Source: www.bnamericas.com --- Saturday, December 31, 2011
Argentine President Cristina Fern?ndez has asked the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, for "a little effort" to take over control of the city's metro system starting January 1. In November, th... ...
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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world's oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country's crude exports.
The increasingly heated exchange raises new tensions in a standoff that has the potential to spark military reprisals and spike oil prices to levels that could batter an already fragile global economy.
Iran's navy chief said Wednesday that it would be "very easy" for his country's forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about 15 million barrels of oil pass daily. It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran's concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country's biggest source of revenue, oil.
"Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV, as the country was in the midst of a 10-day military drill near the strategic waterway.
The comments drew a quick response from the U.S.
"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."
Separately, Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."
Rebarich declined to say whether the U.S. force had adjusted its presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran's comments, but said the Navy "maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region's vital links to the international community."
Iran's threat to seal off the Gulf, surrounded by oil-rich Gulf states, reflect its concerns over the prospect that the Obama administration will impose sanctions over its nuclear program that would severely hit its biggest revenue source. Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, pumping about 4 million barrels a day.
Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.
Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of over 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages.
What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move the oil to markets if Iran goes through with its threat.
About 15 million barrels per day pass through the Hormuz Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
There are some pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be.
The Saudi official's comment, however, appeared to allay some concerns. The U.S. benchmark crude futures contract fell $1.98 by the close of trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but still hovered just below $100 per barrel.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as "rhetoric," saying, "we've seen these kinds of comments before."
While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation will come to that. Nor do they believe that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the Strait because doing so would further damage Iran's own economy.
Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior.
U.S. officials have not said whether there is a concrete response plan in place should Iran seek to block the Strait. But the administration has long said it is comfortable with the U.S. Naval presence in the region, indicating that the U.S. could respond rapidly if needed.
The White House has been largely silent on Iran's threat, underscoring the administration's belief that responding at the White House level would only encourage Iran.
While many analysts believe that Iran's warnings are little more than posturing, they still highlight both the delicate nature of the oil market, which moves as much on rhetoric as supply and demand fundamentals.
Iran relies on crude sales for about 80 percent of its public revenues, and sanctions or even a pre-emptive measure by Tehran to withhold its crude from the market would already batter its flailing economy.
IHS Global Insight analyst Richard Cochrane said in a report Wednesday that markets are "jittery over the possibility" of Iran's blockading the strait. But "such action would also damage Iran's economy, and risk retaliation from the U.S. and allies that could further escalate instability in the region."
"Accordingly, it is not likely to be a decision that the Iranian leadership will take lightly," he said.
Earlier sanctions targeting the oil and financial sector added new pressures to the country's already struggling economy. Government cuts in subsidies on key goods like food and energy have angered Iranians, stoking inflation while the country's currency steadily depreciates.
The impetus behind the subsidies cut plan, pushed through parliament by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was to reduce budget costs and would pass money directly to the poor. But critics have pointed to it as another in a series of bad policy moves by the hardline president.
So far, Western nations have been unable to agree on sanctions targeting oil exports, even as they argue that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains its nuclear program ? already the subject of several rounds of sanctions ? is purely peaceful.
The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that penalizes foreign firms that do business with the Iran Central Bank, a move that would heavily hurt Iran's ability to export crude. European and Asian nations use the bank for transactions to import Iranian oil.
President Barack Obama has said he will sign the bill despite his misgivings. China and Russia have opposed such measures.
Sanctions specifically targeting Iran's oil exports would likely temporarily spike oil prices to levels that could weigh heavily on the world economy.
Closing the Strait of Hormuz would hit even harder. Energy consultant and trader The Schork Group estimated crude would jump to above $140 per barrel. Conservatives in Iran claim global oil prices will jump to $250 a barrel should the waterway be closed.
By closing the strait, Iran may aim to send the message that its pain from sanctions will also be felt by others. But it has equally compelling reasons not to try.
The move would put the country's hardline regime straight in the cross-hairs of the world, including nations that have so far been relative allies. Much of Iran's crude goes to Europe and to Asia.
"Shutting down the strait ... is the last bullet that Iran has and therefore we have to express some doubt that they would do this and at the same time lose their support from China and Russia," said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.
Iran has adopted an aggressive military posture in recent months in response to increasing threats from the U.S. and Israel of possible military action to stop Iran's nuclear program.
