Saturday, March 30, 2013

T-Mobile acknowledges layoffs at Bellevue headquarters

TMobile acknowledges layoffs at Bellevue headquarters

It's never easy to share news of job losses, but that's the state of things at T-Mobile's US headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. Today, the carrier confirmed to us that layoffs are currently underway, which comes in advance of the UnCarrier's merger with MetroPCS. While T-Mobile representatives withheld specifics, The Seattle Times reports that somewhere between 200 and 300 employees have been laid off, whose jobs range from administrative assistants to senior vice presidents. This news follows reports of job cuts earlier this month, which are said to have affected more than 100 people in the marketing department and other divisions. For its part, T-Mobile suggests the decision was made in order to better focus its resources, which certainly seems plausible, given its scrappy new approach in the mobile industry. It's certainly a bitter pill to swallow, but you'll find the carrier's statement after the break.

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Source: The Seattle Times (1), (2)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/t-mobile-acknowledges-layoffs/

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Moniker Looks To Crowdfunding To Create A Custom Guitar Business

e160482564c7c39e3e6170e2eb8983a2_largeAustin-based Moniker Guitars is running a Kickstarter campaign to create a line of semi-hollow-body guitars for discerning git-fiddlists. The company will offer their first guitars for a $700 pledge, not bad for a hand-made guitar from rockabilly city.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/faXh3ZkcfoU/

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Forbes values Yankees at $2.3 billion

NEW YORK (AP) ? Forbes estimated the New York Yankees have the highest value in Major League Baseball for the 16th straight year at $2.3 billion, and the average for an MLB team increased by 23 percent in the last year to $744 million.

The magazine said Wednesday the Yankees' value increased from $1.85 billion last year.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are second in MLB at $1.62 billion ? nearly $400 million below the price paid for the team last May when a group headed by Mark Walter, Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson bought the franchise from Frank McCourt.

Forbes valued Boston third at $1.3 billion, followed by the Chicago Cubs ($1 billion), Philadelphia ($893 million), the New York Mets ($811 million), San Francisco ($786 million), Texas ($764 million), the Los Angeles Angels ($718 million) and St. Louis ($716 million).

The bottom five are Tampa Bay ($451 million), Kansas City ($457 million), Oakland ($468 million), Pittsburgh ($479 million) and Miami ($520 million).

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/forbes-values-yankees-2-3-billion-210911470--mlb.html

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Police ID severed head found on golf course in 1989

A severed head found on a golf course 24 years ago has been identified using DNA evidence and may be linked to a serial killer, New Jersey police said today.

The head of 25-year-old Heidi Balch, who worked as a prostitute around Manhattan in 1988, was found on a Hopewell Township, N.J., golf course, in 1989, but was only identified this month after collaboration between the New Jersey State Police and the Hopewell Township Police Department.

"It was shocking," said Hopewell Township Police Chief George Meyer, who was one of the detectives called to the scene after the head was found near the seventh hole.

"Periodically, over the years, detectives would pick up the case and make efforts at identifying her," he said. "I kind of thought, 'No, she is never going to be identified.'"

A break came when detectives realized the dumped head matched a story from serial killer Joel Rifkin, who claimed to have dismembered and dumped a victim named Susie around New Jersey, State Police Det. Sgt. Stephen Urbanski told ABCNews.com. Rifkin was never convicted for the alleged crime, but is serving 200 years in prison for other murders.

Detectives decided to chase the story.

"The team obtained the names of all the prostitutes that were registered around the same time [from the NYPD]," Urbanski said.

They then compared the photos to the composite of the severed head. A woman named Susan Spencer seemed to be a match.

After chasing aliases and false Social Security numbers attached to the woman, a face on a missing persons website jumped out at Urbanski.

It was Heidi Balch.

The problem was, Balch wasn't reported missing by her aunt until 2001 and, when making the report, she told police her niece was last seen in 1995.

Still, the team decided to pursue the lead and paid the aunt a visit. Not only did they learn that the sighting in 1995 was secondhand information, but Balch's parents were alive and living in Baltimore.

"After interviewing [the aunt], we went down to Baltimore and grabbed the mom's DNA," Urbanski said.

The DNA was a match to the skull, closing the 24-year-old cold case.

"Looking at the horrific case, and after a lot of people worked on it, it was amazing it came to this," Urbanski said. "It was a matter of finding those clues."

ht heidi balch ll 130327 wblog How Police Identified Severed Head After 24 Year MysteryHeidi Balch Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-identified-severed-head-24-121106617.html

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Ashley Judd Won't Run for Senate in Kentucky

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ABC News' Michael Falcone and Shushannah Walshe report:

After months of flirtation, actress Ashley Judd announced on Wednesday that she will not pursue a Senate bid against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

She made the announcement in a series of tweets late Wednesday afternoon:

"After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my responsibilities & energy at this time need to be focused on my family. Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader. While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people & their needs, dreams, and great potential. Thanks for even considering me as that person & know how much I love our Commonwealth. Thank you!"

A source familiar with Judd's decision-making process said the news that Kentucky Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes has also been considering a Senate run "gave her the space to really make a decision and decide what was best for her."

The source said Judd has known she was not running for "the past few days" but only decided to make her decision public on Wednesday.

As late as last Friday, Judd was still hinting at a run, referring to her potential run against McConnell and foreshadowing what she presumed would be a barrage of attack ads from his campaign. She told a conference audience in Cincinnati that she used to be averse to hearing criticism, which she said was ironic because she was "about to get $40 million worth of it."

In the same speech, she also joked that her mother, country star Naomi Judd, couldn't wait to turn her garage into campaign headquarters.

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., who was one of Judd's most vocal boosters, issued a statement on Wednesday through his spokesman.

RELATED: Will Ashley Judd Run in 2016?

"Congressman Yarmuth has said all along he would be surprised if Ashley Judd did not make this race, and he's certainly surprised. While he is disappointed because he believed Judd would be a strong candidate, he's confident that a candidate just as strong will emerge to take on Sen. McConnell, who is the least popular senator in the country," Yarmuth spokesman Stephen George said in a statement to ABC News.

George added that Judd and Yarmuth spoke earlier this week, a conversation in which she did "express some reservations about the race," but he added they had been speaking throughout the process and that was not unusual."

