IBM predicts that computers have five senses | Technology Reviews

Within just five years IBM scientists expect that computers can make use of the five senses with cognitive technology.

IBM has made a surprising medium-term prognosis: computers can feel in just five years. Such confidence is the prophecy of the popular home computer. Currently, computers are now able to perform many different tasks, but always within a largely visual field. The ability to develop touch, smell and taste right now sounds like a real revolution.

The company IBM has identified five areas in which computers will improve significantly in five years. One for every human sense. The so-called cognitive advances increase the experience of working with computers in a revolutionary way. ? A computer receives a box art as a mere succession of different colors, but could come to understand what it represents and what it means: for example that the painting depicts a sailboat.

The mind reading machines will change our lives

One of the main differences between the cognitive and one next computer will be based on traditional learning. The training that will be subjected to improve their capacity. In the cognitive system and seek the right answers in the case of wrong conclusions, the computer will change their view to get to the right answer. Will refine their perception of reality.

?In a cognitive machine, put in place and the work, but also look and that is something very different because statistically calculate a result and that?s it. However, if the response is incorrect and thus you indicate, vary your c to Calculating odds to eventually reach the right answer, ?Meyerson says in the interview.

Cognition does not equal intelligence

The attribution of human senses to a computer has stood the robots or androids (human-like). Some autonomous entities that perform actions themselves own science fiction. But Meyerson identifies a real gap between artificial intelligence and cognition.

? Actually this is an assistive technology. could not go out of scope. was not designed for it. For what it is designed to respond to a human being in a care. But giving it a view humanized, frees us from the task of programming and get into training. simply not have more intelligence, but it has more bandwidth. That?s the big difference between the two concepts , ?says the manager of IBM.

The five senses of computers: IBM 5 in 5

The first innovation that advances IBM has to do with the sense of touch. According to IBM, you can ? touch over the phone. ? IBM scientists are developing applications for the distribution sector and health, among others, which use infrared technology to simulate the pressure sensitive sense of touch by vibration (depending on the material), so that a purchaser can feel the texture of a fabric when you pass your finger over the picture of an item on the screen.

They bailed on mortgage but want to buy again

Diana Olick , CNBC.com ? ? ? 7 hrs.

Home sales are slowly climbing back, thanks to investor demand, improving consumer confidence in housing, and the surprising return of former homeowners who once walked away from their commitments.

These so-called "strategic defaulters," some of them investors and some owner-occupants, are coming back to the market, despite damaged credit, and apparently the market is welcoming them back.

Read More: The Real Estate Recovery, in Your Neighborhood

A new survey of past clients by YouWalkAway.com, a website that assists borrowers in the legal pitfalls of strategic default, found that nearly 80 percent expressed a desire to buy a home again within the next 12 months. It also cites data by Moody's analytics, showing that the number of eligible home buyers who have had a previous foreclosure will be 1.5 million by the first quarter of 2014.

Crashing home prices and sketchy mortgage products caused millions of Americans to default on their loans and eventually lose their homes. For some, it was a tragic fight to the end to keep their single largest investment; for others it was a conscious decision to walk away from their mortgage commitments, given the real fact that they would likely not see home equity again for many years to come.

Some saw this as morally reprehensible, others as a sensible business decision.

Read More: Fewer Borrowers Are Behind on Mortgages, but for How Long?

While home ownership has fallen dramatically since the recent housing boom, from a high of 69.2 percent in 2004 to 65.4 percent at the end of 2012, according to the U.S. Census, the desire to own a home is still strong. About 70 percent of Americans surveyed by online real estate website Trulia.com said homeownership was still a part of the "American Dream." Of those surveyed by Fannie Mae in January of 2013, 65 percent said that if they had to move, they would buy a home, rather than rent.

Coming back to home ownership may not be as difficult as some think. Consumers who only defaulted on their mortgage during the recent recession were far better risks than those who went delinquent on multiple credit accounts, like credit cards and auto loans, according to a 2011 study by TransUnion.

"There appears to be a pocket of opportunity among mortgage-only defaulters that is not the result of excess liquidity, but rather the unique circumstances of the recent recession," said Steve Chaouki, group vice president in TransUnion's financial services business unit in the study release. "This new market segment that the recession created is an important one for lenders to understand. They have the potential, today, to be stronger and more reliable customers."

Not surprisingly, given this potential, YouWalkAway.com is launching the "AfterForeclosure.com Pass/Fail App," which claims to tell potential borrowers in just one minute, "if they have a shot at home ownership."

"We want people to know that it's possible and, in a lot of cases, it's advantageous," says Jon Maddux, former CEO and co-founder of YouWalkAway.com.

Read More: Americans Are Using Their Houses as ATMs Again

It is possible, but mortgage underwriting is far more strict today than during the housing boom, and there are varying waiting periods before former homeowners who went through foreclosure can qualify for a new loan. The Federal Housing Administration, the government insurer of home loans which now backs just over 20 percent of new loan originations, requires a three-year wait. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which own or guarantee the bulk of the remaining new loan originations, require up to seven years for a strategic defaulter to qualify again for a mortgage.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/they-bailed-mortgage-now-want-buy-again-1C8496356

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Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Engaged To Lauren Kitt! (Photo)

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Engaged To Lauren Kitt! (Photo)

It looks as if the last Backstreet Boy is off the market! Nick Carter has confirmed his engagement to fitness expert and actress Lauren Kitt. Carter talked about the big moment and how his planned proposal didn’t very smoothly. Nick Carter told People magazine, “I had the ring in my pocket for two weeks. I ...

