You set out with a crew from the birthday party, but find you?re a booster short. Do you make sure your own child gets one? Or do you let all the kids use belts only? A new survey found half the parents of 4- to 8-year-olds questioned sometimes let passengers go booster free.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/46196005#46196005
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The super PACs paying for a flood of negative ads in the GOP presidential race are supposed to disclose who they are Tuesday. Don't expect to learn much, campaign watchdogs say.?
The secret donors funding a flood of negative ads in the 2012 presidential race are supposed to go public Tuesday. But loopholes in federal disclosure rules?mean that Americans will still be left largely in the dark about who is financing what, campaign watchdogs say.?
Skip to next paragraphThe landmark 2010 Supreme Court case,?Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC), opened a new era in campaign spending.?This is the first presidential race since the Watergate era to allow unlimited individual and corporate spending for a candidate. Already, campaign spending by outside groups appears to be eclipsing money spent by candidates themselves.
Jon Huntsman Jr. called the resulting GOP campaign "toxic" when he dropped of the race earlier this month.?But?with the exception of the $10 million a Las Vegas casino billionaire gave to an independent group backing Newt Gingrich, not much is known about the identity or motivations of deep-pocket corporate and individual donors.
That is not expected to change much with the deadline Tuesday, largely because a?gridlocked FEC has yet to come up with rules to govern how big-spending advocacy groups, called super political-action committees, should disclose who they are.?
The result, say critics, is a violation of the Supreme Court's demand for "effective disclosure."
?You can talk about disclosure all you want, but there have always been clever operators who can get around??the law,? says Bill Allison, senior analyst with the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based group promoting transparency in government.?
?We saw it with soft money, with 527s, like the Swift Boat Veterans, and now with super PACs,? he adds, referring to big-money loopholes in previous campaign-finance reforms.?
Candidates' own campaigns are limited to donations of $2,500 per individual per election. But super PACs can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, or unions. Unlike other PACs, super PACs are allowed to expressly argue for a specific candidate. They must, however, disclose donors ? though it?s not clear what exactly that means.
FEC commissioners, split 3 to 3 along the partisan lines of the presidents who appointed them, have yet to approve rules for regulations affected by the Supreme Court case.
?Such a proliferation of anonymous, negative speech cannot be good for our democracy,? said FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub in a Dec. 16 statement, after another FEC deadlocked vote on rulemaking. ?Nor is it consistent with the view of eight Justices of the Supreme Court, who ruled that ?effective disclosure? is what enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.??
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Why would you put a device that gets hot next to a device that gets cold? They would both be using energy to fight the effects of the appliance next door.
Your dishwasher gets hot. Your dishwasher also gets moist, meaning it?s harder to cool down the air around it. Your refrigerator gets cold. So does your freezer.
Skip to next paragraph Trent HammThe Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.
Why would you put a device that gets hot next to a device that gets cold? No insulation is perfect, after all, so they would both be using energy to fight the effects of the appliance next door.
So many elements of frugality and personal finance come down to paying attention to the details. This is one of those little detail things that so many people will overlook, but over time it just continually costs you money.
When we moved into our current home, one of the things that annoyed me about it was the relatively small kitchen. It wasn?t much larger than the kitchen in our small apartment, having only a small counter that the other did not have.
Even worse, the refrigerator was installed next to the dishwasher, and the only way to fix it would involve an extensive reworking of our kitchen, as the cabinets are all formed around slots for the appliances.
There?s no doubt that energy is lost in this process. The dishwasher, while running a cycle, puts off a tremendous amount of heat, some of which you can feel on the side of the refrigerator. I often hear the refrigerator kicking on just a minute or two after starting a dishwasher load due to the rise in internal temperature of the refrigerator. It?s actively costing us money.
So, what can we do about this? At the moment, not much. Other than the side-by-side appliance issue, our kitchen is laid out fairly well for its size. Although we?ve looked at alternate arrangements, none of them have provided enough value to be worth the cost of rearranging things.
One short-term fix we?ve done is to insert a piece of thin insulation between the two appliances. There was just enough room for a small piece of insulation to fit between the two, so we purchased a piece of heat-resistant insulation. While this isn?t a perfect fix, it does reduce the heat directly transferred between the two devices.
We also try to make an effort to keep the refrigerator door closed while the dishwasher is running. Opening the refrigerator door while the dishwasher is running causes the cool and dry air to rush out and the warm, damp air to move in, making it that much harder for the refrigerator to do its job.
However, we do plan to build a new house in the future. When we do that, we?ll make sure to avoid having a ?hot? appliance next to a ?cold? one. In fact, in our latest design sketches (a fun project that Sarah and I work on sometimes in the evenings is doing sketches on the computer of what our dream house would be like), the refrigerator and dishwasher are pretty far apart, with a large counterspace between the refrigerator and the sink and the dishwasher on the other side of the sink.