The Iranian navy's exercises, which began on Saturday, involve submarines, missile drills, torpedoes and drones. A senior Iranian commander said Wednesday that the country's navy is also planning to test advanced missiles and "smart" torpedoes during the maneuvers.
The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden near the entrance to the Red Sea and could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area.
The moderate news website, irdiplomacy.ir, says the show of strength is intended to send a message to the West that Iran is capable of sealing off the waterway.
"The war games ... are a warning to the West that should oil and central bank sanctions be stepped up, (Iran) is able to cut the lifeblood of the West and Arabs," it said, adding that the West "should regard the maneuvers as a direct message."
___
El-Tablawy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, Julie Pace in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Abdullah Shihri in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed.
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NEW YORK (AP) ? The skies above New York City were clogged with planes waiting to land in winds gusting up to 50 mph Tuesday night, forcing long delays at two of the three major metropolitan airports and causing some flights to be diverted to other cities.
National Weather Service meteorologist Adrienne Leptich said the delays occurred because the number of planes that can land each hour must be decreased in high winds, forcing some planes to circle the region or be diverted to other airports if fuel runs low.
"The winds were a little bit stronger than we anticipated," she said. "We're getting into the season now where we have stronger storms. It's not completely out of the ordinary that this would happen."
The Federal Aviation Administration reported at 10 p.m. that some arriving flights at Newark International Airport were delayed an average of 2 hours and 8 minutes while flights into LaGuardia Airport were delayed an average 1 hour and 34 minutes. Kennedy International Airport reported minor delays.
By early Wednesday, all three airports were reporting average delays for arrivals and departures of less than 15 minutes.
Daniel Kennedy said his 4:48 p.m. Delta flight operated by Shuttle America left Madison, Wis., bound for New York's LaGuardia Airport, only to be diverted to Albany, where passengers were kept on board while the plane was refueled. It did not land in New York until shortly before midnight.
"Our gate is occupied by another aircraft diverted from LaGuardia as well," one of the plane's pilots could be heard telling passengers as Kennedy spoke to The Associated Press while the plane was on the ground in Albany.
"They tell us we can't get up because we're sitting on an active taxiway," Kennedy said. Shortly afterward, a flight attendant announced that they could get up one at a time to use a restroom.
After landing in New York, Kennedy said the flight attendants had been helpful, passing out bottled water at one point to passengers who remained in good spirits. He said he wished there had been more communication from the pilots.
"I'm impressed by how well people are behaving," he said.
Chris Kelly Singley, a Delta spokeswoman based in Atlanta, said two LaGuardia-bound Delta aircraft were diverted to Boston Tuesday night "as a direct result of the winds we were seeing in the three New York airports."
She said the diversions are necessary when fuel starts to get low as planes circle while waiting for their turn to land.
A message left Tuesday with Shuttle America's parent company, Republic Airways, was not immediately returned.
Leptich said the space between planes must be increased in bad weather conditions. She had good news for those traveling in or out of New York City through New Year's, saying the next possibility of any kind of significant storm appeared to be at least eight days away.
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SHANGHAI (Reuters) ? China's listed banks are expected to raise over 100 billion yuan ($15.78 billion) through equity financing next year as they face pressure to replenish capital due to rapid loan growth and tighter regulation, the China Securities Journal reported on Tuesday.
Citing analysts, the official paper said banks facing such pressure included Agricultural Bank of China (601288.SS) (1288.HK), Industrial Bank Co Ltd (601166.SS) and Bank of Communications (601328.SS) (3328.HK).
Banks are also expected tap the debt market for funding, it said.
The bulk of the expected equity financing would be funded by government shareholders, the paper said. Listed banks raised more than 270 billion yuan via equity financing in 2010 and nearly 290 billion yuan worth of debt this year, according to the article.
Chinese banks will be under fundraising pressure because new lending next year is expected to exceed 8 trillion yuan -- a level necessary to support economic expansion -- potentially weakening lenders' balance sheets, the newspaper said.
Major Chinese banks, or systematically important ones, would be required to have minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 11.5 percent, while smaller banks must have at least 10.5 percent, according to rules published by the banking regulator in August.
However it is still unclear when they will be implemented.
China International Capital Corp estimates banks' assets to expand by around 14 percent next year and that would reduce the average CAR of listed domestic banks to around 10.7 percent, meaning some lenders would be under pressure to raise money, the paper said.
