Police: No evidence to support Maine tot abduction (AP)

WATERVILLE, Maine ? Police who confirmed the discovery of blood from a missing toddler in the basement of her father's home said Monday they've found no evidence to support an abduction, and they believe adults in the home know more than what they're telling investigators.

Six weeks after Ayla Reynold's disappearance in Waterville, state and local detectives believe the father, Justin DiPietro, and two other adults in the home on the night Ayla was last seen are not giving a full account of what happened, said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The idea that someone sneaked into the small house and took Ayla without awakening any of the adults "doesn't pass the straight-face test," McCausland said.

"We've followed every conceivable piece of evidence that would follow their version of events, and we have found not one piece of evidence that supports an abduction," he said Monday.

Ayla was 20 months old when she disappeared on the night of Dec. 16. She had been staying with her father at the time in the house where DiPietro lives with his mother. Ayla's mother, Trista Reynolds, lives in Portland.

DiPietro reported Ayla missing the following day. He'd put her to bed the night before and said she wasn't there the next morning.

Over the weekend, state police confirmed that blood was found in the basement where the father slept and that some of the blood was Ayla's. Relatives reported on a family-run website that they were told the blood was "more than a small cut would produce" but police declined Monday to say how much blood was discovered.

On the night Ayla was last seen, DiPietro was in the home with his girlfriend, Courtney Roberts, and they slept with Roberts' child in the partially finished basement where the blood was found, McCausland said. DiPietro's sister was sleeping with her young child on the main level of the one-story home, and Ayla was in a bedroom by herself on the main level, McCausland said Monday. DiPietro's mother was not home that night.

Trista Reynolds' father said the family was told late Saturday by McCausland that blood found in the home was determined to be Ayla's.

"It was a surprise," Ronald Reynolds said.

He said police didn't give any indication what the discovery means.

Ronald Reynolds said he is convinced the adults in DiPietro's house have more information than they have shared.

"Every day, it gets hotter and hotter," he said. "I hope they pull them back in, set them down and give them the opportunity to say something."

The family-run website issued an appeal for anyone with information about Ayla to come forward.

"Even in light of this evidence we are more determined than ever to find out what has happened to Ayla and we still cling to the hope that she is alive and will be returned to us," the website said. "We urge anyone that has information about Ayla to come forward now and unburden yourself of the truth."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_missing_toddler

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Egyptians move to reclaim streets through graffiti (AP)

CAIRO ? The conflict between Egypt's ruling military and pro-democracy protesters isn't just on the streets of Cairo, it's on the walls as well, as graffiti artists from each side duel it out with spray paint and stencils.

Earlier this month, two young supporters of the ruling generals wearing Guy Fawkes masks ? the grinning face made famous by the movie "V for Vendetta" ? painted over part of the largest and most famous anti-military graffiti pieces in the capital.

The two made a 15-minute video of themselves stenciling slogans declaring, "The police, military and people are one hand," and, "The military is a red line." They posted the video online, calling themselves the "Badr Battalion" and describing themselves as "distinguished Egyptian youth who are against the spies and traitors that burn Egypt."

It was an ironic turnabout, with backers of the authorities picking up the renegade street art medium of revolutionary youth ? and even adopting masks that have become an international symbol of rebellion against authority.

During the regime of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt had almost no graffiti on the walls of its cities. But when the uprising against Mubarak's rule erupted a year ago, there was an explosion of the art.

Taking control of the streets was critical for the thousands of Egyptians who eventually overthrew the country's authoritarian leader. The battle continues to be fought by graffiti artists who support the country's military rulers and those who want them to relinquish power.

Since Mubarak's fall on Feb. 11, graffiti is everywhere in Cairo and other cities, proclaiming the goals of the revolution and mocking the regime. Graffiti artists have continued to work, using walls, buildings, bridges and sidewalks as a canvas to denounce the generals who took power after Mubarak as new dictators and to press the revolution's demands.

Usually anti-military graffiti has a short lifetime before it is quickly painted over or defaced with black spray paint. And just as quickly the artists put up more.

The graffito that the "Badr Battalion" painted over had survived remarkably long. Mohamed Fahmy, known by his pseudonym Ganzeer, put it up in May under a bridge. It depicts a military tank with its turret aimed at a boy on his bike who balances on his head one of the wooden racks that are traditionally used to deliver bread ? though instead of bread, he's carrying a city. It was a symbolic reference to revolutionary youth who care for the nation, heading into a collision with the generals.

Quickly after it was partially stenciled over, a new graffiti was up, depicting the country's military leader as a large snake with a bloody corpse coming out of his mouth.

Graffiti has turned into perhaps the most fertile artistic expression of Egypt's uprising, shifting rapidly to keep up with events. Faces of protesters killed or arrested in crackdowns are common subjects ? and as soon as a new one falls, his face is ubiquitous nearly the next day.

The face of Khaled Said, a young man whose beating death at the hands of police officers in 2010 helped fuel the anti-Mubarak uprising, even appeared briefly on the walls of the Interior Ministry, the daunting security headquarters that few would dare even approach in the past.

Other pieces mock members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the council of generals that is now in power, or figures from Mubarak's regime.

When a police officer was captured on an Internet video shooting at the eyes of protesters during clashes, his image immediately dotted walls, urging people to find the "Eye-Sniper."