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Engaged To Lauren Kitt! (Photo) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/02/backstreet-boy-nick-carter-engaged-to-lauren-kitt-photo/

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The Best Alternatives for Every Pre-Loaded iPhone App

The iPhone comes with a bunch of apps you never use. Some of them are poorly implemented. Others are lacking important features. Fortunately, there's a whole world of developers offering some very viable third-party alternatives. Unfortunately you can't delete the apps your iPhone comes with, but here are some alternatives that will free you from their boring grips. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4uCK4SOpQZo/the-best-alternative-for-every-stock-apple-app

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Visa Debuts New Mobile Payments And NFC Partner Program For Merchants And Developers, Ready

Credit card company Visa is ramping up its partner program to help integrate its payments technologies in mobile devices and platforms. The new initiative, called the Visa Ready Partner Program, aims to help mobile device manufacturers, technology partners, mobile network operators, and others gain access to Visa IP, licenses and more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/CWloUoO5vyI/

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Is privacy at risk in Nicaragua?

Opposition lawmakers are decrying the first lady?s efforts to implement a new model of government that critics call ?a totalitarian plan? to control Nicaraguans? private lives.

Congressman Alberto Lacayo, head of the minority Nicaraguan Democratic Bloc (BND), warns that Sandinista lawmakers are preparing to use their supermajority muscle in the National Assembly to pass into law Rosario Murillo?s latest political scheme: the creation of so-called ?Councils of Family, Community and Life.?

The new neighborhood organizations, a concept that is so inchoate the Sandinistas can?t even decide what they?re called (they are alternately referred to as ?Councils of Family, Health and Life?) are allegedly going to be put to vote as soon as Thursday, opposition lawmakers warn. Critics claim the creation of the councils and their inclusion in the Family Code is an attempt to repackage the unpopular Councils of Citizen Power (CPCs) and give them a new legal mandate to infiltrate people?s personal space.

??They want to control people?s private lives and households, and they have the votes in the National Assembly to pass it into law on Thursday,? Lacayo told The Nicaragua Dispatch in a phone interview. ?They are disguising the CPCs as Councils of Family and Health or Life or whatever they call it. They are just lubricating it so people don?t feel the danger when they come into your home.? ??

?The Independent Liberal Party (PLI), in its feckless and ornamental role as a minority opposition party, released a statement this week comparing the proposed family councils to the defunct ?Sandinista Defense Committees (CDS),? which in the 1980s were considered ?the eyes and ears of the revolution.?

Opposition lawmakers point to the language of First Lady Rosario Murillo?s so-called ?constitutional document? for the creation of the family councils as evidence that the Sandinistas are trying to institutionalize the CPCs while continuing to exclude all other forms of organized civil society and genuine citizen participation. CPCs are Sandinista neighborhood committees that were formed in 2007 but have never really taken off; less than 5% of the population participates in CPCs, according to polls. Critics think Murillo is trying to recast that project now under the new framework of family councils.

?These councils are the expression of organized communities that promote citizens as protagonists and the practice of values,? Murillo said recently in explaining the new family councils.

Institutionalizing Murillo?s vision of Nicaragua?

In effect, Murillo is trying to institutionalize her very particular vision of family and community values. ?Our identity is Christian, socialist and in solidarity, and the family is the central nucleus of these values, these beliefs, this culture of practices that are solidarity because the Nicaraguan people are generous and in solidarity,? Murillo said repetitively.

The proposed Councils of Family, Community and Life will promote these values in homes, neighborhoods and communities, Murillo explains. Instituting the new family councils in the Family Code the first step in big changes to come, she promised.?

?Further ahead we will see many steps in the path that will bring us to a Nicaragua that is fraternal, dignified, free, just and prosperous,? Murillo said during one of her recent daily monologues on Sandinista TV. ?We will be energized, affirming dialogue, harmony, democracy and peace. We will have more faith, more hope and more love for God, for our neighbors, for ourselves, for our Nicaragua, which is blessed and forever free. We see ourselves as Christians, Socialists and in solidarity. We see many blessings, more protected, more prosperous and more towards new victories. We see everyone, and for everyone and for the good of everyone.?

When attempting to explain how this new model will work, Murillo, the unelected mastermind and administrator of the Sandinista government, is characteristically oracular and pleonastic.

?How will this be moving forward?? Murillo said. ?Working more and better from a model of dignity, unity, fraternity that promotes self-esteem, esteem; a model that recognizes duties and rights; a model that recognizes and incorporates the values of the person, of the family, of the community to recreate the Nicaraguan society from a view of Christianity, Socialism, solidarity and responsibility. We see ourselves reunited in the identity and spirit of community, accompanying ourselves, embodying ourselves, talking and promoting actions and solutions that are our own as citizen protagonists who are responsible, in solidarity, who complement and who identify with the pride and joy as Nicaraguan families, by the grace of God. We see with great learning of communication, co-existence, generosity, friendship as human beings that we need each other and support one another in the good and bad moments, in sickness and in health, in happiness and in adversity, in need and misfortune, in celebration, and in the solutions to the struggles of day-to-day live, that among all of us we can be better.?

