বৃহস্পতিবার, ৩১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Israeli Warplanes Struck Target On Syrian ... - Business Insider

AP

Lebanon has reported that Israeli air activity over Lebanon has increased sharply in the past week.

On Tuesday Israel launched an airstrike against a convoy of trucks moving near the Lebanon-Syria border, a senior U.S. official and a Lebanese security official told The Wall Street Journal.

The strike was originally reported by Reuters.

UPDATE [14:56 EST] Syria claims that Israel actually bombed a military research center near Damascus.

"The Israeli air force blew up a convoy which had just crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon," an unnamed security source told Agence France-Press.

A "well-placed defense analyst"?told John Ray of ITV News?that the strike was in Hezbollah Lebanese territory and the missile struck a "truck of scud and antiaircraft missiles" headed to members of the Iran-backed militant group. WSJ reported that "it wasn't immediately clear on which side of the border it occurred."

Two officials told The Associated Press?Israel had been planning to hit a shipment of weapons for the last few days?because it contained?Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, which would be strategically "game-changing" in the hands of Hezbollah.

Israel recently?moved?one of its?Iron Dome?missile defense batteries to the north of the country, which means there are now two in the area.

On Monday Israel Army Radio reported that?security chief Yaakov Amidror?was headed to Russia to discuss the Syrian crisis. On Tuesday Al-Monitor reported that?IDF intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi was traveling to Washington for consultations with American officials.

Israel has?indicated?that any sign that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was losing control of his chemical and/or?conventional weapons?could?trigger Israeli military strikes.

On Tuesday Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief Major-General Amir Eshel?told an?international aerospace conference that the IAF was involved in "a campaign between wars," working with Israeli intelligence agencies in often covert missions "to reduce the immediate threats [and] to create better conditions in which we will be able to win the wars, when they happen."

An Israeli Defense Force spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports.

Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, when asked on?Israel Radio?if there was unusual activity on the northern front, said: ?"The entire world has said more than once that it takes developments in Syria very seriously, developments which can be in negative directions ... Of course any development which is a development in a negative direction would be something that needs stopping and prevention."

In October Sudan accused Israel of bombing a arms factory that was widely believed to be?owned by Iran and used to supply weapons to Hamas in Gaza.

SEE ALSO:??The fighter that may be too much for US pilots to handle >

SEE ALSO:??The Military & Defense Facebook page for updates >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/israeli-warplanes-struck-target-on-syrian-lebanese-border-2013-1

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Powerway to build 94.5 MW PV project in South Africa

Construction on the project in De Aar, South Africa, will begin in January 2013, and must be completed in one year. The project is one of 631 MW of PV projects that were awarded through phase one of the nation's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme.

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Read full article online

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/solarplazadailynews/~3/DxvuuGOEbVo/powerway-to-build-945-mw-pv-project-in-south-afric

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Tulsa 'Waver' With Infectious Energy Makes Tax Season A Little Brighter

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    Source: http://www.newson6.com/category/121535/video-page?clipId=8290830&clipFormat=&topVideoCatNo=118582

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    Defense nominee Hagel defends his record in Senate

    Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    Former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, waves as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    Former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, left, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, greets former Georgia Sin. Max Cleland, center, after arriving on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    Former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

    Republican Chuck Hagel, a former two-term senator and President Obama's choice to lead the Pentagon, arrives at the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Former committee chairman, Democrat Sam Nunn, left, introduced Hagel. If confirmed, Hagel, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, would be the first enlisted man to serve as defense secretary. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

    (AP) ? President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary on Thursday defended his views of the military and global threats in a combative confirmation hearing, pushing back against criticism of his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Chuck Hagel told senators that America "must engage ? not retreat ? in the world," and insisted that his record is consistent on that point.

    The former two-term Republican senator faced strong GOP resistance and was forced to explain past remarks and votes even as he appeared on a path to confirmation as Obama second-term defense secretary and the nation's 24th Pentagon chief.

    His fiercest exchange came with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a fellow Vietnam veteran, onetime close friend and a potential vote that would carry considerable sway. Politics and Hagel's evolving opposition to the Iraq war caused a split between the two men that was on full display at the confirmation hearing.

