Thursday, 31 January 2013

Malian Military: 4 Dead, 5 Wounded in Mine Blast

by Naharnet Newsdesk 31 January 2013, 12:49 W460

A Malian military spokesman said on Thursday that four soldiers died and five others were wounded when their vehicle hit a land mine in eastern Mali.

Modibo Traore?told The Associated Press that the soldiers were killed Wednesday evening in the town of Gossi.

The town is located between the towns of Hombori and?Gao, both of which had been under Islamist rule until the French-led?military offensive?began earlier this month.

The French and Malians have been able to grab back control of the provincial capitals of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal in a matter of weeks.

However, questions remain about whether the?Malian military?and its West African allies can hold the cities once the French leave.

Source: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/70337-malian-military-4-dead-5-wounded-in-mine-blast

buckyballs buckyballs awake mario batali lone ranger aaron brooks dave matthews band

Who?ll fill Kerry Senate seat? Question answered, but only for now.

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick names a former aide, William 'Mo' Cowan, to fill the Kerry seat until a special election in June. Two House Democrats are girding for battle, as is the GOP's Scott Brown.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / January 30, 2013

William 'Mo' Cowan (l.) smiles as he is introduced by Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick during a news conference where he was named interim US Senator for the seat vacated by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., at the Statehouse in Boston, Wednesday.

Charles Krupa/AP

Enlarge

The governor of Massachusetts has appointed a former member of his staff to fill the US Senate seat that?s being vacated by John Kerry (D), but a longer term question looms: Who will voters choose just a few months from now to occupy that post?

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

It may boil down to a choice between three men, two Democrats and one moderate Republican, who are already familiar with the halls of Congress.

Mr. Kerry, a Vietnam veteran and former presidential candidate, is leaving the Senate to become secretary of State during President Obama?s second term in office.

For now, the Massachusetts seat will be held by William ?Mo? Cowan, who stepped down in November as Gov. Deval Patrick?s chief of staff after previously serving as his legal counsel. In naming the interim senator, Governor Patrick followed a course he chose when another Massachusetts Democrat, Ted Kennedy, died in office: filling a Senate slot with someone who pledges not to run for permanent election.

That leaves the field open for what promises to be a lively contest, culminating in a June 25 vote.

A leading contender in the race has already emerged: Rep. Edward Markey, the state?s longest-serving House member in Washington. Known as a staunch liberal with a passion for issues related to energy and the environment, he has the backing of Kerry and many other top Democrats in the state.

But another long-time House member, with Boston roots, is poised to challenge him in a Democratic primary in April. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a former ironworkers union member, is expected to announce his candidacy Thursday. Representative Lynch is less liberal than Markey, criticized by some Democrats for his conservative stance on the sensitive issue of abortion.

Some other potential seekers of the seat, including Rep. Michael Capuano (D), have announced they won?t run.

On the Republican side, all eyes are on Scott Brown, the former state senator who won a surprise ticket to Washington three years ago in the special election after Senator Kennedy?s passing. In November, he lost that seat to Elizabeth Warren (D), and now he?s expected to launch a bid to return to the Senate.

Judging by the recent Brown-Warren race, in which the candidates were locked in a close duel for months while drawing in millions of dollars in contributions for advertising, the coming race could be another big one.

It?s bound to draw national attention in an ?off? year, when the only congressional races will be special elections such as this one. As such, it could become a test of political winds amid partisan sparring on fiscal policy.

In that sense, Mr. Cowan?s role is important politically, as well as for the substantive votes he?ll be taking between now and mid-year.

Some battles over the future course of federal spending and taxes will come to a head this spring. Bay State voters may view the interim senator?s stance as emblematic of the Democratic Party in general ? potentially a foil for Brown in his effort to appeal as a proponent of low taxes.

In the press conference at which his appointment was announced, Cowan was asked for his view on potential federal spending cuts that could cost jobs in Massachusetts and nationwide.

Cowan aligned himself generally with President Obama, saying the best approach to controlling federal deficits is a ?balanced? one involving some spending cuts and some new tax revenue.

In a predominantly Democratic state, that view resonates with many voters. At least it did in November, when Ms. Warren ousted Brown.

Cowan said in the press conference on Beacon Hill that he would work hard during his tenure to ?move forward the interests of this great state,? before returning to the private sector.

He will be the state?s second African-American to serve in the US Senate, the first being moderate Republican Edward Brooke in the 1960s and 70s.

Whoever wins the special election won?t have long to rest before their next campaign. The seat is up for a vote again in 2014.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VIAJ9X3KnbQ/Who-ll-fill-Kerry-Senate-seat-Question-answered-but-only-for-now

bohemian rhapsody bohemian rhapsody spike lee carson daly heejun han donovan mcnabb donovan mcnabb

New AstraZeneca CEO plans to invest through tough year

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca's new boss said sales and profits would both fall sharply in 2013 as the drugmaker struggles to turn itself around by investing more in-house and on potential acquisitions.

Chief Executive Pascal Soriot forecast a mid-to-high single digit percentage fall in revenue this year, as patent expiries continue to erode business, with earnings declining "significantly more" due to increased operating costs.

The 2013 outlook was worse than the fall of around 3 percent in sales that analysts had been expecting, and shares in the group slumped 5.4 percent by 6:50 a.m. ET on Thursday.

A decision to keep share buybacks on hold and not increase the dividend for the first time in a decade added to the market's disappointment.

Soriot also withdrew mid-term planning assumptions for profit margin and revenue that had been set by previous management, increasing his freedom to pursue a strategy of investing for future growth.

Analysts at Citigroup said he appeared to be setting the scene for doing new deals - something the market has speculated about intensely in recent months.

"We will be open to more disruptive acquisitions, larger acquisitions if they make sense," Soriot told reporters.

But he added: "You have to consider the likelihood of that is lower because I don't think we need a large-scale acquisition to succeed."

Soriot said any deals he struck would complement increased investment in five existing growth areas - the new heart drug Brilinta, emerging markets, diabetes care, respiratory medicine and Japan.

Faced with loss of exclusivity on once best-selling medicines and a thin pipeline of new drugs, AstraZeneca needs to consider bold moves to get back on its feet.

Yet Soriot has to tread carefully when it comes to spending if he is to avoid upsetting investors who own the stock as an income play, given its near 6 percent dividend yield.

He is due to set out his strategy in detail during a keenly-awaited investor day on March 21 in New York.

Many analysts expect he will follow the lead set by Bristol-Myers Squibb , which has used what it calls a "string of pearls" strategy to boost revenue through small or mid-sized purchases. But there has also been talk of a $20 billion-plus deal, such as buying Shire .

Results for the last quarter of 2012, which came better than expected, took second place to the tough outlook for 2013.

Fourth-quarter sales fell 16 percent to $7.28 billion, generating core earnings, which exclude certain items, down 3 percent at $1.56 per share. The slower decline in earnings reflected lower costs and a favorable tax adjustment.

Analysts had, on average, forecast sales of $7.20 billion and earnings of $1.35 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Stripping out the tax effect, EPS was broadly in line.

BIG HITS TO COME

AstraZeneca is not alone in facing big patent losses.

