Apple drops patent claim against Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini will not be involved in the next round of the never-ending Apple vs Samsung patent war.

The little brother of the flagship Galaxy S3 had been named alongside a host of Samsung devices which, according to Cupertino, infringe Apple's intellectual property.

The warring companies had been asked to present their lists of disputed devices as they gear up for a second trial in California, scheduled to begin in March 2014.

As the Galaxy S3 Mini is not being sold in the United States, Apple has sportingly agreed to strike it from the list.

Round two

However, it's not as if Samsung will be doing cartwheels about the news. Apple's list still includes the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Rugby Pro devices.

Apple also reserves the right to reinsert the S3 Mini if Samsung decides to launch it Stateside.

The second trial, which follows Apple's crushing victory this summer, will also hear Samsung's claims about the iPhone 5.

Via Apple Insider

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Despite looming 'fiscal cliff,' world markets calm

Although 'fiscal cliff' talks go down to the wire, many investors confident a deal will be reached. World markets in Asia, Europe mixed. US stock futures point to a higher open.?

By Pamela Sampson and Pan Pylas,?Associated Press / December 31, 2012

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York Friday. On Dec. 31, 2012, world markets were calm despite delays in finding a 'fiscal cliff' compromise in the US. US stock futures were pointing to a higher open on Wall Street.

Keith Bedford/Reuters

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Markets appeared Monday to be taking in stride the prospect that U.S. politicians will fail to agree a budget deal in time to avoid automatic tax increases and spending cuts that many economists think could tilt the world's largest economy back into recession.

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With just hours to go before the U.S. falls off the so-called "fiscal?cliff," Republicans and Democrats remained divided over tax and spend, raising the prospect that markets will start 2013 without a clear idea of America's budget policy. The main sticking point appears to be what level of taxes are imposed on higher incomes.

Discussions in the Senate broke off Sunday night without an agreement. The Senators will return to their offices Monday to try and hammer out a deal before the deadline.

"With the gulf between both parties still wide and the desire to protect their supporters' key interests so ingrained, it is difficult to see how both sides can compromise enough to agree a deal at this point," said Rebecca O'Keeffe, head of investment at Interactive Investor.

However, it's not the first time that budget discussions in the U.S. have gone down to the wire, and investors remain confident that some sort of deal will be reached, if not Monday then in the coming days or weeks. As a result, they think that the potential damage wrought by higher taxes and spending cuts will be limited.

In addition, a backup proposal that would address only a few issues is expected to be presented by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, if a bipartisan deal is not reached.

The prospect of counter-measures to offset the "fiscal?cliff" impact helps explain why markets were fairly calm in Europe and Asia, and Wall Street was poised to open higher.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.4 percent at 5,901 but the CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent higher at 3,633. Most European indexes are only trading for half of the day ahead of the New Year break, while others including Germany's DAX were closed.

U.S. stocks were poised for gains at the open, with Dow futures up 0.2 percent and the broader S&P 500 futures 0.4 percent higher, even though in theory, the U.S. faces around $671 billion of tax increases and spending cuts over the coming months, equivalent to the sort of?fiscal?tightening taking place in highly indebted Europe.

Clearly, their full imposition would hobble an economy that has shown some signs of late of a more sustainable economic recovery.

Some economists predict the tax-and-spending effects of the "fiscal?cliff" could eventually throw the U.S. economy back into recession ? although if the deadline passes, politicians still have a few weeks to keep the tax hikes and spending cuts at bay by repealing them retroactively once a deal is reached.

"It is likely that many of the?fiscal?cliff?measures allow a certain amount of room within which the government can introduce measures to refrain from any tax increases," said Joshua Mahony, an analyst at Alpari.

Still, the failure to adhere to the deadline following weeks of squabbling and procrastination could be view negatively by the major credit rating agencies and weigh on investor confidence going into 2013.

"I think the market reaction to that will be very negative. This means the U.S. will never be able to bring its house in order. And the deficit will continue to accumulate," said Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong. "No meaningful reform and no solution in sight. You can throw confidence out of the window."

Earlier in Asia, the picture was fairly subdued in those markets that were open ? among others, markets in Japan and South Korea were closed for the New Year's holidays.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng, trading for a half-day, closed marginally lower at 22,656.92, while mainland Chinese stocks rose after a private survey showed the country's manufacturing growth at its strongest level in 18 months in December. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.5 percent to close at 4,648.90.

There was also a fairly calm atmosphere in other financial markets, with the euro down just 0.2 percent at $1.3191 and the price of benchmark New York crude down 11 cents at $90.69 a barrel.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/qs4xIKRwfLM/Despite-looming-fiscal-cliff-world-markets-calm

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PREVENTING DEATHS:Israel Says Drones Help Minimize Civilian Casualties

HAIFA, Israel ? ?A single Syrian missile strike on a bakery near Hama killed more than 60 innocent civilians last week, so how did Israel manage to fire more than 1,500 high powered missiles into densely-populated Gaza in November, with the total loss of 161 lives, of which 90 have been acknowledged by Hamas itself as active combatants?

The numbers speak for themselves, but very little credit has so far been given by foreign governments, NGOs, and the international media for the care taken by the Israeli military to avoid collateral damage during its recent vicious engagement with Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters.

"In cases where there are people inside a house or building we never strike the target without prior warning."

- 'Major G,' Israeli drone expert

?Major G,' the chief instructing officer of the Israeli UAV (Drone) School, spoke exclusively to Foxnews.com on condition of anonymity about Israel?s hi-tech drone capabilities, his military?s terms of engaging the enemy, and aspects of his direct role in the recent Gaza conflict in which Israel strongly contends most non-combatant deaths were as a result of Palestinian civilians being routinely used as human shields by Hamas.

?Drones (UAVs ? Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), play a very important and essential role in the protection of the State of Israel,? ?Major G? explained. ?The great advantage of the drone is the ability to stay in the air for up to 40 hours at a time above the relevant area to perform ISR missions - Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.?

Once a drone identifies a target, its operator is then responsible for setting in motion a sometimes dizzyingly fast chain of events that may result in a missile strike taking place.

?Using commercial apertures and video cameras, we have the ability to work with both daytime and night time infrared images. My Heron1 drone does only ISR, but I have the ability to designate a target to another aircraft. This capability is very important because I am able to stay above and investigate the target for a long time, clear it of uninvolved civilians, and only when there is a clear path of fire do I call for the F16 or Apache helicopter,? said ?Major G.?

Critics of Israel?s actions invariably suggest a lack of concern about collateral damage when air strikes are used, but ?Major G? revealed ?in detail how a drone operator sitting somewhere in Israel can clear a target on the ground in Gaza of innocent civilians.

?In a lot of cases we have regular houses where in the basement there is a lot of ammunition, bombs and missiles. The house is populated sometimes with the families having willingly cooperated with the Hamas, and in other cases they don?t have any choice; Hamas forces this on them. In cases where there are people inside a house or building we never strike the target without prior warning. We make phone calls, send leaflet flier warnings, and sometimes use a technique called ?Knock On the Roof,? where we fire very, very small, very precise tiny bombs onto the edge of the roof and then they (the family) know that the attack is about to begin and everybody can go outside.?

