Ex UBS trader Adoboli denies fraud, faces trial

LONDON?? Former UBS trader Kweku Adoboli will stand trial in September after pleading not guilty on Monday to charges related to the loss of more than $2 billion on trades the Swiss bank says were unauthorized.

The trial, which is likely to shine a searching light on the adequacy of the bank's management and risk controls, could land Adoboli with a maximum 10-year jail sentence if convicted of the two counts of fraud and two of false accounting.

His lawyer Paul Garlick said Adoboli, who worked for the bank as a director of exchange traded funds in London, where the trial is being held, would try to win bail before it starts on September 3, nearly a year after his arrest.

The losses led to the resignation of UBS's former chief executive Oswald Gruebel and a shake-up of its investment arm to cut its exposure to risk.

Judge Alistair McCreath said the case was "of such magnitude" that there would have to be a long gap between the plea hearing and the start of the trial.

"An earlier trial would simply not be possible," he said.

Dressed in a grey suit and blue tie, Adoboli sat in the glass and wood-paneled dock at Southwark Crown Court, taking notes on a piece of paper. He thanked the judge before being led from the dock and back into custody at the end of the hearing.

Adoboli, the British-educated son of a retired United Nations official from Ghana, was arrested on September 15 and charged a day later.

"This puts the focus back on UBS, which is negative," said one banking analyst, who asked not to be named. "They did not provide a lot of detail about what happened, but a trial does mean more details on their risk systems and on their internal investigation will have to come out."

The case rocked an industry struggling with the euro zone debt crisis and a global economic slowdown.

UBS itself came close to collapse during the 2008 financial crisis because of its exposure to bad loans in the mortgage market. It cut thousands of jobs and received a state bailout.

Its recovery was then threatened by a U.S. government clampdown on banks helping Americans to dodge taxes.

In a statement after Monday's hearing, UBS said in a statement: "With active criminal proceedings, English criminal law limits what we can say about this incident, therefore UBS will not be commenting."

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46187939/ns/business-world_business/

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iVoices: Is Mitt Romney Too Rich To Be President?

Will Romney's income or taxes have an impact on the way voters view him? iVoice Jim Higley says neither would affect his vote.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/ivoices-mitt-romney-too-rich-be-president/1-h-423661?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aivoices-mitt-romney-too-rich-be-president-423661

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Earth's 'missing energy' not lost after all

Scientists have determined that Earth's "missing energy" isn't missing after all.

Earth's primary energy source is the sun, which bombards the planet with solar rays every day. This energy helps drive our weather system, makes the planet warm enough for life and drives photosynthesis in plants, among other things. But not all of this energy is retained by the Earth ? some of it is reflected or radiated back into space.

By studying the amount of solar energy absorbed by the atmosphere, and comparing it to the energy released back into space by the planet, a team of researchers has calculated how much energy is retained by the planet. Most of the energy is held within the oceans as heat; the influx causes a slow rise in temperature.

Missing or not?
A previous study, released by a different group in 2010, noted that the ocean heating from 2004 to 2008 seemed to slow. This led them to suggest that some of the planet's energy was missing.

But the new team, led by Norman Leob of NASA's Langley Research Center, re-examined the numbers measured over the course of the last decade and found them to be relatively stable.

Loeb's team maintained that the margin of error was larger than the original study took into account.

"One of the things we wanted to do was a more rigorous analysis of the uncertainties," Loeb said in a statement. "When we did that, we found the conclusion of missing energy in the system isn't really supported by the data."

Looking for what was lost
Using a decade's worth of data collected by the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE), the team determined the amount of energy absorbed from the sun. They then subtracted the energy reflected back into space, as well as the energy emitted by the Earth, using the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES).

The energy left over is trapped somewhere on Earth. Less than 10 percent of it heats the land and atmosphere, and melts snow and ice, while the rest heats the ocean.

The original study found that the Earth's temperature, which had been steadily rising, slowed its pace. But the new study notes that the methods for measuring characteristics of the ocean shifted in 2003.

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When accounting for the margin of error of both methods employed, the new study states that the apparent decline is "not statistically significant, nor is it observed by CERES."

Currently, data on the ocean is collected via the Argo program, which has dropped more than 3,000 floats in saltwater around the world. As the floats sink and rise, they measure the temperature and salt content of the water up to a depth of 1.25 miles (2,000 meters).

"Our data show that Earth has been accumulating heat in the ocean at a rate of half a watt per square meter (10.8 square feet), with no sign of a decline," Loeb said.

? 2012 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46194231/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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The Most Powerful Body In Finance And What They Mean To You ...

My Dear Friends,

I was interviewed today concerning the most powerful body in the financial world that now holds in its hands the near future of all markets, from currencies to commodities, based on a single edict to be given.

The interview is being processed and should be posted here later this evening.

This organization supersedes all governments and central banks today in terms of the financial power they edict. This organization can have a greater impact on your pocketbook than the FASB did when they killed "true value" accounting.

This body is made up of the key players of the five largest banks in the USA and other countries. This body by their actions this week will guarantee QE to infinity.

This is relevant to all your assets, yes all. If you have the time listen to it please. If you don?t have the time listen to it please. If you don?t listen to it do not blame me when all hell breaks loose six months from now.

Not one word about this body was on the airwaves today, yet this group by a simple decision rules the financial plant. They will be making this edict in just a few days. They have to do it again this year. It is then that you know what will hit the fan.

I feel this is it for jsmineset.com tonight. I do not want to write another word and detract from the revelations you will hear.

Your financial future, even if you have never heard of them, is in this organization?s hands. Check in later for the interview. If you don?t check in your finances might just check out.

Please remember you have been informed of this impending edict as a service to the community.

Respectfully,
Jim

Source: http://www.jsmineset.com/2012/01/30/the-most-powerful-body-in-finance-and-what-they-mean-to-you/

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Putin puts state capitalism first for Russia (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seeking to renew his hold on power after unprecedented street protests, set out an economic agenda on Monday that puts state capitalism at the heart of a bid to boost Russia's global competitiveness.

In a 5,000-word newspaper article, the third in a series he has written ahead of a March 4 presidential election, Putin defended his record while acknowledging Russia needed to adapt in a period of "cardinal change" in the global economy.

"We are seeing how countries, whose position seemed invulnerable only yesterday, are yielding to those that not long ago were regarded with haughty disdain," he wrote in the Vedomosti financial daily.