But while rivals such as GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are past the worst, AstraZeneca's biggest losses are to come, with Nexium for stomach acid and cholesterol fighter Crestor losing U.S. protection in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

As a pure pharmaceuticals group, without the cushion of alternative revenue streams found at more diversified rivals, AstraZeneca is particularly exposed to patent losses on key prescription drugs.

Short-term wins from its new drug pipeline look unlikely, with expectations for experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug fostamatinib dwindling after disappointing clinical trial results last month.

One established medicine that may surprise on the upside is diabetes drug Onglyza, which is marketed with Bristol-Myers and could potentially show a heart benefit in a clinical study that will report later this year.

Heart drug Brilinta, which had been viewed as big winner initially, continued to struggle to generate sales in the three months to end-December, with sales totalling $38 million.

AstraZeneca shares have gained ground in recent months but the stock remains the laggard of the global pharmaceutical sector, trading on around 8.6 times expected earnings, a 30 percent discount to large British rival GSK.

The group has already slashed thousands of jobs to cut costs in recent years, and two weeks ago Soriot removed the heads of both research and worldwide sales.

(Editing by Dan Lalor and Jane Merriman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/astrazeneca-ceo-plans-invest-tough-142149686--finance.html

iTunes Alfred Morris weight watchers fandango kobe bryant google play Christmas Story

Republican trashes GOP?s ?misguided and unconstitutional? No Budget, No Pay Act

By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 19:33 EST

?

Rep. Justin Amash, a libertarian-leaning Republican from Michigan, sharply criticized a ?misguided and unconstitutional? bill known as the No Budget No Pay Act of 2013.

The legislation was touted by Republicans, who blasted Democrats for failing to passed a budget resolution since 2009. The No Budget No Pay Act withholds pay from members of the House and Senate if they fail to pass a budget resolution in their respective chamber.

?Contrary to popular assertions, the ?No Budget, No Pay? provision doesn?t encourage Members of Congress to ?do their job,? it encourages them to vote yes on a particular bill or resolution ? in this case a particular budget ? even if that legislation is bad for the American people,? Amash said Tuesday in a statement explaining his vote against the bill.

Amash added that the bill violated the 27th Amendment, which prevents salary changes for members of Congress from taking effect until after an election.

?An important policy behind the 27th Amendment is limiting the power of congressional leadership (and the President) to bribe or blackmail Members of Congress to vote a particular way,? he noted.

The congressman said that, despite its name, the bill didn?t require Congress to pass a budget. The House and Senate could both approve their own budget resolutions independently of one another and still receive their paycheck.

The No Budget No Pay Act passed in the House last week with bipartisan support. The bill also suspends the debt ceiling until May 18, which Amash said was ?essentially? a massive debt ceiling increase now.?

Amash frequently defied Republican leadership in the House, which resulted in him being ousted from his prominent spot on the House Budget Committee in December.

?

?

?

?

?

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/30/republican-trashes-gops-misguided-and-unconstitutional-no-budget-no-pay-act/

april 9 albatross louis oosthuizen phil mickelson 10 year old gives birth c. difficile carmelo anthony

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Power helps you live the good life by bringing you closer to your true self

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

How does being in a position of power at work, with friends, or in a romantic relationship influence well-being? While we might like to believe the stereotype that power leads to unhappiness or loneliness, new research indicates that this stereotype is largely untrue: Being in a position of power may actually make people happier.

Drawing on personality and power research, Yona Kifer of Tel Aviv University in Israel and colleagues hypothesized that holding a position of authority might enhance subjective well-being through an increased feeling of authenticity. The researchers predicted that because the powerful are able to "navigate their lives in congruence with their internal desires and inclinations," they feel as if they are acting more authentically ? more "themselves" ? and thus are more content.

Their findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

In their first experiment, the researchers surveyed over 350 participants to determine if internal feelings of power are associated with subjective well-being in different contexts: at work, with friends, or in romantic relationships.

The results indicated that people who feel powerful in any context tend to be more content.

The most powerful people surveyed felt 16% more satisfied with their lives than the least powerful people. This effect was most pronounced in the workplace: Powerful employees were 26% more satisfied with their jobs than their powerless colleagues. The power-based discrepancy in happiness was smaller for friendships and romantic relationships. The researchers posit that this may be because friendships are associated with a sense of community rather than hierarchy, and therefore having power in this kind of relationship is less important.

In the second and third experiments, Kifer and colleagues examined the causal relationship between power, feelings of authenticity, and general well-being, by manipulating each of the factors independently. The results revealed that being in a position of power causes people to feel more authentic and "true to themselves" ? that is, it allows their actions to more closely reflect their beliefs and desires. Feelings of authenticity, in turn, enhance subjective feelings of well-being and happiness.

"By leading people to be true to their desires and inclinations ? to be authentic ? power leads individuals to experience greater happiness," the researchers conclude.

Kifer and colleagues propose that future research into power dynamics, happiness, and authenticity should focus on specific kinds of power, both positive (such as charisma) and negative (such as punishment).

Together, these findings suggest that even the perception of having power can lead people to live more authentic lives, thereby increasing their happiness and well-being.

###

Association for Psychological Science: http://www.psychologicalscience.org

Thanks to Association for Psychological Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 49 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126505/Power_helps_you_live_the_good_life_by_bringing_you_closer_to_your_true_self

stoudemire jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer delmon young dallas mavericks washington capitals

Judge OKs $4B BP oil spill criminal settlement

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? A federal judge on Tuesday approved an agreement for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010 oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Before she ruled, U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance heard testimony from relatives of 11 workers who died when BP's blown-out Macondo well triggered an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and started the spill.

BP agreed in November to plead guilty to charges involving the workers' deaths and for lying to Congress about the size of the spill from its broken well, which spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil. Much of it ended up in the Gulf and soiled the shorelines of several states. The company could have withdrawn from the agreement if Vance had rejected it.

Neither the Justice Department nor BP presented arguments to the judge before her decision in New Orleans.

Vance said the plea deal was "just punishment" considering the risks of litigation for BP and the alternatives to the settlement. She told victims' relatives who were in court that she read their "truly gut-wrenching" written statements and factored their words into her decision.

"I've heard and I truly understand your feelings and the losses you suffered," she said.

She said she also believes BP executives should have personally apologized to family members.

"I think BP should have done that out of basic humanity," she said.

The deal doesn't resolve the federal government's civil claims against BP. The company could pay billions more in penalties for environmental damage.

BP separately agreed to a settlement with lawyers for Gulf Coast residents and businesses who claim the spill cost them money. BP estimates the deal with private attorneys will cost the company roughly $7.8 billion.

For the criminal settlement, BP agreed to pay nearly $1.3 billion in fines. The largest previous corporate criminal penalty assessed by the Justice Department was a $1.2 billion fine against drug maker Pfizer in 2009.

The criminal settlement also includes payments of nearly $2.4 billion to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $350 million to the National Academy of Sciences.

In a court filing before the hearing, attorneys for BP and the Justice Department argued that the plea agreement imposes "severe corporate punishment" and will deter BP and other deep-water drilling companies from allowing another disaster to occur.