State television is another frequent target because it has become the mouthpiece for the military's proclamations that protesters are vandals, thugs and part of a plot to throw Egypt into chaos. One graffito shows the word "Occupy" written in the shape of the State TV building. Stickers plastered on walls show the words "Go down to the street" emerging from a television set, a message to the so-called "Couch Party," people who sit and watch the protests on TV.

"It's about a message in the street. It reaches the poor, the rich, the trash collector, the taxi driver," graffiti artist Karim Gouda said. "Most of these people are away from the Internet and the social networking world so it's a way to reach them."

Not everyone is receptive. Gouda said he was accosted by residents as he put up posters depicting a rotting face with the words "open your eyes before it's too late" in the impoverished Cairo district of Sayeda Zeinab. They accused him of trying to create civil strife and of trying to encourage Egypt's Christian minority to take over from the Muslim majority. Such accusations about activists were rife at the time after an October protest by Christians in Cairo, which was crushed by soldiers, killing more than 20.

The residents tore down Gouda's posters and chased him out of the neighborhood.

Under Mubarak's nearly 30-year rule, political expression on the streets was repressed by his powerful police forces. Once every five years, parliamentary elections would see the country littered with posters for elections that always favored the ruling party. Billboards advertising a lifestyle that only a privileged few could afford for companies whose owners were often closely affiliated with the regime towered over the sprawling slums of Cairo, a bustling city of some 18 million people.

"It's liberating to see," blogger Soraya Morayef said of the proliferation of street art.

Morayef, who has dedicated her blog Suzeeinthecity to documenting graffiti artists' work, said the street art reflects what happened in the whole country.

"The fear barrier was broken," she said.

___

Soraya Morayef's blog on graffiti: http://suzeeinthecity.wordpress.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_graffiti

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Gingrich discounts polls suggesting Romney's up by double digits in Florida (Washington Bureau)

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This Week?s Hot Deals from TechBargains

HP Slate 500 9in 64GB Tablet w/ Intel Z540 1.86GHz & Broadcom Crystal HD & Dock $499 BlackBerry Playbook 7in WiFi 64GB Tablet $279.99 Free Shipping Lenovo IdeaPad A1 1GHz 7in 16GB Tablet w/ Android 2.3 & GPS $199 Free Shipping Pin it

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/29/this-weeks-hot-deals-from-techbargains-8/

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How To Put Chains On.....In A Bikini

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4359-How-To-Put-Chains-On.....In-A-Bikini.html

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Health Tip: Manage Pain During Childbirth (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- Pain is a virtual certainty during childbirth, but there are ways to ease the discomfort without medication.

The womenshealth.gov website mentions these no-medication possibilities:

• Practicing relaxation and breathing techniques.
• Relaxing in a warm shower or bath, or getting a gentle massage.
• Receiving hot and cold therapy, including placing a cool washcloth on the forehead or a heating pad on the lower back.
• Seeking the care and support of a doula, nurse or loved one.
• Trying various positions to get more comfortable, from crouching to walking.
• Listening to soothing music.
• Using a labor ball.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120127/hl_hsn/healthtipmanagepainduringchildbirth

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Why Newt Gingrich needs to win Florida (Washington Post)

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McLean Welcomes Washington Capitals Star to the Neighborhood

Patch:

A pair of deer grazed in the quiet backyard yesterday of the $4 million home that Washington Capitals star player Alexander Ovechkin recently purchased in McLean.

Read the whole story: Patch

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/mclean-welcomes-washingto_n_1230396.html

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Ice Cream Sandwich gets ready for its closeup, would like to thank Kinect for big screen break (video)

Using Microsoft hardware to augment Android? Surely, you can't be serious? Well, confounding as this may be, it is indeed true... and don't call us Shirley. All fanboy-ism and Airplane! references aside, this Kinect hack (yes, another one) manages to move Ice Cream Sandwich out of its 4.65-inch confines and onto the big screen wall. The inventive and involved mod, borne from hacker Recursive Penguin's desire to demo in-development apps at business meetings, allows for gestures made on a projected interface to be deciphered by MS' famous add-on, resulting in real-time responses. While this particular pico-friendly bit looks simple (not to mention fun to use), it's actually a bit daunting: AOSP ROMs, TUIO protocol and multi-touch software, anyone? While there are, undoubtedly, some of you that could pull off such techie gee whizzery, we'll just sit and wait for Google to implement this in version 5.0. Check out the brief video after the break.

Continue reading Ice Cream Sandwich gets ready for its closeup, would like to thank Kinect for big screen break (video)

Ice Cream Sandwich gets ready for its closeup, would like to thank Kinect for big screen break (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arab League Demands That Syrian President Assad Step Down (Time.com)

The epithet that seemed to be perpetually attached to the Arab League was "toothless." On Sunday, Jan. 22, however, the organization bared its fangs at Syria. In the absence of a detailed political road map from the Syrian opposition, the Arab League presented its own audacious plan, calling on Syrian President Bashar Assad to relinquish power to his Vice President, who would then form a national unity government within two months of early parliamentary and presidential elections.