"In such conditions it is important to secure the stable and gradual development of our economy, and as far as possible to protect our citizens from blows delivered by crises, while resolutely and quickly renewing all aspects of economic life."

Readers of Vedomosti's online edition were critical of Putin, who has run Russia for the past 12 years as two-term president and then premier.

"Dear Pu, we've had enough of your slogans. Twelve years of absolute power should be enough to show some results," wrote a person who signed in as AVTor, getting 109 'likes' from readers.

Putin said his government had been right to reassert control over the energy sector, an indirect reference to the breakup of Russia's largest oil firm, Yukos, whose assets were largely bought up by state-controlled Rosneft and whose owner, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was jailed for tax evasion and fraud.

The article, Putin's broadest discourse on how he would run the economy should he be elected for a six-year term, also identifies continuing dependency on natural resources and de-industrialization as Russia's greatest economic weaknesses.

But the steps he proposes to modernize the $1.5 trillion economy lack detail, are in part contradictory and make only a vague commitment to deliver on past privatization pledges.

Putin is the clear front-runner to win the presidential election, but the popular mood has shifted in Russia after tens of thousands of protesters turned out to protest alleged ballot fraud in a December parliamentary election.

Critics, who have branded Putin's ruling party a band of "crooks and thieves," plan to turn out again in force on February 4 to demand wide-ranging electoral reforms aimed at breaking the 59-year-old premier's de facto monopoly on power.

OPEN ECONOMY

In the 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has become "an organic part of the world economy," but is still exposed to commodity-price swings, reliant on imports of consumer goods and plagued by capital flight, Putin wrote.

Russia, as a member of the World Trade Organization, should open up to global competition and become a leader in sectors like pharmaceuticals, composite materials, aerospace and communications technology.

But Putin also defended his support for an active industrial policy, saying: "Private capital will not voluntarily enter new sectors as it does not want to bear elevated risks."

Bulking up state corporations active in high technology, infrastructure and nuclear power would presage their conversion into public firms that can be floated on stock markets.

"I consider it possible for the state, by 2016, to reduce its stakes in some resource companies and to complete its exit from large non-resource companies that are not tied to natural monopolies and the defense sector," Putin wrote.

The article said little about restructuring state-controlled gas export monopoly Gazprom, criticized by investors for high costs and inefficiency, beyond saying it should divest non-core assets such as its media holdings.

Economists say Putin will need to deliver on his promises to spur economic growth, which has slowed to a range of 4-5 percent since the 2008-09 global crisis from prior rates of 6-7 percent.

"As always, implementation will be key," said Ivan Tchakarov, chief economist at Renaissance Capital, who warned that, without reform, Russia could slide into 'twin' trade and budget deficits.

CORRUPTION CURSE

Putin's article mentioned corruption explicitly only once and said efforts by outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev had failed to eliminate pressure from officials on entrepreneurs.

"The main problem is insufficient transparency and accountability on the part of state officials," Putin wrote. "To call it by name, we are talking about systemic corruption."

"Clearing the way for business that is ready to win in fair competition is a fundamental, systemic task ... We need to change the state itself - executive and judicial power."

Putin said Russia, ranked 120th in a World Bank investment climate survey, should seek to catch up with neighboring Kazakhstan, which is in 47th spot.

He called for business cases to be moved from criminal to commercial courts to break a cycle of collusion between police, investigators and judges that all too often ends in convictions.

Putin said he would seek to shift the overall tax burden towards wealthy property owners and consumption of luxury goods but offered no specific concessions for small businesses.

(Reporting by Douglas Busvine, Editing by Timothy Heritage/Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/wl_nm/us_russia_putin_economy

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US reps want rules for drillers seeking Cuba oil (AP)

MIAMI ? U.S. Rep. David Rivera wants to hold foreign companies that drill for oil off the coast of Cuba liable for any oil spills that reach U.S. shores.

Rivera told a U.S. House transportation subcommittee Monday his bill would triple the liabilities cap for spills that originate from a state sponsor of terrorism, such as Cuba.

Others are expected to speak Monday at the satellite congressional sub-committee hearing in Sunny Isles, north of Miami Beach. They include U.S. Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and fellow Cuban-American U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart.

Ros-Lehtinen wants to deny U.S. visas to anyone helping the Cuban government advance its oil drilling plans.

Florida International University Professor John Proni says spills could reach U.S. coastal waters, damaging the ecology and economy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_cuba_oil_drilling

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Video: Marshall reflects on a record Pro Bowl

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/46185552#46185552

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College presidents wary of Obama cost-control plan (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Fuzzy math, Illinois State University's president called it. "Political theater of the worst sort," said the University of Washington's head.

President Barack Obama's new plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition or face losing federal dollars is raising alarm among education leaders who worry about the threat of government overreach. Particularly sharp words came from the presidents of public universities; they're already frustrated by increasing state budget cuts.

The reality, said Illinois State's Al Bowman, is that simple changes cannot easily overcome deficits at many public schools. He said he was happy to hear Obama, in a speech Friday at the University of Michigan, urge state-level support of public universities. But, Bowman said, given the decreases in state aid, tying federal support to tuition prices is a product of fuzzy math.

Illinois has lowered public support for higher education by about one-third over the past decade when adjusted for inflation. Illinois State, with 21,000 students, has raised tuition almost 47 percent since 2007, from $6,150 a year for an in-state undergraduate student to $9,030.

"Most people, including the president, assume if universities were simply more efficient they would be able to operate with much smaller state subsidies, and I believe there are certainly efficiency gains that can be realized," Bowman said. "But they pale in comparison to the loss in state support."

Bowman said the undergraduate experience can be made cheaper, but there are trade-offs.

"You could hire mostly part-time, adjunct faculty. You could teach in much larger lecture halls, but the things that would allow you achieve the greatest levels of efficiency would dilute the product and would make it something I wouldn't be willing to be part of," he said.

At Washington, President Mike Young said Obama showed he did not understand how the budgets of public universities work.

Young said the total cost to educate college students in his state, which is paid for by both tuition and state government dollars, has gone down because of efficiencies on campus. While universities are tightening costs, the state is cutting their subsidies and authorizing tuition increases to make up for the loss.

"They really should know better," Young said. "This really is political theater of the worst sort."

Obama's plan would need approval by Congress, a hard sell in an atmosphere of partisan gridlock.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, Obama described meeting with university presidents who explained how some schools curtailed costs through technology and redesigning courses to help students finish more quickly. He said more schools need to take such steps.