    McCain pressed Hagel on whether he was right or wrong about his opposition to the influx of 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq in 2007. Hagel, who voted to authorize military force in Iraq, later opposed the conflict, comparing it to Vietnam and arguing that it shifted the focus from Afghanistan.

    "Were you right? Were you correct in your assessment?" McCain asked.

    "I would defer to the judgment of history to sort that out," Hagel said as the two men talked over each other.

    "The committee deserves your judgment as to whether you were right or wrong about the surge," McCain insisted.

    Unable to elicit a simple answer, McCain said the record should show that Hagel refused to answer.

    McCain made it clear that he would have the final word ? with his vote, which he said would be influenced by Hagel's refusal to answer yes or no.

    "I think history has already made a judgment about the surge, sir, and you're on the wrong side of it. And your refusal to answer whether you were right or wrong about it is going to have an impact on my judgment as to whether to vote for your confirmation or not," he said.

    Hagel was the lone witness in a jam-packed hearing room at a session that could be crucial in determining whether he will win Senate confirmation and join Obama's second-term national security team. He spoke out forcefully for a strong military while trying to explain 12 years of Senate votes and numerous statements.

    "No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record," Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "My overall worldview has never changed: that America has and must maintain the strongest military in the world; that we must lead the international community to confront threats and challenges together; and that we must use all tools of American power to protect our citizens and our interests."

    Hagel, 66, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, would be the lone Republican in Obama's cabinet and the first enlisted man to become defense secretary, a point that Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., highlighted.

    "It would be a positive message for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in harm's way around the world to know that one of their own holds the highest office in the Department of Defense and that he has their backs," Levin said.

    Two former committee chairmen ? Democrat Sam Nunn and Republican John Warner ? introduced the nominee.

    "War for Chuck Hagel is not an abstraction," Nunn said.

    Hagel has the announced backing of about a dozen Democrats and the tacit support of dozens more who are unlikely to embarrass the president by defeating his Cabinet pick. One Republican ? Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi ? has said he will vote for his former colleague.

    Seven Republicans, including four members of the Armed Services panel, have said they will oppose Hagel's nomination. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced his opposition on Thursday, saying Hagel's views "are too apart from what I believe to be the way forward for preserving America's proper role in the world."

    Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate.

    Republicans repeatedly questioned Hagel about a May 2012 study that he co-authored by the advocacy group Global Zero that called for an 80 percent reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons and elimination of all nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

    The group argued that with the Cold War over, the United States needs no more than 900 total nuclear weapons. Currently, the U.S. and Russia have about 5,000 each, either deployed or in reserve. Both countries are on track to reduce the deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 by 2018, the number set in the New START treaty that the Senate ratified in December 2010.

    Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., quoted from the report and expressed serious misgivings.

    "Many of my colleagues are concerned you've changed your views. My concerns are that you haven't changed your views. You continue to hold extreme views, far to the left even of this administration," said Fischer.

    In last year's Senate race, Hagel endorsed Fischer's Democratic rival, former Sen. Bob Kerrey, who also is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran.

    Hagel insisted that the report was illustrative and said it wasn't realistic to consider unilateral reductions.

    In an exchange with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Hagel sought to explain that his wartime experience in which he was wounded twice informed his decisions and votes.

    "It does condition you," he said. "I'm not shaped, framed, molded, consumed by that experience. Of course not. But it's part of me."

    Once the hearing was under way, the Republican National Committee put out a news release titled, "Chuck Hagel is the Wrong Choice for Secretary of Defense," and contending that he would weaken the nation's military.

    Responding specifically to attacks from outside GOP-leaning groups, Hagel repeated his regrets about using the term "Jewish lobby" to refer to pro-Israel groups. He said he should have used another term.

    "I should have used another term and I'm sorry and I regret it," Hagel said. "On the use of intimidation, I should have used 'influence,' I think would have been more appropriate."

    Hagel said he was committed to Obama's goal of ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, and insisted that all options, including military force, are on the table.

    "My policy is one of prevention, and not one of containment ? and the president has made clear that is the policy of our government," Hagel said.

    Under questioning, Hagel said he always supported multilateral sanctions against Iran, but acknowledged that he cast votes against unilateral sanctions on a case-by-case basis. He argued that in some cases, such as votes in 2001-2002, he was taking into account the concerns of Republican President George W. Bush.