Judd's interest in the race spurred widespread national attention, including from former President Bill Clinton, who spoke to both Judd and Grimes about the seat, encouraging them both to take a hard look at the race.

ABC News reported last week that Clinton encouraged Judd to enter the race and promised he would help her, according to several Kentucky political sources. That conversation happened sometime between the November election and President Barack Obama's second inauguration.

Earlier this month Clinton also met with Grimes after he spoke at an event for former Kentucky Sen. Wendell Ford in Owensboro, Ky., according to multiple political sources in the state. Clinton encouraged Grimes to consider taking on McConnell, adding as he did with Judd that he would support her.

Even with the Hollywood actress's star power, a campaign against McConnell, a political institution in Kentucky, would have been an uphill battle. Shortly after Judd's announcement, the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington circulated a list of 10 Kentucky Democrats who have all passed on a chance to take on McConnell, including the state's Democratic governor, Steve Beshear.

"The hollow DSCC spin that Kentucky will be competitive still hasn't made its way to the Bluegrass State," NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said in a statement. Citing the list of 10 Democratic names, Dayspring added, "Perhaps number eleven might be a lucky charm?"

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ashley-judd-wont-run-senate-kentucky-212022710--abc-news-politics.html

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10 Things to Know for Today

From left, attorney David Boies, plaintiffs, Sandy Stier, with partner Kris Perry, from Berkeley, Calif., Jeff Zarrillo, with partner Paul Katami from Burbank, Calif., and their attorney Theodore Olson leave the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, after the heard arguments on California's voter approved ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

From left, attorney David Boies, plaintiffs, Sandy Stier, with partner Kris Perry, from Berkeley, Calif., Jeff Zarrillo, with partner Paul Katami from Burbank, Calif., and their attorney Theodore Olson leave the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2013, after the heard arguments on California's voter approved ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

David H. Petraeus, former army general and head of the Central Intelligence Agency, speaks at the annual dinner for veterans and ROTC students at the University of Southern California, in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday, March 26, 2013. It marked Petraeus' first public remarks since he retired as head of the CIA after an extramarital affair scandal (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

In this March 16, 2013 photo, Monique Oliveira is aided by an AdaptSurf volunteer as a wave breaks at Barra da Tijuca beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AdaptSurf is a Rio-based non-governmental organization that aims to make beaches accessible to the disabled and encourage them to practice water sports. The organization is the first of its kind in Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. DAY 2 FOR GAY MARRIAGE IN SUPREME COURT

The justices will consider the law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving a range of federal benefits.

2. NORTH KOREA RATCHETS UP TENSION

Pyongyang says it has cut off a key military hotline with South Korea that allows cross border travel to a jointly run industrial complex in the North.

3. PETRAEUS' MEA CULPA FOR EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR

The former CIA chief and general says he deeply regrets "the circumstances that led me to my resignation" and "caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."

4. RECORDS IN GABBY GIFFORDS' CASE BEING RELEASED

Hundreds of pages of police reports in the investigation of the Tucson shooting rampage that seriously wounded the former congresswoman mark the public's first glimpse into the documents.

5. WHAT THE "GANG OF EIGHT" ARE UP TO

Senators including John McCain and Charles Schumer tour the Arizona-Mexico border and will outline the latest on efforts to reform the nation's immigration policies and protect U.S. borders.

6. MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CATCHES EYE OF LAWMAKERS

Michigan is one of about a dozen states where amateur mixed martial arts shows are legal but unregulated and that may be about to change.

7. HEALTH CARE REPORT COULD CAUSE OBAMA A HEADACHE

Insurers will pay an average of 32 percent more for medical claims on individual health policies under his overhaul, a study says.

8. WHICH STATE HAS THE NATION'S TOUGHEST ABORTION LAW

North Dakota's governor signs a measure banning the procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy ? any time a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

9. DISABILITIES CAN'T SLOW THESE SURFERS

Dozens of disabled people in Rio de Janeiro are conquering the waves with specially modified surfboards.

10. HOW MISBEHAVING COACHES MAKE OUT

An AP review of infractions cases since 2000 found that some coaches who run afoul of NCAA rules fare better than others.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-27-10%20Things%20to%20Know-Today/id-30c78f6bc10648bc8f1f6408ccb7d87f

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How NYC's Ethnic Profiling Unnerves Innocent Muslim Americans (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Spat between two Dutch companies sparks record-breaking 300Gbps DDoS attack

By Brian Homewood March 28 (Reuters) - Swiss champions FC Basel, renowned for their youth development programme, face a constant battle to stop teenage players moving to English, Spanish and Italian clubs. President Bernhard Heusler told Reuters in an interview that parents often do not listen to the club when warned against taking their sons elsewhere. "We get enormous pressure from outside, including English clubs," said Heusler before adding Basel were powerless to stop their youngsters leaving before the age of 16. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spat-between-two-dutch-companies-sparks-record-breaking-010927453.html

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

'Dancing With the Stars' pro Val Chmerkovskiy: I'm pushing Zendaya past her limits

Steffen Thalemann

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy will be blogging about his experiences and thoughts on his fourth quest for the mirror ball trophy in The Clicker throughout the season. The 14-time US champion in dance is paired with 16-year-old Disney star Zendaya, who plays Rocky Blue on "Shake It Up!"

By Valentin Chmerkovskiy

First of all, thank you to all the fans for all of your support, the really encouraging, really great comments I received after the debut performance with Zendaya! It means a lot that people take the time to write something nice for us to see, whether it?s on Twitter or Instagram or a website. I want to say that I really appreciate all the love and support. It makes me stay motivated, and it really inspires me to do better.

Last Monday?s performance was so inspiring! Not just for people watching. When I dance, I?m just in a different zone. When she dances, she?s in a different zone. That Monday night performance, it was heaven on earth! It was a feeling that you can?t really explain. At the end when we took our bow, and just hearing the roar and understanding that we just did something special? All the hard work paid off. It?s an unexplainable high. That kind of feeling is what we?re fighting for every day, every week. It?s worth the sweat, it?s worth the hard work.

I feel the thing about Monday?s performance with the contemporary wasn?t even the choreography or the dancing. It was just her performance. She?s a star now. Mark my words: I?ve worked with her for three weeks. She?s going to be a superstar. She?s the next Beyonce. She?s the next mega superstar.