The Justice Department has reached a separate settlement with rig owner Transocean Ltd. that resolves the government's civil and criminal claims over the Swiss-based company's role in the disaster.

Transocean agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating the Clean Water Act and pay $1.4 billion in civil and criminal penalties. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo has scheduled a Feb. 14 hearing to decide whether to accept that criminal settlement. A different judge will decide whether to accept Transocean's civil settlement.

Many relatives of rig workers who died in the blast submitted written statements that were critical of BP's deal. Twenty-eight-year-old Gordon Jones' family members said BP's sentence should include a personal, face-to-face apology to his widow and children by BP executives. A brother of Jones also had urged Vance to consider stiffer penalties that prohibit or limit the company's ability to operate in U.S. waters.

Vance, however, said she couldn't get involved in plea negotiations and only could impose a sentence that adheres to the agreed-upon terms if she accepted it.

Also killed were Jason Anderson, 35, of Midfield, Texas; Aaron Dale "Bubba" Burkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, Miss.; Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, La.; Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, La.; Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, Jonesville, La.; Karl Kleppinger Jr., 38, of Natchez, Miss.; Keith Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, La.; Dewey A. Revette, 48, of State Line, Miss.; Shane M. Roshto, 22, of Liberty, Miss.; and Adam Weise, 24, Yorktown, Texas.

Four current or former BP employees have been indicted on separate criminal charges. BP rig supervisors Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine are charged with manslaughter, accused of repeatedly disregarding abnormal high-pressure readings that should have been glaring indications of trouble just before the blowout.

David Rainey, BP's former vice president of exploration for the Gulf of Mexico, was charged with withholding information from Congress about the amount of oil that was gushing from the well.

Former BP engineer Kurt Mix was charged with deleting text messages about the company's spill response.

A series of government investigations have blamed the April 20, 2010, blowout on time-saving, cost-cutting decisions by BP and its partners on the drilling project.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-29-Gulf%20Oil%20Spill-Settlement/id-146b5221e8624a49973ede75fe63a821

washington capitals amare stoudemire tallest building in the world the pitch brandon inge freedom tower freedom tower

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Iran and world powers need to stop bickering: Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Global powers and Iran should "stop behaving like little children" and agree a date and place for new talks on Tehran's nuclear program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

European officials have accused Tehran of stalling on arranging a meeting with the six nations, including Russia, that are trying to prevent Iran developing atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes.

"Some of our partners in the six powers and the Iranian side cannot come to an agreement about where to meet," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.

"We are ready to meet at any location as soon as possible," Lavrov said. "We believe the essence of our talks is far more important (than the site), and we hope that common sense will prevail and we will stop behaving like little children."

Three rounds of talks in the first half of last year between Iran and the six powers - Russia, the United States, China, Britain, France and Germany - produced no breakthrough, increasing speculation Israel could attack Iranian nuclear installations.

Talks had been expected to resume after the U.S. presidential election, possibly as early as this month. An Iranian news agency reported this month that talks might resume on January 28 and 29, but the EU said there was no agreement.

(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel,; Writing by Steve Gutterman, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-world-powers-must-stop-bickering-russia-090317971.html

amanda bynes Revolution TV Show bankofamerica revolution rosh hashanah rosh hashanah boardwalk empire

5 Tips for Secure IT in a Mobile Computing Environment | Kaseya Blog

mobile IT security

Ever evolving information technology (e.g. smart phones, tablets, cloud computing) deliver increased mobility, productivity and ROI? but they also provide growing mobile IT security concerns. Here are 5 tips to help guard against mobile IT security breaches and data loss:

Design Safe Systems for Mobile IT Security

Decrease exposure to hackers by limiting access to your technology infrastructure. Reduce points of failure by prohibiting unnecessary access to equipment, software and data. Minimize potential damage to your networks by using a unique set of domain names, logins and email addresses for each user, work group and department.

Screen New Hires and Conduct Background Checks

While external hackers get most of the attention, the majority of mobile IT security breaches occur from inside network firewalls. Screen all prospective employees. And after hiring, institute an initial trial period during which new employees are monitored for risky network activity.

Provide Basic Training

Most data losses occur as a result of human error or carelessness. Build a corporate culture that emphasizes computer and mobile IT security via training programs that communicate the risks of sloppy password practices and the careless use of devices and data. All security precautions, from proper records disposal to protocols for changing/sharing passwords, should be explained and enforced.

Deploy an Industrial Strength Virus Scanner and Keep all Software Up-To-Date

Keeping software of all types up-to-date is crucial. Schedule and install frequent downloads of security updates and patches to guard against new viruses and variations on older ones.

Use a Robust, Reliable, and Easily Managed Backup Tool

Being able to address multiple forms of data loss is critical. Is it a workstation or is it a server that needs a restore? Is a bare metal restore required? Is it a physical device that needs to be brought online quickly in a virtualized environment? All of these issues should be considered when choosing your backup tools.

A backup solution for computer and mobile IT security such as Kaseya Remote Backup provides real-time automated disk remote backup, disk imaging and bare metal restore for Windows servers and workstations. Unlike conventional file-based only products, Remote Backup creates an image of the entire system state (including operating system, business applications, user settings, drivers and data) giving administrators the framework to completely rebuild a downed system in less than an hour.

Learn more about integrating mobile IT security solutions into your overall MDM strategy here.

Source:
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-001.html

Source: http://blog.kaseya.com/blog/2013/01/29/5-mobile-it-security-tips-to-prevent-enterprise-data-loss/

khan academy Espn College Football Eddie Murphy died Suzanne Barr Clint Eastwood speech Maria Montessori clint eastwood

Jumping on board Pinterest - Business Weekly ? ReadingEagle.com ...

The social networking site Pinterest has grown partly due to the popularity of home design photos on its various boards. Baldwin Kitchen & Bath in West Reading uses the site to communicate with customers.

The social networking site Pinterest has grown partly due to the popularity of home design photos on its various boards. Baldwin Kitchen & Bath in West Reading uses the site to communicate with customers.

By Teresa McMinn
Reading Eagle correspondent
Jason Schaedler remembers the time not that long ago when folks who wanted to remodel their home would leaf through magazines and clip pictures of the items they wanted for their project.

Not anymore.

The Internet changed all that, and the latest social media trend is bringing even more change.

Today, many customers use Pinterest to design their home improvement project, said Schaedler, manager of Baldwin Brass Center and Baldwin Kitchen & Bath in West Reading.

Pinterest is a free, virtual bulletin board that allows users to organize and share photos, images and videos. It was launched in 2010 as a social networking service.

Schaedler started using Pinterest for the business about eight months ago, he said. He and a customer could use the site to share photos and kick around ideas.

?It?s made it a lot easier to work with customers over the phone,? he said. ?Home projects have been the hottest trends on (Pinterest) for us.?

Schaedler also pins photos of Baldwin?s new products on the site, he said.

?Social media has been great overall,? he said. ?But Pinterest has been amazing.?

The Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau uses Pinterest to promote local attractions, said Lisa Haggerty, marketing manager for the organization.

The site works well in that capacity because of the way it displays photos, said Carson Kober-Mazurkiewicz, creative development manager with the bureau.

