Rare October snowstorm pelts the Northeast (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) ? Heavy snow was falling across parts of Pennsylvania on Saturday where thousands of households were already without power from a rare October snowstorm barreling up the East Coast.

Snow was coming down from central Pennsylvania up into southeastern New York and Connecticut after blanketing parts of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland earlier in the day, AccuWeather.com forecasters said.

In Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, more than 63,000 customers were without power, according to Allegheny Power. At least 30,000 additional customers were without power in Pennsylvania and New Jersey based on Penelec reports.

Airport delays were reported at Philadelphia International Airport and at New York area airports. At John F Kennedy International Airport some arriving flights were delayed more than four hours.

The snow threatened posed traffic problems for some 100,000 college football fans trying to attend the game on Saturday afternoon between Penn State and the University of Illinois in State College, Pennsylvania.

The university warned fans not to park on grassy areas and to avoid pitching tents or driving large campers that might get stuck at the football stadium.

"It's a strong storm for October," said AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Paul Walker.

"We don't usually see storms this deep and this strong," he said, adding it was unusual to get accumulating snow this month.

The rare early season snowstorm was expected to unleash heavy, wet snow and wind across much of the Northeast on Saturday with some areas bracing for up to a foot of snow and major power outages.

For some, the big flakes and accumulation caused excitement, instead of headaches.

"There's almost like an electric buzz when the first snow falls," said Anna Weltz, communication director for Seven Springs Mountain Resort, located about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

By early afternoon, six inches of snow was already on the ground at the family ski resort, where phones were ringing off the hook with people asking about opening day.

"And it's still coming down," said Weltz. "What a sight."

The storm was moving northeast, starting as rain and changing to snow as temperatures dropped, and was expected to hit hardest areas west and northwest of the I-95 highway corridor, Walker said.

While October snow is not unprecedented, this storm could be record-setting in terms of snow totals.

Hartford, Connecticut, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Worcester, Massachusetts were among the cities that could be blanketed with up to a foot of snow, forecasters said.

Allentown, for example, typically sees its first measurable snow around December 5, according to The Weather Channel.

Boston will generally see its first measurable snow around the end of November, while New York City and Philadelphia measure their first flakes, on average, mid-December.

The major coastal cities are not likely to be spared from this October nor'easter, meteorologists predicted.

New York City was bracing for up to four inches of snow, tapering off Saturday night, The Weather Channel said.

In Boston, the forecast called for a windy afternoon rain to turn to snow overnight, bringing up to three inches of white stuff, it said.

Wind gusts along the coast could reach 45 miles per hour, it said, adding to the tree limbs and power lines already expected to be down from the heavy, wet snow.

(Additional reporting by Ben Schmitt in Pittsburgh; Editing by Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111029/ts_nm/us_weather_northeast

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EPA Develops New Process to Help U.S. Cities Comply with Clean Water Act (ContributorNetwork)

The Environmental Protection Agency announced it has committed to implementing a new planning process that will help improve water quality, including managing wastewater and stormwater, in numerous cities across the country. The new approach will specifically help cities struggling with poor financial conditions.

The EPA will offer guidance to these cities to help them prioritize infrastructure improvements, such as improving efficiencies, directing investments, and conducting maintenance, that will ultimately ensure that each city is complying with the Clean Water Act requirements. Here are some facts about the Clean Water Act and the recent efforts made by the EPA to make sure cities are following it:

* According to PBS, the act was established after a series of water quality problems in the U.S. during the later 1960s and early 1970s, including heavy pollution that was damaging the fishing industry in Chesapeake Bay, high levels of bacteria in the Hudson River, and the Cuyahoga River bursting into flames from an oil slick.

* Drinking water was also a major concern and in 1970, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's Bureau of Water Hygiene reported that 30 percent of collected drinking water samples contained chemicals that were higher than that recommended by the Public Health Service.

* Before the Clean Water Act was passed, nearly two-thirds of the waterways in the country were unsafe for recreational activities and fishing.

* The Clean Water Act as it's known today was established in 1972 and additional amendments were added in 1977.

* The act was a direct response to these water quality problems caused by dumping pollution into waterways.

* Additionally, it established wastewater standards for industry and water quality standards for all contaminants in the nation's surface waters.

* The Huffington Post reported in July the EPA issued an order under the Clean Water Act to the City of Chicago that requires the city to dramatically improve the water quality of the Chicago River.

* Kansas City, Mo., is also agreed to make $2.5 billion in sewer improvements over the next 25 years following a settlement with the EPA over Clean Water Act violations, according to the Dept. of Justice.

* In April, Dubuque, Iowa, received a $205,000 penalty and reached a settlement to make $3 million in improvements to its water pollution control plant and sewer collection system.

* Hawaii News Now also noted that Honolulu reached a settlement with the EPA last year after several lawsuits were brought against it by environmental organizations that claimed the city needs to make major changes to treatment plants and wastewater collection systems.

Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111029/us_ac/10317877_epa_develops_new_process_to_help_us_cities_comply_with_clean_water_act

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New hybrid technology could bring 'quantum information systems'

Friday, October 28, 2011

The merging of two technologies under development - plasmonics and nanophotonics - is promising the emergence of new "quantum information systems" far more powerful than today's computers.

The technology hinges on using single photons the tiny particles that make up light for switching and routing in future computers that might harness the exotic principles of quantum mechanics.

The quantum information processing technology would use structures called "metamaterials," artificial nanostructured media with exotic properties.

The metamaterials, when combined with tiny "optical emitters," could make possible a new hybrid technology that uses "quantum light" in future computers, said Vladimir Shalaev, scientific director of nanophotonics at Purdue University's Birck Nanotechnology Center and a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The concept is described in an article to be published Friday (Oct. 28) in the journal Science. The article will appear in the magazine's Perspectives section and was written by Shalaev and Zubin Jacob, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada.

"A seamless interface between plasmonics and nanophotonics could guarantee the use of light to overcome limitations in the operational speed of conventional integrated circuits," Shalaev said.

Researchers are proposing the use of "plasmon-mediated interactions," or devices that manipulate individual photons and quasiparticles called plasmons that combine electrons and photons.

One of the approaches, pioneered at Harvard University, is a tiny nanowire that couples individual photons and plasmons. Another approach is to use hyperbolic metamaterials, suggested by Jacob; Igor Smolyaninov, a visiting research scientist at the University of Maryland; and Evgenii Narimanov, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue. Quantum-device applications using building blocks for such hyperbolic metamaterials have been demonstrated in Shalaev's group.