But even the best intelligence and prior warnings cannot always prevent civilian casualties caught up in the fog of war, as happened in the widely reported case of the Dalou family in Gaza, nine of whom were killed by a single Israeli missile strike.

FoxNews.com asked the Israel Defense Force for an official explanation on the loss of life at the Dalou house and received the following statement:

?The IDF targets only terror related sites based on carefully collected intelligence. All possible precautions were taken as the civilians in Gaza were not targets in this operation. The Dalou residence was known to the IDF intelligence as a hideout of a senior militant operative in Hamas' rocket launching infrastructure. While the IDF regrets the loss of life on both sides, the responsibility ultimately lies with terror operatives who use the civil population as human shields when using civilian buildings as hideouts, or to store weaponry.?

The latter part of the IDF statement has been backed up by Human Rights Watch, which also slammed the Palestinians for randomly attacking densely populated civilian areas in Israel.

?Unlike during previous fighting, armed groups seem to have fired many rockets from underground tunnels, opening a hatch to launch the munition,? HRW stated in its Dec. 24 report. ?Under the laws of war, parties to an armed conflict are required to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians under their control from the effects of attacks and not to place military targets in or near densely populated areas. Human Rights Watch has not been able to identify any instances in November in which a Palestinian armed group warned civilians to evacuate an area before a rocket launch.?

Of the Palestinian attacks on Israel, HRW noted, ?The absence of Israeli military forces in the areas where rockets hit, as well as statements by leaders of Palestinian armed groups that population centers were being targeted, indicate that the armed groups deliberately attacked Israeli civilians and civilian objects. Anyone who commits serious laws-of-war violations intentionally or recklessly is responsible for war crimes.?

But the killing of two Al-Aqsa TV journalists in an Israeli missile strike on a media center during the Gaza conflict was also criticized by Human Rights Watch, even though Israel insists the building had been used for launching missiles.

"Just because Israel says a journalist was a fighter or a TV station was a command center does not make it so," said Sarah Leah Watson, HRW?s Middle East director. "Journalists who praise Hamas and TV stations that applaud attacks on Israel may be propagandists, but that does not make them legitimate targets under the laws of war."

One of the first points stressed by ?Major G? is that the background to many missiles strikes is extensive surveillance and monitoring by various branches of the military and intelligence services for weeks, months, or even years prior to the moment of the strike. Although he didn?t discuss the specific case of Ahmed Jabari, this was evident in the strike that killed the high ranking Hamas terrorist mastermind, the spark that finally ignited November?s hostilities.

According to British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, ?Jabari took security so seriously that few ordinary Palestinians in Gaza had ever seen him on their crowded streets, although everybody knew his name. He had stayed one step ahead of his Israeli enemies for years, moving house constantly and hardly ever showing himself in public.?

Jabari, the brains behind the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006 and a host of bombings and attacks against Israel, had been well aware that he was a target and used a fleet of ten cars to confuse drone operators and Israeli intelligence operatives on the ground in Gaza. Israel?s Channel 10 TV reported that on the day in question solid information reached the IDF that Jabari was in a particular car and that the opportunity had at last arisen to eliminate him. That opportunity, when it came, was seized within moments by Israel.

?Since the Second Lebanon War, we have developed a new technique called TCT; Time Critical Targets, targets that have a very short lifespan, 'Major G' said.?"We (drones) find them, gather enough intelligence to confirm that this is actually a terrorist, then call for another aircraft to perform the attack.?

The Jabari case was one example of the TCT policy, and ?Major G? gave a very rare insight into another. ?As another example from the latest Pillar of Defense operation in Gaza, we had intelligence that told us that Hamas terrorists were about to launch missiles. We scanned the area and then saw two people running away right after the launch. A basement (trap) door had closed behind them and nothing was left to be seen (of the missile launch site). This was very complicated because I didn?t know if the people running away actually performed the launch, so we turned immediately to other people who were able to check this out with verified intelligence to confirm that these were indeed the suspects. We called the helicopter and he performed the attack. All this process took less than a minute.?

Looking back on the Gaza conflict, ?Major G? summed up his view of how his drone unit and the IDF as a whole had performed.

?We managed to achieve all of our objectives,? he said.? Nevertheless, there are always things that we can learn...and do better the next time. Our former Chief-of-Staff, Gabi Askenazi, said, ?The military can be for two things; either preparing for a war, or being at war. We are prepared for every kind of scenario.?

Paul Alster is an Israel-based journalist who blogs at www.paulalster.com and can be followed on Twitter @paulalster

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/29/exclusive-inside-track-on-israels-reconnaissance-drones/

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Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista

December 30th, 2012 at 7:08 pm - Author Benjamin

Data from Net Applications shows that Windows 8 is less popular than Windows Vista, the operating system that proved unpopular with the enthusiast audience.

Windows 8 usage uptake has slipped behind Vista?s in the same point in its release. Windows 8 online usage share is around 1.6% of all Windows PC?s which is less than the 2.2% share that Windows Vista commanded at the same two month mark after release.

Net Applications monitor operating system usage by recording OS version for around 40,000 sites it monitors for clients.

The slowdown for Windows 8 adoption is a bad sign for Microsoft who experienced great success with the release of Windows 7.

Data was measured up to the 22nd of December, so there is still time by the end of the month for Windows 8 to claim a higher percentage of the user base.

Data: Net Applications

This data reaffirms previous statistics posted by organisations such as the NPD group. They said in the four weeks surrounding Windows 8 Oct 26 debut that 21% fewer PCs were sold to U.S. consumers than during the same period in 2011.

The New York Times have also said that U.S. consumer sales of Windows machines from late October through to the first week of December are down 13% compared to the same period a year previous.

Kitguru says: Our own polls show that the majority of the enthusiast audience are sticking with Windows 7.

VN:R_U [1.9.9_1125]

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Windows 8 proving less popular than Vista, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.kitguru.net/software/operating-systems/benjamin/windows-8-proving-less-popular-than-vista/

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Improve Your Business's Branding with Private Label Water - Water ...

Last updated 13 hours ago

No matter what type of business you run, it is important to ensure that your clients have a pleasant experience every time they see you so that they will be more likely to come back in the future. A simple offering of refreshment with company branded water bottles makes a great impression on your customers and has many benefits that are well worth the time it takes to create your custom labels. Here is a look at the big impact that details such as private labeled water can make for your business.

Your customers have something to take home
When you give customers a bottle of water with a custom branded label, they will have a piece of your branding to take home with them. This will increase the exposure of your logo to each customer who takes a water bottle and also serve as a small offering of a positive customer experience. You might encourage customers to reuse these custom labeled bottles to save plastic, so they will keep making an impression while reducing waste.

You can create a more professional reputation
Everything you put your brand on relates to your customer relationships, and bottled water is something that anyone can take with them. All people drink water, but not everyone is drinking water with your logo on it. When customers see that you have made the effort to reach out with more logo exposure, they may have a higher perception of the professionalism of your business. Plus, the label design is completely customized to your requests, so it will reflect your business in the exact way that you want it to.

If you choose Water Event in Dallas for your customized private label water, you can expect your order to be ready in about two weeks so that you can start branding your business more effectively. Get started on your label design by calling us today at (214) 431-3253 or visiting our website.

