Australia woman survives 3 days trapped in car

Ambulance Service Of Nsw/Handout / EPA

A woman was trapped for three days in her car after it plunged down an embankment on Christmas Day in Tumut, in New South Wales, Australia.

By msnbc.com staff

A woman who crashed her car on Christmas Day survived for three days with her leg pinned in the wreckage after it plunged off an embankment in southern Australia, according to local reports.

Debbie McKnight, 45, was driving home from her daughter's house in Tumut, New South Wales when she swerved to avoid a kangaroo and careened off the road. Her car flipped and landed 26 feet below on its roof, trapping her inside, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

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Ambulance Service Of Nsw/Handout / EPA

Paramedics attend to the scene of a car that crashed off Wondalga Road and pinned a woman inside for three days. A local youth heard her cry for help on Wednesday night and called emergency services.

Local teenager Caleb Wilks found her late Wednesday when he walked past the wreck and heard her screaming for help, Sky News Australia reported.

"Otherwise we wouldn't have found her," Sergeant Brian Hammond told Sky.

McKnight was flown to Canberra Hospital where surgeons amputated her leg. She is in stable condition.

"She was so desperate she was actually going to cut off her leg herself but she couldn't find anything sharp enough," Hammond said.

The Ambulance Service of New South Wales said the pressure from the car on her leg likely acted as a tourniquet and stopped any life-threatening bleeding.

Tumut's mayor John Larter told the Sydney Morning Herald that McKnight was fortunate to have survived.

"As anyone would be in a vehicle lying upside-down for three days over Christmas, I imagine anyone would have been distressed," Larter said. "You'd be missing your family over Christmas and I suppose you'd be wondering when somebody was going to come and rescue you."

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Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/29/9794399-woman-survives-three-days-trapped-upside-down-in-crashed-car

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Muslims upset by NYPD to boycott mayor's breakfast

NEW YORK (AP) ? Several Muslim leaders have declined invitations to the mayor's annual year-end interfaith breakfast, saying they're upset at police department efforts to infiltrate mosques and spy on Muslim neighborhoods.

The imams and activists said in a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg that they're disturbed at his response to a series of stories by The Associated Press detailing New York Police Department intelligence-gathering programs that monitored Muslim groups, businesses and houses of worship.

Bloomberg has defended the NYPD, saying last week it doesn't take religion into account in its policing.

Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser acknowledged Wednesday that about a dozen people turned down the breakfast invitation. But he said "a couple dozen" more said they plan to attend.

The letter to Bloomberg contained the names of several dozen Muslim leaders and organizations and said they believe such police measures "threaten the rights of all Americans, and deepen mistrust between our communities and law enforcement."

"Mayor Bloomberg, the extent of these civil rights violations is astonishing, yet instead of calling for accountability and the rule of law, you have thus far defended the NYPD's misconduct," the letter said.

The Muslim leaders said they appreciate the mayor's staunch support a year ago during an uproar over a planned Islamic center near the World Trade Center site. But they said they were disappointed by what he said after the AP stories since August about the police department's efforts to infiltrate Muslim neighborhoods and mosques with aggressive programs designed by a CIA officer who worked with the department after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The stories disclosed that a team of 16 police officers speaking at least five languages was assigned to use census information and government databases to map ethnic neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Documents reviewed by the AP revealed that undercover police officers known as rakers visited local businesses such as Islamic bookstores and cafes, chatting up store owners to determine their ethnicities and gauge their views. They played cricket and eavesdropped in ethnic cafes and clubs.

The AP stories also revealed that one of the CIA's most experienced clandestine operatives began working inside the police department in July as the special assistant to the deputy commissioner of intelligence.

The CIA is prohibited from spying domestically. Its unusual partnership with the NYPD has troubled top lawmakers and prompted an internal investigation.

Bloomberg in October defended the arrangement, saying it was necessary in a dangerous world.

"There are people trying to kill us," he said. "And if the CIA can help us I'm all for getting any information they have and then letting the police department use it as ? if it's appropriate to protect you and to protect me."

The letter noted that Muslims comprise at least 10 percent of the city's population. It said the Muslims leaders were seeking a meeting with the mayor to discuss the issues raised by the reports.

"We believe it is unequivocally wrong and fundamentally misguided to invest law enforcement resources in religious or racial profiling, rather than investigating suspicious activity," it said. "We seek your clear, unambiguous, public support for the rights and privacy of all New Yorkers, including Muslims; and a condemnation of all policies that profile and target communities and community groups solely based on their religion or the color of their skin."

It also said: "We are deeply disturbed that to date we have only heard your words of strong support for these troubling policies and violations of our rights. We are equally disturbed by (police Commissioner Raymond) Kelly's denials of what we know to be true as verified by the leaked documents."

