Moments of spirituality can induce liberal attitudes, researchers find

Feb. 25, 2013 ? People become more politically liberal immediately after practising a spiritual exercise such as meditation, researchers at the University of Toronto have found.

"There's great overlap between religious beliefs and political orientations," says one of the study authors, Jordan Peterson of U of T's Department of Psychology. "We found that religious individuals tend to be more conservative and spiritual people tend to be more liberal. Inducing a spiritual experience through a guided meditation exercise led both liberals and conservatives to endorse more liberal political attitudes."

"While religiousness is characterized by devotion to a specific tradition, set of principles, or code of conduct, spirituality is associated with the direct experience of self-transcendence and the feeling that we're all connected," says lead author Jacob Hirsh of U of T's Rotman School of Management.

In three studies, the researchers -- Hirsh, Peterson and Megan Walberg, examined their participants' political views in relation to their religiousness and spirituality. In the first study, they asked 590 American participants whether they identified as Democrat or Republican. In the second study, they measured 703 participants' political orientations and support for the major American and Canadian political parties. The researchers confirmed that religiousness was associated with political conservatism, while spirituality was associated with political liberalism. These associations were in turn due to the common values underlying these orientations: conservatism and religiousness both emphasize the importance of tradition, while liberalism and spirituality both emphasize the importance of equality and social harmony.

In the third study, the researchers recruited 317 participants from the U.S. and asked half to complete a spiritual exercise consisting of a guided meditation video. Those who watched the video were asked to close their eyes and breathe deeply, imagining themselves in a natural setting and feeling connected to the environment. They were then asked about their political orientation and to rate how spiritual they felt. The researchers reported that, compared to those in the control group, participants who meditated felt significantly higher levels of spirituality and expressed more liberal political attitudes, including a reduced support for "tough on crime" policies and a preference for liberal political candidates.

"Spiritual experiences seem to make people feel more of a connection with others," says Hirsh. "The boundaries we normally maintain between ourselves and the world tend to dissolve during spiritual experiences. These feelings of self-transcendence make it easier to recognize that we are all part of the same system, promoting an inclusive and egalitarian mindset."

The researchers hope that these findings can not only advance our understanding of spirituality, but also help future political dialogue.

"The conservative part of religious belief has played an important role in holding cultures together and establishing common rules. The spiritual part, on the other hand, helps cultures renew themselves by adapting to changing circumstances," says Peterson. "Both right and left are necessary; it's not that either is correct, it's that the dialogue between them produces the best chance we have at getting the balance right. If people could understand that both sides have an important role to play in society, some of the unnecessary tension might be eliminated."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Toronto, via Newswise.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. J. B. Hirsh, M. D. Walberg, J. B. Peterson. Spiritual Liberals and Religious Conservatives. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2012; 4 (1): 14 DOI: 10.1177/1948550612444138

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/SRV_F2HHYyE/130225131532.htm

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NFL Combine 2013: Prospects Making a Name for Themselves After Day 3

After three days at the NFL Combine, there are some prospects who are standing out above the rest and making a name for themselves.

Offensive tackle Lane Johnson of Oklahoma, tight end Vance McDonald of Rice and Terron Armstead of Arkansas-Pine Bluff have all done a stellar job in the bench press and 40-yard dash.

As a result, they are each turning the heads of NFL scouts at the combine.

Let's take a look at how each of these prospects performed and what it means for their respective draft stocks.

All combine results are courtesy of NFL.com.

?

Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

We already knew that Johnson has great footwork when blocking and he certainly showed that on Day 3, but he was excellent in other areas as well.

Johnson ran an impressive?40-yard dash time of 4.72, which would have been tops among all offensive linemen if not for an astounding performance by Armstead. However, the Oklahoma product did top both Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M and Eric Fisher of Central Michigan.

In the bench press, Johnson posted 28 reps and while that wasn't good enough to put him at the top of the board, he once again outperformed both Joeckel and Fisher (27).

The jury was out on just how good of a run blocker Johnson can be in the NFL, but after his showing at the combine, there's no doubt he has the qualities to be a great all-around lineman.

?

Vance McDonald, TE, Rice

McDonald is one of the lesser known tight ends in this year's class, but his combine performance will change that.

We already knew he's a solid playmaker from his days in college and he showed his athleticism by posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.69. When compared to other top tight ends in this year's draft, McDonald topped Stanford's?Zach Ertz (4.76), but fell just short of Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert (4.68).

The most impressive part of McDonald's combine was his bench press. The Rice product displayed incredible strength by notching 31 reps, which was good enough to top both Ertz (24) and Eifert (22), showing he?has the necessary strength to be a great blocking?tight end as well.

It wasn't clear if McDonald had the necessary physical abilities to be an all-around tight end, but those doubts should be put to bed as his draft stock continues to soar.

?

Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Armstead wasn't on anyone's radar before the combine, but the small-school prospect is all the rage after his great combine numbers.

Armstead started off his combine right by benching 31 reps, which was superior to Joeckel, Fisher and Johnson.

But the thing that really had people talking was Armstead's 40-yard dash time of 4.71. That time was surpassed only by the fastest tight ends in the class and was the best score for an offensive lineman since 2006.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Armstead was a speedy skill-position player, not an offensive lineman. It's pretty clear Armstead is a great athlete with freakish abilities that should get him a better position on draft day.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1541807-nfl-combine-2013-prospects-making-a-name-for-themselves-after-day-3

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Samsung Announces an iPad Mini-Sized Galaxy Note

Samsung

I?m not at the massive Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, but I?m monitoring news from the show ? and there?s going to be a lot of it over the next few days.

One of the first major announcements is Samsung?s Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet. Its arrival makes clear that the company?s Note line is, indeed a line: with its 8? screen, the Note 8.0 sits between the Galaxy Note II, a 5.5? mega-phone, and the Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-sized tablet. The new model?s screen size also makes it possibly the most direct competitor to Apple?s iPad Mini, which has a display that?s just a skosh smaller at 7.9?. (The Note?s resolution of 1280-by-800 beats the Mini?s 1024-by-768.)