Obama said at Michigan that higher education has become an imperative for success in America, but the cost has grown unrealistic for too many families and the debt burden unbearable. He said states should properly fund colleges and universities.

"We are putting colleges on notice," Obama told an arena packed with cheering students. "You can't assume that you'll just jack up tuition every single year. If you can't stop tuition from going up, then the funding you get from taxpayers each year will go down."

Obama is targeting only a small part of the financial aid picture: the $3 billion known as campus-based aid that flows through college administrators to students. He is proposing to increase that amount to $10 billion and change how it is distributed to reward schools that hold down costs and ensure that more poor students complete their education.

The bulk of the more than $140 billion in federal grants and loans goes directly to students and would not be affected.

The average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges this school year rose 8.3 percent and with room and board now exceed $17,000 a year, according to the College Board.

Rising tuition costs have been attributed to a variety of factors, among them a decline in state dollars and competition for the best facilities and professors. Critics say some higher education institutions are attempting to wait out the economic downturn and have been too reluctant to make large-scale changes that would cut costs such as offering three-year degree programs.

The federal government's leverage to take on the rising cost of college is limited because higher education is decentralized, with most student aid following the student.

The response to Obama's plan wasn't all negative. Many university presidents said they welcome a conversation about making college more affordable and efficient.

In Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed a 12.5 percent funding cut for higher education in the coming fiscal year, Obama's proposal could put even more pressure on public colleges and universities to limit tuition increases. By state law, schools must limit such increases to the annual inflation rate unless they receive permission for larger ones. Nixon has warned schools that he doesn't want to see a tuition increase of more than 3 percent, the latest Consumer Price Index increase.

"The president's message isn't inconsistent with the agenda that we've been pursuing here in Missouri," said Paul Wagner, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Higher Education. "It's good to see him put the focus on the same things."

Obama also wants to create a "Race to the Top" competition in higher education similar to the one his administration used on lower grades. He wants to encourage states to make better use of higher education dollars in exchange for $1 billion in prize money.

Obama is also pushing for more tools to help students determine which colleges and universities have the best value.

___

Online:

White House: http://tinyurl.com/75yrqyh

___

Associated Press writers Ben Feller and Julie Pace in Washington, Jim Kuhnhenn and David Runk in Ann Arbor, Mich., David Mercer in Champaign, Ill., Alan Zagier in Columbia, Mo., Alex Dominguez in Baltimore, Dorie Turner in Atlanta, and Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_college_costs

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Russia backs Assad, last friend in Arab world

FILE In this Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 file photo Vladimir Putin, then Russian President, right, and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad smile as they shake hands in Moscow's Kremlin. Russia defied international efforts to end a crackdown on civilians by Assad regime, shielding it from the United Nations sanctions and providing it with weapons. (AP photo/RIA Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press service, file)

FILE In this Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 file photo Vladimir Putin, then Russian President, right, and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad smile as they shake hands in Moscow's Kremlin. Russia defied international efforts to end a crackdown on civilians by Assad regime, shielding it from the United Nations sanctions and providing it with weapons. (AP photo/RIA Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press service, file)

FILE In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, a Russian Yak-130 training jet is seen at MAKS-2009 (the International Aviation and Space Show) in Zhukovsky, Russia. Russia defied international efforts to end a crackdown on civilians by President bashar Assad regime, shielding it from the United Nations sanctions and providing it with weapons. The respected newspaper Kommersant reported this week that Syria has ordered 36 Yak-130 combat jets worth $550 million. The deal, which officials wouldn't confirm or deny, may signal preparations for even bigger purchases of combat planes. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, file)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region ? and has nothing to lose if it fails.

The Kremlin has put itself in conflict with the West as it shields Assad's regime from United Nations sanctions and continues to provide it with weapons even as others impose arms embargoes.

But Moscow's relations with Washington are already strained amid controversy over U.S. missile defense plans and other disputes. And Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems eager to defy the U.S. as he campaigns to reclaim the presidency in March elections.

"It would make no sense for Russia to drop its support for Assad," said Ruslan Pukhov, head of the independent Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. "He is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East, allowing it to preserve some influence in the region."

Moscow may also hope that Assad can hang on to power with its help and repay Moscow with more weapons contracts and other lucrative deals.

And observers note that even as it has nothing to lose from backing Assad, it has nothing to gain from switching course and supporting the opposition.

"Russia has crossed the Rubicon," said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Center for Analysis of Global Weapons Trade.

He said Russia will always be marked as the patron of the Assad regime regardless of the conflict's outcome, so there's little incentive to build bridges with the protesters.

"Russia will be seen as the dictator's ally. If Assad's regime is driven from power, it will mean an end to Russia's presence," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs.

Syria has been Moscow's top ally in the Middle East since Soviet times, when it was led by the incumbent's father, Hafez Assad. The Kremlin saw it as a bulwark for countering U.S. influence in the region and heavily armed Syria against Israel.

While Russia's relations with Israel have improved greatly since the Soviet collapse, ties with Damascus helped Russia retain its clout as a member of the Quartet of international mediators trying to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

After Bashar Assad succeeded his father in 2000, Russia sought to boost ties by agreeing to annul 73 percent of Syria's Soviet-era debt. In the mid-2000s, Putin said Russia would re-establish its place in the Mideast via "the Syria route."

Syria's port of Tartus is now the only naval base Russia has outside the former Soviet Union. A Russian navy squadron made a call there this month in what was seen by many as a show of support for Assad.

For decades, Syria has been a major customer for the Russian arms industries, buying billions of dollars' worth of combat jets, missiles, tanks and other heavy weapons. And unlike some other nations, such as Venezuela, which obtained Russian weapons on Kremlin loans, Assad's regime paid cash.

The respected newspaper Kommersant reported this week that Syria has ordered 36 Yak-130 combat jets worth $550 million. The deal, which officials wouldn't confirm or deny, may signal preparations for even bigger purchases of combat planes.

Korotchenko said Syria needs the jets to train its pilots to fly the advanced MiG-29M or MiG-35 fighter jets it wants to purchase: "It's a precursor of future deals."

Korotchenko said Syria's importance as a leading importer of Russian weapons in the region grew after the loss of the lucrative Iraqi and Libyan markets.

Russia, whose abstention in a U.N. vote cleared the way for military intervention in Libya, later voiced frustration with what it described as a disproportional use of force by NATO.

The Kremlin has vowed not to allow a replay of the Libyan strategy in Syria, warning that it would block any U.N. resolution on Syria lacking a clear ban on any foreign military interference.