Kelly, meanwhile, met Wednesday evening at a Bronx mosque with two imams who weren't listed on the letter and with young fans of an NYPD youth soccer league, whose winners were presented with a trophy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-28-NYPD%20Intelligence/id-ee6e9336107d41a588bf33ba91f51cb4

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Brno: Faculty Of Social Studies, Masaryk University

Faculty Of Social Studies, Masaryk University

This panorama was taken in Brno

This is an overview of Brno

Brno is Czech's second largest city. It's a place full of peaceful country folk who drink more wine than Bohemians, their Czech friends to the west. Brno hasn't been trampled by many tourists, so it has quite a different character than the capital city, especially from the eyes of a visitor.

Source: http://www.360cities.net/image/faculty-of-social-studies-masaryk-university-brno

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Amazon marks 'best holiday' for Kindle devices, fills stockings full of cash

It was yet another solid year for Amazon's Kindle family of products. The mega online retailer sent out its yearly post-Christmas card, bragging about moving "well over one million Kindle devices per week" for December, making it the best holiday yet for the e-reader / tablet line, according to the company. Three Kindles held the top spots on the site's list of best sellers, led by the Fire, the Touch and the plain old fourth generation Kindle. No exact numbers from Amazon, as per usual, but it looks to have been a pretty green Christmas for Bezos and co. Jingle all the way to the celebratory press release after the jump.

Continue reading Amazon marks 'best holiday' for Kindle devices, fills stockings full of cash

Amazon marks 'best holiday' for Kindle devices, fills stockings full of cash originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E&Y auditors investigating massive 'errors' at Olympus (Americablog)

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[OOC] Hearts Divided

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AutomailJunkie

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Hello. Can I reserve the past love?

twi-twi

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Divorce: Maria Shriver Changing Her Mind?

Maria Shriver is now unsure if she wants to divorce Arnold Schwarzenegger.

According to sources close to the couple, Shriver is torn about whether to proceed with the split, partly because of her strong religious beliefs that do not include divorce, and for even more obvious reasons - the couple's four children.

Moreover, Arnold still desperately wants Maria back, and has been "extremely sweet" to her, making numerous gestures (including presents) to try to win Maria back.

The Expendables 2 star, for his part, has been hoping to reconcile from the moment the couple split, though it looked like a lost cause, given his infidelities.

Maria filed for divorce on July 1, though she moved out months earlier. She's already bought a mansion in Brentwood, Calif., which she's in the process of renovating.

Shriver was reportedly unhappy for years, but the revelation that Arnold had a love child with housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena years ago was the last straw.

Or was it? Stay tuned.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/arnold-schwarzenegger-divorce-maria-shriver-changing-her-mind/

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benschwarz: RT @Australianwarni: The Weather Channel (VIC) A tornado has been reported near Fiskville (15km west of Bacchus Marsh) in VIC... http:// ...

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The Weather Channel (VIC) A tornado has been reported near Fiskville (15km west of Bacchus Marsh) in VIC... fb.me/11w46UsO0 Il y a environ 15 heures via Facebook Retweeted by 1 person

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Egypt's PM urges G8 to help unlock promised aid (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Egypt's prime minister appealed to Group of Eight countries on Monday to help unlock billions of dollars in aid promised in September but not yet delivered under an initiative to support countries of the Arab spring.

Army-backed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri, who was appointed in November, met ambassadors of G8 countries to tell them Egypt needed financial support immediately, Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr said.

Under the so-called Deauville partnership, G8 countries agreed to supply economic and political aid quickly to several Arab governments in return for commitments they would pursue democratic reforms.

The partnership, which also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey and international organizations such the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has so far pledged about $80 billion in financing to Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan over the next two years.

"The prime minister met with the ambassadors of the G8 countries to discuss Egypt's urgent economic needs and what these countries can give Egypt within the framework of the Deauville partnership," Amr told reporters after the meeting.

"The prime minister shared with the ambassadors the government's plan to ensure security and stability on the streets," he added.

Ganzouri said last week that apart from $1 billion sent by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Egypt had received little of the promised aid.

Egypt has lost billions of dollars in revenue from tourism and investors, who were frightened away by the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.

The financing under the Deauville partnership is mostly in the form of loans rather than outright grants, and is provided half by G8 and Arab countries and half by various lenders and development banks.

In June, Egypt negotiated a $3 billion financial package from the IMF in June, only for its ruling military council to reject it a few weeks later.