As with the other Notes, the Note 8.0 emphasizes productivity. It?s got a pressure-sensitive pen based on Wacom?s technology, software which takes advantage of it (including both Samsung apps such as the S Note notetaker and a custom version of Flipboard) and other Android tweaks such as Samsung?s unique two-apps-at-once feature.

What Samsung is showing in Barcelona as an international version, with HSPA+ wireless, which can also be used as a ridiculously large phone; it?s due in the second quarter of this year. There will be wi-fi-only and LTE versions for the U.S.; no details yet on how much they?ll cost or which carriers will have the LTE variant.

Engadget?s Joseph Volpe, who is at Mobile World Congress, has a hands-on look with more details.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/timeblogs/nerd_world/~3/xtOrJoX9ivw/

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Dead in the Water

Mmm ... water. Now that's refreshing!

Photo by Lambert/Getty Images

The body of a Canadian tourist was discovered in a water tank on top of a Los Angeles hotel on Tuesday. Local health officials have ordered people not to drink the hotel?s water (though tests indicate that the water did not contain harmful bacteria). Would drinking corpse water make you sick?

Not necessarily. If the body belonged to a generally healthy person, you might get sick from E. coli or another coliform bacteria from the deceased?s intestine. But that?s unlikely. Most bacteria don?t survive long outside of the living human body, so pathogens would probably die in the water before they could do you any harm. Bacteria also thrive only within a certain temperature range, so hot or cold weather could hamper their spread, too. (A representative of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told NBC that a cold spell may have prevented the spread of bacteria in this particular case.) And since drinking water is treated with chlorine or other disinfectants for the express purpose of killing harmful fecal bacteria, dangerous germs have an even smaller chance of survival in a water tank than in, say, a lake.

However, coliform bacteria, which occur naturally in healthy people?s lower intestinal tract and feces, could conceivably diffuse through the water and survive long enough to make you sick. When ingested, coliform bacteria can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms, but they?re treatable with antibiotics.

If the body belonged to someone with an infectious disease, you might be in trouble. Hepatitis A, tuberculosis, cholera, and some bacteria that cause pneumonia can be spread through water, for instance. Some infectious bacteria, viruses, and parasites are chlorine-resistant, which makes them more dangerous in the water supply than coliform bacteria.

People who drink or bathe with water that?s been contaminated by a corpse are more likely to experience psychological effects than physical illness. Learning that you?ve inadvertently been in such indirect yet intimate contact with a dead body could be traumatic, and it may cause anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, both of which are treatable with psychotherapy or antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication.

Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Gregory J. Davis of University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=7787c8a05977ed79dbd69ade92376636

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Alaska senator pushes for wildlife refuge road

This undated photo released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services shows geese swimming in Izembek Lagoon in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Izembek Lagoon is 25 miles of Alaska ocean sheltered from the Bering Sea by long barrier islands, but it's what's beneath the water that makes it special for environmentalists. The shallow lagoon is home to the largest known bed of eelgrass, a plant that grows like green ribbons from the ocean floor and every autumn provides a nutritious buffet for waterfowl that spend summers in Alaska or Russia and head south for warmer climates. (AP Photo/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Chris Dau, File )

This undated photo released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services shows geese swimming in Izembek Lagoon in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Izembek Lagoon is 25 miles of Alaska ocean sheltered from the Bering Sea by long barrier islands, but it's what's beneath the water that makes it special for environmentalists. The shallow lagoon is home to the largest known bed of eelgrass, a plant that grows like green ribbons from the ocean floor and every autumn provides a nutritious buffet for waterfowl that spend summers in Alaska or Russia and head south for warmer climates. (AP Photo/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Chris Dau, File )

This undated image provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows an aerial view of coastal waters and landmass at the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Izembek Lagoon is 25 miles of Alaska ocean sheltered from the Bering Sea by long barrier islands, but it's what's beneath the water that makes it special for environmentalists. The shallow lagoon is home to the largest known bed of eelgrass, a plant that grows like green ribbons from the ocean floor and every autumn provides a nutritious buffet for waterfowl that spend summers in Alaska or Russia and head south for warmer climates. (AP Photo/USFWS)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Thin barrier islands five miles off the tip of the Alaska Peninsula shelter Izembek Lagoon from the Bering Sea, but it's what's beneath the surface that makes the lagoon special and part of a brewing, cross-continent fight.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is pushing for a road between King Cove, population 938, where flying is often impossible, and Cold Bay, home to an airport that can operate in almost any weather. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week rejected a land swap that would have allowed the road to be built through the refuge, skirting the lagoon.

Murkowski and her allies say a road would be safer than what's happening now. Local residents of King Cove have died trying to fly to Cold Bay and a hospital in Anchorage. Murkowski isn't backing down, and has threatened to block President Obama's choice to head the Interior Department, Sally Jewell, unless the administration agrees to a land exchange that will lead to construction of a road.

"I'd like to think that I'm not going to have to use that tool, but it's available to me and I am going to do everything that I can within my power as a United States senator to make sure that the safety of the people in the King Cove/Cold Bay region is not compromised," she said.

The political battle is far from the peaceful heart of the lagoon, where the world's largest known bed of eelgrass grows upward in green ribbons from the shallow ocean bottom. Every fall, the eelgrass provides a buffet for millions of geese and other waterfowl as they leave Alaska or Russia for warmer climates.

Almost the entire population of Pacific brant descends on Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, foraging a mile or so offshore. The small sea geese watch for bald eagles launching attacks from bluffs. Endangered Steller's eiders feed on tiny invertebrates. Tundra swans, emperor geese and countless shorebirds make appearances.

Murkowski, generally an advocate for environmental issues, has argued that people should come first in this particular case.

Coast Guard helicopter crews answered five emergency calls in King Cove last year. Murkowski said they regard the King Cove airport as the most dangerous in the state. A 1981 crash out of King Cove killed a pilot, a nurse practitioner, a health aide and a crab fisherman who was being evacuated because his foot had been severed. Treacherous weather conditions have doomed other flights, including six in a 1982 crash on a flight from Kodiak to King Cove.