This week we?re doing the jive. The jive is a very fast, very upbeat type of dance. The origins are -- vaguely speaking -- of the rock ?n? roll genre and era of dance: swing, Lindy, all those higher-paced, energetic dances. This is where having an understanding for connection and synergy and bonding and understanding each other and dancing completely in unison is very crucial to making this dance work. She?s put on three-inch heels, which is very difficult to dance in, and is something that is pretty new to a girl who is 16 years old. She?s a sneakerhead! She loves her Nikes and her Adidas! So it?s a challenge.

I?m not going to reveal too much about it. The dance is ? honestly, I?m so happy with how the dance came out! We don?t need too much production. We don?t need too much story. The story is simple. The song is very old-school sounding. When I hear the song, I think 1920s flapper vibe. I?m going to wear my pinstriped suit and she?s going to wear her flapper dress, and we?re going to come out and show a jive.

I basically choreographed the routine that I would?ve been dancing with a pro. That?s how challenging it is. I basically drove her, destroyed her into doing it pretty damn close to a pro! I?m excited to do an authentic, really competitive, challenging routine that doesn?t have a lot of fluff, but is something different. ? I?m glad that I finally have a partner that I can showcase those things with. Zendaya is somebody that I don?t hold back anything with choreographically. I?m not sacrificing anything.

I want her to be Zendaya at her best. It?s not easy because it?s constant work. I?ve put her through the same grueling practice schedule and work schedule that everybody else goes through, if not probably more. When she goes through that, that?s the result that you see -- Monday?s performance.? And it doesn?t matter if it?s contemporary, jive or tango. I will put the pressure on and I know a diamond is going to be the result. I just want to keep doing that, keep creating beautiful things, keep putting the pressure on, and see what she can do. I think she can do anything.

Whatever the judges want to give us, I?ll be happy with. I?m looking for what I want to see. At the end of the day, this is a matter of my pride and my integrity ? my integrity to her parents, my integrity to ?Dancing With the Stars? and the production, my integrity to everything that I represent as a teacher. It?s my integrity to my craft. That?s all I want. I want to come out and I want to surprise the people that I love. I want to surprise her parents. I want to surprise my parents. I want to surprise our fans. Those are the people I?m really prioritizing here.

Tune in Monday night to ABC, ?Dancing With the Stars?! And vote for Team Valdaya (3406)! We really appreciate it!

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

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Icahn opens door to Blackstone tie-up on Dell bid

By Greg Roumeliotis and Soyoung Kim

(Reuters) - Two of the most prominent U.S. investors could upset Michael Dell's $24.4 billion buyout bid for Dell Inc, after billionaire Carl Icahn opened the door to an alliance with Blackstone Group to wrest control of the computer maker from its founder.

Icahn said on Monday he has started preliminary talks with Blackstone. Both sides have made bids that could be superior to the offer on the table from Michael Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake.

The backroom negotiations show how what started as Michael Dell and Silver Lake's plan to take the PC maker private could turn into a months-long process.

Icahn has proposed paying $15 per share for 58 percent of Dell. Blackstone has indicated it can pay more than $14.25 per share. The Silver Lake group offered $13.65 per share for all of Dell.

Dell and Silver Lake declined comment. Blackstone did not respond to requests for comment.

Icahn, who owns a $1 billion stake in Dell, said both his and Blackstone's offers give the company's largest investors what they wanted most - the ability to retain publicly traded shares of Dell.

Southeastern Asset Management, Dell's largest independent shareholder and one of the most vocal opponents of the Silver Lake plan, said it was pleased about that prospect, as well as the higher offers.

Another investor, Bill Nygren, co-manager of the Oakmark Fund, added, "Given the wide range of estimated values for Dell shares, if all else is nearly equal, we believe a proposal is superior if it allows investors who want to remain invested in Dell the opportunity to do so."

The outcome of the auction would determine the future of Dell, which was regarded as a model of innovation as recently as the early 2000s but has struggled to make up for declining market share of the global PC market.

A source earlier said that Dell had slashed its internal forecast for fiscal 2013 operating profit to about $3 billion - down sharply from the $3.7 billion it had predicted previously.

Dell's shares closed up 2.6 percent to $14.51 on Monday, indicating investors expect a deal to be done at a price higher than the Silver Lake bid. Earlier in the session they touched $14.64, the stock's highest level in 10 months.

"We continue to believe a higher bid than the current $13.65 per share offer will likely be offered but, based on our assumptions, a $15 per share bid may be a threshold," Wells Fargo Securities analyst Maynard Um said in a note.

"We believe a higher Silver Lake/Dell bid might still be a more attractive and strategic option, assuming information regarding the public stub and financial services sale is accurate," he said.

Late on Sunday, two sources close to the matter said that the Silver Lake group had no plans yet to increase or amend its offer until Dell's special committee comes out with a ruling on the rival proposals.

DOES DELL STAY?

As part of his deal with the special committee of Dell's board that is running the auction process, Michael Dell has to explore the possibility of working with third parties on alternative offers. On Monday, Dell said he had reaffirmed that commitment.

Still, Michael Dell is very concerned that Blackstone's offer would dismantle the PC maker he founded in 1984, two people close to Michael Dell said. The founder is worried that the buyout firm's plans would be inconsistent with his strategy to reinvest in the company, the sources said.

Michael Dell is planning to meet with Blackstone to discuss the private equity firm's bid, two other sources familiar with the situation said.

Blackstone made no mention of asset sales in its preliminary offer. But people familiar with the matter have told Reuters that Blackstone has considered a potential sale of Dell's financial services business as part of its turnaround plan.

Michael Dell's role also remains unclear in a Blackstone-led deal. The buyout firm has already made an unsuccessful push to recruit Oracle Corp President Mark Hurd to run Dell if it takes over the company, one source familiar with the situation said last week. {ID:nL1N0CD0MI]

A number of issues remain to be addressed, a separate person familiar with the matter said on Monday of Michael Dell. Among them, what Michael Dell would do if a buyer wanted to sell a business and he did not, the source said.

Potential buyers are likely to want to sit down with Michael Dell to discuss his plans for a privately held Dell Inc in more detail, the source said, adding that Blackstone had not done so yet.

Switching bidding allegiances could preserve an affiliation with the company for Michael Dell, who founded the technology giant at the age of 19 with just $1,000.