    He also countered with votes and letters against Iran and Hezbollah.

    "There's a more complete record than just one or two or three or four" votes, Hagel said, insisting that he has been on the record many times saying Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations and Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-31-US-Hagel/id-e7093279863849ba9db086ecec32502f

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    বুধবার, ৩০ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

    Should You Eat While You Negotiate? | DoubeleThought Web

    Across cultures, dining together is a common part of the process of reaching negotiated agreements. In Russia and Japan, important business dealings are conducted almost exclusively while dining and drinking and in the U.S., many negotiations begin with "Let's do lunch." But are business deals actually improved when people discuss important matters over a meal?

    To explore this question, I conducted two experiments. The first compared negotiations that took place over a meal in restaurants to negotiations in conference rooms, without any food to eat. In the second, negotiations were conducted with or without a meal in a business conference room. In the experiments, 132 MBA students negotiated a complex joint venture agreement between two companies. In the simulation, a provisional deal is in place, but a variety of terms must still be considered and agreed upon to maximize profits for their companies. The negotiators must determine how to handle each term of the deal. As is typical in many negotiations, in order to maximize their profits, the negotiators must share information and work together with the other side to learn where the most value can be created.

    The greatest possible profits were created by the parties who were able to discern the other side's preferences and then work collectively to discover the profit maximizing outcomes for the joint venture, rather than merely considering their own company's profits. In the simulation, this can only be accomplished when the negotiators make trade-offs and then compensate each other from the net gains to the joint venture. The maximum value that can be created jointly for both companies is $75 million. Deals can be struck at lower combined values, down to as low as $38 million. To explore how eating together affected negotiation outcomes, I considered the total value created by both companies.

    The students who ate together while negotiating ? either at a restaurant or over food brought into a business conference room ? created significantly increased profits compared to those who negotiated without dining. (Individuals who negotiated in restaurants created 12% greater profits and those who negotiated over food in a conference room created 11% greater profits.) This suggests that eating while deciding important matters offers profitable, measurable benefits through mutually productive discussions.

    foodchart2.gif

    I designed a third experiment to test if it was in fact the act of eating together and not merely sharing a separate task that led to the better negotiated outcomes. I had 45 MBA students negotiate the same simulation, but instead of negotiating while eating, half of the groups negotiated while completing a jigsaw puzzle that had nothing to do with the negotiation. In this experiment, I found that the negotiators who shared a common task did not create better negotiation outcomes than those who only negotiated the deal.

    I expected that both sharing a meal and collaborating on an activity would increase trust between the participants ? and perhaps that the cultural history attached to eating together would increase trust more than sharing other activities ? but when I surveyed participants in both studies, the trust levels they reported did not increase.

    Why else might eating together improve the outcome of negotiations? There may be biological factors at work. When the negotiators in my first two studies ate, they immediately increased their glucose levels. Research has shown that the consumption of glucose enhances complex brain activities, bolstering self-control and regulating prejudice and aggressive behaviors. Other research
    has shown that unconscious mimicking behaviors of others leads to increased pro-social behaviors; when individuals eat together they enact the same movements. This unconscious mimicking of each other may induce positive feelings towards both the other party and the matter under discussion.

    In future experiments, I will continue to explore the reasons why eating while deciding important matters increases the productivity of discussions. In the meantime, you would be wise to suggest "doing lunch" whenever you meet to negotiate.

    Full Story at Lakshmi Balachandra

    Source: http://doublethoughtweb.com/harvard-business/should-you-eat-while-you-negotiate/

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    Federal Military Library

    Address:Papierm?hlestrasse 21a
    Berne, CH-3003 View map of all libraries in Berne
    Switzerland

    Map of Library Location (46.959343,7.462893)

    Phone:+41-31324-5099
    Connect to: Library Web Site?? Online Catalog
    Library details: Federal Military Library is a Government Agency library. This library is affiliated with Bibliothek am Guisanplatz (view map) .
    Other?Info:The Federal Military Library, founded in 1848, became the Bibliothek am Guisanplatz (BiG) in 2007, an institution in the Swiss Confederation under public law. Since January 1, 2009, the library has been coordinating and managing the libraries of the Federal Administration, maintaining close cooperation in IT and documentation, leading the Federal Documentation Committee, and administering the Alexandria library network. In a rapidly changing environment, the library, which is open to the public, ensures the provision of international technical literature in fields such as history, politics, the armed forces, civil protection, traffic, energy, migration, architecture, environment, agriculture, finances, and economics.
    Technology Profile:
    Product NameYear Contracted
    Current Library Automation System:Alma2012
    Previous Library Automation System:Virtua

    This library is responsible for the procurement of the library automation system.

