CFPB: Fixing student loans in an effort to help housing | HSH ...

February 28th, 2013 by Marcie Geffner

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is gathering information to help develop policy options that might aid borrowers struggling to repay private student loans. This issue is important in part because people burdened by student loans are less able to finance a home purchase.

Specifically, the CFPB is seeking input on such issues as:

• How student loans affect the U.S. economy and consumers? access to mortgages and car loans
• How distressed borrowers manage their student loan obligations
• What options borrowers currently have to lower their private student loan payments
• Examples of alternate payment programs that might apply to student loans
• Effective mechanisms for communicating with distressed borrowers

CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a statement that too many private student loan borrowers are struggling with debt that prevents them from climbing the economic ladder.

?We will be analyzing plans for policymakers to consider that might help avoid a repeat of the mortgage meltdown for today?s student loan borrowers,? Cordray said.

Easier repayment terms for student loans could help people better position themselves to buy a house.

Comments will be accepted until April 8, 2013.

Bank expect higher student-debt delinquencies

Student loans continue to be a subject of concern for lenders, according to FICO, a credit scoring and analytics company in San Jose, Calif.

In a recent quarterly survey of 251 U.S. bank risk professionals, FICO found a generally positive outlook for consumer credit health, but heightened expectations of rising delinquencies on student loan debt. This marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which a majority of survey respondents offered a pessimistic outlook for student loans.

An October 2012 CFPB report found borrowers had trouble negotiating affordable repayment plans for private student loans, which aren?t designed with income-based payment options. This report recommended that policymakers explore ways to encourage alternative repayment and refinance options for student loan debt.

An earlier study by the Pew Research Center found 19 percent of U.S. households owed student debt in 2010, a significant rise compared with the 15 percent of households that owed such debt in 2007. A record 40 percent of households headed by someone younger than 35 years old owed student loan debt, the highest proportion by far among any age group. The average outstanding student loan balance was $26,682.

Unpaid loans impede future borrowing

?As more people default on their student loans, their credit ratings will drop, making it harder for them to access new credit and help grow the economy,? Dr. Andrew Jennings, FICO?s chief analytics officer, said in a statement. ?Even people who stay current on their student loans are dealing with very large debts, which reduces the money they have available to spend elsewhere,? Jennings said.

That elsewhere spending certainly includes housing and costs related to homeownership.

Source: http://blog.hsh.com/index.php/2013/02/cfpb-fixing-student-loans-in-an-effort-to-help-housing/

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Colleges, theaters to create new Civil War plays

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2012 file photo U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is seen at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. Four major universities are joining theater companies in Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Atlanta in a project to commission new plays, music and dance compositions about the Civil War and its lasting legacy 150 years later. In Atlanta, Alliance Theatre and Emory will develop a new theatrical production of Trethewey's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Native Guard," with a workshop planned for 2014. It recounts the story of a black Civil War regiment assigned to guard white Confederate soldiers on Ship Island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2012 file photo U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey is seen at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. Four major universities are joining theater companies in Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Atlanta in a project to commission new plays, music and dance compositions about the Civil War and its lasting legacy 150 years later. In Atlanta, Alliance Theatre and Emory will develop a new theatrical production of Trethewey's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Native Guard," with a workshop planned for 2014. It recounts the story of a black Civil War regiment assigned to guard white Confederate soldiers on Ship Island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Four major universities are joining theater companies in Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Atlanta in a project to commission new plays, music and dance compositions about the Civil War and its lasting legacy 150 years later.

The National Civil War Project is being announced Thursday in Washington and will involve programming over the next two years to mark the 150th anniversary of the war between the North and the South. Beyond commissioning new works, organizers plan for university faculty to integrate the arts into their academic programs on campus.

Under the program, Harvard University will partner with the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass.; the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center will join CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore; George Washington University is working with Arena Stage in Washington, and Atlanta's Alliance Theatre will join Emory University.

Each collaboration will evoke unique perspectives on the Civil War in each region.

At Harvard, a new piece called "The Boston Abolitionists" about the abolitionist movement and the trial of a fugitive slave will be performed in May. Separately, Matthew Aucoin, an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, is using Walt Whitman's poetry about being a medic to develop a new opera.

In Atlanta, Alliance Theatre and Emory will develop a new theatrical production of U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Native Guard," with a workshop planned for 2014. It recounts the story of a black Civil War regiment assigned to guard white Confederate soldiers on Ship Island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast.

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith, who helped guide the project, said this is a chance to reevaluate the Civil War and consider the issues that still resonate in American life.

"This is an anniversary of what is arguably one of the most important times in American history," she said. "And the same questions behind state rights and civil rights continue to infuse who we are as a country."

In September, the University of Maryland will host a national conference on civil rights and health disparities among minority populations to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Choreographer Liz Lerman, a 2002 MacArthur Foundation "genius" fellow, helped in developing the partnerships between theaters and universities during a semester spent at Harvard. She said artists can help professors animate their scholarship as more traditional lectures move online, and the Civil War is a good subject to connect art and academics.

"It's something about the fact that we're still trying to understand it," Lerman said. "There are enough civil wars still going on in the world, I myself am trying to understand what it must be like."

Lerman is developing a new dance theater piece in Washington called "Healing Wars" to explore the role of women and innovations in healing for amputees from the Civil War through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Characters will migrate between past and present. The piece will feature actor Bill Pullman and eight dancers.

Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, a Civil War historian, has been leading the university to integrate the arts with academic pursuits, through theater, exhibits or other art forms.

"Engaging students through art and art-making is one of the ways in which universities prepare young women and men for life in a world that is far better connected and far more complex than at any other point in human history," she wrote in an email about the Civil War project.

At this anniversary of the war, she said it's important to remember how the values of freedom and equality were defined in President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address as the war's purpose.

George Washington University President Steven Knapp said the Civil War transformed American history, culture and industry ? even the concept of American democracy by redefining equality. Tackling such a subject between academia and theater could provide a new model for learning, he said.

"It's an experiment," Knapp said, "to see how far we can go in bringing together the strengths of the university and the strengths of the theater company."

___

Follow Brett Zongker at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-28-Civil%20War-New%20Plays/id-873869d929dd495fae2c546e129a4dff

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Very appropriate: Mauer, wife expecting twins

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:39 p.m. ET Feb. 27, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Twins for a Twin.

The Minnesota Twins say All-Star catcher Joe Mauer and his wife, Maddie, are expecting twins. Media relations director Dustin Morse made the announcement for Mauer in a tweet on Thursday night. The couple married in December.

It's only fitting for Mauer, who was born in St. Paul and cheered for the Twins as a boy, then was drafted No. 1 overall by his hometown team in 2001. He developed into a three-time batting champion, an AL MVP and one of the best catchers in the game while playing in front of his family, who raised him just a few miles down the road from Target Field.

Pretty soon he'll have to get tickets for two more.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50983570/ns/sports-baseball/

Sally Field The Oscars

Benedict begins quiet final day as pope

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict slips quietly from the world stage on Thursday after a private last goodbye to his cardinals and a short flight to a country palace to enter the final phase of his life "hidden from the world".

In keeping with his shy and modest ways, there will be no public ceremony to mark the first papal resignation in six centuries and no solemn declaration ending his nearly eight-year reign at the head of the world's largest church.

