James is a professor in Science. His writing skills brought him to BelleNews. He enjoys writing articles for the Science and Technology category. James often finds himself reading about the latest gadgets as the topic is very appealing to him. He likes reading and listening to classical music.
Petsmart (www.petsmart.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 50% and free shipping of some products (ends 9/5)
Petco (www.petco.com): Save up to 35%, save 15% sitewide and free shipping on over $49 purchase.
Labor Day Sales 2011 Computer / Electronics
Adobe (www.adobe.com): 10% off orders over $375 (ends 9/8)
Accesory Geeks (www.accessorygeeks.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 50% and double geek point (ends 9/5)
Hhgregg (www.hhgregg.com): Labor Day Sale, everything on sale $99 & up, extra 5% off instantly (ends 9/10)
Newegg (www.newegg.com): Labor Day Sale, promo codes only for subscribers (ends 9/5)
Office Depot (www.officedepot.com): Pre-Labor Day Sale, save up to 50%
J&R (www.jr.com): Labor Day Weekend Sale, save up to 63%, free shipping on some products, get access to free live concert (Earth,Wind & Fire) on September 8.
HP (www.shopping.hp.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 60%, free shipping on all products. (ends 9/10)
Computer Geeks (www.geeks.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 85%
Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com): Labor Day Sale (ends 9/5)
Labor Day Sales 2011 Travel
Southwest Vacantions (www.southwestvacations.com): Labor Day Vacation Deals, save up to $ 100 on vacantion packages, up to 40% on hotels & more (September & October).
Expedia (www.expedia.com): Labor Day Deals, save at least 20% on hotels
Hotels.com (www.hotels.com) : Labor Day Sale, save up to 30% on your hotel stay, over 20,000 last minute deals each week
CheapoAir (www.cheapoair.com): Labor Day Flight Deals, save up to 65%, redeem $10, promo code LABORDAY10 (ends 9/6).
Please notice that most of the Labor Day Sales ends on September 5, 2011!
ARena is the app to install for Droid Bionic scavenger hunt
Verizon launched an app for an “augmented reality” scavenger hunt (from September 4 until September 7). The participants could win “the smartphone that controls them all”, the Droid Bionic.
The contestants will have to look around the city for photos of HDTVs, laptops, tablets, and quadcopters. The prizes include 16 Droid Bionic handsets, four 40-inch LED HDTVs, four Motorola XOOM tablets, four laptops, and four video-streaming Quadcopters. Each player has 30 minutes per game to track down a prize and can play up to 48 times a day.
“Each day for four days, four lucky hunters will win Bionic and one of the machines—there are up to 192 chances to win each prize. Good luck and safe hunting.” (the app description).
ARena is the augmented reality app required to follow the clues and it can be found on the Android Market.
Motorola Droid Bionic to launch on September 8
After a waiting of nine months for specifics about the Motorola Droid Bionic, Verizon’s first dual-core smartphone on its high-speed 4G LTE network, Droid Bionic seems to be released on September 8.
The smartphone first showed up with a Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Later, it was said that Droid Bionic would be fitted with a TI OMAP 1.2 GHz processor. The Droid Bionic will have 1GB RAM and 16GB internal memory configuration. It is presumed to have an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash that will feature 1080p video capture capability. Droid Bionic was first showcased with 5.5-ounce weight and 0.52-inch thickness. It comes pre-installed with Android Gingerbread.
Droid Bionic has webtop capabilities (a full suite of Google Apps) and a separately sold lapdock that connects the mobile display to keyboard and mouse.
On the MAP (minimum advertised price) list of upcoming Verizon phones and tablets the Droid Bionic shows with a $299.99 price tag. Droid Bionic is listed as having an average retail value (ARV) of $589.99. Everyone who wants to avoid signing a two-year contract for the Bionic can likely expect to spend $590.
The MAP list includes other devices like the HTC Rhyme (supposed to be a Beat By Dr Dre integrated phone) and a $499 Motorola XOOM LTE tablet that is set to release on the same day as the Motorola Droid Bionic. The XOOM LTE tablet is cheaper than when it was first released and comes preloaded with LTE support.
If you want to enter Droid Bionic scavenger hunt, you should read the instructions on droiddoes.com and download ARena from market.android.com.
Sony presented yesterday the world’s first folding tablet computer at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, which it hopes will challenge Apple’s iPad.
Sony Tablet P, the first folding tablet computer
Sony Tablet P has two 5.5 inches touchscreens, 16 GB memory, wi-fi, 3G. The tablet can be folded in half, making it more portable than the iPad and other similar devices.
Sony says it will easily fit inside a handbag or jacket pocket. The new tablet is cheaper than an iPad 2 with the same wi-fi and 3G internet access.