Can I get an Amen?

Encroaching on private space?

Whatever it is the first lady is talking about, Nicaraguans have reason to worry, says journalist and social commentator Sof?a Montenegro.

The ruling party already controls all the public spaces in Nicaragua, and now they are going after people?s private spaces, Montenegro warns.

?People?s intimate space is at risk,? Montenegro told The Nicaragua Dispatch. ?This is about community totalitarianism.?

The first lady?s recent ?Live Pretty? clean-up campaign is just the tip of the camel?s nose pushing under the tent. The family councils, which allegedly will work in conjunction with various government ministries to enforce the Live Pretty campaign, will be the second push all the way into people?s homes and private spaces.

?When Jehovah?s Witnesses come to your house, you can close the door on them. But now we are going to have family councils coming by the house to make sure we are living pretty?? Montenegro says.

The problem, Montenegro says, is that once the councils are created, they can be used to enforce any type of arbitrary campaign that the government implements. Even if the Sandinista Front says participation in the community councils is voluntary, Montenegro warns, ?They have mechanisms for coercion and pressuring people to join.?

While the first lady and her satraps insist the forthcoming family councils will be used to promote values and good living, critics worry the councils will act as a Trojan Horse for the government to infiltrate the last sanctuary that Nicaraguans? have from politics.

Says Montenegro, ?The only private space left in Nicaragua is the refuge of people?s homes and families, and now they are going after that, too.?

Source: http://www.nicaraguadispatch.com/news/2013/02/is-privacy-at-risk-in-nicaragua/6823

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Heat Beat Hawks 103-90: LeBron James Has 24, Miami Extends Winning Streak To Eight (VIDEO)

ATLANTA -- Miami scored the first 13 points of the fourth quarter to erase Atlanta's 10-point lead and the Heat, led by LeBron James' 24 points, beat the Hawks 103-90 on Wednesday night to extend their season-best winning streak to eight games.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and Shane Battier had 17, hitting three 3-pointers in the final period. James had 11 assists and six rebounds but could not extend his franchise-record streak of seven straight games with at least 30 points.

Miami outscored Atlanta 40-17 in the final period after trailing 73-63 through three quarters.

Al Horford led the Hawks with 27 points and nine rebounds. Kyle Korver had 12 points, all on 3-pointers.

Josh Smith had 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in what could be his final game with the Hawks. Smith has been one of the league's most prominent names in reports leading to Thursday's 3 p.m. trade deadline.

The Heat are 3-0 against the Hawks this season and have won six straight in the series.

After trailing 43-38, the Hawks took the lead with an 11-0 run, capped by a three-point play by Devin Harris with 4.3 seconds remaining in the first half. James then launched a buzzer-beating jumper over Horford to cut Atlanta's halftime lead to 49-45. Following a review, officials ruled the shot was not a 3-pointer.

The Heat trailed only 57-56 early in the third period before the Hawks stretched the lead with 10 straight points. Korver had two 3-pointers before Smith's two-handed jam capped the run, giving Atlanta its biggest lead at 67-56.

Ray Allen, who had a three-point play after Battier's first 3-pointer of the fourth quarter, gave Miami its first lead of the second half at 74-73 with a layup. Two free throws by James capped the 13-0 run.

Allen had 15 points and Mario Chalmers had 14.

NOTES: Miami G Mike Miller did not make the flight to Atlanta due to ear problems resulting from a head cold. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he hopes Miller joins the team for Thursday's game at Chicago. ... Chalmers left the game less than 2 minutes into the second half and was limping after appearing to roll his right ankle. He returned after missing only a few minutes. ... Hawks coach Larry Drew said he hopes the team adds a guard if it makes no other trade-deadline move. G Jannero Pargo's second 10-day contract expired, and Drew said he must monitor Harris, who has had problems with his left foot. ... Celebrities in the crowd included Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/heat-hawks-103-90-lebron-james-winning-streak_n_2730216.html

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Katy Perry and John Mayer Are Planning Their Wedding (The Theme Is 'Great Ideas Throughout History')

Okay, sure! Why not, kids!? WHY THE FERK NOT. To be fair, I've long thought that Katy Perry and John Mayer are a preternaturally perfect pair?they both seem to relish being flighty and young and ridiculous in the same unselfconscious way. I actually don't mind either of them half as much as I'm supposed to. (Don't you guys think that Mayer might just be COLLOSSALY KIDDING literally all the time?) So anyway, go for it. Get married and die of old age in each others' arms. The ghost of Harvey Levin will go BERSERK.

It is believed they would like to tie the knot near to where Katy grew up in Santa Barbara, and want the nuptials to be a low-key affair.

"Katy and John want to have a really intimate traditional ceremony with only their closest friends and family. They're both from fairly traditional families and don't want a big party," a source told British magazine Grazia. "They had so much fun when they visited her hometown that Katy and John have both agreed it would make sense to do it there. They loved San Ysidro because it's so private and peaceful with amazing scenery."