Source: http://www.watereventdallastx.com/618429/2012/12/28/improve-your-businesss-branding-with-private-label-water.html

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loathing tiebreak: ?change? using hypnosis and NLP - Self Help ...

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Source: http://loathing-tiebreak.blogspot.com/2012/12/change-using-hypnosis-and-nlp-self-help.html

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Stocks gain on optimism that a budget deal is near

In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, photo, trader Robert Vella, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks edged higher on Wall Street amid optimism that the lawmakers in Washington are closing in on a budget deal that will stop the U.S. going over the ?fiscal cliff.? (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012, photo, trader Robert Vella, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks edged higher on Wall Street amid optimism that the lawmakers in Washington are closing in on a budget deal that will stop the U.S. going over the ?fiscal cliff.? (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks climbed on Wall Street Tuesday, pushing the Standard and Poor's 500 to its highest level in two months, on optimism that lawmakers are closing in on a budget deal that will stop the U.S. from going over the "fiscal cliff" at the beginning of next year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 115.57 points to 13,350.96, its biggest one-day gain in almost a month. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 16.43 points to 1,446.79, its highest close since Oct. 18. The Nasdaq composite rose 43.93 points to 3,054.53.

House Speaker John Boehner told reporters he remains hopeful that a fiscal cliff compromise can be reached, but says President Barack Obama has yet to offer a balanced deficit-cutting plan. Boehner said Obama's latest offer for $1.3 trillion in tax increases over the next decade with $850 billion in spending cuts is not enough. The White House says that President Obama has moved halfway to meet Boehner on a budget deal.

"People are cheering the prospect for some compromise in Washington right now," said Joe Costigan, director of equity research at Bryn Mawr Trust Co. "At the moment there is some pretty good news and the market is reacting favorably to it, but the deal isn't done yet."

Stocks slumped after the presidential election Nov. 6 on concern that a divided government would struggle to reach an agreement before Jan. 1, when a series of series of tax increases and government spending cuts are scheduled to take effect if no deal is reached. Those measures could push the U.S. back into recession. The S&P 500 has since recouped all of those losses.

Some investors say stocks are already pricing in too much optimism. Any deal, while ensuring that the economy avoids the full impact of the "fiscal cliff," will still involve higher taxes and less government spending. That will be a drag on economic growth, said David Wright, a managing director and co-founder at Sierra Investment Management in Santa Monica, Calif.

"There are just too many naive people thinking that the agreement itself is a significant event ? it isn't," Wright said. "The implementation is going to be negative for the economy."

Stocks added to their gains after the Standard & Poor's rating agency said at midday that it had raised Greece's credit grade by six notches to B-, lifting the country out of default. The threat of a Greek default had roiled markets in the first half of this year. Investors worried that the heavily indebted nation would leave the euro, opening the way for a break-up of the currency block. The ratings firm said the upgrade reflected its view that the other 16 countries using the euro are determined to keep the Greece inside the currency union.

The Dow Jones is up 2.5 percent in December and is on track to close higher for a fourth straight year. The index has advanced 9 percent in 2012. The S&P 500 is also up for the year, gaining 15 percent.

Allstate Corp. gained 56 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $41.35 after the company's board of directors approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of the insurer's shares by the end of the year.

Eli Lilly also advanced after saying it would buy back its own stock. The drugmaker rose $1.18, or 2.4 percent, to $49.52 after saying that its board had approved a $1.5 billion share buyback.

Apple gained $15.07, or 2.9 percent, to $533.90. Samsung Electronics Co. said it had withdrawn its requests to have sales of certain Apple products banned in Europe, though the company is still suing Apple over the use of certain technology licenses.

Apple has rebounded in the last two days. It closed at its lowest in 10 months Dec. 14 as investors worried that intensifying competition in the smartphone market would erode Apple's profit margins.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed 5 basis points to 1.82 percent. The yield on the note has risen 20 basis points since the start of December.

Among stocks making big moves today;

? Arbitron, a provider of radio ratings, surged $8.99, or 24 percent, to $47.03 after TV ratings company Nielsen said it would buy it for about $1.26 billion.

? FactSet Research Systems Inc., a provider of financial information to investors, fell $4.20, or 4.4 percent, to $92.19 after it reported earnings and revenues that fell short of analysts' estimates.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-18-Wall%20Street/id-b79966efcef749d2926371f1abec1576

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ST Instafit Meal: Almonds, String Cheese & Apple | Shuichi Take ...

ST INSTAFIT MEAL: ALMONDS, STRING CHEESE & APPLE

This is one of my favorite snacks especially when I have a busy afternoon and don?t have time to stop and eat. It takes no time to make and it?s portable so I put a handful almonds in a zip lock bag with a couple string cheeses and an apple and I?m good to go!

• 15 almonds: 100 calories
• low-fat string cheese: 70 calories a stick
• small apple: 55 calories (a medium is about 80 and a large is about 100).

Depending on how many calories you should be taking in at each meal you can mix and match how much each you want. For example:

• 300 calories per meal: 30 almonds (200cal) and a large apple (100cal)
• 400 calories per meal: 15 almonds (100cal), 2 string cheese (140cal) and a small apple (55cal).
• 500 calories per meal: 30 almonds (200cal) 3 string cheese (210 cal) and a medium apple (80cal)

If your want a low-carb meal option, just go with the almonds (3 carbs) and string cheese (0 carbs). Almonds and string cheese are also a good sources of protein, 4g and 8g per serving respectively.

?

?

Source: http://www.shuichitakefitness.com/blog/st-instafit-meal-almonds-string-cheese-apple/

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This Conversation Between Two Drone Pilots Is Really Sad

Spiegel's Nicola Ab? wrote a very interesting story on The Woes of an American Drone Operator. It includes the conversation between two drone pilots, right after they fired a Hellfire missile only to see a kid appear on their screens a second before impact: More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mjA2_Al8QqI/this-conversation-between-two-drone-pilots-is-really-sad

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Ryan throws 3 TD passes, Falcons rout Giants 34-0

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) celebrates with wide receiver Julio Jones (11) after Jones scored a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) celebrates with wide receiver Julio Jones (11) after Jones scored a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) works during the first half of an NFL football game against New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin watches play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Atlanta Falcons strong safety Chris Hope (24) hits New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a touchdown catch as New York Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley (28) defends during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

ATLANTA (AP) ? The Atlanta Falcons wanted to make a statement.

Boy, did they deliver one Sunday to the defending Super Bowl champions.

Coming off an ugly loss and criticized for failing to impress even when they won, the Falcons turned in their most well-rounded performance of the season with the playoffs approaching. Matt Ryan threw three touchdowns passes and the defense handed New York its first regular-season shutout since 1996, routing the Giants 34-0.

"We love the haters, man," said Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel, who had the first of two interceptions against Eli Manning. "The haters keep us going. So keep your hate coming. We love it. It makes us play with a chip on our shoulder."

It sure showed.

Julio Jones caught a couple of scoring throws from Ryan, who broke his own franchise records for completions and passing yards in a season. Matty Ice finished 23 of 28 for 270 yards.

"I felt like I was seeing the field well," Ryan said.

The Falcons (12-2), who have already clinched the NFC South, moved a step closer to home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs. One more win would ensure that any postseason contests before the Super Bowl are held at the Georgia Dome.

