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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Camping resets your internal clock, say researchers

Getting away from artificial light can recalibrate your sleep cycles so that they are more similar to those of our ancestors, researchers suggest.

By Joel N. Shurkin,?Inside Science News Service Contributor / August 1, 2013

A girl plays in her tent at Cabrillo State Park, Calif. in 2003.

Robert Harbison/The Christian Science Monitor/File

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Throughout most of human history, humans went to bed shortly after the sun went down and woke up in the morning as it rose. There were candles and later oil lamps, but the light was not very bright so people still went to bed early.

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Then came Thomas Edison and the incandescent light bulb and everything changed, including our sleeping habits. So, if you have problems getting to sleep at night or are a miserable person to be around in the morning, blame him.

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder found that if you live by the sun's schedule, you are more likely to go to bed at least an hour earlier, wake up an hour earlier, and be less groggy, because your internal clock and external reality are more in sync. The sun adjusts your clock to what may be its natural state, undoing the influence of light bulbs.?

The work is published in the current issue of the journal?Current Biology.

The disconnect between the outside environment and sleep is one reason why even native Alaskans have problems sleeping in the almost endless days of the Arctic summers, and get depressed during the long nights of winters.

The subjects in the Colorado study lived more normal lives.

"We weren?t studying people who had sleep difficulties," said Kenneth Wright, an integrative psychologist at Boulder. "The amount of sleep they got did not change. What changed was the timing of their sleep and the timing of their [internal] clock relative to when they slept."

The researchers took eight adults, average age around 30, and followed them around the normal course of their lives for a week. The subjects spent most of their time indoors while working, studying, eating, and sleeping. Most of the light they encountered was?artificial. Then, they sent the same people out camping.

Sleep and light were measured daily and the hormone melatonin every hour across 24 hours, once after the week of living at home, going to work, school, and then after a week of camping.

Melatonin is the "hormone of darkness," said Namni Goel, a psychologist and sleep researcher at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Scientists use the hormone to measure photoperiods, or the physiological response that organisms have to cycles of daylight and darkness.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/zN243ihtyRE/Camping-resets-your-internal-clock-say-researchers

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Former West Fulton resident receives military honor

It?s A recognition 68 years in the making for a man originally from West Fulton.

Millard ?Lefty? Palmer, 87, received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor at the American Legion Hall in Fairfax, Virginia.

The Times Journal reports Palmer saved a 1945 bombing mission in Japan, by manually releasing the bombs when equipment malfunctioned.

Read the full story in the Times-Journal by clicking here.

Source: http://schoharie.wnyt.com/news/people/415182-former-west-fulton-resident-receives-military-honor

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Wal-Mart debate: Low-wage jobs better than no jobs?

Employing 1.4 million people in the United States, Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the nation. With such a massive workforce, its labor practices and poor relationship with unions made the company a go-to example for lawmakers in Washington when they considered the issue of minimum wage this month.

They have made it difficult for the retailer to set up operations in large cities like New York because union-friendly politicians and unions themselves; residents also throw up barriers, which often include demands that the company pay higher minimum wages.

In June, the Washington D.C. city council approved a bill called the Large Retailer Accountability Act -- also known as the living wage law -- that requires big box stores, those doing business in spaces with more than 75,000 square feet and more than $1 billion in annual sales, to increase the minimum wage paid to employees there from $8.25 to $12.50 per hour.

The introduction of the minimum wage bill raised concerns for Wal-Mart, which has threatened to cancel some of its six planned stores in the area if the bill is signed into law. "This legislation is arbitrary and discriminatory," and "it discourages investment in Washington," Wal-Mart executive Alex Barron wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post several weeks ago.

Chicago had its own brief tryst with a living wage bill: in 2006, the city's lawmakers debated passing a measure that would force big retailers to pay $10 an hour plus benefits. Beale voted in favor of the living wage, but then-Mayor Richard Daley vetoed the bill, paving the way for Wal-Mart's expansion. Last week, the retailer opened its ninth store in Chicago, where it employs approximately 2,000 workers.

The next store, a Wal-Mart SuperCenter, will open its doors this fall in Chicago's South Side neighborhood, adding 400 jobs at an $8.75 hourly rate to the community's economy. For Beale, this is a bittersweet event. "These are not jobs where you can pay a mortgage or raise a family," he told Bloomberg. "I am a supporter of a living wage. But without Wal-Mart, my site would still be vacant."

This quandary ? which pits politicians' desires to create jobs with livable wages against the need to attract businesses to their communities and embrace job creation initiatives ? is also troubling Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray. He must decide within the next several days to either sign or veto the Large Retailer Accountability Act.