Katy ? who was previously married to British comic Russell Brand - proudly showed off her impressive new piece of jewellery last week as the couple left an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. It is believed John went shopping himself to choose the one-of-a-kind ruby ring.

Their cake will be in the shape of the Hindenberg and the officiant will be a wax figure of that guy who jumped off the Eiffel Tower with cloth wings stuck on his jacket. [Yahoo!]

---

Sources close to Mindy McCready say that the singer likely shot her dog out of love, not malice:

We're told that prior to her boyfriend's death, things were looking up for the problem-plagued star who had started to work on new music and was very much "in love" with Wilson.

"She didn't really have a support network and coming home to an empty house seems to be what really did it," the source continued. "It is tragic. She was a sweet and kind girl at heart."

However, since her death much has been made over revelations that McCready shot her dog before allegedly turning the gun on herself.

"Mindy really loved her dog and that would not have been an act of malice at all," the pal insisted. "It would have been more of a case where she just didn't want to leave the dog alone."

In other news, everything about this story continues to be very, very sad. [FOX]

---

Kate Middleton visited a women's recovery center and chatted with the residents about her pregnancy.

Sitting at a table with women taking part in an art therapy class, the Duchess, 31, was asked by a recovering alcoholic, Lisa, about her pregnancy.

"I asked her if she was nervous about having a child and she said it would be unnatural if she wasn't," said the 34-year-old mother of three. "It's just human, isn't it?

"I told her congratulations and good luck, hope it goes OK, and she smiled. It was nice, she just chatted to us."
A former drug and alcohol addict, Natalie, 28, told the Duchess about her own pregnancy.

"I told her I'm expecting a baby at about the same time as her," said Natalie, whose baby is due on July 26. "She was saying she had been unwell but she was feeling better now and I have been about the same."

Sniff. Something in my eye, etc. [Telegraph]

---

• VH1 has finished casting T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli for their upcoming TLC biopic! Check it out. ENDORSED. [Vulture]
• This picture of Kanye West with Aziz Ansari's parents is like that videotape in The Ring. I looked at it and I'm dead now. [Vulture]
• Here's Vin Diesel singing Rihanna's "Stay" to his girlfriend. I can't imagine why you wouldn't watch this immediately. [People]
• Mila Kunis is interested in a That '70s Show reunion, which is, apparently, the only way in which Mila Kunis and I are not exactly identical. [E!]
• This isn't really news, but here's a Game of Thrones deleted scene where Loras is all sad about Renly dying. (Don't even worry about it, dude?like one book from now there'll be so many new characters you'll be all, "Renly whoooooo?") [ONTD]
• Travis Barker has dropped out of Blink 182's Australian tour because he is afraid of flying. After, you know, barely not dying in a plane crash that one time. I'm going to go with "fair enough." [E!]
• Charlize Theron went to the gym, drank juice, looked pretty. [JustJared]
• Will.i.am bought this $900,000 car from the hottest dealer in ToonTown. [TMZ]
• GIF FIGHT!!!! Who wins? Is it Kitty 1? [Chzbrgr]
• Or Kitty 2? YOU HOLD THEIR FATE IN YOUR PAWS. (The loser will be put to sleep.) [Army]

Source: http://jezebel.com/5985506/katy-perry-and-john-mayer-are-planning-their-wedding-the-theme-is-great-ideas-throughout-history

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NCAA sues over Pa. law to keep PSU fine in state

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ? The NCAA wasted no time in challenging a new Pennsylvania law designed to keep the $60 million Penn State fine over the Jerry Sandusky scandal in the state, filing a federal challenge to the legislation hours after Gov. Tom Corbett signed it into law Wednesday.

State and congressional lawmakers have objected to use of the NCAA fine to finance child abuse prevention efforts in other states.

The complaint asks a federal judge to throw out the Pennsylvania Institution of Higher Education Monetary Penalty Endowment Act, saying it violates provisions of the U.S. Constitution. It also asks for an injunction to prevent the law from being enforced.

Defendants in the lawsuit are Corbett and three state officials who would be involved in handling or monitoring the money: the auditor general, treasurer and chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Corbett believes the bill "makes sense and is the right thing to do," spokeswoman Janet Kelley said. The lawsuit is under review, she said.

Penn State signed a consent decree last summer in which it agreed to the fine, a four-year football bowl ban and other penalties shortly after a scathing report into how school officials handled reports that Sandusky, a former assistant football coach, was behaving inappropriately with children. He was convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys and is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence.

"By seizing the funds and restricting eligibility to benefit from the funds only to Pennsylvania programs benefiting only Pennsylvania residents, the act will defeat the consent decree's plain terms and frustrate the parties' intended purpose," the NCAA's lawyers wrote.

The lawsuit claims the new legislation is unconstitutional because it directs state officials to collect money to which the state is not entitled. It argues the state has no legal right to abridge the contract between the NCAA and Penn State and says the new law tries to regulate transactions by out-of-state entities in violation of the Commerce Clause.

NCAA President Mark Emmert released a statement saying that it was important that the organization's members abide by its rules and that college sports would be "dramatically altered" if others are responsible for deciding what penalties are appropriate.

NCAA lawyer Donald Remy said the lawsuit concerned legal issues of importance to anyone who does business with state-related or private entities.