Moscow accuses the West of turning a blind eye to shipments of weapons to the Syrian opposition and warns it won't be bound by Western sanctions.

Earlier this month, a Syria-bound Russian ship allegedly carrying tons of munitions was stopped by officials in Cyprus, an EU member, who said it was violating an EU arms embargo. The ship's captain promised to head to Turkey but then made a dash to Syria.

Asked about the ship, Russia's foreign minister bluntly responded that Moscow owes neither explanation nor apology to anyone because it has broken no international rules.

Nonetheless, Moscow has shown restraint in its arms trade with Damascus, avoiding the sales of weapons that could significantly tilt the military balance in the region.

In one example, the Kremlin has turned down Damascus' requests for truck-mounted Iskander missiles that can hit ground targets 280 kilometers (175 miles) away with deadly precision. While the sale of such missiles wouldn't be banned under any international agreements, Moscow has apparently heeded strong U.S. and Israeli objections to such a deal.

Moscow also has stonewalled Damascus' request for the advanced S-300 air defense missile system, only agreeing to sell short-range ground-to-air missiles.

"Russia has taken a very careful and cautious stance on contracts with Syria," Korotchenko said.

The most powerful Russian weapon reportedly delivered to Syria is the Bastion anti-ship missile complex intended to protect its coast. The Bastion is armed with supersonic Yakhont cruise missiles that can sink any warship at a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and are extremely difficult to intercept, providing a strong deterrent against any attack from the sea.

Observers in Moscow said that Russia can do little else to help Assad. The chief of the Russian upper house's foreign affairs committee, Mikhail Margelov, openly acknowledged that this week, saying that Russia has "exhausted its arsenal" of means to support Syria by protecting it from the U.N. sanctions.

Lukyanov said Russia has made it clear it would block any attempts to give U.N. cover to any foreign military intervention in Syria, but wouldn't be able to prevent Syria's neighbors from mounting such action.

"Russia realizes that it has limited opportunities and can't play a decisive role," he said.

Pukhov also predicted that Russia wouldn't take any stronger moves in support for Damascus.

"Going further would mean an open confrontation with the West, and Russia doesn't need that," he said.

____

Elizabeth A. Kennedy contributed from Beirut.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-29-EU-Russia-Syrian-Game/id-f8c06319b9ab49828d6513474c50b123

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96% Tomboy

In "Tomboy," 10-year old Laure(Zoe Heran) moves to a new neighborhood with her parents(Sophie Cattani & Mathieu Demy) and younger sister Jeanne(Malonn Levana). While looking out from an apartment window one pleasant afternoon, Laure sees a group of boys playing out in the park. When she finally leaves her sister and sleeping, very, very pregnant mother behind in the apartment, the boys are gone, with only Lisa(Jeanne Disson), a girl of her age, left behind in their wake. Laure introduces herself as Mikael and they run after them together, so they can join in the fun. With that simple, elegant setup, writer-director Celine Sciamma tells an evocative and naturalistic genderblender with a very belieable sibling relationship. Sadly, the movie eventually runs straight into a narrative wall. Until then, Laure is not just being a tomboy; she is passing as a boy but not 24/7, so we'll keep to the feminine pronouns.(Actually, it is not until later that she is revealed not to be a boy.) She does this to enjoy the freedoms that boys enjoy but is too young to realize the minefield of gender that she has just walked into. That's where parents come in, as the movie smartly shows how parents help to shape their children's gender.

November 29, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tomboy_2011/

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Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.: Post-War Fatigue: The Psychological Price We're All Paying

The tragic story involving the Iraq War veteran accused of killing five homeless people could have been averted. According to his family, his war experiences caused him to come home a changed man. It also set me thinking about how many casualties of war there really are, with tragedies that play out silently all around us every day.

As a psychologist for more than 20 years, and after having given hundreds of presentations worldwide, I've been continually struck by the commonalities we all share. No one has ever come in for therapy saying, "I'm here because my father didn't love me." It's rather because people feel internally pushed into doing things they don't want to do or prevented from doing things they want to do. They know that something is holding them back in life, but can't quite get a handle on what that is.

As psychologists, we are trained to look at how people were raised to help identify the source of their problems. Of course each person is unique, with a particular set of issues and experiences. But general context is also important -- meaning that it often helps to look at when someone was raised. And what recently struck me was how we have a new generation of children being raised by parents who have returned from military combat. After 10 years of war and counting, how does this stack up against the Baby Boomer generation that came into being just a few years after World War II? More importantly, is there anything we can learn from it?

In those days, the moms stayed home to take care of the children and the fathers were the providers. Two-parent families definitely can have their advantages. However, over the years, I've treated many clients who were raised by fathers who worked long hours to put food on the table but were absent when it came to expressing love and affection. Many of my clients described fathers who were disciplinarians, who maintained a firm sense of control in the household, but were often either silent and emotionally withdrawn or angry.

If we look carefully, we can see that many of these fathers displayed signs of what we know now is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It didn't help that PTSD wasn't even listed as a diagnosis until 1980. But the fact that war experiences were common didn't make them any less impactful. From personal experience in treating veterans from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, it's clear that there is no difference in the pain and sorrow from those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. So often their emotional burden is caused by the feelings that they were powerless to save someone. This can be even more devastating than being in danger yourself. Those who were support personnel often carry the same feelings of anger, guilt and lack of control. Who couldn't they save?

All these events can be locked in the brain as unprocessed memories and carry the emotions and feelings that were present at the time of the event. So when the young men of WWII came marching home again, they carried with them memories that were ready to be triggered at home. Since they often blamed themselves for what had happened, they were too ashamed to talk about it to anyone. But pressures at home or work could easily stir up the feelings they'd tried to ignore. Even simple things like a baby crying or a burnt dinner could trigger emotions connected with long-ago firefights they both couldn't control and didn't understand. And the ones that took the brunt of the pain were the children who were raised by fathers who could not easily communicate, or express love -- and perhaps lashed out when they were angry. As is usually the case, children take on the blame for their parents' "flaws" and think, "There must be something wrong with me/I'm not good enough." How many baby boomers still carry the wounds even though now entering retirement age? Is it any wonder that antidepressants are about as prevalent as aspirin in our culture?