    Permalink: http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=146989
    (Use this link to refer back to this listing.)
    Identifiers
    Record History: This listing was added to lib-web-cats on Jan 28, 2013 and was last modified on Jan 28, 2013. This library has been accessed 2 times through lib-web-cats.
    Updates: Corrections or Updates? Registered members of Library Technology Guides can submit updates to library listings in lib-web-cats. Registration is free and easy. Already registered? login. Or, you can report corrections just by sending a message to Marshall Breeding.

    Other Libraries

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    Please contact Marshall Breeding to report corrections about information listed for this library.

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    Source: http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=146989

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    Wawa Hits One Million Facebook Fans

    Wawa hit one million Facebook fans on Jan. 28, and has launched a two week celebration to reward fans for their loyalty.

    From merchandise to gift cards, Wawa is showering its social media fans with affection. But the celebration doesn?t end there; Wawa is also launching its ?What Will Wawa do Next?? program.

    ?Through the years, Wawa fans have posted thousands of requests and wishes, so in honor of our Millionth Fan Celebration, some of those requests will be fulfilled,? said Carol Jensen, Wawa?s chief marketing officer. ?This program is just one way Wawa is showing appreciation for the wonderful fans that have made this milestone possible.?

    Fans can enter the contests and view the details by visiting Wawa?s Facebook page for entry forms and details.

    Fun Facebook Facts
    To put the milestone in perspective, consider the following Wawa Facebook Fun Facts:

    ?? Out of Facebook?s more than 42 million Fan Pages, Wawa ranks 5,520 in terms of Likes ?standing strong in the top 99%.

    ??Wawa is the 848th ranked brand overall and the 234th brand in the Food/Beverage category.

    ?? Wawa is one of only approximately 5,000 Fan Pages that have reached the one million fan milestone.

    ?? Wawa?s fans have used Facebook to interact MORE than 550,000 times since the page launched, including likes, comments, shares, and answers.

    ?? If you live in the Mid?Atlantic market and you?re not a fan of Wawa on Facebook, at least one of your friends is!

    ?We treasure this brand loyalty and unique way to interact with our fans and customers,? said Jensen. ?Our Millionth Fan Celebration is just one way of thanking our wonderful fans for their unwavering support of Wawa by adding some fun elements of surprise and delight to them!?

    Wawa also experienced 384% growth on its Twitter page since June. For more on other chains doing a great job with social media, and how you can boost your social media presence, check out CSD?s social media awards: http://www.csdecisions-digital.com/csdecisions/201301#pg53

    Source: http://www.csdecisions.com/2013/01/30/wawa-hits-one-million-facebook-fans/

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    3 arrested in credit card theft from church

    Three suspects in a series of area thefts, including while seeking "donations" at an Orion Township Sunday church service, are in custody and expected to face charges of stealing a parishioner's purse and credit cards.

    On Jan. 20, two of the suspects approached parishioners at the Church of Christ on Hemingway Road during a church service asking church members for gas money or a donation so the three ? a mother, father and daughter ? could return to Tennessee, according to Oakland County Sheriff's deputies.

    After they left the service, one church member noticed her purse was missing. The victim later reported the theft and upon contacting her credit card companies learned the stolen credit cards had been used at several area businesses.

    Deputies obtained a surveillance video from a Meijer store in Auburn Hills, which showed three suspects together in the store and one using the stolen credit card. All three suspects left the store at different times and the vehicle they were seen using was also identified by the video.

    Investigators put out a "be-on-lookout" message to Metro Detroit police agencies seeking help in identifying the suspects.

    On Jan. 25 West Bloomfield police reported they had located the vehicle and identified the suspects who allegedly had been involved in a retail fraud in West Bloomfield.