Manning had his lowest-rated game since 2007 for New York (8-6), which dropped into a first-place tie with Washington and Dallas in the NFC East. The Redskins and the Cowboys both won Sunday.

The Giants also went 0-for-3 on fourth down and missed a short field goal.

"Atlanta was very, very good. We were very, very bad," New York coach Tom Coughlin said. "There's no excuse for what happened here."

Despite their lofty record, Atlanta has received plenty of criticism for struggling to beat inferior opponents. A 30-20 loss to last-place Carolina the previous week only seemed to reinforce the notion that the Falcons are headed for another short stay in the playoffs. They have yet to win a postseason game since Ryan took over as the quarterback in 2008, going 0-3.

But one thing the Falcons never seem to do anymore is lose two straight games. They extended the NFL's longest active streak since consecutive defeats to 49 games, going back to the 2009 season.

"Our focus was heightened from other weeks," coach Mike Smith said. "We've got a lot of great leaders and mentors in that locker room. They took the message from the meetings and took it out on the field."

After thoroughly dominating the Giants, the Falcons have surely sent a resounding message to the rest of the league: beware of this team in the playoffs.

"Last week everybody was talking smack about us," defensive end John Abraham said. "We just continue what we're doing."

For the Giants, it was a miserable performance when they controlled their own destiny, at a time of year when they normally play some of their best football.

Manning threw his first pick on the second play of scrimmage, setting up a quick Atlanta touchdown. Coughlin made a curious call late in the first half, passing up another short field goal attempt when his team was almost 2 yards shy of the marker. Samuel batted down a short pass intended for Victor Cruz, sending Atlanta to the locker room with a commanding 17-0 lead and all the momentum.

"I was thinking we needed to engender a lift for our sideline," Coughlin said. "That did not work out either."

Nothing did.

The tone was set right away.

When Manning attempted to hit Hakeem Nicks on a short pass to the right, Samuel stepped in to make the interception and return it to the Giants 16. From there, Michael Turner ran it four straight times, the last of those a 1-yard plunge that gave Atlanta a 7-0 lead less than 3 minutes into the game.

It was all Falcons after Lawrence Tynes missed a chip shot kick from 30 yards, ruining an impressive second possession by the Giants. Atlanta took it 80 yards from there, with Ryan going to Harry Douglas on a 37-yard gain for the biggest play. Then, on third-and-11 from the 12, Ryan went to his favorite target, Tony Gonzalez, in the end zone. The 16-year veteran leaped over safety Will Hill to haul in the high throw ? and hopped up quickly for his customary dunk over the goalposts.

Manning finished 13 of 25 for 161 yards, leaving him with a dismal 38.9 rating ? his worst since a Dec. 23, 2007, win at Buffalo.

"We have two games left and we have to win those two games," Manning said. "What else happens after that, we don't know and can't control."

Early in the second half, the Falcons blew it open on Ryan's 40-yard touchdown pass to Jones down the left sideline. Finally, after a drive that used up more than 9 minutes in the fourth quarter, Ryan went to Jones for a 3-yard TD.

The Giants turned it over one more time in the closing minutes, finishing off their first shutout in the regular season since a 24-0 defeat at Philadelphia on Dec. 1, 1996. The performance came just a week after they put up 52 points on the New Orleans Saints.

There was a moment of silence before the game honoring the Connecticut shooting victims, and New York took the extra step of wearing "SHES" decals on its blue helmets in honor of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Even more touchingly, Cruz dedicated the game to 6-year-old victim Jack Pinto, who was reported to be a big Giants fan.

"It was very emotional, obviously, during the game," said Cruz, who caught only three passes for 15 yards. "With a family facing that much tragedy, you want to be someone that inspires them, someone that can put a smile on their face at a time where it's tough to do that."

NOTES: More recently, the Giants were shut out in the playoffs after the 2005 season, losing at Carolina 23-0. ... Ryan has thrown for 4,202 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. ... There was one bright spot for Manning: He set a franchise record for career completions with 2,585, moving past the mark held by Phil Simms (2,576).

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-16-FBN-Giants-Falcons/id-b6a7b98f1e5b4a5ca7d15ad4d8381efb

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Why The World Needs To Learn Sign Language In Our Classrooms!

Inspired by deaf people and deaf children singing and signing at the London Olympics 2012. Sign Language Classrooms Rules!

Language is the source of communication. That is probably true in most time. People have been learning different languages such as English, Arabic or French in order to have better communication with these different people all over the world. But why not learn the sign language? People thought that it is only for the deaf. I strongly disagree with that though. I believe that sign language is good be learned by everyone.

We, deaf people who use British sign language, makes up of about 30,000 to 70,000 in total number all over the world. Isn't that a big number? Isn't that wonderful to have a better communication with these thousand people? If you would include those family and friends of deaf people who are also using BSL, that would make up of about 250,000.

BSL is widely used in the United Kingdom as the primary language of us, deaf people. Sometimes, non-deaf teachers and deaf students is having some misunderstanding because of few grammar errors that BSL is have not improved yet. But still, deaf people and their family who often practice the BSL are more likely to understand each other very well despite of what they say grammatical errors on the language.

I, myself, got to say that this language is very rich, if only people, especially non-deaf, would understand. While some people believe that this language is full of grammar error, I hope that they could see this one as expressive and rich ultimate language that everyone must learn. The sign language is very easy and adaptable if only the person is very willing to learn it. The sign language has its own grammar rules, that is based on spacing and timing that is why no one has the right to say that sign language is not always accurate because of its grammatical errors.

The British Sign Language became an official and independent sign language in March 2003. That means, we have our different grammar, because we are independent. We don't need to depend on what English language grammar says. I hope that everyone would have the desire to learn sign language to have a better communication with us deaf people.

Sign Language has been considered as one of the most beautiful language in the world and its a gift that we want to share with you.

The author is a deaf, managed sign language classrooms and is also a training solicitor from London,UK. Jackie believes that life would be much easier for everyone involved to learn sign language so you can communicate with deaf people easily. http://signlanguageclassrooms.com

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/why-the-world-needs-to-learn-sign-language-in-our-classrooms--307894

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Miss Universe: The Betting Odds (Powerlineblog)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/271027864?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Need to Sell 2010 Nissan GT-R Fast! $50K? - Car Forums at ...

Item Posts ??

?

Posted: Yesterday 05:35 PM

Hi, I need funds really urgently and quickly and I'd like to sell a Premium Nissan GT-R from 2010 for $50,000. It's Black, in very good condition (Clean and no accidents) with 1 driver/owner ever. It has around 10,500 Miles. If anyone wants to buy, please contact me at czarmichal@gmail.com
I have more information, pictures, and it comes with free shipping!
BTW - On KBB.com the car is worth around 71,000 Dollars. I need to sell fast, so that's why it is such a low price!! ?

?

Posted: Today 07:48 AM

this really sounds like its a SCAM...

nothing cheep is free...

bet he wants the advance money sent by western union.. ? where it will be gone .. without any chance of recovery...

it does come with the warrantee.

Money gone if not thrilled...

there are 3 on ebay if you must have one...