The two sides of the tablet can be combined and used as one large screen – albeit with a potentially irritating hinge running through the middle.
Both Sony Tablet P sides can also operate independently, with one running a game and one running emails, for example.
Sony Tablet P has two 5.5 inch touchscreens.
Sony Tablet P can download music and videos and has cameras on the front and back, allowing for video calls.
Sony Tablet P was presented at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, where a host of manufacturers were revealing new or upgraded tablets.
Sony Tablet P specs:
Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Two 5.5-inch screens
Two 1024 x 480 pixel displays
RAM unknown
16GB memory
NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
Book-style layout
WiFi and 3G compatible
Sony also presented at the Berlin show a more conventional tablet – Sony Tablet S.
Sony Tablet S has a 9.4 inches touchscreen, and it comes with infrared technology, which means it can be used as a remote control for a TV or Blu-ray disc player. At the touch of a button, video and photos can be transferred – or ‘thrown’ – from the tablets to compatible TV sets, such as Sony’s Bravia range.
Sony Tablet S, a more conventional tablet computer
Sony Tablet S specs:
Android 3.1 Honeycomb
9.4-inch screen
1280 x 800 resolution
512MB RAM
16GB memory
NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
Front and rear cameras
WiFi and 3G compatible
Work as remote control on Sony products
The Mobile Gazette website praised the “innovative design” of the products and said:
“These two Sony tablets could finally provide some serious competition to the Apple iPad 2.”
A teacher from Missouri has sued the state over so called Facebook law, a new law that prevents contacts between teachers and their students over the Internet.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mare”] Christina Thomas, Missouri teacher argued that the new law will make it illegal for her to chat with her own child over Facebook.
The law, which has been nicknamed the Facebook law, prohibits teachers from having exclusive communications with students over non-work Internet sites.
According to the Facebook law, the term “student” is defined as every person under 18 who attend or used to attend the school where the teacher works.
Facebook law prevents contacts between teachers and their students over the Internet
Christina Thomas alleges in her suit that the Ladue, Missouri, school district where she works has told teachers that they cannot have “exclusive communications” with their own children on Facebook if their children meet the Facebook law’s definition of former or current student.
Christina Thomas claims the new Facebook law is violating her rights under the 1st and 14th amendments.
However, there are teachers that do not agree the Facebook law goes too far.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”] Charol Shakeshaft, a professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the Huffington Post that Facebook law is an useful tool to stop sexual abuse in schools. Shakeshaft found that about 10 % of public school students in 2000 reported that they experienced unwanted sexual harassment or abuse from an educator.
“Exclusive and private contact with your students isn’t educationally necessary,” she told the site.
“In the same way that in a school we would say, <<No, you may not lock yourself into a room with a student>> this law effectively says, <<No you may not lock yourself into a website where only you can get to the student>>.”
Christina Thomas is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, organization that argued that there are better ways to prevent teacher misconduct than infringing on free speech by blocking contact on social media sites.
Banning Facebook conversations or other restrictions on students’ ability to communicate with their teachers and the extent to which school officials can dictate students’ behavior online has been a controversial subject, even in the courts. [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]
In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that administrators could punish a student who raised a “Bong hits 4 Jesus” banner across the street from his school, saying the banner created a “substantial disruption” within the school.
The 7th Circuit sided with two high school students who were punished for posting racy photos of themselves online.
Last June, the 3rd Circuit ruled that two students should not have been suspended for creating MySpace profiles while at home that mocked school administrators.
“It would be an unseemly and dangerous precedent to allow the state, in the guise of school authorities, to reach into a child’s home and control his/her actions there to the same extent that it can control that child when he/she participates in school-sponsored activities,” the judges wrote.
However, the 2nd Circuit ruled in April that a school district was within its rights to prevent a student from running for class secretary after she wrote on her personal blog while at home that “jamfest is cancelled due to douchebags in central office.”
The 4th Circuit ruled in July that a West Virginia school district could suspend a student for creating a MySpace group that accused a fellow student of having herpes.
French politician and former IMF chief, DSK (Dominique Strauss-Kahn) walked free from New York court yesterday, after charges against him for alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid have been dropped.
Yesterday, Cyrus Vance Jr., Manhattan’s district attorney told justice in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan that prosecutors could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt because of serious credibility issues with Nafissatou Diallo, the Sofitel hotel’s housekeeper who had accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of sexually assaulting her.
DSK walked free from New York court yesterday, after charges against him for alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid have been dropped
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” ]Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, the assistant district attorney, called Nafissatou Diallo’s testimony “surreal” and said the accuser lied to prosecutors on several occasions, even denying she had made declarations previously witnessed by several law officials.
Judge Michael Obus told the court he would comply with a request from the prosecution to throw out the case:
“The indictment is dismissed.”