?Some of the best things about Berks County are visual,? she said.

Pinterest also includes the ability to link photos to websites.

?We use it to promote our members,? Kober-Mazurkiewicz said. ?Businesses love it because it?s really free advertising for them.?

Rob Rhoads, director of business development at LaunchDM in Wyomissing, said they recommend clients use Pinterest to leverage their digital marketing efforts.

Some of LaunchDM?s local clients, including Trisha?s Salon and Sweet Street Desserts, are active Pinterest users, he said.

The site allows business pages to showcase and share content, ideas and inspiration with customers online, he said.

As with other forms of social media, businesses should plan how to use Pinterest to reach the maximum amount of customers, he said.

?It should be well thought out,? Rhoads said.

Amy Duggan, who handles social media and communications for the company, said Pinterest?s photo-sharing functionality allows another way for businesses to build an online presence by organizing and displaying a variety of pins and storyboards related to their business products or services.

Businesses also can use the site?s secret storyboard function to communicate internally, she said.

For any business, Pinterest is one of the best ways to establish new relationships, build brand awareness and drive website traffic, Duggan said.

Jennifer Matten, assistant vice president of sales and marketing and national fundraising coordinator for Sweet Street Desserts, said the company started creating Pinterest boards about six months ago as part of its broader social media strategy.

One peek at its Pinterest page shows why: picture after picture of decadent treats, many lovingly photographed and elegantly presented.

?We view our desserts as an art form that arouses all of the senses, and the experience of enjoying dessert most often starts with the visual appeal,? Matten wrote in an email. ?So it provides us with a great platform to share our award-winning photography, introduce our brand to a relevant audience and further enhance the experience that surrounds food.?

Any platform that provides a company the opportunity to engage in ongoing conversation with consumers makes a difference, Matten added.

?Business is social,? she said.

Others said they plan to follow the lead of Baldwin, the visitors bureau and Sweet Street.

?We will be using it,? said Woody Weist, owner of Leesport Farmers Market in Ontelaunee Township.

The business has a Facebook page and website.

Weist said his daughter, Jennifer Wise, uses Pinterest at home and soon will create a page on the site for the market.

?That will be out next social media adventure,? Weist said.

Contact Teresa McMinn: 610-371-5080 or businessweekly@readingeagle.com.

Source: http://businessweekly.readingeagle.com/?p=7807&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jumping-on-board-pinterest

twas the night before christmas santa Capital STEEZ George Bush weather.com After Christmas Sales 2012 Charles Durning

Accelerating neutral atoms on a table top

Jan. 27, 2013 ? Charged particle accelerators have become crucially important to modern day life, be it in health care for cancer treatment or for answering important fundamental scientific questions like the existence of the HIGGS boson, the so called 'God particle'.

In a simple picture, charged particles like electrons and protons are accelerated between two end plates across which an electrical voltage is applied. High energies need high voltages (millions and billions of volts) and long acceleration paths in giant sized machines -- for instance the trillion volt machine called the 'large hadron collider' (LHC) which discovered the Higgs boson, circles over 27 km underground in Geneva! A new concept for a compact accelerator was discovered in the last decade using high powered, short pulses of laser light.

Alternating large electric fields of the light can be transformed in plasmas to create quasi static fields that can produce hundreds of millions volt accelerating voltages just over millimeter lengths on a table top!

How do we accelerate neutral particles -- i.e. particles that cannot be energized by electrical voltages? And do it over millimeters rather than hundreds of meters and moreover using lasers? Research at Ultra Short Pulse High Intensity Lab in TIFR has now found a novel scheme that can do precisely this. The concept uses the ability of powerful lasers to strip nearly 8 electrons per atom in a nano sized, cooled aggregate of argon atoms- a nano piece of ice. A 40,000 atom cluster of argon is charged to 320,000 by a laser that lasts only a 100 billionth of a millionth of a second. Such a super highly charged ice piece explodes soon after, accelerating the charged atoms (Ions) to a million electron volts of energy. The TIFR research now found that all the expelled electrons can be put back into the charged ion that has been accelerated so that it now reverts to being a neutral atom but at high energies. To top it all, this process is nearly 100% efficient at neutralizing the speeding ions and converting them to fast atoms.

Accelerated neutral atoms are very important for many applications. Unaffected by electric or magnetic fields, they penetrate deeper in solids than electrons/ions and thereby create high finesse microstructures for novel electronics and optical devices. Fast atoms are used both as diagnostics and heating sources in Tokomak machines like the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in France, that are being developed to create sustained thermo-nuclear fusion. The TIFR scheme can produce a point source of fast neutral atoms close to the location of an intended application.

This certainly shows that staying neutral under extreme provocation has its advantages.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electricity/~3/k-thzKvbSYA/130127134204.htm

Yom Kippur 2012 Aaron Paul mumford and sons packers Dancing With The Stars All Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt space shuttle

Monday, 28 January 2013

PFT: Moss won't retire after Super Bowl

tim-brownGetty Images

We agree wholeheartedly with the opinions expressed by Peter King in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback and elsewhere regarding the merit (or more accurately lack thereof) of former Raiders receiver Tim Brown?s non-allegation allegation that former Raiders coach Bill Callahan ?sabotaged? a 10-year-old Super Bowl.? But some questions remain as the latest Super Bowl week commences.

First, will 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh be asked about the situation at one of his many media availabilities this week?? Harbaugh, who was a first-year offensive assistant with the Raiders in 2002, wasn?t asked about it on Sunday night when the team arrived.? And given the extent to which the story has faded in recent days, he may not be asked about it at all.

Second, did the Raiders? game plan change two days before the game?? Brown?s ludicrous opinion of sabotage comes from his belief, as a factual matter, that Callahan changed the game plan.? So did he?? There has been no definitive answer provided to that question.

Third, did the Raiders fail to change audibles and line calls?? It has been presumed for nearly a decade that the Raiders didn?t account for the fact that former Oakland coach Jon Gruden knew the code words that would be used at the line of scrimmage on offense.? But Peter King?s dismantling of the sabotage theory in the latest Monday Morning Quarterback extends to the notion that the Bucs knew what the Raiders were planning to do.? The game broadcast, however, contained strong evidence to the contrary.

Tampa Bay safety John Lynch wore a microphone, and he plainly can be heard telling former Bucs defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin after the Raiders fell behind 20-3 late in the first half, ?Mike, every play they?ve run, we ran in practice.? It?s unreal.?

Said Tomlin, ?I know.?

Whatever the reason, the Buccaneers? dominance was enough, we?re told, to prompt Raiders receiver Jerry Rice to rip the microphone he was wearing during the game from his pads and flush it down a toilet at halftime.

Fourth, given that King believes Brown?s assertion is ?utterly preposterous? and that King is one of the voters for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will this mess keep Brown out for another year?? The voters will swear that they don?t consider anything other than what happens on the field, in accordance with the Hall of Fame?s bylaws.? But as we explained in our one-time-and-one-time-only PFT season preview magazine (which apparently made a cameo appearance several months ago in an episode of Mike & Molly on CBS), the human beings who cast the votes are influenced by the things that tend to influence the decisions made by human beings.