"We would like to record and read information with single photons, but we need a very efficient source of single photons," Shalaev said. "The challenge here is to increase the efficiency of generation of single photons in a broad spectrum, and that is where plasmonics and metamaterials come in."

Today's computers work by representing information as a series of ones and zeros, or binary digits called "bits."

Computers based on quantum physics would have quantum bits, or "qubits," that exist in both the on and off states simultaneously, dramatically increasing the computer's power and memory. Quantum computers would take advantage of a strange phenomenon described by quantum theory called "entanglement." Instead of only the states of one and zero, there are many possible "entangled quantum states" in between one and zero.

An obstacle in developing quantum information systems is finding a way to preserve the quantum information long enough to read and record it. One possible solution might be to use diamond with "nitrogen vacancies," defects that often occur naturally in the crystal lattice of diamonds but can also be produced by exposure to high-energy particles and heat.

"The nitrogen vacancy in diamond operates in a very broad spectral range and at room temperature, which is very important," Shalaev said.

The work is part of a new research field, called diamond photonics. Hyperbolic metamaterials integrated with nitrogen vacancies in diamond are expected to work as efficient "guns" of single photons generated in a broad spectral range, which could bring quantum information systems, he said.

###

Purdue University: http://www.purdue.edu/

Thanks to Purdue University 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/114740/New_hybrid_technology_could_bring__quantum_information_systems_

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The9 launches new game channel to combat Android Market shutdowns in China

When the Android Market goes down in most places, people freak out for a couple of hours and then go back to their business until the next failure happens weeks or months later. In China, Market failures are more frequent and annoying since its outages last for days, not hours. Chinese gaming company The9 is launching its own Android app distribution channel, powered by OpenFeint , in order to combat the ?common disruption? caused by Market failures. Partnering with three Chinese carriers, The9 will set-up a Game Zone that enables smartphone users in China to have continued access to games during outages. ?Official Android shutdowns ?

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AndroidCenter/~3/KMAVNOdxQcY/

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Europe bailout fund chief visits Beijing (AP)

BEIJING ? The chief of Europe's bailout fund visited Beijing on Friday to discuss possible terms for cash-rich China and other global investors to help finance a multibillion-dollar plan to resolve the continent's debt crisis.

Klaus Regling arrived a day after European leaders approved the plan and said it was too early to negotiate with China as a potential investor in the expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility. He said the fund will spend the next few months talking to governments and others about how the fund might be structured so the bonds it sells to raise money will be an attractive investment.

Contributing to Europe's bailout could help Beijing achieve its goal of a leading role in managing global finances. But a possible Chinese role in Europe, and suggestions that Beijing might want political concessions, has caused unease among some Europeans.

Leaders of the 17 nations that use the euro agreed this week to expand the 440 billion euro ($624 billion) bailout fund in hopes of resolving the 2-year-old crisis that threatens to push developed economies back into recession.

The increase would come from having the fund insure debt issued by wobbly countries such as Italy and Spain, preventing them from being dragged into the crisis. European leaders also want to raise money from China, with $3.2 trillion in foreign reserves, and other global investors to increase the fund's financial arsenal.

Regling declined to say how much he hoped Beijing might contribute but said China has a "particular need" for safe foreign assets to invest its multibillion-dollar monthly trade surpluses. He noted that his fund's bonds, backed by the 17 euro area governments, have the strongest AAA credit rating.

Chinese leaders have expressed sympathy and promised to support Europe, their biggest export market. But so far, they have said only that they will help by continuing business as usual, buying Europe's goods and stockpiling part of China's trade surplus in the safest European government bonds.

Regling said China and other Asian investors have bought 40 percent of the bonds issued by the EFSF since it was created in May 2010 but he refused to say how much Beijing has purchased or give other details. The EFSF has raised 8 billion euros from two rounds of bond sales and plans four more this year, according to its website.

European leaders want to raise money for two schemes to expand the fund's financial firepower. One would allow the EFSF to act as an insurer for bonds sold by weaker governments such as Spain or Italy, allowing them to pay lower interest rates by making the bonds more attractive to investors. The second would be a fund, called a special purpose vehicle, to buy government bonds or recapitalize shaky banks.

Regling, who visits Beijing regularly, said he would meet with officials of China's finance ministry and central bank.

"It will be interesting to listen to them, like I listen to investors from many other parts of the world," he said at a news conference.

He said the fund wants to find out how to structure investments "so that the money will actually come" from China and other investors, he said.

Also Friday, a deputy Chinese finance minister said Beijing needs to learn how the new investment vehicle will work before deciding whether to invest.

China wants details on the amount of bonds issued by Italy and other individual European governments that might be guaranteed by the fund, Zhu Guangyao said at a separate briefing.

"We must wait for the technicalities to emerge and then carry out serious study before we can decide on investment," Zhu said.

Regling said one issue to discuss is how to structure the special purpose vehicle to make it more attractive to China and other possible investors by having the EFSF absorb a bigger share of possible losses.

Regling stressed that the meetings with the Chinese are not negotiations but "regular consultations at an early phase."

Asked about suggestions Beijing might impose political conditions, Regling said officials had not raised that issue with him.

Some European and Chinese commentators say Beijing might press Europe to refrain from human rights criticism or grant Beijing market economy status, which would make it harder for Europe to pursue trade complaints against China.

"I have not been confronted with this," Regling said. "I am not talking on behalf of the European Union, so I am the wrong person" to discuss such issues.

Regling said he hoped to present the bailout fund's bonds as an attractive commercial investment to China once the details are worked out.

"I am optimistic we will have a longer-term relationship," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Chris Bodeen contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_europe_financial_crisis

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Occupy Wall Street: A protest timeline (The Week)

New York ? A relatively small gathering of young anarchists and aging hippies in lower Manhattan has spawned a national movement. What happened?

This article ? originally published on Oct. 7 ? was last updated on Oct. 27. Scroll down for the latest updates.

The Occupy Wall Street protest began in September as a small encampment of mostly young activists with mostly inscrutable objectives that were mostly ignored by the media. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the protests quickly became a subject of ridicule. But then something funny happened: Occupy Wall Street exploded into a nationwide series of demonstrations drawing support from unions and mainstream liberal groups, and earning comparisons to the powerhouse?Tea Party movement and revolutionary?pro-democracy protesters in Egypt's Tahrir Square. How did that happen? Here, a look back at some key events:

June 9
Canadian anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters registers the domain name OccupyWallStreet.org.