Nissan : GT-R Base Trim 2010 Nissan GT-R
Time Left: 1 hour 13 minutes 18 seconds
Buy it Now Auction
Feedback: 10 | 100.0%
$51,558.00
Free Shipping

Nissan : GT-R Premium 2010 GTR Premium Super Silver AAM GT-650 Package 700 HP Brand New Transmission
Time Left: 6 hours 22 minutes 55 seconds
Buy it Now Auction
Feedback: 50 | 75.0%
$66,000.00
Free Shipping

Nissan : GT-R Premium Coupe 2-Door Dark Gray, Premium, AWD, 485hp
Time Left: 10 hours 4 minutes 49 seconds
Bids: 14
Feedback: 9 | 100.0%
$55,100.00
Free Shipping ?

?

Source: http://forums.automotive.com/70/9317611/for-sale/need-to-sell-2010-nissan-gt-r-fast-50k/

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Recreation calendar | savannahnow.com

To list events, contact sports@savannahnow.com or call 912-652-0350.

BASEBALL

? Miner League Baseball & Softball Academy Christmas Break Baseball Mini-Camp, Dec. 27-29, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For boys ages 8-13. Cost: Members $55, non-members $65. Entry deadline: Dec. 22. Info: Tony Miner at 912-658-5516 or Miner League Academy at 912-330-0300, 1018 Highway 80, Pooler Park West, Suite 301, Pooler, GA 31322.

? Georgia Southern baseball prospect game, Jan. 19, for players aspiring to play in college. GSU Winter Youth Camp for players 5-12, Jan. 21. Prospect camp is $105 for pitchers, $150 for position players and two-way players. Youth camp is $60 and includes lunch and T-shirt. Info: collegebaseballcamps.com/GSU or 912-478-1350 or email baseball@georgiasouthern.edu.

CROSS COUNTRY

? Savannah-Chatham Silver Cheetahs 2012 cross country season. Practice 3 p.m. Sundays at various locations. Information: Head coach Ed Jinks 912-660-1475 or go to http://silvercheetahchampions.ning.com.

DISC GOLF

? Savannah Disc Golf Club sponsors weekly doubles and league play, welcoming all ages and abilities. Entry fee for each is $5, plus optional $1 Ace Fund. Saturdays at Tom Triplett Park in Pooler, 10 a.m. doubles, 1 p.m. league. Sundays 10 a.m. at Sergeant Jasper Park, Hardeeville, S.C., Gnome Weekly Tag Challenge. Friday Night Flights, 5:30 p.m. at Tom Triplett Park. Website: savannahdiscgolf.com

FLAG FOOTBALL

? 8 vs. 8 Adult Coed Flag Football League. Games Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings. Register: SavAdultRec.com. Information: Andrew Jones 912-220-3474, SavAdultRec@aol.com

FOOTBALL

? Alumni Football USA is looking for players to compete in full-contact football games representing their high schools. Rosters are limited to 40 players per team. Tentative games are Savannah High vs. Beach, 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at Memorial Stadium; Windsor Forest vs. Jenkins; Groves vs. Johnson; Calvary Day vs. Richmond Hill; Effingham County vs. South Effingham; Benedictine vs. Savannah Christian; Bryan County vs. Statesboro. Info: alumnifootballUSA.com or 1-866-U-GET-HIT or Coach Moschillo 724-456-5951.

? Gridiron Alumni is looking for players to register for the Gridiron Alumni football games such as the contest last spring when Benedictine played Savannah Christian at Memorial Stadium. Savannah Christian and Calvary Day will play March 23. Gridiron Alumni also is looking for players from South Effingham and Effingham County (March 22), and Bradwell Institute and Liberty County (March 28). The teams that registers 30 players the fastest will get home-field advantage. Players can go to gridironalumni.com or call company president Chris Hall at 530-410-6396 to register.

LACROSSE

? Savannah Lacrosse Club is looking for high school players for the 2013 season. New players are welcome. Fall practices are under way at 3 p.m. Sundays at the Pooler YMCA. The season starts in January. Info: Coach Chris Hidy 912-704-8960 or Jack Caughron at 912-660-5650, or SavannahLacrosse.com

MARTIAL ARTS

? Salvation Army TaeKwonDo registration began Oct. 10, 3000 Bee Road. For ages 7 to adult. Info: Martha Jenkins 912-352-8366.

RUNNING

? Yates-Astro Resolution Race 5K Trail Run & Walk, Jan. 5, Bethesda Academy, 9520 Ferguson Ave., Savannah. Race starts at 8 a.m., registration at 7:15 a.m. Cost: $25 through Dec. 25; $35 starting Dec. 26. Register at active.com or at Fleet Feet Sports Savannah, 3405 Waters Ave. Packet pickup Jan. 4 at Fleet Feet. Info: bethesdaacademy.org or call 912-351-2061.

? Cooler in Pooler Resolution 5K and 15K, 8:30 a.m. Jan. 5. Register at active.com. Cost: $22 for 5K or 15K through Dec. 5, $27 after. Proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire. Info: office@poolerchamber.com or 912-748-0110.

? St. Gregory the Great Catholic School?s second annual Run with The Ravens 3 Mile Resolution Run, Jan. 20, 3:30 p.m., Pinckney Colony Road, Bluffton, S.C. Fundraiser for SGGCS. Cost: $10 for racer/walker, no charge for children in strollers. First 300 participants receive SGGCS water bottle. Info: email Kim A. Schidrich at SchidrichS@aol.com or Michele Kender at Kendertw@aol.com.

? Critz Tybee Run Fest, Feb. 1-2, 2013, Tybee Island. Five different race courses of 5K, 10K, 2.8-mile beach run, 1 mile and half marathon collectively equal a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Kids Run at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 near the Tybee Island Lighthouse. Info: critztybeerun.com and facebook.com/critztybeerunfest.

? Seacrest Partners Race for Preservation 10K/5K, Feb. 23, 2013, benefits the Historic Savannah Foundation. The improved course for 5K and 10K features a route that highlights the historic beauty of Savannah?s neighborhoods. Race registration fees have changed to offer savings for early birds, military, first responders, students and children under 12, as well as rates for running groups with a minimum of 10 participants. A new ?kiddie run? will encourage participation for young beginners. Register at Fleet Feet Savannah, 3405 Waters Ave., active.com or fleetfeetsavannah.com/race-for-preservation. Info: myhsf.org/special-events/seacrest-race/ or facebook.com/RaceForPreservation

SOCCER

? Georgia Southern Men?s Soccer Winter ID Camp, Jan. 5, at Eagle Field, 9 a.m. For high school-age players aspiring to play in college. Participants need to bring proof of insurance, proof of physical examination in the past year. Info: Kevin Kennedy 912-478-1204.

? Georgia Southern Women?s Soccer Winter ID Camp, Feb. 2, at Eagle Field. Open to all entrants, limited by number, age, grade level and/or gender. Info: Assistant coach Brian Dunleavy 912-478-1146 or bdubleavy@georgiasouthern.edu.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE

? 8 vs. 8 Adult Coed Ultimate Frisbee League. Games on Thursday nights. Register: SavAdultRec.com. Information: Andrew Jones 912-220-3474, SavAdultRec@aol.com

Source: http://savannahnow.com/sports/2012-12-15/recreation-calendar

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Early Daguerreotype Photographs Get Cloudy on Display [Slide Show]

In early 2005 the International Center of Photography in New York City placed on display a number of early daguerreotypes?one of the earliest forms of photography. Within a month spots and hazing began to mar the images. As Daniel Grushkin recounts in "Nano-Scientists Attempt to Save Disintegrating Artworks," a team of conservators and physicists set out to attempt to understand the nanochemistry that was destroying the 150-year-old artworks. These three images from the exhibit demonstrate how these relics of the recent past began to fade before museumgoers' eyes.

