Slovenia parliament confirms Jansa as prime minister (Reuters)

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) ? The Slovenian parliament confirmed conservative Janez Jansa as the euro zone member's new prime minister Saturday, almost two months after an inconclusive December 4 election, parliamentary speaker Gregor Virant said.

Jansa has 15 days to propose a cabinet which will be tasked with driving economic growth and introducing reforms to stop the country's credit rating from being cut. The cabinet must also be confirmed by parliament, in which Jansa's five-party coalition has a solid majority.

Jansa, who was prime minister from 2004 to 2008, has promised to boost economic growth by cutting key taxes and red tape. He also plans to cut spending and the budget deficit, raise the retirement age and speed up privatization.

(Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Ben Harding)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/wl_nm/us_slovenia_pm

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Army chief lays out Army cuts in Europe (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Gen. Raymond Odierno (oh-dee-EHR'-noh), the Army chief of staff, says the Pentagon will take two heavy armor brigades out of Europe in 2013 and 2014 and eliminate them.

Odierno says the military is working hard to mitigate the impact on European allies, and will rotate other Army units into the region to train with NATO partners.

The units will be eliminated, rather than moved back to the United States. Odierno says removing two of four brigades now in Europe will not necessarily make NATO allies shoulder more of the load if ground forces are needed for a large-scale operation in the region.

The units to be dismantled are based in Germany ? the 172nd Infantry Brigade, currently in Grafenwoehr, and the 170th Infantry Brigade in Baumholder.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The Pentagon's decision to cut the size of the Army by 80,000 soldiers will force the military to rely more on the National Guard and reserves, particularly if the U.S. gets into two major, long-term combat operations at the same time, according to the top Army officer.

Gen. Raymond Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, said he is comfortable with the mandate to go from 570,000 soldiers during the height of the Iraq war to 490,000 by 2017. But he suggested that the U.S. will now have to keep its reserve forces at a higher level of readiness than it did before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan pressed tens of thousands citizen soldiers into service to buttress the active duty Army.

He also said his support for the force cuts hinges on the fact that the Army will have five more years to make the reductions, largely through normal attrition. He acknowledged, however, that a small number of officers may have to be forced to leave.

As the Iraq war dragged on, the Pentagon had to recruit thousands of additional active duty soldiers and beef up and repeatedly tap reserve brigades in order to meet the combat demands there and in Afghanistan. For roughly eight years, the U.S. battled in both countries at the same time, stretching and straining the Army nearly to the point of breaking.

Meeting that type of commitment with an Army of 490,000 would not work, Odierno said.

"Do I have the capability to go into Korea and meet the requirements, yes," he said, when asked about the risks of a smaller force. "Do I have the ability to stay there for 10 years? No."

If the military had to fight two large, simultaneous, long-term wars, he said, the U.S. would rely more heavily on its allies in the region and call for a massive mobilization of the reserves.

"Because of the fact that they (Guard and reserves) have been involved in combat operations for very long period of time, we are going to come up with a readiness model that will keep them at a little bit higher level than they have been in the past," Odierno told reporters during an interview in his Pentagon office. And if needed, he said, the U.S. would use reserves to "buy us time to increase the active component" to wage two large, intensive wars.

A battle-hardened leader who commanded troops during three tours in Iraq ? including as top commander there from 2008 to 2010 ? Odierno has taken on a broad restructuring of the Army in order to save money while retaining the fighting capabilities needed to go to war.

Over the long-term, U.S. officials said they are planning to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to possibly as low as 32. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning. Odierno said eight brigades will be shelved over the next several years, and officials will decide in the next six months or so if additional units should go.

Officials said the changes will likely increase the size of each combat brigade ? generally by adding another battalion ? in a long-term effort to ensure that those remaining brigades are robust and able to perform their missions without straining the force.

A brigade is usually about 3,500 soldiers but can be as large as 5,000 for the heavily armored units. A battalion is usually between 600 and 800 soldiers.

"We will make our brigades more capable to operate across missions, will eliminate unnecessary overhead, and allow us to sustain more combat capability if we do this right," said Odierno, who did not provide any details about the restructuring.

Odierno also stressed that the new defense strategy calling for a greater focus on the Asia Pacific region does not mean that the Army will become less relevant. He said that while some may think it means the U.S. will rely more on the Air Force and Navy, it actually will require the Army to play a major role.

He said the new defense strategy, laid out by President Barack Obama earlier this month, calls for increased military capabilities in countering terrorism, fighting irregular warfare, defeating and deterring aggression, and countering weapons of mass destruction ? all missions that require Army capabilities.

Both Odierno and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have made it clear that the military as a whole must cut back its payroll and health care expenses while still giving troops and their families the support they need.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_army_cuts

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Groups sue over Navy sonar use off Northwest coast (AP)

SEATTLE ? Conservationists and Native American tribes are suing over the Navy's expanded use of sonar in training exercises off the Washington, Oregon and California coasts, saying the noise can harass and kill whales and other marine life.

In a lawsuit being filed Thursday by the environmental law firm Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups against the National Marine Fisheries Service claims the service was wrong to approve the Navy's plan for the expanded training.

They said the regulators should have considered the effects repeated sonar use can have on those species over many years and also required certain restrictions on where the Navy could conduct sonar and other loud activities to protect orcas, humpbacks and other whales, as well as seals, sea lions and dolphins.

Instead, the Navy is required to look around and see if sea mammals are present before they conduct the training.

Kristen Boyles, a Seattle-based attorney with Earthjustice, said it's the job of the fisheries service to balance the needs of the Navy with measures to protect marine life.

"Nobody's saying they shouldn't train," she said. "But it can't be possible that it's no-holds-barred, that there's no place where this can't happen."

In 2010, the fisheries service approved the Navy's five-year plan for operations in the Northwest Training Range Complex, an area roughly the size of California, about 126,000 nautical square miles, that stretches from the waters off Mendocino County in California to the Canadian border. The Navy has conducted exercises in the training range for 60 years, but in recent years proposed increased weapons testing and submarine training.