The proposal, outlined by Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani in a press conference at the league's headquarters in Cairo, also demands that Assad begin a national dialogue with the opposition within two weeks and that the unity government, within three months of its formation, elect a council to write a new constitution. "I call on Syrian authorities to accept their responsibilities before God and their people and the Arab nation," Sheik Hamad said after a nearly five-hour meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo. "We know that Syria has entered a period of violence and counterviolence." He added that the members of the opposition "are arming to defend themselves." (See pictures of Syria's ongoing protests.)

The Arab League had met to consider a report submitted by Sudanese General Mohammad Ahmad al-Dabi, head of the league's monitoring mission in Syria. The monthlong mission, which wrapped up on Thursday, Jan. 19, had been tasked with verifying if Assad had implemented a signed agreement with the league to withdraw his tanks and troops from Syria's cities and towns, cease violence, free political prisoners and start a meaningful dialogue with the opposition. A low-level committee had recommended that the league's Foreign Ministers extend the mission by a month.

But instead of diplomatic politesse, proceedings were thrown into disarray after Saudi Arabia stepped out of the background role it has played so far in the Syria crisis to forcefully push for an end to the Syrian government's ferocious crackdown against its opponents. For months, Qatar has taken the lead on Syria. In a move that likely persuaded other countries, especially Gulf states, to take a stronger line against Damascus, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told his counterparts that his country would withdraw its observers from the much criticized league monitoring mission in Syria because of the continued shedding of "blood that is dear to us all." (See "The Crisis in Syria: No Immunity for Bystanders.")

Assad had failed to comply with an Arab League plan to end the violence, Prince Saud said, adding that "all possible pressure" should be applied on Damascus to cease a blistering offensive that has claimed well over 5,000 lives in the past 10 months and, according to Syrian-rights groups, almost 1,000 since observers first arrived in Syria on Dec. 26. "We are calling on the international community to bear its responsibility, and that includes our brothers in Islamic states and our friends in Russia, China, Europe and the United States," Prince Saud said.

The strong Saudi remarks hardened deep divides within the 22-member Arab League over how to tackle the Syrian problem. Because of the disagreements, the Foreign Ministers' meeting, originally scheduled for 4 p.m. Cairo time, was delayed for several hours. When it finally convened, the meeting lasted nearly five hours. The decision to take its initiative to the United Nations Security Council did not receive the support of Algeria, which abstained, or Lebanon, which, once again in the grip of its larger, stronger neighbor Syria, rejected the pan-Arab deal.

Sheik Hamad acknowledged that the Saudi stance had influenced its Gulf allies. "Saudi is an important country in the Gulf Cooperation Council," he said, referring to the political and economic alliance of six Gulf states. "It is like a father to all of the countries. We have disagreed with it many times, but this is the reality. If there is a clear opinion from the kingdom, the GCC will follow it."

See TIME's 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester.

Qatar reiterated its call for dispatching Arab peacekeeping troops to Syria. Sheik Hamad said the league had not seriously discussed that proposal, likening such a deployment to that of the so-called Arab Deterrent Force (composed almost entirely of Syrian forces) dispatched during Lebanon's civil war. That mission ended disastrously when the Syrian military quickly became a party to the Lebanese conflict rather than a peacekeeper. Still, the mere suggestion of Arab boots on the ground was a clear indication of how forceful the Arab League is prepared to be. Sheik Hamad said Assad should accept the plan. "I think this is an honorable exit because it is a Syrian-Arab solution."

Arab League secretary general Nabil el-Araby told the joint news conference he would appoint a special representative to oversee the implementation of the plan and negotiate between the Syrian government and the opposition. Sheik Hamad likened the league's road map for Syria to the one outlined for Yemen. That comparison may cause some Syrians to cringe. It took Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh months to sign off on that deal. (Ironically, and perhaps not coincidentally, Saleh left Yemen on Sunday after months of clinging to power upon surviving an assassination attempt that left his hands and parts of his scalp severely burned.) (See "Why They Protest: Egypt, Libya and Syria.")

The plan is bold, but there is one clear catch: Assad must agree to it, and as el-Araby said, the violence must cease "before the political operation begins." Based on Assad's previous dealings with an Arab League he deeply despises, he may effectively buy time by studying the initiative and providing a veneer of cooperation while continuing what he has termed his "security solution" to the country's problems. On the other hand, Assad called for a national unity government in his most recent speech. Still, having the condition imposed on him by the league is another matter.

The league's plan makes it clear that the Syrian leader has been sidelined by his peers and has few friends in the region other than Iran, the Lebanese militant group Hizballah and the Lebanese government it dominates. Russia and China have shielded Assad from serious censure at the U.N., but the emboldened Arab consensus against Damascus, as well as its plan to go to the Security Council formally, may put added pressure on Russia and China to let a resolution pass.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main umbrella opposition group, welcomed the league's plan. In a late-night press conference following that of the Arab League, SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun said the Arab League's decision makes it clear that "most Arab countries now consider that the regime of Bashar al-Assad is over." El-Araby said the league's road map was not discussed with the SNC. (In what was a long day of dramatic developments, the SNC also called on the league to transfer the Syria file to the Security Council for referral to the International Criminal Court.) (See the top 10 world-news stories of 2011.)

The Arab League's newfound audacity, however, wasn't enough for one Syrian journalist present at the news conference. "You haven't listened to the Syrian people. The people want to execute Assad," he demanded of the Qatari Foreign Minister.