(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Kazunori Takada)
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Dec. 27, 2011
PROVIDENCE, R.I.- It was announced on Monday, December 26, that Providence men's basketball junior guard Vincent Council (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the week ending on December 25. Council is second in the league in assists, as he is averaging 6.9 per game.
Council is leading the Friars in scoring this season, averaging 16.9 ppg. In two games, he dished out 18 assists, while averaging 16 ppg and seven rpg. In a 67-52 win against New Hampshire on December 20, Council scored 17 points on 7-12 shooting from the field, distributed a season- high 12 assists and grabbed seven rebounds. He scored 15 points, dished out six assists and captured six rebounds in an 80-61 victory over Rhode Island on December 23.
Providence men's basketball will return to action tonight, Tuesday, December 27, as it travels to St. John's for the team's first BIG EAST Conference match-up of the season. The game will be televised live on Cox and the opening tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at Carnesecca Arena.
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Source: http://www.bbstate.com/news/443770
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FILE - Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks at a Hy-Vee store in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo. The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks at a Hy-Vee store in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in this Dec. 20, 2011 file photo. The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
WEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) ? For "Anybody but Romney" Republicans in a key conservative region of Ohio, Newt Gingrich has been picking up support as an alternative to the former Massachusetts governor.
The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, followed closely by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Ohio's presidential primary is scheduled for March 6, one of the biggest prizes for Republicans among about a dozen states voting on "Super Tuesday."
Mitt Romney hasn't excited some of the party's staunchest conservatives for reasons that include his past support of abortion rights and enactment of a Massachusetts health care plan that's often compared to President Barack Obama's overhaul.
Some conservatives had flirted with supporting Herman Cain, drawn to his business background and unconventional campaign style. But Cain suspended his campaign this month following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior and a longtime extramarital affair. Cain's decision and Gingrich's performance in nationally televised debates helped some make up their minds.
"He's sold me," said Dan Keith, 61, of Hamilton. Keith and his wife, Pat, said they are convinced that Gingrich has the experience and savvy to be strong against Obama. "I can't see anybody else coming onto the scene that we would go to."
The Keiths said they were undecided when first interviewed three months ago.
"I think before, people liked the other candidates because they were an alternative to Romney. But I'm hearing more people who like Gingrich as Gingrich," said Bill Langdon, co-owner of the Grand Ole Pub, a popular gathering spot for Republican partisans in West Chester. Langdon had been interested in Cain, but doubted whether Cain could win the presidential nomination.
Gingrich is now his choice. "He's the guy they think can go toe-to-toe with the president," Langdon said.
Sandra Arno, of nearby Springdale, turned out for Cain's visit to West Chester in November and liked what she heard. She was deciding between him and Gingrich before Cain stopped campaigning, and most recently was leaning toward the former speaker.
"I think they're both very intelligent, and I think Newt will be good as the candidate," Arno said.
Republican-dominated suburbs like this one ? home of House Speaker John Boehner ? just north of Cincinnati provide a stronghold of votes in a state that no GOP nominee has ever reached the White House without winning. Their enthusiastic turnout to vote for George W. Bush by 2-to-1 margins in 2004 is credited with delivering Ohio to clinch his re-election. It's important for the Republican nominee to be able to attract big numbers in GOP-oriented suburban and rural regions to offset Democratic urban bastions led by Cleveland.
A series of Quinnipiac University polls tracked Gingrich's rise in Ohio from low single-digits to 36 percent between September and early December. Cain had fallen to 7 percent after leading the pack at 28 percent in October. The sexual harassment allegations against Cain surfaced in late October.
Lori Viars, a conservative activist and anti-abortion leader in Lebanon, predicted that a Romney nomination would keep some Christian evangelicals on the sidelines in November because of concern about his previous positions on issues, led by abortion. Some in her crowd ? Viars is among them ? might also hesitate over Gingrich's personal history, which includes two divorces and acknowledged marital infidelity.
"Newt makes a lot of sense," Viars said. "But everyone makes mistakes, and he certainly is right on a lot of issues."
Several of those who have come around to Gingrich say they're not put off by his personal past.
"Would I want him as marriage counselor? No," said Keith. "But that's not what we're electing."
Keith's wife thinks Gingrich's candidacy is on firmer ground because he's already undergone years of scrutiny.