Under the Silver Lake plan, he planned to contribute his roughly 16 percent share of Dell's equity to the deal, along with cash from his investment firm MSD Capital, and remain CEO of the company. Silver Lake is putting up $1.4 billion.

(Additional reporting by Nadia Damouni and Jessica Toonkel in New York and Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dells-board-evaluates-rival-bids-source-004054117--sector.html

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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Riots, revenge, rigging: Papal conclaves' murky past

Guido Montani / EPA, file

Cardinals are preparing for the conclave that will select Pope Benedict XVI's successor. Hopefully it will go smoother than some other conclaves from centuries past.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

Vatican watchers say the conclave about to be held in Rome could be one of the most contentious in years ? but that's by modern standards.

Dust off the history books and go back a few hundred years and there are papal conclaves rife with international intrigue, royal rigging, even riots.


This conclave might last a couple weeks if the cardinals deadlock, but before the conclave process was instituted, papal elections could go on for months, even years. ?

The election that started in 1268 lasted nearly three years, ending only when the townspeople of Viterbo locked up the cardinals, tore the roof off their palace, fed them nothing but bread and water and threatened to do worse.

The pope they finally elected decided a repeat would be unwise and instituted what are now known as conclaves, with the electors kept behind closed doors until they make a decision.

That cut down on the length of the elections, but they could still be quite colorful. Here are some of the more memorable conclaves from centuries past:

Off with their hats!
For much of the 14th century, the papacy resided in France, until Pope Gregory XI decided to relocate to Rome. When he died in 1378, the mostly French cardinals repaired to the Lateran Palace to choose his replacement.

"Rioting broke out in the city," said John O'Malley, author of "A History of the Popes: From Peter to the Present." "The Romans were afraid they might elect another French pope. They broke into the conclave."

The mob made it clear they meant business, said Frederic Baumgartner, author of "Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections." One of their slogans? "Give us a Roman pope or your heads will be as red as your hats!"

The cardinals met them halfway, picking a non-Roman but Italian archbishop whom they hoped would meekly return with them to Avignon.

Pope Urban VI "turned out to be a disaster," Baumgartner said. "He had a very violent temper."

His behavior was so strange that "the cardinals began to wonder if they had elected a sane person," O'Malley said. They hightailed it out of Rome, declared they had been bullied into picking the wrong guy, and elected a Frenchman, Clement VII.

Small problem: Urban didn't go quietly. He created a whole new set of cardinals and thus was born the Great Schism, which divided the church until the Council of Pisa in 1409. That's when the French and Roman cardinals elected a third pope to run the show.

Naturally, the other two didn't step down, so there was more than one pope for more than a decade, until one finally agreed to resign and another died.

Popes, politics and poison?
When Pope Paul III died in 1549, the rules of the conclave went out the window as King Henry II of France and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sought to control the outcome.

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Julius III was elected in 1550 after a conclave that featured bribery and rumors of poisoning.

"There was a great deal of skulduggery going on," Baumgartner said.

And not a lot of secrecy. Charles V boasted in a letter that he "will know when they urinate in this conclave," Baumgartner said.

Bribes were paid and there was even some insider trading: The cardinals' attendants supposedly cut deals with Roman bankers taking bets on who would be the next pope.

After a cardinal considered a top candidate fell deathly ill and withdrew, rumors that he had been poisoned spread. One witness reported the other cardinals were "terrified" and insisted only their own aides deliver meals, according to one account.

As the weeks dragged on, the situation got so out of control ?and the conclave halls so smelly ? that a reform committee was convened. A set of new rules ejected many outsiders, banned clandestine meetings and confined the cardinals to their cells at night.

Finally, after 72 days and 61 ballots, Pope Julius III was elected as a compromise candidate.

All in the family
The drama of the 1559 conclave began before the cardinals were sequestered. Pope Paul IV was a despised figure ? he had driven all the prostitutes out of Rome ? and when he died, all hell broke loose.

"Rioters in Rome attacked the palace of the Inquisition ... and toppled the statue of the pope that stood on the Capitol," Michael Walsh wrote in "The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections."

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Pius IV was elected after a four-month conclave in 1559 to replace Paul IV, who was so disliked that Rome rioters tore down his statue.

The conclave dragged on for four months. Among the stumbling blocks: One of the cardinals refused to vote for a strong candidate on the grounds that he had a son, Baumgartner said.

With no one running the papal state, chaos threatened to break out and "an immense amount of money was spent trying to keep order in the city, and the funds began to be exhausted," O'Malley said.

Finally, the cardinals coalesced around a compromise candidate, Pope Pius IV. He had fathered at least a couple of kids, but the cardinal who had objected to the previous candidate claimed not to know it, Baumgartner said.

"That's the last pope I know of who actually had children," he said.

Battle over the ballots
When the conclave of 1914 began, Europe was embroiled in World War I, but that wasn't the source of the tension that accompanied the election of Pope Benedict XV.

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Benedict XV was not happy when a Spanish cardinal suggested he might have broken the rules and voted for himself.

After four days, Benedict was chosen by the smallest possible margin, a precise two-thirds vote. The rules decreed that a cardinal could not vote for himself.

Spain's Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who was secretary of state under the just-deceased Pius X, was apparently a stickler for the rules and he demanded the ballots be checked to make sure Benedict had not cast one for himself.

"Benedict was deeply offended," Baumgartner said.

But as the recount showed, he was the duly elected pontiff.

According to NBC News Vatican expert George Weigel, Benedict archly told Merry del Val:?"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," quoting Psalm 118.

"Then Benedict washed him right out of the Curia," Baumgartner said.

Related:

'Jesus Christ with an MBA'? Cardinals' differing hopes for next pope

Canadian contender for pope: 'Others could do it better'

Europe's most Catholic country seeks modern Pope?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/07/17198052-riots-revenge-and-royal-rigging-a-history-of-controversial-conclaves?lite

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New Android apps worth downloading: Evzdrop and AccuWeather updates, Ark of the Ages

Today's apps worth downloading list includes a couple of solid updates to great apps. Up first is Evzdrop, a social networking app that lets you check out what's happening in different places, followed by AccuWeather, a weather forecast app with a completely new, optimized design for tablets and smartphones. Finally, there's Ark of the Ages, a 3-D role-playing title with swipe-based combat.

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Also on Android Apps

Enjoy reading?The Atlantic on mobile devices? Learn how the iconic publication embraced digital from our friends at?Zinio. This?Guest Post is a real page-turner.