The groups want the permit granted to the Navy to be invalidated. They are asking the court to order the fisheries service to study the long-term effects of sonar on marine mammals, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act and other laws.

Regulators determined that while sonar use by navies has been associated with the deaths of whales around the world, including the beaching of 37 whales on North Carolina's Outer Banks in 2005, there was little chance of that happening in the Northwest. The short duration of the sonar use, typically 90 minutes at a time by a single surface vessel, and reduced intensity would help prevent whale deaths, they said. Regulators required the Navy to shut down sonar operations if whales, sea lions, dolphins or other marine mammals were spotted nearby.

The lawsuit, being filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, claims that the Navy's sonar use in the Northwest might be strong enough to kill the animals outright. But even if it doesn't, the repeated use of sonar in certain critical habitats, such as breeding or feeding grounds, over many years could drive those species away, making it more difficult for them to eat or reproduce, it claims. The fisheries service should have ordered the Navy to keep out of such areas, at least seasonally, the environmental groups said.

A spokeswoman for the Navy declined to comment on Wednesday, saying she had not seen the lawsuit, and the fisheries service did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

The plaintiffs include People for Puget Sound, a Seattle-based nonprofit, and the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, which represents ten Northern California American Indian tribes.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_us/us_navy_whales

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Bethenny Frankel's New Talk Show to Debut This Summer

Remember when the prospects for Bethenny Frankel's new talk show seemed slimmer than a Skinnygirl cocktail? Well, step aside, naysayers! Sure, Warner Brothers wasn't able to line up enough stations to carry the show this fall, but Bethenny is moving forward, anyway.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/bethenny-frankels-new-talk-show-debut-summer-will-you-watch/1-a-422004?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Abethenny-frankels-new-talk-show-debut-summer-will-you-watch-422004

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Somali captors move US hostage after SEAL raid

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

Map locates area around the town of Adado, Somalia, where two hostages were rescued during a helicopter raid.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ? A group holding an American hostage in Somalia moved him at least three times in the day since U.S. Navy SEALs rescued an American and a Dane and killed their nine kidnappers, pirates said Thursday. The abductors said they would kill the hostage if they are attacked.

The high-profile rescue early Wednesday raised questions about whether the many other Western hostages held in Somalia have a greater chance at release ? or are in greater danger.

"If they try again we will all die all together," warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang holding the American. "It's difficult to hold U.S. hostages, because it's a game of chance: die or get huge money. But we shall stick with our plans and will never release him until we get a ransom."

U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia early Wednesday and hiked to where captors were holding American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, a 60-year-old Dane. A shootout ensued and nine captors were killed. Buchanan, Thisted and the U.S. troops were all unharmed. The two aid workers had been kidnapped by gunmen in October while working on demining projects for the Danish Refugee Council.

Buchanan and Thisted on Thursday were at the U.S. Naval Air Base at Sigonella, Sicily as part of their reintegration process, undergoing more complete medical examinations and debriefing. Officials could not immediately say how long they would stay there before returning home.

The U.S. government said the raid was prompted by Buchanan's deteriorating health. An ailing Frenchwoman kidnapped by Somali gunmen died in captivity last year after not having access to her medication.

"Holding hostages in one place is unlikely now because we are the next target," Abdi said, referring to the raid in a phone conversation with The Associated Press. He expressed concern that the U.S. had pirate informants.

"It wasn't just a hit and run operation, but long planned with the help of insiders among us," Abdi said, noting the soldiers had struck at the time when the pirates were least on their guard.

The gang has moved an American kidnapped on Saturday in the northern Somali town of Galkayo three times in the last 24 hours, he said.

Other hostages held in Somalia include a British tourist and two Spanish aid workers seized in neighboring Kenya, a French military adviser and 155 sailors of various nationalities hijacked by pirates at sea.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, employed the two Spanish women. The group said it is pleased that Buchanan and Thisted were freed and that MSF is still seeking the liberation of its workers, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Theibaut. It hinted, though, that it views military raids as risky.

"MSF strongly favors the nonviolent resolution of such cases, as the use of force endangers the lives of the hostages and may result in the tragic loss of human lives," the group said. "We call upon the Somali population, especially the local authorities in control of the areas where the two are held, to do everything in their power to assist in their safe release."

It's not always clear what group is holding a captive in Somalia. Hostages have sometimes been sold from one gang to another. Captives can be held for long stretches: Two journalists from Canada and Australia were held for 15 months before being released in 2009, and the French military adviser has been missing for more than two years.

The security community is divided over whether the U.S. raid would make life more difficult for other captives, one Western official in Kenya said, or whether the killings of the nine captors might make pirates think twice about launching future operations. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

On Wednesday evening, hours after the U.S. military raid, the gang holding the American kidnapped on Saturday started circulating false rumors that they had executed him.

Another security official who has years of experience in the region said it is likely the men holding the American would move him onto a ship with other foreign hostages, because ships were easier to defend and planning rescue operations is more complicated when there are hostages from other countries involved.

The official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. At least one pirate agreed with his analysis.

"I think land captivity is going to end now. Sea is much safer," pirate Mohamed Nur said by phone from the coastal town of Hobyo. "Even ships are not very safe but you can at least hit back and resist."

Americans have been captured by Somali pirate gangs before. In 2009, the cargo vessel Maersk Alabama was briefly hijacked before pirates took to the lifeboat with the ship's captain, who was rescued after Navy sharpshooters killed the pirates.

But in a sign that pirates are getting increasingly violent ? and perhaps jittery ? four Americans onboard a hijacked yacht were killed last February. It's still unclear why the hostages were shot. Two of the pirates had already boarded a U.S. warship shadowing the yacht.

Several senior pirates condemned Wednesday's U.S. raid, which was authorized by President Barack Obama, and at least one warned that any other U.S. hostages might suffer as a result.