"They've already raked him over the coals pretty good," Pat Keith said.
Other Republican activists say it's still too soon to pick a candidate in a state where there has been little campaigning, and with the GOP field likely to be smaller by the time of Ohio's primary in March.
This region of Ohio is home to some of the nation's first tea party groups, and a number of activists are loyal to Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has attracted a band of followers with libertarian-minded calls to bring home U.S. troops and keep the government out of personal decisions.
Cincinnati tea party leader Mike Wilson, though, is "watching and waiting."
Wilson's favorite candidate was Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor who dropped out in August. Wilson doesn't share the worry about Romney becoming the nominee. He also said a respectable Iowa finish by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann or Texas Gov. Rick Perry could give either of those conservative favorites some traction heading into the contests that follow.
Wilson said Romney can defeat Obama and would work with a Republican-controlled House, should it stay in GOP hands.
"I think we know who the ultimate opponent is ? Barack Obama," Wilson said. "With John Boehner as speaker, I think Romney will sign a lot of Republican legislation over the next four years."
___
Follow Dan Sewell on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
Associated Pressruben studdard ruben studdard black friday sales 2011 black friday sales 2011 whitney duncan bradley cooper elisabeth hasselbeck
PACHUCA, Mexico ?? Three U.S. citizens traveling to spend the holidays with their relatives were among those killed in a spree of shooting attacks on buses in northern Mexico, authorities from both countries said Friday.
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A group of five gunmen attacked three buses in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz on Thursday, killing a total of seven passengers in what authorities said appeared to be a violent robbery spree.
The Americans killed were a mother and her two daughters who were returning to visit relatives in the region, known as the Huasteca, said an official in the neighboring state of Hidalgo, where the mother was born.
Hidalgo state regional assistant secretary Jorge Rocha identified the dead U.S. mother as Maria Sanchez Hernandez, 39, of Fort Worth, Texas, and the daughters as Karla, 19, and Cristina, 13. Rocha said all three held dual U.S.-Mexican citizenship. A 14-year-old Mexican nephew traveling with the three was also killed.
A U.S. Embassy official confirmed the women's nationalities, but could offer no information on their ages or hometowns. The official, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, said consular authorities were offering assistance to the victims' relatives.
Story: Mexico disbands entire police force in top port of VeracruzWhile funeral plans were unclear, Rocha said Sanchez Hernandez's mother wants her daughter to be buried in Mexico.
Three other Mexican citizens were killed in the Thursday attacks on the three buses.
The five gunmen who allegedly carried out the attacks were later killed by soldiers.
Earlier in their spree, the gunmen shot to death three people and killed a fourth with grenade in the nearby town of El Higo, Veracruz.
'Exercise caution'
On Thursday, the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros, a Mexican border city north of where the attacks occurred, said in a statement that "several vehicles," including the buses, were attacked, but did not specify what the other vehicles were.
The consulate urged Americans to "exercise caution" when traveling in Veracruz, and "avoid intercity road travel at night."
While the specific area where the Thursday attacks occurred is not frequented by foreign travelers, other parts of the Huasteca ? a hilly, verdant area on the Gulf coast ? are popular among Mexican tourists and some foreigners.
Story: Mexico makes huge meth precursor chemicals seizureThe attack occurred near the border with the state of Tamaulipas, an area that has been the scene of bloody battles between the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels.
Meanwhile, the tortured bodies of 10 people were found in northern Veracruz, local media reported Friday, as attacks in the region intensify between the rival cartels.
In September, 35 bodies were dumped along a downtown highway in the Veracruz city of Boca del Rio.
More than 45,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45780933/ns/world_news-americas/
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The company responsible for the line, GASCO, sent investigators out to see the extent of the damage. It also informed the Misr Insurance Corporation of the damage so it could be compensated.
Hmmm.
Earlier this week, Jordan and Egypt negotiated new pricing for the gas.
Source: http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2011/12/egyptian-gas-line-to-israel-blown-up.html
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It's kinda like putting baseball cards in your spokes, except it's this instead. instagr.am/p/bNOtX/ 
bydanielvictor Daniel Victor
Source: http://twitter.com/bydanielvictor/statuses/150621893685280769
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BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's state news agency Xinhua plans to list its online portal in a 1 billion yuan ($157.8 million) stock market offering in Shanghai with China International Capital Corp underwriting the deal, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.