Hotel maid’s lawyers appealed against the judge’s decision not to appoint a special prosecutor. That appeal was quickly dismissed.
After the judge decision, DSK‘s lawyers attacked the fact that the case had gone so far.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Benjamin Brafman said: “This was not a forcible encounter … This case was treated as a crime when it was not.”
Lawyer Benjamin Brafman also spoke of the toll the process had taken on the accused. He called it a “horrific nightmare” and said Strauss-Kahn and his family had handled the ordeal with “class”.
Another DSK’s lawyer, William Taylor, attacked Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s treatment by the US justice system and the media.
“What a tragedy in the life of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. This is not about wealth, nor power, nor race … There was a collective rush to judgment by not only law enforcement but also by the media,” said William Taylor.
Outside court large groups of protesters were gathered, most of them being against DSK, waving placards and chanting slogans such as “DSK! Shame on you!”
At the moment DSK left the building, one woman screamed at him: “You dirty bastard! You dirty bastard!”
Ken Thompson, Diallo’s lawyer told press outside court:
“No man, no matter how much power, money and influence he has, has a right to sexually assault a woman,” Thompson said. “We are disappointed that District Attorney Vance apparently does not believe in equal justice under the law and has denied an innocent woman a day in court.”
Michael Greys, co-founder of the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, was furious at the dismissal.
“American justice is not blind. Race and class still play a part. This was a case of a millionaire against a poor black woman with no education.”
DSK, 62 year-old former IMF chief, was arrested last May in New York, after Nafissatou Diallo, 32 year-old hotel maid, said he had forced her to perform oral sex when she arrived to clean his suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan. DSK was arrested on a plane scheduled to fly to Paris.
DSK has never contested that a sexual encounter took place but has denied claims it was forced.
The French Socialist Party was freed to return to France, where the authorities are investigating another case, claiming that DSK tried to rape a French journalist, Tristane Banon, in 2003. DSK’s lawyers have dismissed French journalist accusations as “fantasy”.
Tristan Banon’s lawyer, David Koubbi, who travelled to New York to meet prosecutor Cyrus Vance and Nafissatou Diallo, said he was dismayed by the decision to drop the sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
“I regret this outcome. I regret it for Nafissatou Diallo because I believed what she said,” he said. “I spoke to Tristane on Monday evening by telephone then during the night, then this morning [Tuesday].
“She is in a fighting mood. She isn’t ready to let this drop. But she feels sorry for what has happened to Nafissatou Diallo because she also believed her.”
David Koubbi added: “The credibility of my client is not, and has never been, called into question because of this.”
[googlead tip=”lista_mare”] At the beginning of DSK’s trial in Manhattan, office of district attorney initially called hotel maid’s statement “compelling”, claiming that she had provided “very powerful details”.
Diallo’s story was buttressed by forensic evidence: DSK semen was found on her uniform and her lawyer said doctors had taken photographs of her bruised vagina.
Things were changing when prosecutors found out that Diallo had lied to them and other US officials about her past, including giving a false account of having been gang-raped in her native country, Guinea. Diallo told interviewers she had used the false story to get herself and her daughter a chance of a better life in the US.
There were also other lies that appeared after the alleged attack. Diallo told a grand jury she had stayed in the hallway outside DSK’s room after the attack when evidence showed she had actually returned to his room, and to another one, before consulting her boss.
It then emerged she had discussed DSK’s wealth in a recorded phone conversation after the supposed attack.
Diallo’s lawyers said prosecutors were misinterpreting the conversation, conducted in Fulani, her native language, and that her account of the assault during the call had not differed.
A court document filed on Monday by prosecutors contained a devastating and detailed account of how Diallo had misled investigators.
“In virtually every substantive interview with prosecutors, despite entreaties to simply be truthful, she has not been truthful on matters great and small,” the document said, adding that the cumulative effect of Diallo’s misleading statements would prove “devastating” at any jury trial on the case.
“If we do not believe her beyond a reasonable doubt, we cannot ask a jury to do so.”
Diallo also sued DSK in civil court on August 8, a move that the Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers claimed the suit proved she was out for money.
The civil case is continuing, is unaffected legally by the dropping of criminal charges, and has a lesser burden of proof. Diallo’s lawyers will have to prove merely that it was “more likely than not” that DSK committed an assault.
A private gone AWOL of Muslim American descent was detained near Fort Hood.
He informed police investigators that he wanted to damage fellow members of the military from the military services base, law enforcement boss in Killeen, Texas, claimed Thursday.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]
Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo is expected to face federal government criminal charges soon after his police arrest, Chief Dennis Baldwin claimed. Baldwin mentioned that he knew of no additional threats for the location and also that Abdo had not any accomplices, “as far as I know.” The Chief officer made no other comments about the AWOL status of the detained soldier.