Another thing to watch out for: avoid having your refrigerator or freezer next to an air vent, particularly if you live in northern climates. During the winter, your air vent will be blowing out hot air, which you don?t want blowing directly onto your refrigerator. This is something else to consider when designing or re-designing a kitchen, as it?s all about the energy efficiency.
Will this save you a lot of money or a little? It?s really hard to measure, as it depends on the modes you?re running in your refrigerator and dishwasher, the amount of insulation between the two, and countless other factors. However, I?d have to be oblivious to not hear our refrigerator kicking on and running almost contiunously when our dishwasher is running. If a simple kitchen design decision will make a real difference in how much your refrigerator is running, it?s well worth keeping in mind as a principle.
This post is part of a yearlong series called ?365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),? in which I?m revisiting the entries from my book ?365 Ways to Live Cheap,? which is available at Amazon and at bookstores everywhere.?
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on www.thesimpledollar.com.
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The pre-eminent communications systems event for the working world.
International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE)
- February 20-24, 2012 ? ? - Las Vegas Convention Center
- Courses Feb 20-21 ? - Expo Feb. 22-234 ? - Over 330 Exhibitors
College of Technology: 25 courses, including: ? - Land Mobile Radio for the IT Professional ? - Spectrum Opportunities in a Narrowbanded Environment ? - Wireless Surveillance Ecosystem ? - Software Applications over IP ? - LTE Voice Options and Operations ? - NIMS/ICS 400 ? - 4G, LTE and Broadband Overview ? - TETRA for North America ? - Mobile Data and Multimedia Fundamentals ? - Smart Grid 101 ? and more!
55 Sessions: ? - Optimizing the 4G Cloud for Interoperable Communications ? - IP in an LMR World ? - Future Planning for Legacy Networks ? - Interference Analysis: Theory and Practice ? - Case Studies on Next-Gen Communications in Airports ? - Deploying LTE and Broadband Wireless in a Rural Setting ? - Analog or Digital? How to Make the Decision ? and more!
For information and to register, visit www.iwceexpo.com
Source: http://www.e-grid.net/BayAreaTech/?p=2607
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??Etta James was remembered at a service Saturday attended by hundreds of friends, family and fans as a woman who triumphed against all odds to break down cultural and musical barriers in a style that was unfailingly honest.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/46168927#46168927
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Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46162939#46162939
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![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 27-Jan-2012
Share ] Contact: Carol Thorbes (SFUPAMR)
cthorbes@sfu.ca
778-782-3035
Simon Fraser University
A crowd-drawing trio of Simon Fraser University scientists will strut their science knowledge during Family Science Days, Feb. 18 and 19, at the world's largest science fair at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The two-day event incorporated within the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) four-day annual meeting (Feb. 16 to 20) aims to engage non-scientists of all ages and backgrounds in celebrating science.
Nancy Forde, a pioneer in developing multi-trap optical tweezers to probe biological molecules, will take centre stage at a Meet the Scientists session at 2 p.m. on Sun., Feb. 19.
The associate professor of physics will present some amazing physical feats of nature's nano-machines.
"These biological molecular motors perform an enormous number of critical tasks, such as transporting waste outside of cells, communicating signals through long distances and sensing cues from the external environment."
Like LEGO toy builders, and inspired by nature's motors, Forde and her research colleagues are trying to build novel nano-machines using natural building blocks in their lab.
"It's like seeing how a car works first," explains Forde. "You'd observe it driving and then take a pile of parts, such as nuts, bolts, pieces of metal and wires, to see if you can build a car."
Forde takes very seriously her job of engaging the public in understanding the importance of her lab work.
"This is not just because it has a possible long-term application," says Forde, "but also because it is basic, discovery-driven research, which is often overlooked by mainstream media. The more scientists who get involved in this type of event, the broader the exposure provided to different areas of scientific inquiry."
Two senior lecturers, Sophie Lavieri in chemistry and Sarah Johnson in physics, known for their explosive antics in Science in Action, an SFU program, will follow Forde's act at 2:30 pm on Feb. 19. The duo will also have an exhibit booth in the AAAS's Family Science Days section, 11 am to 5 pm, Feb. 18 and 19.
The two say the conference gives them a chance to practise demonstrations they would like to stage at SFU's open house in May. At the AAAS they will start up a superconducting train to illustrate how to make a high-temperature superconductor float in a magnetic field.
They'll also shine red and green lasers through different colours of Jell-O to demonstrate how fibre optic cables work.