His last public appearance will be a short greeting to residents and well-wishers at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome, in the late afternoon after his 15-minute helicopter hop from the Vatican.

When the resignation becomes official at 8 p.m. Rome time (02.00 p.m. EST), Benedict will be relaxing inside the 17th century palace. Swiss Guards on duty at the main gate to indicate the pope's presence within will simply quit their posts and return to Rome to await their next pontiff.

Avoiding any special ceremony, Benedict used his weekly general audience on Wednesday to bid an emotional farewell to more than 150,000 people who packed St Peter's Square to cheer for him and wave signs of support.

With a slight smile, his often stern-looking face seemed content and relaxed as he acknowledged the loud applause from the crowd.

"Thank you, I am very moved," he said in Italian. His unusually personal remarks included an admission that "there were moments ... when the seas were rough and the wind blew against us and it seemed that the Lord was sleeping".

CARDINALS PREPARE THE FUTURE

Once the chair of St Peter is vacant, cardinals who have assembled from around the world for Benedict's farewell will begin planning the closed-door conclave that will elect his successor.

One of the first questions facing these "princes of the Church" is when the 115 cardinal electors should enter the Sistine Chapel for the voting. They will hold a first meeting on Friday but a decision may not come until next week.

The Vatican seems to be aiming for an election by mid-March so the new pope can be installed in office before Palm Sunday on March 24 and lead the Holy Week services that culminate in Easter on the following Sunday.

In the meantime, the cardinals will hold daily consultations at the Vatican at which they discuss issues facing the Church, get to know each other better and size up potential candidates for the 2,000-year-old post of pope.

There are no official candidates, no open campaigning and no clear front runner for the job. Cardinals tipped as favorites by Vatican watchers include Brazil's Odilo Scherer, Canadian Marc Ouellet, Ghanaian Peter Turkson, Italy's Angelo Scola and Timothy Dolan of the United States.

BENEDICT'S PLANS

Benedict, a bookish man who did not seek the papacy and did not enjoy the global glare it brought, proved to be an energetic teacher of Catholic doctrine but a poor manager of the Curia, the Vatican bureaucracy that became mired in scandal during his reign.

He leaves his successor a top secret report on rivalries and scandals within the Curia, prompted by leaks of internal files last year that documented the problems hidden behind the Vatican's thick walls and the Church's traditional secrecy.

After about two months at Castel Gandolfo, Benedict plans to move into a refurbished convent in the Vatican Gardens, where he will live out his life in prayer and study, "hidden to the world", as he put it.

Having both a retired and a serving pope at the same time proved such a novelty that the Vatican took nearly two weeks to decide his title and form of clerical dress.

He will be known as the "pope emeritus," wear a simple white cassock rather than his white papal clothes and retire his famous red "shoes of the fisherman," a symbol of the blood of the early Christian martyrs, for more pedestrian brown ones.

(Reporting By Tom Heneghan; editing by Philip Pullella and Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/low-key-departure-pope-steps-down-hides-away-000419898.html

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Newt pheromones: They drive the ladies crazy

Franky Bossuyt

The male alpine Ichthyosaura alpestris newt knows that it isn't the tail waving that attracts the ladies, but the pheromones that he uses.

By Joseph Castro
LiveScience

It may be time to crown male newts as the female-arousing kings ? the amphibians release powerful pheromones that put females in the mood to mate with practically any adult around, even other females from different newt species, new research shows.

"The females react as if they're under the influence of drugs," said lead researcher Franky Bossuyt, a biologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels) in Belgium. "We were convinced that if we put in a plastic toy moving at the right speed, they would follow it."

Newts typically live on land as adults and mate exclusively in water. During the breeding season, males adopt intense color patterns and grow skin extensions on their legs, tail and crest. These changes are thought to make males more attractive to females.

When two newts meet, the male releases pheromones and waves his tail, sending the chemical signals to the female. They then play out a mating dance akin to a short game of tag, with the female following after the male. To let him know she's ready to get down to business, the female touches the male's tail with her nose, prompting him to deposit his spermatophore ? a jellylike mass containing sperm??onto a substrate in the water, such as a leaf. Finally, he leads the female over the sperm packet, which sticks to her cloaca (the orifice leading to intestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts), resulting in insemination.

For years, scientists thought males waved their tails to disperse "attractant pheromones," which broadcast the male's presence and bring newt pairs together. But there's a problem with this idea: The newts have already introduced themselves before the male waves his tail. "The females are not attracted to the males by the tail-waving, at least with the newts I've seen," Bossuyt said.

Instead, the researchers thought, the tail fanning might disperse "courtship pheromones" that alter the female's behavior to stimulate mating.

Newt mating game
To find out, researchers placed male-female pairs of alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) into water-filled plastic containers for receptivity tests. The newts passed the test and were ready for the next phase if they completed the courtship ritual (females weren't allowed to complete the insemination).

The team then put two-female pairs into pheromone-infused courtship?water; some pairs consisted of two alpine newts, other pairs had one female of each species. If the water contained pheromones from a male of her species, the female would desperately try to court the other female. In some cases, two female alpine newts tried to follow each other, resulting in the pair circling one another. In some two-species trials, one female chased after another, even as the unreceptive partner tried to escape the container. [See video of the sex-crazed newts]

But the amphibians didn't remain patient forever. Not receiving the spermatophore she expected, the courting female eventually started waving her tail at her partner, possibly sending out pheromones.

Frustrated females
"Female tale-waving?is a kind of frustration behavior," Bossuyt explained, adding that females also tail-waved in receptivity tests to get males to continue courtship after researchers removed the spermatophores. In natural settings, this behavior probably happens only in uncommon situations, such as when a male is too tired for courtship. "So female tail-waving likely happens in nature, but you will not easily observe it," he said.

The results suggest the pheromones don't just announce the male's arrival, given how they induced such an overpowering mating reaction in the females. The researchers think males may have evolved such potent pheromones out of necessity, since newts often breed in turbid water with other newt species, making it difficult to mate based on vision alone.

It seems a male newt's flashy appearance matters little to females: It's all about his smell.

The research was detailed online this month in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter?@livescience. We're also on Facebook?and Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/26/17106274-newt-pheromones-they-just-drive-the-mating-females-crazy?lite

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Singapore Law Watch - Financial-sector tax incentives extended

Concessionary tax rates will be extended for five years to Dec 2018

THE government has extended concessionary tax rates for financial services to ensure that Singapore remains an attractive financial centre.

It also gave boosts to the bond market and offshore specialised insurance sector.

The financial sector incentive (FSI) scheme, which comprises concessionary tax rates of 5 per cent, 10 per cent and 12 per cent, will be extended for five years to Dec 31, 2018, except for Islamic finance activities. Normal corporate tax rate is 17 per cent.

The FSI scheme, which covers a whole range of activities carried out by banks, fund managers, brokerages and other financial institutions, will be broadened.

But the 5 per cent rate for Islamic finance activity which has not taken off will be allowed to expire on March 31, 2013. Islamic finance activities will fall under the 12 per cent standard tier rate.