Debate over environmental values versus human life at Izembek has been going on since most of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge was designated as wilderness in 1980. King Cove residents say they were not consulted before their access was restricted.

Residents seeking a road in 1998 received a sympathetic reception in Washington, D.C., but left with a consolation prize. Congress appropriated $37.5 million to upgrade medical facilities and a spend $9 million on a hovercraft.

Icing and big waves often kept the hovercraft in port, said Aleutians East Borough Administrator Rick Gifford. At $73 for a one-way ticket, the projected revenue never materialized. The boat turned into a $1 million annual drain on the budget and the borough ended service in November 2011. It was transferred to another city within the borough.

With the hovercraft out of the picture, King Cove officials renewed their call for a road. With the backing of the state and an Alaska Native corporation, they made an offer they thought the federal government could not refuse: 43,093 acres of state land and 13,300 acres of land owned by King Cove Corp. for a 10-mile corridor through the refuge and acreage from another federal refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Salazar concluded the additional acreage could not match the quality of habitat at Izembek and would disrupt the birds.

Salazar will meet Thursday with King Cove residents, and he could change his mind. But Noah Matson, vice president for landscape conservation for Defenders of Wildlife, said Salazar made the right call for now and for future generations. He believes the 1998 compromise for a marine route was the best answer because it protected internationally recognized wetlands, he said.

"The hovercraft successfully transported, safely, many people from King Cove to Cold Bay," he said.

The proposed road would run along what's essentially a fjord, he said, with avalanche danger and erosion potential for the bay. The same wicked winds that ground airplanes and hovercraft will render a road impassible with snow drifts, he said, and make the road as expensive to maintain as the hovercraft.

Salazar likely took seriously his responsibility to balance the needs of the people of King Cove with protection for the refuge, Matson said, and Murkowski's threat to put a hold on Salazar's replacement is not appropriate.

"It's unfortunate that she's politicizing this issue," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-22-Alaska%20Wilderness%20Road/id-bdcd0dc26e3f4b9dad2d35bf61e96925

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Birds Eye recalls UK meals after Belgium horse DNA find

LONDON (Reuters) - Frozen food maker Birds Eye said it would withdraw some products in Britain and Ireland after it found traces of horse DNA in one of its ready meals sold in Belgium.

The discovery of horsemeat in food labelled as beef has triggered product recalls and damaged confidence in Europe's vast and complex food industry. The scandal erupted last month when tests carried out in Ireland revealed that some beef products also contained horsemeat.

"Regrettably, we have found one product, chilli con carne, produced for us by Frigilunch N.V. and sold in Belgium, that has tested positive for horse DNA at 2 percent," Birds Eye said in a statement.

"As a precautionary measure in the UK and Ireland we will withdraw all other products produced by the same supplier, namely traditional spaghetti bolognese (340g), shepherd's pie (400g) and beef lasagne (400g)."

The group said it would also withdraw a total of eight product lines in Belgium as well as one chilli con carne product in the Netherlands as a precautionary measure.

Private equity group Permira's frozen food brands include Birds Eye in Britain, Iglo, which trades across much of continental Europe, and Findus in Italy.

Birds Eye added that the withdrawn products would not be replaced on supermarket shelves until it had completed an investigation into the issue and had complete confidence in Frigilunch N.V.

Contacted by Reuters, Frigilunch declined to comment beyond saying it would issue a statement soon.

Birds Eye said tests showed its beef burgers, beef pies and beef platters sold in Britain and Ireland did not contain horse DNA.

(Reporting by Rhys Jones; Additional Reporting by Charlie Dunmore; Editing by Neil Maidment and Helen Massy-Beresford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/birds-eye-recalls-uk-products-horse-dna-belgium-093100548--sector.html

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Let's create! Pottery HD for iPhone and iPad review

With it being sleep and relaxation week here at iMore for Mobile Nations fitness month, I've been on the hunt for related apps, and the newest gem I've discovered is Let's create! Pottery HD for iPhone and iPad. This pottery-creating app is surprising relaxing and fun.

The menu screen of Pottery HD shows a piece of clay slowly spinning on table with out-of-focus greenery in the background. As you move around your iPhone or iPad, the background will slightly move around as if you are changing your orientation.

After you go through the initial tutorial your inbox will be your source of quests to create beautiful pottery pieces beginning with your Aunt Chloe. Through her, word spreads of your work and other people come to you to make pieces for them.

To create a pottery item, you simply use your finger on the piece of clay. Moving your finger up or down the clay will make is taller and shorter, moving out from the center will make it wider from that point, and moving in towards the center will make it thinner.

After you've shaped your item, you must send it to cooked. As it goes through the firing process, a progress bar displays and the background makes it appear that the clay is in a hot oven. Then it's time to decorate it.

You can decorate your pottery with paint, ornaments and fancy brushes that stamp a pattern on your artwork. You do this all while the item slowly spins on the wheel. The constant movement in Pottery HD is part of what makes it so relaxing, engaging, and beautiful.

If you have an active quest, then a little picture of what you're supposed to create will be displayed while you work towards your goal. On this polaroid snapshot, there are two different objects: the shape and design. You can earn put to 5 stars for each one. As long as you get three stars in each, your piece will be accepted.

There are two things about creating ceramics with Pottery HD that are disappointing. The first is that when adding paint, sometimes it doesn't register the correct spot and actually adds the paint higher than you would expect.

The other is that sometimes it's way too difficult to get even just three stars for your decorations. The screenshot above demonstrates this -- my vase looks almost identical to the photo, yet I only earned three stars. The one I made before this one only earned me two stars even though it was just a little shorter. Both vases earned 5 stars for the shape, so I don't think it's fair that the height alone made me earn one less star for decoration.

If the ceramic you are making is not for a quest, then you have an option to sell it. You need coins to buy new decorating tools for your quests.