July 13
Adbusters calls for a Sept. 17 protest, where "20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades, and occupy Wall Street for a few months," demanding "democracy not corporatocracy."

Aug. 23
"Hactivist" collective Anonymous releases a video pledging its support for the protest and encouraging its members to participate.

Sept. 9
Supporters of Occupy Wall Street start posting their photos and stories to a new "We Are the 99 Percent" Tumblr page, bemoaning that the beleaguered majority gets "nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything."

Sept. 17
The protest begins, with about 1,000 people gathering in downtown Manhattan and walking up and down Wall Street. The protesters settle into Zuccotti Park, two blocks north of Wall Street.

Sept. 19
Roseanne Barr becomes the first celebrity to endorse Occupy Wall Street.

Sept. 20
Police start arresting mask-wearing protesters, using an arcane law?dating back to 1845 that bans masked gatherings unless part of "a masquerade party or like entertainment."

Sept. 24
About 80 people are arrested during a permit-less march uptown, and video of the event ? especially the use of pepper spray on a group of women ? earns Occupy Wall Street its first major media coverage. An OWS-inspired protest starts in Chicago.

Sept. 26
Filmmaker Michael Moore addresses the crowd at Zuccotti Park. Noam Chomsky sends his regards.

Sept. 27
Actress Susan Sarandon and Princeton academic Cornel West show up at the protests.

Sept. 28
Transport Workers Union Local 100 becomes the first big union to support Occupy Wall Street via a member vote.

Sept. 30
An internet hoax that Radiohead will play for the protesters draws a crowd downtown.

Oct. 1
Some 700 protesters are arrested in a march across the Brooklyn Bridge. Some protesters say the police purposefully lured and trapped them on the multi-tiered bridge's road level; the police say they warned protesters to stay on the walkway level. The mass arrests push the protests to the front page of newspapers and the top of TV news broadcasts. OWS-inspired protests start in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

Oct. 3
Protesters dressed as "corporate zombies," in full zombie regalia and clutching fake cash, parade down Wall Street. The protests have spread nationwide, including Boston, Memphis, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Hawaii, and Portland, Maine.

Oct. 5
At least 39 organizations, including New York City's largest labor unions and MoveOn.org, join Occupy Wall Street for a march through New York's financial district. Organizers say 10,000 to 20,000 people marched; the media puts the number somewhere below 15,000. In the evening, "mayhem breaks out" when crowds overrun police barriers and officers "swat protesters with batons and spray them with mace."?Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain weighs in on Occupy Wall Street: "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself!"

Oct. 6
About 4,000 protesters march in Portland, Ore. More demonstrations unfold in Houston, Austin, Tampa, and San Francisco. Asked about Occupy Wall Street, President Obama says: "I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country... and yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place."

Oct. 7
Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticizes the protesters in a radio interview, saying they are "taking the jobs away from people working in this city" and that the protests are "not good for tourism."

Oct. 8
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.,?shuts down after a crowd shows up to voice opposition to U.S. drone strikes abroad. The demonstrators are joined by members of the Occupy Wall Street offshoot Occupy D.C., and among them is conservative magazine editor Patrick Howley, who later admits to joining the protest to "mock and undermine" it. Meanwhile, the New York protesters, outgrowing Zuccotti Park, spill over into Washington Square Park.

Oct. 10
Mayor Bloomberg softens?his earlier criticisms, and says protesters can stay in New York as long as they want ? so long as they obey the law.

Oct. 13
Brookfield, the company that owns Zuccotti Park, announces that protesters must vacate the park at 7 a.m. on Oct. 14 so it can be cleaned. Brookfield promises that demonstrators will be let back in after the four-hour powerwashing, but says it plans to enforce park rules prohibiting tents, tarps, and sleeping in the park. Infuriated protesters view the announcement as Bloomberg's plan to shut down the movement, and begin cleaning the park themselves, also vowing to "defend the occupation" from police.

Oct. 14
Brookfield postpones its planned cleaning at the last minute, avoiding a standoff between the demonstrators and police.

Oct. 15
The wave of protests spreads worldwide, from Europe to the Americas to Asia. While the demonstrations are generally peaceful, violence erupts in Rome when rioters hijack the protest there. In New York, thousands of people march to the U.S. Armed Forces recruiting station in Times Square to protest spending on foreign wars.

Oct. 18
President Obama delivers a mixed message on Nightline, saying he "understands the frustrations" of the protesters, but that the movement? is "not that different from some of the protests we saw coming form the Tea Party."

Oct. 21
The host of an opera radio show aired by NPR affiliates is fired for participating in the Occupy D.C. movement, sparking controversy.

Oct. 24
Progressive icon Elizabeth Warren takes some of the credit for the movement, telling Newsweek that she "created much of the intellectual foundation for what [the protesters] do."

Oct. 25
The Egyptian activists who toppled Hosni Mubarak lend their support to the protesters in the U.S. and Europe, issuing a statement published by The Guardian. In Oakland, Calif., police clear about 170 protesters from their encampment outside of City Hall and arrest 97 demonstrators. When hundreds of protesters return later in the day, police fire tear gas?canisters in to the crowd.

Sources: ABC News, Adbusters, AP (2), Gawker?(2), Gothamist, Huffington Post, Mother Jones, MyFoxNY, New York Times (2), NY Daily News, ThinkProgress, Turnstyle, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Wash. Post, Wikipedia

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Get What the Wall Street protests will accomplish: 3 theories

Opinion Brief: Occupy Wall Street: A U.S. version of the Arab Spring?

Fact Sheet: The Occupy Wall Street protesters: What exactly do they want?

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20111027/cm_theweek/220100

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Lawyers give differing views of Mass. terror case (AP)

BOSTON ? A Massachusetts man charged with conspiring to help al-Qaida has been portrayed by federal prosecutors as a would-be terrorist who hoped to answer a call by Osama bin Laden to kill Americans.

But defense attorneys for Tarek Mehanna described him as a young American simply venting his anger over the U.S. war in Iraq. The defense says his activities were free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution.

The vastly different descriptions were given Thursday in the opening day of his trial.

The Sudbury man is accused of trying to get training at a terrorist camp in Yemen as well as translating and distributing online publications promoting violent jihad. He also is charged with lying to federal authorities.