Also allowed to expire is the 5 per cent rate on Islamic insurance and reinsurance business. Insurers who conduct these activities may apply for the existing 10 per cent offshore insurance business scheme.

"I guess the take-up rate (for Islamic finance) was low," said Larry Sim, KPMG tax partner, financial services.

"Practically, the writing of onshore Islamic insurance is rather limited - requiring special rules and skills, for example Islamic scholars," said Yip Yoke Har, PwC Services, partner.

"Hence, to compete for a slice of the offshore Islamic insurance is always going to be difficult with major players in the region like Malaysia and Indonesia around us," said Ms Yip.

While tax consultants were ho-hum on the FSI extensions, they expect the extension and easing up on compliance to qualify for debt securities concessions to boost the bond market.

Bankers said they expect more companies to come to Singapore to issue debt with compliance easing.

The qualifying debt securities (QDS) and QDS-plus schemes will get the five- year extensions, the government said.

In addition the requirement that the QDS has to be substantially arranged in Singapore will be rationalised to ease compliance for issuers.

"The extension of the QDS tax incentive is important for the continued development of the Singapore bond market," said Kang Choon Pin, Ernst & Young, partner, financial markets.

"The tax regime is an important factor in the decision by the foreign company to use its Singapore subsidiary to issue bonds," said Mr Kang.

Said Clifford Lee, DBS head of fixed income: "Easing a requirement that the debt issue has to be substantially arranged in Singapore to qualify for the QDS scheme further opens up Singapore to regional and global players."

"This scheme will continue to attract more issuers and investors into the market, thus keeping the overall level of activity high," Sim Buck Khim, OCBC Bank co-head of capital markets.

The specialised insurance sector will get tax exemption for underwriting catastrophe risks while the offshore insurance broking business will get a five-year extension for their 10 per cent concessionary tax rate.

The favourable tax treatments should lead to more tax specialists coming here, said consultants.

To encourage the underwriting of severe and volatile catastrophe risks from Singapore, tax exemption will be given on qualifying income from offshore catastrophe excess of loss (XOL) reinsurance layers.

Under the tax incentive, an approved reinsurer will enjoy zero tax from existing 10 per cent on profits earned from writing offshore catastrophe XOL reinsurance risks that provide coverage for more than one risk arising from a single event and against natural perils, said PwC's Ms Yip.

The introduction of the risk incentive is timely given the increasing frequency of natural disasters, she said.

In 2011, there were the Thai floods, the Japan earthquake/tsunami, the Queensland floods, the New Zealand earthquake, to name a few and stark reminders that they occur in Asia, she said.

"The government's move to encourage the writing of catastrophe risks in Singapore will create capacity in Singapore and develop needed expertise here. It would make Singapore an attractive alternative location compared to traditional locations like Bermuda," said Ms Yip.

The maritime industry also got something. International shipping companies which base their operations in Singapore get tax exemption for 10 years, with renewal up to a maximum of 30 years. The government will increase the maximum tenure to 40 years.

Several corporate tax schemes were rationalised in this year's Budget including the start-up tax exemption for property companies.

The government said the start-up tax exemption was introduced in 2004 to encourage entrepreneurship.

"The start-up tax exemption for encouraging entrepreneurship is not intended for such companies," it said.

Under the scheme, the first $100,000 taxable income for the first three years could claim full tax exemption.

"It was more generous than envisaged," said Mr Kang.

---

Key points

• Concessionary tax rates for financial sector extended for five years

• Concessionary tax rates for debt securities extended for five years and compliance will be eased for issuers

• Enhancing the tax exemption scheme for offshore specialised insurance risks

---

'This is truly a Singaporean Budget, addressing the immediate needs of Singaporeans and SMEs. It focuses on narrowing the income gap in the nation, improving productivity and reducing the reliance on the foreign workforce, as well as providing the much-needed support to the elderly and lower income group.'
- Toh Boon Ngee, Partner, Tax, KPMG in Singapore

'The Budget has shown to be responsive to feedback and really speaks to Singaporeans.'
- Cheong Choy Wai, Partner, Tax Services, Ernst & Young Solutions LLP

Source: Business Times ? Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Permission required for reproduction.

Source: http://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/slw/headlinesnews/21170-financial-sector-tax-incentives-extended.html?utm_source=rss%20subscription&utm_medium=rss

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Fantastic Self Help Air Jordan Strategies For An Improved Lifestyle ...

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Source: http://crew.valkry.com/blog/94975/fantastic-self-help-air-jordan-strategies-for-an-improved-lifestyle/

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Court won't hear campaign contributions appeal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal of a decision upholding a century-old ban on corporate campaign contributions in federal elections.

The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from William P. Danielczyk Jr. and Eugene R. Biagi, who wanted the courts to say the ban violates corporations' free-speech rights.

A federal judge agreed with them, but the 4th U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., overturned that decision. The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision struck down a prohibition against corporate spending on campaign activities by independent groups but left untouched the ban on direct contributions to candidates.

The judge said independent expenditures and direct contributions were both political speech, but the appeals court said they must be regulated differently.

The justices will not review that decision.

This comes one week after the justices decided to hear a challenge to limits on how much an individual can give to political campaigns. In that case, an Alabama man argues that it's unconstitutional to stop a donor from giving more than $46,200 to political candidates and $70,800 to political committees and PACs.

Shaun McCutcheon says he accepts that he can only give $2,500 to a single candidate but says he should be able to give that amount to as many GOP candidates as he wants.

The justices will hear that case later this year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-25-US-Supreme-Court-Campaign-Finance/id-6a85a13023ce40c2b9d7f8aea21f1e12

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Source: http://aboutbetterlife.blogspot.com/2013/02/today-creating-enterprise-internet-site.html

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Foreigners To North Korea To Get Uncensored 3G

Foreign visitors going to North Korea will be able to receive uncensored 3G data, starting Mar 1. Koryolink, a joint venture between Egyptian company Orascom Telecom Holding and North Korean state-owned Korea Post and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC), has set up a 3G service for visitors into the country. The service, which is not available to locals, won?t come cheap. A $100 Wi-Fi hotspot and $200 SIM card will be needed, after which 2 Gb of data will cost $300, and 10 Gb for $525. Phone calls abroad will cost $0.50 a minute to European countries like Switzerland and France, and $7 a minute to the US. Calls to South Korea, however, are blocked. According to the AP, services typically banned like Twitter and Skype will be available on Koryolink?s network. North Koreans are blocked from the global Web, and only allowed some 3G services such as MMS messaging and subscriptions to the state-run paper, Rodong Sinmun. Calls to foreign numbers are also blocked. This news comes just after the country started to allow foreigners to bring their own phones into the country to use with Koryolink SIM cards. It?s not clear if the new uncensored service will be extended to SIM cards that are available to visitors, so you can skip buying the hotspot. Koryolink is 75 percent owned by Orascom. Orascom has a 3G license in North Korea that was awarded in 2008. Its censored service to the locals had about 1 million subscribers as of February 2012. The country?s capital of Pyongyang has a population of about 2 million.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/umYf-_iE9EE/

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Hardware options for highly available Windows Server 2012 systems using shared, directly-attached storage

Highly available Windows Server 2012 systems using shared, directly-attached storage can be built using either Storage Spaces or a validated clustered RAID controller.