The city council approved the bill earlier this month by a vote of 8 to 5, with civic, religious, and labor leaders lobbying intensely in favor of the measure. If Gray decides to sign the living wage act, Wal-Mart has pledged to halt at least three urban renewal projects it has started in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods. Home Depot, Target, and Macy's have also said they might forgo expansions if the bill becomes law.

According to statistics compiled by the Urban Institute, more than 140 cities and counties have approved living wage ordinances in the past two decades.

Even though the economy has started its recovery, income inequality has surged. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are posting new record highs, but from 2009 ? when the Great Recession officially ended ? and 2011, 121% of income gains went to the richest 1% of the population, economists Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty told CBS News.

Comparatively, the remaining 99% saw their incomes fall by 0.5% during the same period. That reality, plus the economy's increasing dependence on low-wage jobs, has given added momentum to the idea that all workers should earn enough to pay for basic necessities.

President Obama said the federal minimum wage should increase to $9 from $7.35, but lawmakers have done nothing in that arena, and Congress last voted to raise minimum wage in 2007. The fact that any attempts to raise minimum wage have stalled has given activists even more urgency. As the number of low-wage positions increase due to the structural shift from an industrial to a services-based economy, workers are losing ground. In the years between 2002 and 2012, real median wages dropped by at least 5% in five of the top 10 low-wage jobs, including food preparers and housekeepers.

Gray now faces a very difficult choice in deciding whether to give employers like Wal-Mart an ultimatum that could limit job creation in the city.

In Chicago, where the "any and all job creation" mentality won out in 2006, civic leaders are actually unsure if Wal-Mart jobs have been much of a benefit. "I wouldn't say the city was worse off. But if we were doing a living wage, everybody would be better off," Booker Vance, pastor of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church and a veteran of the city's living wage battle, told Bloomberg. "People are still scraping and scrambling and trying to make ends meet. In that sense we're not better off."

As for Wal-Mart, a company spokesman Steven Restivo said that local leaders made a mistake by singling out a single industry in retail. "Local governments should adopt policies that encourage job creation and economic development rather than create arbitrary hurdles that create an unlevel playing field," he told the publication.

Wall St. Cheat Sheet is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomMoney-TopStories/~3/6dPbb39_aFE/

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Friday, August 2, 2013

Bollywood's Priyanka Chopra targets stereotypes in Hollywood

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has a higher mission than just making it in Hollywood: she wants to break down stereotypes of Indians in Tinseltown's eyes and maybe make things easier for her compatriots who live in the United States.

Here's her first lesson: "We don't travel on elephants, there aren't any snake charmers on the side of the road, everybody doesn't talk like Apu from 'The Simpsons,'" the actress says, with a bit of a laugh.

Chopra, 31, is one of the biggest stars to emerge in Indian film in recent years, alongside Bollywood heavyweights Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, with big budget franchises such as "Krrish" and "Don." She has also won plaudits for taking on unconventional roles, most recently playing an autistic woman in 2012's "Barfi!"

But in her latest role as an eye-catching animated racing airplane in Disney's global adventure "Planes," Chopra said she is hoping to cross the boundaries of Bollywood to Hollywood.

"This is a very global movie. You have characters from all across the world, and I think for kids, it's great to understand that there's so many different kinds of culture and people out there," the actress told Reuters on Thursday.

Chopra first rose to fame in 2000, winning the Miss World beauty pageant and transitioning into Bollywood film. But the journey has not come easily for the actress, who said she had to learn the ropes of acting.

"I was 17 years old, I didn't know anything. I just went with my gut and I wanted to take a chance," she said, adding "I've made so many mistakes along the way."

Chopra is currently in production on a biopic about Indian Olympic boxing champion Mary Kom, and learning to box herself, Chopra said the role was "the most difficult film I've ever done."

"Mary is a national icon. She's a five-time world champion, a mother of three kids, an Olympic medalist and she has an incredible story," the actress said.

"The challenge was that I have to learn a completely new sport and play a living, breathing person," she added.

Chopra, who was born and raised in India and also spent a few years living in the United States in her teens, has conquered the ranks of Bollywood, but cracking into Hollywood has presented its own challenges.

"There is a very big stereotype with Indian actors, and you get only Indian parts. There is a stereotype that there's a certain accent and there's a certain vibe and how is that cool. I felt a lot of that and I really want to be able to change that, for people to be proud of their roots," the actress said.

POP ALBUM, TOP PRODUCER

Chopra's step into Hollywood coincides with her foray into pop music, releasing her first single, "Exotic", featuring rapper Pitbull from her upcoming yet-to-be-titled album.

The album is being overseen by renowned pop music producer RedOne, who has worked with Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Lopez, and is expected in early 2014. It will feature more collaborations with other artists, although Chopra said it was too early to reveal any names.