    Detectives from the Orion Township substation obtained a search warrant for a room at the Highlander Motel in Waterford Township, where the suspects had been living and their car was parked outside. Detectives recovered evidence including property related to the purse theft and credit card fraud.

    Detectives learned the three suspects had been staying in Oakland County for the last 10 days after leaving Tennessee and the three are being investigated for other area property theft crimes. One of the suspects is in custody on an unrelated charge.

    Two of the three suspects are expected to be charged in the Orion Township crime and detectives are crediting video surveillance photographs and crime information sharing practices with identifying the suspects and solving the crimes.

    mmartindale@detnews.com

    (248) 338-0319

    Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130129/METRO02/301290442/1009/rss02

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    World Chefs: Thomson dishes up Washington state from Seattle to Spokane

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - When food writer Jess Thomson moved to Seattle, Washington, she expected to find the adventuresome cooking for which the city is famous. But she admits to being pleasantly surprised by the rich diversity of the rest of the state.

    The 150 recipes in her book "Dishing Up Washington" attempt to capture the authentic regional flavors of the entire state, from Seattle to Spokane, Yakima to Walla Walla.

    "It is a total food heaven," said Thomson, cookbook author, recipe developer and food blogger. "I knew it would be delicious but I'm not sure I knew how much would be available here and how constantly I would be bombarded with really great food."

    She spoke to Reuters about discovering the distinctive foods of Washington and the state's climate and locavore tradition.

    Q: Is this your first cookbook?

    A: "This is my fourth cookbook; three in my name, one that I ghostwrote."

    Q: Did you write the recipes for this book?

    A: "The book is a little bit unique because it is about 60 percent recipes that I've written inspired by the state's ingredients and about 40 percent recipes by chefs, farmers and artisans from all over the state."

    Q: What was your purpose with this book?

    A: "I wanted to show not just best restaurants but ingredients that drive those restaurants -- what it's like to run a potato farm and the simple potato soup the farmer's mother makes, which is super warming, super delicious but not high-falutin chef-y approach that I think many Seattle chefs might have taken ... I wanted to show the guy who grows saffron on the Olympic peninsula, and the tomato grower in northeastern Washington. She doesn't have a restaurant but she's important to the state because she grows these really fantastic tomatoes."

    Q: How would you characterize the cuisine of Washington State?

    A: "It's adventuresome coastal cooking that depends heavily on local ingredients."

    Q: Which ingredients are typical of the state?

    A: "Stone fruits like peaches and cherries are huge here; tree fruits like apples and pears; fish and shellfish, mainly crab, oysters, mussels, and salmon. Then there's really great dairy and cheese, mostly from the northwestern part of the state. The state is also well known for larger crops like grapes, wheat and beef."

    Q: How does Seattle's famously rainy climate affect the cuisine?

    A: "The state is sort of divided by the Cascade Mountains into two distinct climates: the wet half towards the west and the drier half towards the east ... (But) there's a giant misconception about the rain here. Boston gets more rain than Seattle, but Seattle gets it almost every day of the week in winter. From a food perspective this is a very good climate for growing. Drought is not really an issue here. On the eastern side drought is an issue but many areas there get more than 300 days of sunshine in a year, so the growing season is very long and the conditions are great."

    Q: What accounts for the strong locavore tradition?

    A: "Because it's available. Farmers' markets near me are open the year round. In February maybe I can't buy cherries but I can buy great kale, radicchio and hazelnuts. I think it's such a vibrant community because the weather allows us to get food year round. The food world doesn't shut down from November to April here."

    Q: Who is your book aimed at?

    A: "I wanted to make it approachable for people cooking anywhere. The chef recipes are a little more complicated and difficult. The recipes that I've written are much simpler ... This book also an edible tour guide to the state. People tell me they're using it as a travel guide, keeping it in their car as a way of deciding what restaurants to go to in Seattle and the state."