"The state has attempted to grant itself the ability to do whatever it wants to whomever it wants," Remy said. "The United States Constitution does not permit this kind of legislative overreach."

Joe Metz, a Harrisburg lawyer with federal litigation experience, said the NCAA's lawsuit had promise, particularly because the law was passed after the consent agreement was signed.

"It's impossible to predict how something like this will go, but it's definitely something I'd read carefully and think about, that's for sure," said Metz, who is not involved in the case.

Penn State, which has made the first of five $12 million payments, is not a party to the litigation. An NCAA task force will determine how the money is spent.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a defendant in the case, issued a statement that said people should "remember that this should all be about the kids."

"I take very seriously my role of ensuring that money is spent in accordance with Pennsylvania law and the distribution of that funding is now dictated by (the bill) which was enacted into law today," DePasquale said.

In January, Corbett filed his own federal lawsuit in the matter, accusing the NCAA of antitrust violations and seeking to have all of the consent decree's penalties thrown out. A request by the NCAA to have that case dismissed is pending.

Also Wednesday, the NCAA told two Pennsylvania congressmen it disagrees with their argument that taking some football scholarships away from Penn State unfairly punished innocent student-athletes.

Reps. Charlie Dent and Glenn Thompson released a letter from Emmert that said no Penn State athletes lost scholarships and that each athlete remains eligible for a scholarship at Penn State or another school.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-20-Penn%20State-Abuse/id-77673f8c6b494b1c9eb0334630af18a2

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Silvershine08 commented on Dan Ryckert's post about What Sony Can Learn From PS3's Launch .

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Obama pushes gun control in Minneapolis (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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How to 'reverse bribe' your child

Bribery in early childhood grows directly into a sense in early adulthood that you deserve a ?treat? for just completing the basic expectations of life, Hamm writes. Parents should instead consider a technique Hamm calls "reverse bribery."

By Trent Hamm,?Guest blogger / February 4, 2013

An ice cream truck customer holds his purchase in Boston, Mass. The goal of "reverse bribery," Hamm writes, is to disassociate personal success and normal, expected behavior from special ?treats.?

Ann Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor/File

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Have you ever had a two year old repeatedly attempt to climb out of a bathtub while you were trying to give that child a bath? You end up covered in soap and at the end of your rope.

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Our youngest child is well into the ?terrible twos.? As anyone who?s had a child can relate to, there?s this period between the ages of two and three where a child really begins to explore his or her boundaries and they learn that they can, in fact, refuse to do something that?s requested of them.

There are a lot of techniques out there for dealing with this. With almost every technique, there?s a tradeoff. One might be the best long-term solution, but it requires time and patience. Others might be much easier, but they embed questionable long-term ideas in his head.

Naturally, one of the solutions for dealing with a difficult child is bribery. For example, I might offer him an extra bedtime story if he stops rebelling in the bathtub at night.?

Cause of Super Bowl power outage remains unclear

Fans and members of the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers wait for power to return in the Superdome during an outage in the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Fans and members of the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers wait for power to return in the Superdome during an outage in the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A power outage affects about half the lights in the Superdome during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Field judge Craig Wrolstad stands on the field after the lights went out during the second half of NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Baltimore Ravens players look around the Superdome after the lights went out during the second half of NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Fans and members of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers wait for power to return in the Superdome during an outage in the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Who turned out the lights?

The day after the 34-minute blackout at the Super Bowl, the exact cause ? and who's to blame ? were unclear, though a couple of potential culprits had been ruled out.

It wasn't Beyonce's electrifying halftime performance, according to Doug Thornton, manager of the state-owned Superdome, since the singer had her own generator. And it apparently wasn't a case of too much demand for power. Meters showed the 76,000-seat stadium was drawing no more electricity than it does during a typical New Orleans Saints game, Thornton said.

The lights-out game Sunday proved an embarrassment for the Big Easy just when it was hoping to show the rest of the world how far it has come since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But many fans and residents were forgiving, and officials expressed confidence that the episode wouldn't hurt the city's hopes of hosting the championship again.

To New Orleans' great relief, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the city did a "terrific" job hosting its first pro football championship in the post-Katrina era, and added: "I fully expect that we will be back here for Super Bowls."

Fans watching from their living rooms weren't deterred, either. An estimated 108.4 million people saw the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31, making it the third most-viewed program in television history. Both the 2010 and 2011 games hit the 111 million mark.

The problem that caused the outage was believed to have happened around the spot where a line that feeds current from the local power company, Entergy New Orleans, connects with the Superdome's electrical system, officials said. But whether the fault lay with the utility or with the Superdome was not clear.

Determining the cause will probably take days, according to Dennis Dawsey, a vice president for distribution and transmission for Entergy. He said the makers of some of the switching gear have been brought in to help figure out what happened.

An attorney for the state board that oversees the Superdome said the blackout did not appear to be related to the replacement in December of electrical equipment connecting the stadium to Entergy. Officials with the utility and the Superdome noted that an NFL game, the Sugar Bowl and another bowl game were played there in recent weeks with no apparent problems.

The blackout came after a nearly flawless week of activity for football fans in New Orleans leading up to the big game.

"I hope that's not what they'll remember about this Super Bowl," French Quarter artist Gloria Wallis said. "I hope that what they'll remember is they had a great time here and that they were welcomed here."