?

Option 1 ? Storage Spaces

You can build a highly available shared SAS system today using Storage Spaces.

Storage Spaces works well in a standalone PC, but it is also capable of working in a Windows Server Failover Clustering environment.?

For implementing Clustered Storage Spaces, you will need the following Windows Server 2012 certified hardware:

• Any SAS Host Bus Adapter or HBA (as long as it?s SAS and not a RAID controller, you should be fine)
• SAS JBODs or disk enclosures (listed under the ?Storage Spaces? category on the Server catalog)
• SAS disks (there?s a wide variety of those, including capacity HDDs, performance HDDs and SSDs)

You can find instructions on how to configure a Clustered Storage Space in Windows Server 2012 at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/clustering/archive/2012/06/02/10314262.aspx.

A good overview of Storage Spaces and its capabilities can be found at http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15198.storage-spaces-overview.aspx

There's also an excellent presentation from TechEd that covers Storage Spaces at http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2012/WSV315

?

Option 2 ? Clustered RAID Controllers

The second option is to build a highly available shared storage system using RAID Controllers that are designed to work in a Windows Server Failover Cluster configuration.

The main distinction between these RAID controllers and the ones we used before is that they work in sets (typically a pair) and coordinate their actions against the shared disks.

Here are some examples:

• The HP StoreEasy 5000 cluster-in-a-box uses Clustered RAID controllers?that HP sources and certifies. You can find details at the HP StoreEasy product page.
• LSI is working on a Clustered RAID controller with Windows Server 2012 support. This new line of SAS RAID Controllers is scheduled for later this year. You can get details?on?availability dates from LSI.

?

Both options work great for all kinds of Windows Server 2012 Clusters, including Hyper-V Clusters, SQL Server Clusters, Classic File Server Clusters and Scale-Out File Servers.

You can learn more about these solutions in this TechEd presentation: http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/Europe/2012/WSV310

Source: http://blogs.technet.com/b/josebda/archive/2013/02/23/hardware-options-for-highly-available-windows-server-2012-systems-using-shared-directly-attached-storage.aspx

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Correction: Obit-Magic Slim story

In an obituary Feb. 21 for blues guitarist Magic Slim, The Associated Press erroneously described his album "Bad Boy." It is a collection of original songs and covers, not a mix of covers.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Blues guitarist Magic Slim dies in Pa. at age 75

Chicago-style blues guitarist Magic Slim dies in Philadelphia at 75; got sick while on tour

By MARK SCOLFORO

Associated Press

Magic Slim, a younger contemporary of blues greats Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf who helped shape the sound of Chicago's electric blues, died Thursday. He was 75.

He died shortly after midnight Thursday at a Philadelphia hospital, said his manager, Marty Salzman. The musician had health problems that worsened while he was on tour several weeks ago in Pennsylvania, Salzman said.

Magic Slim and his backing band, the Teardrops, performed a no-holds-barred brand of Chicago-style electric blues, led by his singing and guitar playing, and were regulars on the music festival circuit.

Slim's given name was Morris Holt. The Mississippi native established himself in Chicago's thriving blues community in the 1960s, but more recently lived in Lincoln, Neb.

Holt's story was one of persistence. Like many bluesmen from rural Mississippi, he left a life that revolved around cotton fields and moved to Chicago in 1955. But competition on the South Side was fierce in those days, and he moved back home after failing to establish himself.

Playing plantation parties and small gigs, he honed his skills to a fine edge and enlisted his brothers, Nick and Douglas, as his backing band. They returned to Chicago, where they formed the Teardrops and refused to be dismissed.

Younger than many of the renowned bluesmen in Chicago, he maintained a career well into the 21st century. Holt and the Teardrops won blues band of the year at the 2003 Blues Music Award, and he released a record last year.

"If you were going to take somebody who'd never seen blues to one of their shows, it would be like putting them in a time machine and putting them in 1962," Salzman said. "No frills, no rock 'n' roll. It was just straight-ahead, real-deal blues."

Holt came by the sound authentically. Born in Torrance, Miss., in 1937, he grew up in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. His first love was piano, but he lost the little finger on his right hand to a cotton gin and switched to guitar. Like many of his contemporaries, he started out on a one-string instrument he made by nailing a piece of wire stolen from a broom to the wall.

He moved to Grenada at age 11 and met Magic Sam, an older guitarist and influential blues figure. Sam taught him about the instrument and gave him his first job as a bass player years later when he first moved to Chicago.

He didn't make his first recordings until 1966. He released his first album, "Born Under A Bad Sign," on a French label in 1977 and put out an album of original songs and covers, "Bad Boy," last year.

Salzman said that bleeding ulcers sent Holt to the hospital, but that he also suffered from heart, lung and kidney ailments.

___

Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pa. AP Music Writer Chris Talbott contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/correction-obit-magic-slim-story-220120984.html

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Stocks recover to end off lows

JeeYeon Park , CNBC ? ? ? 12 hrs.

Stocks pared their losses in the final hour of trading Thursday to close off their lows, with the S&P 500 clawing back above the widely-watched 1,500 level.

Stocks were sharply lower for most of the session, pressured by disappointing economic reports and amid worries the Federal Reserve might scale back its bond-buying program.

"We overreacted to the Fed news in the last two days, though a healthy correction between 2 and 5 percent would be what investors would want to get back into the market," said Art Hogan, managing director at Lazard Capital Markets.

Hewlett-Packard jumped more than 2 percent on heavy volume ahead of its earnings report. Traders cited short covering in the computer hardware giant amid hopes the company will surprise positively after the closing bell.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sharply cut its losses. Bank of America was the biggest laggard on the blue-chip index, while Hewlett-Packard jumped.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also pared their losses. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, held above 15, trading at its highest level this year.

Among key S&P sectors, techs sagged, while consumer staples gained.

"I can't see the market breaking new highs with all this uncertainty," said Burt White, chief investment officer at LPL Financial. "You're seeing an awakening of both bulls and bears. Prior to yesterday, the bulls were too afraid to buy and the bears were too afraid to sell. Now the bulls are ready to take a bit of a profit, while the bears that have gotten clobbered are ready to put some shorts on. I think the Fed continues to be dovish, but the market was just looking for reason to sell."

Read More:Don't Exit Market Due to Fed: Brown

On the economic front, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said its index of business conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region contracted sharply for the second month in February to -12.5. A reading below zero indicates contraction in the region's manufacturing sector.

"The Philly Fed number took the market by surprise, but I think it's how much it missed by that was the actual surprise?it's a bit of a carryover from the end of last year," said White. "But it's something to watch closely?we've seen an uptick in manufacturing over the last few years. But after today's soft Philly Fed and PMI numbers, economists will scramble to revise down the upcoming ISM manufacturing number."

Adding to woes, weekly jobless claims jumped 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, according to the Labor Department, exceeding expectations. Meanwhile, a Labor Department analyst said claims for California, Virginia, Hawaii and the District of Columbia had been estimated. The four-week moving average for new claims rose 8,000 to 360,750.

Meanwhile, existing home sales edged up to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.92 million, largely in line with expectations, but the supply of homes for sale contracted to the lowest level in more than 13 years, according to the National Association of Realtors. The leading economic index ticked up in January, signaling a steady growth in economic activity ahead, according to the Conference Board.