(Editing by Patrick Werr and Myra MacDonald)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_egypt_aid

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Bill Conlin Scandal: 7th Person Alleges Abuse By Philly Columnist

PHILADELPHIA ? A seventh person has come forward with allegations she was sexually abused by former Philadelphia Daily News sports columnist Bill Conlin.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports ( ) the woman says Conlin assaulted her at the beach in Margate, N.J., when she was 11 years old in the 1960s. http://bit.ly/sPrYkt

Conlin retired from the Daily News on Tuesday, hours before The Inquirer posted a story about allegations that he had abused four people decades ago when they were children. Two other accusers have since come forward.

The Inquirer reports the unidentified woman who spoke out Friday says Conlin, a family friend, assaulted her twice while he was visiting the Jersey Shore.

The 77-year-old Conlin has vowed through his lawyer, George Bochetto, to clear his name. Messages left for Bochetto were not immediately returned.

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Give thy thoughts no tongue...

Hey there, TiredWombat! Nice username.

So! I'm Sato, and I'm a long-time member here at Gateway. I hope you get settled in nice and quick. Things can be a bit confusing when you're right out of the gate, so if you have any questions about anything, just post them here and I'll try to help you out! The same goes for you, sapphire1626.

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Like I said, any questions? Just ask.

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NBA Commish Stern opens season with boos in Dallas

DALLAS ? NBA Commissioner David Stern opened his lockout-delayed season by hearing boos from fans.

Stern was in Dallas for the NBA finals rematch between the Mavericks and Heat, and he was on the court for the start of the Mavs' banner-raising ceremony honoring their first championship. The jeers came as soon as he started speaking, but he quickly turned them into cheers by offering his congratulations to team owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban's often contentious relationship with Stern could've been as much of a reason for the boos as the lockout, which pushed the opener from Nov. 1 to Christmas and cut the season by 16 games.

Cuban and Miami's Mickey Arison were among five owners who voted against the labor deal. Stern downplayed that, hailing the agreement as beneficial to everyone.

The Associated Press

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/25/nba-commish-stern-opens-season-with-boos-in-dallas/

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[The Register] Reg review of 2011: Jobs, floaters and 90,000 tons of radioactive water

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Coffee With Vervet Monkeys In Limpopo, South Africa

Scientists will tell you that vervet monkeys eat fruit, figs, flowers and termites. Don't believe them. In Limpopo, South Africa, these grayish monkeys with the white-fringed, black faces prefer coffee and sugar.

If you so much as leave your window cracked, as I did at the Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge, an eco-lodge overlooking the Luonde Mountains, these adorable varmints will figure out a way to sneak in and plunder your supply.

Don't get me wrong. I love being awakened by the sounds of nature (Limpopo's 600 species of birds perform a delightful wake-up call), but caffeine-starved monkeys with powder blue balls (the males have equally bright red penises) are not my idea of early morning company.

Everything else about Shiluvari was perfect. Set in the heart of a nature conservancy on the banks of the Albasini Dam, this quirky, family-run lodge has 14 rooms and thatched chalets, each decorated with art by local artists. Even the cabinets, rugs and bathroom amenities are hand-made by locals, in some cases out of baobab leaves and rhino and elephant dung.

Shiluvari was started in 1995 on the estate of a long-time Swiss French family whose great grandfather opened the mission hospital in nearby Elim. It's off the beaten path, to be sure, but it has everything you could ever want in a vacation: history (the family knew Gandhi), legends (white lions, tribal medicine men, etc.) and a pet warthog named Petunia.

Okay, so Petunia finally had to go, but Jack, the Jack Russell terrier, is on hand and ever-vigilant at picking up crumbs that escape from sumptuous evening dinners on the patio of the lodge's Wood-Owl Country Restaurant that overlooks the lake. Not that I'd willingly let a crumb go -- the African-fusion cuisine is much too delicious -- but with all the fascinating tales masterfully woven by Michel Girardin, one of the owners who joined us for dinner, a scrap or two was bound to fall into Jack's waiting jaws.

Girardin calls the province of Limpopo, South Africa's "wild west."

"It has a fantastic landscape, ancient kingdoms, extraordinary Venda and Shangaan legends, the Big Five and from a pricing point of view, it offers a bloody good deal," he says.

Birding tours, led by Samson Mulaudzi, Shiluvari's resident bird guide, are popular pastimes as is the Ribolla Arts Route. Betty Hlungwane, the lodge manager, provided us with a map of the route that leads to the homes and studios of 30 local artists where we were able to sit under avocado and paw-paw trees, watch the artists at work and hear about the dreams, visions and spiritual beliefs that lead to each piece of art. In these Venda villages, it's possible to strike up conversations with potters, batik makers, wood carvers, bead designers, drum crafters and young women dancing like pythons.

Although many of the artists on the route are unknowns and don't have computers, let alone phones, others, such as sculptor Noria Mabaso, impressionist Jackson Hlungwane and drum-maker Phineas Masivhelele, regularly sell to overseas clients.