"They send hit squads and kill all they want, so there is no way we will care for their people (hostages) while they are killing us. They will see the aftereffects and reap the results of their actions," said Bile Hussein, a Somali pirate commander.

A spokesman for Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government said the pirates had got what they deserved.

"Pirates have no place in our society," Abdirahman Omar Osman told AP. "This is a huge and unforgettable lesson for them."

___

Associated Press writers Jason Straziuso and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report.

___

Follow Katharine Houreld at http://twitter.com/khoureld

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-26-AF-Somalia-Raid/id-a41241ee7c0545fca7c502206555d0ed

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Talking things through in your head may help autism (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Teaching children with autism to "talk things through" in their heads may help them solve tricky day-to-day tasks and could increase the chances of them living independent lives when they grow up, British scientists said Wednesday.

Psychologists who studied adults with autism found that the mechanism for using "inner speech," or talking things through in your head is intact, but they don't always use it in the same way as typically developing people do.

The researchers found that the tendency to "think in words" is also strongly linked to the extent of a person's communication skills, which are rooted in early childhood.

The results suggest teaching autistic children how to develop inner speech skills may help them cope with daily tasks later in life. It also suggests children with autism may do better at school if they are encouraged to learn their daily timetable verbally rather than using visual plans, which is currently a common approach.

Autism, which affects around one percent of the population worldwide, includes a spectrum of disorders ranging from mental retardation and a profound inability to communicate, to relatively milder symptoms such as seen in people with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome.

Among core features of autism are poor communication skills and difficulties with social engagement.

"Most people will 'think in words' when trying to solve problems, which helps with planning or particularly complicated tasks," said David Williams of Durham University's department of psychology, who led the study.

Typically developing children tend to talk out loud to guide themselves through tricky tasks, and only from about 7 years old do they talk to themselves in their heads to try to solve problems, he said. How good people are at it is partly determined by their communication experiences as a young child.

Williams said children with autism often miss out on the early communicative exchanges, which may explain their tendency not to use inner speech when they are older. He said the lack of inner speech use might also contribute to some of the repetitive behaviors which are common in people with autism.

"Children with autism probably aren't doing this thinking in their heads, but are continuing on with a visual thinking strategy," Williams said in a telephone interview.

"So this is the time, at around six or seven years old, that these teaching methods would be most helpful."

The study, conducted by researchers at Durham, Bristol and City University London and published in the Development and Psychopathology journal, involved 15 adults with high-functioning autism and 16 neurotypical adults for comparison.

The volunteers were asked to complete a test of planning ability for which typical people would normally use "thinking in words" strategies.

When the two groups were asked to do the task while also repeating out loud a certain word -- such as "Tuesday" or "Thursday" -- designed to distract them, the control group found the task much harder, while the autistic group were not bothered by the distraction.

"In the people with autism, it had no effect whatsoever," Williams explained. This suggests that, unlike neurotypical adults, participants with autism do not normally use inner speech to help themselves plan.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/hl_nm/us_autism_inner_speech

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Iran slams EU oil embargo, warns could hit U.S. (Reuters)

TEHRAN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? Iran accused Europeans on Monday of waging "psychological warfare" after the EU banned imports of Iranian oil, and President Barack Obama said Washington would impose more sanctions to address the "serious threat presented by Iran's nuclear program."

The Islamic Republic, which denies trying to build a nuclear bomb, scoffed at efforts to choke its oil exports, as Asia lines up to buy what Europe scorns.

Some Iranians also renewed threats to stop Arab oil from leaving the Gulf and warned they might strike U.S. targets worldwide if Washington used force to break any Iranian blockade of a strategically vital shipping route.

Yet in three decades of confrontation between Tehran and the West, bellicose rhetoric and the undependable armory of sanctions have become so familiar that the benchmark Brent crude oil price edged only 0.8 percent higher, and some of that was due to unrelated currency factors.

"If any disruption happens regarding the sale of Iranian oil, the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be closed," Mohammad Kossari, deputy head of parliament's foreign affairs and national security committee, told Fars news agency a day after U.S., French and British warships sailed back into the Gulf.

"If America seeks adventures after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will make the world unsafe for Americans in the shortest possible time," Kossari added, referring to an earlier U.S. pledge to use its fleet to keep the passage open.

In Washington, Obama said in a statement that the EU sanctions underlined the strength of the international community's commitment to "addressing the serious threat presented by Iran's nuclear program."

"The United States will continue to impose new sanctions to increase the pressure on Iran," Obama said.

The United States imposed its own sanctions against Iran's oil trade and central bank on December 31. On Monday it imposed sanctions on the country's third-largest bank, state-owned Bank Tejarat and a Belarus-based affiliate, for allegedly helping Tehran develop its nuclear program.

The EU sanctions were also welcomed by Israel, which has warned it might attack Iran if sanctions do not deflect Tehran from a course that some analysts say could potentially give Iran a nuclear bomb next year.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner: "This new, concerted pressure will sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders and increase their cost of defiance of basic international obligations."

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, reiterated Washington's commitment to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. "I think that Iran has undoubtedly heard that message and would be well advised to heed it," she said at a meeting of the board of governors of the American Jewish Committee in New York.

CALLS FOR TALKS

Germany, France and Britain used the EU sanctions as a cue for a joint call to Tehran to renew long-suspended negotiations on its nuclear program. Russia, like China a powerful critic of the Western approach, said talks might soon be on the cards.

Iran, however, said new sanctions made that less likely. It is a view shared by some in the West who caution that such tactics risk hardening Iranian support for a nuclear program that also seems to be subject to a covert "war" of sabotage and assassinations widely blamed on Israeli and Western agents.

The European Union embargo will not take full effect until July 1 because the foreign ministers who agreed the anticipated ban on imports of Iranian crude at a meeting in Brussels were anxious not to penalize the ailing economies of Greece, Italy and others to whom Iran is a major oil supplier. The strategy will be reviewed in May to see if it should go ahead.