###
Simon Fraser University
Public Affairs and Media Relations (PAMR)
778-782-3210
www.sfu.ca/pamr/
Contacts:
Nancy Forde (North Vancouver resident)
778-782-3161
nforde@sfu.ca
Sophie Lavieri (North Vancouver resident)
778-782-3537
slavieri@sfu.ca
Sarah Johnson (Vancouver resident)
778-782-3978, 778-782-7427,
sjohnson@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR,
778-782-3035,
cthorbes@sfu.ca
Photos available for download: http://i.sfu.ca/lAnkWa
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 27-Jan-2012 Share ] Contact: Carol Thorbes (SFUPAMR)
cthorbes@sfu.ca
778-782-3035
Simon Fraser University
A crowd-drawing trio of Simon Fraser University scientists will strut their science knowledge during Family Science Days, Feb. 18 and 19, at the world's largest science fair at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The two-day event incorporated within the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) four-day annual meeting (Feb. 16 to 20) aims to engage non-scientists of all ages and backgrounds in celebrating science.
Nancy Forde, a pioneer in developing multi-trap optical tweezers to probe biological molecules, will take centre stage at a Meet the Scientists session at 2 p.m. on Sun., Feb. 19.
The associate professor of physics will present some amazing physical feats of nature's nano-machines.
"These biological molecular motors perform an enormous number of critical tasks, such as transporting waste outside of cells, communicating signals through long distances and sensing cues from the external environment."
Like LEGO toy builders, and inspired by nature's motors, Forde and her research colleagues are trying to build novel nano-machines using natural building blocks in their lab.
"It's like seeing how a car works first," explains Forde. "You'd observe it driving and then take a pile of parts, such as nuts, bolts, pieces of metal and wires, to see if you can build a car."
Forde takes very seriously her job of engaging the public in understanding the importance of her lab work.
"This is not just because it has a possible long-term application," says Forde, "but also because it is basic, discovery-driven research, which is often overlooked by mainstream media. The more scientists who get involved in this type of event, the broader the exposure provided to different areas of scientific inquiry."
Two senior lecturers, Sophie Lavieri in chemistry and Sarah Johnson in physics, known for their explosive antics in Science in Action, an SFU program, will follow Forde's act at 2:30 pm on Feb. 19. The duo will also have an exhibit booth in the AAAS's Family Science Days section, 11 am to 5 pm, Feb. 18 and 19.
The two say the conference gives them a chance to practise demonstrations they would like to stage at SFU's open house in May. At the AAAS they will start up a superconducting train to illustrate how to make a high-temperature superconductor float in a magnetic field.
They'll also shine red and green lasers through different colours of Jell-O to demonstrate how fibre optic cables work.
###
Simon Fraser University
Public Affairs and Media Relations (PAMR)
778-782-3210
www.sfu.ca/pamr/
Contacts:
Nancy Forde (North Vancouver resident)
778-782-3161
nforde@sfu.ca
Sophie Lavieri (North Vancouver resident)
778-782-3537
slavieri@sfu.ca
Sarah Johnson (Vancouver resident)
778-782-3978, 778-782-7427,
sjohnson@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR,
778-782-3035,
cthorbes@sfu.ca
Photos available for download: http://i.sfu.ca/lAnkWa
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/sfu-sst012712.php
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CHICAGO ? A federal judge on Thursday convicted a 73-year-old reputed Chicago mobster who first gained notoriety three decades ago for helping to steal the 45-carat Marlborough Diamond from a London jewelry store.
Arthur "The Brain" Rachel grimaced, turned to one of his attorneys and shook his head slightly after Judge Harry Leinenweber found him guilty in the bench trial on three of four counts, including racketeering for his involvement in several planned robberies.
Co-defendants Joseph "The Monk" Scalise, 74, and Robert Pullia, 70, pleaded guilty last week. Scalise was an accomplice with Rachel in what at the time was seen as a daring, daytime theft of the Marlborough Diamond, which was never recovered.
The Chicago trial, which was not connected to the jewelry theft, attracted attention partly because of the defendants' advanced ages when they're accused of plotting robberies several years ago.
Prosecutor Amarjeet Bhachu told reporters after Thursday's verdict that the men were far from harmless, elderly goofs.
"You don't need to be a weightlifter to pull the trigger on a firearm," he said. "These men were dedicated to hurting other people. The fact that they were old wasn't a barrier to the crimes."
Rachel, who was acquitted on a lone weapons charge, did not speak to reporters as he left the courthouse Thursday.
Among the evidence brought to court was a banged-up stepladder the would-be robbers intended to use in the 2010 burglary at the home of late Chicago mobster Angelo "The Hook" LaPietra. Authorities arrested the senior citizens, dressed in black, outside the house.
They had also planned to rob an armored car, prosecutors said.
Scalise and Rachel were convicted in Britain of using a hand grenade as a threat in 1980 to rob London's posh Graff Jewelers of $3.6 million worth of goods, including the diamond. They began serving 15-year prison terms in 1984 and were released in 1993.