If it?s a close call between Brown and someone else as a given voter makes the excruciating descent from 15 modern-era finalists to up to five modern-era enshrinees, Brown?s assertions could be viewed, consciously or otherwise, as reflecting the kind of disrespect for and misunderstanding of the game that could be the factor pushing that person one way or the other.

There would be no hard proof of it, and none of the voters will risk their vote by proclaiming publicly that they sabotaged Brown?s candidacy in part because of his claim of sabotage.? But it definitely could, in a close case, be a factor ? and we?d never know that it was.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/27/moss-plans-to-play-at-least-one-more-year/related/

love actually strikeforce davy jones deep impact miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy usssa baseball

Taye Diggs Chases Down Home Burglar After SAG Awards

'Private Practice' star managed to detain the suspect until police arrived Sunday night.
By Jocelyn Vena


Taye Diggs at the 2013 SAG Awards
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700867/taye-diggs-burglary-sag-awards-2013.jhtml

Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay

Join the WWE Royal Rumble Live Chat!

Join WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel and the WWE.com team for live coverage of WWE Royal Rumble, including live results and commentary on the 30-man Royal Rumble Match! The Live Chat with The Fink begins at 7 PM ET.

Will "The People's Champion" dethrone the champion who abandoned the WWE Universe, CM Punk? Can Alberto Del Rio hold on to his newly won World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing rematch against Big Show? Which Superstar will win the Royal Rumble Match and leave Phoenix with a guaranteed World Title Match at WrestleMania 29? Find out tonight when the Royal Rumble returns live to pay-per-view at 8 ET/5 PT! (HOW TO WATCH)

WWE Championship Match
CM Punk (c) vs. The Rock (PREVIEW)

30-Superstar Royal Rumble Match (PREVIEW | ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH: BY THE NUMBERS)

World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match
Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Big Show (PREVIEW)

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Team Hell No (c) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (PREVIEW)

United States Championship Match (Pre-Show)
Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. The Miz (PREVIEW)

?

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2013/royal-rumble-live-chat

Celeste Holm Stephen Covey klimt bastille day breaking bad breaking bad food network star

Sunday, 27 January 2013

Portland, Maine Tar Sands Protest Sees Hundreds Rally Against Proposed Pipeline From Montreal

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ? Hundreds of people rallied in Portland on Saturday in what was billed as the largest protest yet against the possibility of so-called tar sands oil being piped in from Montreal.

Protesters gathered downtown, then marched to the city's waterfront for a rally that included speeches from Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan and others who said allowing heavy oil from western Canada to cross northern New England poses serious environmental risks.

Environmental groups say plans are in the works to bring oil by pipeline from western Canada to Montreal and then to Portland. Critics say tar sands, or oil sands, oil is so corrosive, acidic and thick that it's more likely to spill than conventional crude oil and that would put rivers, lakes and streams at risk in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. They further say that renewable energy should be promoted to reduce reliance on oil.

"With climate change once again at the forefront of our minds, it is crucial that we work together to end our dependence upon on foreign oil and keep our community free of fuels like tar sands," Brennan said in a statement. "We need to work together to expand the market for renewable energies and eliminate the demand for tar sands and other fuels that are not only a root cause for climate change but also carry real risks of pollution and spills in our backyard."

The debate in northern New England comes at the same time that debate is increasing in Washington over the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, a $7 billion project that would carry oil from Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. Environmental groups say the pipeline would transport "dirty oil" from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, and produce heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming.

The company that owns pipelines connecting western Canada to Montreal, and a separate company that owns the 236-mile pipeline from Portland to Montreal, both say there are no plans to bring tar sands oil across northern New England to Portland. The Portland-to-Montreal pipeline now carries oil that arrives in Portland by ship from overseas through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec to Montreal.

Opponents of oil sands oil are putting out misinformation, said John Quinn, executive director of the New England Petroleum Council, which represents the oil industry.

Seventy percent of the gasoline sold in Maine now comes from oil from Alberta that's refined in New Brunswick, he said. The oil is no more corrosive or dangerous than conventional crude oil, he said.

"They intend to demonize oil sands because it's a direct threat to wind power," Quinn said. "Many of the organizers of this rally oppose petroleum in any form."

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/portland-maine-tar-sands-protest_n_2558694.html

gunner kiel gunner kiel groundhog soulja boy did the groundhog see his shadow punxsutawney phil groundhog day

South Korea central bank questions Bank of Japan easing

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - South Korea's central bank governor on Saturday questioned the efficacy of Japan's decision to ease monetary policy, saying its decision to start buying assets in 2014 could have unintended long-term consequences.

The move by the Bank of Japan was also done in a hasty manner and would lead to large movements in the foreign exchange market, said Bank of Korea Governor Kim Chong-soo.

"What they did created a couple of problems," Kim said in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "One is that the level (of the currency) is affected, and the pace of change is also a problem. They did it too hastily."

Key for the Bank of Korea is a stable exchange rate, Kim added.

The yen has come under pressure since reports on Thursday quoted Japan's deputy economy minister, Yasutoshi Nishimura, as saying the yen's decline is not over, and that a dollar/yen level of 100 would not be a concern.

The Japanese currency is now trading around a 2-1/2 year low against the dollar at around 90 yen, as the market remained focused on Japan's pursuit of a reflationary economic policy.

Talk about a currency war has dominated discussions at the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, with many central bankers and business executives questioning the wisdom of continuing an easy money policy.

Kim's comments come as top executives at Japanese companies say that the Bank of Japan has been too slow in responding to the yen's rise after the financial crisis.

"There is no explanation why the Japanese currency should appreciate 40 percent to the dollar after the financial crisis, while the won decreased compared to the dollar," said Nissan's Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn on Friday.

(Reporting by Kelvin Soh; editing by Jason Neely)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-central-bank-questions-bank-japan-easing-094321234--business.html

underworld awakening haywire dog the bounty hunter tacoma narrows bridge weather nyc open marriage department of justice

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Can the GOP move past tea party "number crunching"? (cbsnews)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279484616?client_source=feed&format=rss

taio cruz Winter Olympics 2014 powerball numbers freddie mercury Horshack Beady Eye Eric Idle

Special Olympics FanQuest Basketball Game | Oakton Sports ...

1633 Davidson Rd, McLean, VA | Get?Directions??
FREE

This Saturday is the second annual Special Olympics basketball game between Oakton and McLean High School.? Come out and support your school and fellow students at this year's game!? Admission is FREE and there will be a pregame tailgate also at McLean High School with complimentary food, beverage, music and games.? There will also be a chance to win SIGNED AUTHENTIC REDSKINS GEAR!?