Curbing Iran's oil exports is a double-edged sword, as Tehran's own response to the embargo clearly showed.

Loss of revenue is painful for a clerical establishment that faces an awkward electoral test at a time of galloping inflation which is hurting ordinary people. But since Iran's Western-allied Arab neighbors are struggling to raise their own output to compensate, the curbs on Tehran's exports have driven up oil prices and raised costs for recession-hit Western industries.

A member of Iran's influential Assembly of Experts, former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian, said Tehran should respond to the delayed-action EU sanctions by stopping sales to the bloc immediately, denying the Europeans time to arrange alternative supplies and damaging their economies with higher oil prices.

"The best way is to stop exporting oil ourselves before the end of this six months and before the implementation of the plan," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

'PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE'

"European Union sanctions on Iranian oil is psychological warfare," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. "Imposing economic sanctions is illogical and unfair but will not stop our nation from obtaining its rights."

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the official IRNA news agency that the more sanctions were imposed on Tehran "the more obstacles there will be to solve the issue".

Iran's Oil Ministry issued a statement saying the sanctions did not come as a shock. "The oil ministry has from long ago thought about it and has come up with measures to deal with any challenges," it said, according to IRNA.

Mehmanparast said: "The European countries and those who are under American pressure, should think about their own interests. Any country that deprives itself from Iran's energy market, will soon see that it has been replaced by others."

China, Iran's biggest customer, has resisted U.S. pressure to cut back its oil imports, as have other Asian economies to varying degrees. India's oil minister said on Monday sanctions were forcing Iran to sell more cheaply and that India planned to take full advantage of that to buy as much as it could.

The EU measures include an immediate ban on all new contracts to import, purchase or transport Iranian crude and petroleum products. However, EU countries with existing contracts can honor them up to July 1.

EU officials said they also agreed to freeze the assets of Iran's central bank and ban trade in gold and other precious metals with the bank and state bodies.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "I want the pressure of these sanctions to result in negotiations."

"I want to see Iran come back to the table and either pick up all the ideas that we left on the table ... last year ... or to come forward with its own ideas."

Iran has said it is willing to hold talks with Western powers, though there have been mixed signals on whether conditions imposed by both sides make new negotiations likely.

IAEA INSPECTORS VISIT

The Islamic Republic says it is enriching uranium only for producing electricity and other civilian uses. The start this month of a potentially bomb-proof - and once secret - enrichment plant has deepened skepticism abroad, however.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed plans for a visit next week by senior inspectors to try to clear up questions raised about the purpose of Iran's nuclear activities. Tehran is banned by international treaty from developing nuclear weaponry.

"The Agency team is going to Iran in a constructive spirit, and we trust that Iran will work with us in that same spirit," IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said in a statement announcing the January 29-31 visit.

Iran, whose regional policies face a setback from the difficulties of its Arab ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has powerful defenders in the form of Russia, which has built Iran a reactor, and China. Both permanent U.N. Security Council members argue that Western sanctions are counter-productive.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, classifying the EU embargo among "aggravating factors", said Moscow believed there was a good chance that talks between six global powers and Iran could resume soon and that Russia would try to steer both Iran and the West away from further confrontation.

His ministry issued an official statement expressing "regret and alarm": "What is happening here is open pressure and diktat, an attempt to 'punish' Iran for its intractable behavior.

"This is a deeply mistaken approach, as we have told our European partners more than once. Under such pressure Iran will not agree to any concessions or any changes in its policy."

But that argument cuts no ice with the U.S. administration, for which Iran - and Israel's stated willingness to consider unilateral military action against it - is a major challenge as Obama campaigns for re-election against Republican opponents who say he has been too soft on Tehran.

(Additional reporting by Robin Pomeroy and Mitra Amiri in Tehran, David Brunnstrom in Brussels, Adrian Croft in London, John Irish in Paris, Alexei Anishchuk in Sochi, Ari Rabinovitch and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Nidhi Verma in New Delhi, Steve Gutterman in Moscow, Rachelle Younglai and Andrew Quinn in Washington, Fredrik Dahl in Vienna and Patrick Worsnip at the United Nations; writing by Alastair Macdonald; editing by Robert Woodward and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wl_nm/us_iran_eu_deal

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Shadowgun:The Leftover update hitting this week, free for owners of Shadowgun

Shadowgun fans rejoice; once iOS exclusive add-on pack "The Leftover" will be hitting the Android Market this week. Best of all, current Shadowgun players will recieve it as a free of charge update. 

It features four new levels, and a storyline that follows on directly after the events of the original game. These are just two among many other new features, so fans will be well catered for while waiting for the next Shadowgun title. 

No exact date has been provided, but an administrator on the official Madfinger Games forums dropped the news that "The Leftover" will be landing this week. 

via Droid Gamers

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/HgzAdkJuao0/story01.htm

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[OOC] Group 3 intro: Astral and Kimber

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This group will start in Evans, Colorado -- Southeast of Fort Collins on 34.

Places of Interest:
- Arrowhead Resevoir
- 7-Eleven
- Walmart
- Sam's Club
- Loaf 'N Jug
- Centennial Elementary School
- Dos Rios Elementary School
- Chappelow Arts and Literacy Magnet School
- Kid's Care Clinic
- Patsy Williams-Lowe, DC

Environment:
The approximate population of Evans is 9,773.
Evans is located around 4,700 feet above sea level.
The area has a moderate temperature, most vegetation is fairly rough.
It is largely suburban, though the outskirts of the city are rural in nature.

~*Do not frown, you never know who is falling in love with your smile*~

StrawberryFoxglove

Member for 1 years

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Iran revives Gulf threats after EU sanctions (AP)

TEHRAN, Iran ? Senior Iranian lawmakers stepped up threats Monday that Islamic Republic warships could block the Persian Gulf's oil tanker traffic after the latest blow by Western leaders seeking to rein in Tehran's nuclear program: A punishing oil embargo by the European Union that sharply raises the economic stakes for Iran's defiance.