The FBI has said Scalise's resume included serving as a technical adviser on the movie "Public Enemies" about Depression Era gangster John Dillinger, which was filmed in Chicago in 2008.
Asked by reporters as he left court last week if the Marlborough Diamond could ever be located, Scalise said, "If Lloyd's wanted to pay enough money, maybe they could."
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PHOENIX ? An attorney for one of two white supremacist brothers charged in Arizona with bombing a black city official in Scottsdale is trying to paint a government informant as a temptress who led one of the brothers to believe that she would have sex with him so he would admit to the crime.
Attorney Deborah Williams on Thursday played for jurors numerous tapes of the informant flirting with identical twin brothers Dennis and Daniel Mahon and talking about sex.
Williams is trying to undercut the credibility of the 41-year-old informant, a former exotic dancer.
The Mahons, both 61, have pleaded not guilty to the 2004 bombing of Don Logan, Scottsdale's diversity director at the time. His hand and arm were injured, and a secretary also was hurt.
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BANGKOK ? Asian stock markets posted muted gains Thursday after the U.S. central bank pledged to keep interest rates low for another three years to nurture the country's stubbornly slow economic recovery.
Benchmark oil hovered just below $100 per barrel while the dollar fell against the euro and the yen.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.2 percent to 20,342.71 on its first trading day since the Chinese New Year holiday. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.2 percent to 1,956.21. Benchmarks in Thailand and New Zealand also rose.
Japan's Nikkei was 0.4 percent lower at 8,853.02 as a weakening dollar pressured the country's exporters. Benchmarks in Singapore and Malaysia also fell.
Markets in Taiwan and mainland Chinese remained closed for the Chinese New Year. Markets in India and Australia were closed for public holidays.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee said it was unlikely to raise interest rates before late 2014. It had previously said it expected to keep rates low into the middle of 2013.
The Fed cut rates to near zero in December 2008, during the financial crisis, and has held them there ever since. The announcement was a sign that the Fed expects the economy, which is improving, to need significant help for three more years.
Analysts said some stock buyers rejoiced that the Fed was leaning toward promoting economic growth.
"With the FOMC sending out a strong signal that monetary policy is likely to remain accommodative for even longer than previously expected, risk assets are in a very good position," Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said in an email.
Wall Street welcomed the news, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing up 0.6 percent at 12,756.96 ? the highest close since May 10. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.9 percent to 1,326.06. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.1 percent to close at 2,818.31.
Energy shares got a boost after crude briefly topped $100 per barrel on Wednesday. South Korea's oil refiner S-Oil Corp. rose 2.5 percent, while China National Offshore Oil Corp., known as CNOOC, rose 2.1 percent in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-listed Zijin Mining Group, China's largest gold miner, jumped 4.1 percent amid rising prices in the precious metal.
But Japanese export shares didn't fare so well. Low interest rates in the U.S. would likely weigh on the dollar, giving the tenaciously strong yen another unwelcome boost.
Yamaha Motor Corp. sank 2.4 percent, while Sony Corp. lost 1.2 percent. Toshiba Corp. was 1.2 percent down.
Lee Kok Joo, head of research at Phillip Securities in Singapore, said the Fed announcement would likely have only a short-term affect on equities.
"Beyond that, you still need to look at the macro picture," he said, referring in particular to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. "Things are still pretty uncertain in the European region."
Greece, which faces an important bond repayment deadline in March, is struggling to reach a deal with creditors to prevent a chaotic default on its massive debts. A default could trigger a financial crisis in Europe and beyond.
Private sector investors that hold a large part of Greece's debt are being asked to swap their existing bonds with new ones of a reduced value, longer maturity and lower interest rate. Greece needs the deal if it is to avoid default this spring.
Benchmark crude for March delivery was up 57 cents to $99.97 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose by 45 cents to finish at $99.40 per barrel in New York on Wednesday. At one point it was as high as $100.40.
The prospect of low interest rates dragged on the dollar, since it reduces the returns that investors get from holding assets denominated in that currency. The euro rose to $1.3109 from $1.3084 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar fell to 77.69 yen from 77.81 yen.
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Scientists have developed a new way to create electromagnetic Terahertz (THz) waves or T-rays - the technology behind full-body security scanners. The researchers behind the study, published recently in the journal Nature Photonics, say their new stronger and more efficient continuous wave T-rays could be used to make better medical scanning gadgets and may one day lead to innovations similar to the 'tricorder' scanner used in Star Trek.
In the study, researchers from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, and Imperial College London in the UK have made T-rays into a much stronger directional beam than was previously thought possible, and have done so at room-temperature conditions. This is a breakthrough that should allow future T-ray systems to be smaller, more portable, easier to operate, and much cheaper than current devices.