The good

• Great graphics
• Quests to make pots, vases, cups, and more
• Earn coins when completing quests to buy materials to decorate your creations
• Build your own pottery to sell and raise money
• More decorations available as in-app purchases
• Relaxing
• Fosters creativity
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Touch isn't precise enough when adding paint
• Sometimes it's nearly impossible to get 5 stars for the look your creation
• No way to save snapshots of your pieces in the app
• Once you sell an item, you can't view even a photo of it in the app. It would nice to see a collection of everything you've made.

The bottom line

Let's Create! Pottery HD is the next best thing to actually creating real life ceramics, yet has the benefit of being able to kick back and relax while you sculpt your pottery without the mess.

• $4.99 - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/YfQZ4LHlyZY/story01.htm

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KL Conference on Islamic Finance 2013: Study on Cross-Border Tax ...

A new study into the cross border tax burden on Islamic finance transactions in the Middle East and North Africa region, relative to the tax burden placed on conventional finance, underscores the importance of regional tax legislative changes to equalize the tax treatment of shariah-compliant financial options.

The study reviewed the tax treatment of four common Islamic finance structures, commodity murabaha, sukuk, salaam and istisna in eight MENA region countries: Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and also in the Qatar Financial Centre.

The report shows that while simpler Islamic finance transactions can be carried out in some of these countries without prohibitive tax costs, only Turkey and the QFC have a tax system that enables sukuk (bond) transactions to be carried out without excessive tax costs.

Islamic finance is of growing importance within the MENA region, but the taxation systems of almost all countries were developed in an environment of conventional finance. This can mean that Islamic finance suffers a tax burden that is not suffered by conventional finance. The study aims to support local authorities to revise their regimes to make Islamic finance transactions across borders as competitive as conventional finance in tax terms.

Most Islamic finance transactions seek to achieve economic outcomes that are similar to those achieved by conventional finance. However, to achieve these economic outcomes the Islamic finance transactions typically require more component steps than the equivalent conventional financial transactions, which results in the greater tax burden.

The additional transactions required by Islamic finance are at risk of being subject to transfer taxes or to taxes on income or gains. This can be seen most clearly by considering the sukuk transactions (bond), reviewed in detail in the report, where in many cases a transaction, which is economically equivalent to the issue of a conventional bond secured on real estate, gives rise to transfer tax and capital gains tax liabilities, makeing the sukuk transaction prohibitively expensive to carry out.

The study, led by Islamic finance consultant Mohammed Amin with support from regional branches of PwC and Ernst and Young, considers two alternative approaches to the modification of tax law to facilitate Islamic finance which, for simplicity, the authors term the Malaysian approach and the United Kingdom approach.

The Malaysian approach is based upon the regulatory authorities putting in place a process for advance determination of whether a transaction does or does not constitute Islamic finance. For those transactions that are certified as being Islamic finance transactions, tax law can be modified relatively easily to give these Islamic finance transactions the same taxation outcome as the equivalent conventional transactions. Where intermediate transactions are necessary to effect the Islamic finance structure, the intermediate transactions can readily be disregarded for tax purposes.

The United Kingdom approach is based upon the philosophical objective of separating religious matters from tax law. Accordingly, the United Kingdom does not want the tax treatment of a transaction to depend on whether or not it is Shariah compliant. Indeed, the United Kingdom wishes to keep all religious references out of tax law. Accordingly, the United Kingdom has proceeded by defining certain kinds of transactions using purely secular free-standing language which makes no reference to Islam or to Islamic finance. Once the transactions have been defined, their tax treatment can be specified in a manner that results in the same tax treatment that will be given to equivalent conventional finance transactions. The United Kingdom approach requires much more complex drafting of tax law since no reference can be made to external Islamic finance sources; conversely, it has the merit of keeping religion out of tax law.

In the case of Muslim majority countries, such as those in the MENA region, the study recommends the Malaysian approach as being quicker and simpler to implement.

The report is described as being ?Phase One.? Subject to resources, the team intends to extend the work by looking in a similar way at matters such as the impact of consumption taxes like Value-Added Tax on Islamic finance transactions.

(Global Tax New / 21 Feb 2013)

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Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur:?www.alfalahconsulting.com
Islamic Investment Malaysia:?www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com

Source: http://www.islamic-finance-conference.net/2013/02/study-on-cross-border-tax-on-islamic.html

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Israel closely watching what weapons are being sent to Syria?s rebels

JERUSALEM -- Israel is closely monitoring the kinds of weapons that are being sent to Syrian rebel groups, and it?s consulted with U.S. officials about which weapons they consider too sophisticated to be passed to the groups that are battling to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to Israeli officials with knowledge of the situation.

"Israel isn?t going to interfere and stop weapons shipments to the rebels at this point, but it wants to make sure it knows what they have," said an Israeli military official who agreed to discuss the matter with McClatchy only on the condition of anonymity because he wasn?t authorized to discuss it publicly.

Another military official who also asked not to be identified, for the same reason, acknowledged that Israel is concerned that the pressure to assist the rebels will result in weapons going to al Qaida-linked militants that have proved to be the anti-Assad forces? best fighters.

"On the one hand, there is a great deal of pressure on the Western world to bolster arms to moderate, what we call friendly, rebel groups so that they are on a level playing field with the groups that might be getting support from Islamist movements," this official told McClatchy. "On the other hand, once you send a weapon somewhere, you can?t control where it goes. The fear is that the same gun used to shoot a Syrian soldier will one day be used to shoot an Israeli soldier."

It?s long been known that Israel was monitoring the Assad regime?s internal movements of chemical and other sophisticated weapons out of concern that they might fall into the hands of al Qaida-linked rebels such as the Nusra Front or be passed to avowed enemies such as Lebanon?s Hezbollah, which has sent fighters to Syria to fight on Assad?s behalf. On Jan. 30, Israeli destroyed a convoy in Syria that sources said Israel feared was carrying anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah.

Until now, however, Israeli officials have been silent on their concerns about what weapons other nations might pass to the rebels. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who?s stressed that Israel won?t allow advanced weapons systems to move from Syria to militant groups in Lebanon, has stopped short of commenting on the flow of weapons into Syria.