The EU decision in Brussels ? following the U.S. lead to target Iran's critical oil exports ? opened a new front against Iran's leadership. Pressure is bearing down on the clerical regime from many directions, including intense U.S. lobbying to urge Asian powers to shun Iranian crude, a nose-diving national currency and a recent slaying in what Iran calls a clandestine campaign against its nuclear establishment.

In response, Iranian officials have turned to one of their most powerful cards: The narrow Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf and the route for a fifth of the world's oil. Iran has rattled world markets with repeated warnings it could block the hook-shaped waterway, which could spark a conflict in the Gulf.

Military experts have questioned whether Iran has the naval capabilities to attempt a blockade. But the U.S. and allies have already said they would take swift action against any Iranian moves to choke off the 30-mile (50-kilometer) wide strait ? where the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with British and French warships, entered the Gulf on Sunday without incident.

The British Ministry of Defense said the three nations sought to "underline the unwavering international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international law."

Earlier this month, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that Iranian forces could block shipping through the strait "for a period of time," but added "we can defeat that" and restore the flow of oil and other commerce. He did not offer details on a U.S. military response, but the Pentagon is believed to have contingency plans for such a scenario.

A member of Iran's influential national security committee in parliament, Mohammad Ismail Kowsari, said Monday that the strait "would definitely be closed if the sale of Iranian oil is violated in any way." He went on warn the U.S. against any "military adventurism."

Another senior lawmaker, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, said Iran has the right to shutter Hormuz in retaliation for oil sanctions and that the closure was increasingly probable, according to the semiofficial Mehr news agency.

"In case of threat, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is one of Iran's rights," Falahatpisheh said. "So far, Iran has not used this privilege."

The lawmakers' comments do not directly reflect the views of Iran's ruling clerics, but they echo similar statements made earlier this month by military commanders with close ties to the theocracy.

At the same time, however, Iran has tried to ease tensions by offering to reopen nuclear talks with the U.S. and other world powers after a one-year gap, and backing off warnings about U.S. naval operations in the Gulf ? where the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet has a base in Bahrain.

On Monday in Brussels, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged Iran to offer "some concrete issues to talk about."

"It is very important that it is not just about words; a meeting is not an excuse, a meeting is an opportunity and I hope that they will seize it," she said as the EU adopted its toughest measures on Iran with an immediate embargo on new oil contracts and a freeze of the country's Central Bank assets. About 90 percent of the EU's nearly $19 billion in Iranian imports in 2010 were oil and related products, according to the International Energy Agency.

On Monday, the U.S. added new sanctions on Bank Tejerat, Iran's third-largest bank. Obama has also approved new sanctions on Iran's powerful central bank that take effect later this year.

It follows U.S. sanctions enacted last month that target the Central Bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad. The U.S. has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is struggling. On Monday, benchmark crude pushed above $99 a barrel after the EU sanctions and the renewed threats to close the Strait of Hormuz.

"This is not a question of security in the region," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. "It is a question of security in the world."

In Washington, a joint statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the EU move "will sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders and increase their cost of defiance" over the country's nuclear program.

But there are no signals from Iran that the tougher sanctions will force concessions on the core dispute: Iran's ability to enrich uranium.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted by state TV as calling the EU sanctions "psychological warfare" to try to halt Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's leaders have consistently portrayed the country's nuclear fuel labs as a symbol of national pride and part of efforts to become the Muslim world's center for homegrown technology, including long-range missiles and rockets capable of reaching orbit. Iran says it seeks reactors only for energy and research, but the U.S. and others worry that the uranium enrichment will eventually lead to warhead-grade material.

Earlier this month, Iran said it was beginning enrichment at a new facility buried in a mountainside south of Tehran.

"Iran's right for uranium enrichment is nonnegotiable," said conservative Iranian lawmaker Ali Aghazadeh. "There is no reason for Iran to compromise over its rights. But Iran is open to discussions over concerns about its nuclear program."

Russia ? which strongly opposed the EU sanctions ? said in a statement: "Under pressure of this sort, Iran will not make any concessions or any corrections to its policies."

On the U.S. side, President Barack Obama may also be wary about political fallout from any negotiations in an election year.

No date has been set to resume talks. A more pressing task for OPEC's No. 2 producer is assessing the sting from the EU slap.

The 27-nation bloc imposed an immediate halt to all new contracts for Iranian crude and petroleum products while existing ones are allowed to run until July. It also placed a freeze on the assets of Iran's Central Bank.

About 80 percent of Iran's oil revenue comes from exports, and any measures that affect its ability to export oil could hit hard at its economy, which is already staggering from widespread unemployment and a sinking currency that has sharply driven up the relative costs for imported goods.

Theodore Karasik, a security expert at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, called the struggling Iranian economy a potential "weak spot" for the ruling system as the country moves toward parliamentary elections in early March.

Reflecting the uncertainties, the Iranian rial fell Monday to a new low of nearly 21,000 to the dollar, a 14 percent drop since Friday, currency dealers said. A year ago, the rial was trading at 10,500 to the dollar.

Samuel Ciszuk, a consultant at KBC Energy Economics in Britain, said the sanctions will likely cause crude prices to rise in Europe and soften in Asia in the short term as more Iranian oil heads east. The sanctions will make it even harder for Iran to find customers for its oil and shipping companies willing to carry it.

"Iranian crude is being made the last choice. ... You may be able to get it at a discount (outside the West), but how stable is the supply?" he said.

In order to sell supplies once destined for Europe, Iran may need to offer discounts to its main buyers in Asia such as Japan, South Korea and China. Ciszuk said there hasn't been much sign Tehran is willing to do this so far, and it may prefer for now to divert the excess into storage.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, have been pressing Tehran's main Asian oil markets to turn away from Iran.

China ? which counts on Iran as its third-biggest oil supplier ? has rejected sanctions and called for negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

South Korea, which relies on Iran for up to 10 percent of its oil supplies, was noncommittal on the U.S. sanctions. Japan, which imports about 9 percent of its oil from Iran, gave mixed signals but most recently expressed concern about how the sanctions would affect Japanese banks.