The scientists say that the T-ray scanner and detector could provide part of the functionality of a Star Trek-like medical 'tricorder' - a portable sensing, computing and data communications device - since the waves are capable of detecting biological phenomena such as increased blood flow around tumorous growths. Future scanners could also perform fast wireless data communication to transfer a high volume of information on the measurements it makes.
T-rays are waves in the far infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum that have a wavelength hundreds of times longer than those that make up visible light. Such waves are already in use in airport security scanners, prototype medical scanning devices and in spectroscopy systems for materials analysis. T-rays can sense molecules such as those present in cancerous tumours and living DNA, since every molecule has its unique signature in the THz range. They can also be used to detect explosives or drugs, for gas pollution monitoring or non-destructive testing of semiconductor integrated circuit chips.
Current T-ray imaging devices are very expensive and operate at only a low output power, since creating the waves consumes large amounts of energy and needs to take place at very low temperatures.
In the new technique, the researchers demonstrated that it is possible to produce a strong beam of T-rays by shining light of differing wavelengths on a pair of electrodes - two pointed strips of metal separated by a 100 nanometre gap on top of a semiconductor wafer. The structure of the tip-to-tip nano-sized gap electrode greatly enhances the THz field and acts like a nano-antenna to amplify the wave generated. In this method, THz waves are produced by an interaction between the electromagnetic waves of the light pulses and a powerful current passing between the semiconductor electrodes. The scientists are able to tune the wavelength of the T-rays to create a beam that is useable in the scanning technology.
Lead author Dr Jing Hua Teng, from A*STAR's IMRE, said: "The secret behind the innovation lies in the new nano-antenna that we had developed and integrated into the semiconductor chip." Arrays of these nano-antennas create much stronger THz fields that generate a power output that is 100 times higher than the power output of commonly used THz sources that have conventional interdigitated antenna structures. A stronger T-ray source renders the T-ray imaging devices more power and higher resolution.
Research co-author Stefan Maier, a visiting scientist at A*STAR's IMRE and Professor in the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, said: "T-rays promise to revolutionise medical scanning to make it faster and more convenient, potentially relieving patients from the inconvenience of complicated diagnostic procedures and the stress of waiting for accurate results. Thanks to modern nanotechnology and nanofabrication, we have made a real breakthrough in the generation of T-rays that takes us a step closer to these new scanning devices. With the introduction of a gap of only 0.1 micrometers into the electrodes, we have been able to make amplified waves at the key wavelength of 1000 micrometers that can be used in such real world applications."
###
Imperial College London: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/press
Thanks to Imperial College London for this article.
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CAIRO ? Popular uprisings sweeping the Arab world exposed biases by Western governments that supported Arab autocratic rulers for the sake of "stability" while turning a blind eye to their repressive policies, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.
The New-York based group urged democratic governments to adopt persistent and consistent support for peaceful protesters and to press both autocratic rulers and newly emerging democracies to avoid intolerance and seeking revenge.
"The events of the past year show that the forced silence of people living under autocrats should never have been mistaken for popular complacency," HRW's executive director Kenneth Roth said. "It is time to end the 'Arab exception.'"
The Arab Spring revolts began in Tunisia in late 2010 and quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain, deposing or challenging authoritarian rulers as citizens who long seemed incapable or unwilling to rise against decades of repression took to the streets in a stunning awakening.
In some ways, the unexpected uprisings amounted to a slap to the United States and other Western governments, which had supported autocratic regimes that served as bulwarks against Islamists hostile to the West and appeared to offer stability in a volatile region.
Western governments also have been accused of being selective in supporting the protesters, with NATO airstrikes proving key to the ouster of slain Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Meanwhile, the West has stood largely on the sidelines amid continued crackdowns in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria.
"The people driving the Arab Spring deserve strong international support to realize their rights and to build genuine democracies," Roth said in the group's annual report, which covers some 90 countries. He added that the Arab world is in a "transformative moment," and it will not be an easy one.
Human Rights Watch pointed to five main issues that dominated the relationship between Western governments and their Arab autocratic friends: the threat of political Islam, the fight against terrorism, support for Israel, protection of the oil flow and cooperation in stemming immigration.
Even after the leaders of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia were toppled, Western governments remained hesitant to lean too hard on other shaky authoritarian leaders, the group said.
As an example, the watchdog group singled out the United States, saying it has been reluctant to "press Egypt's ruling military council to subject itself to elected civilian rule," nearly a year after the country's longtime leader was ousted following an 18-day uprising.
Roth acknowledged Western governments were re-evaluating their policies as new governments emerge in the region, but said changes have been selective.