"Who has stopped them?" Sheik Hamad retorted. "Have we stopped them?"

"You know Assad will reject this," the reporter continued.

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Sheik Hamad asked in reply.

And that is where the drama stands.

See TIME's Cartoons of the Week.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120124/wl_time/08599210506600

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Romney and Gingrich Launch Into Attacks (ABC News)

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Celeb birthdays for the week of Jan. 22-28 (omg!)

Jan. 22: Actress Piper Laurie is 80. Actor Seymour Cassel is 77. Actor John Hurt is 72. Singer Steve Perry (Journey) is 63. Bassist Teddy Gentry of Alabama is 60. Actress Linda Blair is 53. Actress Diane Lane is 47. Country singer Regina Nicks of Regina Regina is 47. Rap DJ-actor Jazzy Jeff is 47. Singer Marc Gay of Shai is 43. Actor Balthazar Getty is 37. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson ("Malcolm in the Middle") is 32. Singer Willa Ford is 31. Actress Beverley Mitchell ("Seventh Heaven") is 31. Guitarist Ben Moody of The Fallen (and Evanescence) is 31. Actress Sami Gayle ("Blue Bloods") is 16.

Jan. 23: Actress Chita Rivera is 79. Actor Gil Gerard is 69. Actor Rutger Hauer is 68. Singer Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 64. Bassist-keyboardist Bill Cunningham of The Box Tops is 62. Actor Richard Dean Anderson ("MacGyver") is 62. Singer-guitarist Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is 59. Singer Anita Baker is 54. Bassist Earl Falconer of UB40 is 53. Actress Gail O'Grady ("American Dreams," ''NYPD Blue") is 49. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 48. Singer Marc Nelson (Az Yet) is 41. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 38. Bassist Nick Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie is 37.

Jan. 24: Actor Ernest Borgnine is 95. Cajun fiddler Doug Kershaw is 76. Singer Ray Stevens is 73. Singer Aaron Neville is 71. Singer Neil Diamond is 71. Actor Michael Ontkean ("Twin Peaks") is 66. Country singer-songwriter Becky Hobbs is 62. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 61. Keyboardist Jools Holland (Squeeze) is 54. Actress Nastassja Kinski is 53. Drummer Keech Rainwater of Lonestar is 49. Singer Sleepy Brown of Society of Soul is 42. Actress Matthew Lillard ("Scooby Doo," ''She's All That") is 42. Actress Merrilee McCommas ("Family Law") is 41. Actor Ed Helms ("The Office") is 37. Actress Tatyana Ali ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") is 33. Guitarist Mitchell Marlow of Filter is 33. Actress Mischa Barton ("The O.C.") is 26.

Jan. 25: Actor Dean Jones is 81. Country singer Claude Gray is 80. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young ("Peyton Place," ''Soylent Green") is 67. Actress Jenifer Lewis ("The Preacher's Wife," ''The PJ's") is 55. Actress Dinah Manoff ("Empty Nest") is 54. Country drummer Mike Burch of River Road is 46. Singer Kina (Brownstone) is 43. Actress Ana Ortiz ("Ugly Betty") is 41. Guitarist Matt Odmark of Jars of Clay is 38. Singer Alicia Keys is 31. Actor Michael Trevino ("The Vampire Diaries") is 27.

Jan. 26: Actress Anne Jeffreys ("Topper," ''General Hospital") is 89. Sports announcer-actor Bob Uecker is 77. Actor Scott Glenn is 73. Singer Jean Knight is 69. Drummer Corky Laing of Mountain is 64. Actor David Strathairn is 63. Singer Lucinda Williams is 59. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is 57. Percussionist Norman Hassan of UB40 is 54. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres is 54. Guitarist Andrew Ridgeley (Wham!) is 49. Singer Jazzie B. of Soul II Soul is 49. Actor Paul Johansson ("One Tree Hill") is 48. Gospel singer Kirk Franklin is 42. Drummer Chris Hesse of Hoobastank is 38. Actress Sara Rue ("Less Than Perfect") is 34. Guitarist Michael Martin of Marshall Dyllon is 29.

Jan. 27: Singer Bobby "Blue" Bland is 82. Actor James Cromwell ("Babe") is 72. Drummer Nick Mason of Pink Floyd is 67. Singer Nedra Talley of The Ronettes is 66. Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov is 64. Country singer Cheryl White of The Whites is 57. Guitarist Richard Young of The Kentucky Headhunters is 57. Actress Mimi Rogers is 56. Guitarist Janick Gers of Iron Maiden is 55. TV commentator Keith Olbermann is 53. Singer Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies is 51. Keyboardist Gillian Gilbert (New Order) is 51. Actress Bridget Fonda is 48. Actor Alan Cumming ("Spy Kids") is 47. Singer Mike Patton (Faith No More) is 44. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 44. Rapper Tricky is 44. Guitarist Michael Kulas of James is 43. Comedian Patton Oswalt ("King of Queens") is 43. Actor Josh Randall ("Ed") is 40.