Ravens fan Antonio Prezioso, a Baltimore native who went to the game with his 11-year-old son, said the outage just extended the experience.

"The more time we could spend at the game was a good thing, as long as it ended the way it did," he said, laughing.

The city last hosted the Super Bowl in 2002, and officials were hoping this would serve as the ultimate showcase for the city's recovery. The storm tore holes in the roof of the Superdome and caused water damage to its electrical systems, and more than $330 million was spent repairing and upgrading the stadium.

Sunday's Super Bowl was New Orleans' 10th as host, and officials plan to make a bid for an 11th in 2018.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu told WWL-AM on Monday that the outage won't hurt the city's chances, and he joked that the game got better after the blackout: "People were leaving and the game was getting boring, so we had to do a little something to spice it up."

Jarvis DeBerry, a columnist for nola.com and The Times-Picayune, wrote that the power outage gave the media "an opportunity to laugh at the apparent ineptitude or suggest that the ghosts of Hurricane Katrina were haunting the Superdome."

"That's not the kind of attention the city was looking for, obviously," he wrote, "but it's certainly too soon to say if people will remember the power shortage over San Francisco's furious comeback attempt against Baltimore or if this will harm the city's future opportunities to host the Super Bowl."

Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University's Center for Hospitality and Sports Management, said the episode shouldn't hurt the city's reputation as a big convention destination. "I think people view it for what it was: an unusual event with a near-record power draw," he said. "It was the equivalent of a circuit breaker flipping."

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons will meet in New Orleans from April 27 to May 1. Patty Anderson, director of meetings for the group, said of the blackout: "I never even gave it a second thought. To me, the city is bigger, stronger and more vibrant than it's ever been."

___

Associated Press writers Beth Harpaz, Brett Martel, Stacey Plaisance and Barry Wilner contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-04-Super%20Bowl-Power%20Outage/id-7f1e0edacd714a15a0b7fde5393239e7

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Obama stands firm on gun control despite long odds

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? President Barack Obama declared Monday on his first trip outside Washington to promote gun control that a consensus is emerging for universal background checks for purchasers, though he conceded a tough road lay ahead to pass an assault weapons ban over formidable opposition in Congress.

"We should restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines," Obama said in a brief speech, standing firm on his full package on gun-control measures despite long odds. Such a ban "deserves a vote in Congress because weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools or threatening our law enforcement officers."

The president spoke from a special police operations center in a city once known to some as "Murderapolis" but where gun violence has dropped amid a push to address it from city leaders. Officers stood behind him, dressed in crisp uniforms of blue, white and brown.

The site conveyed Obama's message that a reduction in violence can be achieved nationally, even if Americans have sharp disagreements over gun control. That includes among members of his own party in Washington.

Suggesting he won't get all he's proposing, he said, "We don't have to agree on everything to agree it's time to do something."

The president unveiled his gun-control plans last month after the shootings at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. But many of the proposals face tough opposition from some in Congress and from the National Rifle Association.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he wants to give the bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines a vote. But he will not say whether he will support either, and advocates and opponents alike predict they are unlikely to pass.

Putting the controversial measures up for a vote could put some Democratic senators in a tough spot. That includes some from conservative-leaning states who are up for re-election next year and face the prospect of voting against either fervent gun-rights supporters or Obama and gun-control supporters in the party's base.

Reid himself came in for criticism for declining to stand with the president by Minneapolis' Democratic mayor, R.T. Rybak, who accompanied Obama while he was in town. "He's dancing around this issue and people are dying in this country," Rybak said of Reid on MSNBC.

Democratic lawmakers and aides, as well as lobbyists, say an assault weapons ban has the least chance of being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee that is working up the legislation. They say a ban on high-capacity magazines is viewed as the next least likely proposal to survive, though some compromise version of it might, allowing more than the 10-round maximum that Obama favors.

Likeliest to be included are universal background checks and prohibitions against gun trafficking, they say. One lobbyist said other possible terms include steps to improve record keeping on resales of guns and perhaps provisions that would make it harder for mentally ill people from obtaining firearms.

Asked last week what was likely to be in his committee's bill, committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said he didn't yet know but "I don't know how anybody can be opposed to universal background checks." He added, "I think gun trafficking, you've got to be able to close that. I don't know how anybody, anybody can object to that."

Obama also was more upbeat on the prospects of universal background checks, including for purchases at gun shows.

"The good news is that we're starting to see a consensus emerge about the action Congress needs to take," he said. "The vast majority of Americans, including a majority of gun owners, support requiring criminal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun. There's no reason why we can't get that done."

He urged Americans to call their members of Congress to push for his entire package of stronger gun controls. "Tell them now is the time for action."

"Changing the status quo is never easy," Obama said. "This will be no exception. The only way we can reduce gun violence in this country is if the American people decide it's important, if you decide it's important, if parents and teachers, police officers and pastors, hunters and sportsmen, Americans of every background stand up and say, this time, it's got to be different. We've suffered too much pain to stand by and do nothing."