I was particularly struck by Thomas Kubayi's 12-foot wood carving of Nelson Mandela with angel wings. Kubayi, who tutors local kids in carving from salvaged wood, also produces indigenous music CD's, one of which is playing while I write this.

Perhaps the best part of the Ribolla Arts Route and Shiluvari Lodge are the unexpected surprises along the way -- women balancing baskets of fruit on their heads, moms washing their toddlers outside in big plastic buckets, teenagers roasting prawns in wheelbarrows. And, yes, even pesky vervet monkeys.

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Follow Pam Grout on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PamGrout

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-grout/coffee-with-vervet-monkey_b_1163506.html

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TEAM1040: Fancy some NCAA bowl action? The Poinsettia Bowl between #18 TCU and Louisiana Tech is just about to get going. Hear the call on #TEAM1410

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Source: http://twitter.com/TEAM1040/statuses/149654176807403520

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Russian Rocket Launches Astronauts on Holiday Space Station Trip (SPACE.com)

Three spaceflyers blasted off today (Dec. 21) from snowy Kazakhstan to spend the holidays on the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers, part of the European Space Agency (ESA), lifted off atop the Russian Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:16 a.m. EST (1316 GMT).

The trio is bound for the space station, where they are scheduled to dock on Friday (Dec. 23) at 10:22 a.m. EST (1522 GMT). They are set to begin a roughly five-month stay on the orbiting outpost as part of the station's Expedition 30 mission, and will return in May 2012.

Pettit, Kononenko and Kuipers will join the three spaceflyers already on the station: commander Daniel Burbank of NASA and flight engineers Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin of Russia. Their arrival will beef up the station's crew complement to its full six members.

Holiday celebrations

The new arrivals will find the space laboratory festive for the holidays. The current crew has put up holiday decorations to mark the season, and Burbank sent a holiday greeting video down to the people of Earth. [Space Station Commander Sends Holiday Greetings to Earth]

"We'll celebrate the holidays in great fashion after they get here," Burbank said of the new crewmembers. "We've already put up decorations, and we've gathered together all the cards and gifts that our friends and families have sent to us, and we're planning a couple of big meals. That'll be great."

Pettit, Kononenko and Kuipers, each veteran spaceflyers who've been to the space station before, will also have their work cut out for them once they arrive at their new home-away-from-home. In addition to wide-ranging scientific research projects, the crewmembers will spend their time keeping up the station and fixing anything that might break.

"If liquid's squirting out someplace then it's like I'm a plumber for the day; if an electronics box isn't working right then you're an electrical repairman for the day," Pettit said during a press conference a few months before the launch. "You have to remember that the space station is so complicated, no one person could keep all the details in your mind. That's why we need all the folks on the ground."

The presence of six crewmembers onboard the station will allow each spaceflyer to dig deep into research.

"I think I have something like 57 experiments from NASA, from ESA and also from JAXA," the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kuipers said in a press conference earlier this year. "There's a whole bunch of experiments that I'm looking forward to, experiments in different fields ? fluid physiology, fluid physics."

Milestone event

The Expedition 30 team is also scheduled to be in space for a milestone event coming up.

On Feb. 7, the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station is set to launch. The SpaceX Dragon capsule will be making its first cargo delivery run as part of a NASA program to encourage the development of private spacecraft to help fill the gap left by the retirement of the space shuttles this summer.

The unmanned Dragon is due to launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, and make an autonomous rendezvous with the space station. Once within reach, the crew inside the station will grab onto the freighter will the station's robotic arm and berth it on the lab.

"We've been practicing the dynamics of how you do that and we practice that a lot," Pettit said. "Once you get these docked to station, it's pretty much standard operations."

After about three months in space, the Expedition 30 mission will change over to Expedition 31, and Kononenko will take over command of the station. There will be many differences for him between this trip and his previous sojourn to the orbiting lab in 2008, including a potential for two spacewalks (or extravehicular activities, also known as EVAs) in 2012.

"A lot of things changed for me," Kononenko told SPACE.com in a prelaunch interview. "First I'm going to fly to the station as a Soyuz commander and later become comrade of the International Space Station ? that's a really big transition for me. The station itself became more interesting over these couple years, new modules appeared, new systems were installed. Of course the EVA I'm going to perform has new tasks and new objectives and I'm looking forward to them."

Tough year

The launch comes at the end of a tough year for Russia's space agency.

Today's launch was delayed by about a month in the wake of a failed Russian cargo ship launch in August atop a rocket similar to the Soyuz that lifted off today. Russian spacecraft were grounded while officials investigated the problem, which was eventually traced back to a malfunctioning gas generator in the Soyuz?s third stage engine.