Jan. 28: Actor Nicholas Pryor ("Risky Business") is 77. Actor Alan Alda is 76. Actress Susan Howard ("Dallas") is 70. Marthe Keller ("Marathon Man") is 67. Actress Barbi Benton is 62. Guitarist Dave Sharp of The Alarm is 53. Singer Sam Phillips is 50. Guitarist Dan Spitz (Anthrax) is 49. Bassist Greg Cook of Ricochet is 47. Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan is 44. Rap artist DJ Muggs with Cypress Hill is 44. Rapper Rakim is 44. Actress Kathryn Morris ("Cold Case") is 43. Singer Anthony Hamilton is 41. Keyboardist Brandon Bush (Train) is 39. Singer Joey Fatone of 'N Sync is 35. Singer Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys is 32. Actor Elijah Wood ("The Lord of the Rings") is 31. Rapper J. Cole is 27. Actress Ariel Winter ("Modern Family") is 14.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_celeb_birthdays_week_jan22_28_060222572/44271081/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/celeb-birthdays-week-jan-22-28-060222572.html

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Bird-Watchers Revel in Unusual Spike in Snowy Owl Sightings

[unable to retrieve full-text content]High numbers of the white birds have been spotted from coast to coast, stirring speculation about the cause of the spike.

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Panetta, defense industry meet as huge cost cuts loom (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Nearly 40 U.S. aerospace and defense industry executives met with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington on Friday amid signs that huge planned cuts in military spending are already squeezing industry profits and prompting layoffs.

Panetta underscored his commitment to safeguarding the U.S. defense industrial base during a visit to a Maryland naval facility earlier on Friday where he strongly backed the Marine Corps version of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet.

"We have to protect our research and development capability and we have to protect our industrial base," Panetta said. "If we cut back on that industrial base, it will weaken us for the future."

But top defense officials say there is no doubt there will be tough consequences for some companies as the Pentagon slashes spending by $487 billion over the next decade.

Dozens of weapons programs face termination or big cutbacks in the fiscal 2013 budget and a five-year plan to be submitted to Congress on February 6, defense officials say.

Panetta is due to preview the highlights at a Pentagon news conference next week, but aides said he did not plan to reveal many details during his second meeting with aerospace and defense industry chief executives since taking office in July.

"It won't exactly be a bloodbath, but $487 billion is a lot of money to cut," said one senior defense official. That number could double unless Congress and the White House find a way to avert automatic cuts triggered by lawmakers' failure to find $1.2 trillion in cuts to federal spending.

The Aerospaice Industries Association, National Defense Industrial Association and Professional Services Council warned Panetta in a recent report on the industrial base that even the smaller cuts "could cripple certain defense sectors."

Unless the Pentagon took steps to change the "way it interacts with industry," the cuts would reduce innovation, spark further layoffs, curtail investment and trigger consolidation and divestment, especially among small- to mid-sized companies, the report said.

Continuing uncertainty had already resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs and reduced investment, it said, and the situation threatened to get far worse.

GROWING TENSION ABOUT CONTRACT TERMS

Industry executives say they appreciate Panetta's openness and willingness to engage with industry, but the report underscored growing concern about Pentagon moves to cut overhead cuts, extract cost data on commercial-type contracts and shift risk for development of new programs to companies.

"There's certainly some tension between the Pentagon's approach and that of industry," said a second senior defense official, noting that industry executives seem increasingly driven by pressure to "increase shareholder value."

That pressure has already prompted some changes in the industry. Last year, for instance, Northrop Grumman Corp spun off its shipbuilding unit into a new firm, Huntington Ingalls Industries; L-3 Communications Holdings is spinning off its government services segment; and ITT Corp spun off its defense business.

Heidi Wood, top defense industry analyst with Morgan Stanley, said a review of the terms of recently signed contracts with industry confirmed that the Pentagon was increasingly imposing "draconian" new contracting terms.

Lockheed raised concerns about the amount of risk it was being asked to bear on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, while Boeing reluctantly accepted "a near zero margin" fixed price contract to develop a new refueling tanker, Wood wrote in an analyst report this week

She said Huntington Ingalls had revealed in its third quarter earnings that the Pentagon had withheld funds, Boeing had conceded that its new five-year contract for F/A-18 fighter planes had less than half its previous margins; and contractors were being asked to surrender their commercial cost structures.

Mike Petters, chief executive of Huntington Ingalls, last week told Reuters his company is working closely with the U.S. Navy to wring costs out of shipbuilding, but said the Pentagon needed to avoid delays in orders, which would drive up prices.

He underscored concerns raised by the trade groups about the Pentagon's push to make industry shoulder more of the risk of new development programs, noting that companies had to see sufficient return on investment, or they would back off, while defense officials were driven by budget pressures.

"We've got to work our way through this," he said. "As tight as the money is today, it's going to be tighter in five years."

Wes Bush, chief executive of Northrop Grumman Corp, lauded Panetta for his honesty and leadership at a difficult time, and noting that both sides were working hard to make weapons systems more affordable.

"That is the place we're all working toward," Bush told Reuters after unveiling a $2 million project with Conservational International aimed at getting more young people interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; additional reporting by David Alexander and Phil Stewart; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/pl_nm/us_pentagon_industry

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Obama sings soul, briefly (AP)

NEW YORK ? President Barack Obama took a brief and unexpected turn as a soul singer at a New York fundraiser, crooning a bar from an Al Green classic and then joking that he hadn't been ushered offstage.