Several dozen of Mehanna's supporters, and some Occupy Boston protesters, came to court Thursday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_re_us/us_massachusetts_terror_charge

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Obama announces help for student loan borrowers (AP)

DENVER ? President Barack Obama recalled his struggles with student loan debt as he unveiled a plan Wednesday that could give millions of young people some relief on their payments. Speaking at the University of Colorado Denver, Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, together owed more than $120,000 in law school debt that took nearly a decade to pay off. He said that sometimes he'd have to make monthly payments to multiple lenders, and the debt meant they were not only paying for their own degrees but saving for their daughters' college funds simultaneously.

"I've been in your shoes. We did not come from a wealthy family," Obama said to cheers.

Obama said it's never been more important to get a college education, but it's also never been more expensive. Obama said his plan will help not just individuals, but the nation, because graduates will have more money to spend on things like buying homes.

"Our economy needs it right now and your future could use a boost right now," Obama said.

Obama's plan will accelerate a measure passed by Congress that reduces the maximum required payment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent. He will put it into effect in 2012, instead of 2014. In addition, the White House says the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. About 1.6 million borrowers could be affected.

He will also allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them into one. The consolidated loan would carry an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less than before. This could affect 5.8 million borrowers.

Student loans are the No. 2 source of household debt. The president's announcement came on the same day as a new report on tuition costs from the College Board. It showed that average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose $631 this fall, or 8.3 percent, compared with a year ago. Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high.

Student loan debt is a common concern voiced by Occupy Wall Street protesters. Obama's plan could help him shore up re-election support among young voters, an important voting bloc in his 2008 election. But, it might not ease all their fears.

Anna Van Pelt, 24, a graduate student in public health at the University of Colorado Denver who attended the speech, estimates she'll graduate with $40,000 in loans. She called Obama's plan a "really big deal" for her, but said she still worries about how she'll make the payments.

"By the time I graduate, my interest rate is going to be astronomical, especially when you don't have a job," Van Pelt said. "So it's not just paying the loans back. It's paying the loans back without a job."

The White House said the changes will carry no additional costs to taxpayers.

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., his party's ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement that while he supports efforts to help struggling graduates, the president's plan was crafted behind closed doors and "we are left with more questions than answers."

Last year, Congress passed a law that lowered the repayment cap and moved student loans to direct lending by eliminating banks as the middlemen. Before that, borrowers could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program; the latter were issued by private lenders but basically insured by the government. The law was passed along with the health care overhaul with the anticipation that it could save about $60 billion over a decade.

The change in the law was opposed by many Republicans. At a hearing Tuesday, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs a subcommittee with oversight over higher education, said it had resulted in poorer customer service for borrowers. And Senate Republicans issued a news release with a compilation of headlines that showed thousands of workers in student lending, including those from Sallie Mae Inc., had been laid off because of the change.

Today, there are 23 million borrowers with $490 billion in loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Last year, the Education Department made $102.2 billion in direct loans to 11.5 million recipients.

_____

Hefling reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed to this report.

_____

Kimberly Hefling can be followed at http://twitter.com/khefling

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_student_loans

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Hey ladies, want a hit song? Bash a man!

?Mr. know it all/Well ya think you know it all/But ya don't know a thing at all.?

So go the lyrics to Kelly Clarkson?s recent Top 20 hit, ?Mr. Know It All,? the lead single from her fifth studio album, ?Stronger,? which dropped on Oct. 21. Another song on the album, ?Einstein,? has a chorus that goes ?I may not be Einstein/But I know dumb plus dumb equals you.?

Video: ?Idol? Kelly Clarkson targets ?Mr. Know it All? (on this page)

Depending on your point of view ? and perhaps your gender ? these songs are either female empowerment anthems or male-bashing songs. Whatever the case, this mini-genre has become fashionable among female artists, with songs like Pink?s ?U and Ur Hand,? Orianthi?s ?According to You? and Britney Spears? ?Womanizer? all becoming big hits in the past few years. Vibe Magazine?s female arm, Vibe Vixen, even put together a list of ?The 45 Greatest Male-Bashing Anthems? ? and that list didn?t even include any country songs (like Carrie Underwood?s ?Before He Cheats?).

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Although these types of songs had precursors, like Carly Simon?s ?You?re So Vain,? their widespread popularity today can be traced back to the riot grrrl feminist punk movement of the early 1990s, said Marisa Meltzer, author of the book ?Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music.?

?There were a lot of things happening culturally and politically then that bubbled over into music,? said Meltzer. ?What we started to see was underground music slowly becoming more and more part of the mainstream and mainstream music aping underground music. So suddenly angry women were kind of fashionable, and what happens with fashionable music is we tend to see many generations of it.?

Story: Kelly Clarkson says she's never been in love

Meltzer said it was Alanis Morissette?s 1995 album ?Jagged Little Pill,? with its aggressive, in-your-face lyrics, that opened the door for female artists and fans to ?get the message that it?s OK to be angry, that there are people who feel like them.?

Songs like ?Mr. Know It All? are also a way for female artists to attract more listeners, said Leah Greenblatt, senior editor at Entertainment Weekly.

?(Artists) want to reach the widest audience possible and that means reaching girls who are happy, girls who are lonely, and girls who are angry about a bad breakup,? Greenblatt said. ?These kinds of songs lend themselves to being really powerful.?

A TODAY exclusive: Listen to Kelly Clarkson's new song

Why are there so few hit ?angry guy? songs directed at women? Meltzer said that?s the way the pop cycle has turned lately.

?Men seem to be doing well with party music and love songs now,? Meltzer said. ?It seems to be women who are channeling the broad spectrum of emotions.?

But according to Glenn Sacks, a men?s issues expert, the lyrics of songs by Clarkson and others are indicative of anti-male stereotypes found today in sitcoms, movies, and commercials, where men are seen as inept and foolish.

?I think it speaks to something larger in the culture,? Sacks said. ?Where the man?s always wrong the woman?s behavior is never examined. I always found ?Womanizer? to be ironic because Britney had been married and divorced multiple times and is nobody to be pointing fingers about womanizing or being promiscuous or whatever.?

? 2011 MSNBC Interactive.? Reprints

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45016586/ns/today-entertainment/

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Japan contractor hacking likely got military data: Asahi (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? A cyber attack on Japan's biggest defense contractor likely netted military data on warplanes and information on nuclear power plants, the Asahi newspaper reported Monday, as pressure mounts on Japan to bolster cyber security after the attack came to light in August.