At the end of October, Russia successfully launched another cargo vehicle, and on Nov. 14, Burbank, Shkaplerov and Ivanishinlaunched safely to the station atop a Soyuz rocket.

Russia also suffered the loss of its unmanned Phobos-Grunt probe, which lifted off Nov. 8 to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos. However, the vehicle failed to fire its thrusters toward Mars, and has been stranded, and largely unresponsive, in Earth orbit. Experts expect it to fall back to Earth as a piece of space debris in January.

Phobos-Grunt was the 19th spacecraft Russia has launched toward Mars since 1960. None of them have been fully successful.?

You can follow SPACE.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20111221/sc_space/russianrocketlaunchesastronautsonholidayspacestationtrip

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Forest health versus global warming: Fuel reduction likely to increase carbon emissions

Forest health versus global warming: Fuel reduction likely to increase carbon emissions

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Forest thinning to help prevent or reduce severe wildfire will release more carbon to the atmosphere than any amount saved by successful fire prevention, a new study concludes.

There may be valid reasons to thin forests ? such as restoration of forest structure or health, wildlife enhancement or public safety ? but increased carbon sequestration is not one of them, scientists say.

In research just published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Oregon State University scientists conclude that even in fire-prone forests, it's necessary to treat about 10 locations to influence fire behavior in one. There are high carbon losses associated with fuel treatment and only modest savings in reducing the severity of fire, they found.

"Some researchers have suggested that various levels of tree removal are consistent with efforts to sequester carbon in forest biomass, and reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels," said John Campbell, an OSU research associate in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society. "That may make common sense, but it's based on unrealistic assumptions and not supported by the science."

A century of fire suppression in many forests across the West has created a wide range of problems, including over-crowded forests, increased problems with insect and pathogen attack, greater risk of catastrophic fire and declining forest health.

Forest thinning and fuel reduction may help address some of those issues, and some believe that it would also help prevent more carbon release to the atmosphere if it successfully reduced wildfire.

"There is no doubt you can change fire behavior by managing fuels and there may be other reasons to do it," said Mark Harmon, holder of the Richardson Chair in Forest Science at OSU. "But the carbon does not just disappear, even if it's used for wood products or other purposes. We have to be honest about the carbon cost and consider it along with the other reasons for this type of forest management."

Even if wood removed by thinning is used for biofuels it will not eliminate the concern. Previous studies at OSU have indicated that, in most of western Oregon, use of wood for biofuels will result in a net loss of carbon sequestration for at least 100 years, and probably much longer.

In the new analysis, researchers analyzed the effect of fuel treatments on wildfire and carbon stocks in several scenarios, including a single forest patch or disturbance, an entire forest landscape and multiple disturbances.

One key finding was that even a low-severity fire released 70 percent as much carbon as did a high-severity fire that killed most trees. The majority of carbon emissions result from combustion of surface fuels, which occur in any type of fire.

The researchers also said that the basic principles in these evaluations would apply to a wide range of forest types and conditions, and are not specific to just a few locations.

"People want to believe that every situation is different, but in fact the basic relationships are consistent," Campbell said. "We may want to do fuel reduction across much of the West, these are real concerns. But if so we'll have to accept that it will likely increase carbon emissions."

###

Oregon State University: http://www.orst.edu

Thanks to Oregon State University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116186/Forest_health_versus_global_warming__Fuel_reduction_likely_to_increase_carbon_emissions

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Being told painting is fake changes brain's response to art

ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2011) ? Being told that a work of art is authentic or fake alters the brain's response to the visual content of artwork, Oxford University academics have found.

Fourteen participants were placed in a brain scanner and shown images of works by 'Rembrandt' -- some were genuine, others were convincing imitations painted by different artists. Neither the participants nor their brain signals could distinguish between genuine and fake paintings. However, advice about whether or not an artwork is authentic alters the brain's response; this advice is equally effective, regardless of whether the artwork is genuine or not.

The study, recently published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, was carried out by Professor Andrew Parker and Mengfei Huang of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, in collaboration with Dr Holly Bridge at the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) and Professor Martin Kemp of Oxford University's History Faculty.

Professor Martin Kemp, Emeritus Professor of the History of Art at Oxford University, said: 'Our findings support what art historians, critics and the general public have long believed -- that it is always better to think we are seeing the genuine article. Our study shows that the way we view art is not rational, that even when we cannot distinguish between two works, the knowledge that one was painted by a renowned artist makes us respond to it very differently. The fact that people travel to galleries around the world to see an original painting suggests that this conclusion is reasonable.'

When a participant was told that a work was genuine, it raised activity in the part of the brain that deals with rewarding events, such as tasting pleasant food or winning a gamble. Being told a work is not by the master triggered a complex set of responses in areas of the brain involved in planning new strategies. Participants reported that when viewing a supposed fake, they tried to work out why the experts regarded it not to be genuine.