"The West has not put Bahrain under pressure, and other monarchs, to carry out reforms," he told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the report's release in Cairo.
The organization also blamed the Western hesitation in part on the ascendence of political Islam in most of the countries that witnessed the fall of their autocratic rulers like Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.
HRW urged the West to recognize that Islamists are the "majority preference," while keeping pressure on the emerging new governments to respect human rights, especially regarding women and religious minorities.
Roth was cautious when asked about concerns about potential human rights violations under Islamist rule, particularly in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafis won a majority of seats in the first post-Hosni Mubarak parliament.
He said the Muslim Brotherhood has been "saying the right things" but "we have to see how they govern and how they deal with women, religious minorities. These are the big questions."
The popular uprisings also have alarmed other repressive regimes such as China, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan, where rulers were worried about facing similar fates. The group said China and Russia in particular acted "obstructionist," using their veto power at the U.N. security council to halt pressure on Syria to stop killings of protesters.
Saudi Arabia also continues to discriminate against its citizens and workers, according to HRW, which said 9 million women, 8 million foreign workers and 2 million Shiite citizens are either suppressed or lacking rights in the country.
"As we mark the first anniversary of the Arab Spring, we should stand firmly for the rights and aspirations of the individual over the spoils of the tyrant," Roth said.
Outside the Arab world, the last year has not witnessed significant progress in countries with poor human rights records, including China and North Korea, according to the report.
Corruption, poverty and repression still prevail in Equatorial Guinea, the tiny, oil-rich nation off the western coast of Africa, which has been ruled by Africa's longest-serving ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema since he seized power in a 1979 coup, the group said.
Eritrea continues to be governed by "one of the world's most repressive governments," and its citizens are subjected to torture, detentions, restrictions on freedom of speech, HRW said.
It also cited Colombia, saying armed conflict in the South American country has displaced millions while paramilitary groups with ties to the security apparatus are on the rise.
Cuba, HRW said, remains "the only country in Latin America that represses virtually all forms of political dissent."
The group also claimed that even member states of the European Union have violated human rights through restrictive asylum and migration policies.
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By Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch
This year could bring major changes in US intellectual property law. Congress and the nation?s courts will be confronting a variety of issues that have broad ramifications for copyrights, trademarks and patents. Here are some of the top developments to watch in 2012.
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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with MIPS Technologies (update: video embedded) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2012) ? NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has looked deep into the distant universe and detected the feeble glow of a star that exploded more than 9 billion years ago. The sighting is the first finding of an ambitious survey that will help astronomers place better constraints on the nature of dark energy, the mysterious repulsive force that is causing the universe to fly apart ever faster.
"For decades, astronomers have harnessed the power of Hubble to unravel the mysteries of the universe," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This new observation builds upon the revolutionary research using Hubble that won astronomers the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, while bringing us a step closer to understanding the nature of dark energy which drives the cosmic acceleration." As an astronaut, Grunsfeld visited Hubble three times, performing a total of eight spacewalks to service and upgrade the observatory.
The stellar explosion, nicknamed SN Primo, belongs to a special class called Type Ia supernovae, which are bright beacons used as distance markers for studying the expansion rate of the universe. Type Ia supernovae likely arise when white dwarf stars, the burned- out cores of normal stars, siphon too much material from their companion stars and explode.
SN Primo is the farthest Type Ia supernova with its distance confirmed through spectroscopic observations. In these types of observations, a spectrum splits the light from a supernova into its constituent colors. By analyzing those colors, astronomers can confirm its distance by measuring how much the supernova's light has been stretched, or red-shifted, into near-infrared wavelengths because of the expansion of the universe.
The supernova was discovered as part of a three-year Hubble program to survey faraway Type Ia supernovae, opening a new distance realm for searching for this special class of stellar explosion. The remote supernovae will help astronomers determine whether the exploding stars remain dependable cosmic yardsticks across vast distances of space in an epoch when the cosmos was only one-third its current age of 13.7 billion years.
Called the CANDELS+CLASH Supernova Project, the census uses the sharpness and versatility of Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to assist astronomers in the search for supernovae in near- infrared light and verify their distance with spectroscopy. CANDELS is the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey and CLASH is the Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble.
"In our search for supernovae, we had gone as far as we could go in optical light," said Adam Riess, the project's lead investigator, at the Space Telescope Science Institute and The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. "But it's only the beginning of what we can do in infrared light. This discovery demonstrates that we can use the Wide Field Camera 3 to search for supernovae in the distant universe."
The new results were presented on Jan. 11 at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Austin, Texas.
The supernova team's search technique involved taking multiple near-infrared images over several months, looking for a supernova's faint glow. After the team spotted the stellar blast in October 2010, they used WFC3's spectrometer to verify SN Primo's distance and to decode its light, finding the unique signature of a Type Ia supernova. The team then re-imaged SN Primo periodically for eight months, measuring the slow dimming of its light.