The White House says Obama is not writing off any part of his package despite the long odds for the assault weapons ban in particular before votes are scheduled or he takes his arguments on the road. Education Secretary Arnie Duncan, who has been helping push the gun control package, said he and Obama spoke on the matter Sunday and agreed that Washington in a vacuum is unlikely to move quickly.

"If this is Washington trying to drive this by itself, it doesn't go very far," Duncan said at a meeting with college presidents who have signed on to help lobby Congress to take action to protect students.

The White House said Obama made his maiden trip on the gun control package to Minneapolis because the city has taken steps to tackle gun violence, including a push for stricter background checks. The city launched a program in 2008 aimed at providing more resources for at-risk youth and helping rehabilitate young people who have already committed crimes.

In January, Minneapolis also hosted a regional summit on gun violence for elected officials from around the Midwest. The county's sheriff, Richard Stanek, is a Republican who has been working with the White House to develop a palatable set of gun regulations, with a particular focus on strengthening background checks.

Ahead of Monday's trip, the White House released a photo of the president skeet shooting at Camp David, the presidential retreat, which prompted more question about the president's experience with guns. White House press secretary Jay Carney said he was not aware of Obama personally owning any firearms. He said Obama has shot a gun elsewhere, although he didn't know when or if he had done so- before becoming president. "He never intended to suggest he had grown up as a hunter," Carney said.

Asked whether the president shoots skeet or trap, Carney told reporters, "I'm not an expert, and I don't think he would claim to be either." But he said of the president's shooting skill, "I think he has gotten better."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Philip Elliott contributed to this report.

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler and Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-stands-firm-gun-control-despite-long-odds-224629132--politics.html

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Keep It Real: Avoid Virtual-Only Relationships | Catholic Match Blog

Prudence should be taken in any dating situation, whether you were introduced by a friend, met at a church function, or met online. Here are some practical tips for safe online dating:

Always protect your personal information. Utilizing your profile?s email messaging system and exclusive chat option allows two people to get to know each other in a safe, guarded manner. These options serve as a buffer, allowing time after the initial greeting to determine compatibility without compromising security. Report any concerns about a user to the customer service staff.

Do your own check-ups. Google First. Many employers are now exploring social websites and searching a person?s name to learn more of their background. There is probably more personal information online than we care to know about?but this dynamic can assist us in making informed decisions about people we meet online.

Don?t move too quickly. Take your time, be cautious with all personal information, and enjoy the process. If they are truly the person from the profile, it will show over time. Respect should permeate the communication and conversation early and throughout any relationship. Solicitations for money or personal information before ever meeting should never happen.

Meet face to face.?If you?ve had regular communication with a person and things seem to be headed on the right track, then you may want to take it to the next step. Don?t let the phone calls and emails go on too long before meeting, however. If there is a legitimate reason you can?t meet in person (job, family, etc.) then at least begin to video chat. This will help avoid being Catfished and it will give you a more complete and realistic view of the person.

?Meeting online is a great tool, but it is not a tool for carrying on relationships long term,? said CEO and co-founder Brian Barcaro on Relevant Radio?s Morning Air show with Sean Herriott?(click here to hear the rest of the interview. The topic is covered in the second half of the show.) Be wary of a person who does not want to meet in person, even after you?ve had regular communication online.

A courtship period should ensue as you get to know each other better. If anything seems peculiar at any time, ask a friend for guidance or advice before responding.

Learn the best practices of using an online dating service by downloading our FREE Online Dating Guide For Catholics.?

Source: http://www.catholicmatch.com/blog/2013/02/keep-it-real-avoid-virtual-only-relationships/

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Ahmadinejad accuses Iran speaker's family of corruption

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the parliament speaker's family of corruption on Sunday, turning a long-standing rivalry between two of Iran's most powerful figures into a face-to-face feud, months before an election.

Addressing parliament to defend one of his ministers against impeachment, Ahmadinejad went on the attack, playing astonished lawmakers a recorded conversation with the brother of the speaker that he said implicated the whole family in corruption.

Speaker Ali Larijani is a likely frontrunner to succeed Ahmadinejad at a June election but a financial corruption scandal could damage his standing among voters struggling with an economy battered by Western economic sanctions.

Under Larijani's chairmanship, parliament has been hostile to Ahmadinejad for most of his second four-year term and on Sunday it voted to dismiss Labor Minister Abdolreza Sheikholeslami over his decision to appoint Saeed Mortazavi, a former prosecutor accused of links to the deaths of prisoners, to a new job.

Ahmadinejad played what he said was a recording of a conversation between Mortazavi and Fazel Larijani, the speaker's brother, that proved the family had used the prominence of the five Larijani brothers for economic gain.

But the recording was inaudible and Ahmadinejad read out what he said was a summary.

He said Fazel Larijani had implied to Mortazavi that he could use his brothers' influence to remove obstacles in return for involvement in some business endeavors.

"These are audio and video, and the tape is clear," said Ahmadinejad, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). "If the honorable parliament speaker sees fit, we can turn over the 24 to 25 hours (of recordings) to you."

PROPER BEHAVIOUR

Ali Larijani fired back at Ahmadinejad, saying the president's accusations had nothing to do with Sheikholeslami's impeachment, and denying the charge of corruption.

"Our problem is that our president does not observe the basics of proper behavior," Larijani said. "Why did you discuss this issue here?"