Read More:A Housing Recovery Stock Pick

And the consumer price index was flat for a second straight month in January due to weak gasoline and food prices, according to the Labor Department.

Minutes from the Fed's meeting in January released on Wednesday showed that policymakers were growing concerned about the impact of quantitative easing (QE3), suggesting the Fed may look to taper off its $85 billion per month purchases earlier than what economists and analysts had projected. Equities turned sharply lower following the minutes and finished near session lows, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting their biggest one-day drop this year on heavy volume.

Read More: Why the Bond Market Shrugged at Fed Minutes

"Bernanke has been backstopping this market for months and if it's really going to change,that would be significant," said Uri Landesman, president of Platinum Partners."If the Fed is going to be more hawkish going forward, then look out?my year-end low target of 1,300 on the S&P will be very achievable."

Read More:Market Music Has Stopped, I'm Getting Out: Gartman

Coca-Cola boosted its quarterly dividend by 10 percent to 28 cents a share from 25.5 cents a share.

Among earnings, Wal-Mart gained after the big-box retailer posted quarterly earnings that topped expectations, but guidance for the first quarter came in shy of estimates as higher gas prices and the payroll tax increase cut into consumer spending. Wal-Mart also said it would raise its fiscal year 2014 dividend by 18 percent to $1.88 share.

Late last week, Wal-Mart shares tumbled after a leaked internal company email, in which an executive said February sales were a "total disaster" so far, due to the payroll-tax increase that kicked in at the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, discount stores including Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar advanced following Wal-Mart's earnings report.

Chesapeake Energy also rose after the energy company posted earnings that beat Wall Street estimates. The report came a day after the company said an internal investigation of the financial dealings of its outgoing chief executive, Aubrey McClendon, found no "intentional" wrongdoing.

Safeway rallied to lead the S&P 500 gainers after the supermarket chain posted higher profit, despite increasing competition from the likes of Kroger and big-box retailers Wal-Mart and Target.

Tesla Motors plunged after the electric-car manufacturer posted a net loss in the fourth quarter, but said it expects to see a profit in the first quarter of 2013.

Personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard, insurance giant AIG are among major companies scheduled to reports quarterly results after the closing bell.

On the M&A front, Berry Petroleum surged after oil and gas producer Linn Energy said it will purchase the energy company in a deal valued at $4.3 billion including debt.

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-recover-end-lows-1C8462917

Columbus Day 2012

Microsoft files another anti-bacterial UV tech patent for touchscreens

It should be common knowledge that not all germs are bad for you, but the paranoia?strengthened by anti-bacterial propaganda of many companies?and fear of our micro-friends will continue even if there are studies to prove otherwise.? Anti-bacterial hand wash and sanitizer have become prevalent in many households, and that same concept is making their way to handheld technologies--albeit, a bit more sophisticated.

Microsoft has put in another patent that will deploy the use of UV tech to eradicate harmful bacteria (possibly normal flora, as well) on their mobile gadgets.? The patent submitted by Microsoft basically covers the use UV light to disinfect people?s fingertips if they come in contact with a touchscreen.? Basically, the UV light bounces through a film on or inside the screen, thereby, zapping micro-sized critters without directly blasting every parts of the user.? Keep in mind that Microsoft has been pursuing the anti-bacterial UV tech for quite some time now, and this latest submission is just an improvement on previous proposed methods.

It?s unknown when Microsoft will integrate this method of bacterial annihilation into their lineup of gadgets, but rest assured you don?t have to wait because some hand sanitizer, Windex and toilet papers will do the job just as well.

How long before a ?do not share your tablet with others? lingo becomes the norm just like ?don?t ever share your toothbrush??

Source | Via

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vr-zone/~3/tCV0y1AkQtE/19036.html

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Cash boost for London-wide charity schemes

Some of the money will go towards projects for older Londoners

Luke Jacobs Thursday, February 21, 2013
4:49 PM

Voluntary projects which help some of London?s most vulnerable communities have been given extra financial support.

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Age Concern UK and the Refugee Council are among 34 to have received grants for various projects from London Councils to last the next two years.

The total ?9.4million budget for 2013/2014 will be shared between eight schemes tackling homelessness, 20 initiatives supporting victims of sexual and domestic violence and poverty, and six to support voluntary organisations.

Fazil Kawani, director of integration at the Refugee Council said the ?124,684 they will receive over the next two years will go to 450 organisations over the next two years.

He said: ?We?re delighted to have received this funding from London Councils that will greatly benefit refugees and asylum seekers in the city.

?We will work directly with 100 organisations to ensure they can fundraise and build useful services for their clients.

?These organisations are crucial for supporting refugees in their communities, and provide an essential bridge to mainstream services, so it is fantastic that we can provide them with more support at this time.?

Other charities to receive a grant include Shelter, Women in Prison, London Voluntary Service Council, Solace Women?s Aid and St Mungo Community Housing Association.

Samantha Mauger, chief executive of Age UK London, said their ?310,000 will go towards support work with 350 older peoples organisations across London.

?This will include one to one organisational work, practical support workshops, including social media support, and funding workshops,? she said.

?A knowledge hub will provide information, spread best practice, support user consultation and provide equality and benchmarking tools to demonstrate impact.?

The 33 London boroughs contribute to the grants programme which has been run on their behalf by London Councils, for the last 26 years.

Cllr Paul McGlone, chairman of the London Councils? Grants Committee, said: ?We want the money to go where it can make a real difference for Londoners who are most in need of support.

?The services which are being funded most closely match the four priorities and principles which were decided following public consultation.

?These are to prevent homelessness, support people at risk of sexual and domestic violence, help Londoners get into work, and assist community organisations.

?There is a much smaller budget for the grants programme this year but we want what funding is available to go as far as possible across London.?

GRANTS IN FULL

Homelessness

Stonewall Housing ?173,759

Women in Prison Ltd ?86,376

Shelter - London Advice Services ?650,000

St Mungo Community Housing Association ?391,387

Thames Reach ?376,709

The Connection at St Martin?s ?211,705

Youth homelessness

New Horizon Youth Centre ?730,672

Support services to homelessness voluntary sector organisations

Homeless Link ?149,535

Sexual and Domestic Violence

Tender Education and Arts ?199,865

Advice, counselling, outreach, drop-in and support for access to services

Galop ?142,734

Women in Prison Ltd ?88,149

SignHealth ?136,800

Solace Women?s Aid ?1,347,821

Helpline and coordinated access to refuge provision

Women?s Aid Federation of England (Women?s Aid) ?250,038

Emergency refuge accommodation that offers services to meet the needs of specific groups

Eaves Housing for Women ?162,950

Ashiana Network ?450,000

Support services to the sexual and domestic violence voluntary sector organisations

Women?s Resource Centre ?304,000

Specifically targeted services

Asian Women?s Resource Centre ?300,000

Domestic Violence Intervention Project ?20,633

Parents with long-term work limiting health condition

Disability Times Trust ?188,020

People with mental health needs

Peter Bedford Housing Association ?188,020

People from ethnic groups with low labour market participation rates

MI ComputSolutions Incorporated ?188,020

Paddington Development Trust (PDT) ?188,020

Urban Futures London Limited ?188,020

Women facing barriers to employment

Hopscotch Asian Women?s Centre ?188,020

Islington Training Network ?188,020

Redbridge Council for Voluntary Service ?188,020

Catalyst Gateway ?188,020

People recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction or misuse

St Mungo Community Housing Association ?188,020

Providing support to London?s voluntary and community organisations ? promoting efficiency and new funding opportunities

Children England ?212,949

London Deaf & Disability Organisations CIC (Inclusion London) ?280,000

Advice UK ?253,816

London Voluntary Service Council ?367,664

Age Concern London ?155,077

The Refugee Council ?62,342

Source: http://www.london24.com/cash_boost_for_london_wide_charity_schemes_1_1949821

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Oh, the Mets - baseball is back! With fresh, young players on the ...