By taking the census, the astronomers hope to determine the frequency of Type Ia supernovae during the early universe and glean insights into the mechanisms that detonated them.
"If we look into the early universe and measure a drop in the number of supernovae, then it could be that it takes a long time to make a Type Ia supernova," said team member Steve Rodney of The Johns Hopkins University. "Like corn kernels in a pan waiting for the oil to heat up, the stars haven't had enough time at that epoch to evolve to the point of explosion. However, if supernovae form very quickly, like microwave popcorn, then they will be immediately visible, and we'll find many of them, even when the universe was very young. Each supernova is unique, so it's possible that there are multiple ways to make a supernova."
If astronomers discover that Type Ia supernovae begin to depart from how they expect them to look, they might be able to gauge those changes and make the measurements of dark energy more precise. Riess and two other astronomers shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering dark energy 13 years ago, using Type Ia supernova to plot the universe's expansion rate.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington, D.C.
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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111133332.htm
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Comic actors' names might not be familiar to viewers, but their faces most likely are.
By Kara Warner
Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer host the 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
For those who might not be familiar with the names Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel, this year's hosts of the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, you've very likely seen their faces and comedic stylings in a variety of roles in TV and film.
Scheer is one of our illustrious MTV alumni, having co-created and starred in the sketch comedy series "Human Giant," and can currently be seen in FX's fantasy football-themed bro comedy "The League." You also probably recognize him from a multitude of guest-starring roles in shows and movies like "Parks and Recreation," "30 Rock," "Reno 911," "Party Down," "Piranha," "Happy Endings" and "Children's Hospital."
Huebel's résumé is equally lengthy, and he and Scheer have many projects in common. Huebel also starred in "Human Giant," along with guest stints on "30 Rock," "Reno 911," "Happy Endings," "Party Down," "The League" and "Children's Hospital." The funnyman has also been collecting more and more film roles in recent years, including parts in "I Love You, Man," "Little Fockers," "The Descendants" and the upcoming ensemble comedy "What to Expect When You're Expecting."
Scheer and Huebel proved to be punchy and adept hosts for the Critics' Choice Awards, in that they kept their bits relatively short and allowed the celebrities to shine in the spotlight. Our favorite of their transitional pieces was the lighthearted poking fun at the elaborate motion capture process in "No Movement Motion Capture Artists," which featured great cameos from Michael Bay and Ray Liotta, and their excellent interview piece with Joey the horse from "War Horse," with a cameo by Michael Cera as the horse handler.
After thanking viewers for tuning in, Scheer ended the evening with a self-aware jab at their performance: "Now let's all get on Twitter and see who's ripping us apart!"
Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Critics' Choice Awards winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the red carpet!
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo, Gov. Haley Barbour urges the next administration and lawmakers to curb spending and streamline state services as he presents his Fiscal Year 2013 Executive Budget Recommendation in Jackson, Miss. Outgoing Gov. Barbour has pardoned at least four convicted killers who worked as inmate trusties at the Governor's Mansion. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo, Gov. Haley Barbour urges the next administration and lawmakers to curb spending and streamline state services as he presents his Fiscal Year 2013 Executive Budget Recommendation in Jackson, Miss. Outgoing Gov. Barbour has pardoned at least four convicted killers who worked as inmate trusties at the Governor's Mansion. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) ? Outgoing Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has pardoned at least four convicted killers who worked as inmate trusties at the Governor's Mansion, including a man who was denied parole less than two weeks ago.
Relatives of three victims told The Associated Press on Monday that state corrections officials notified them over the weekend that the convicts were to be released this past Sunday. Barbour, a Republican who weighed a presidential run last year before deciding against it, leaves office on Tuesday.
The pardons outraged victims' relatives. Democratic lawmakers called for an end to the custom of governors' issuing such end-of-tenure pardons
While Barbour's office hasn't responded to messages about the pardons, he told the AP in 2008 that releasing the trusties who live and work at the mansion is a tradition in Mississippi that goes back decades. Trusties are prisoners who earn privileges through good behavior.
The Barbour administration did not publicize the pardons, which became public when family members notified the media. The Mississippi Secretary of State's office released copies of the pardons Monday afternoon. They show Barbour has pardoned at least five men.
The former inmates are David Gatlin, convicted of killing his estranged wife in 1993; Joseph Ozment, convicted in 1994 of killing a man during a robbery; Anthony McCray, convicted in 2001 of killing his wife; Charles Hooker, sentenced to life in 1992 for murder; and Nathan Kern, sentenced to life in 1982 for burglary after at least two prior convictions.
Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said Monday afternoon that the inmates were released Sunday.