The exact timing of the initial public offering of Xinhuanet.com has not been fixed, the sources told Reuters.
"It's around 1 billion yuan," one of the sources said.
Xinhua was not immediately available for comment.
Other state news outlets are also looking to list their online operations. People.com.cn, the online news portal run by the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party -- the People's Daily -- is looking to list in Shanghai, sources have told Reuters.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Nick Edwards)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/wr_nm/us_xinhua_ipo
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ABC has revealed some new photos of The Bachelor's Ben Flajnik, and something's definitely missing. Two things, actually. His signature moles? No more!
The California winemaker, who captured America's heart over the summer after being cast off by The Bachelorette's Ashley Hebert, still has his killer smile.
Just not some other facial features that aren't even that noticeable, but editors still decided to go to town on. Something about The Bachelor is fake? No WAY.
In photos from last season, beauty marks on his left cheek were very visible ... presumably they will be in actual footage this season as well. So what's the point?
We have no idea, but the new season totally starts January 2!
Who will he give the first - and final - roses to? What surprises, scandals and exciting dates await? Read The Bachelor spoilers we've posted so far - if you DARE!!
Or just click to enlarge more promotional pics of Ben Flajnik:
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/ben-flajnik-pics-for-the-bachelor-airbrush-city/
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In April, Expedia announced its intentions to spin off trip reviews site TripAdvisor as a public company. And this morning, TripAdvisor debuted on the NASDAQ under the symbol 'TRIP' trading at. The company is trading at $29 which is actually higher than Expedia, which is trading at $27.72, down 50 percent. TripAdvisor, which was founded in 2000, was originally bought by IAC in for $212 million in 2004. IAC spun off Expedia, which included TripAdvisor, in 2005. With 50 million unique monthly visitors and 20 million members, TripAdvisor is the giant in the travel reviews space. The site publishes 25 new contributions every minute and also features over eight million candid traveler photos. The reviews site operates in 30 different countries, including in China under the site Daodao. IAC chairman and CEO Barry Diller will serve as the TripAdvisor's chairman.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gl4QMKWqjOc/
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Arup achieved a 4 star NABERS Energy tenancy rating (for offices greater than 2,000m2) and is the first Brisbane business to win the national title. This rating was achieved through equipment upgrades, lighting retrofits, embodiment of energy efficiency into policy, and the implementation of innovative behaviour change programs.
One of Arup?s staff engagement activities was their ?Biggest Energy Loser? competition, where office floors competed with each other to reduce energy consumption. The judges were also impressed with Arup?s Office Realtime?data visualisation system which allows staff members to directly see their energy, water, paper, and flight consumption trends, ensuring a correlation between individual actions and overall outcomes.
?Arup is very proud to be involved in CitySwitch as we strive to minimise our environmental footprint. We are delighted to have our efforts recognised through this great program.
??This outcome is a reflection of all our staff and their commitment to understanding and reducing their day-to-day energy consumption in the office. It is also a testament to our sustainability and buildings specialists who made a significant contribution towards achieving our NABERS Energy tenancy rating.
?Going forward, we are committed to remain a CitySwitch signatory and upholding our requirement to obtain certified NABERS rating for next year. From a project perspective, in Brisbane and across the Australasia region, we are already responding to the challenges facing the built and natural environment. This is demonstrated by our work on a number of projects which focus heavily on environmental outcomes.?
- Martin England, Principal and acting office leader
The CitySwitch Awards acknowledge leading signatories from each state who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a high level of environmental leadership and action.
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Just a few months ago the future seemed impossibly bleak for Elisa and Nathan Bond, young parents who had both been diagnosed with late stage cancers. But just this week the couple got the news that Elisa?s cancer had finally responded to therapy and disappeared.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45742952#45742952
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SAN DIEGO ? In a story Dec. 14 on a lawsuit over a military jet crash that killed four people in 2008, The Associated Press reported that a Marine pilot who bailed out of his fighter jet over a San Diego neighborhood had been advised to make a potentially safer landing at a nearby Navy base over open water. Federal air traffic controllers and a military officer on a Navy aircraft carrier told the pilot to land at North Island in Coronado. Officers at Miramar Air Station, including the squadron's commanding officer, cleared the pilot to go to the inland base.