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EvzdropWhat?s it about? Social networking app Evzdrop lets you get the lowdown on what's happening in a given place by tapping into social network feeds from people who are there.

What?s cool? Checking in to different locations with social networking apps is fun, but Evzdrop takes things a step further to allow users to make updates from those locations that others can see across a number of social networks. That means you can let people know what's going on in a given location by creating a ?drop,? or check out what's happening in a place the same way to get an idea of what's going on before you arrive. The app's updates add better interaction with Facebook and allow users to comment on drops from others more easily.

Who?s it for? If you're the kind of social networker who likes to know what's going on in locations, rather than with specific people, check out Evzdrop.

What?s it like? More location-based social networking is available from Foursquare, and Sonar makes finding people you know online in a given (real life) place easy.

AccuWeatherWhat?s it about? Weather forecast app AccuWeather is packed full of weather information and has received a spiffy new interface design.

What?s cool? You probably already have an idea of what AccuWeather can do ? it's a powerful weather app that brings you forecasts from around the world. The app can send you Push notifications and can be geared to give you forecasts for specific activities, which means it can let you know if you should skip that jog or capitalize on a good day for fishing. You can also get hourly forecasts and even check the weather radar in your area. Along with its latest update, AccuWeather has gotten a brand new redesign that's optimized for smartphones and tablets, as well as customizable widgets and more.

Who?s it for? Users in the market for a powerful weather app, AccuWeather is worth a look

What?s it like? Among other solid weather apps are The Weather Channel and Yahoo! Weather.

Ark of the AgesWhat?s it about? A 3-D role-playing title, Ark of the Ages sends players on a quest to fight through dungeons and prove themselves worthy of joining the knighthood of the Royal Order.

What?s cool? Melding first-person combat that uses swiping to control your swordplay and magic, with third-person exploration of the world, Ark of the Ages sends players through a number of fantastical dungeons to fight a load of monsters. Like other role-playing titles, you'll be searching for loot and other goodies that will make you more powerful as you progress through the game. How you deck out your character can be adjusted according to your play style, allowing you to fight with the skills and abilities you see fit. Ark of Ages boasts some high-quality graphics and some 24 dungeons to fight through.

Who?s it for? If you like role-playing titles with swipe-based fighting not unlike Infinity Blade, check out Ark of the Ages.

What?s it like? Other great RPGs include Chaos Rings and Aralon: Sword and Shadow.

Download the Appolicious Android app

Source: http://www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/13280-new-android-apps-worth-downloading-evzdrop-and-accuweather-updates-ark-of-the-ages

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Hugo Chavez: 10 outrageous things he said about the US

Venezuela's President Hugo Ch?vez covers the ears of his grandson Manolito as they watch a display by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. aircraft at the airport in Bangalore, India, in March 2005. (Gautam Singh/AP/File)

Mr. Ch?vez was no fan of ?gringa? ? or North American ? customs, taking particular issue with Halloween.

During a weekly radio and TV broadcast in 2005, he compared the American holiday to ?terrorism, putting fear into other nations, putting fear into their own people.?

?Families go and begin to disguise their children as witches,? he said. ?This is contrary to our way.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/B46o597QfAY/Hugo-Chavez-10-outrageous-things-he-said-about-the-US

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Kenya: Results sent for manual tally in capital

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? Kenya's election commission accepted responsibility on Wednesday for the failure of an electronic vote counting system that has left the country in an electoral limbo, while a leading presidential candidate accused Britain's high commissioner of meddling in the crucial election.

The election commission said that the final results of Monday's presidential election should be released Friday. Officials began transporting the tally sheets from voting locations to the capital to begin a count of the vote, the country's first since its 2007 election led to massive tribal violence that killed more than 1,000 people.

The coalition of Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta ? the candidate who faces charges at the International Criminal Court and is the son of Kenya's founding president ? accused the British high commissioner of "shadowy, suspicious and rather animated involvement" in efforts to get the election commission to decide that rejected ballots should still be counted in the overall vote total.

Kenyatta's party also asked the high commissioner, Christian Turner, to explain what it called "the sudden upsurge of British military personnel" in Kenya. British troops attend a six-week training course near Mount Kenya before deploying to Afghanistan. A new battle group arrived the week before Kenyans voted.

Britain's Foreign Office said claims of British interference "are entirely false and misleading." It said the British soldiers in Kenya are part of a regular training program planned nine months ago "completely unrelated to the Kenyan elections." It said Britain has no position on the rejected votes, saying that the election commission or the courts should decide.

"We have always said that this election is a choice for Kenyans alone to decide," the Foreign Office said, adding: "We urge all sides to ensure calm, avoid inflammatory statements, and to take any disputes to the courts."

Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are the top two contenders.

Kenyans grew increasingly frustrated that the announcements of public vote tallies stopped close to 48 hours after polls closed. The breakdown of the electronic vote system has meant that less than half of preliminary results were released. Officials ? who have been working to ensure violence doesn't break out this election ? are calling for patience.

"The delay is giving rise to conspiracy theories. People are panicking about the delay in the results of the elections. But unlike last election there is a level of restraint," said Kevin Muriunge, a 25-year-old student.

In an example of rising agitation, youths in the city of Garissa, near the Somali border, gathered near the vote tallying center and began rioting, drawing a response from police, who opened fire. One teenager was killed, said Musa Mohamed, a doctor at the Garissa hospital.

William Ruto, Kenyatta's running mate, urged the electoral commission to speed up the release of results.

"As we are all aware, the country is at a standstill at the moment," Ruto said.

At an evening news conference, the election commission chair, Ahmed Issack Hassan, tried to assure the country that all votes cast would be reflected in the final result. He urged any candidates to take any objections they have to court.

Referring to long voting lines during Monday's vote, Alojz Peterle, a former president of Slovenia and the chief observer in the European Union observer mission, said Kenyans have demonstrated they are capable of great patience.

"But even more patience is called for now," he added.

The election commission chairman announced late Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of ballots that were rejected for not following the rules would be counted in the overall vote total. That makes it very difficult, given the tight race, for either top candidate to reach the 50 percent mark needed to win outright.

Election observers from around the world said Wednesday that Kenya carried out a credible election, but the groups reserved final judgments until the process is completed. Some observers said a runoff between Odinga and Kenyatta is likely.