But all three nations sent high-profile delegations ? including one led by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao ? to oil-rich Gulf Arab states this month for talks that left Iran fearful of efforts to undercut its crude exports.

Within Iran, meanwhile, security officials are on higher alert over what they claim is a covert campaign led by Israel's Mossad and backed by U.S. and Britain. On Jan. 11, a magnetic bomb placed on a car killed scientist who worked at Iran's main uranium enrichment facility. It was at least the fourth targeted killing of a nuclear-related researcher in two years.

The U.S. denied any role in the January attack, but Israel's military chief hinted that Iran could face incidents that happen "unnaturally."

After the sanctions vote, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a joint statement urging Iran to suspend its sensitive nuclear activities.

"Our message is clear," the statement said. "We have no quarrel with the Iranian people. But the Iranian leadership has failed to restore international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program. We will not accept Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon."

___

Murphy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Don Melvin in Brussels, Robert Burns in Washington and Adam Schreck in Dubai contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/ml_iran

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Steven Tyler Sings Painful National Anthem At AFC Championship Game (Video)

OMG did you see Steve Tyler sing the national anthem at the AFC Championship game today? If not then you missed a horrendous rendition of the infamous song. Seriously it was god-awful and I have the video to prove it. As I sat here anxiously awaiting the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots I got the oh so not great pleasure of listening to Tyler belt out the national anthem. To say he was bad is an understatement, it literally hurt my ears listening to him sing or attempt to sing I should day. When Steven was first announced I thought he was kind of a rather odd choice but then I was told he was a Patriots fan, not sure if that is true or not but it is what I was told. Anyway I just so happened to not be paying attention to the TV when the performance began but boy did I quickly tune in as soon as I herd his voice because it was painful. I honestly can?t describe to you how bad it was, al I can say is it sucked. I understand that Tyler is not as on [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/cbnfqwiP3iM/

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Study: Santorum tax plan swells deficit by $900B

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks at the Personhood USA forum in Greenville, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks at the Personhood USA forum in Greenville, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The tax plan by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum would cut taxes for most Americans while swelling the federal budget deficit by $900 billion in a single year, according to an independent study.

About 69 percent of households would get tax cuts averaging nearly $7,800, according analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.

Most of the tax cuts in Santorum's plan would go to the wealthiest households, according to the study. Those making more than $1 million would get tax cuts averaging nearly $442,000. Middle-income households making $50,000 to $75,000 would get tax cuts averaging about $2,062.

The price for the tax cuts is a staggering amount of debt at a time when Congress is struggling to rein in big budget deficits, said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

"These are huge numbers," he said.

Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, has set a goal of cutting $5 trillion in federal spending over five years, according to his campaign website. However, Congress has been struggling to cut a fraction of that amount. Last summer, lawmakers couldn't agree on a plan to cut $1.2 trillion in spending over the course of a decade.

Santorum's plan would reduce the number of income tax brackets from six to two, lowering the top rate from 35 percent to 28 percent while keeping the bottom rate at 10 percent. He would cut the corporate income tax in half for most companies ? lowering it from 35 percent to 17.5 percent. He would eliminate the corporate tax for manufacturers.

His plan would triple the exemption that parents can claim for dependent children, cut the top tax rate on investment income from 15 percent to 12 percent, and retain tax breaks for charitable donations, mortgage interest and retirement savings.

Williams said the big tax cuts for the wealthy come mostly from lowering the top income tax rate while cutting taxes on investment income and the corporate income tax.

Santorum's plan, outlined on his campaign website, says he would eliminate "marriage tax penalties throughout the federal tax code." That, however, could lead to tax increases for about 1 percent of filers, mainly single parents who currently file as heads of households, Williams said.

Santorum's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

The Tax Policy Center is a research group formed by two Washington think tanks: the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution. The center has analyzed the tax plans of all the major Republican candidates and found that all of them add to the budget deficit by promising big tax cuts.

The plan by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich would reduce revenues by $850 billion in a single year, and the plan by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would reduce revenues by $180 billion, according to the analyses.

All of the projections are based on the taxes households would pay in 2015, presumably the first year a new president could get a plan fully implemented.

The campaigns of both Gingrich and Romney have said their tax plans would lead to economic growth, which would increase tax revenues over the long term. Santorum's website also says his tax plan would promote economic growth.

Williams said the analysis of Santorum's plan is based largely on an outline of the tax plan on Santorum's campaign website. He said the Tax Policy Center asked the Santorum campaign to clarify the details of the tax plan but didn't receive a detailed response.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-19-Santorum%20Tax%20Plan/id-d5feecf00b764839b7b3f1803ec8be0d

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Breaking the Prostate Cancer Gene Code

NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --?The quest for genetic information in the fight against prostate cancer is nearly two decades long. While researchers and doctors have long accepted the hereditary nature of the disease, in that closer relatives are at a two-fold increased risk of developing prostate cancer, the genetic explanation remained a mystery. Last week geneticists shared news of a novel gene mutation linked to familial prostate cancer risk. The isolated mutation was identified within the gene HOXB13 and was found at higher rates in patients with a strong family history of the disease, particularly those with early-onset prostate cancer. This news could have significant impact on prostate cancer treatment, believes robotic prostate surgery expert, Dr. David Samadi. ?

(Photo:?http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120118/NY37362?)

Dr. Samadi, Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, spoke Sunday with members of the Fox News Medical A Team about the significance of these findings. "This is a faulty gene found in those with familial prostate cancer," explained Dr. Samadi. "Its identification marks a future indicator of a man's likelihood to inherit his father's or brother's increased prostate cancer risk."

