearmed when it comes to protection against online security threats. This is why Symantec Website Security Solutions has created an easy-to-follow Malware Infographic to raise awareness about the hazards posed by malicious software; and to provide tips to avoid the pitfalls.

Online threats

Malware is malicious software which damages, disables or disrupts computers and computer systems, usually to gain access to sensitive material such as passwords and financial details; or even to gain control of the computer itself.

It is a wide term that covers not only computer viruses like Trojan horses (which pretend to be useful software until after installation), worms (which replicate themselves and can spread through people's email address books) and spyware (which secretly records and transmits the activities of a computer back to fraudsters).

Unfortunately, the number of malware attacks is increasing, with Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report in April 2012 revealing it had blocked more than 5.5 billion malware attacks in 2011, an 81% increase compared to 2010. Be informed, stay safe and share the knowledge It also identified 403 million new variants of malware in 2011, a 41% increase on 2010.

Be informed, stay safe and share the knowledge According to the Malware

Infographic, 61% of malicious sites which spread malware are just regular websites that have been compromised while 36% of websites scanned by Symantec are vulnerable to the risk of malware. This makes the threats to businesses both difficult to identify and numerous.

However, the infographic also shows where the majority of these malware threats come from as well as gives advice about how to exercise precaution when online and receiving unsolicited emails; making it an indispensible guide to help the savvy web user keep their computer and website malware-free.

One piece of advice outlined is to only share sensitive information online where there is a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) padlock in the browser's address bar. The padlock means that a web user can be confident that the website has up-to-date SSL Certificates, is also protected with a strong encryption, assessed for vulnerability and scanned daily for malware.

There are also handy links to share the infographic, either through embedding it onto a business webpage to spread the message further, or via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn; so that family, friends and colleagues can be armed with the information to protect themselves while they go online. Symantec releases a regular Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) - next volume to be released shortly. Keep an eye out for these in order to help you stay up to date with key developments.

?

From Symantec Website Security Solutions

Source: http://www.techdigest.tv/2013/03/knowledge_is_po.html

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