AWOL Campbell
Fbi representatives detected a bevy of potential bomb-making elements inside Abdo’s room, FBI spokesman Erik Vasys mentioned. Abdo, twenty-one, turned down deployment to Afghanistan and later had gone absent out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky following being accused of possessing child porn material, Vasys mentioned.
After a tip-off from a neighborhood weapon shop, Killeen police force detained Abdo at a traffic stop Wednesday, Vasys stated.
Two years ago, during 2009, that very same Texas army base had been the target of the firing spree that mortally wounded 13 individuals. Nidal Hasan had been charged with those killings. He’s yet another Muslim American soldier.
Gun store alerts police force to AWOL soldier
“Thanks to quick action by a Texas firearm dealer in alerting local police force to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Law enforcement officials Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation’s largest military installation,” stated Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, the House Army Caucus chairman.
Carter mentioned: “We now have an example of what works to prevent these type attacks, and as the coming days reveal more details about this attempt, we can determine better ways to thwart similar efforts in the future”
Carter’s office mentioned Killeen firearm supplier Guns Galore, the same store utilized by Hasan to acquire guns allegedly utilised in his assault, tipped off law enforcement officials with regards to a “suspicious male” whom obtained gunpowder, shotgun ammo, as well as a newspaper for a semiautomatic pistol. Greg Ebert, a retired police force officer who works at Guns Galore, mentioned a young man showed up in the store Tuesday afternoon and browsed for about 20 minutes. He selected six one-pound canisters of smokeless gunpowder, Ebert explained.
AWOL soldier
Then, Ebert reported, the man asked the store owner questions about the nature of smokeless powder.
“That is a red flag for me,” Ebert mentioned. “He should know. Why is he buying that much?”
Ebert reported the man also picked up one magazine and shotgun shells, and then left in a cab. After discussing the matter at length with the owner, Ebert called police force.
The soldier also purchased uniforms with Fort Hood unit patches from the neighborhood military surplus store, Carter’s office stated, citing police.
After Abdo’s arrest, police searched his hotel room and backpack and found six pounds of smokeless powder, Christmas lights and battery-operated clocks – which were apparently intended to create a timing and triggering device – sugar, shrapnel, a pressure cooker, and shotgun shells that were being dismantled for raw explosives.
The materials were sufficient to create a couple of bombs, a Department of Defense official reported to BelleNews. The awol soldier did not comment.
[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”centrat”]
Inside of the soldier’s rucksack, law enforcement officials also uncovered “Islamic extremist booklets,” a .40-calliber gun along with a grocery list of elements to get a bomb, a law enforcement officials official reported.
The investigation is still on-going in this case. It’s extremely likely that Abdo acted on his own and there is no evidence up to this point that links him to any terrorist groups, law enforcement officers declared.
“Islam is a much more peaceful and tolerant religion than it is an aggressive religion,” he explained. “I don’t believe that Islam allows me to operate in any kind of warfare at all, including the U.S. military and any war it partakes in. I believe that our first duty as a Muslim is to serve God.”
Hasan, the prime suspect in the 2009 Fort Hood killings, could face the death penalty. His trial is set to begin March 5, 2012.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Witnesses at a preliminary hearing identified Hasan as the man who walked calmly through a medical building on the country’s largest military base, shooting and sometimes reloading his handgun as he shouted “Allahu akbar,” which means “God is great” in Arabic.
A statement on the Fort Hood website acknowledged Abdo’s arrest but said it had no connection to the base.
It reported Abdo had been assigned to Company E of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team.
“Since he is in the custody of civilian authorities, jurisdiction over any potential new charges is yet to be determined. If returned to military control, he may face additional charges including AWOL,” the statement reported.
Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug said base officials have no indication that Abdo ever tried to obtain onto Fort Hood between the time he went AWOL and the time of his arrest.
A June 15th hearing recommended that Abdo be court-martialed. He went AWOL after that.
In an interview this past year, Abdo explained felt compelled to remain true to his faith.
“We have two things that I believe make us American, and that’s freedom of religion and freedom of choice,” he explained.
When he first signed up for the military, Abdo did not think his religion would be an issue. “I was under the impression that I could serve both the U.S. Army and my God simultaneously,” he mentioned.
But as his deployment neared, he began to rethink things and eventually worked up the courage to approach his unit and tell them how he felt. AWOL soldier is currently in custody, awaiting a trial.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”stanga”]Are you among those who don’t invest in the stock market? Do you think stock market crashes doesn’t concern you?
But… the truth is… they do!
It’s not only those who actively trade who lose money. The average person loses money and opportunities as well. To show how, 24/7 Wall St. put together a list of eight ways market collapses affect people’s lives:
Stock market collapse affects average people's lives.