The White House raised the possibility that weapons passed to the rebels might pose a threat to Israel two weeks ago in comments explaining why President Barack Obama had vetoed a plan, put forward sometime last year, to send military equipment to the rebels. The plan had the backing of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then-CIA director David Petraeus, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Panetta told a Senate committee Feb. 7.

Asked why the president had rejected a plan that his war Cabinet backed, White House spokesman Jay Carney offered the threat to Israel as one of the reasons.

?We don?t want any weapons to fall into the wrong hands and potentially further endanger the Syrian people, our ally Israel or the United States," Carney said. He later repeated the comment about danger to Israel, reinforcing that the concern had played a role in Obama?s decision.

Israel has been largely silent on its concerns about developments in Syria, and the second military officer said that was unlikely to change, especially about its concerns that weapons shipments to the rebels might be turned on Israel one day. He said officials worried that any public expression of concern would upset Israel?s efforts to improve relations with Turkey, one of the most vocal supporters of the anti-Assad forces. Many weapons shipments bound for the rebels are thought to cross into Syria from Turkey. Saudi Arabia and Qatar reportedly are the primary financiers of those shipments.

Source: http://www.modbee.com/2013/02/22/2589830/israel-closely-watching-what-weapons.html

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Medicaid meeting tops Gov. Terry Branstad?s agenda in visit to Washington

Gov. Terry Branstad departed Iowa ahead of the snow storm on Thursday for several days of meetings in Washington D.C. that will include a face-to-face conversation with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The meeting with Sebelius, scheduled for Friday afternoon, will focus on the potential expansion of Medicaid, the health-care program for the poor.

Expanding Medicaid services, which are funded jointly by the state and federal government, is a centerpiece of the Obama administration?s health-care efforts, and would put potentially tens of thousands more Iowans on the rolls.

The federal government has committed to paying 100 percent of the costs of the additional enrollees for three years and at least 90 percent after that. But Branstad has ardently opposed the expansion, questioning whether the feds can maintain that commitment and suggesting state government could ultimately be stuck with the bill.

Friday?s meeting will be an opportunity to air those concerns one-on-one, and perhaps find areas of compromise.

?We hope this meeting is the beginning of a dialogue with our federal partner on health care and other important topics,? Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said.

The governor has been steadfast in his opposition to the Medicaid expansion even as other Republican governors who initially opposed it have changed their mind.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer have reversed course in recent weeks, and in a big turnabout, Florida Gov. Rick Scott did as well on Wednesday.

Albrecht noted that Scott became a supporter after only Florida was awarded a waiver from the federal government allowing the state to privatize its Medicaid operations.

?Gov. Scott was able to secure significant flexibility in delivering Medicaid in Florida that will improve the health outcomes for his residents while controlling the costs through a specific waiver,? he said.

At this point, Iowa has received no such waivers changing how it might deliver care through the program. Branstad has pushed for health and wellness campaigns, new efforts to attract medical professionals to Iowa and limits on medical malpractice lawsuits to improve health care in the state.

?Gov. Branstad is committed to health care reform in Iowa that improves the quality of care, lowers costs and, most importantly, makes Iowans healthier,? Albrecht said.

Branstad will be in Washington through Monday, and also will attend meetings of the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association and the Council of Governors. He?ll use the trip to meet with potential economic development partners, Albrecht said.

Tags: health care, Jan Brewer, John Kasich, Kathleen Sebelius, Medicaid, Medicaid expansion, Rick Scott, Terry Branstad

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaPolitics/~3/O2rt93VqDIs/article

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Hugh Grant becomes father for 2nd time

LONDON (AP) ? Hugh Grant says he has become a father for the second time.

The "Four Weddings and a Funeral" star used his Twitter account to announce Saturday: "Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree."

He said both children "have a fab mum" and: "To be crystal clear, I am the Daddy."

The birth was confirmed by Grant's publicist, Carrie Gordon.

Grant's sometime girlfriend Tinglan Hong gave birth to the couple's daughter in 2011.

Grant, 52, a critic of what he sees as press intrusion, told Britain's media ethics inquiry that he and Hong had been harassed by paparazzi when their daughter was born.

He joined Twitter last year as (at)HackedOffHugh to promote press reform in the wake of Britain's tabloid phone hacking scandal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-16-Britain-Hugh%20Grant/id-13b31b7ba775472586adddf3697c7c1f

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Evolutionary origins of human dietary patterns

Public release date: 15-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilary Hurd Anyaso
h-anyaso@northwestern.edu
847-491-4887
Northwestern University

Research: Roles of diet, energy expenditures in rising obesity rates to be presented

EVANSTON, Ill. --- William Leonard has conducted extensive research on the diets and ways of prehistoric populations. A paper on his research will be presented Friday, Feb. 15, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The research shows that the transition from subsistence to a modern, sedentary lifestyle has created energy imbalances that have increased rapidly -- evolutionarily speaking -- in recent years and now play a major role in obesity.

Leonard, chair and professor of anthropology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, was scheduled to present his research. However, in his absence, the presentation of his paper, Metabolic Challenges of the Modern World: Evolution and Human Nutritional Health, will be given by his colleague. The presentation is part of the symposium The Scars of Human Evolution to be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Room 302 of Bostons Hynes Convention Center.

The presenter will discuss Leonards work examining the evolutionary origins of human dietary and activity patterns and their implications for understanding modern health problems. Drawing on data from the U.S. and traditional, subsistence-level societies, the presenter will examine the roles of both diet and energy expenditure in contributing to the rising obesity rates in the modern world.

Over the last 25 years, evolutionary perspectives on human dietary consumption and nutritional health have received greater attention among both anthropologists and nutritional scientists. Humans have evolved distinctive nutritional characteristics associated with the high metabolic costs of our large brains.

The evolution of larger hominid brain size necessitated the development of foraging strategies that both provided high quality foods and required larger ranges and activity budgets, Leonard said.

Over time, human subsistence strategies have become more efficient in obtaining energy with minimal time and effort. Today, populations of the industrialized world live in environments characterized by low levels of energy expenditure and abundant food supplies contributing to growing rates of obesity.