    Northwest Crab Chowder

    2 tablespoons unsalted butter

    1 yellow onion, finely chopped

    4 stalks celery, cut into quarter-inch slices

    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

    Salt

    Freshly ground black pepper

    2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 7 medium), cut into half-inch chunks

    2 cups whole milk

    1 cup heavy cream

    1 (15-ounce) can fish broth

    1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice

    1.5 pounds Dungeness crabmeat, chopped

    6 servings

    1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, milk, cream, fish broth and clam juice. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

    2. Transfer about 2 cups of the vegetables to a food processor or a blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot. Stir in the crabmeat, cook for 5 minutes longer, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot.

    (Editing by Patricia Reaney and Doina Chiacu)

    (This story corrects spelling of Thomson in slug, headline and throughout)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-chefs-thomson-dishes-washington-state-seattle-spokane-172607626.html

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    High-tech cargo airship being built in California

    The Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, is seen in a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside a blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    The Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, is seen in a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside a blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    Leonel Cruz pulls down the flab on the Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, in a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside a blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    The Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, is seen in a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside a blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    Bradley Hasemeyer, the host of AOL's Trasnlogic show, uses his smartphone to photograph the Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, outside a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside the blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    The Aeroscraft airship, a high-tech prototype airship, is seen in a World War II-era hangar in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Work is almost done on a 230-foot rigid airship inside a blimp hangar at a former military base in Orange Co. The huge cargo-carrying airship is has shiny aluminum skin and a rigid, 230-foot aluminum and carbon fiber skeleton. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

    (AP) ? The massive blimp-like aircraft flies but just barely, hovering only a dozen feet off a military hangar floor during flight testing south of Los Angeles.

    Still, the fact that the hulking Aeroscraft could fly for just a few minutes represents a step forward in aviation, according to the engineers who developed it. The Department of Defense and NASA have invested $35 million in the prototype because of its potential to one day carry more cargo than any other aircraft to disaster zones and forward military bases.

    "I realized that I put a little dot in the line of aviation history. A little dot for something that has never been demonstrated before, now it's feasible," said flight control engineer Munir Jojo-Verge.

    The airship is undergoing testing this month at Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, and must go through several more rounds of flight testing before it could be used in a disaster zone or anywhere else. The first major flight test took place Jan. 3.

    The biggest challenge for engineers is making sure the airship will be able to withstand high winds and other extreme weather conditions, Jojo-Verge said.

    Worldwide Aeros, the company that developed the aircraft, said it also must secure more funding for the next round of flight testing, but is hopeful the Defense Department and others will step in again as investors.

    The company says the cargo airship's potential to carry more cargo more efficiently than ever before would provide the U.S. military with an advantage on the battlefield and greater capacity to save more lives during natural disasters.

    The lighter-than-air vehicle is not a blimp or a zeppelin because it has a rigid structure made out of ultra-light carbon fiber and aluminum underneath its high-tech Mylar skin. Inside, balloons hold the helium that gives the vehicle lift. Unlike hydrogen, the gas used in the Hindenburg airship that crashed in 1937, helium is not flammable.

    The airship functions like a submarine, releasing air to rise and taking in air to descend, said Aeros mechanical engineer Tim Kenny. It can take off vertically, like a helicopter, then change its buoyancy to become heavier than air for landing and unloading.

    "It allows the vehicle to set down on the ground. And then when we want to become lighter than air, we release that air and then the vehicle floats and we can allow it to take off," Kenny said.

    The project has set abuzz the old hangars at the Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin. The structures were built to hold blimps during World War II. Now workers zip around in cherry-pickers, and the airship's silvery surface shines against the warm tones of the aging wood of the walls.

    "You could take this vehicle and go to destinations that have been destroyed, where there's no ports, no runways, stuff like that. This vehicle could go in there, offload the cargo even if there's no infrastructure, no landing site for it to land on, this vehicle can unload its whole payload," said Kenny.

    Next, Aeros wants to build a full-size 450-foot-long vehicle that can carry 66 tons of payload.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-30-Military%20Airship/id-c706e74aece54dd6a306115a15881937

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    ARGUS drone spots you from 20,000 feet ? with camera-phone sensors

    5 hrs.

    Paranoid delusions about black helicopters hovering over an area will soon be out of date: The latest scary spy apparatus lives 20,000 feet up, turning 30 or more square miles into live video sharp?enough to spot individual people walking around.