Stock market collapses hurt employee benefits in several ways. Initially, when the market is soft, companies tend to pull back on retirement benefits, eliminating pensions and matching 401(k)s. Motivated by the same concern, they also reduce other types of benefits, like health care and dental plans. The 2008 Employee Benefits study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that “employers began scaling back on employee benefits as the economy slowed down in 2007, even before last fall’s economic tailspin partly unleashed by the constriction of the credit markets,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “The average dollar amount of employee benefits fell 14% to $18,496 in 2007 from $21,527 the year before.”
2. Retirement deferred
Nothing kills retirement like a cratering 401(k) — when the value of savings meant to fund life after people stop working plummets. The difference between a $1 million portfolio and a $500,000 portfolio can be the difference between retiring at 65 or working until 70 — as large numbers of people found out when the market collapsed in 2009. According to USA Today, a 2009 AARP study found that “35% of those ages 45 to 54 have stopped putting money into their 401(k), IRA or other retirement accounts, 25% said they have prematurely withdrawn funds from their retirement accounts.”
3. Home sale
Are the stock markets and home markets tied to one another? Absolutely. Over 20% of home loans in the U.S. are underwater. To sell those homes, owners have to come up with the difference between what they can sell the house for and what they owe the bank. That difference can certainly be well into the tens of thousands of dollars. If the money needed to bridge that difference is tied to the stock market, owners will have a hard time selling.
4. Home purchase
It has become difficult to get a mortgage even though rates are at historic lows. Banks are leery of lending when house prices continue their free fall. A down market makes the banks even more cautious: they tend to tighten lending standards, require higher credit scores, shrink credit limits, raise minimum payments and make it generally more difficult to qualify for a loan. On top of it, any assets potential home owners set aside for down payments are often partially in equities.
5. Education deferred
College funds, kept by many parents for their children’s higher education, are generally comprised in part of equities. A correction in the stock market drags the value of these funds down, and as a result makes paying for tuition harder. During the middle of the last recession, enrollment in low-cost colleges, and public community colleges increased an average 16 percent in 2009, according the U.S. News & World Report. “One reason: ‘reverse transfers.’ Students at expensive four-year universities are switching to lower-cost two-year schools to get their basics completed inexpensively.”
6. Unemployment
Businesses feel the ripple effects of a market collapse fairly fast. Some hold the money on their balance sheets in cash, but that is often mixed in with equities. A rapid and sharp drop in the markets can erode a company’s assets. This, in turn, makes it more cautious about expenditures, which includes payroll. The other reason companies review employment levels when the markets sell off is that the drop is likely to be the precursor of an economic slowdown. If a company sees a recession in its business coming it may lay off workers preemptively.
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]
7. Car purchase
One thing that car companies found out three years ago is that consumer confidence is harder to come by when the market corrects by 30% or 40%. The psychological effect is only part of it. People with a part of their net worth in the stock market usually curtail their spending on anything more than the essentials until they see a rebound in value. And, after a huge correction, a rebound can take years. Added to that, much like a home loan, getting financing becomes much more challenging. J.D. Power & Associates lowered its estimate for U.S. auto sales in 2011 by 300,000 light vehicles to 12.6 million.
8. Small business start-up
Small business start-ups are not funded by venture capital money. People use their own savings or borrow from friends and family the seed capital needed to start a new company. A market sell-off hurts start-ups in two ways. First, it shrinks the nest eggs people might use to begin a new enterprise. Second, it makes it hard for the start-up to flourish as business and consumer confidence are low. The Wall Street Journal reports that according to the Census Bureau, the number of new companies that were started in the 12 months ended March 2009 was down 17.3% from a prior year — the fewest since 1977, when the Census Bureau began keeping records.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]A website forum, which is frequently utilized to spread Al-Qaeda’s dispatches, has posted a death threat against David Letterman.
The jihadist website post, which was issued by frequent commenter on the forum, has threatened David Letterman, urging Muslim followers to “cut the tongue” of the Late Show host because of a joke the comic made on his CBS show.
According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a private company for sites monitoring service, that tracks extremists websites online activity, the threat was posted Tuesday on the Shumuka al-Islam forum, a popular Internet destination for radical Muslims.
David Letterman was death threatened on a Jihadist website
The poster, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, was reacting to what he said David Letterman did after the US military announced on June 5 that a drone strike in Pakistan had killed al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri.[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Umar al-Basrawi wrote:
“Is there not amongst you a Sayyid Nosair al-Masri (may Allah release him) to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever. Just as Sayyid (may Allah release him) did with the Jew Kahane.”
[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]Al-Basrawi also wrote that David Letterman had made reference to both Osama bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman had demonstrated on his neck how Kashmiri died.