38.92472

-77.18702

primary

/events/special-olympics-fanquest-basketball-game

/locations/8676803

Source: http://oakton.patch.com/events/special-olympics-fanquest-basketball-game

pau gasol trade michael madsen spring forward day light savings day light savings daylight saving time 2012 grapes of wrath

Samsung?s Big Q4 2012: $52.4 Billion In Revenue Is Nice, But Operating Profit Surged 89% Year-Over-Year To $8.27 Billion

samsung headquartersSamsung already gave us a hint of what to expect to see in their latest quarterly financials, but now the Korean consumer electronics titan has release its earnings for all to see. Here's the gist of the company's fiscal Q4 2012 figures: Samsung reported a whopping 56.06 trillion won (which works out to $52.4 billion) in revenue, along with 8.84 trillion won (roughly $8.27 billion) in operating profit.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0-NA1UThrtE/

marist south carolina primary results betty white ed reed football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina

Vine embedded video tweeting comes to Twitter for iOS

Why it seems like only yesterday we were telling you about Twitter's new video tweeting feature, courtesy of a tweet from CEO Dick Costolo. With the bird out of the bag, Vine's just made its way to iOS, so those with an iPhone or iPod touch looking for the video equivalent to 140 characters can pick it up for free now, courtesy of the App Store. Or, if you just want to bask in the adorableness of others, check out Twitter's short video-filled blog post below.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Source: Twitter, Vine

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WgV1dEIFVKc/

John Witherspoon george michael usain bolt Closing Ceremony London 2012 Tom Daley Leryn Franco The Campaign

Antigua set to bypass US copyright law with WTO green-lit media ...

In a surprisingly legal move, the government of Antigua is planning to open a website selling media and software without paying any fees to American copyright holders. It comes after the US closed its market to Antiguan gambling companies.

?The small Caribbean nation once thrived on its gambling industry, which at one point employed 5 per cent of its people, TorrentFreak reports. When the US blocked the island's gambling companies from accessing American players, it pulled the rug out from under the whole industry.

Antigua is now set to begin selling music, movies and software without having to pay a cent to the American firms holding copyrights on the wares.

When the US effectively shut down the Antiguan gambling market, the island state sued Washington within the World Trade Organization?? and won. The WTO decided in 2005 that Washington's move violated free trade guidelines, as American companies were allowed free reign domestically.

In 2007, the WTO made a further ruling, allowing Antigua to "suspend" American copyrights for as much as $21 million ever year.

Antigua has informed the WTO of its plan to sell American media online to customers worldwide, even bringing it up at a WTO meeting in December. However, the US struck the topic from discussion, calling it "untimely." The Caribbean state will try again this month, and if all goes according to plan the website is said to be set to go live soon after.

American authorities are hardly signed up to the idea, with the US warning that ?If Antigua actually proceeds with a plan for its government to authorize the theft of intellectual property, it would only serve to hurt Antigua?s own interests" in a December 2012 letter to the WTO.

?Government-authorized piracy would undermine chances for a settlement that would provide real benefits to Antigua. It also would serve as a major impediment to foreign investment in the Antiguan economy, particularly in high-tech industries,? the letter continued.

Mark Mendel, the attorney for Antigua, said the term 'piracy' is irrelevant in this situation, Torrentfreak reports, as the WTO has given Antigua limited immunity to copyright laws.

Source: http://rt.com/usa/news/antigua-copyright-us-wto-778/

flyers epo suits PlayStation Network chip kelly Lena Dunham NRA

A New Study Evaluates Non-Hormonal Treatments For Hot Flashes ...

Related eBooks

The benefits of aerobic exercise and the more mindful practice of Yoga to our mental and physical health are well studied and undeniable. They can help us stay agile, healthy and fit well into our later years. But there is one thing that Yoga ? and physical exercise in general ? can?t help with at all and that?s hot flashes.

Source:A New Study Evaluates Non-Hormonal Treatments For Hot Flashes

Related Reading:

Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant: Expert Advice and Comforting Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-Size WomanBig, Beautiful, and Pregnant: Expert Advice and Comforting Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-Size WomanAlmost half of all pregnant women are overweight in the U.S. today, but there are few places they can turn for reliable information and helpful advice on the special set of challenges they'll face during the nine-month adventure that lies ahead. In Big, Beautiful and Pregnant, Cornelia van der Ziel, a highly sought-after obstetrician who specializes in plus-size pregnancies, and Jacqueline Tourville, a plus-size mom who's lived the experience, offer a warm, witty, medically-sound guide for overweight women who want the skinny on what to expect from pregnancy and childbirth. They answer all the questions pregnant moms may have, including: Is my pregnancy doomed to be difficult because I'm overweight? How can I find a sympathetic doctor? Am I destined for a c-section because of my extra pounds? Are there special medical risks to my unborn child? Where can I find maternity clothes in extra-large sizes? A unique combination of impeccable medical advice, fun, and down-to-earth charm, Big, Beautiful and Pregnant provides plus-size pregnant women with information, inspiration, a sense of sisterhood, and reassurance that they can have a healthy and happy pregnancy. The Reluctant Rancher (Billionaire Rancher) (BBW)The Reluctant Rancher (Billionaire Rancher) (BBW)"Luke Tanner and women didn't mix, plain and simple."

Luke Tanner learned early on that no one cared enough to look past his roughhewned appearance and sour attitude to discover what lay beneath the surface - other than his wallet. When Mary Carter hits him up for a loan, he makes her a proposition she can't refuse.

Mary fantasized about Luke Tanner since her first glimpse of the veritable mountain of a man. She knows there's more to Luke than his bank account. Though she tries to hide her feelings, a fire burns between them. Will it end in ashes - or forge a love that would last a lifetime.

EXCERPT:

?Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my land??

The shock of the deep male voice held Mary immobile for several seconds.

She turned slowly, facing the man she had come to see. But if the sound of his voice had shocked her, the sight of the man stunned her. Mary had seen Luke Tanner on several occasions but she had never been this up close and personal. A mountain of a man, she had to look up to see his face. A long way up. With genuine feminine appreciation she realized that Luke Tanner would stand at least six-foot-four in his stocking feet. His shoulders were broad and sturdy, their huge mass emphasized by the flannel-lined denim work jacket he wore. His large size made her, Mary Carter, feel small and dainty.

A patch of dark, curling hair peeked out from the neckline of his blue plaid western shirt and her stomach quivered at the tantalizing glimpse of his permanently sun-darkened chest. Her gaze fell, drinking in the sight of his strong, muscular legs. Whitewashed jeans clung lovingly to every male sinew. Even though his waist could never be called slim, it was in perfect proportion to his size. To Mary, he was a fine looking man.

With great reluctance, she tore her gaze away, taking in the rest of his sun-bronzed features ? his frowning forehead, his beard-roughened jaw, and his crooked nose. Immediately his eyes captured her attention. My goodness, she had never seen such incredible eyes. Green as the mountain grass after the first spring rain and surrounded by lashes a woman would die for.

Mary shivered, more in reaction to this potently virile male than from the cold seeping beneath her coat.

Plus Size Confidence (The Plus Size Girls Guide to...)Plus Size Confidence (The Plus Size Girls Guide to...)Love who you are and live a plus size life!
The ultimate companion for the modern plus size girl!

In the Plus Size Girl's Guide to Plus Size Confidence you'll learn to:

-stop negative self-talk!
-recognize your accomplishments!
-feel comfortable talking about yourself!
-develop confident body language!
-create opportunities for success!