The partial preliminary results on Tuesday had shown an early lead for Kenyatta. Odinga's camp told supporters that the votes from his strongholds had not yet all been tallied.

The statement from Kenyatta's coalition Wednesday implied that the British high commissioner pressured the commission to make the decision on the spoiled ballots, thus ensuring a runoff.

John Stremlau, an election observer with The Carter Center, the body run by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said it might be better for Kenyatta's coalition to use "foreign powers" as a whipping post than attacking Kenyans.

"It does seem to me to be a mindset of the old colonial era that the foreign powers would be dictating to the (election commission) in any way," Stremlau said, adding later: "There are going to be accusations in every election ... and they must be backed by evidence. Show the proof and let the judges decide and we'll all be better off."

Franklin Bett, an official in Odinga's party, echoed that statement. "Talk is easy. Let them come with the evidence."

Kenya is the lynchpin of East Africa's economy and plays a vital security role in the fight against Somali militants. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya is the largest in Africa, indicating this country's importance to U.S. foreign policy.

The U.S. has warned of "consequences" if Kenyatta is to win, as have several European countries, because Kenyatta is an ICC indictee.

Aisha Abdullahi, an African Union official, said it was good that Kenya had planned for a backup system ? the physical vote tallies ? given the breakdown in the electronic transmission system. He blamed the break-down on a failure of central computer servers.

"Yes, we in Africa are trying to catch up with you guys with electronic things," said Festus Mogae in response to a question from a European reporter. Mogae is a former president of Botswana and head of the Commonwealth observer mission.

"That it's failed is no surprise to me. It often does in our countries."

___

Associated Press reporters Rodney Muhumuza in Nairobi and Daud Yussuf in Garissa contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-results-sent-manual-tally-capital-155540762.html

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Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Camel ancestors lived in the Arctic

Fossils on Ellesmere Island suggest famous desert dweller got its start in the cold

Fossils on Ellesmere Island suggest famous desert dweller got its start in the cold

By Erin Wayman

Web edition: March 5, 2013

Enlarge

COLD CLIMATE CAMELS

Giant camels, as seen in this illustration, roamed the Arctic more than 3 million years ago when the region was forested, a new study suggests.

Credit: Julius Csotonyi

The desert?s most iconic creature may be a snow lover at heart. Scientists have unearthed fossils of a giant camel that roamed the Arctic more than 3 million years ago, when the region was warmer than today and blanketed by a boreal forest. The discovery, reported online March 5 in Nature Communications, suggests modern camels probably descended from a cold-dwelling ancestor.

?I?m not surprised you?re finding a camel up there,? says Christine Janis, a paleobiologist at Brown University in Providence, R.I., who was not involved in the discovery. Many camel characteristics, such as long legs for efficient walking and fat-storing humps, may be adaptations to living in environments like the Arctic, where food is sparse and distributed at distant intervals, she says.

Enlarge

These fragments of a giant camel?s leg bone were discovered on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.

Credit: Martin Lipman/Canadian Museum of Nature

A team led by paleobiologist Natalia Rybczynski of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa found roughly 30 fragments of a camel?s lower leg bone on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic. The researchers estimate the animal?s leg was 29 percent larger than a modern camel?s. Back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate the beast stood 2.7 meters at its shoulders, Rybcynski says, and weighed up to 900 kilograms.

The researchers determined that the fragments belonged to a camel by comparing collagen proteins extracted from the bones to collagen from 37 modern mammal species. The dromedary camel was the best match.

The protein was also nearly identical to collagen from more-recent camel fossils found in the Yukon Territory, which date to between 2.6 million and 10,000 years ago. In 2011, Rybczynski?s coauthor C. Richard Harington, also of the Canadian Museum of Nature, concluded in Quaternary Science Reviews that the Yukon bones resemble an extinct camel of the genus Paracamelus that lived in Eurasia as early as about 7.5 million years ago.

Scientists think Paracamelus gave rise to modern camels. Since the camel lineage originated in North America, Rybczynski says Paracamelus probably did too, crossing into Eurasia when a land bridge connected Alaska and Russia. Scientists had thought that these camels evolved from an ancestor that lived in North America?s lower latitudes. Instead, she says, Paracamelus? connection to the Yukon and Ellesmere Island fossils suggests the camel ancestor came from the forests of the far north.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348716/title/Camel_ancestors_lived_in_the_Arctic

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The way we weren't: U of Minnesota biologist debunks myth that humans peaked in Paleolithic era

The way we weren't: U of Minnesota biologist debunks myth that humans peaked in Paleolithic era [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Matt Hodson
mjhodson@umn.edu
612-625-0552
University of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/05/2013) Have agriculture, technology, diet and lifestyle changes put humans out of touch with the way we evolved? And would we be healthier and happier if we lived, at least to some extent, the way our Paleolithic ancestors did?

The abundance of Paleo diet and lifestyle recommendations suggests the answer is yes. But University of Minnesota evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk is skeptical. The Paleo ideal is a myth based on speculation rather than science, she says. As a skilled writer with an engaging sense of humor, she does an informative and entertaining job of debunking this myth in her new book, "Paleofantasy: "What Evolution Really Tells Us About Sex, Diet and How We Live," to be published by W.W. Norton on March 11.

Paleo proponents claim that humans fully evolved as hunter-gatherers and that the development of agriculture triggered a downward spiral, causing disease and social conflicts. But that, Zuk says, is a paleofantasy without scientific basis.

"There's widespread misunderstanding about how evolution works, particularly how fast it happens," Zuk says. "To think of ourselves as misfits in our own time and of our own making flatly contradicts what science has revealed about the way evolution works; namely, that we can adapt over just a few generations."

Genes continuously appear in and disappear from the human genome. Some remain for millions of years, others for much shorter periods, Zuk says. Evolution is a series of compromises and tradeoffs because genes have more than one function, and interact in complicated ways.

"By focusing on how we were in Paleolithic times, we overlook the ways we've changed since then. New tools in evolutionary biology and genetics are helping us understand how change happens, and which parts of the genome change quickly vs. slowly. Understanding that difference in people as well as other organisms is much more interesting to me than trying to hew to a version of how our ancestors might have lived."

Some of the work Zuk and her students have been doing on crickets found in Hawaii shows that a completely new trait, a wing mutation that renders males silent, spread in just five years, fewer than 20 generations.