Leonards research has focused on biological anthropology and the adaptability, nutrition and growth and development of people in South America, Siberia and the United States. He has extensive field experience and has traveled the world to conduct research.

In October 2011, the Discovery Channel aired I Caveman. Leonard was a consultant on the program, which examined how well modern-day humans could adapt to a traditional hunting and gathering way of life in high-altitude Colorado. He evaluated changes in body weight and health status in the participants over the course of the experiment. The 10 participants all lost weight, experienced significant improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, while following a typical Paleolithic lifestyle-consuming a diet of game, fish and wild plant foods.

###

(Source contact: William Leonard at w-leonard1@northwestern.edu, office: 847-491-4839; or mobile: 224-436-7063)

Symposium information
"The Scars of Human Evolution"
1:30-4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 15
Room 302 (Hynes Convention Center)

NORTHWESTERN NEWS: www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/

---

[ | 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: 15-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilary Hurd Anyaso
h-anyaso@northwestern.edu
847-491-4887
Northwestern University

Research: Roles of diet, energy expenditures in rising obesity rates to be presented

EVANSTON, Ill. --- William Leonard has conducted extensive research on the diets and ways of prehistoric populations. A paper on his research will be presented Friday, Feb. 15, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The research shows that the transition from subsistence to a modern, sedentary lifestyle has created energy imbalances that have increased rapidly -- evolutionarily speaking -- in recent years and now play a major role in obesity.

Leonard, chair and professor of anthropology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, was scheduled to present his research. However, in his absence, the presentation of his paper, Metabolic Challenges of the Modern World: Evolution and Human Nutritional Health, will be given by his colleague. The presentation is part of the symposium The Scars of Human Evolution to be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Room 302 of Bostons Hynes Convention Center.

The presenter will discuss Leonards work examining the evolutionary origins of human dietary and activity patterns and their implications for understanding modern health problems. Drawing on data from the U.S. and traditional, subsistence-level societies, the presenter will examine the roles of both diet and energy expenditure in contributing to the rising obesity rates in the modern world.

Over the last 25 years, evolutionary perspectives on human dietary consumption and nutritional health have received greater attention among both anthropologists and nutritional scientists. Humans have evolved distinctive nutritional characteristics associated with the high metabolic costs of our large brains.

The evolution of larger hominid brain size necessitated the development of foraging strategies that both provided high quality foods and required larger ranges and activity budgets, Leonard said.

Over time, human subsistence strategies have become more efficient in obtaining energy with minimal time and effort. Today, populations of the industrialized world live in environments characterized by low levels of energy expenditure and abundant food supplies contributing to growing rates of obesity.

Leonards research has focused on biological anthropology and the adaptability, nutrition and growth and development of people in South America, Siberia and the United States. He has extensive field experience and has traveled the world to conduct research.

In October 2011, the Discovery Channel aired I Caveman. Leonard was a consultant on the program, which examined how well modern-day humans could adapt to a traditional hunting and gathering way of life in high-altitude Colorado. He evaluated changes in body weight and health status in the participants over the course of the experiment. The 10 participants all lost weight, experienced significant improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, while following a typical Paleolithic lifestyle-consuming a diet of game, fish and wild plant foods.

###

(Source contact: William Leonard at w-leonard1@northwestern.edu, office: 847-491-4839; or mobile: 224-436-7063)

Symposium information
"The Scars of Human Evolution"
1:30-4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 15
Room 302 (Hynes Convention Center)

NORTHWESTERN NEWS: www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/

---

[ | 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/2013-02/nu-eoo021313.php

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SKorean lawmaker loses seat over Samsung wiretaps

In this Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 photo, Roe Hoe-chan, a lawmaker of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Roh known for criticism of the Samsung conglomerate has forfeited his seat in parliament after the Supreme Court ruled he violated communications laws by publishing incriminating wiretaps of conversations between Samsung officials on the Internet.(AP Photo/Yonhap, Bae Jae-man) KOREA OUT

In this Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 photo, Roe Hoe-chan, a lawmaker of the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Roh known for criticism of the Samsung conglomerate has forfeited his seat in parliament after the Supreme Court ruled he violated communications laws by publishing incriminating wiretaps of conversations between Samsung officials on the Internet.(AP Photo/Yonhap, Bae Jae-man) KOREA OUT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A South Korean lawmaker known for criticism of the Samsung conglomerate has forfeited his seat in parliament after the Supreme Court ruled he violated communications laws by publishing incriminating wiretaps of conversations between Samsung officials on the Internet.

South Korea's top court upheld a lower court's conviction of lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan and a suspended prison sentence. He published transcripts of conversations between an aide to Samsung Electronics Co. chairman Lee Kun-hee and Lee's brother-in-law that were recorded by the national intelligence agency. The conviction disqualifies Roh from being a lawmaker.

A press release issued by Roh in 2005 included a transcript of the conversations, which revealed the names of prosecutors who were showered with cash by Samsung. He also posted the transcript to his website.

Roh, who was a lawmaker for the opposition Progressive Justice Party, has been a vocal critic of Samsung, South Korea's most powerful conglomerate, which dominates the country's economy. In testimony to the National Assembly in 2005, he used the wiretapped conversations to call for an investigation into Samsung's relationships with prosecutors. The probe led to the resignation of a vice justice minister but prosecutors only indicted Roh and a journalist for releasing the wiretaps.

Usually South Korean lawmakers are protected by an immunity that allows them to speak freely in the National Assembly without being sued for libel or prosecuted for other charges. At issue was whether such immunity applied to the lawmaker's actions in cyberspace. South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that it did not.

"Unlike distributing press releases to journalists, uploading messages on the Internet allows an easy access to anybody at any time," the court said in a statement explaining its decision. The ruling also said the Internet delivers "unfiltered" information to the public, while the media "select what to publish with responsibility."