Sayyid Nosair al-Masri was tried for the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1990.
According to Adam Raisman, SITE analyst, the Shumukh-al-Islam forum is a site where messages from Al Qaeda frequently first appear online in the United States.
“It’s a clearing house for Al-Qaeda material. It gets the most Al-Qaeda supporters,” he said.
Adam Raisman ranked the threat as more worrisome than the “warning” posted against South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone last year.
“This was a more explicit threat,” he said.
“It was direct and to the point.”
David Letterman, who is not Jewish, apparently made jokes on the accused terrorist leader Ilyas Kashmiri death, who was killed by an US airstrike in Pakistan on June 5. The forum contributor said Letterman put a hand to his neck and demonstrated the “way of slaughter.”
“He showed his evil nature and deep hatred for Islam and Muslims, and said that Ilyas Kashmiri was killed and he joined bin Laden,” he wrote.
“We ask Allah to paralyze his tongue and grant the sincere monotheists his neck.”
[youtube LHQSTg-oXEI]
The news was first reported by Stars and Stripes.
SITE group is now trying to find out more information about the commenter, who has more than 1,200 messages on the forum. Adam Raisman also advised David Letterman to take “as much precaution as he would with an obsessed fan.”
Former Egyptian leader, Hosni Mubarak’s trial has been adjourned until next month, but judge says proceedings will no longer be televised.
Ahmed Rifaat, the Mubarak’s trial judge said the court would reconvene on September 5 to hear evidence, ruling that the trial, which was being broadcast live by many channels and on big screens outside the court, should not be televised until sentencing.
Ahmed Rifaat, the Mubarak’s trial judge said the broadcast ban is in protection of the general interest.
Judge Rifaat also ordered that Mubarak‘s trial should be merged with proceedings against his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, whose trial had already been adjourned until September 5.
Hosni Mubarak, 83, who has mostly been confined to hospital since he was toppled by mass protests in February, was wheeled into the Cairo court on a stretcher as the trial resumed on Monday morning.
Mubarak appeared into the courtroom in a caged defendants’ box, dressed in a navy blue sports sweater, wearing an intravenous needle implanted in his left hand.
[youtube d2ooEkFQEM0]
His sons, Gamal and Alaa, who face corruption charges, came along with him.
Inside the courthouse, lawyers for the relatives of the killed protesters shouted and bickered before the judge arrived in the room, apparently over seats.
Hosni Mubarak is charged with conspiring in killing of protesters and abusing his power to amass wealth.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] Meanwhile, Mubarak was waiting on the stretcher with hands clasped over his chest.
Mubarak, who is charged with conspiring in killing of protesters and abusing his power to amass wealth, answered, “present”, when the judge called his name.
Defence lawyers called for hundreds of witnesses to testify in the case, including the head of Egypt’s ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who was Mubarak’s defence minister for 20 years.
[youtube Pgdx1hkuam4]
Hussein Tantawi’s possible testimony on the former leader’s role in trying to suppress the 18 days uprising, in which about 850 people were killed, is considered critical by many to the outcome of the case.
“Tantawi’s testimony would help the court determine whether Mubarak gave orders to interior minister Habib al-Adly to fire at protesters or whether Adly was acting independently,” said one member of the defence team.
Lawyers for the families of those killed have demanded Tantawi testify in the trial too.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]
5,000 riot police officers were deployed along with armoured cars outside the courthouse to keep apart the scores of pro- and anti-Mubarak protesters watching the proceedings of the trial on a giant screen.
Egypt’s interior ministry has reported that at least 34 people have been injured outside the police academy where anti and pro-Mubarak protesters clashed.
Mubarak made his first court appearance on August 3 and he is the first Arab state’s leader to stand trial in person since popular uprisings spread across the Middle-East. Mubarak faces charges that could carry the death penalty.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]So You Think You Can Dance 2011 Finale
From left: Marko Germar, Sasha Mallory, Melanie Moore and Tadd Gadduang (C) Adam Rose/FOX
The 2011 finale of So You Think You Can Dance was a display of strong performances, the four finalists gave their best. Head judge Nigel Lythgoe remarked in a comment on Thursday night that the winner will be one of the two remaining women: Sasha Mallory or Melanie Moore.
After 11.5 million votes the competition came down to the two women.
The winner with almost 50 percent of the Top Four vote was Melanie Moore. She was crowned America’s Favorite Dancer.
“You two are both exquisite dancers, you have both been amazing,” Cat Deeley told the dual finalists – only moments before announcing the winner. For the first time in all the eight seasons two females were the top contestants.
The crowning was a beautiful moment, the crowds cheering and confetti falling upon everyone, pyrotechnics making her face seem even more glamorous and Moore was crowned America’s Favorite Dancer.