If we want to learn from evolution, Zuk says, we should study rapid evolution rather than "holding up our flabby selves against a vision accurate or not of our well-muscled and harmoniously adapted ancestors" to understand how we have adapted to relatively recent changes in our environment and how we may continue to adapt as our environment changes.

Zuk is a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior in the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences. Her previous books include "Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World" and "Sexual Selections: What We Can and Can't Learn About Sex From Animals." She frequently contributes topical articles about biology to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and other mainstream media.

###

College of Biological Sciences faculty conduct research in all areas of biology, from molecules to ecosystems, and apply findings to create new strategies for feeding the world's growing population while restoring its ecosystems, developing renewable energy, and improving human health.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


The way we weren't: U of Minnesota biologist debunks myth that humans peaked in Paleolithic era [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Matt Hodson
mjhodson@umn.edu
612-625-0552
University of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/05/2013) Have agriculture, technology, diet and lifestyle changes put humans out of touch with the way we evolved? And would we be healthier and happier if we lived, at least to some extent, the way our Paleolithic ancestors did?

The abundance of Paleo diet and lifestyle recommendations suggests the answer is yes. But University of Minnesota evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk is skeptical. The Paleo ideal is a myth based on speculation rather than science, she says. As a skilled writer with an engaging sense of humor, she does an informative and entertaining job of debunking this myth in her new book, "Paleofantasy: "What Evolution Really Tells Us About Sex, Diet and How We Live," to be published by W.W. Norton on March 11.

Paleo proponents claim that humans fully evolved as hunter-gatherers and that the development of agriculture triggered a downward spiral, causing disease and social conflicts. But that, Zuk says, is a paleofantasy without scientific basis.

"There's widespread misunderstanding about how evolution works, particularly how fast it happens," Zuk says. "To think of ourselves as misfits in our own time and of our own making flatly contradicts what science has revealed about the way evolution works; namely, that we can adapt over just a few generations."

Genes continuously appear in and disappear from the human genome. Some remain for millions of years, others for much shorter periods, Zuk says. Evolution is a series of compromises and tradeoffs because genes have more than one function, and interact in complicated ways.

"By focusing on how we were in Paleolithic times, we overlook the ways we've changed since then. New tools in evolutionary biology and genetics are helping us understand how change happens, and which parts of the genome change quickly vs. slowly. Understanding that difference in people as well as other organisms is much more interesting to me than trying to hew to a version of how our ancestors might have lived."

Some of the work Zuk and her students have been doing on crickets found in Hawaii shows that a completely new trait, a wing mutation that renders males silent, spread in just five years, fewer than 20 generations.

If we want to learn from evolution, Zuk says, we should study rapid evolution rather than "holding up our flabby selves against a vision accurate or not of our well-muscled and harmoniously adapted ancestors" to understand how we have adapted to relatively recent changes in our environment and how we may continue to adapt as our environment changes.

Zuk is a professor of ecology, evolution and behavior in the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences. Her previous books include "Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World" and "Sexual Selections: What We Can and Can't Learn About Sex From Animals." She frequently contributes topical articles about biology to the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and other mainstream media.

###

College of Biological Sciences faculty conduct research in all areas of biology, from molecules to ecosystems, and apply findings to create new strategies for feeding the world's growing population while restoring its ecosystems, developing renewable energy, and improving human health.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/uom-tww030513.php

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Track Cycling Gets Boost from Community Partnership

Greater Victoria Velodrome Association Press Release

The local cycling community is launching a youth cycling campaign targeting Westshore?s growing youth population.

Michael Cooper, President, Greater Victoria Velodrome Association
&
Rob Bettauer, CEO, Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence
&
Heidi Rast, Vice-Chair, West Shore Parks and Recreation Society
&
Gillian Carleton, 2012 Olympic and 2013 World Championship Bronze?Medalist

will announce details of the community partnership.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013 ?at 3 p.m.*

Westshore Parks and Recreation Velodrome
Juan de Fuca Recreation Complex
1767 Old Island Highway

Media Contacts:
Lister Farrar, Competere Coaching, 250 882.5420
Joanna Fox, Competere Coaching, 250 532.2312

More about GVVA

Source: http://cyclingbc.net/track/news/track-cycling-gets-boost-from-community-partnership/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=track-cycling-gets-boost-from-community-partnership

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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Meatless Monday: How to quick soak dry beans (+video)

Soaking your own beans will not only save you money, you'll get a better-for-you-bean to boot.

By France Morissette and Joshua Sprague,?Beyond The Peel / March 3, 2013

Some beans require soaking overnight. A short cut version is to use boiling water and a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to speed up the softening process.

Beyond The Peel

Enlarge

One of the biggest challenges that I hear about most often is that transitioning to a whole food diet will be cost prohibitive. Here?s just one of the many food items that is less expensive than its processed counterpart, takes little to no effort to prepare, and is very simple to do! Beans and legumes.

Skip to next paragraph France Morissette and Joshua Sprague

Beyond The Peel

Cookbook author, France Morissette, and her husband Joshua Sprague believe that healthy food should be uncompromising when it comes to flavor. They creatively explore the world of natural, whole foods, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to create mouth watering, flavor packed, whole food meals. Through stories, photos, recipes and their online show Beyond The Peel TV, they're on a mission to help you eat healthy and enjoy every last bite in the process.

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Make your own and skip the canned version. The homemade ones have a better texture, cause less digestive upset, and are healthier for you.

It's simple: add a couple cups of dry black beans to a bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider, cover with 6 cups of boiling water. Let them sit for 1 hour. That's it!

After you?ve finished with the soaking process (whether you choose the 1 hour or 8-24 hour process) you?re ready for the cooking part. Drain the beans, rinse well and place the beans in a pot. Add water in a 3:1 ratio to the beans and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender. This could take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. If at that point they still aren?t cooked (some beans are really old and need longer cooking times, but it?s rare), add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water and continue to cook until tender.

I?ve heard stories of beans not being cooked after 4 hours. At that point, I?d toss the beans and buy different ones, but I hear the baking soda trick does work. You choose.

To salt or not to salt? It?s entirely up to you. You can even use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water or add spices and herbs to the pot, but if you want to keep it simple, basic water does the trick.