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Microsoft takes the wraps off of So.cl, a search-based social network for students originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This week, dozens of brave revelers ? the prime minister of Norway among them ? are converging on the South Pole to celebrate the historic trek of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first human to set foot there on Dec. 14, 1911.
Yet in an ironic twist, some might argue that it is the runner-up in the grueling contest whose legacy has proved more lasting.
British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who reached the pole a month after Amundsen, died on his return march, unable to escape the tightening noose of the Antarctic winter. And although his oft-maligned tactics proved, in part, to be his undoing, Scott's insistence on bringing scientists on his expedition ? at great cost to himself ? helped spark a tradition of scientific inquiry in Antarctica that endures to this day, according to Ross MacPhee, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and author of the book, "Race to The End: Amundsen, Scott, and the Attainment of the South Pole" (Sterling Innovation, 2010).
"Every scientist working in Antarctica today owes Scott something," MacPhee told OurAmazingPlanet in September. [ Images: Scott's Lost Photos ]
Science is now one of the primary drivers of human activity on the continent.
More science news from MSNBC Tech & Science
Each year, when the perpetual daylight of austral summer begins, droves of scientists descend on Antarctica to study its biology, drill deep into its ice, and send airplanes soaring overhead to image what lies underneath its glaciers.
Nearly 30 countries operate more than 80 research stations around the continent, according to 2009 numbers from the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs.
A flurry of work is now under way on and around the continent.
Charismatic fauna
Some scientists come to study the unique crowds of marine life that gather near the nutrient-rich waters off the Antarctic coast in the comparatively balmy summer. Penguins may be the most beloved of the local animal pantheon, but studying these birds is nothing like a Disney movie.
"Penguins are not cuddly at all. They're really very strong and very feisty, and they don't like to be picked up, which we try not to do," said David Ainley, a marine ecologist who has been studying Ad?lie penguins in Antarctica since the late 1960s.
For decades, Ainley, now with the California-based ecological consulting firm H.T. Harvey & Associates, has researched why penguin populations are changing; some colonies have grown, others have shrunk. He said he's interested in answering a very basic question about life on our planet ? how do animals cope with their environment? ? and that penguins are the ideal research subject.
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"They're fairly large so you can put instruments on them and record their behavior," Ainley told OurAmazingPlanet just hours before he boarded a plane headed south.
In addition, he said, they're pretty easy to find. "Penguins are very visible," Ainley said. "In the Antarctic they don't have any place to hide. They don't live in burrows, and it's daylight all the time."
Biological time trip
While Ainley and his team spend their days on the rocky slopes of Antarctic islands, other scientists spend the austral summer on ships. David Barnes, with the British Antarctic Survey, spoke with OurAmazingPlanet from the RRS James Ross, a research vessel parked near the Antarctic Peninsula, the long finger of land that points toward South America.
Barnes said that his research focuses on trying to unlock the secrets of Antarctica's icy past, specifically how the reach of the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet has changed from age to age. Scientists know it has been larger than it is now, and some suspect it has been smaller than it is now, but anything more exact is difficult to pin down.
"The problem is that every time there's an ice age it's wiped out everything ? so we don't really know where the last ice sheet got to," Barnes said. But there is another way to peek into the Antarctic's past: "Where we can't get good signals from glaciology or geology, biology has a cunning way of stepping in," he said.
Barnes looks at the genetic makeup of sea creatures around western Antarctica to determine how long populations have been isolated from one another by the ice.
"Genetics preserve a connection between species and populations, so by looking around Antarctica at various depths we can get an idea of whether that area used to be underneath an ice sheet," Barnes said.
That information can, in turn, help scientists figure out how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet behaved in climates past, and how it might behave in our warming world.
Ice life
Still other scientists will spend the austral summer living on the ice itself. Robert Bindschadler, a glaciologist and scientist emeritus with NASA, along with a small team of researchers, will spend six weeks sleeping in small tents on a floating plain of ice ? the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf ? the outlet of one of the largest and fastest moving glaciers in Antarctica.
Ice shelves, which ring the continent, appear to be a key player in the increasing and alarming rate at which glaciers in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are melting and raising sea levels in recent years, Bindschadler said. But getting direct observations of how this is happening is a challenge. Satellite imaging and data provide some details, but the continent is remote, and its long, brutal winter permits scientists to work there for only about three months a year, [ Stunning Photos of Antarctic Ice ]
Observations indicate that comparatively warm ocean water is lapping away at the ice shelves, which, as they weaken, allow glaciers to slide into the sea at a faster and faster clip ? yet the direct mechanisms remain hidden from view.