"My album is like me - eclectic in my taste." said Chopra. "I like a little bit of everything, so my album has ballad, mid tempos, pop, a little rap, EDM...a little bit of everything."

With her music and film career expanding outside of Bollywood, Chopra said she was now in a position to change common misconceptions that people may have about India.

"It was really hard for me when I went to school in America, and I don't want that to happen to any more kids or people who come from my part of the world. So if I can do something to change that perception, I'd be happy," she said.

(Editing by Mary Milliken)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bollywoods-priyanka-chopra-targets-stereotypes-hollywood-005706511.html

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Curiosity's First Year on Mars In a Whirlwind Two Minute Timelapse

It's hard to believe it, but Curiosity has been out there roving the Red Planet for almost a year already. And like any good space vehicle, it has been meticulously documenting its every step(?). That's a lot of documentation, so here's the quick version: 12 months in two minutes. Ready? Go.

SEC official says 'gratified' by Tourre trial verdict

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission official said the agency was "gratified" by a jury's finding on Thursday that former Goldman Sachs Inc banker Fabrice Tourre was liable for fraud.

"We will continue to vigorously seek to hold accountable, and bring to trial when necessary, those who commit fraud on Wall Street," said Andrew Ceresney, the SEC's co-director of enforcement.

Tourre was found liable on six of seven counts by a Manhattan federal jury in a civil case brought by the SEC. He was found to have violated federal securities law with his role in a failed mortgage deal.

(Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Steve Orlosky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sec-official-says-gratified-tourre-trial-verdict-195338974.html

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Japan minister retracts Nazi remarks

1 August 2013 Last updated at 04:17 ET

Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso has retracted remarks suggesting that the country could learn from Nazi Germany's constitutional reform.

Mr Aso said on Monday Japan could "learn the technique" Nazi Germany used to change the Weimar constitution.

The remarks come amid debate in Japan over its pacifist constitution, which restricts the military to a self-defence role.

Mr Aso's comments drew criticism from neighbouring China and South Korea.

"I retract my remarks in which I cited the Nazis as an example, as it has ended up leading to misunderstanding," Mr Aso, who is also finance minister and a former prime minister, told reporters on Thursday.

"It is clear from all my remarks that I have an extremely negative view of the events involving the Nazis and the Weimar constitution."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters: "I want to make it clear that the [Prime Minister Shinzo] Abe cabinet will never view the Nazi government positively".

'Nazi tactics' Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

Such remarks definitely hurt many people?

End Quote Cho Tai-young South Korean foreign ministry spokesman

On Monday, Mr Aso had said in a speech that: "The German Weimar constitution changed, without being noticed, to the Nazi German constitution. Why don't we learn from their tactics?"

In 1933 after a fire burned down the German parliament, Adolf Hitler, who was chancellor at the time, and President Paul von Hindenburg enforced a state of emergency, suspending civic freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.

Hitler then successfully passed the Enabling Act, which meant he could pass laws without consulting parliament - a move viewed as crucial to consolidating his grip on power.

Retracting the remarks on Thursday, Mr Aso said he highlighted the case as "as a bad example of changes made without a substantial debate or understanding by the citizens".

In response to Mr Aso's Monday speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that Mr Aso's comments had alarmed Japan's neighbours, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

"We demand the Japanese side reflect on its history, fulfil its commitments on historical issues and win the trust of Asian neighbours and the international community through concrete actions," Mr Hong said.

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young said the "remarks definitely hurt many people".

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes... land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained?

End Quote Article 9, Japanese constitution

"It is clear what such comments on the [Nazi] regime mean to people of the time and to those who [suffered] from Japan's imperialistic invasion", he said.

'Expand and deepen'

Constitutional reform is a delicate issue in Japan. Under Article 9 of its post-war constitution, Japan is blocked from the use of force to resolve conflicts except in the case of self-defence.

But Mr Abe - who now controls both houses of parliament after a win in last month's upper house polls - has indicated he wants to re-examine the role of Japan's military to meet the changing security environment in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Abe has said he wants to "expand and deepen" debate over the constitution in order to ease tight restrictions on the armed forces - something China and South Korea, which were invaded by Japan during WWII, are opposed to.

Mr Aso, his deputy, has made verbal gaffes in the past. During his term as prime minister, he accused doctors of lacking common sense and called the elderly a "feeble" group - despite his party relying heavily on older voters to keep it in power.

In May, Osaka's Mayor Toru Hashimoto came under fire after he said that "comfort women", women who were forced to become prostitutes for Japan's WWII troops, were "necessary".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23527300

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Thursday, August 1, 2013

J.C. Penney Can't Be Saved: Najarian | Breakout - Yahoo! Finance

[unable to retrieve full-text content]From the blog Breakout: Shares of J.C. Penney (JCP) are recovering today after plunging 10% yesterday on rumors that liquidity problems could end the struggling retailer's ability to get goods shipped to its stores. According ...