Roh criticized the court's ruling as "anachronistic," saying that any citizen can easily distribute or publish information online. He also said his more important role as a lawmaker was to fight against corruption at powerful groups in South Korea including prosecutors, who are the only South Korean officials who can charge suspected criminals and supervise police investigations.

Roh said he did not regret his decision to publish the information.

"If I go back to eight years ago, I would still do the same thing," he said in a statement after the ruling.

___

Youkyung Lee can be reached at Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-15-SKorea-Lawmaker-Samsung/id-a746aa016d644c10a81bf787e0eeb7d2

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How Will 'X Factor' Ever Replace Britney? We Have 3 Ideas!

When Britney Spears signed on for The X Factor in 2012, it was the ultimate diva trump card. It didn't matter that American Idol had Jennifer Lopez and The Voice had Christina Aguilera; this was Britney, bitch!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/how-will-x-factor-ever-replace-britney-we-have-three-ideas/1-a-522059?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ahow-will-x-factor-ever-replace-britney-we-have-three-ideas-522059

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AP Sources: American Airlines, US Airways to merge

FILE - In this June 23, 2008 file photo, a US Airways jet takes off as an American Airlines jet is prepped for takeoff at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The merger of US Airways and American Airlines has given birth to a mega airline with more passengers than any other in the world. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE - In this June 23, 2008 file photo, a US Airways jet takes off as an American Airlines jet is prepped for takeoff at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The merger of US Airways and American Airlines has given birth to a mega airline with more passengers than any other in the world. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2013 file photo, a US Airways jet taxis past an American Airlines jet parked at the gate at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The merger of US Airways and American Airlines has given birth to a mega airline with more passengers than any other in the world. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic,Tom Tinkle, File) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT;

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, file photo, a plane flies over New Jersey with the full moon in the background, in Newark, N.J. The merger of US Airways and American Airlines has given birth to a mega airline with more passengers than any other in the world. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Graphic shows annual domestic air traffic and key mergers for selected airlines

DALLAS (AP) ? The merger of American Airlines and US Airways, to be formally announced Thursday, caps a turbulent half-decade of bankruptcies and consolidation for the U.S. airline industry and leaves travelers four big carriers to choose from.

The boards of American parent AMR Corp. and US Airways approved the deal late Wednesday, according to four people close to the situation.

The merged carrier will be the world's biggest and will keep the American Airlines name, but it will be run by US Airways CEO Doug Parker. American's CEO, Tom Horton, will serve as chairman of the new company until mid-2014, these people said. They requested anonymity because the merger negotiations were private.

The deal has been in the works since August, when creditors pushed for merger talks so they could decide which earned them a better return: a merger or Horton's plan for an independent airline. American has been restructuring under bankruptcy protection since late 2011. AMR creditors and possibly its shareholders will own 72 percent of the stock, and US Airways Group Inc. shareholders will get the rest, three of the people said.

A formal announcement is expected Thursday morning.

If the deal is approved by AMR's bankruptcy judge and antitrust regulators, the new American will have more than 900 planes, 3,200 daily flights and about 95,000 employees, not counting regional affiliates. It will be slightly bigger than United Airlines by passenger traffic.

Since 2008, Delta gobbled up Northwest, United absorbed Continental and Southwest bought AirTran Airways. If this latest merger goes through, American, United, Delta and Southwest will control about three-quarters of U.S. airline traffic.

The rapid consolidation has allowed the surviving airlines to offer bigger route networks that appeal to high-paying business travelers. And it has allowed them to limit the supply of seats, which helps prop up fares and airline profits.

Word of an American-US Airways merger raised new concern among passenger advocates. Charles Leocha of the Consumer Travel Alliance said that with just four big airlines instead of five, it will be easier to raise fares. "The benefits of this deal will go only to the corporations, not to consumers," he said.

But industry officials say there will still be plenty of competition. A recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that adjusting for inflation, domestic U.S. airfares fell 1 percent between 2004 and 2011, a period that included several airline mergers.

Travelers on American and US Airways won't notice immediate changes. It likely will be months before the frequent-flier programs are combined and years before the two airlines are fully integrated.

When that happens, American's presence will grow in key East Coast markets including New York's LaGuardia Airport and Washington's Reagan National Airport. The merger will add US Airways hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix to American's in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

US Airways will boost American's service to Europe and the Latin America-Caribbean market but wouldn't fix American's weakness on routes to Asia.

Just five years ago, American was the world's biggest airline. It boasted a history reaching back 80 years to the beginning of air travel. It had popularized the frequent-flier program and developed the modern system of pricing airline tickets to match demand.

But years of heavy losses drove AMR into bankruptcy protection. The company blamed bloated labor costs; its unions accused executives of mismanagement. AMR lost more than $12 billion between 2001 and 2010. It has lost another $2.8 billion since it filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011 ? a period in which US Airways earned about $650 million.

The merger is an impressive achievement for Parker and his management team at US Airways, based in Tempe, Ariz. Just a few years ago, they were running a mid-sized carrier called America West Airlines when they bought the old US Airways out of bankruptcy.

US Airways is only half the size of American and is less familiar around the world, but he prevailed by driving a wedge between American's management and its union workers and by convincing American's creditors that a merger made business sense.

Despite its smaller size, US Airways has prospered in the last several years, earning a record profit of $637 million last year.

"They've done an absolutely terrific job with what they have," said Bill Swelbar, an airline-industry researcher at MIT and board member of Hawaiian Airlines' parent company.

Parker began pursuing a merger almost as soon as AMR filed for Chapter 11. He found willing partners in American's three labor unions, who have long fought with management at their own company over pay, work rules and executive bonuses. American suffered strikes by pilots and flight attendants in the 1990s. Bad feelings hardened in the early 2000s, when union workers took pay cuts to keep the company out of bankruptcy while AMR gave bonuses to management employees after the stock price rose.

AMR's Horton professed no interest in thinking about a merger until his company was out of bankruptcy court, but his creditors pressured him to reconsider. Some of them, along with Wall Street analysts, called for new management at AMR.