"Satellites have taken us really far, but they can't give us the answers to what's going on underneath," Bindschadler said. To that end, his team will spend its days drilling several ?holes through nearly a third of a mile (500 meters) of ice to drop sensors into the sea below to measure variations in temperature and currents.
Some scientists conduct their research from the air, working aboard planes equipped with imaging technology that can peer beneath the ice. ? NASA's IceBridge project focuses on the western half of the continent, while other international collaborations focus on the far larger yet more stable eastern half.
Ice work if you can get it
Other research must be done on the ground. Scientists are drilling deep into the ice to collect signatures of past climate trapped inside, or looking for microbes that dwell in it. The race to drill down to the more than 200 freshwater lakes that pepper the continent is another tantalizing quest..
Some researchers work in Antarctica because the frigid continent, free of a native human population or meddling flora and fauna, provides a kind of natural laboratory.
"In most ecosystems you have plants all over the place, and they do a lot of things to complicate the system," said Byron Adams, a professor at Brigham Young University who studies the nematodes and other tiny creatures that are found in the few patches of ice-free soil in the Antarctic.
Still other researchers take advantage of the high altitude and clear air to peer through telescopes into distant space and the early universe.
At about 1.5 times the size of the United States, Antarctica has plenty of scientific real estate to go around.
At the heart of much of the research is the question of how the continent's ice is responding to climate change. Antarctica is home to some of the most dramatic effects of climate change seen anywhere on Earth, from melting glaciers to increasing winds to warming temperatures. The Antarctic Peninsula has warmed several times faster than the global average rate.
"We're asking really fundamental questions about how ecosystems respond to a changing climate, and ultimately the goal is to be able to make predictions about this," Adams told OurAmazingPlanet.
Despite the challenges ? bone-chilling winds, constant sunlight, extreme isolation and ever-changing weather ? many scientists said working in Antarctica is worth the hardship and the long hours spent packing as much work into an expedition as possible. Although it's not for everyone, they cautioned, the work can be deeply satisfying, breeding a sense of camaraderie that can last a lifetime.
"When you're out in the deep field, and you're only living with what you brought, and the plane turns and leaves, that's the Antarctica I prefer," Bindschadler said. "You really are in a different world."
Reach Andrea Mustain at amustain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @AndreaMustain. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.
? 2011 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45673001/ns/technology_and_science-science/
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We just had a pet emergency here at home. My corgi Kylie, who was never spayed (because she never leaves the yard or spends time with unfixed male dogs, and my pug needed a few surgeries that left me unwilling to put another beloved under the knife at the time), somehow contracted a very serious uterine infection that required an emergency surgery.
Kylie with my daughter, on a better day.
Due to her age, 10, and state of the infection, the doctor gave us dire warnings that she might not make it. But the alternative was kidney failure and death, so? the good news, she made it. She?s home recovering and it seems she will be just fine and with us for a while longer. Thank goodness!
Kylie, not feeling so great after surgery.
Starting to feel better, taking it slow.
This reminds me? pets are expensive. We love them and it?s worth it, but not everyone has a spare few hundred (or thousand, as it may be) for emergency pet care these days. Times are tough. Just something else to consider before adopting a new pet. I?m sure Jane Lynch here, who just adopted this lucky little one, won?t have any trouble.
Congrats to the Jane Lynch family!
But, giving a live animal as a holiday gift is usually a bad idea, for a number of reasons discussed here. But mainly because a) a lot of people who think they want pets are not really ready for the responsibility and b) even if the time is right to add a new member to the family, the holidays are a source of stress and new situations, and maybe the new addition would make an easier transition outside the added excitement/visits/decorations that the holidays can bring.
However.
If you?ve weighed the pros and cons and decide that a pet is right for you, please consider adopting from a shelter. Friend of Whine Sisters Connie Brockway is involved with?Secondhand Hounds. I just went out and fell in love. About ten times. We?re not ready for a new family member here, but one day, when I am, I am rescuing a shelter dog. Like this one:
Look at that face! A sweet little pug!
Or this:
Ohh.
Ohhhh, my tender heart!
Secondhand Hounds also has cats and other animals available. Author Eloisa James adopted her beloved Lucy, a dachshund mix, there.