[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]”Thank you,” is what she could utter as tears flowed heavily down her beautiful face, smiling, right then she was lifted on their arms by the entire Top 20.
The rest of the contestants for the So You Think You Can Dance finale came Mallory second with a 32 percent of the vote; Germar, third; and Gadduang, fourth.
So You Think You Can Dance 2011 Finale – the toughest contest
[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”] In the beginning there were thousands and thousands of wannabes, nine weeks ago, and it came down to only twenty dancers fighting for the $250k prize and a sponsorship deal. After the weeks went by, only four contestants, some would argue the best, made it to the finals.
Moore, 19, of Marietta, Ga., had been the highest rated contestant from the start of the season when she and Germar amazed the judges with their statue routine. Moore was imersed in to the material and seemed to enjoy every new partnership. This lead to her being called an “actress”, in addition of being a dancer.
Mallory, 23, of Bakersfield, Calif., was tied to Alexander Fost in the beginning, but they didn’t reach an understanding, they had no chemistry. After they were separated she immediately climbed to the top with emotional routines – such as her wall routine in season 7’s with Kent Boyd – as well as strong and powerful, like the breakfast table routine from season 4, when Twitch was her partner.
The Final Four’s only B-Boy, Gadduang, 25, born in West Valley City, Utah, was named the underdog because he was forced to dance out of his style all season long. His “ace-in-the-sleeve” was his “sweetie-pie factor” and that’s what won Murphy over, even though he was the only finalist from the four who was perpetually at the bottom of this season.
The Guam native, Germar, 22, had began the competition at a disadvantage, after having been shot in the shoulder just a couple of years ago, but he didn’t let his shoulder injury hold him back and judge Mary Murphy even said that he’s to be “a beast just like the girls.” When his mother came from Guam to watch him dance he broke into tears. He’s a “crier,”, in his own words.
If you are an adrenalin lover, you will go for almost any challenge, but would you accept to try deadly delicacies?
It is not about fast-food or so called junk food. We all know about it, but most of us just live on the edge every day eating it. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”] Wherever there are some exotic, original and dangerous delicacies, there are people willing to taste them. The reason is quite obvious: simply because they exist it’s worth to try them.
You are what you eat, they say. If I eat a fish I’ll become one? Definetly not, but there is some chance to become… dead instantly. Fugu or puffer-fish is an expensive sashimi dish. This deadly delicacy is popular in Japan, but prohibited in Europe. There are a few restaurants in US and in Korea where this “Russian roulette of sushi” is served. The internal organs of this fish contain tetrodotoxin, therefore it has to be prepared carefully, or else… it is possible to end up paralyzed and expired in a very short time.
Despite its notoriety, fugu is not the only life-threatening dish, neither the most dangerous, nor the most commonly served deadly delicacy. Stonefish produce venom, but when it’s cooked, it loses its potency. If it’s served raw (sashimi dish Okoze) its venomous dorsal fins are eliminated. Fugu and silverstripe blaasop do not secrete venom, but they are toxic because of bacteria in their diets. Their internal organ have to be removed carefully prior serving.
Deadly Delicacies: Size comparison of a Echizen kurage next to a diver Source: Wikipedia
Echizen kurage is an enormous, poisonous jellyfish that lives in swarms in the Japan waters. Like fugu or silverstripe blaasop the toxic parts have to be attentively eliminated and the jellyfish has to be properly cooked for safe consumption, as one of the (potentially) deadly delicacies, of course.
Blood clams are native to waters around the world and are cultivated in Southeast Asia. The redness that gives these cockles their name is due to a high level of hemocyanins. Blood clams, considered one of the most tasteful Chinese delicacies, are flavored with a fermented tofu (fulu) sauce. If it’s not boiled enough, there are some risks that hepatitis A, E, viruses, typhoid, and dysentery bacilli could remain present.
The giant bullfrog, that grows to the size of a cat and contains enough poison to be lethal, is a delicacy in Namibia. The Namibians eat the entire giant bullfrog except for the internal organs. If it is eaten prematurely (“before the third rain”) can cause urethritis or acute renal failure. Locally this frog-induced disease is known as Oshiketakata.
San nak ji (raw baby octopus) is served in Korea. The octopus is dismembered, sesame oil is added, and immediately the tentacles are brought to the table. Lots of the tentacles will still be moving around. They could deploy venom if you try to swallow them.[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]
You don’t have to look only to animals in order to find deadly delicacies. There are a lot of plants that are potentially lethal.