It remains unclear whether the military data from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, including information on warplanes, helicopters and other equipment ordered by Japan's Defense Ministry, is deemed sensitive defense information, the Asahi said, citing a source close to the matter.

A Japanese defense ministry official said, that as of now, the ministry is not aware of any leaks of information classified as defense secrets.

Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman Hideo Ikuno declined to comment on the matter. "The issue is currently under investigation and I cannot comment on it," he said.

Mitsubishi Heavy, Japan's biggest weapons supplier, said last month that network information such as IP addresses may have leaked but that it had so far not confirmed any leaks of data on its products or technologies.

More than 80 computers or servers were found to have been infected by viruses, and checks on dozens of other servers in Japan showed that there were indications of leaks of military and nuclear power plant data, the Asahi reported.

It is highly likely that someone went in to steal the data, Asahi said, citing the source.

Mitsubishi Heavy, a partner with Boeing in weapons production, delayed reporting the incident, which became publicly known in August, in a possible violation of its military supply contracts.

Rivals IHI Corp and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have also said they have received suspicious e-mails, while a contractor to Mitsubishi Heavy is checking whether there had been a breach of sensitive data.

Japan is moving to strengthen its cyber security in line with calls from Washington, and will set up Tuesday a framework for sharing hacking information among governmental and private institutions, the Nikkei business daily reported on Monday.

Mitsubishi Heavy, IHI and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, as well as Toshiba Corp, Hitachi Ltd, Fujitsu Ltd, NEC and others, will take part in the framework, the Nikkei said, without citing sources.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Edmund Klamann)

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Rick Perry Doubles Down on Birther Issue (ABC News)

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Asian stocks jump as Japan reports exports growth (AP)

BANGKOK ? Asian stock markets jumped Monday, buoyed by hopes of progress in resolving Europe's debt crisis and positive export figures from Japan that point toward a recovery from a devastating tsunami earlier this year.

Oil prices rose above $88 a barrel. The dollar fell against the euro but rose against the yen.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index added 1.8 percent to 8,830.63 after the government said exports grew for a second straight month in September.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng soared 3.9 percent to 18,731.74 and South Korea's Kospi climbed 2.9 percent to 1,892.40. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines were also higher.

Mainland China's Shenzhen Composite Index slipped 0.8 percent to 951.89 while the Shanghai Composite Index for China's main stock market gained 0.4 percent to 2,325.30.

European leaders are to meet Wednesday to hammer out a concrete resolution to the region's debt problems, including ways to fortify the euro 440 billion ($600 billion) bailout fund to help prevent larger economies that use the euro common currency, such as Italy, from being dragged into the crisis.

Weeks of intensive discussions by European leaders have so far failed to produce a decisive outcome.

"Markets will remain nervous ahead of Wednesday's EU summit, hoping that officials can settle their differences and emerge with a concrete solution. In this respect, the risk of disappointment is high," Credit Agricole CIB said in a research note.

Japan's Finance Ministry said Monday that exports rose 2.4 percent in September compared with a year earlier, marking the second consecutive month of growth. Japan's exports suffered a five-month decline in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan.

South Korean constructions shares rose on expectations that the death of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi would lead to the resumption of construction projects in the North African country, Yonhap News Agency reported. Daewoo surged 5 percent. Hyundai Heavy Industries jumped 6.4 percent.

Chinese banking shares soared ahead of earnings reports to be released this week, analysts said. Hong Kong-listed Agricultural Bank of China jumped 8.8 percent, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China gained 5.8 percent.

Linus Yip, strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong, said speculative investors appeared to be scooping up what were thought to be bargain-priced Hong Kong stocks.

"Today, there is some bargain-hunting for sectors like the Chinese insurance sector and Hong Kong property," he said. Hong Kong-listed Ping An Insurance gained 6.8 percent. China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. was up 6.7 percent.

In the U.S. on Friday, enthusiasm for stocks was on the upswing amid some positive third-quarter earnings reports from U.S. companies, which come despite a weak economy. Among S&P 500 companies reporting so far, seven out of ten have posted higher profits than expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 267.01 points, or 2.3 percent, to 11,808.79. The Dow is now up 2 percent from where it started 2011. Before Friday's surge, it was down for the year. The Dow has risen for four weeks straight, the first time that has happened since January.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3902 from $1.3864 Friday in New York. The dollar rose to 76.21 yen from 76.12 yen.

Benchmark crude for December delivery was up 79 cents at $88.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.33 to settle at $87.40 in New York on Friday.

Brent crude was up 70 cents at $110.26 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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Iraq's Government, Not Obama, Called Time on the U.S. Troop Presence (Time.com)

President Barack Obama's announcement on Friday that all 40,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq will leave the country by New Year's Eve will, inevitably, draw howls of derision from GOP presidential hopefuls ? this is, after all, early election season. But the decision to leave Iraq by that date was not actually taken by President Obama ? it was taken by President George W. Bush, and by the Iraqi government.

In one of his final acts in office, President Bush in December of 2008 had signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the Iraqi government that set the clock ticking on ending the war he'd launched in March of 2003. The SOFA provided a legal basis for the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq after the United Nations Security Council mandate for the occupation mission expired at the end of 2008. But it required that all U.S. forces be gone from Iraq by January 1, 2012, unless the Iraqi government was willing to negotiate a new agreement that would extend their mandate. And as Middle East historian Juan Cole has noted, "Bush had to sign what the [Iraqi] parliament gave him or face the prospect that U.S. troops would have to leave by 31 December, 2008, something that would have been interpreted as a defeat... Bush and his generals clearly expected, however, that over time Washington would be able to wriggle out of the treaty and would find a way to keep a division or so in Iraq past that deadline." (See TIME's photoessay, "Going Home from Iraq.")

But ending the U.S. troop presence in Iraq was an overwhelmingly popular demand among Iraqis, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki appears to have been unwilling to take the political risk of extending it. While he was inclined to see a small number of American soldiers stay behind to continue mentoring Iraqi forces, the likes of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, on whose support Maliki's ruling coalition depends, were having none of it. Even the Obama Administration's plan to keep some 3,000 trainers behind failed because the Iraqis were unwilling to grant them the legal immunity from local prosecution that is common to SOF agreements in most countries where U.S. forces are based.