Now, a new generation comes home from wars that have gone on for a decade, often with no clear sense of victory. As we see in the news, homelessness and drug use is rampant among veterans. And for those who have managed to return physically unscathed, how many carry memories of pain that also leave them feeling alienated and unable to communicate? Irritability, withdrawal, impatience and anger are potential warning signs of unprocessed memories that need to be addressed. Soldiers are trained to be stoic, but how much have they changed since the war? My bottom line here is to remind the families and friends of veterans that each generation has its silent heroes and it is our job to make sure they get the help they need. I also want to remind veterans that they should get help not only for their own sake, but for their children's sake as well.

And for those baby boomers still carrying the scars of childhood: It's never too late to get the help you need to release the past. It's all stored in memory, which can be processed and transformed into a source of resilience. Basically, you may never have been in combat, but there's no reason to stay a prisoner of your father's war.

For more information on the EMDR Institute, visit http://www.emdr.com.

For more about the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, visit http://www.emdrhap.org.

For more by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., click here.

For more on PTSD, click here.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francine-shapiro-phd/ptsd-veterans_b_1228542.html

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Sources: Fox anchor's accuser had an abortion

The son of New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is fighting accusations that he sexually assaulted a woman, who later had an abortion.? WNBC-TV's Jonathan Dienst reports on the case against Greg Kelly.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

NEW YORK -- A woman who has accused the son of New York City's police commissioner of sexually assaulting her told authorities she got pregnant from the encounter and had an abortion, people familiar with the investigation said.

The woman told authorities she met Greg?Kelly for drinks on Oct. 8, then went back to her law office in lower Manhattan, where she was assaulted, one person familiar with the case told The Associated Press. She told officials she was not capable of consenting to sex, the person said.

Kelly, 43, was absent?from his job as anchor of the popular local morning show "Good Day New York" on Fox 5?New York, WNYW,?when news of the alleged attack broke?Thursday morning. He has, through?a lawyer,?denied the allegations.

According to The New York Daily News, Kelly and the accuser?exchanged texts for a considerable period after the incident and he said he received "flirtatious" messages from the woman, an indication that their meetup was consensual and for a "sexual purposes," police sources said.

The woman?said she called Kelly some time after their encounter, furious, and asked him, "Why'd you do that?" the News reported.

"That could be the big key," an investigator, who was not identified, told the News on Thursday. "Unless she taped the phone call, whether this guy gets charged could be determined by the texts."

In addition, according to a law enforcement official quoted by the AP, the woman?said she became pregnant and had an abortion.?The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, talked to the AP on condition of anonymity.

It wasn't clear whether the woman supplied any medical evidence to authorities to support her claim.

Police spoke to the woman but quickly turned the case over to the Manhattan district attorney's office because of the potential conflict of interest in investigating the son of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

NYPD commish's son, a Fox anchor, in rape probe

The younger Kelly, a former Fox News correspondent, is cooperating with the investigation, his lawyer, Andrew Lankler, said in an emailed statement.

Kelly "strenuously denies any wrongdoing of any kind," Lankler said. "We know that the district attorney's investigation will prove Mr. Kelly's innocence." The lawyer didn't respond to questions about the focus of the investigation.

Lew Leone, the general manager of the New York Fox station, said, "Greg Kelly has requested some time off." He did not elaborate.

Suspicions
The story came to law enforcement's attention after the woman's boyfriend was told of the alleged incident and became enraged, the anonymous AP source said.

The woman's boyfriend then confronted the elder Kelly at a recent public event, police spokesman Paul Browne said.

"He said, 'Your son ruined my girlfriend's life,'" Browne said. "The commissioner said, 'Well, what do you mean?' He said he didn't want to talk about it here, so the commissioner told him to send a letter."

Browne said that, to his knowledge, no letter was sent. He said he could not comment on the investigation because of the potential conflict of interest.

According to her boyfriend, the woman has been "an emotional cripple" since the incident, ABCNews.com reported.?

Charles Sykes / AP file

Greg Kelly, seen in November 2010

A source told WABC in New York that the?boyfriend, who is significantly older, had had a vasectomy and when he learned his girlfriend was pregnant, he knew the child was not his. No other media outlets confirmed that, but others, including the New York Post, reported the woman told detectives she was not having sex with her boyfriend at the time.

On Friday, skepticism was cast on the accuser's account.

Investigators "don't buy her story," a source told the Post, adding that the three months that passed in between the alleged attack and the time it took to report it?are adding to suspicion.?

In addition to texts, the woman also allegedly exchanged emails with Kelly during the three months, local media reported.

It's not known whether Kelly was informed of the alleged abortion.

Mayor: NYPD 'did exactly what they should do'
Mayor Michael Bloomberg Thursday that he "thought the police department did exactly what they should do" by turning the matter over to the district attorney.

"Keep in mind: Everyone has a right to have their complaints investigated," the mayor said, noting that Greg Kelly hasn't been charged with any crime.

It wasn't immediately clear how much time elapsed between the man's remarks to the commissioner and the woman's decision to go to a police station Tuesday, nor why she had waited for nearly three months after the alleged attack to make a report.

It's also unclear how long the woman and Kelly knew each other before the alleged encounter at her office.

The identity of the woman has not been released, and the AP -- along with msnbc.com and most major media outlets --?does not name people who report being sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified or come forward publicly.

The Daily News reported she was the?30-year-old daughter of a prominent lawyer who graduated from a prestigious private school in Manhattan, according to sources. She reportedly works as a paralegal at a firm near Wall Street.

Kelly joined Fox News in 2002. He covered the Iraq War, including four assignments in Baghdad, and was the White House correspondent from 2005 to 2007, according to his biography on WNYW's website.

In 2007, the television show "Extra" identified him as the most eligible anchorman on TV. The show's website said Kelly "has enough heart and courage to make any woman swoon." He is single.

Kelly served for nearly a decade in the Marine Corps and is now a lieutenant colonel in its reserves.

Raymond Kelly has been police commissioner since 2002. He also served as commissioner in the 1990s.