View the Early Daguerreotypes Slide Show

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=3de2c75c8b03322a083feae4be192327

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FAQ: 18 things you should know about prostate cancer | 89.3 KPCC

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Doctors review images of a prostate with cancer. Options other than radiation, chemotherapy or surgery exist - here are some questions to ask while considering the best approach to treatment.

This week, Governor Jerry Brown made headlines with the announcement that he is undergoing radiation treatment for ?localized? prostate cancer.?

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in American men of all races.

Even so, there's a lot of confusion about biopsies and treatment options. So we spoke with Stuart Holden, M.D., director of Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Mark S. Litwin, MD Chair of the Department of Urology at UCLA and compiled answers to these 18 Frequently Asked Questions about prostate cancer.

1. What is prostate cancer?

It?s a disease of? the prostate gland of the male reproductive system.

The American Cancer Society has an in-depth overview here.

2. What is the prostate gland and what function does it play?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that?s located inside a man?s body between his bladder and rectum. The prostate gland contains cells that make some of the seminal fluid that nourishes and carries sperm. The urethra ? the tube that carries urine - runs through the gland?s center. That's why changes in a man?s urinary or sexual function might indicate prostate cancer.

3. Does a diagnosis of prostate cancer mean an automatic death sentence?

Not at all. Most prostate cancer is slow growing, so those afflicted with it are often more likely to die from old age or from other causes of death than from prostate cancer.

4. How common is prostate cancer in the United States?

Very common. Nationwide, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men of all races, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC)

It?s estimated that 30 percent of American men ages 50 and older - or about 10 million men - have prostate cancer, says Dr. Holden.

But most men with prostate cancer are unaware they have it. That's because the?vast majority of cases are "slow-growing pussy cats that men die?with, not?of,"?says Dr. Litwin.

5. How many U.S. men die each year of prostate cancer??

The disease ranks second to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S., the CDC reports.

While that sounds ominous, the CDC puts the actual number of U.S. deaths from prostate cancer at about 28,000 a year. Drs. Holden and Litwin say when compared to the millions who are believed to be living with the disease, the death rate is proportionately very small.

?The risk of death from prostate cancer for the average Joe is extraordinarily low,? Dr. Litwin says.

6. What are some typical symptoms?

They include blood in a man?s urine or semen; problems with urinary function including weak urine flow; and difficulty with starting or holding back urination.

The cancer can also show symptoms through problems with sexual function that include difficulty getting an erection and painful ejaculation.

But for most men, prostate cancer is a silent disease. The most typical indicators include abnormal readings on PSA blood tests, which measure the protein produced by the prostate gland.

Another way doctors detect prostate cancer is by feeling a nodule or lump in the prostate during a digital rectal exam.

The?Prostate Cancer Foundation provides an overview of symptoms.

7. Does a high PSA blood test or lump on my prostate mean I have prostate cancer??

No. All it means is that there is a suspicion of prostate cancer. A biopsy is required before you can determine that cancer is present.

The CDC offers this information about PSA tests.

8. Should I get a biopsy if I have an abnormal PSA reading or a lump in my prostate?

That depends. Until recently, the automatic next step was for your doctor to order a biopsy. ?

These days, however, leaders in the field are opting to first consider a patient?s age and health before ordering a biopsy. If the patient is too elderly or too sick with other illnesses for a prostate diagnosis to add value to his life, it?s more likely his doctor will to forego a biopsy.

If you don't fall into those categories, a biopsy is the recommended next step.

9. What happens during a prostate cancer biopsy?

The doctor places an ultrasound probe into the rectum, which provides an image of the prostate. Local anesthesia is injected. Then a hollow-bore needle is inserted, usually through the rectum wall, into the prostate gland.?

Typically, about a dozen samples of tissue - about the size of a one-inch length of lead from a mechanical pencil - are taken from the prostate.

?Those samples go to the pathologist who studies them under a microscope and tells us if it?s cancer or a benign growth,? Dr. Litwin says.

10. Do biopsies pose any health risks?

They can. Among the risks is blood infection because the needle must pass through the rectum.

?The rectum is not the most sterile area of the body,? says Dr. Litwin. ?For that reason we always give people antibiotics around the time of the biopsy.?

But Drs. Litwin and Holden say the risk of blood infections is minimal.

11. What if my biopsy results in a cancer diagnosis? ?

Your doctor will next consider stage and grade of the tumor. ?

The stage of a prostate tumor?refers to whether it?s confined to the prostate or has spread to other sites in the body. The confined variety of prostate cancer, also known as? ?localized? or ?early-stage? prostate cancer, is the type that Governor Jerry Brown?s office has reported.

The grade or severity of the cancer is then measured on a 10-point scale that provides a ranking known as a ?Gleason?s score.? The higher the Gleason?s score, the more severe the cancer.

12. Do the stage and grade of a prostate tumor affect treatment decisions?

Yes. They have huge implications on decisions that a patient and doctor will make together regarding which treatment method is best.

13. What are the treatment options?

There are three main options: active surveillance, surgery, and radiation. ??

14. What is ?active surveillance? and what does it entail?

This treatment option involves the patient foregoing ? at least initially - surgery or radiation for ?active? surveillance of the tumor. This is a fairly new treatment approach recommended for those with slow-growing tumors as a way to avoid surgery and radiation.

Dr. Holden says those who opt for ?active surveillance? will undergo regular PSA blood tests, digital rectal exams and repeated biopsies.

Those diagnosed with prostate cancer can now sign onto the world's first online medical data base for men with the disease.?The interactive data base allows them to track progression of the disease before seeking aggressive treatments.

15. What does prostate cancer surgery involve?

Today, prostate surgery typically involves removal of the entire prostate gland. But new imaging methods under study at UCLA?might change that.

The new technology combines ultrasound and MRI imaging that researchers say may allow doctors to see, then target suspicious growths on a patient?s prostate gland for more accurate biopsies. By contrast, in prostate biopsies doctors can?t see the tumor.

The American Cancer Society offers more information.

16. What does radiation treatment involve?

Dr. Holden says doctors often recommend external beam radiation for early-stage, localized prostate cancer. The treatments usually last between six to seven weeks, which each treatment session lasting about five minutes.

?Basically, it?s completely external and like having your picture taken,? says Dr. Holden.

Advances in radiation treatment, which allows for focused beams to target the just the prostate, reduce the risks and have made it more effective.

The American Cancer Society offers more about radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

17. What are the potential side effects of surgery or radiation treatment?

Surgery and radiation pose serious side effects, most notably incontinence and impotence. An individual?s likelihood of suffering either or both depends on age, health and existing sexual functionality before surgery.

Dr. Holden says the incidence of sexual dysfunction is about equal with both treatments.?? ?Roughly 50 percent of men with either treatment retain sexual function, assuming they had good sexual function to begin with,? he says.