HOXB13, represents a gene that affects prostate gland development in the fetal stage and it's functioning throughout life. The isolated mutation was common among early-onset prostate cancer patients with a family history of the disease. Although consistently isolated in men with prostate cancer, the gene was still relatively rare. The hope is that this mutation can be used as a lead point to isolate a common genetic pathway for prostate cancer.

Specifically, researchers believe that men with both the gene and a father with early-onset prostate cancer are 20 times more likely to have early-onset themselves. Men with the gene and two brothers with the disease are 30 times more likely. Diagnosis before age 55 is considered early-onset.

The revelation of this genetic mutation appears to be the beginning of cracking the prostate cancer code. "This is the kind of progress we need to hone our PSA screening methodology and pinpoint the men most at risk," Dr. Samadi stated. "The more knowledge a man has about his risk level, the better equipped he is to face the disease head-on. Identifying this gene mutation could allow us to pay heightened attention to younger men at higher risk and provide a better standard of care."

Published in the January 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the study looked at 94 families with multiple prostate cancer cases among close relatives. The data, explored at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan, found the HOXB13 genetic mutation in members of four different families.

In order to evaluate the level to which these findings could be generalized, the mutation's prevalence was analyzed among 5,100 men with sporadic prostate cancer and 1,400 cancer-free men. The mutation was found at statistically significant rates in the larger prostate cancer patient pool, while only one man in the control group carried the mutation.

"In the future, I see genetics playing a major role in treatment decisions. If a patient knows he has a particular mutation, it could lead to earlier diagnosis and identification of aggressive diseases, translating into clear treatment decisions," added Dr. Samadi. As the leading robotic oncologist, Dr. Samadi believes that, when appropriate, robotic prostatectomy is the most precise and effective way to eliminate prostate cancer.

These genetic findings are in their early stages and further research is needed to ascertain the degree to which the gene mutation signals prostate cancer risk. In time, the impact on screening efforts could mirror that of the BRCA gene in women with a hereditary risk of early-onset breast cancer.

"We've made great strides in testing and treating prostate cancer, but this represents major headway in determining the root of the disease. The implications for the future of prostate cancer are monumental," heralded Dr. Samadi.

The complete segment with Dr. David Samadi and the Fox News Medical A Team can be see here

Faulty gene increases risk of prostate cancer?

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1393091201001/faulty-gene-increases-risk-of-prostate-cancer/?playlist_id=88176 ?

SOURCE RoboticOncology.com

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=xprnw.20120118.NY37362&show_article=1

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This could be year overworked employees walk

December?s employment numbers blew analysts expectations out of the water. Perhaps the news rustled the moat around the corporate kingdom?s C-Suite. (Ok, maybe just a ripple) We?re certainly not out of the waters of a struggling economy. But with unemployment falling for the fourth month in a row, talent retention concerns might make more of an appearance.

Most employees are glad to have a job these days. There?s this unwritten mandate that has reigned since the recession; corporate is king, companies are doing more with less and underlings just have to deal with it and eat porridge. But if the C-Suite ignores improving economic data, might they be dethroned in a workers rebellion?

?I think 2012 is the year of the payback, meaning that all the slashing and burning of the workforce has severely wounded the ability to motivate employees,? says Irwin Kellner, Chief Economist for Marketwatch.com.

Forbes.com: The best jobs for women in 2012

While corporate profits are doing well, Kellner says the numbers can?t grow at the same rate if companies let go or use fewer workers. He warns there will be consequences, such as lower productivity, less engagement and talent fleeing to competition, if management doesn?t launch incentives to retain skilled workers and take the 24/7 stress down a notch.

?Workers are afraid but it doesn?t mean they are going to work their tails off to come up with the next I-phone,? adds Kellner.

The numbers
If current economic data is a harbinger of things to come, perhaps corporate America might be a bit more concerned about retention, instead of burning workers to a crisp. Let?s break down the numbers:

• Unemployment fell for a fourth time in a row to 8.5 percent, it?s lowest point in nearly three years.
• There?s been an uptick in the number of Americans quitting their jobs since the recession began in December of 2007, according to the Labor Department.
• The BNA Annual Economic Forecast, (BNA tracks and analyzes legal, regulatory and business information) shows the U.S. economy improving, albeit with limited job creation, expected to increase in the second half. Also, modest gains in private sector workers? hourly compensation.
• The rate of layoffs is lower than anytime before the recession.

The uncertain economy
While conditions remain tenuous due to the European debt crisis, the mortgage meltdown, wages not keeping up with inflation and the unknowns of numerous political footballs, including the payroll tax cut debate ? it is an election year. A factor that Kellner says is cyclically positive in nature. Election years are generally good for the economy. Both camps tend to play better together in Washington.

Forbes.com: The biggest ceo screw-ups of 2011

While there?s a cautious air of optimism, more than 13 million people are still unemployed and more than half of them have been out of work for more than six months. Kellner says uncertainty across the board can sway the economy either way in 2012 as he writes in his Marketwatch.com column, New year?s surprise for the economy? But the slight uptick in the ?quit? rate is very much on Kellner?s radar as he says it?s an indication that employees are gaining more confidence that they can find a job elsewhere.

?The rising quit rate may be the first sign that the balance of power is changing in corporate America between the executives and the underlings,? says Kellner who adds, ?The grandiose plans that the corner office has in terms of creativity might have reached a limit.?

Incentives to the rescue?
Fringe benefits like work-life initiatives, retraining, education or wellness programs (like stress-reduction), are already on the radar of more progressive companies. But perhaps such incentives should be shouted from the corporate kingdom?s bell tower in a call for better employee engagement and wellness in a stressed-out working culture.

Forbes.com: The 10 worst pieces of ?good? career advice

?In the final analysis, it doesn?t matter how much technology you have, if workers are exhausted and hanging on to their jobs by their fingernails,? says Kellner.

Is all this economic news indeed a harbinger of things to come? Kellner says it?s the job of the prognosticators to figure that out. But where there?s smoke there just might be fire. The C-suite might do well to wake up and smell the coffee. If they don?t, it might be the smell of their employees burning out instead.