The allegations about Kelly's son are the commissioner's latest potential public relations challenge. Also Thursday, about 20 activists held a news conference on the steps of City Hall and criticized Ray Kelly for giving an interview to the producers of the movie "The Third Jihad." They said the film encourages Americans to be suspicious of all Muslims. Kelly has apologized for the interview.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10250655-sources-fox-anchors-accuser-had-an-abortion

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'Soccer Mamis' Could Sway Florida Race

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (CNN) -- When it comes to courting the Latino demographic, there's a demo within that demo that might be worth listening to.Let's call it the Soccer mamis -- the Latina mothers who represent 55% of the overall U.S. population growth, according to 2010 Census figures. Their babies account for nearly a quarter of the children being born in the U.S.Rene Alegria started a blog called Mamiverse targeting this group after doing marketing research that showed Latina moms have enormous influence over how their community makes decisions on things like buying and core beliefs."We're taught from a very early age to respect and honor our parents, our moms in particular," he said. "As more and more Latina moms attend college and enter the workforce, her opinions hold a tremendous amount of sway in areas way beyond the home. Politics is one of those areas."Florida's 4.2 million Latinos represent the third-largest Latino population in the United States, 23% of all Floridians. So Alegria commissioned a poll to get some insight into what these Latino mommies care about in the days leading up to Tuesday's Republican primary. The survey, conducted by Latino Decisions, which gave it a sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points, was released to CNN Thursday morning.When 300 "mamis" were asked which issues matter most to them, 49% chose the economy and jobs, an area where Latinos have been hit harder than the general population.A national survey of 1,220 Latinos by Pew Hispanic Research the same day found that the national Latino population sees the economy as an even greater community crisis. That survey reported that 54% of Latinos believe the economic crisis has hit them worse than other groups, 59% said someone in their household is out of work and 75% said their personal finances are in "only fair" or "poor" shape.There are 50 million Latinos in the United States, 16% of the nation's population.But the influential issue that stood out for this group was immigration. Latino moms said immigration and the DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, were important to 32% of them and that they were 71% more likely to support a candidate based on his position on the DREAM Act.President Barack Obama supports the act, a proposal that would make it possible for illegal immigrants who crossed the border as children to get visas if they are studying or sign up for military service.Republican candidates have opposed the DREAM Act, with Mitt Romney saying he would veto it and Newt Gingrich expressing support to get visas only for those who join the military.Obama pointed that out in an interview on Wednesday with the Spanish-language Univision network."Obviously in the State of the Union yesterday, I couldn't have been clearer about not only my interest in comprehensive immigration reform, but if we can't do the whole package, at minimum let's get the DREAM Act done. But we now have two Republican candidates who said they'd veto a DREAM Act," the president said.One Democratic consultant said a difference like that could mean the difference in an election."With the election being decided by just a few dozen votes in some cases, now more than ever emerging voter segments like these can have a major impact in a tight race," said Maria Cardona, a Democratic political consultant who is a contributor to both Mamiverse and CNN.The poll results were co-sponsored by Impremedia, the nation's largest chain of Latino print and online journalism, which will be publishing the results in 15 markets.Among the mamis, Obama would beat Romney in a hypothetical matchup 57%-28% and Obama would beat Gingrich 59%-26%. The sample was too small to get a read on how they would vote in the upcoming Republican primary.Latino Decisions, which conducted the Mamiverse/Impremedia poll, released a larger survey on Wednesday of 500 Latinos on behalf of ABC News and Univision. That poll, with a 5% sampling error, has Obama ahead of Romney in Florida by 67%-25% and against Gingrich 70%-22%.Obama still faced toughed questions in the Univision interview, his first after the State of Union in which he challenged Congress to move on immigration reform.Asked why more illegal immigrants have been deported under his administration than any other, Obama said that his administration is enforcing the current law."That's the law that's on the books right now. And the way our system works," he said. "The president doesn't have the authority to simply ignore Congress and say, we're not going to enforce the laws that you've passed.""What we do have the ability to do, and what we have systematically done, is to use our administrative authority to prioritize and say, let's not focus on DREAM Act kids."The poll also showed education and jobs to be the top issue among all Latinos nationwide, but 25% said they felt Republicans are hostile toward them, 27% said immigration and the DREAM Act where top concerns for them and 54% said they would likely vote against a candidate who pledged to veto the DREAM Act, which Romney has said he would do.The importance of immigration issues in deciding partisan affiliation has been borne out by other analyses of Latinos. According to Pew Hispanic Center, Latino support for Democrats has risen as the immigration debate heated up.Republicans had a majority of Latino support until the 2008 election. Of the the 1.5 million Latinos registered to vote in Florida, there are now about 100,000 more registered as Democrats than Republicans.The vitriol that surfaces when the immigration issue is discussed is what really disturbs most Latina moms and Latinos in general. Whatever a Latina mom's stance is on immigration, when they hear people use phrases like "those people," and "them," a negative impact is made.Latino support for Republicans nationwide was at an all-time high under President Ronald Reagan -- whom Newt Gingrich evokes in his Spanish-language TV ads. Reagan signed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which gave residency to 2.7 million undocumented immigrants. Both he and George W. Bush received Latino support estimated to run as high as 40%. Support for John McCain, who took a harder stand on immigration, was significantly lower.Pew's most recent poll shows Obama with a 45-point lead over Romney, whom Gingrich called anti-immigrant in ads until he took them down following criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida. In a Univision interview on Wednesday, Romney said: "I am not anti-immigrant. I am pro-immigrant. I like immigration."He specified that he was talking about legal immigration, which he has said he would encourage without giving specifics as to how that would affect available visas for the large number of applicants from Central and South America.That ABC/Univision poll showed Romney with a 49%-23% lead over Gingrich among all Florida Latinos, with strong support among the two largest Latino demographics -- Cubans in South Florida and Puerto Ricans in Central Florida. For those two groups, immigration isn't an issue that affects them because Cubans enjoy a quick path to residency upon arrival in the U.S. and Puerto Ricans are born U.S. citizens.But Alegria says that doesn't mean they have been unaffected by the vitriol over immigration."No matter what, the general population seems to categorize all Hispanics into one group. Anti-Hispanic laced rhetoric disguised as the 'immigration debate' is not good for anyone, whether you're Cuban, Puerto Rican, Honduran, or Mexican," he said.

Copyright CNN 2012

Source: http://www.wdsu.com/politics/30309336/detail.html

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Video: Researchers show how viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly

Friday, January 27, 2012

In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

The scientists showed for the first time how the virus called "Lambda" evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common E. coli bacterium. Lambda isn't dangerous to humans, but this research demonstrated how viruses evolve complex and potentially deadly new traits, said Justin Meyer, MSU graduate student, who co-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.

"We were surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to attack and enter the cell through a new receptor ? and it happened so fast," Meyer said. "But when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing happen over and over."

Researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Credit: Michigan State University/Jeremy Polk, National Science Foundation

This paper follows recent news that scientists in the United States and the Netherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a mere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it's highly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all of the beneficial mutations all at once. However, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits one-by-one, if conditions are favorable at each step, he added.