So, while U.S. commanders would have liked to have kept a division or more behind in Iraq to face any contingencies ? and, increasingly, Administration figures had begun citing the challenge of Iran, next door ? it was Iraqi democracy that put the kibosh on that goal. The Bush Administration had agreed in 2004 to restore Iraqi sovereignty, and in 2005 put the country's elected government in charge of shaping its destiny. But President Bush hadn't anticipated that Iraqi democracy would see pro-U.S. parties sidelined and would, instead, consistently return governments closer to Tehran than they are to Washington. Contra expectations, a democratic Iraq has turned out to be at odds with much of U.S. regional strategy ? first and foremost its campaign to isolate Iran.

The Iraq that U.S. forces will leave behind is far from stable, and the mounting tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia could well see a renewed flare-up of Iraq's disastrous sectarian civil war. A jihadist Sunni insurgency has reasserted itself in recent months with a steady uptick in terror attacks, and it could become a vehicle for Saudi proxy warfare against Iran, which backs the Maliki government and various Shi'ite political and military formations, including Sadr's. Kurdish-Arab tensions are growing in the north, where the fate of such contested cities as Kirkuk remains unresolved and a source of mounting security danger. Iraq's political future, also, remains contested, with sectarian and ethnic rivalries reflected in the continued failure to pass a low regulating the sharing of oil revenues, and mounting anxiety over the increasingly authoritarian approach of Prime Minister Maliki. (See photos of President Obama in Iraq.)

Iraq could yet fail as a state. But it's not as if the presence of 40,000 U.S. troops has been all that's holding it together: Those forces no longer patrol Iraq's cities, and are mostly involved in mentoring Iraqi units, although they have played a major role in mediating Arab-Kurdish conflicts in the north.

Given the unresolved political conflicts that continue to plague the country even after its transition to democratic government ? and in light of the rising levels of regional tension ? chances are high that the U.S. withdrawal will be preceded and followed by a sharp uptick in violence. Shi'ite insurgent groups are likely to escalate attacks on U.S. forces, hoping to claim credit for driving out the Americans ? and, no doubt, to please their Iranian backers. Sunni insurgent groups are likely to raise their own game, in order to challenge the Shi'ite dominated government and demonstrate its inability to ensure security ? an exercise that will suit the agenda of their own backers.

The key to ensuring security after a U.S. withdrawal has always been achieving a regional consensus on Iraq that could set the terms for political compromise inside Iraq ? or, at least, limit the likelihood of renewed violence. Unfortunately, instead, that withdrawal coincides with a sharp escalation in the Saudi-Iranian cold war, and that will spell trouble for Iraq. (See photographer Robert Nickelsberg's Iraq diary.)

Not that the U.S. will be out of the picture, by any stretch of the imagination. As things stand, the U.S. embassy in Iraq will have 17,000 employees ? including at least 5,000 "security contractors", i.e. non-uniformed military personnel. It's not hard to imagine that future training needs of the Iraqi military will be undertaken by privateers rather than under the auspices of the Pentagon. And that the CIA ? now under the command of Gen. David Petraeus, former U.S. commander in Iraq ? will play a more active role in pursuing U.S. objectives on the ground and in the neighborhood.

But as of December 31, no more American soldiers will be doing tours of duty in Iraq. The war that ousted Saddam Hussein, unleashing an insurgency that left 4,500 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead, and which will cost the U.S. upwards of $1 trillion, is finally over. Historians will note that the U.S. invasion of Iraq precipitated dramatic changes across the Middle East political landscape in the ensuing decade. But many of those changes were hardly the ones the war's authors had in mind.

See a brief history of photographing the fallen.

View this article on Time.com

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Obama: Gadhafi, Iraq show renewed US leadership (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama says the death of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and the end of the Iraq war are powerful reminders of America's renewed leadership in the world.

At the same time, Obama said Saturday that the U.S. now must tackle its "greatest challenge as a nation" ? rebuilding a weak economy and creating jobs ? with the "same urgency and unity that our troops brought to their fight."

Obama informed the nation on Friday that the long and costly war in Iraq will be over by the end of the year and that some 40,000 U.S. servicemen and women still there "will definitely be home for the holidays."

A day earlier, he hailed the killing of Libya's longtime leader as a "momentous day" in the history of a country that Gadhafi had ruled for decades through tyranny.

Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address that these foreign policy successes were part of a larger story.

"This week, we had two powerful reminders of how we've renewed American leadership in the world," Obama said. "After a decade of war, we're turning the page and moving forward, with strength and confidence."

He said withdrawing troops from Iraq has allowed the U.S. to focus on Afghanistan and score major victories against al-Qaida, including the killing in May of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. Troops also have been coming home from Afghanistan.

Obama said ending both wars will allow the U.S. to focus on rebuilding a weak economy so it can start creating enough jobs to reduce high levels of unemployment. That could possibly aid his re-election bid, which is being jeopardized by the tough financial circumstances.

"Over the past decade, we spent a trillion dollars on war, borrowed heavily from overseas and invested too little in the greatest source of our national strength ? our own people," the president said. "Now, the nation we need to build is our own."

In the Republicans' weekly message, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., bemoaned 32 consecutive months with unemployment above 8 percent.

While Obama on Saturday called anew for passage of his $447 billion jobs bill, Burr urged action on a Republican alternative.

Senate Republicans recently blocked Obama's overall bill, leaving Democrats in charge of the chamber to try to pass it piece by piece. But Republican senators also blocked action on the first component of the larger bill, a $35 billion measure to boost hiring of teachers and emergency services workers.

In turn, Democrats stalled a measure both parties support that would stop the government from withholding 3 percent of payments to government contractors.

A test vote is expected next month, after the Senate returns from vacation, on a $60 billion bill to finance construction of roads, bridges and other public works projects.

Burr said people are hurting and the economy is in "grave danger."

"It's time for Congress to focus on the American people and not how difficult change might be," he said. "It's time stop playing games and to get on with the serious business that the American people expect from us."

____

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111022/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama

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Donald shares Disney lead 2 shots ahead of Simpson (AP)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. ? Luke Donald got off to a strong start in his pursuit of Webb Simpson and the top spot on the PGA money list, shooting a 6-under 66 Thursday in the opening round of the Children's Miracle Network Classic to share the lead with six other players.

Donald, the world No. 1, is trying to become the first player to finish the season No. 1 on both the European and PGA Tour money lists. The Englishman was paired with Simpson, who was two strokes back after a 68.