The Big Fashionista: No More Guessing What To Wear | Women's How to Dress Up for the Plus SizeThe Big Fashionista: No More Guessing What To Wear | Women's How to Dress Up for the Plus SizeIn "The Big Fashionista: No More Guessing What To Wear", Mary Schneider, a professional image consultant shares with readers some basic yet essential secrets to looking great at any size, and getting ready for that special date or occasion. Don?t hide in oversized clothes that make you look as if you?re tenting, and don?t be tricked into wearing too-small things that resemble an over-stuffed sausage. Great fit, flattering cut and beautiful color can be yours, no matter what your size.

"That date, the one you?ve been looking forward to since he asked for your number, the date, is in less than a week. You?ve tried the Cabbage Soup diet and now you feel like a round-cheeked Cabbage Patch doll, not the slim, sexy goddess you were hoping for. South Beach left you high and dry. Atkin?s was a cholesterol-filled disaster, and all Weight Watchers watched were the same pounds you trimmed off bouncing right back on the rebound.

The large-bottom line? You?ve tried to lose those stubborn ten pounds, but like a bad penny, they keep turning up, spoiling your confidence, stealing your sense of being a sexy, modern woman and leaving you wishing you?d never heard the word date, let alone given that special someone your number!"

Singer Perfect Plus: Sew a Mix-and-Match Wardrobe for Plus and Petite-Plus SizesSinger Perfect Plus: Sew a Mix-and-Match Wardrobe for Plus and Petite-Plus Sizes

Kathleen Cheetham presents her original garment patterns and detailed sewing instruction so plus-size women can create a closetful of flattering shapes and silhouettes. By working with the 4 enclosed patterns, step-by-step construction, and fitting instruction, readers can create a wardrobe of versatile and stylish garments?which can be adapted for office wear, casual wear, or evening wear, just by varying the colors, fabrics, and finishing details.

?

The four enclosed patterns are for pants, a blouse, skirt, and jacket?to create 20 unique garments. Each garment is shown in petite to full sizes, from size 14 to 24. The author also includes her patented Perfect Fit guide for each garment style, based on grading rules she has developed herself for her own line of commercial patterns. Author also provides a gallery of 51 outfits for a wardrobe made with the four patterns.

Tags: plus size

Source: http://www.jackiesbazaar.com/womensinterests/plus-size/a-new-study-evaluates-non-hormonal-treatments-for-hot-flashes

alicia keys Susan Rice American Airlines the Who jon bon jovi jon bon jovi Kliff Kingsbury

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Creative expression at Georgetown still fiction - The Georgetown Voice

In preparation for its imminent arrival at Georgetown, last year?s incoming freshman class was required to read the novel How to Read the Air for the Marino Family International Writer?s Workshop. Grounded in the author?s Ethiopian heritage, the book is linguistically elegant and uses a melancholy, poetic lyricism to tell the tale of a young man struggling to overcome his family?s troubled past.

For many students, this is the extent of formal contact with the language arts and creative writing they will encounter at Georgetown during their four years of matriculation. All of this despite the fact that the novel?s author, English professor Dinaw Mengestu (COL ?00), is a highly acclaimed writer who was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2012. The MacArthur Foundation awards its fellows a ?Genius Grant? of $500,000 for the purpose of freeing them to pursue their creative interests uninhibited by financial restrictions.

Mengestu has devoted his life to the craft of writing. ?I show up to my writing every day, and I show up in the same way that most people show up to their jobs,? he said. ?Most times I?m sitting at my desk by 9:30 in the morning and I?m working until the end of the day.?

Although creative writing remains his main focus, Mengestu has had to balance myriad responsibilities as his work has gained exposure. ?You grow into a public role that you learn to fulfill. It becomes an extension of your writing career,? he said. ?There?s the very private side that involves you sitting in a room with your books and your computer day after day, and there?s the very professional side that involves being able to speak about your work and actually reach out to your readers.?

Another new responsibility Mengestu shoulders is teaching creative writing on the Hilltop, which has given him new insight into the student body at Georgetown and how it has changed since he graduated. In particular, the openness to creative writing he sees on campus today was nowhere to be found during his undergraduate career.

?There weren?t really that many students trying to write fiction or poetry or whatever the case might have been ? It?s something that I think has changed dramatically from when I was an undergraduate,? Mengestu said. ?I?m thinking of two classes that I?m teaching now, I think that my students are incredibly talented, not that they all want to be writers, but they seem to really be serious about the act of writing.?

Despite Mengestu?s praise, Georgetown remains a relative unknown in creative writing. Despite the many acclaimed alumni in the University community?such as Jonathan Nolan (COL ?99) who co-wrote The Dark Knight and Robert Baer (SFS ?76) whose books inspired the film Syriana?and its location in a city with a burgeoning poetry scene, the Hoya of Letters is not a figure we often idolise. Creative writing events on campus are few and far between, rarely receiving the fanfare of sports or academic competitions, and on-campus events like Saxa Slam and the Corp?s occasional creative writing contests have a tendency to relegate creative writing to the status of a hobby, rather than a bona fide academic pursuit.

?It?s not like some universities that actually have creative writing programs and concentrations, if not majors,? said Mengestu. ?[Other schools] have a large number of students that are interested in writing professionally for their careers, they have literary journals that are very ? engaged with a very long tradition and history behind them.?

***

Despite the obscurity of the creative writing community, there are many student writers at Georgetown who share Mengestu?s love of language and say their cohort is growing, if only in fits and starts.

?In high school I wrote poetry all the time?terrible poetry,? said Kasia Clarke (COL ?13), an editor at The Anthem, a student literary magazine. ?During my 11th grade class when my grandfather was dying, and I read ?Funeral Blues? by Auden, and it really spoke to me, and I thought, that?s how my grandmother must feel. ?

?[Poetry] ? spoke to me in a way that other art forms didn?t, and poetry has rosary words and lines that you can just take,? said Madeline Collins (COL ?13) a senior English major. ?On some very immediate level, [I write] because I love reading and I love language, and you could say that language is something vital and sacred. It?s kind of a privilege to be able to use language and to spend time on it and see what it does.?

Collins says that she has built a strong network of friends and peers to talk about creative writing, swap books, and critique each other?s writing. ?People that I share my writing with and talk about writing with tend to be people who I?ve met through classes ? specifically the Lannan Seminar,? she said.

The Lannan Poetry Seminar, a course taught through the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice, is an intensive study of poetry and its intersections with contemporary culture through lectures, readings, and informal dinners with poets. The Lannan Center, which is affiliated with the Folger Shakespeare Library and the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, as well as several other literary organizations in the D.C. area, organizes lectures and readings throughout the year along the theme of social involvement. It has brought such writers and figures such as Margaret Atwood, Charles Simic, and Dr. Cornel West to campus, and organizes an annual symposium to expose students to professional writers?the 2011 edition featured Pulitzer Prize winner Junot D?az.

Mengestu reflected on a similar experience during his years as a student, saying most of the people invested in creative writing were ?able to all intersect at some point over those four years that we were here, and the Lannan? ? ? ? Seminar was probably the biggest and most important part of that ? we were spread across the University, people who were not necessarily English majors who had some sort of serious creative intent behind their studies.?