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/j-c-penney-t-saved-najarian-140609107.html

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Confusion over reports that Carter heading to N. Korea

Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

The White House on Monday clarified it was not confirming that former President Jimmy Carter was planning a trip to North Korea to help negotiate the release of an American prisoner.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

U.S. officials on Monday denied confirmation of reports that former President Jimmy Carter was traveling to North Korea and said any such venture would be considered "a private trip," a White House spokesperson said.?

When asked at a briefing with reporters on Monday, deputy White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Carter ?is traveling to North Korea on a private trip. He's doing that in his personal capacity."

But shortly after, the White House said it was not confirming the trip, reported by Asian media, and said any such venture would be done without the cooperation of the Obama administration.

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki was asked the same question, she referred reporters to a Carter Center statement that denied the former commander-in-chief had plans to visit the country.

Radio Free Asia reported that Carter was planning to head to the reclusive country to negotiate the release of American Kenneth Bae, who was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after being convicted for charges that he was attempting to overthrow the government.

In 2010, Cater assisted in the release of Boston native Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been jailed for entering the country illegally.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2f4ed539/sc/7/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C290C197570A680Econfusion0Eover0Ereports0Ethat0Ecarter0Eheading0Eto0En0Ekorea0Dlite/story01.htm

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Officials: Indyk to shepherd Mideast peace talks

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. officials say Secretary of State John Kerry will name former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk (IHN'-dihk) to shepherd Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that begin Monday in Washington.

The officials say Kerry would name Indyk Monday at the State Department, a day after he announced the resumption of the long-stalled negotiations. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly before Kerry's mid-morning announcement.

Indyk, currently at the Brookings Institution think tank, served as former President Bill Clinton's ambassador to Israel and was a key part of the failed 2000 Camp David peace talks.

Indyk served as special assistant to Clinton and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs at the National Security Council from 1993 to 1995. He was also assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in the State Department from 1997 to 2000.

Before working in government, Indyk was founding executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Indyk replaces David Hale, who had served until last month as an interim special envoy.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are resuming long-stalled direct peace talks on Monday following Kerry's six months of frenetic shuttle diplomacy.

The State Department announced Sunday that the two sides had accepted invitations from Kerry to come to Washington "to formally resume direct final status negotiations." Initial meetings begin Monday evening.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-29-US-Mideast-Talks-Kerry/id-236f26bf7fd74299933a0b18e9fc4a10

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Monday, July 29, 2013

ICON Releases Most Charming Dress Up App on Apple's App Store

[prMac.com] McLean, Virginia - ICON, LLC has announced the release of DressApp Adventure 1.0, a brand new dress up game on Apple's App Store. To celebrate its launch, DressApp Adventure is currently free. Do you dream of sailing the high seas as a Pirate, soaring to new heights as an Astronaut, digging dirt as an Explorer or ruling a tribe as a Princess? Now you can bring those dreams to your iPhone, iPod and iPad with DressApp Adventure.

Get DressApp Adventure now and become a brave adventurer: Pirate, Astronaut, Explorer or Princess. Explore the whimsical world of each adventurer, dress them up in style, accessorize them and add tools. Then play fun games of completing patterns using their clothes and tools.

Climb yourself up the leaderboards of DressApp on Game Center. Beat your own best score. Capture your latest creation from within the app. Share with your friends and show off how smart and stylish you are. DressApp Adventure is a universal app designed for iPhone, iPod touch and plays in HD on the iPad. DressApp Adventure is optimized for and looks awesome on the new iPhone 5.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Optimized for iPhone 5
* Requires iOS 4.3 or later
* Universal Application

Pricing and Availability:
Take advantage of the free launch special and download the new smart dress up game. DressApp Adventure 1.0 is free for a limited time, exclusively through the App Store in the Game and Entertainment categories.

ICON, LLC is a technology company with extensive expertise in intelligent software development. ICON, LLC is focused on emerging technologies for mobile enterprise applications. Copyright (C) 2013 ICON, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

###

Source: http://prmac.com/release-id-59891.htm

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Veteran Free Agents Still on the Market

For NBA players who find themselves unemployed as the calendar keeps ticking days toward August, it's hard for paranoia to not set in.

Rookies and young players have to start assessing their overseas options in hopes of a payday, with every tryout and training camp invite serving as one last vestige of hope away from the $24,000 maximum in life as a D-Leaguer.

And, then, there are the veterans. For players of a certain age, mortality starts setting in right about the time you don't get a call at 12:01 a.m. on July 1. The NBA is said to be a fraternity?once you're in, you're in. Only once those calls start drying up and the offers start getting lesser do players begin dealing with the harsh realities of a future without basketball.