Larijani continued: "Actually it's a good thing ... that you played this tape today, so that the people better understand your character."

At this remark, the chamber erupted in jeers. At one point, Ahmadinejad asked to speak again, a request Larijani denied, and Ahmadinejad left the chamber and lost the impeachment vote.

Fazel Larijani told the Fars news agency he would file a legal complaint against Ahmadinejad and Mortazavi for "spreading lies and disturbing public opinion." Iran's judiciary chief is Sadeq Larijani, brother of Fazel and Ali.

"This was a conspiratorial step and hypocritical action taken so that Mortazavi could use it as leverage," Fazel Larijani told Fars. "I'm not the first person to be attacked by these Mafia-like individuals."

Fazel Larijani told the Mehr news agency he would hold a news conference on Monday to address the accusations.

HINTS

Under increasing pressure from rival hardline factions, not least the judiciary and parliament run by the Larijanis, Ahmadinejad has hinted several times over recent months that he had evidence of corruption among high-level officials, but had until now declined to give any specifics.

His many critics in the conservative-dominated parliament accuse the government of adopting policies that have exacerbated the economic problems caused by sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe over Tehran's nuclear program.

In November, parliament called off plans to summon Ahmadinejad for questioning for what would have been only the second time ever, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for greater unity among officials.

Having served two consecutive terms, Ahmadinejad cannot run in the June election, but analysts say he may try to maintain his influence even after leaving office.

Mortazavi was suspended from his judicial post over the torture deaths of three protesters in custody after the 2009 presidential election, which the opposition claimed was rigged in Ahmadinejad's favor, bringing huge crowds onto the streets.

Sheikholeslami appointed Mortazavi last year to head the social security office, against the lawmakers' wishes.

(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ahmadinejad-accuses-iran-speakers-family-corruption-203254132.html

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Vodafone brings fiber optics to the Shard, gives you signal high above London

What good is a spectacular view if you can't use your phone to tell people about it? London's newly opened 95-story skyscraper, The Shard, measures 1,016 feet, making it the tallest building in the European Union. From the 69th and 72nd floors, you can get 360 degree views of the city, up to 40 miles out, according to the building's owners. But what happens when the 200 people who can fit on the platforms at any one time want to user their mobile devices? Vodafone's implemented a fiber optic system that converts signal into light, allowing it to travel upwards at a rate of 100GB per second. Once they've hit the proper spots, its converted into a radio signal, which is then beamed to several antennas located on different floors. More information -- and some cool imagery -- can be found in the source link below.

Filed under: Mobile

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Source: Vodafone

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/HgjLm_XZDhQ/

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Nonprofit briefs for Feb. 1, 2013 | Long Island Business News

by Bernadette Starzee
Long Island Business News Published: February 1, 2013
Tags: Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Briarcliffe College, dental care, Family Service League, In Home Pet Services Inc., Kent Animal Shelter, kittens, Nonprofit, not-for-profit organizations, Not-for-Profits, PetSmart Charities, puppies, South Nassau Communities Hospital, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Winthrop-University Hospital

5:36 pm Fri, February 1, 2013 News briefs, current events and projects involving various Long Island nonprofits and nonprofit organizations.

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Rules would make school snacks healthier

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government for the first time is proposing broad new standards to make school snacks healthier, a move that would ban the sale of almost all candy, high-calorie sports drinks and greasy foods on campus.

Under new rules the Department of Agriculture proposed Friday, school vending machines that once were full of Skittles and Sprite would instead be selling water, lower-calorie sports drinks, diet sodas and baked chips. Lunch rooms that now sell fatty "a la carte" items like mozzarella sticks and nachos would have to transition to healthier pizzas, fruit cups and yogurt.

The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are an effort to combat childhood obesity. While many schools have already made improvements in their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others are still selling high-fat, high-calorie foods.

The USDA is proposing fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost all foods sold in school. Current standards regulate only the nutritional content of school breakfasts and lunches subsidized by the federal government. Snacks would have to be less than 200 calories, and elementary and middle schools could only sell water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. High schools could sell some sports drinks, but the calories would be limited.

"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The new standards will cover vending machines, "a la carte" lunch lines and any other foods regularly sold around school. The proposed rules would not cover in-school fundraisers or bake sales, though states could decide to individually regulate those. The guidelines do not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home to celebrate a birthday, or anything a student brings for their own personal consumption.

The new rules would be one of many recent changes to the school lunch program to make foods healthier. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.

Last year's rules faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, USDA exempted in-school fundraisers and proposed different options for some parts of the rule, including the calorie limits for drinks in high schools, which would be limited to either 60 calories or 75 calories in a 12 oz. portion.

Schools, industry, interest groups and any critics of the proposal will have 60 days to comment and suggest changes, before the USDA writes the final rule. The soonest the rules could be in place would be the 2014 school year.

Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says surveys done by her organization show that most parents want changes in the lunchroom.

"Parents aren't going to have to worry that kids are using their lunch money to buy candy bars and a Gatorade instead of a healthy school lunch," she said.

The food industry has been mostly on board with the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law two years ago. Major beverage companies have already agreed to take the most caloric beverages out of school vending machines.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-01-Healthier%20School%20Foods/id-3278a87185784ed880947ae18a47b39b

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