These comments are striking in light of the statements that were part of his speech for the Marino Workshop during the fall of 2011, where he remarked how initially unhappy he was with Georgetown. He claims the Lannan Seminar ?was probably the most critical ? time while in the department and being an English major that actually felt like I was being fostered as a writer.?

Mengestu does credit Georgetown with developing his writing skills. ?I think I knew I wanted to be a writer before I came here,? he said, ?[but] what I found here was a really great department, a lot of really great professors ? who, when I was young and trying to figure out which path I was going to take, were really willing to help and encourage me and read my writing.?

Nonetheless, the support Mengestu received as a student remains a relatively weak force compared to the culture of competition and corporatist achievement on the Hilltop. David Ebenbach, a Georgetown English? professor who specializes in creative writing and has published three books within the past year, acknowledged several subtle social dangers of the Georgetown academic culture.

?If you are in a highly competitive and judgmental atmosphere, you probably won?t allow yourself to do things that are risky because then you might make mistakes,? he said. The intense pressure here to devote time only to r?sum?-worthy pursuits is one reason Ebenbach feels cultivating a safe, creative, and collaborative space on campus is essential. ?The community is so important [because] there?s a prevailing wind we?re pushing back against.?

Kelley Kidd (SFS ?13), an avid poet and student in Professor Ebenbach?s Introduction to Creative Writing class, agreed. ?I think an environment that is so driven and perfectionist is a danger [to] creativity, and I think that is something that needs a space and an opportunity to flourish here.

Kidd thinks the academic culture at Georgetown sucks in students who would not usually be predisposed to such areas of study.

?There are a lot of people who go to this school and say, ?I really don?t want to be the traditional Georgetown major. I don?t want to be a Government major, I don?t want to be in International Politics, or maybe I do, but it?s not enough,?? she said. ?And everyone thinks that they don?t belong here because they like beautiful things and they like art.? This sentiment has been echoed by students who believe, like Kidd, that their career-driven education is not enough.

In editing The Anthem, Georgetown?s only literary magazine, Clarke has been frustrated by how seemingly small and isolated the writing community is. She has submitted work to several other Georgetown artistic competitions and groups, and received a stifling response. ?I asked them what they thought and they said, ?that?s too weird for Georgetown.??

She agrees, however, with the consensus that it is important to create a community. She?s found hers online, maintaining a daily poetry blog that now has over 2,500 regular subscribers. ?Once I had people reading it,? she said, ?I had to keep it up, and now I can?t just abandon these people who want poetry in their lives!?

English professor David Gewanter says there have been small but significant changes in the University?s approach to creative writing. ?The Lannan program actively cultivates a student community,? he said. ?The [English] Department will soon be considering whether to propose a creative writing minor.? Georgetown, he argues, fosters an environment conducive to creativity. ?GU, in developing social sensitivity and responsiveness, actively supports and encourages students to explore creative forms both as personal expression and as active social tools,? he said. ?To find your voice in a creative form is to articulate your engagement with the world.?

Gewanter added that creative writing provides a necessary counterpoint to today?s weary bloviating. ?Washington is fairly sagging under rhetoric, underfed amidst the sound-bites and pie-charts, the recycled catch-phrases and slogans that substitute for fresh approaches to the world and our role in it,? he said. ?Creative writing looks outward and inward, puts the writer on the line even as she invents new worlds.?

***

Despite the negative perception of the creative culture here and its apparent tendency to get lost in the chaos and competition of Georgetown academia, students recognize there is a strong creative energy in the student body?one that just needs to be tapped into. ?[The creative writing community] is thriving and supportive, and it?s there if you seek it,? said Adam Greenberg (COL ?13), a senior English major whose thesis focuses on poetry.

Many students still see a need for more systematic changes in the attitude of the University toward artistic pursuits. While Collins feels her ?professors foster creativity,? she says Georgetown needs ?a general encouragement of creativity, which would entail larger institutional changes.?

Mengestu echoed Collins?s sentiments. ?It?s not that there aren?t a lot of students who are very creative and committed to art, it?s that there?s not such a history of it here,? he said.

Students and teachers alike recognize that creative writing and attentive reading are both skills worth fostering, ones that are essential to learning how to engage in and shape our culture. ?When you?re looking at a bookshelf you?re looking at a conversation, and part of being a writer means joining the conversation, which means not just writing and talking, but also listening,? Ebenbach said.

Collins agrees a community is important for a writer?s growth. ?I don?t think writing is a solitary pursuit,? she said. ?Language isn?t a solitary thing. It?s inherently the opposite, so writing can?t be solitary ? I know that there is so much to be gained from sharing it with people and getting feedback and taking responsibility for something by putting it out there.? Clarke added, ?If you don?t discuss and you don?t read poetry, [then] you can?t write good poetry.?

Mengestu said that while his writing is done in solitude, he agrees with Collins that investing in a writing community is incredibly important for the University as a whole, regardless of one?s department or major.

?If you have a large concentration of students who are seriously engaged with the act of writing, you probably have a large concentration of students who are seriously engaged readers, and that continues to make this sort of vibrancy,? he said. ?So, writing is very solitary, but I think when you?re in an undergraduate environment and you find like-minded people you begin to spark a debate and a dialogue across a broad range of literature that doesn?t end with the bell when people pass out into the halls.?

***

To Mengestu, interdisciplinary study and dialogue happens naturally, and those who write and read are engaging in a wider, holistic conversation that permeates nearly every discipline. In general, conversations about writing are very important to him. ?I?ve had really wonderful experiences talking to people about my work, some of the best experiences I?ve had and those experience were also equally draining, quite exhausting, because you?re talking about something that?s incredibly private,? he said. ?You?re also having this exchange and it?s wonderful to see your readers, and it?s wonderful to realize that this private endeavor actually has a dynamic element to it.?

Mengestu also acknowledges there are difficulties inherent in the pursuit of a career in writing, regardless of institutional encouragement. ?I would probably try to dissuade [aspiring writers] as actively as I can,? he said. ?It?s not that I don?t love writing ? but you have to be able to see all the obstacles and still want to do it. I think you have to be very honest and clear-sighted about the challenges that come with it. So if you don?t care about it to the degree where it feels passionately necessary, it?s not going to compel you enough to make you really want to do it.?

?[Writing is] quite frustrating on a day-to-day basis,? he said. ?At the same time you do have those wonderful moments when a book is actually starting to take off, or you just feel like you?ve made moments of real progress in something that?s been taking two, three years out of your life. Those are really great, beautiful moments.?

Mengestu is hopeful about the future of creative writing at Georgetown, and anticipates that intelligent, motivated students will continue to change their culture and make their own connections. He sees a future for English majors, and this network of dogged and determined writers who feel a passion for what they do, even if their job prospects seem slim. ?I think part of being an English major is being engaged with the experience of being human,? he said. ?You?re engaging literary texts as a way of trying to understand what you?re doing here on this Earth, and I can?t think of any more inherently natural pursuit.?

Source: http://georgetownvoice.com/2013/01/24/creative-expression-at-georgetown-still-fiction/

kansas jayhawks mega millions results louisville lotto numbers susan powell megamillions winners university of louisville