[Each Wednesday, we'll be bringing you sports news and views by new contributor Mitchell Petit-Frere - welcome, Mitchell! -Ed]

Image source: Zack Wheeler Facebook page

The first official pitch of the Mets? 2013 season won?t be thrown until April 1,?but preparations for the 162-game season began February 11 when pitchers and?catchers reported to Port St. Lucie, Florida for spring training.

After four consecutive seasons of fourth place finishes in the NL East, the Mets?are hoping to erase memories of nearly half a decade of irrelevance into a season?that transforms Citi Field from a ballpark of lost hope into a theater of youthful?exuberance. Following two seasons of cleaning house and bidding adieu to high-caliber players?with even higher paychecks, the Mets are counting on youth to push them towards a?playoff run come fall.

Long gone are the days of lineups doing their best interpretations of that other team?from the Bronx, and pitching rotations that stacked up more debt than wins. Carlos Beltran is plying his trade in St. Louis, Jose Reyes is with his second team?in as many years, Jason Bay made a trek to the west coast to join Seattle, and R.A.?Dickey, CY Young and all, was traded to Toronto this past winter.

It?s the likes of right-handed pitcher, Zack Wheeler, and catcher, Travis d?Arnaud?who hold some of the Mets greatest hopes for future success. Wheeler is the No. 8 prospect according to MLB.com?s Top 100 Prospects while?d?Arnaud is rated No. 6.

How fitting it is, then, that Wheeler was obtained after the Beltran trade during the?summer of 2011 and d?Arnaud found his way to Queens as part of the Dickey trade?package in December. Wheeler and d?Arnaud aren?t projected to make their big league debuts until around?Memorial Day, but the fact that the Mets are trading old talent for new is a positive?sign for the Citi Field faithful.

You can catch the Mets first spring training game this Saturday, Feb. 23, when they?take on the Washington Nationals.

Source: http://queensnyc.com/2013/02/oh-the-mets-baseball-is-back-with-fresh-young-players-on-the-team/

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Sony reveals PlayStation 4, fires first shot in the next console war

Featured

Winda Benedetti , NBC News ? ? ? 18 hrs.

After months of rumor and speculation, Sony has revealed its new game machine ? the PlayStation 4 ? as well as a new controller with a touchpad, a "share" button and light bar.

"Today marks a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation as a company," said Andrew House, president and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, as he took the stage at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Wednesday. "Today we will give you a glimpse into the future of play."

House told a room packed full of journalists that the new machine ? the successor to the PlayStation 3 ? would take the moniker PlayStation 4. Sony then revealed the new touch-sensing DualShock controller as well as a new "stereo camera" that works in conjunction with the controller (see video below.)

Sony said the PlayStation 4 will launch "holiday 2013" but did not reveal a specific date or a price. Sony also did not show off what its new gaming hardware will look like, revealing only the controller and pictures of the new camera.

Mark Cerny, the PS4's lead system architect, did outline some of the innards that will be powering the machine explaining, ?The architecture we chose is like a PC in many ways.?

The PlayStation 4 will feature an X86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with 8 cores, an AMD Radeon GPU and 8 gigabytes of unified system memory. Like the PS3, it will also feature a Blu-ray drive. (For more on the specs, check out our story here.)

David Perry ? CEO and founder of Gaikai ? also took the stage Wednesday. Sony bought his game streaming company last year. He explained that integration of the streaming service with the PlayStation Store will allow gamers to instantly try games before they buy them.

Meanwhile, Perry said that with the "share" button on the new PS4 controller players will be able to live broadcast their gameplay to their PlayStation Network friends.

He said friends will not only be able to watch your game in action, but can post comments to your screen as you play (if you let them). You'll also be able to allow friends to take over your game so they can, say, assist you in a difficult area or interact with your game in other helpful ways.

"What we?re creating is the fastest, most powerful network for gaming in the world," Perry said. "Our vision is to create the first social gaming network with meaning."

Perry also revealed Remote Play ? a feature that will allow gamers to take their PS4 action to Sony's smaller game screen. That is, if you're in the middle of playing a game on your PS4, you can use Remote Play to instantly transfer your game to Sony's handheld PS Vita.

Perry said the ultimate goal is to make it so all PS4 games will be playable on the Vita.

PlayStation 4 games unveiled
So what games will be coming to the PlayStation 4? Bungie ? the creator of the Xbox-exclusive Halo game franchise ? revealed it will be bringing its newly revealed project "Destiny" to the PlayStation 4 (with an edition also for the PlayStation 3).

(For an in-depth look at the PlayStation 4 games, read our story here.)

Hermen Hulst, co-founder of Guerrilla Games, introduced "Killzone: Shadow Fall" a stunning looking futuristic shooter. And Matt Southern from Evolution Studios showed off the ultra-realistic "Driveclub" racing game.

"We?ve gone borderline insane with the real-world details," Southern said, pointing out the ultra-fine detail that can be seen on the cars in the game.

Meanwhile, Sucker Punch's Nate Fox revealed the new game from the studio that brought us the "InFamous" series. He said "InFamous: Second Son" ? a game about what happens when super powers and the power of surveillance collide ? will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive.

Respected indie developer Jonathan Blow ? the creator of the critically acclaimed game "Braid" ? showed off his next game "The Witness." He said the puzzle-filled title will be a PlayStation 4 "launch window" game.

Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot revealed what everyone expected ? that the developer's highly anticipated game of surveillance and hacking called "Watch Dogs" is planned for the next-gen PlayStation 4.

In something of a surprise, PC gaming stalwart Blizzard revealed that it'll be bringing "Diablo 3" to both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 3.

And it appears that Sony won?t be saying goodbye to its oft-ignored PlayStation Move motion controller. Media Molecule ? the developers behind the ?LittleBigPlanet? games ? showed off a tool that enables players to use the Move controller and the PS4 to craft digital sculptures and bring them to life.

The battle ahead
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have been duking it out for years, vying to be the prime purveyor of home video games and, in recent years, other home entertainment as well. But Sony's news today is the opening shot in an all new console war.

It's been six years since Sony launched the PlayStation 3 and seven years since Microsoft launched its competing Xbox 360. Late last year, Nintendo revealed the Wii U ? its new home game machine and the successor to the Wii. But so far, the Wii U's lackluster sales and technical specs that make it seem more on par with the current generation Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, suggest this machine is more of an interim step in the three-way gaming battle.