Andrew Parker, Professor of Physiology at Oxford University and the study's senior author, said: 'Our findings support the idea that when we make aesthetic judgements, we are subject to a variety of influences. Not all of these are immediately articulated. Indeed, some may be inaccessible to direct introspection but their presence might be revealed by brain imaging. It suggests that different regions of the brain interact together when a complex judgment is formed, rather than there being a single area of the brain that deals with aesthetic judgements.'

Participants were shown a variety of portraits, some genuinely painted by Rembrandt and others not. This was chosen as a good test case, because recent scholarship has determined that many fakes and copies of his works exist. There was no evidence that the brain signals of the participants could reliably pick apart the true Rembrandts from the copies or fakes, so this research will not help to resolve the arguments that sometimes rage among connoisseurs and experts.

FMRIB is a multi-disciplinary neuroimaging research facility, which focuses on the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for neuroscience research. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) measures brain activity by detecting the changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur in response to neural activity -- when a brain area is more active it consumes more oxygen and to meet this increased demand blood flow increases to the active area. FMRI can be used to produce activation maps showing which parts of the brain are involved in a particular mental process.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Oxford.

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Journal Reference:

1. Mengfei Huang, Holly Bridge, Martin J. Kemp, Andrew J. Parker. Human Cortical Activity Evoked by the Assignment of Authenticity when Viewing Works of Art. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2011; 5 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2011.00134

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220202627.htm

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DeGeneres pays $12 million for Brad Pitt's pad

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are on the move again ? and settling down Brad Pitt-style!

The talk show host and her gal have purchased the Malibu home of Brad and Angelina Jolie for a paltry $12 million.

RELATED: Buy Ellen DeGeneres' $49 Million Beverly Hills Estate!

The four-bedroom, four-bath, 4,000 square foot beachfront abode is a snug "downsize" from their $49 million 15,000 square foot home that's been featured in Architectural Digest.

Pitt, who purchased the house after his split with Hollywood's hottest woman Jennifer Aniston, originally listed the house for $13.5 million.

Ellen and Portia's new pad overlooks the ocean, complete with private beach access, a pool and tennis court ? can't complain about that!

CHECK OUT: The Big Picture: Today's Hot Pics!

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45715758/ns/today-entertainment/

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RIM activist renews call for leadership change (Reuters)

TORONTO (Reuters) ? Research In Motion faced renewed calls for a change in its leadership on Thursday, hours ahead of the quarterly results that could fuel criticism over the BlackBerry maker's poor performance and sagging share price.

Jaguar Financial, an activist shareholder that has asked the BlackBerry maker to sell itself in whole or parts, once again called on two of RIM's independent directors to push for a separation of the roles of chairman and chief executive.

For months, Jaguar and other dissident shareholders have pushed for the replacement of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who share both top roles. The two are RIM's largest shareholders and the most powerful figures in its management.

"It strains credibility to believe that a CEO requires the title of chairman to sell RIM products but the RIM directors have apparently bought into this unconvincing rationale," said Jaguar, which has claimed support of investors that hold about 8 percent of the stock.

Shareholder discontent with RIM centers around its poor performance in the face of stiff competition from Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad, and devices powered by Google's Android system. The BlackBerry's market share has been steadily eroding, while the PlayBook, RIM's late entry in the tablet market, has generated anemic sales.

The latest call for change comes ahead of RIM's third-quarter results announcement, due after the close of regular trading hours.

RIM has already warned the market that it will take a big hit on its unsold PlayBooks in this quarter and that it will ship fewer smartphones in the current quarter than in the third quarter, which just ended. The warning has pushed RIM's share price to its lowest since 2004.

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Graph on RIM's 2012 EPS http://link.reuters.com/tyn55s

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"At this point we believe investors have lost faith in the ability of the RIM management team to carry out a proper game plan to restore value," said Jaguar CEO Vic Alboini in a statement.

"Jaguar believes that the road map to value restoration lies in a sale of RIM whether as a whole or in separate parts."

The group called on RIM to sell its handset business and monetize its patent portfolio, while retaining its service business under new leadership.

Jaguar argues that RIM has lost its ability to compete in the consumer hardware segment. A sale or spin-off of the business would help restore value to shareholders, it says.

Jaguar, which invests in underperforming and undervalued companies, sees RIM's service business as RIM's most valuable business given its recurring revenue and high margins.

In its statement, Jaguar called on two of RIM's independent directors, Barbara Stymiest and Roger Martin, to initiate some drastic changes in governance at the beleaguered smartphone maker.

Stymiest, a former chief operating officer at Royal Bank of Canada, also served as TSX Group's chief executive. Martin is the dean at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

"They should step up and take the lead in making dramatic governance change or else resign from the board if they are unable or unwilling to initiate appropriate governance changes," Jaguar said in a statement.