Surgery, by contrast, initially poses more urinary tract problems than radiation, he says.?? ?However, some of the men develop more urinary dysfunction eight or 10 years after radiation treatment,?Dr. Holden says. ?So over the long run, radiation catches up.?

18. What?s new in prostate cancer research?

The Prostate Cancer Foundation offers?a list of advances in prostate cancer research.

Source: http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/12/14/35248/18-things-you-need-know-about-prostate-cancer/

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Marisa Miller Gives Birth to a Son!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/marisa-miller-gives-birth-to-a-son/

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Water: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Environmental Leader

The quality and availability of drinking water will decrease unless we manage our drinking water supply better.

In certain parts of the world, communities? sole source of water is water from deep wells, often many thousands of feet down.? Almost half of the United States drinking water is groundwater.? The Ogallala Aquifer is the sole source of water in central western part of the United States.? An estimated 12 billion cubic meters of water is removed from the Ogallala Aquifer each year and 6 percent of the aquifer will dry up every 25 years, which leaves the residents and farmers of the Great Plains unsure about how long their water supply will last.

Water from groundwater sources is usually free of chemical and microbial contamination, but often become contaminated by disposal of liquid waste, mining operations, and agricultural runoff.? By providing protection to the source, either through buffers from the reservoirs or by protecting the wellhead for the deep wells, water is available without much treatment.

There are less uncontaminated water supplies available due to increasing population and increased use of water.?? Water is treated before human consumption.? Disinfection is an important step in the water treatment process to destroy pathogenic bacteria and other harmful agents.? Most water is treated with chlorine, which is a very effective and economical method of treatment.? An important advantage of using chlorine is that it has residual properties and continues to provide germ killing potential as the water travels from the distribution point to the end users.? There are concerns about the formation of disinfection by-products from the reaction of the chlorine with humic substances in the water.? Some of the bacteria and viruses we want to treat are becoming resistant to traditional means of disinfection.

Sanitation and Water Pollution

Sanitation is directly related to water quality and water pollution.? The accepted approach to sanitation in the last century is to collect liquid waste in sewer systems, treat the wastewater in centralized treatment plants, and then discharging the effluent to surface water bodies.? Although conventional sewer systems have significantly improved the public health situation for the communities, continued use adds pollution to our water supplies and reduces the purity of water needed for potable application later.? This is becoming a worldwide problem not only for developing world with its inadequate sanitation, but also for developed world with its aging infrastructures that cannot meet the needs of increasing population.

The conventional sewer system was developed at a time, in regions, and under environmental conditions that made it an appropriate solution for removing liquid wastes from cities.

Today, some conventional sewer systems are no longer able to meet the pressing global needs.? We need to develop newer ideas to address the issues of water quality conservation along with better means of waste disposal that do not pollute our water sources.

Water-based sanitation systems are not only a serious disadvantage in water reuse, but also have become a liability to human health.? Lack of nutrient recovery leads to a linear flow of nutrients from agriculture, via humans, to recipient water supply.? The valuable nutrients and trace elements contained in human excrement are rarely rechanneled back into agriculture in conventional systems.? Only a small fraction of the nutrients contained in the sewage sludge are reintroduced into the soil as fertilizer.? Most of the nutrients are either destroyed in the treatment process (e.g., by nitrogen elimination) or enter the water cycle where they pollute the environment and increase unwanted algae in lakes and rivers.

Not returning the nutrients to the soil has led to an increasing demand for chemical fertilizers, in response to the problem of decreasing soil fertility.? Chemical fertilizers require large amounts of the energy and mineral resources such as phosphorous.? Farmers around the world yearly require 135 million tons of mineral fertilizer for their crops, while at the same time conventional sanitation dumps 50 million tons of fertilizer equivalents into our water.

Sanitation and the Future

Our conventional drinking and wastewater systems are largely linear, end-of-pipe systems where drinking water is misused to transport waste into the water cycle, which causes environmental damage and hygienic hazards and contributing to the water crisis.? As population increases, the demand for water increases, which increases pollution and further depletes the available water.?? Some wastewater treatment plant s overflow into waterways thereby reducing the amount of clean water.? The new technologies that require chemically treated, high-pressure water to produce natural gas promise to further increase the stress on our water supplies.? As the availability of clean, potable water and improved ways to manage our waste will become all-important.

Alternative Waste Management

Older cities have sewer systems that combine waste and storm water in the same pipe.? When rainstorms occur, it overwhelm the retention capacity of the sewage treatment plant, the combined storm water and sewage overflow into local rivers or streams.

Solutions to wastewater problems in urban areas have been applied to rural communities.? Federal programs that provide grants for construction of wastewater facilities, sewers and centralized treatment plants were constructed in these low-density rural settings.? The cost of operating and maintaining the facilities imposes severe economic burdens on the communities.

Wastewater treatment and disposal systems serving single homes have been used for many years, they have often been considered an inadequate or temporary solution until sewers could be constructed.? Research has demonstrated that such systems, if constructed and maintained properly can provide a reliable and efficient mean of wastewater treatment and disposal at relatively low cost.

The methods proposed to manage excreta and chemical waste in ways that serve to protect the water supply, and reduce the causes of disease.? They also serve to address waste management at the source in an environmentally efficient manner without polluting the watershed.? Possible alternative sources include:

• Aquatic plants
• Constructed wetlands
• Biological filters
• On-site blackwater systems
• Septic fields
• Latrines and privies
• Composting toilets

The alternative sources of water and waste disposal need to be implemented to preserve our water quality and the nutrients in our wastewater will be reused efficiently.

Bob Boulware is President of Design-Aire Engineering, Inc. Bob is a past president of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) and an Accredited Rainwater Systems Design Professional. He is a 30+-year member of ASHRAE and past president of the Central Indiana Chapter of American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) and serves on the ASPE National Standards Committee. Mr. Boulware is a member of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Alternative Water Sources Committee, and helped to develop the Green Plumbing Supplement to the upcoming editions of the Uniform and the International Plumbing Codes.? Mr. Boulware has taught Environmental Design for mechanical and electrical systems at Ball State University and plumbing design at IUPUI. Follow us @daengineering on Twitter & www.daengineering.com. Bob can be reached at bboulware@design-aire.com.

Stay Up-to-Date On Environmental Management, Energy & Sustainability News with EL's Free Daily Newsletter

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Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/12/13/water-reduce-reuse-recycle/

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Government Abandons PPP Police Radio Funding Plan | Stuff.co.nz

The Government has abandoned the idea of using a public private partnership (PPP) to fund a "whole of government" radio network that would allow police communications to be secured from eavesdroppers nationwide.

However, it is not clear whether it has killed off the project itself - estimated to be likely to cost at least $150 million - or intends to finance it in some other way.

An email sent by Treasury senior analyst Maureena Van Der Lem has been leaked to BusinessDay. It was addressed to companies that expressed interest in participating in the PPP and said it was no longer under consideration.

"There have been several key decisions and approvals in recent weeks relating to the whole-of-government radio network project. Police will release further information in the new year in relation to the future path of the project," it said. Van Der Lem confirmed the email was authentic but would not comment further.