Through research conducted at BEACON, MSU's National Science Foundation Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Meyer and his colleagues' ability to duplicate the results implied that adaptation by natural selection, or survival of the fittest, had an important role in the virus' evolution.

When the genomes of the adaptable virus were sequenced, they always had four mutations in common. The viruses that didn't evolve the new way of entering cells had some of the four mutations but never all four together, said Meyer, who holds the Barnett Rosenberg Fellowship in MSU's College of Natural Science.

"In other words, natural selection promoted the virus' evolution because the mutations helped them use both their old and new attacks," Meyer said. "The finding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have multiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?"

###

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117147/Video__Researchers_show_how_viruses_evolve__and_in_some_cases__become_deadly

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Demi Moore 911 call: 'She smoked something'

By Baker Machado and Josh Grossberg, E! Online

Phil Mccarten / Reuters

"Send an ambulance right now. This is an emergency."

So begins the dramatic 911 call, in which Demi Moore's friends are desperately trying to get an ambulance to the actress' Beverly Hills home as quickly as possible, which was released this morning by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

On the heavily redacted recording, which lasts about 10 minutes, one of Moore's friends begins arguing with the dispatcher amid confusion over which agency covers the neighborhood and should be sending paramedics.

"Why is there not an ambulance coming now?" the woman says testily before explaining what caused the star to "act crazy."

MORE from E!: Demi "Pretty Hyper" and "Acting Crazy" Just Before Hospitalization

"She smoked something. It's not marijuana but it's similar to incense. She seems to be having convulsions of some sort.

"She's semi-conscious ... barely. She's convulsing."

The phone is passed to another woman, who tells the dispatcher, "She's not breathing normally ... she's burning up."

MORE from E!: Demi Released From Hospital as Asthon Kutcher Returns to L.A.

Asked if she knows exactly what Moore smoked or any other drugs she might have consumed, the second woman replies: "She's been having some issues with some other stuff lately. I don't know what she's been taking or not."

The dispatcher calms the woman down and explains how to treat Moore, stressing to keep her airway open.

By the end of the call, the paramedics have arrived to take Moore to Sherman Oaks Hospital, where she has since been discharged.

As E! News has previously reported, the 49-year-old Moore had been hosting a birthday party for a friend at the time and had exhibited "pretty hyper" behavior in the moments before the 911 call.

PHOTOS: Demi &Ashton's Romance Recap

More in TODAY entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10254253-demi-moore-911-call-she-smoked-something

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How Brands Can Manage Facebook Comment Overload (Mashable)

Jason Keath is the CEO of Social Fresh, the leading social media education company for marketers. He works with industry leading brands, agencies and vendors to produce social media conferences and online social media training programs. Follow him on Twitter Facebook.

[More from Mashable: 7 Ways to Follow ?The Hunger Games? Movie on Social Media]

Comscore released data in December 2011 that showed Facebook is virtually synonymous with social media. Worldwide, people spend three out of every four minutes of their total social networking time on Facebook.

Check out the recent comment counts on nearly any major Facebook brand Page -- the numbers get big very quickly. Disney's image of Happy, the dwarf from Snow White earned over?1,600 comments at the time of publication. Coca-Cola asked fans whether they have ice-cold Cokes in their fridges --?2,170+ comments.

[More from Mashable: Revealed: The FBI Wants to Monitor Social Media]

And these are just single posts. Add in all other posts, as well as wall comments, and brands quickly face a huge?amount?of fan?commentary to respond to ? for better and worse.

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Thousands of Comments Per Hour

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"We have seen many times examples from our customer base when the brand is receiving hundreds or thousands of comments per hour," said Joe Ciarallo, VP of communications at?Buddy Media.

After Facebook announced a new advertising system in 2007,?Pages became significant customer conversation hubs for many big brands. Simultaneously, the logistics of managing such a volume of fan interaction had to evolve as well. A brand no longer scrolled through its Facebook Wall, responding and moderating only once or twice a day. Many brands today are forced to manage their Facebook Pages 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Lessons Learned From Lowe's

---

In early December?Lowe's pulled its advertising from reality TV show American Muslim, due to customer complaints. Once the 24-hour news stations got wind of the move, other customers expressed their anger. Soon, the crossfire found its way to Lowe's Facebook Page.

One post on Lowe's Page received 28,000 comments in just a few hours.?Many comments were hateful, racist or profane. Lowe's would normally delete these types of comments, moderate its fans, and keep its fan voice intact, but the company simply could not handle the scale of comments in such a short?amount?of time.

Brad Walters, social media director for Lowe's Home Improvement explained the situation. "[We] received thousands of comments from many sides of the issue. Lowe?s allowed the debate to continue on the company?s social media sites, removing only the most hateful and, in some cases violent, posts that clearly violate company policy."

But Lowe's did not have a solution to the scale of comments it received in such a short period of time. The company deleted the original post, and the 28,000+ comments along with it. "While we appreciate the desire to discuss previous advertising, the focus of our social channels are helping our customers with their home improvement needs," said Walters.

The good news is there are services out there that have worked with Facebook to make these situations more manageable. And best practices are emerging. Director of community programming at LiveWorld, Mark Wiliams, says, "We actually see things like the Lowe's event quite frequently. We work closely with our clients to establish a both a staffing plan and review/escalation process for peak events."

Let's review a few key steps that your company can take to prepare itself for these large-scale waves of Facebook commenting.

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1. Declare Your Rules.

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Establish clear commenting guidelines?for your Facebook Page. When you do need to enforce these rules, publicly available guidelines will help subdue any arguments by fans and and minimize second-guessing by page admins.

"Almost all of our customers have set guidelines in place for moderation?It's extremely important to have the basics in place," said?Ciarallo.

---

2. Do Not Delete All Negative Comments.

---

Make sure your rules reflect your brand values and culture, but avoid a broad-brushed removal of fans' negative commentary. "It may be tempting to delete the negativity, but it's much more important to be transparent and respond swiftly," said?Reggie Bradford,?founder and CEO of Vitrue.

---

3. Enforce Your Rules.

---

If you do not moderate Wall comments that violate your policy, you create a double standard and a false expectation for your fans. When a future situation arises and you have to delete a comment, your public guidelines will not be as helpful.

---

4. Practice Worst Case Scenarios.

---

Training is important. If possible, employ a community manager or staff of social media professionals that can?regularly respond to your Facebook community.?When a PR crisis spreads to Facebook, your core team is going to need backup; train additional staff to help as needed.