Shares of RIM, which closed at $15.08 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, were down 12 cents at $14.97 in early trading on Thursday. Its Toronto-listed shares were down 21 Canadian cents at C$15.48.

(Additional reporting by Maneesha Tiwari in Bangalore)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/wr_nm/us_researchinmotion_jaguar

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Will 'Sister Wives' stars beat Utah's bigamy law?

The Kody Brown Bunch is hoping to rewrite the rule books in Utah.

The polygamous clan made famous on the TLC hit reality series "Sister Wives" has asked a federal judge in Utah to continue to let them challenge the state's bigamy laws.

Here's what went down today.

MORE: Sister Wives' Polygamy Clan: We Live in Fear Because of Utah's Bigamy Law

Lawyers for Brown and his four wives ? Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn ? offered oral arguments this morning for an hour-and-a-half before U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups, who, according to his clerk, took the case "under advisement" and plans to rule on the matter at an unspecified future date.

"The court gave us a fair hearing and we will await his decision," Brown's attorney and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley tells E! News. "We are committed to pursuing these claims on behalf of the Brown family wherever they take us in the legal system."

The family filed a lawsuit in Salt Lake City District Court back in July claiming Utah's bigamy law is unconstitutional because it criminalizes their private sexual relationships and prohibits them from living together. They've told the court they fear being punished by the statute, which they say has caused them irreprable harm and forced them to temporarily move to Nevada.

"The Brown's remain subject to potential persecution due to their status as a plural family," reads the complaint. "The family used their savings and moved their 17 children to Nevada in January after the state of Utah opened up a bigamy investigation on them."

(Kody is legally married only to Meri and the other three "sister wives" are so-called "commitments.")

The ever-expanding family belongs to the Apostolic United Brethren Church, which is centered in Salt Lake City, but per court docs, "due to the low of AUB members in Nevada, the Brown's cannot fully perform their religious practices outside of Utah and must return to Utah to engage in certain religious practices."

MORE: Sister Wives Take Their Big Love to the Silver State

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Part of the suit's aim is to make it safe for the Brown's and their 21-strong brood to move back to Utah.

"This family is asking no more than any family deserves: to be heard in the courts," says Turley. "This challenge was brought to benefit not just polygamists but all citizens who wish to live their lives according to their own values ? even if those values run counter to those of the majority in the state."

The Utah Attorney General's Office has asked Waddoups to toss the suit on the grounds that because it's unlikely prosecutors will go after the clan and the family failed to show how they've been injured by the state.

AG Mark Shurtleff has previously said his staff does not have the resources to prosecute polygamists unless they discovered more serious offenses, such as incest , statutory rape or abuse.

None of the Browns attended today's proceeding, prefering to let their attorneys do the talking on behalf of their privacy rights.

"While the state has asked for the courthouse doors to be shut to this family," says Turley, "we believe they have a right to be heard on the unconstitutionality of this law."

PICS: Check out some slightly less complicated famous families

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45703754/ns/today-entertainment/

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Cox Communications sells 20MHz wireless spectrum to Verizon for $315 million

Hot on the heels of its acquisition of a glut of AWS licenses from cable giants Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House for a few billion, Verizon's at it again. This time, Big Red's grabbing a swath of 20MHz AWS spectrum from Cox Communications for a tidy $315 million. In a separate agreement, Cox and VZW will begin selling each other's services as well. Of course, this is all pending FCC approval, but it looks like this latest purchase will have Verizon only further extending its LTE lead over Ma Bell.

Continue reading Cox Communications sells 20MHz wireless spectrum to Verizon for $315 million

Cox Communications sells 20MHz wireless spectrum to Verizon for $315 million originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSU formally requests more time from NCAA

BC-FBC--Penn State-NCAA, 2nd Ld-Writethru,436PSU formally requests more time from NCAAAP Photo PAGP111, NY109Eds: Updates that Emmert made initial request to Penn State and adds NCAA statement Thursday. With AP Photos.By GENARO C. ARMASAP Sports Writer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? With a Friday deadline looming, the NCAA signaled it would give Penn State more time to respond to its inquiry over the university's handling of child sex abuse accusations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Penn State general counsel Cynthia Baldwin said in a letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert released Thursday that answers to the NCAA's questions about the Sandusky case might come from other, separate probes already in progress. Among them is a university trustees investigation spearheaded by former FBI director Louis Freeh.

Baldwin spoke to Emmert and other NCAA staff by phone Nov. 23 about the concurrent inquiries, according to the letter dated Dec. 12.

"The university understands that the NCAA will continue to monitor these investigations and will have access to the report" from Freeh and the trustees, Baldwin said.