Such is the case right about now for plenty of notable veterans. While there are still a few teams remaining with cap space and a desire for bench help, the overwhelming preponderance of organizations have nearly filled out their rosters.

Only mini mid-level exceptions and veteran minimum contracts are being offered?and only tepidly so. The market will only continue to dry up as August rolls around, so it will be an interesting few days and weeks for names we're plenty used seeing on an NBA floor.?

With that in mind, here is a complete breakdown of all the latest free-agency rumblings surrounding veteran talent.?

Lamar Odom Warming to Lakers Reunion, Lakers Not so Much?

If there's one thing we know about Lamar Odom, it's that he likes candy. If there are two things we know about Lamar Odom, it's that he likes candy and is married to a Kardashian. But, if there are three things we know about him, that's when we get to the actual basketball stuff.

Well, kind of. We know that Odom likes playing basketball in Los Angeles?or at least somewhere with a beach. If it's somewhere where there's warm weather, a never-ending supply of Skittles and in a city open to reality television stars, then Odom could be had.

Last season Odom made his return to the Los Angeles Clippers, the team that drafted him out of Rhode Island all the way back in 1999. Suffice it to say things didn't go as planned. Odom's return to sunny SoCal was supposed to reinvigorate the offensively gifted forward after he went through a hellish 50-game stint with the Dallas Mavericks a year prior.

Odom's 82-game stint with the Clippers somehow went even worse. Though not as divisive a force in the locker room as he had been in Dallas, Odom suffered through the worst statistical year of his career. He averaged career lows in points (four) and minutes (19.7) per game while shooting below 40 percent for the second consecutive season.

The Clippers scored nearly five points per 100 possessions fewer with Odom on the floor, though it's fair to point out most of his minutes came with the second unit. Los Angeles was also strangely a borderline elite defensive team with him on the floor, which is either an indictment on DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin or a statistical outlier brought forth by plenty of minutes with Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes.

Considering Odom's Lakers teams were by and large better with Odom on the floor defensively, we'll give him some credit. However, one has to wonder how much a player who spent his entire regular season getting back into shape really helped all that much.

Digressions aside, Odom has made no formal announcement on his future. The Clippers have long since moved on in free agency, meaning the Lakers would be his only L.A.-based option. Could a reunion be in the works? According to Kevin Ding of the?Orange County Register, Odom has considered it, but the Lakers aren't that interested:

Should Lakers bring back Lamar Odom?

Total votes: 777

Considering the way things ended?first with the David Stern-vetoed trade to New Orleans and then a deal to Dallas for peanuts?it's safe to say Los Angeles is glad it got out of the Lamar Odom business while it could. His past two seasons have proved Mitch Kupchak correct in sending Odom elsewhere, though the Lakers' moves elsewhere have backfired quite a bit (see: Howard, Dwight).

The only reason the Lakers should express any interest is simple: What more do they have to lose? Odom, assuming he would take the minimum, is a low-risk player who could still be effective if motivated. Considering their starting 2-guard would probably be Nick "Swaggy P" Young if the season started today, the Lakers could do a whole lot worse.

Delonte West on Radars of Knicks and Grizzlies?

Unlike Odom, Delonte West was an effective player the last time he set foot on an NBA floor. He averaged 9.6 points and 3.2 assists in 44 games with the Mavericks in 2011-12, knocking down open threes and doing all the things that make him a valuable backup.

But, as it has many times during his career, West's personality defects quickly wore out his welcome with the Mavericks. Dallas suspended West for his part in an argument between teammates last October, later choosing to cut the 30-year-old guard rather than try to work things out.

Always a difficult personality?West suffers from bipolar disorder, a disease that has been the root cause of many of his problems?the remaining 29 NBA teams chose to follow the Mavericks' path.

He later tried making a comeback with the Texas Legends of the D-League, starting eight games before the season came to a close. The rust of missing more than three months of action showed, as West averaged just 10.3 points per game and shot 35.1 percent from the field.

West spoke of the difficulty he faced watching last season as an unemployed NBA veteran, per SLAM's?Tzvi Twersky:

I had tears in my eyes watching games this past year ? not because I?m bipolar, but because I?m sitting at home and miss the game.?When my agent calls, I?m going to be on the next flight. Not to be cocky, but some teams that are trying to win are one guard away, one guy that can make a couple great plays away from going to the Finals.

It seems one year away from the game hasn't done much to hurt West's confidence?though whether that's a good or bad thing remains up to interpretation. As for whether any team has any tangible interest in putting a happy bow on this semi-tragic story, it seems like the answer is a very tepid yes.

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com is reporting that both the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks have reached out to West's representatives. The talks are said to be??preliminary at this point," and no formal offers have been made at this time.