Forbes.com: America?s worst cities for finding a job
Forbes.com: How to turn down a promotion (without losing your job)

? 2012 Forbes.com

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45931409/ns/business-forbes_com/

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This Week's Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

Jan 14, 2012 5:00 PM 14,969 0

• Unlock Root Roots Nearly 250 Android Devices in One Click [UPDATED] (Android) If you're looking to root your phone but don't want to pore over complicated instructions, a new program called Unlock Root claims to root a ton of different phones with ease.
• Gym-Pact Rewards You for Going to the Gym with Cash, Charges You when You Skip Out (iOS) If you just signed up for a gym membership, completely convinced that you'll go every day this year, keep in mind you're essentially throwing money away when you don't go. If you need a little more motivation to make the trip and work out, Gym-Pact is a new iOS app and webapp that lets you put your money where your mouth is. Go to the gym and check in with your phone and you'll be rewarded with cash payouts. Skip your workouts, and the service penalizes you and your bank account.
• OldChromeRemover Frees Up Disk Space Used by Old Versions of Chrome (Windows) We've mentioned before that Chrome stores old versions on your hard drive, which can eventually take up lots of space. OldChromeRemover is a simple app that will free that space back up for you.
• Movie Explorer Compiles Details for All Those Movies on Your Hard Drive (Windows) If you have lots of movies ripped or downloaded to your hard drive it can be difficult to keep track of the details. Movie Explorer is a self-executable program for Windows 2000 and up that will scan your hard drive and pull movie posters and details from iMDB. You can use Movie explorer to browse your movies and when you've made a selection you can launch the file directly from the program.
• Void Lock Secures Your Android Phone by Making It Appear Turned Off (Android) Void Lock keeps your phone secure by turning off your screen, as if the phone weren't on at all, and letting you unlock with a gesture.
• Get Linux Compiles Information, Screenshots, and more for Tons of Linux Distributions for Easy Reference (Windows) So you've gotten started with Linux, maybe tried Ubuntu or Mint, but you're ready to move on to another distro. Get Linux is a simple app that helps you browse information on tons of other distros available.
• Dragon Go! Brings Dragon's Superior Voice Search to Android (Android) While Android has a pretty great voice search system built-in, Dragon Go kicks it up a notch, with impeccable speech recognition skills and by automatically detecting what you're searching for and taking you to the correct web page.
• Sparkbox Is a Repository for Your Creative Inspiration (Mac) When you find an image you find particularly inspiring, you often want to save it. If you save a lot of these images, they can be hard to sort through and find as needed. That's where Sparkbox can help. It's a repository for your creative inspiration.
• Mindful Displays iCal Events and Reminders on Your Desktop (Mac) If you use iCal to manage your to-do list you may want to consider Mindful. This app creates a desktop view of your events and reminders for the day similar to the daily view function of most calendars.
• Boycott SOPA for Android Scans Products, Warns You If the Manufacturer Supports SOPA (Android) We've discussed several ways you can stay on top of the fight against SOPA, and ways you can get around it, but Boycott SOPA is an Android app that turns your smartphone into a powerful tool to speak with your dollars, and avoid financially supporting companies that support the bill.

Related Stories

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/DlQSo5QJWzA/this-weeks-top-downloads

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Cold winters caused by warmer summers, research suggests

Friday, January 13, 2012

Scientists have offered up a convincing explanation for the harsh winters recently experienced in the Northern Hemisphere; increasing temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic regions creating more snowfall in the autumn months at lower latitudes.

Their findings may throw light on specific weather incidents such as the extremely harsh Florida winter of 2010 which ended up killing a host of tropical creatures, as well as the chaos-causing snow that fell on the UK in December 2010.

Published today, Friday 13 January, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, this new research suggests that the trend of increasingly cold winters over the past two decades could be explained by warmer temperatures in the autumn having a marked effect on normal weather patterns, causing temperatures to plummet in the following winter.

The strongest winter cooling trends were observed in the eastern United States, southern Canada and much of northern Eurasia, which the researchers, based at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), the University of Massachusetts and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, believe cannot be entirely explained by the natural variability of the climate system.

Their results showed strong warming throughout July, August and September in the Arctic, which continued through the autumn and, according to their observational data, appeared to enhance the melting of sea ice.

This warmer atmosphere, combined with melting sea ice, allows the Arctic atmosphere to hold more moisture and increases the likelihood of precipitation over more southern areas such as Eurasia, which, in the freezing temperatures, would fall as snow. Indeed, the researchers' observations showed that the average snow coverage in Eurasia has increased over the past two decades.

They believe the increased snow cover has an intricate effect on the Arctic Oscillation ? an atmospheric pressure pattern in the mid- to high-latitudes ? causing it to remain in the "negative phase".

In the "negative phase", high pressure resides over the Arctic region, pushing colder air into mid-latitude regions, such as the United States and northern Canada, and giving the observed colder winters.

The lead author of the study, Judah Cohen, said: "In my mind there is no doubt that the globe is getting warmer and this will favour warmer temperatures in all seasons and in all locations; however, I do think that the increasing trend in snow cover has led to regional cooling as discussed in the paper and I see no reason why this won't continue into the near future. Also if it continues to get much warmer in the fall, precipitation that currently falls as snow will fall as rain instead, eliminating the winter cooling."

It is also deduced that one of the main reasons conventional climate models fail to pick up on this observed winter cooling is their failure to account for the variability of snow cover, which, as demonstrated in this study, can greatly improve the accuracy of seasonal, and lengthier, forecasts.

"We show in the paper how using the snow cover in a seasonal forecast can provide a more skilful or accurate forecast. Without correctly simulating the coupling of winter climate patterns and the variability of snow fall, the models currently used by Government centres miss an important influence on winter and will therefore continue to be deficient in predicting winter weather on seasonal time scales, and even longer decadal time scales," continued Cohen.

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Institute of Physics: http://www.iop.org

Thanks to Institute of Physics for this article.

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