It happened at Manhattan's Apollo Theater late Thursday, when Obama stepped to the podium and veered from prepared remarks to thank Green for warming up the crowd.

Apparently not content with simply praising him, Obama suddenly launched into Green's "Let's Stay Together," starting with the vibrato "I" and pausing for enthusiastic applause before finishing up with the line "so in love with you."

Obama said his staff didn't believe he'd really do it.

Then he joked that the Sandman hadn't come out ? a reference to Sandman Sims, the tap dancer who chased unpopular acts offstage at the Apollo for decades.

___

Online: http://apne.ws/x7ak4B

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_en_mu/us_obama_al_green

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How To Keep Your House from Reeking of Cat Piss with a Computer Fan and Some Ducting [DIY]

You haven't cleaned the litterbox in what, two weeks now? It's all well and good that you've acclimated to the overwhelming stench of ammonia and kitty poop but what about when guests come over? With some minor mods and a little electrical engineering, you can keep your home from smelling of feline by-products without actually having to be a responsible pet owner and clean up! More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/aG_Ua95W6hE/how-to-keep-your-house-from-reeking-of-cat-piss-with-a-computer-fan-and-some-ducting

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Kristen Bell Talks About Getting Dirty in House of Lies, Hope for a Veronica Mars Film (omg!)

She curses, she gets lap dances, she makes raunchy sex jokes. For Kristen Bell's latest role on Showtime's House of Lies, it's safe to say her squeaky clean Veronica Mars persona has officially left the building.

"Being in a strip club in the middle of the afternoon with the lights on was a little unnerving. There's a scene where I have to dance sexily around in my underwear that made me very nervous," Bell tells TVGuide.com. The part "scared me a little bit."

In the half-hour comedy, which follows a team of management consultants and stars Don Cheadle, Bell plays whip-smart, cutthroat "schmooze operator" Jeannie Van Der Hooven. House of Lies marks Bell's first series regular TV project since she played a teen sleuth in cult favorite Veronica Mars, which was axed in 2007. On the big screen, she's co-starred in films Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Burlesque and still voices the title character of ?Gossip Girl. "I was excited that Jeannie was very, very different and much more provocative [than Veronica Mars]," Bell says. "It's important to show that it is a shark tank and it is sink-or-swim and Jeannie would not be able to work there if she didn't play like a boy and get as dirty as they did."

Don Cheadle goes for laughs in "bold and dangerous" House of Lies

Producers liked her for the role at least partly because Jeannie was such a departure. "To see her open up is pretty amazing," creator and executive producer Matthew Carnahan says.

Bell was first approached about House of Lies after she and fianc? Dax Shepard pitched another project to Showtime President David Nevins. Instead, Nevins called her the next day to gauge her interest in the pilot for a slick, racy comedy starring Cheadle. "Before he finished the 'le' in Cheadle, I said yes," she recalls. "I just flew by the seat of my pants."

Working with Cheadle, who both stars in and executive-produces the comedy, Bell wouldn't get top billing ? but she says that was part of the appeal. She remembers all too well the pressure and long hours that went with carrying Veronica Mars. "What they initially said was, 'You're a small role in the pilot, but don't worry we're going to develop your character. It's going to be great,' which I can tell is the pitch that everyone gets when you have under 20 lines in a pilot. They always promise you the world. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't," she says."Even if they were yanking my chain about developing the character, I said to myself, 'Its fine. If I have to support Don Cheadle in a series, there are worse jobs you can have.'"

Check out photos of Kristen Bell

It came as a pleasant surprise when the producers delivered. "I've never had a promise carried through like this," she says. "I love my part."

Bell has already bonded with the cast, too ? a perk that the movie star says will keep her coming back to TV. "The four of us met and immediately fell in love. A four-way love square hasn't even been done on Jersey Shore," she says of her castmates, which also include Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) and Josh Lawson (Romantically Challenged). "I'm a creature of habit. I'm a lot like a dog. I like being fed at the same time. I like seeing the same people every day. On TV, it really becomes like a big family. Those relationships, I think on a human level, fuel what you're able to do as an actor."

And yes, she's totally down to get back into Veronica Mars' shoes should a big-screen continuation go into production. "I'm so thankful for the impact that Veronica Mars has had on my life. It makes me excited that it affected people to the degree that it did. It makes me excited that fans still want a movie because I still want a movie," she says. "That wasn't an easy show to shoot or to publicize. I'm proud of it, and I think nothing compares to something you work on that you're genuinely proud of."

House of Lies airs Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

Related Articles on TVGuide.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_kristen_bell_talks_getting_dirty_house_lies_hope030900123/44239401/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/kristen-bell-talks-getting-dirty-house-lies-hope-030900123.html

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Apple adds Textbooks to the iBookstore

Apple has announced iBooks 2 at their education event in New York. With this comes the edition of a new Textbooks section in the iBookstore. You’ll be able to

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/5EdzbKogH-Y/story01.htm

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Summary Box: China's economic growth ebbs in 4Q (AP)

SOFT LANDING SEEN: China's economy expanded at the slowest pace in 2 1/2 years during the fourth quarter, showing evidence that the world's second-largest economy appears on track to avoid an abrupt economic slowdown.