It's unlikely West would garner anything more than a veteran's minimum deal with a minuscule guarantee?if any guarantee whatsoever.

From an entertainment standpoint alone, I hope he goes to the Knicks. Putting West in a locker room with Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, Metta World Peace, Carmelo Anthony and Iman Shumpert would be off the charts on the unintentional comedy scale. I would probably pay $10 per month to watch their interactions on a?Big Brother-like feed.

Can we just make this happen already? Yes? Yes.

Memphis in on Mo Williams Too?

Perhaps one of the more perplexing veterans still out on the market is Mo Williams. We've long reached the point where most attribute his All-Star game selection to the deifying hands of LeBron James, but Williams remains a valuable offensive player who has started for much of the last nine seasons.

The 30-year-old guard spent the 2012-13 season with the Utah Jazz, again getting the nightly nod despite struggling with injury. He averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 assists per game, continuing to space the floor and knock down long-range jumpers.

Despite the expectation that this past season would be his last as a starter, few expected Williams to be looking at the August half-offer sheets.

But as it does to many veterans, contractual expectations priced him out of the market early, and teams quickly moved on to secondary targets. Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld noted Williams was so discouraged by his lack of long-term offers that he would consider signing a short-term deal with a contender.

Well, it looks like Williams has found that contender. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Memphis Grizzlies have thrown their hat in the ring on the Williams chase:

Should he sign in Memphis, Williams would serve multiple purposes?all of which would improve the Grizzlies' championship effort. He would give Mike Conley a reliable backup who can distribute and play off the ball?a role?Jerryd Bayless could only intermittently fill last season. And, more importantly, Williams would be a floor-spacer and a long-range shooter on a team firmly in need of both traits.

No team attempted fewer three-pointers last season than Memphis. The Grizzlies also shot a dreadful 34.5 percent on those shots, a clip that was better than only six other franchises. Memphis' lack of shooting came up in a big way during the Western Conference Finals, where the San Antonio Spurs essentially ignored Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince on the wing.?

Adding Williams wouldn't solve those ills but would go a long way toward helping. The Western Conference got markedly better this offseason, while the oft-injured Mike Miller represents the Grizzlies' biggest haul in free agency. A healthy Miller will help solve those spacing problems; adding Williams might make them a thing of the past.?

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1718231-nba-rumors-latest-buzz-on-veteran-free-agents-still-on-the-market

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Exhibition offers for the first time a parade of the most beautiful circus costumes

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Source: www.artdaily.org --- Saturday, July 27, 2013
Like the Parade when the circus comes to town, this exhibition presents, for the first time, magnificent costumes and finery from the greatest circus companies in the world. In their braided coats or leotards, decorated with painted motifs, embroidery and sequins ? ringmasters, tragic and comic clowns, horse riders, acrobats, jugglers, animal tamers, trapeze artists and tightrope walkers embody the magic of circus art in a flurry of color and light. The CNCS invites visitors to discover this universe from the first appearance of the modern circus in the 18th century to the mutations of the contemporary circus. Costumes, accessories, trunks, paintings, photographs, posters, costume and makeup models, audiovisual documents, interviews with artists, costume designers and costume makers are being presented at the CNCS. These works come from the most prestigious circuses and ...

Source: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=64018

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What can plants reveal about global climate change?

[unable to retrieve full-text content]While the media continues to present climate change as a controversial issue, many scientists are working hard to gather data, collaborate across disciplines, and use experimental and modeling techniques to track how organisms and ecosystems are responding to the current changes in our Earth's global environment. What role do plants play in helping to regulate climate change and how will they fare in future times?

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/VJ3RTbXIPek/130726112209.htm

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98% Before Midnight

All Critics (159) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (156) | Rotten (3)

Hawke and Delpy remain as charming as ever, and their combined goofiness is more endearing than annoying.

Love is messy here, life cannot be controlled, satisfaction is far from guaranteed. Romance is rocky at best. But romance still is.

Though "Before Midnight" is often uncomfortable to watch, it's never less than mesmerizing - and ultimately, a joy to walk with this prickly but fascinating couple again.

"Before Midnight" is heartbreaking, but not because of Jesse and Celine. It's the filmmakers' passions that seem to have cooled.

Before Midnight is fascinating to watch, and so long as Celine and Jesse are communicating, there's still hope.

How (Jesse and Celine) try to rekindle that flame is what drives Midnight, a film that feels so authentic it's like overhearing a conversation you're not sure you should be hearing.

The reason this film will hold your attention for two hours is because of the natural dialogue between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

Before Midnight is like an old friend who has grown sharper and grumpier and saltier with life; and for students of cinema, the film is a masterclass in the use of the language and tools of this amazing artform to portray human nature

The beauty of this film - like the two before - is its natural flow of conversation and ability to engage and transport us into the moment

The release of each sequel is becoming an event, so it's particularly great to see Before Midnight not only meeting expectations but raising the bar.