Bob Herbst, a financial analyst who studies airlines, said AMR has failed to adapt to changes in the industry since consolidation began in the middle of the last decade. He said AMR was fixated on gaining market share rather than on profitability.

American placed 14th out of 15 airlines in government rankings for on-time performance in 2012 (US Airways was fifth). Only United had a higher rate of complaints than American (but US Airways was barely better than American).

"They are continually at the bottom in on-time and customer service, and they're losing more money than anyone else," Herbst said. "American's management is leaving because that's what needs to happen."

AMR, however, has made measurable progress under Horton, who became CEO the day before the company filed for bankruptcy protection. The company earned operating profits in the second and third quarters of 2012, and its revenue for every seat flown one mile ? an arcane-sounding statistic but one that is closely watched in the airline business ? rose faster than at its rivals for much of the year. With leverage from bankruptcy laws, AMR won new union contracts with lower costs.

"I'm a big fan of Tom's; he's done a great job," said Mike Derchin, an analyst with CRT Capital Group. "He restructured the balance sheet, made the company more efficient and got a pilots' contract. He positioned the company for the future."

That performance may also have gotten a better deal for Horton's creditors. US Airways' initial proposal called for AMR creditors to get only 49 percent of the stock in the combined company, according to people familiar with the talks. Instead, they'll get 72 percent, although they might have to share some of that with shareholders, said the people familiar with the deal.

In recent weeks, AMR won bankruptcy court approval to buy hundreds of new planes from Boeing and Airbus, an important step to reduce fuel costs and offer a more comfortable experience for passengers. American even unveiled a new logo and paint job for its planes, although the reviews were mixed.

___

Follow David Koenig at http://www.twitter.com/airlinewriter

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-14-American-US%20Airways-Merger/id-f7f44ee7f24a4b618931dae361f7bb99

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Talking baseball with Alabama freshman second baseman Kyle Overstreet

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Dot Earth Blog: Satellites Reveal the Depletion of a Vital Middle East Water Supply

Just in case you needed more reasons to be concerned about the stability of the Middle East, new research using data from NASA?s gravity-sensing Grace satellites shows a substantial decline in the volume of groundwater reserves in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins. Data gathered between 2003 and 2009 show the seasonal recharge of the region?s aquifers (the blue pulses in the illuminating animation above) but then the onset of a potent drought in 2007 followed by a persistent big drop in water amounts, 60 percent of which is ascribed to unsustainable rates of pumping in a study to be published on Friday in the journal Water Resources Research.

Here are some useful excerpts from a joint news release from NASA and the University of California, Irvine:

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine; NASA?s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., found during a seven-year period beginning in 2003 that parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran along the Tigris and Euphrates river basins lost 117 million acre feet (144 cubic kilometers) of total stored freshwater. That is almost the amount of water in the Dead Sea. The researchers attribute about 60 percent of the loss to pumping of groundwater from underground reservoirs?.

?Grace data show an alarming rate of decrease in total water storage in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, which currently have the second fastest rate of groundwater storage loss on Earth, after India,? said Jay Famiglietti, principal investigator of the study and a hydrologist and professor at UC Irvine. ?The rate was especially striking after the 2007 drought. Meanwhile, demand for freshwater continues to rise, and the region does not coordinate its water management because of different interpretations of international laws.? [Read the rest.]

On a crowding, turbulent planet, the value of remote-sensing satellites and related programs has never been greater. I hope and trust that President Obama will find room in his State of the Union address tonight not only for jobs, security and environmental progress, but also for sustaining critical investments in such technologies and related science.

To see more evidence of the value of remote sensing, tune in Wednesday night to PBS, which will take a detailed look at various ways satellite and space station imagery are enriching understanding of the home planet in a two-hour Nova special, ?Earth from Space.?

Source: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/satellites-reveal-depletion-of-a-vital-middle-east-water-supply/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Visitors Go Green and Join RCI 'Green Fingers' - Timeshare News ...

Gold Coast (February 13, 2013) ? RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced that Gold Coast visitors can simultaneously help the environment and support local charities through a new creative green initiative introduced by RCI.

The RCI program, branded Green Fingers, encourages visiting guests to deposit unwanted, non-perishable food upon departure for donation to local charities. RCI has teamed up with Gold Coast?s Mariner Shores Resort and Nepean Country Club and Day Spa to pilot this food recycling program.

The two-pronged project aims at encouraging guests to have minimal impact on the local environment while directly benefiting charities such as The Salvation Army, Second Bite, St. Vincent de Paul and Foodbank Australia.

?Our research indicates that holiday makers, particularly those staying in self-contained resorts, have a tendency to overbuy food, which leads to wastage at the end of their break. Therefore, our pilot program is about working with existing industry partners highlighting our commitment to the environment and the greater community,? said Gary Fog, business development manager, RCI Pacific.

Green Fingers is complete with promotional posters, an information letter about the program placed in each resort?s compendium and a number of large ?Green Fingers? donation bins located at various collection points at the participating resorts.

?As leaders in the holiday exchange industry, RCI and its affiliate resort partners play a pivotal role in sustaining our environment. This program inspires our resort guests to have a positive impact on the environment while assisting charities,? Fog continued.

Brent Schafer, general manager for Mariner Shores, a participating resort, has been very happy with the response so far: ?Many of our guests have enjoyed being able to donate and have praised us on this initiative. People are much more aware of their green footprint these days and they like to make an overall difference. We get all sorts of donations from packets of chips, biscuits and canned food, through to nappies and baby wipes ? basically anything that is unopened and non-perishable is accepted.?

The RCI Green Fingers initiative encompasses the overall RCI Go Green program with plans to introduce the program globally. For more information regarding RCI Green Fingers or RCI Go Green program contact Gary Fog at 07 5588 8553 or gary.fog@rci.com.

About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in holiday exchange with over 4,000 affiliated resorts in approximately 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of holiday exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their holiday ownership experience. Today, through RCI? Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points?, the industry?s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible holiday options to its 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media centre, rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Source: http://www.insidethegate.com/2013/02/visitors-go-green-and-join-rci-green-fingers-food-recycling-initiative/

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