"At that time, the NCAA will determine if further response from the university is necessary," she wrote before requesting more time.

Both the NCAA and Penn State indicated in recent weeks that the school may not make the Friday deadline to provide complete answers to several questions posed last month by Emmert.

Freeh's investigation is already sharing information that the NCAA said would help determine how the college sports governing body would proceed.

"Although this information will aid in our real-time review, once the counsel's work is complete the university likely will need to formally respond to the questions raised by President Emmert," the NCAA said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

The Big Ten announced last week it also would conduct its own review and reserved the right to hand down sanctions pending its findings. The 12-member league also planned an immediate review of institutional control of athletics at its schools.

The Department of Education also is looking into Penn State, along with the separate criminal case by the state attorney general's office.

Sandusky has pleaded not guilty and waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges he molested 10 boys. He has requested a jury trial.

The Sandusky scandal led to the ousters last month of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier, amid mounting pressure on trustees and criticism that school officials should have done more to prevent the alleged abuse.

Kenneth Frazier, who heads the trustees committee overseeing the internal probe, said this week at a business forum hosted by The Wall Street Journal in New York that he hoped Freeh's team would have findings by the end of the academic year. Penn State's spring semester ends in mid-May.

Spanier's replacement, Rodney Erickson, has pledged the university's full cooperation with the NCAA and other inquiries.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-15-Penn%20State-NCAA/id-fa9360962c354c9ab24c5c46c54fd0dc

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Is Small Business Getting More Optimistic?

Is small business getting more optimistic? Yes, it may be true. Take a look at the post from the NFIB?s small business survey to learn more about what other small business owners just like you are thinking. Then read the rest of the tips and news in our small business roundup just for you at Small Business Trends

Ready for Growth?

Be an optimist! The NFIB?s Index of Small Business Optimism showed a 1.8% increase this month, hopefully forecasting a much-needed shift in mood and expectation in the face of economic recovery. But while this seems hopeful, do these results really matter in the small business climate? Why is this important, and what conclusions can we draw for the coming year? National Federation of Independent Business

Is your niche getting crowded? You used to have your specialty market all sewed up, but now, in this increasingly competitive economy, the big guys are inching their tentacles into your territory. What can you do to stay competitive yet true to your mission and business model? Or is it time to evolve? See how one small business handles its heavyweight competitors with finesse and fortitude. The New York Times

Marketing Makeover

E-mail marketing still topping the charts for 2012. It?s not really too much of a surprise that marketers are upping their budgets for this tried-and-true technique, but increasingly you?ll see it paired with other social media spending as companies seek to enhance their Facebook and Twitter presences and look into what it means to ?go viral?. See where the marketing money is going for 2012 and whether you?re on track with what?s trending now. Small Business Trends

Going mobile, like it or not! That?s what customers are saying. Expectations of a seamless smart-phone shopping experience are high, however many SMB?s would love to sweep the whole crazy, complex mobile thing under the rug. But since studies show this type of shopping is here to stay, wouldn?t it be better to admit that mastering mobile marketing is a challenge, and one your business is prepared to face? Smallbiz Technology

Web Diagnostic

Google rules may make honest bloggers of us all. At least that seems to be the objective of the search giant?s algorithmic changes this year. Many bloggers got hit hard by Google?s Panda and Freshness updates, but take an in-depth look at these changes and you?ll see why they might just pave the way for bloggers on the up and up. Basic Blog Tips

Is your Website too pretty to succeed? Your Website is a work of art, but you?ve noticed that online sales are still down. The problem may be that your audience is confounded by the beauty of your site and stuck in the appreciation phase. Learn how visual cues and an unmistakable e-commerce site design will dispel their confusion and help them shift gears into buying mode. Scott Fox

Operations & Management

It is said that we never really know other people. But when you?re looking to hire a virtual assistant for the first time, there?s a lot you can do to make sure you get the best candidate, even in the face of uncertainty. This simple checklist will help you prepare for the worst so you can hire the best. CreateHYPE

Cut to the chase. In movies it?s great to skip forward to an action-packed chase scene, but it?s not practical (and it?s sure not fun) to spend valuable time chasing down business prospects or their responses to your phone calls. Here are some practical techniques to make returning your call their top priority and turn phone tag into a game of the past. LeapZone Strategies

More News & Trends

Make it worth their while. With the advent of social media, marketing has turned the corner from push to pull. It?s definitely more important to provide useful content and information that could be the breadcrumbs leading to sales rather than clubbing your audience over the head with hype or traditional media messages. Learn about the power of content marketing and how you can create an environment where organic sales become a natural extension of your valuable and useful content. Todaymade

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/12/is-small-business-getting-more-optimistic.html

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