It's a brave, challenging and essential installment in what is one of modern cinema's finest trilogies.

The beauty of this film - like the two before - is its natural flow of conversation and ability to engage and transport us into the moment

Before Midnight is no romance. It's a horror movie.

Takes its traditional romantic tale into more insightful territories.

Hawk and Delpy know just how to get under your skin. Their onscreen alter egos fit like a glove, and witnessing their ageing, nagging, toying love is a true privilege.

What lifts Linklater's trilogy above your average dialogue-heavy indie is not just the intelligence of the conversation but its frankness and humor.

There's not a hint of melodrama or falsity in the Before series.

The 'Before' trilogy is a vacation for me. I am taken away, and it is never for long enough. I genuinely feel lucky to have these movies.

I'm not sure this is the end of Richard Linklater's 'Before' trilogy. It's perfection just as it is, but then again, Linklater has nine more years to work on the sequel.

Loving words mix with personal attacks, the magic moments with the unintended slights, as we witness the occasional desperation of imperfect people doing the best they can when life moves beyond meet-cute and courtship. That's authentic.

Linklater and his players bring an end to the fantasy and welcome the thrilling ups and bitter downs of reality to this love story.

Like the first two films, it reflects the real world in a way that seems almost preternatural. It's just that, here, the real world is a harsher, more disappointing place.

The duo, clearly so comfortable in their characters' skin, indulge in intelligent banter, sharp humour and emotional truths.

So much better written than contemporary novels, this film is a literary as well as cinematic achievement to cherish. For grown-ups.

As before, it's often very funny, with Jesse and Celine swapping Woody Allen-esque one-liners - nicely snarky, appealingly abrasive.

The acting, the dialogue and direction are superb.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/before_midnight_2013/

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Buying a Pet? A Few Important Reasons to Consider Adoption ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Dogs, cats, and other pets bring a lot of happiness, but there is a lot of responsibility that comes with the package. That's why ... Pets can't be adopted until they are up to date on all shots, and have been spayed or neutered.

Source: http://www.dogscatsandpets.co.uk/buying-a-pet-a-few-important-reasons-to-consider-adoption/

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Dubai pardons woman at center of rape dispute

Norwegian Marte Deborah Dalelv, 24, arrives at the Norwegian Seaman's Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 22, 2013. Dalelv at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute said Sunday that officials have dropped her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage and she is free to leave the country. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

FILE - In this Friday, July 19, 2013 file photo, Marte Deborah Dalelv from Norway, 24, talks to the Associated Press reporter in Dubai, after she was sentenced 16 months in jail for having sex outside of marriage after she reported an alleged rape. Dalelv at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute says she has been pardoned and is free to leave the country. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Norwegian Marte Deborah Dalelv, 24, shows her passport at the Norwegian Seaman's Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, July 22, 2013. Dalelv at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute said Sunday that officials have dropped her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage and she is free to leave the country. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? With her passport back in hand, a Norwegian woman at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute said Monday that officials dropped her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage in the latest clash between the city's Islamic-based legal codes and its international branding as a Western-friendly haven.

Dubai authorities hope the pardon of the 24-year-old woman will allow them to sidestep another potentially embarrassing blow to the city's heavily promoted image as a forward-looking model of luxury, excess and cross-cultural understanding.

"I am very, very happy," Marte Deborah Dalelv told The Associated Press after she was cleared by the order of Dubai's ruler. "I am overjoyed."

But the case points to wider issues embedded in the rapid rise of Gulf centers such as Dubai and Qatar's capital of Doha, host for the 2022 World Cup. These cities' cosmopolitan ambitions often find themselves at odds with the tug of traditional views on sex and alcohol.

Both alcohol consumption without a proper license and sex outside marriage are outlawed, but the rules are difficult to enforce and generally only become an issue if authorities are alerted. Most foreign residents and visitors coast through Dubai's tolerant lifestyle. Women in full Islamic coverings shop alongside others in miniskirts, and liquor flows at resorts and restaurants. Yet once authorities determine a legal line has been crossed, it's often difficult and bewildering for the suspects.

Nowhere in the region are the two sides more in potential conflict than Dubai, where the expatriate workforce outnumbers locals 5-to-1 and millions of tourists arrive each year with high-end fun on their minds.

Dalelv, in Dubai for a business meeting, said she told police in March that she was raped by a co-worker after a night that included cocktails. She was held in custody for four days and sentenced last week for illicit sex outside marriage and alcohol consumption.