FAR-REACHING IMPACT: Slower growth in China, one of the world's biggest importers, could have global repercussions if it cuts demand for iron ore, industrial components and other goods from Australia, Brazil, Southeast Asia and elsewhere.

CHALLENGING GOALS: Growth decelerated in 2011 as Beijing hiked interest rates and tightened investment curbs to prevent overheating and tame politically dangerous inflation.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_economy_summary_box

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How states fared on unemployment aid claims (AP)

Weekly unemployment benefit applications plunged last week to the lowest level in nearly four years, the latest sign the job market is improving.

Here are the states with the biggest changes in unemployment benefit applications, and some reasons for the changes. The state data are for the week ending Jan. 7, when applications rose. That's one week behind the national data.

States with the biggest increases:

New York: Up 29,389, due to layoffs in the transportation, education, and construction industries

California: Up 22,168, due to layoffs in services agriculture and fishing

Texas: Up 13,946, due to layoffs in manufacturing and services

North Carolina: Up 7,865, due to layoffs in the textiles and electronics industries

Georgia: Up 7,225, due to layoffs in the manufacturing, services, trade and construction industries

Pennsylvania: Up 6,441, due to layoffs in construction, services and retail

Tennessee: Up 6,289, due to layoffs in the service, construction and recreation industries

States with the biggest decreases:

Wisconsin: Down 7,657, no reason given

Michigan: Down 5,208, no reason given

Iowa: Down 4,675, due to fewer layoffs in manufacturing

New Jersey: Down 4,667, due to fewer layoffs in services, transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing

Kentucky: Down 3,577, no reason given

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/us_unemployment_benefits_glance

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Improv Electronics Boogie Board Rip

Make no mistake: The Boogie Board Rip is neither a traditional tablet, like the iPad 2?($499, 4.5 stars), nor is it a drawing tablet, like the Wacom Bamboo Capture?($99, 3.5 stars). It is more of an electronic paper-replacement tool, like a clipboard and marker with unlimited paper and unlimited ink. Unlike previous writing tablets from Improv Electronics, the Boogie Board Rip is the first from the company with the ability to easily save your work and upload it to a computer.?The Rip is a simple and environmentally friendly solution for jotting down quick notes or momentary sparks of inspiration. But at $129.99, ditching the pen and pad and going green will cost you a lot of green.

Design and Use
The Boogie Board Rip measures 11.1 by 7 by 0.5 inches (HWD), with a fairly spacious 9.5-inch LCD writing surface. Above the writing surface are an Erase and Save/Wake button and a status indicator. The left side has a lock switch, while the right houses a microUSB port and a charge indicator. The included plastic stylus slides nicely into a slot on top of the Rip. The design is very minimal, with a dark-gray, plastic construction. The Rip is lightweight at only 11.5 ounces, making it easy to hold and also easy to carry in a backpack?it's definitely more portable than some of the monstrous 5-subject notebooks I lugged around in my youth. It comes with 8MB of internal storage, which is good for about 200 saved pages. The Rip charges via USB and, according to Improv Electronics, will last more than a week during typical use.

The stylus leaves a green trail on the surface as you draw, varying in width depending on how hard you press. You can see everything you draw, as you draw it, right on the LCD. To begin, you must first make sure the Rip is not locked, press Erase to start on a clean slate, and finally press the Save/Wake button before you start sketching and after you finish. The last part is most important, as the first few times I would forget and end up losing whatever I had sketched before pressing the button. The best way to ensure your input is being recorded is to check the status indicator, which will light up green to assure you the strokes are registering.

Though the Rip is pressure sensitive, it doesn't always record lighter strokes properly. This made it difficult to draw finer lines, as pressing down hard would make fat, marker-like strokes. The Rip saves files as PDFs, which you can manipulate later in a program like Adobe Illustrator. Pen strokes are recorded as black lines on a white background, and look sharper in digital form than they do on the actual LCD surface.?

Conclusions
The Boogie Board Rip is a great way to take quick notes and sketch out ideas, but the $130 price tag is steep. I had some friends visit over a weekend and use the Rip, which turned out to be a great source of entertainment. It reminded us of a disposable camera; we took turns sketching things throughout the day, and then at the end we uploaded all the files and saw what everyone had been drawing. If you can stomach the price, I could see the Rip being a great table activity for weddings or other parties. The Rip would also be a great tool for any situation where quick and easy visual communication is key, such as in a classroom, a business meeting room, or even for those who can't speak.

The Rip doesn't properly record every pen stroke, which is a problem if you are writing a lot of notes. It also doesn't double as an input device for computers; for that, you'll need something like the Wacom Bamboo Capture, which works as a drawing tablet and multi-touch input surface, although it doesn't display anything on its own. The Rip won't replace your standard notebook, but if you stick to drawing, it's a fun and simple way to record your sketches.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/CQ0Gp5nL36U/0,2817,2398470,00.asp

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Killer fungus ravages 5.7m bats

17 January 2012 Last updated at 21:33 ET

At least 5.7 million bats across 16 US states and Canada have died from White-nose syndrome, scientists studying the fungal ailment say.

The disease was first detected in a cave in New York state in 2006.

Previously, the US Fish and Wildlife Service closed caves and mines in an effort to hamper the spread of the disease.