A can of organic beans will cost you $2.99 a can (that?s 1-1/2 cups of beans). You can make them for a fraction of the cost. A 1/2 cup of dried beans will make 1-1/2 cups cooked. Organic dried beans might cost about .30 cents for 1/2 cup. Now that?s saving some money.

If you want to learn more about traditional methods of cooking as taught through the teachings of Weston A. Price and Nourishing Traditions visit our friend Wardeh?s website Gnowfglins. Wardeh?s online course will teach you everything you need to know.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of food bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fp8Jy0DbdiE/Meatless-Monday-How-to-quick-soak-dry-beans-video

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K-12 student database jazzes tech startups, spooks parents

(Reuters) - An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares.

But the most influential new product may be the least flashy: a $100 million database built to chart the academic paths of public school students from kindergarten through high school.

In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, address and sometimes social security number. Learning disabilities are documented, test scores recorded, attendance noted. In some cases, the database tracks student hobbies, career goals, attitudes toward school - even homework completion.

Local education officials retain legal control over their students' information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services.

Entrepreneurs can't wait.

"This is going to be a huge win for us," said Jeffrey Olen, a product manager at CompassLearning, which sells education software.

CompassLearning will join two dozen technology companies at this week's SXSWedu conference in demonstrating how they might mine the database to create custom products - educational games for students, lesson plans for teachers, progress reports for principals.

The database is a joint project of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided most of the funding, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and school officials from several states. Amplify Education, a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, built the infrastructure over the past 18 months. When it was ready, the Gates Foundation turned the database over to a newly created nonprofit, inBloom Inc, which will run it.

States and school districts can choose whether they want to input their student records into the system; the service is free for now, though inBloom officials say they will likely start to charge fees in 2015. So far, seven states - Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Massachusetts - have committed to enter data from select school districts. Louisiana and New York will be entering nearly all student records statewide.

"We look at personalized learning as the next big leap forward in education," said Brandon Williams, a director at the Illinois State Board of Education.

IF DATA LEAKS, WHAT REMEDIES?

Federal officials say the database project complies with privacy laws. Schools do not need parental consent to share student records with any "school official" who has a "legitimate educational interest," according to the Department of Education. The department defines "school official" to include private companies hired by the school, so long as they use the data only for the purposes spelled out in their contracts.

The database also gives school administrators full control over student files, so they could choose to share test scores with a vendor but withhold social security numbers or disability records.

That's hardly reassuring to many parents.

"Once this information gets out there, it's going to be abused. There's no doubt in my mind," said Jason France, a father of two in Louisiana.

While inBloom pledges to guard the data tightly, its own privacy policy states that it "cannot guarantee the security of the information stored ... or that the information will not be intercepted when it is being transmitted."

Parents from New York and Louisiana have written state officials in protest. So have the Massachusetts chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and Parent-Teacher Association. If student records leak, are hacked or abused, "What are the remedies for parents?" asked Norman Siegel, a civil liberties attorney in New York who has been working with the protestors. "It's very troubling."

VENTURE CAPITAL MAGNET

Fans of the project respond that the files are safer in the database than scattered about school districts. Plus, they say, the potential upside is enormous, with the power to transform classrooms across the U.S.

Does Johnny have trouble converting decimals to fractions? The database will have recorded that - and may have recorded as well that he finds textbooks boring, adores animation and plays baseball after school. Personalized learning software can use that data to serve up a tailor-made math lesson, perhaps an animated game that uses baseball statistics to teach decimals.

Johnny's teacher can watch his development on a "dashboard" that uses bright graphics to map each of her students' progress on dozens, even hundreds, of discrete skills.

"You can start to see what's effective for each particular student," said Adria Moersen, a high school teacher in Colorado who has tested some of the new products.

The sector is undeniably hot; technology startups aimed at K-12 schools attracted more than $425 million in venture capital last year, according to the NewSchools Venture Fund, a nonprofit that focuses on the sector. The investment company GSV Advisors tracked 84 deals in the sector last year, up from 15 in 2007.

In addition to its $100 million investment in the database, the Gates Foundation has pledged $70 million in grants to schools and companies to develop personalized learning tools.

New products regularly come to market, but both educators and entrepreneurs say adoption has been slow because of technical hurdles.

WARNING SYSTEMS TO FORESTALL DROPOUTS?

Schools tend to store different bits of student information in different databases, often with different operating systems. That makes it clunky to integrate new learning apps into classrooms.

At the Rocketship chain of charter schools, for instance, administrators must manually update at least five databases to keep their education software running smoothly when a child transfers from one teacher to another, said Charlie Bufalino, a Rocketship executive.

The extra steps add expense, which limits how many apps a school can buy. And because the data is so fragmented, the private companies don't always get a robust picture of each student's academic performance, much less their personal characteristics.

The new database aims to wipe away those obstacles by integrating all student information - including data that may previously have been stored in paper files or teacher gradebooks - in a single, flexible platform.

Education technology companies can use the same platform to design their software, so their programs will hook into a rich trove of student data if a district or state authorizes access.

That prospect has some companies dreaming big.

Larry Berger, an executive at Amplify Education, says the data could be mined to develop "early warning systems." Perhaps it will turn out, for instance, that most high school dropouts began to struggle with math at age 8. If so, all future 8-year-olds fitting that pattern could be identified and given extra help.

Companies with access to the database will also be able to identify struggling teachers and pinpoint which concepts their students are failing to master. One startup that could benefit: BloomBoard, which sells schools professional development plans customized to each teacher.

The new database "is a godsend for us," said Jason Lange, the chief executive of BloomBoard. "It allows us to collect more data faster, quicker and cheaper."

Whether all this data, and all the programs that use it, will transform education is another question. Most data-driven software has only been tested on a small scale; results are often mixed.

Though he is bullish on the sector, Michael Moe, the chief investment officer at GSV Capital, cautions that there is as yet no proof the new technology will produce "game-changing outcomes" for students - or, for that matter, sterling profits for investors.

Others are more skeptical still.

"The hype in the tech press is that education is an engineering problem that can be fixed by technology," said Frank Catalano of Intrinsic Strategy, a consulting firm focused on education and technology. "To my mind, that's a very naive and destructive view."

(Reporting by Stephanie Simon; editing by Prudence Crowther)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/k-12-student-database-jazzes-tech-startups-spooks-171240089.html

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