Another great holiday gift idea: donations to Secondhand Hounds or an animal shelter near you.
Have you ever added a fur-baby over the holidays? Or maybe goldfish? Lizards? Turtles? Have any holiday pet stories to share?
Source: http://whinesisters.com/2011/12/14/holiday-pets/
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DETROIT ? Stepping gingerly among mounds of discarded tires, piles of soggy clothing and nail-pierced wood boards, Makibla Gideon's head swept from side to side in search of a purple toddler's jacket or pink shirt ? any remnant that could have been worn by a 2-year-old Detroit girl whose father claims was taken during carjacking.
"You have to put all that aside when it comes to a precious little girl," said the 39-year-old Gideon, barely avoiding oily pools of filthy rain water in one of dozens of alleys not far from where Bianca Jones is reported to have last been seen.
More than three dozen volunteers searching for Bianca fanned out in small groups of five to 10 Monday morning through the North End neighborhood, while police continued to pore over D'Andre Lane's version of how his car was taken during a robbery Friday morning with his daughter in the rear seat.
"If it was my son or me missing I would want somebody looking for me," said Gideon, moments before peering inside a trash-filled and nearly collapsed garage only blocks from where police found Lane's car.
She and others who canvassed the area amid 30-degree temperatures that eventually gave way to snow returned a couple hours later to Metropolitan United Methodist Church, many tired but vowing to try again Tuesday if necessary.
Lane, 32, was being held in nearby Oakland County on an outstanding warrant from an unrelated case. But Undersheriff Mike McCabe said Monday afternoon that Lane had been released.
Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee said Sunday investigators were questioning the truthfulness of Lane's story. Police also searched his home Monday morning, but declined to provide details.
No suspects have been identified related to the alleged carjacking.
"The search for Bianca Jones is ongoing and continues to be of the highest priority relative to our commitment of dedicated resources to this case," Godbee said in a statement. "The Detroit Police Department will not comment on the quantity nor the quality of any evidence or information we have gathered to date. However, in the interest of allaying some of the fears of the public regarding the apparent randomness of Bianca's disappearance, the authenticity and credibility of the original version of events is under intense scrutiny by our investigative team."
Banika Jones, the girl's mother, said before the search began that she last saw her daughter Nov. 26, when family and friends celebrated her birthday. Jones said Lane had taken Bianca to see a movie, brought her back to her mother's house for the party and then the girl left with her father.
"Please continue to keep searching for Bianca," Banika Jones said. "We love her and we want her home. Bianca, Mommy has lots and lots of gingerbread men for you when you get home."
According to Michigan prison records, Lane was jailed for more than three years on drug and firearm possession charges stemming from a 2003 arrest and was paroled in 2007. He also served a more than four-year probation starting in 1996 after being convicted of assault with intent to commit armed robbery and a conspiracy charge.
A pre-sentencing investigation report from 2007 shows that Lane, a father of three other children from three previous relationships, sought to shield his incarceration from his children. A probation officer wrote that Lane did not want his children to come to see him in prison because it was not a place for them to visit.
Banika Jones said Lane has a good relationship with Bianca, who is described as 2 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing about 25 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
"He has unfettered access to her; welcome to come anytime," she said. "He's never been anything but loving and committed to her. I know he probably wants to see Bianca home as much as I do.
"I have no information on the investigation. My focus is on finding Bianca. That is what I'm driven to do right now is bring my daughter home. I just want to see Bianca again.
"We are looking for Bianca. We are trying to find her. We are going to bring Bianca home."
Lane has been close to the Jones family for years, according to Kelly Jones, Banika's sister.
"They were never officially in a relationship" and there was no "bad blood," Kelly Jones said of Lane and Banika.
"There was no problem and now Bianca's gone. Let's just find her," Kelly Jones said.
Locating a child that some fear is somewhere shivering in the cold is what prompted Michelle Carter to join the search Monday.
"It was cold," Carter said after returning with others to Metropolitan United Methodist Church. "We went through the alleys. We searched porches, under debris, moved bags and went through trash. We called Bianca's name."
The 39-year-old nail salon owner refused to think the worst and admitted to having no idea what Bianca's mother may be feeling.
"I don't want to imagine. No," Carter said. "Being a mother and not even knowing where your child is ... I know is devastating."
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