Officials say bats provide value to the US economy as natural pest control in farms.

The nocturnal creatures also help to control insects that can spread disease to humans.

Bats with White-nose syndrome exhibit odd behaviour during the winter months, including flying outside during the day.

The rapid spread of the disease has also challenged officials' population estimates.

"White-nose syndrome has spread quickly through bat populations in eastern North America, and has caused significant mortality in many colonies," US national White-nose syndrome co-ordinator Dr Jeremy Coleman said in a statement.

"Many bats were lost before we were able to establish pre-White-nose syndrome population estimates."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-16605016

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Charter Automotive to Expand European Operations - MFRTech

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Charter Automotive, a division of Charter Manufacturing Company, has announced a major expansion of the company's European operations with the purchase of a 57,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Burntwood, England. Charter Automotive is the global market leader and a Tier 1 supplier of engineered components for the automotive industry.

John Mellowes, chairman and chief executive officer of Charter Automotive's parent company, Charter Manufacturing, said that the expansion of Charter Automotive allows the company to strengthen its position as a leading global supplier of valve spring retainers, valve keys and other components.

?The expansion of our manufacturing capabilities in England will strengthen our position as a global supplier to OEM automotive and powertrain industries and will allow us to better meet the growing needs of Charter Automotive's rapidly expanding European and worldwide customer base,? said Mellowes.

Mellowes added that the expansion also brings job growth opportunities in England for workers with experience and skills in the manufacturing of cold-headed parts and will require the company to make major capital investments in new technology and equipment.

Charter Automotive's new facility will be located about 16 kilometers from its current Lichfield, England plant, which was acquired in 2007 with the purchase of Valve Train Components, Ltd. ? a respected European supplier of powertrain components.

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Pete Murray, vice president and general manager of Charter Automotive, said that the company expects to begin manufacturing at the new plant later this year and will ultimately consolidate all of its European operations into this new facility.

?Our expansion into a new and larger plant in England is a major step in our global manufacturing strategy to support customers throughout the world with a balanced operating footprint in the United States, Europe and China,? said Murray.

Murray added, ?By delivering superior value to our customers and investing in industry leading applications and product development, we can continue to be a global leader and provide even more value to our customers. Our new expansion and the opportunities it presents reinforce our commitment to customers, particularly our European base.?

Mellowes noted that the company's expansion in England comes on the heels of new investments in and growth at Charter Automotive in Milwaukee, including an increase in the number of manufacturing shifts from three to four, the addition of more manufacturing capacity and the creation of additional family-supporting jobs in the community.

The company also operates a warehouse operation in Wuhu, China, about 400 kilometers northwest of Shanghai, China, giving Charter Automotive deep capabilities to meet the demands of the company's international customer base.

?With our major expansion in England, the additional capital investments and job growth in Milwaukee and our strong presence in China, Charter Automotive has increased its worldwide footprint and is in a strong position for continued growth in North America, Europe, Asia and around the globe,? said Mellowes.

Charter Automotive is a Tier 1 supplier of engineered components for the automotive industry. The company is a global, direct supplier of high-volume products to original equipment manufacturers with manufacturing, commercial, technical and distributions facilities located around the world. Charter Automotive is a member of the Charter Manufacturing family of companies. Founded in 1936, Charter Manufacturing is a family-owned company headquartered in Mequon, Wisconsin, a community just north of Milwaukee, and has other operations in Milwaukee and Saukville, Wisconsin and the Fostoria and Cleveland, Ohio areas.

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Source: http://www.mfrtech.com/articles/22567.html

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US wants effective Alzheimer's treatment by 2025 (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The government is setting what it calls an ambitious goal for Alzheimer's disease: Development of effective ways to treat and prevent the mind-destroying illness by 2025.

The Obama administration is developing the first National Alzheimer's Plan to find better treatments for the disease and offer better day-to-day care for those afflicted.

A newly released draft of the overall goals sets the 2025 deadline, but doesn't provide details of how to fund the necessary research to meet that target date. Today's treatments only temporarily ease some dementia symptoms, and work to find better ones has been frustratingly slow.

A committee of Alzheimer's experts begins a two-day meeting Tuesday to help advise the government on how to finalize the plan.

An estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's or similar dementias. It's the sixth-leading killer, and is steadily growing as the population rapidly ages. By 2050, 13 million to 16 million Americans are projected to have Alzheimer's, costing $1 trillion in medical and nursing home expenditures.

The national plan is supposed to tackle both the medical and social aspects of dementia, and advocacy groups had urged that it set a deadline for progress.

Among the draft's other goals:

_Improve timely diagnosis. A recent report found as many as half of today's Alzheimer's sufferers haven't been formally diagnosed, in part because of stigma and the belief that nothing can be done. Symptomatic treatment aside, a diagnosis lets families plan, and catching the disease earlier would be crucial if scientists ever find ways to slow the disease's progress.

_Improve support and training for families so they know what resources are available for patients and what to expect as dementia worsens.

Alzheimer's sufferers gradually lose the ability to do the simplest activities of daily life and can survive that way for a decade or more. In meetings around the country last summer and fall, families urged federal health officials to make sure the national plan addresses how to help patients live their last years at home without ruining their caregivers' own health and finances.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_he_me/us_med_alzheimer_s_plan

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