With Microsoft rumored to be working on its own new home game console (which it will reportedly unveil in the coming weeks), it is Sony and Microsoft that are widely expected to go head-to-head in the coming years, vying for the same demographic and to become the all-important entertainment hub in your household.

For a further look at Sony's event Wednesday, check out the videos belowand InGame editor Todd Kenreck's first lookat the PlayStation 4:

Winda Benedetti writes about video games for NBC News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things on Twitter here @WindaBenedetti and you can follow her on Google+. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the IN-GAME FACEBOOK PAGE to discuss the day's gaming news and reviews.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ingame/sony-reveals-playstation-4-fires-first-shot-next-console-war-1C8452386

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Olympic Runner Oscar Pistorius Begins Girlfriend's Murder Trial in South Africa

GWEN IFILL: We return now to South Africa, where double amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius appeared in court today, and the family of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp gathered for her funeral.

We have this report narrated by Keme Nzerem of Independent Television News.

KEME NZEREM: His father, and as he listened to the charges against him that he shot his girlfriend dead in an act of premeditated murder, he sobbed.

Exactly what happened in his high-security gated home late on the night of St. Valentine last week? Did Oscar Pistorius kill his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp? Yes, his lawyer would concede. But he argued it was mistake. The explanation came by way of a prepared statement read to the court by his lawyer.

Pistorius claims the couple were deeply in love and went to sleep shortly after 10:00. He woke later to retrieve a fan from the balcony and heard what he thought was an intruder in the bathroom. The world's most famous disabled athlete walking around in the dead of night only on his stumps, it made him, he said, feel vulnerable. Allegedly, he had this gun by his bed.

In the dark, he picked it up and then this: "I felt a sense of terror rushing over me. Although I did not have my prosthetic legs on, I have mobility on my stumps. I fired shots at the toilet door and shouted to Reeva to call the police."

Only then, claims Pistorius, did it dawn on him that Reeva was no longer next to him in bed and the noise that had spooked him from the bathroom was her. He says he then put on his prosthetic legs, bashed down the door with a cricket bat to find her breathing her last.

"Reeva was slumped over, but alive. She died in my arms. I am absolutely mortified by the events and the devastating loss of my beloved Reeva."

Reeva Steenkamp, cremated this afternoon in a ceremony open only to close family and friends. It was desperately sad.

MAN: But we are here today as a family? (INAUDIBLE) Reeva.

MAN: It's OK.

MAN: We have got to get (INAUDIBLE)

KEME NZEREM: How on Earth to put into words the loss of a daughter, a niece, or a sister?

And the prosecution team boiling the case down to this. The couple, they claim, had an argument. For some reason Pistorius put on his legs, walked to the bathroom and shot through the door. Whether he thought it was actually his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, or indeed a burglar.

GERRIE NEL, Prosecutor: If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated. The door is closed. There is no doubt. I walk seven meters and I kill. The motive is, I want to kill. That's it.

KEME NZEREM: The next stage of his bail hearing is tomorrow, but Pistorius was returned to the cells tonight knowing he may never taste freedom again.?

Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sports/jan-june13/pistorius1_02-19.html

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Carnegie Melon workshop to encourage youth to pursue field of IT

Doha, Qatar ? Computers are everywhere ? in cars, planes, phones, and even on space shuttles.

Behind these computers are computer scientists, who explore the design and innovation of computing and what computers can do.

Since technology and technologically-related industries are the main drivers of growth in a knowledge-based economy, establishing an expert talent bench of computer scientist practitioners is necessary for Qatar to compete in the 21st century marketplace.

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar?s outreach and expertise in this field is a key element in encouraging Qatar?s youth to not only enter this field and embrace Qatar?s National Vision 2030, but also to be a part of the field?s exciting creations.

As part of this outreach, Carnegie Mellon held its sixth annual CS4Qatar workshop for high school students on Saturday, aiming to inspire Qatar?s youth to become creators of innovations that will change the world.

?Before I joined Carnegie Mellon, I came to CS4Qatar and it was one of the reasons that I applied to the computer science major here. The event is really useful, as these are the basics that you learn when you first come to CMU-Q,? said Saira Batool, a computer science undergraduate.

Ninety high school students from 22 schools around the country participated.

The workshop aims to debase many of the misconceptions surrounding the practice of computer science by exposing students to the basics of technology through both programming and robotics.

As part of the workshop, students were briefed on how robots can be used in fun and exciting ways by Takeo Kanade, a professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, and one of the world?s foremost researchers in computer vision.

?CS4Qatar enables participants to come to Carnegie Mellon and get a chance to interact with our faculty and students using cutting edge technology. They are able to see the amazing things that are done in computer science and how Carnegie Mellon is at the forefront of technology and innovation,? said Damian Dourado, manager for pre-college programs and director of community outreach.

CS4Qatar is a series of computer science workshops for secondary school students and their teachers. The programs are developed by the computer science faculty at Carnegie Mellon and are designed for students in Qatar who want to broaden their horizons in the ever-expanding and broad-reaching field of computer science.
Source - QatarChronicle

Source: http://iloveqatar.net/forum/read.php?28,40644,40644

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Acceptable Site Use.

General Rules: Users may not use the Web Site in order to transmit, distribute, store or destroy material (a) in violation of any applicable law or regulation, (b) in a manner that will infringe the copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of others or violate the privacy, publicity or other personal rights of others, or (c) that is defamatory, obscene, threatening, abusive or hateful.

Web Site Security Rules. Users are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate the security of the Web Site, including, without limitation, (a) accessing data not intended for such user or logging into a server or account which the user is not authorized to access, (b) attempting to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures without proper authorization, (c) attempting to interfere with service to any user, host or network, including, without limitation, via means of submitting a virus to the Web Site, overloading, "flooding", "spamming", "mailbombing" or "crashing", (d) sending unsolicited e-mail, including promotions and/or advertising of products or services, or (e) forging any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any e-mail. Violations of system or network security may result in civil or criminal liability. The Company will investigate occurrences which may involve such violations and may involve, and cooperate with, law enforcement authorities in prosecuting users who are involved in such violations.

Specific Prohibited Uses.

The Company specifically prohibits any use of the Web Site, and all users agree not to use the Web Site, for any of the following:

• Posting any incomplete, false or inaccurate biographical information or information which is not your own accurate resume
• Using any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of this Web Site or any activity being conducted on this site.
• Taking any action which imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on this Web Site?s infrastructure.
• If you have a password allowing access to a non-public area of this Web Site, disclosing to or sharing your password with any third parties or using your password for any unauthorized purpose.
• Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, using or attempting to use any engine, software, tool, agent or other device or mechanism (including without limitation browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate or search this Web Site other than the search engine and search agents available from the Company on this Web Site and other than generally available third party web browsers (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Explorer).
• Attempting to decipher, decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of the Web Site.
• Aggregating, copying or duplicating in any manner any of the materials or information available from the Web Site.
• Framing of or linking to any of the materials or information available from the Web Site.

User Information.