James Driscoll, Arjun Atwal, Nathan Green, Gary Woodland, Scott Stallings and Derek Lamely also shot 66 to share the lead in the season's final event.

Donald has made $5,837,214 this season, leaving him $363,029 behind Simpson, who has made $6,200,243 while playing in seven more PGA events.

Tom Lehman is the only player since 1990 to win the money title on the final day of the season. He won the 1996 PGA Tour Championship to pass Phil Mickelson, who fished 12th ? and second on the money list ? that season.

Donald got off to a hot start on the Palm course, birdieing three of his first five holes and going without a bogey the entire round. Simpson, who had four birdies, also played bogey free.

The two will play together again Friday on the Magnolia Course in a group with amateurs Kevin Gallagher and Dennis Murphy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_sp_go_su/glf_disney

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Know About Small Business Liability Insurance | Insurance Blog

Every business, whether it is big or small, wants to survive, sustain and make profits. But business of any type or size is unpredictable and may get into losses due to unwanted or unexpected circumstances like natural calamities, fire, theft or other riots. It is very difficult for small businesses to protect their occupation or business if they face adverse situations with their meager budgets. Many small businesses perish as they fail to cover these losses. So, it is very important for small businesses to have a risk management system for their business to protect themselves against unforeseen losses.

Insurance, considered as a critical part of the risk management system is the only way for small businesses to protect themselves. Today, there are many types of insurance policies, of which Liability Insurance is considered to be the best one for small businesses as it provides compensation for the fines associated with liability cases.

It covers following risks:

Liability insurance protects a small business from loss or damage to the maximum extent. Business liability insurance options are very useful for small businesses as they cover the business property, claims for injuries by employees and visitors, employee compensation and many more. Some of the common types of liability insurance for small businesses and their coverage are explained below in detail.

Business property insurance
Business Property Insurance, as the name itself indicates covers the business property of the small business. Its coverage includes the building or buildings in which you do business, carpeting, curtains, outdoor signs, property of others etc. If you choose a right business insurance property, it covers all the important equipment such as computers, machinery, supplies, stock etc.

Professional indemnity insurance

Professional Indemnity Insurance, also called as Professional Liability Insurance or Errors and Omissions? liability insurance, is an extremely important consideration for small professional businesses that are in service industry. They are exposed to a wide range of claims that may include areas such as errors, omissions, professional neglect, falsehood, breach of confidentiality etc. This insurance protects businesses from the claims made by clients against the delivery of poor service. This type of insurance is generally purchased by professionals such as a doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, brokers, financial advisers, accountants, consultants, building contractors, and attorneys etc. who run their own business.

Product insurance

Product insurance or Product Liability Insurance protects the business owners from the lawsuits filed against them for manufacturing or producing defective products. This type of insurance is very useful for small scale manufacturers or importers. This liability insurance protects small businesses in case a person is injured or died using a product manufactured or developed by the business.

Employment practices liability coverage

Employment Practices Liability Insurance covers small businesses against claims by employees or business associates when their legal rights are violated. This insurance policy protects employers against breach of employment contract, deprivation of career opportunity, discrimination, mismanagement of employee benefit plans, negligent evaluation, sexual harassment, wrongful discipline or termination etc.

Excess liability coverage

Excess Liability Insurance, also called as Umbrella Liability Insurance or Commercial umbrella insurance provides additional protection to any of several other policies that a small business might hold. It protects businesses when an accident or similar claim exceeds the amount of their existing liability coverage, which may include medical costs or other claim payments.

Workers? compensation insurance

When an employee gets injured at the workplace, it is the employer who is responsible for the payment of medical bills. Sometimes these medical bills may run into thousands of dollars, which can be very burdensome for the small business owners to pay. The workers? compensation insurance kicks in during these kinds of situations. The workers? compensation policy provides wage replacement, medical, and rehabilitation benefits to the employees who get injured on the job.

Other insurance

Apart from the above mentioned insurance policies, there are many other insurance policies that help small businesses such as:
* Auto Insurance ? to cover the company vehicles,
* Health Insurance ? to protect employees when they are sick,
* Crime Insurance ? to protect business against employee fraud,
* Key Employee Insurance ? to protect small business against the loss of their key employee etc.

All businesses may not need the same type of insurance. In order to determine a perfect liability coverage for your business, you need to carefully consider all your needs and risks involved in your business. With a good insurance policy, small business owners can have peace of mind and focus on their business knowing that their business is well protected.

Source: http://www.fydaowei.com/know-about-small-business-liability-insurance/

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Unemployment claims dip, but outlook still clouded

Unemployment claims still above 400,000, though four-week average now at six-month low. Unemployment claims need to drop to 375,000 to signal stronger job growth.

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits have fallen to a six-month low, according to a four-week averaged calculated by the government.

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Some economists said the steady decline signals fewer layoffs and possibly stronger job growth in the months ahead. But they cautioned that employers are not yet hiring at healthy levels.

Weekly applications dropped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 403,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average fell for the fourth straight week to 403,000. A month ago it was 422,250.

"This decline in initial claims signals the potential for an improvement in the pace of job creation in October relative to recent months," said John Ryding, an economist with RDQ Economics. "However, we are still waiting for that decisive move in claims below the 400,000 mark to send a stronger signal that payroll growth is running at a pace that will begin to make sustained inroads into unemployment."

Many economists say applications need to fall consistently below 375,000 to signal sustainable job growth. They haven't been below that level since February.

Economists have been closely watching unemployment benefit applications since fears of another recession intensified this summer. Layoffs and applications tend to rise at the beginning of recessions.

Employers have added an average of only 72,000 jobs per month in the past five months. That's far below the 100,000 per month needed to keep up with population growth. And it's down from an average of 180,000 in the first four months of this year.

In September, employers added only 103,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate remained 9.1 percent for a third straight month.

Employers pulled back on hiring this spring, after rising gas prices cut into consumer spending and Japan's March 11 earthquake disrupted supply chains. That slowed U.S. auto production.

Auto output has rebounded in the past couple of months and gas prices have come down from their peak in early May. In September, consumers increased their spending on retail goods by the most in seven months.

Those trends likely boosted growth in the July-September quarter to about 2.5 percent, economists predict. That's an improvement from the 0.9 percent annual rate in the first six months of this year. But it's not enough to spur much job growth.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits rose 25,000 to 3.7 million. But that doesn't include several million additional laid-off workers receiving extended benefits under an emergency program paid for by the federal government and put in place during the recession.