[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. This fruit look like a bulb and has the appearence and taste of scrambled eggs when cooked. It’s often eaten as breakfast. The time has to be right for that meal. Ackee can cause extreme nausea if consumed when it’s not ripe enough. It contains hypoglycine. The effects are critical: quickly lowering one’s blood sugar and ensuring violent illness or death. The condition caused by inadequate use is called “Jamaican vomiting sickness” and can bring even death to children.
Like ackee, eating cassava is a dietary habbit in the tropics. In Africa and South America cassava is used to bake breads, ground into pastes and fried into cakes. The root contains enough cyanide to kill. If is not washed and prepared properly, it can have bad consequences.
Progressive telomere shortening characterizes familial breast cancer patients
Telomere chromosome
Telomeres, the complex structures that protect the end of chromosomes, of peripheral blood cells are significantly shorter in patients with familial breast cancer than in the general population. Results of the study carried out by the Human Genetics Group of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Javier Benitez, to be published in open-access journal PLoS Genetics on July 28th, reflect that familial, but not sporadic, breast cancer cases are characterized by shorter telomeres. Importantly, they also provide evidence for telomere shortening as a mechanism of genetic anticipation, the successively earlier onset of cancer down generations.
Mutations in two DNA repair genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, characterize some, but not all, instances of hereditary breast cancer. Non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families are heterogeneous, suggesting the existence of other genes conferring susceptibility. The group has investigated the role of telomere length in hereditary breast cancer based on previous information suggesting, first, that short telomeres and subsequent genomic instability contribute to malignant transformation; second, that genetic anticipation occurs in breast cancer families and, third, that telomere shortening is associated with anticipation in other genetic diseases. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]
By analyzing telomere length differences between mothers and daughters from breast cancer families, the authors demonstrated that genetic anticipation is associated with a decrease in telomere length in affected daughters relative to their mothers.
The results allowed the authors not only to conclude that women carrying BRCA1/2 mutation have chromosomes with short telomeres, but also to describe for the first time that genetic anticipation in breast cancer could be explained by telomere shortening. In addition, the study expands the field of research concerning genetic predisposition to breast cancer to include genes involved in telomere maintenance. The significance of generational changes in telomere length has interesting potential clinical applications in the management of familial breast cancer, and could be extended to other hereditary cancer syndromes.
###
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: This work was supported by Asociación Española Contra el Cancer (AECC) and Spanish Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (grant numbers FISPI081298 and FIS-PI081120). The CIBER de Enfermedades Raras is an initiative of the ISCIII. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
CITATION: Martinez-Delgado B, Yanowsky K, Inglada-Perez L, Domingo S, Urioste M, et al. (2011) Genetic Anticipation Is Associated with Telomere Shortening in Hereditary Breast Cancer. PLoS Genet 7(7): e1002182. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002182
Contact: Dr. Beatriz Martinez-Delgado and Dr. Javier Benitez Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) Human Genetics Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3 Madrid 28029 SPAIN [email protected] [email protected]
Disclaimer
This press release refers to an upcoming article in PLoS Genetics. The release is provided by journal staff, or by the article authors and/or their institutions. Any opinions expressed in this release or article are the personal views of the journal staff and/or article contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLoS. PLoS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the releases and articles and your use of such information.
About PLoS Genetics
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]PLoS Genetics (http://www.plosgenetics.org) reflects the full breadth and interdisciplinary nature of genetics and genomics research by publishing outstanding original contributions in all areas of biology. All works published in PLoS Genetics are open access. Everything is immediately and freely available online throughout the world subject only to the condition that the original authorship and source are properly attributed. Copyright is retained by the authors. The Public Library of Science uses the Creative Commons Attribution License. [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”centrat”]
About the Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world’s scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org.
Potential breakthrough in cancer research: a new treatment for leukemia had amazing results.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network informs us via twitter that his team has reached an agreement with former Titan Vince Young. This is almost two years to this date, when the Eagles acquired former No. 1 draft pick Michael Vick.
Vince Young might certainly become familiar with a point or two through Vick: Vick offers figured out how to be a trusted passer along with having other-worldly operating ability, and Vick has become a college student of the sport as well as group leader rather than a guy who believes his organic skill means he or she doesn’t need to work hard.
Vince Young, 2006 through 1st game of 2008 before injury and losing job to Collins: 57.3% completions, 6.41 yards per attempt, 22 TD to 32 INT, 6.4% sack rate
Vince Young, since regaining job in 2009 until incident last year following thumb injury: 59.0% completions, 7.55 yards per attempt, 20 TD to 10 INT, 5.0% sack rate
Vince Young | Quarterback [googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Team:
Philadelphia Eagles
Ht / Wt:
6’5′ / 232
Age / DOB:
(28) / 5/18/1983
College:
Texas
7/29/2011:
Signed a one-year contract.
[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]
[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”dreapta”]
Wishing good luck to Vince Young in his new position.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Prev