When you register for the Web Site, you will be asked to provide the Company with certain information including, without limitation, a valid email address (your "Information"). In addition to the terms and conditions that may be set forth in any privacy policy on this Web Site, you understand and agree that the Company may disclose to third parties, on an anonymous basis, certain aggregate information contained in your registration application. The Company reserves the right to offer third party services and products to you based on the preferences that you identify in your registration and at any time thereafter; such offers may be made by the Company or by third parties. Please see the Company's Privacy Policy below for further details regarding your Information.

Registration and Password.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your information and password. You shall be responsible for all uses of your registration, whether or not authorized by you. You agree to immediately notify the Company of any unauthorized use of your registration or password.

The Company's Liability.

As a condition to your use of this site, you release the Company (and our agents and employees) from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential, direct and indirect) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code d1542, which says: "A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him must have materially affected his settlement with the debtor."

We are under no legal obligation to, and generally do not, control the information provided by other users which is made available through the Web Site. By its very nature, other people?s information may be offensive, harmful or inaccurate, and in some cases will be mislabeled or deceptively labeled. We expect that you will use caution and common sense when using this Web Site.

The Material may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Web Site or the Material. The use of the Web Site and the Material is at your own risk. Changes are periodically made to the Web Site and may be made at any time.

You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for the content and accuracy of any resume or material contained therein placed by you on the Web Site and you agree to let any users that are identified as recruiters (designated in the sole discretion of the Company) to have access to your resume.

The Company is not to be considered to be an employer with respect to your use of the Web Site and the Company shall not be responsible for any employment decisions, for whatever reason made, made by any entity posting jobs on the Web Site.

THE COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE WEB SITE WILL OPERATE ERROR-FREE OR THAT THE WEB SITE AND ITS SERVER ARE FREE OF COMPUTER VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL MECHANISMS. IF YOUR USE OF THE WEB SITE OR THE MATERIAL RESULTS IN THE NEED FOR SERVICING OR REPLACING EQUIPMENT OR DATA, THE COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE COSTS.

THE WEB SITE AND MATERIAL ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. THE COMPANY, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE COMPANY MAKES NO WARRANTIES ABOUT THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, COMPLETENESS, OR TIMELINESS OF THE MATERIAL, SERVICES, SOFTWARE, TEXT, GRAPHICS, AND LINKS.

Disclaimer of Consequential Damages.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY, ITS SUPPLIERS, OR ANY THIRD PARTIES MENTIONED ON THE WEB SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, INCIDENTAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOST DATA OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) RESULTING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE WEB SITE AND THE MATERIAL, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPANY IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Links to Other Sites.

The Web Site may contain links to third party web sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience to you and not as an endorsement by the Company of the contents on such third-party Web sites. The Company is not responsible for the content of linked third-party sites and does not make any representations regarding the content or accuracy of materials on such third party Web sites. If you decide to access linked third party Web sites, you do so at your own risk.

No Resale or Unauthorized Commercial Use.

You agree not to resell or assign your rights or obligations under these Term of Use. You also agree not to make any unauthorized commercial use of the Web Site.

Limitation of Liability.

The aggregate liability for the Company to you for all claims arising from the use of the Materials is limited to $1.

Termination.

The Company reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to pursue all of its legal remedies, including but not limited to immediate termination of your registration with or ability to access the Web Site and/or any other service provided to you by the Company, upon any breach by you of these Terms and Conditions or if the Company is unable to verify or authenticate any information you submit to the Web Site registration with or ability to access the Web Site.

Indemnity.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Company, its officers, directors, employees and agents, from and against any claims, actions or demands, including without limitation reasonable legal and accounting fees, alleging or resulting from your use of the Material or your breach of the terms of these Terms and Conditions. The Company shall provide notice to you promptly of any such claim, suit, or proceeding and shall assist you, at your expense, in defending any such claim, suit or proceeding.

General.

The Company makes no claims that the Materials may be lawfully viewed or downloaded outside of the United States. Access to the Materials may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries. If you access the Web Site from outside of the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with the laws of your jurisdiction. These Terms and conditions are governed by the internal substantive laws of the State of New York, without respect to its conflict of laws principles. Jurisdiction for any claims arising under this agreement shall lie exclusively with the state or federal courts within New York, New York. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions are found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms and Conditions, which shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any term of these Terms and Conditions shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term. Except as expressly provided in additional terms of use for areas of the Web Site a particular "Legal Notice," or Software License or Material on particular Web pages, these Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company with respect to the use of Web Site. No changes to these Terms and Conditions shall be made except by a revised posting on this page.

PRIVACY POLICY

The Company recognizes that you are concerned about privacy. We are committed to preserving your privacy and safeguarding your sensitive information. The following statement describes the general information-gathering and usage practices of our sites.

Our staff, contractors, Internet service providers and others involved in this site follow this policy or similarly strict policies regarding your Information.

Disclosure

The Company is committed to fully disclosing our policies regarding the collection, use, maintenance, disclosure and security of personal information obtained from users of our site. The term "personal information" includes a name, address, email address, or any other information which could be used to contact you directly or to identify you personally.

Use and Disclosure Limitations

The Company only uses personal information about its Web site users for specific purposes. We do not share user information with third parties except when we have told users about the disclosures, when we have prior consent, or when required by law.

Use Policy: When the Company gathers personal information from users, we ask for permission first. We also disclose, at the time of collection, how the information will be used by us. Personal information is used for activities such as auto-completion of commonly-used forms and helping us contact you when you solicit information from us.

Disclosure Policy: We do not normally disclose personal information to anyone outside of the Company unless we have previously informed users about the disclosures. However, some data may be used from time to time by outside contractors, including auditors or consultants, to assist us in carrying out necessary financial or operational activities. These uses will be consistent with this privacy policy and all contractors using this potential personal information must agree to safeguard it, to use it only for the authorized purpose, and to return it or destroy it upon completion of the activity.

The Company might be required to disclose personal information in response to a valid legal process such as a subpoena, search warrant or court order.

Although unlikely, it is possible that we may have to make certain disclosures to ensure the security of our Web site, to protect its integrity, or to take precautions against potential liability. In any of these situations, we will take any reasonable steps to limit the scope of the data disclosed.

Web Logs: The Company maintains standard Web logs that record basic information about visitors to our Web site. These logs contain: * The Internet domain from which you came to our Web site. * Your IP address. An IP address is a series of numbers which uniquely identifies your connection to the Internet. Although it is possible in some instances, certain types of IP addresses may be used by interested persons to identify users but we do not attempt to identify users in this way. * The type of browser (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape) and operating system (e.g., Windows 98) you use. * The date and time you visited the site, and the pages you saw.

We use Web log information to design our Web site, identify popular features, and in similar ways. We do not try to identify individuals from Web logs or to link Web logs to other user information. However, if someone tries to damage our Web site or use it in an unauthorized or illegal way, we may share Web log information with law enforcement agencies. The Company may provide aggregate information such as the number of users who visit particular pages of the site, or the number of people who link to certain external sites from our site, to other parties.

Changes to Privacy Policy

The Company's features and services will change over time and our information-gathering practices and policies may also change.

While our philosophy of protecting user information from inappropriate uses and disclosures will not change, this policy will be updated occasionally to include any change that materially affects the collection, maintenance, use, or disclosure of personal information.

Source: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/burst-your-bubble-now

Jacintha Saldanha