All told, 6.7 million people received benefits in the week ended Oct. 1, the latest data available.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/jSehej2gpyw/Unemployment-claims-dip-but-outlook-still-clouded

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Lohan in custody after judge finds probation issue (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Lindsay Lohan has been taken away in handcuffs after a judge found her in violation of her probation.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner revoked Lohan's probation Wednesday after the actress encountered problems during her community service assignment at a women's shelter. Bail has been set at $100,000.

Sautner said Lohan would be entitled to a hearing before being sentenced to jail over the violation.

Lohan has started serving hours with the American Red Cross, but Sautner said that would not count toward her probation because it was not part of her sentence.

It's the latest legal problem for the 25-year-old Lohan, who remains on probation for a 2007 drunken driving case and a misdemeanor theft case this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_en_mo/us_people_lindsay_lohan

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Here Comes The Modern Warfare 3 Gear: Logitech Outs MW3 G105 Keyboard And G9X Gaming Mouse

Collect all the things! Logitech's latest venture involves slapping Modern Warfare 3 logos on their wares and selling them at the same price. Yep, you can show your FPS allegiance without paying a silly premium. The upcoming MW3 G105 gaming keyboard and G9X gaming mouse will cost the same as their standard counterparts. A move that is consumer-friendly and, at the same time, rather scary.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XPzqajAB5O4/

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UK navy seizes pirate 'mothership' (AP)

LONDON ? Britain's navy says marines have boarded a suspected pirate "mothership," freeing 20 crew members held hostage and detaining four suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The Ministry of Defense said Thursday that the dhow had been hijacked by pirates to use as a base and was involved in attacks on merchant shipping.

The ministry says pirates had been holding a Pakistani crew of 20 hostages on board and that the navy closed in on the dhow last Friday.

At the time, pirates were seen ditching equipment and weapons before the boarding.

The ministry says the four suspected pirates have been handed over to Italian authorities, on suspicion of their involvement in the attack on the MV Monte Cristo on Oct. 11.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_re_eu/piracy

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One-Minute Physics: Why there is no pink light

Sandrine Ceurstemont, editor, New Scientist TV You've probably seen light that looks pink, but where does this colour come from? Different wavelengths of visible light correspond to colours of the rainbow - and pink isn't one of them. In our latest One-Minute Physics video, animator Henry Reich takes us through the mysterious make-up of pink light.

If you enjoyed this video, you can watch our previous One-Minute Physics episodes, here. For example, find out about the theory that won this year's Nobel prize in physics or see how a particle can also be a wave.

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Study: Vaccine reduces malaria in African children (AP)

ATLANTA ? The quest for the world's first malaria vaccine appears to have taken a big step: A study in Africa shows experimental shots cut the risk of disease in young children by half.

The initial results from a final stage of vaccine testing were released Tuesday, and the vaccine's developers called it a milestone in helping to tame one of the world's most devastating killers.

However, the vaccine won't be available for at least three years, as crucial further testing must be completed to see how well it works in infants and how long protection lasts. Then the vaccine must be reviewed by government agencies in Europe and in individual African countries.

"We still have a way to go," Tsiri Agbenyega, lead researcher for the African study, said in a conference call with reporters.

The early results show the vaccine is only about 50 percent effective, significantly lower than the protection seen in more common vaccines. But some experts said it's a vast improvement over the current situation, and could still save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Globally, malaria kills nearly a million people annually. More than 90 percent of them live in Africa, and most are young children and pregnant women.

Scientists have been trying for decades to develop a malaria vaccine and the one tested ? developed by GlaxoSmithKline ? is furthest along. Without a vaccine, public health efforts have concentrated on malaria drugs and other ways to prevent infection such as mosquito bed netting and insecticides.

Those efforts have been successful: Some countries have been able to reduce malaria deaths in younger children by up to 50 percent, noted Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new vaccine targets a malaria parasite found in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria spreads through mosquitoes, which bite people and flush malaria parasites into the bloodstream. The parasites cause bouts of high fever and can end in fatal organ failure.

In the United States, malaria has been eradicated since the early 1950s. Only about 1,500 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, most of them travelers or immigrants from South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa or other places where malaria commonly spreads.

The new study ? still under way ? began in 2009 and involves more than 15,000 children in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Early results were released Tuesday at a malaria conference in Seattle and published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings focus on about 6,000 children ages 5 to 17 months. A year after getting three doses, the vaccinated children had about half as many cases of malaria as a group that didn't get the vaccine.

Meanwhile, experts are waiting for results from a younger group ? infants ages 6 to 12 weeks. That's the age when children in sub-Saharan Africa are vaccinated against other diseases. Earlier vaccination also affords earlier protection.

So far, side effects and other problems occurred at about equal rates in the vaccine and comparison groups, although higher rates of seizures and meningitis were reported in the vaccine group. The researchers think it's unlikely the vaccine was the cause, but another expert said the finding deserves more study.

The expert ? Nicholas White of Thailand's Mahidol University ? also questioned the release of partial results.

"It is not usual practice to publish the results of trials in pieces, and there does not seem to be a clear scientific reason why this trial has been reported with less than half the efficacy results available," White wrote in an editorial published along with the findings.

Although there are an array of vaccines against viruses and bacteria, there has never been an effective vaccine against a parasite, which is a more complicated organism. And there are five species of malaria parasites. The new vaccine is designed specifically to protect against the deadliest one, which is common in sub-Saharan Africa.

Other researchers are working on different malaria vaccines, and they anticipate a need for their work even if Glaxo's continues to succeed, said Dr. Alberto Moreno, a malaria vaccine researcher at Emory University. Another deadly species more common in Asia could replace the parasite in sub-Saharan Africa as a primary killer, he said.

"We don't know what will happen in the future," he said.

No price has been set for the Glaxo vaccine. Chief executive Andrew Witty pledged the company will price it as low as possible, based on the cost of production plus 5 percent, with all the extra money plowed into research on malaria and other diseases.

"We're not going to make any money on this project," Witty said.

The Glaxo vaccine was first created in 1987. The company has invested $300 million in the vaccine so far, and expects to spend another $50 to $100 million on it, he said.

The British drugmaker paid for the study along with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, a program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Online:

Journal: http://www.nejm.org

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111018/ap_on_he_me/us_med_malaria_vaccine

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