The alleged attacker, identified as a 33-year-old Sudanese man, was charged with the same offenses and received a 13-month sentence. He also cleared by a pardon, according to Dalelv.

Rape prosecutions are complicated in the United Arab Emirates because ? as in some other countries influenced by Islamic law ? conviction requires either a confession or the testimony of adult male witnesses.

In a twist that often shocks Western observers, allegations of rape can boomerang into illegal sex charges for the accuser. In 2008, an Australian woman said she was jailed for eight months after claiming she was gang-raped at a UAE hotel.

The fears of sex-outside-marriage charges also lead some single domestic workers in the UAE to abandon their babies or seek back-room abortions.

Other, less serious, cases have also shed light on the tensions in Dubai between cosmopolitan modernity and Muslim legal codes and tribal traditions. In 2009, a British couple was sentenced to one month each in prison after an Emirati woman claimed they engaged in an overly passionate kiss. Motorists have been convicted for a rude gesture in a moment of road rage.

"I have my passport back. I am pardoned," said Dalelv, who worked for an interior design firm in Qatar. "I am free."

There was no immediate word from Dubai officials, including whether the pardon was linked to traditions of clemency during the current Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"I have my life back," added Dalelv. "This is a great day."

Her mother, Evelyn Dalelv, told the AP from Norway she is "incredibly happy" at the outcome, but thinks her daughter would consider returning to the Middle East after further study in interior design.

"Luckily, she is going back to study in Oslo in the autumn," she said.

A statement Saturday from Dalelv's Qatar-based employer, Al Mana Interiors, said she was dismissed from her job after she "ceased communications" with the company following the alleged rape. But Thomas Lundgren, owner of The ONE, the Dubai-based company that franchises Al Mana, was quoted Monday by Arabianbusiness.com as saying that the firing was "a mistake" and said she can return if she wants.

In Norway, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide posted a Twitter message: "Marte is released! Thanks to everyone who signed up to help."

Barth Eide told the Norwegian news agency NTB that international media attention and Norway's diplomatic measures helped Dalelv, who was free on appeal with her next court hearing scheduled for early September. Norway also reminded the United Arab Emirates of obligations under U.N. accords to seriously investigate claims of violence against women.

"The United Arab Emirates and Dubai is a rapidly changing society. This decision won't only affect Marte Dalelv, who can travel home now if she wishes to, but also serve as a wake-up call regarding the legal situation in many other countries," Barth Eide was quoted as saying.

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter: "Happy that Marte has been pardoned and that she is a free woman again."

Dalelv said she planned to leave the UAE soon, but first wanted "to thank some very special people," including local groups that supported her. She had been staying at a Norwegian-linked aid center.

The AP does not identify the names of alleged sexual assault victims, but Dalelv went public voluntarily to talk to media.

In an interview with the AP last week, she recalled that she fled to the hotel lobby and asked for the police to be called after the alleged attack. The hotel staff asked if she was sure she wanted to involve the police, Dalelv said.

"Of course I want to call the police," she said. "That is the natural reaction where I am from."

Norway's foreign minister said he and other "very high level" Norwegian officials had been in daily contact with counterparts in the United Arab Emirates since the verdict against Dalelv.

"We have made very clear what we think about this verdict and what we think about the fact that one is charged and sentenced when one starts out by reporting alleged abuse," Barth Eide said.

In London, a rights group monitoring UAE affairs urged authorities to change laws to "ensure victims are protected, feel comfortable reporting crimes and are able to fairly pursue justice."

"While we are pleased that Marte can now return home to Norway, her pardon still suggests that she was somehow guilty of a crime," said Rori Donaghy, a spokesman for the Emirates Center for Human Rights. "Until laws are reformed, victims of sexual violence in the UAE will continue to suffer in this way and we will likely see more cases such as this one."

___

Associated Press writer Malin Rising in Stockholm contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-22-Dubai-Norway-Rape%20Case/id-a28dd4aac3734087bbbae3470dc2eb43

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2 face charges in Idaho animal cruelty cases

LEWISTON, Idaho -

Officials say animal cruelty charges are pending against two people in north-central Idaho in separate cases.

The Lewiston Tribune reports that Jonathan A. McKenney has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after prosecutors said three malnourished dogs were taken from his Clearwater County residence. McKenney is expected to enter a plea on Wednesday.

In a separate case, Clearwater County Prosecutor Clayne Tyler says charges are pending against a woman after police found 22 cats and five small dogs inside her home. Clearwater Humane Society Director Sherrie Chambers says the animals were sick, had been living in a home covered in feces and urine, and most had never been outside. Those animals have been placed in foster homes for now.

Source: http://www.kxly.com/news/northwest/2-face-charges-in-idaho-animal-cruelty-cases/-/101246/21100076/-/o5i8d/-/index.html

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