Use the Lowe's example as a model. What would it take for your organization to moderate 28,000 comments in a few hours? How many people would you need to manage it? What training would those people need? What if the crisis happens outside of normal working hours?

---

5. Get Professional Help.

---

You may find that your organization is more prepared because it has enlisted outside help that specializes in this type of Facebook comment management. Facebook software vendors like Buddy Media and Vitrue, as well as social moderation services like?LiveWorld and ICUC use a combination of technology and manpower to manage these situations. A single moderator can handle 500-1,000 comments per hour, according to Williams.

These services can provide better 24-hour moderation support, and can train specific staff to reflect your company's guidelines and brand voice. When you have five employees moderating the same thread of comments of Facebook, each individual reviewing the same content at the same time, workflow overlaps and productivity decreases. Software like LiveWorld's allows a "separation?of workflow" that prevents moderators from tackling the same post at the same time.

If your brand invests staff and budget into a Facebook presence and the associated community, your followers may choose to speak out periodically in ways that require response or moderation. Therefore, be prepared.

"Brands should never let volume of comments effect their ability to moderate their communities," says Ciarallo. "One of the biggest reasons brands devote budget and resources for both people and technology is to make sure they are well prepared for any situation, like the one Lowe's found themselves in."

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, MHjerpe

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120126/tc_mashable/how_brands_can_manage_facebook_comment_overload

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Kim Kardashian Kast on Drop Dead Diva

Drop Dead Diva. It's not just a request many people make when they meet Kim Kardashian. It's also this reality star's new gig.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Kim has actually landed a recurring role on the Lifetime drama, which averaged 2.3 million viewers last year. She'll appear on multiple season four episodes as Nikki, a love interest for the character Ben.

“In discussing the role of Nikki with her, I [was] blown away by her smarts, sense of humor and passion,"executive producer Josh Berman said, clearly brain-washed by Kris Jenner. "This series is all about reinvention and I’m so excited to see Kim ‘reinvented’ in the world of Drop Dead Diva."

The series stars Brooke Elliott as a shallow model who gets killed and then reincarnated as a thoughtful, overweight lawyer.

Kardashian has already appeared on episodes of 90210, CSI: NY and How I Met Your Mother and she'll play a key role in Tyler Perry's movie, The Marriage Counselor.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we must go erase Drop Dead Diva from our DVR.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/kim-kardashian-kast-on-drop-dead-diva/

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5 Weird Planetary Systems

Earlier this month, scientists made new discoveries of two new planets orbiting dual stars and suggested that such planets might be common. What's stranger still is that two suns might not be the limit.

In fact, scientists already know that there are solar systems containing many more stars out there. HD98800, a system about 150 light years from Earth, has two pairs of double stars with one set surrounded by a ring of space dust. And then there's Castor, located in the constellation Gemini. Although it appears in the sky as a single point of light, Castor is actually a system made of six stars: three sets of binary stars, all whirling around a common center of mass.

Astronomers haven't found planets in systems such as these?yet. "There's no reason you couldn't have planets around multiple stars," SETI astrophysicis Laurance Doyle says. But the pulls of many different orbits would make it difficult. "Everything would have to balance just right," he says.

A planet in a system like Castor's would be constantly tugged about by the gravity of its many stars. Imagine a rope pull in which you're on one side and six burly guys are on the other, says Doyle. They're yanking on the rope, but they're out of sequence, so you can hold your own. But if all six yank at the same time, you've had it, "and the planet goes zooming out of the system," he says.

Though this makes the existence of a planet in a system with many stars unlikely, it doesn't make it impossible. And if there were such a planet, its sunsets would be incredible.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/deep/5-weird-planetary-systems?src=rss

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Insert Coin: 50-Dollar Follow Focus

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

If you've watched HD video footage captured by a DSLR, you've probably wondered why, despite the fact that you own the exact same model, your clips lack the fluid feel of a professional production. One culprit may be the lack of a steady support system to maintain balance as you shoot, like the rather complex Steadicam. That's just part of the equation, however. What you're also missing is the precision handling of an external follow focus. As its simplistic name implies, the 50-Dollar Follow Focus is a cheap and effective solution.

Made of CNC-machined aircraft-grade aluminum, the 50-Dollar Follow Focus includes two belts and two pulleys to accommodate a variety of lenses, and with the exception of your DSLR and a pair of support rails, everything you need to get started ships in the box. Author Wiley Davis teamed up with The Robot, his in-house CNC mill, to develop some early prototypes, before bringing the project to Kickstarter and launching a campaign to raise $10,000 in order to buy supplies in bulk and invest in a more efficient production system. The result looks very slick, and while it adds some bulk to your DSLR rig, the size tradeoff seems to be worthwhile. Ready to buy your own? Hit up the Kickstarter link below to make your pledge, and keep an eye on that mailbox -- these are expected to ship in March. You'll find a video demo just past the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: 50-Dollar Follow Focus

Insert Coin: 50-Dollar Follow Focus originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photos: New Catfish Species Discovered

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Photos: New Catfish Species Discovered
Conservation International announced that during an assessment program from August to September 2010 in southwest Suriname, 1,300 species where documented, including 46 species which may be new to science.

Source: ABC News
Posted on: Thursday, Jan 26, 2012, 8:07am
Views: 16

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117067/_Photos___New_Catfish_Species_Discovered

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Automotive Outfitters Organization Reviews ? Press | haikupodcast ...

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Source: http://www.haikupodcast.com/?p=2015

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Landslide hits Papua New Guinea, deaths reported (AP)

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea ? A landslide struck villages in mountainous central Papua New Guinea, and local media reported Wednesday that 40 bodies have been recovered and 20 people are still missing.

The South Pacific island nation's National Disaster Center director Martin Mosi said several villages are close to where the landslide occurred near the town of Mendi early Tuesday and that fatalities are likely but unconfirmed.

Three National Disaster Center officials were headed to Mendi on Wednesday, where they will be flown by helicopter to join police at the disaster site.

"Most likely lives have been lost. We cannot tell how many," Mosi said.

Local lawmaker Francis Potape told Radio Australia's indigenous language service that the landslide completely covered two villages while people slept.

"There are people buried underneath and a number of them are, from what I have heard, children," The National newspaper reported Potape as saying.

The Post Courier newspaper reported that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill would fly to the state later Wednesday.

Local media reports that the destruction extended more than one mile (2 kilometers), leaving roads to villages cut off.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_as/as_papua_new_guinea_landslide

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