TeamTalk, which provides competing commercial services to companies and government agencies, has issued an NZX statement welcoming the decision to abandon the PPP. Chief executive David Ware congratulated Telecommunications Minister Amy Adams - his sister-in-law - on what he described as a "u-turn".

"TeamTalk endorses the decision to drop the concept of a Public Private Partnership for the whole-of-government radio network.

"We consider that the needs of government radio users are so diverse that they are best served by a combination of specialised dedicated networks and commercial services", he said.

?It's great to see the government through the Minister of Telecommunications showing leadership in this vital area.?

Police already have an encrypted digital radio network in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, operated by Christchurch's Tait Communications. The idea behind a PPP-funded whole-of-government network was to extend that nationwide and open it up other agencies.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Comments

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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8080271/Govt-abandons-PPP-police-radio-plan

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Selling flak jackets in the cyberwars

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When the Israeli army and Hamas trade virtual blows in cyberspace, or when hacker groups like Anonymous rise from the digital ether, or when WikiLeaks dumps a trove of classified documents, some see a lawless Internet.

But Matthew Prince, chief executive at CloudFlare, a little-known Internet start-up that serves some of the Web's most controversial characters, sees a business opportunity.

Founded in 2010, CloudFlare markets itself as an Internet intermediary that shields websites from distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, attacks, the crude but effective weapon that hackers use to bludgeon websites until they go dark. The 40-person company claims to route up to 5 percent of all Internet traffic through its global network.

Prince calls his company the "Switzerland" of cyberspace - assiduously neutral and open to all comers. But just as companies like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have faced profound questions about the balance between free speech and openness on the Internet and national security and law enforcement concerns, CloudFlare's business has posed another thorny question: what kinds of services, if any, should an American company be allowed to offer designated terrorists and cyber criminals?

CloudFlare's unusual position at the heart of this debate came to the fore last month, when the Israel Defense Forces sought help from CloudFlare after its website was struck by attackers based in Gaza. The IDF was turning to the same company that provides those services to Hamas and the al-Quds Brigades, according to publicly searchable domain information. Both Hamas and al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are designated by the United States as terrorist groups.

Under the USA Patriot Act, U.S. firms are forbidden from providing "material support" to groups deemed foreign terrorist organizations. But what constitutes material support - like many other facets of the law itself - has been subject to intense debate.

CloudFlare's dealings have attracted heated criticism in the blogosphere from both Israelis and Palestinians, but Prince defended his company as a champion of free speech.

"Both sides have an absolute right to tell their story," said Prince, a 38-year old former lawyer. "We're not providing material support for anybody. We're not sending money, or helping people arm themselves."

Prince noted that his company only provides defensive capabilities that enable websites to stay online.

"We can't be sitting in a role where we decide what is good or what is bad based on our own personal biases," he said. "That's a huge slippery slope."

Many U.S. agencies are customers, but so is WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing organization. CloudFlare has consulted for many Wall Street institutions, yet also protects Anonymous, the "hacktivist" group associated with the Occupy movement.

Prince's stance could be tested at a time when some lawmakers in the United States and Europe, armed with evidence that militant groups rely on the Web for critical operations and recruitment purposes, have pressured Internet companies to censor content or cut off customers.

Last month, conservative political lobbies, as well as seven lawmakers led by Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, urged the FBI to shut down the Hamas Twitter account. The account remains active; Twitter declined to comment.

MATERIAL SUPPORT

Although it has never prosecuted an Internet company under the Patriot Act, the government's use of the material support argument has steadily risen since 2006. Since September 11, 2001, more than 260 cases have been charged under the provision, according to Fordham Law School's Terrorism Trends database.

Catherine Lotrionte, the director of Georgetown University's Institute for Law, Science and Global Security and a former Central Intelligence Agency lawyer, argued that Internet companies should be more closely regulated.

"Material support includes web services," Lotrionte said. "Denying them services makes it more costly for the terrorists. You're cornering them."

But others have warned that an aggressive government approach would have a chilling effect on free speech.

"We're resurrecting the kind of broad-brush approaches we used in the McCarthy era," said David Cole, who represented the Humanitarian Law Project, a non-profit organization that was charged by the Justice Department for teaching law to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is designated by the United States as a terrorist group. The group took its case to the Supreme Court but lost in 2010.

The material support law is vague and ill-crafted, to the point where basic telecom providers, for instance, could be found guilty by association if a terrorist logs onto the Web to plot an attack, Cole said.

In that case, he asked, "Do we really think that AT&T or Google should be held accountable?"

CloudFlare said it has not been contacted about its services by the U.S. government. Spokespeople for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told Reuters they contracted a cyber-security company in Gaza that out-sources work to foreign companies, but declined to comment further. The IDF confirmed it had hired CloudFlare, but declined to discuss "internal security" matters.

CloudFlare offers many of its services for free, but the company says websites seeking advanced protection and features can see their bill rise to more than $3,000 a month. Prince declined to discuss the business arrangements with specific customers.

While not yet profitable, CloudFlare has more than doubled its revenue in the past four months, according to Prince, and is picking up 3,000 new customers a month. The company has raked in more than $22 million from venture capital firms including New Enterprise Associates, Venrock and Pelion Venture Partners.

Prince, a Midwestern native with mussed brown hair who holds a law degree from the University of Chicago, said he has a track record of working on the right side of the law.

A decade ago, Prince provided free legal aid to Spamhaus, an international group that tracked email spammers and identity thieves. He went on to create Project Honey Pot, an open source spam-tracking endeavor that turned over findings to police.

Prince's latest company, CloudFlare, has been hailed by groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists for protecting speech. Another client, the World Economic Forum, named CloudFlare among its 2012 "technology pioneers" for its work. But it also owes its profile to its most controversial customers.

CloudFlare has hosted 4Chan, the online messaging community that spawned Anonymous. LulzSec, the hacker group best known for targeting Sony Corp, is another customer. And since last May, the company has propped up WikiLeaks after a vigilante hacker group crashed the document repository.

Last year, members of the hacker collective UgNazi, whose exploits include pilfering user account information from eBay and crashing the CIA.gov website, broke into Prince's cell phone and email accounts.

"It was a personal affront," Prince said. "But we never kicked them off either."

Prince said CloudFlare would comply with a valid court order to remove a customer, but that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has never requested a takedown. The company has agreed to turn over information to authorities on "exceedingly rare" occasions, he acknowledged, declining to elaborate.

"Any company that doesn't do that won't be in business long," Prince said. But in an email, he added: "We have a deep and abiding respect for our users' privacy, disclose to our users whenever possible if we are ordered to turn over information and would fight an order that we believed was not proper."

Juliannne Sohn, an FBI spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Michael Sussmann, a former Justice Department lawyer who prosecuted computer crimes, said U.S. law enforcement agencies may in fact prefer that the Web's most wanted are parked behind CloudFlare rather than a foreign service over which they have no jurisdiction.

Federal investigators "want to gather information from as many sources as they can, and they're happy to get it," Sussmann said.

In an era of rampant cyber warfare, Prince acknowledged he is something of a war profiteer, but with a wrinkle.

"We're not selling bullets," he said. "We're selling flak jackets."

(Reporting By Gerry Shih in San Francisco and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; editing by Jonathan Weber and Claudia Parsons)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/selling-flak-jackets-cyberwars-125406473--sector.html

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