The 40-year-old Gatlin was sentenced to life in prison in the 1993 slaying of Tammy Ellis Gatlin and the shooting of Randy Walker, her long-time friend.
Walker's mother, Glenda Walker, said Monday that Gatlin shot his estranged wife while she was holding their young baby, then shot her son in the head.
"He left that little baby on his dead mother's body," Glenda Walker said. "It was a horrendous murder."
Randy Walker, who lives in Rankin County, said he voted for Barbour for governor in 2003 and 2007. Before Barbour's pardon of Gatlin, Walker said he would've supported Barbour for president, if Barbour had run.
"I'm totally disgusted," Walker said Monday. "I think Gov. Barbour at heart is a great man. I think he's done a lot of good for the state of Mississippi, but I think he's made a huge error here.... One man can't put you in jail. I don't think it's right for one man to remove you from jail."
Tiffany Ellis Brewer of Pearl, sister of Tammy Ellis Gatlin, said David Gatlin's release revived the grief for her family and Walker's family.
"It's liked it's happened all over again to us," Brewer said. "We can't do anything about our situation now because he's out, he's gone. But I don't want anyone in this world to feel the fear, the pain and the hurt that our families are feeling right now. Something needs to be done."
The Mississippi Parole Board turned down Gatlin on Dec. 27, according to a letter dated Jan. 4 and obtained by AP. The letter did not explain why the Parole Board rejected Gatlin's parole request. It said he was due for another parole hearing in October.
Shannon Warnock, chair of the parole board, didn't immediately respond to a message Monday.
Other victims' relatives said they were also shocked by Barbour's pardons.
Joann Martin, a probation officer from Fort Worth, Texas, said Anthony McCray killed her sister.
McCray pleaded guilty in 2001 to killing Jennifer Bonds McCray, 38, at Ramsey's Cafe in McComb. The couple apparently had been arguing before the shooting. He left the cafe and returned with a gun. Jennifer McCray was shot once in the back.
"It's very painful for my family that he was released. When he killed her, she had a 3-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, who have been raised by my other sister," Martin said. "It's a shame before God. It's almost like you kill somebody and nobody cares."
Democrats were quick to condemn the pardons, though past governors from both parties have granted some sort of early release to the inmates who lived and worked at the Governor's Mansion.
"Serving your sentence at the Governor's Mansion where you pour liquor, cook and clean should not earn a pardon for murder," Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, a Democrat, posted Monday on his Facebook page.
Members of the Mississippi House Democratic Caucus held a press conference at the Mississippi Capitol Rotunda and called for limits on governors' ability to pardon inmates. They said they would introduce legislation this year.
Mark McAbee said Barbour pardoned the man who killed his uncle, Ricky Montgomery.
McAbee said Ozment was sentenced to life in 1994 for the slaying, which happened during a robbery with several other men.
"One of the other ones shot my uncle three times. He was crawling toward Joseph Ozment for help. He didn't know Joseph Ozment was involved. He was crawling to him for help. Joseph Ozment put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger twice," McAbee said.
He called the pardon "a slap in the face."
Barbour created a similar stir by releasing convicted killer Michael Graham in 2008. Barbour later defended "the custom" of governors reducing the sentences of the mansion's inmate workers if they behave.
Barbour's three predecessors, dating back to 1988, gave some type of early release or pardon to a total of 12 Governor's Mansion trusties. All but two of them had been convicted of murder. One was serving time for forgery and another for armed robbery and aggravated assault.
Epps, the corrections commissioner, told the AP in 2008 that the inmates who end up working at the Governor's Mansion are often convicted murderers because they are the ones who serve long enough sentences to build the trust needed for such a task.
Epps said Monday he wasn't taking a position on the practice of governors granting pardons, but pointed out that governors in Mississippi for decades have used their powers to let prisoners out early, including Governor's Mansion trusties convicted of serious crimes such as murder. He said he can't remember a case in which one of them committed another serious crime.
"I have sympathy and empathy for the victims," Epps said. "I've been a crime victim, but the point of the matter is this is just something that happens."
___
Associated Press Writer Emily Wagster Pettus contributed to this report.
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JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- New homes and businesses are sprouting throughout Joplin, replacing the thousands destroyed in the deadly May 22 tornado.
But one thing that is missing will take decades to restore: the trees. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/w8ufwH ) reported that the tornado killed an estimated 98 percent of the trees in the storm's main path, stretching about a half mile wide and four miles long.
Just three years ago, the city proudly won its first Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation.
Now, neighborhood once shaded by a dense canopy of foliage look like new subdivisions.
Steps are being taken to restore the trees. A group called A Tree Grows in Joplin has given away dogwoods. The state also has pledged funding and tax credits for new trees. .
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Information from: The Joplin Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com
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