    The system is called ARGUS, after the 100-eyed god of Greek myth, and fittingly, it works by hooking together hundreds of inexpensive image sensors like those found in mobile phones.?The non-classified parts were featured last week in an episode of the PBS show "Nova"?all about drones and surveillance (the ARGUS segment starts at the half-hour mark).

    ARGUS has appeared in earlier reports, but in a much less detailed fashion. The "Nova"?program shows how it might actually appear in action.

    Yiannis Antoniades of BAE Systems, the British company that makes the ARGUS system (with help and funding from DARPA), told PBS that although BAE?would have liked to design a whole new sensor, it was cheaper and more practical to use an array of smaller, off-the-shelf ones.

    The current version uses 368 five-megapixel sensors, for a total of 1.8 gigapixels. But unlike other gigapixel camera systems, this one doesn't record still images ? it produces video. That means that from four miles up, it can watch a?roughly circular area up to six miles wide, tracking every car and person in real time.

    The amount of data produced by the system is, naturally, immense, around 6?petabytes per day according to earlier reports.

    ARGUS has yet to be deployed, although there were plans to send three to Afghanistan onboard a helicopter-like hovering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)?called the Hummingbird, now defunct. The future of the system?is, for now, classified.

    Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/argus-drone-spots-you-20-000-feet-camera-phone-sensors-1C8149730

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    Clinton says she doesn't see 'getting back into politics'

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday cast doubt on speculation she might run for the White House in 2016.

    In an interview taped for National Public Radio, Clinton was asked what questions she needs to answer for herself as she decides whether to run for president.

    "I'm not even posing those questions. I am really looking forward to stepping off the fast track that I've been on. I've been out of politics as Secretary of State. I don't see myself getting back into politics," she said, according to an excerpt of the interview.

    Whether this is her last word on the subject is unknown. She will face strong pressure from Democrats to join the field of contenders. Clinton will step down this week, following Senate confirmation Tuesday of Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry as her successor.

    Those close to Clinton are eager for her to announce a 2016 run, so much so that a group has already formed a new super PAC and registered with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, called "Ready for Hillary."

    In 2008, she lost to President Barack Obama in a bitter Democratic primary campaign to be the party nominee for the White House.

    Although Clinton, 65, did not categorically rule out another presidential run, in a separate NBC interview she said that she was healthy enough to wage a campaign.

    "I have no doubt that I am healthy enough and my stamina is great enough and I'll be fully recovered to do whatever I choose to do," Clinton told "Andrea Mitchell Reports" in an interview that aired on Tuesday.

    Clinton was hospitalized in December after doctors found a blood clot stemming from a concussion she suffered previously.

    She intends to do more public speaking and writing, and work alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea on "mutual foundation interests," she said in the NPR interview.

    "I want to be involved in philanthropy, advocacy, working on issues - like women and girls - that I care deeply about," Clinton said.

    (Reporting by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-she-doesnt-see-getting-back-politics-015239548.html

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    PFT: Eagles' unlikely to decide on Vick soon

    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Vick throws a pass as he is rushed by New York Giants Umenyiora in the second quarter during their NFL football game in East RutherfordReuters

    While it?s true that the Philadelphia Eagles won?t be dumping quarterback Mike Vick before $3 million of his $15.5 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on February 6, the Eagles won?t be taking their time in deciding whether Vick will be moving along.

    The plan, as we understand it, will unfold like a flow chart.

    Step one, new Eagles coach Chip Kelly will study film in an effort to decide whether he wants Vick or Nick Foles or someone else to be the team?s quarterback.

    Step two, if Kelly decides that he definitely wants Vick, will be to try to work out an alternative arrangement that entails Vick making less than $15.5 million.? The amount the Eagles are willing to pay will be determined in large part by how badly Kelly wants Vick.? There?s a chance, in theory, that Kelly will want Vick badly enough to bite the bullet and pay the full amount.

    There?s also a chance Vick will want to play for Kelly badly enough to take a proverbial haircut on his promised pay.

    Step three, if it?s determined that Kelly doesn?t want Vick or that Vick won?t accept whatever reduced contract the team is offering, will be to try to trade Vick to another team that would pay him more than the Eagles are willing to pay ? and that would also give the Eagles value in return for the 2010 comeback player of the year.

    Time is of the essence on all steps, because if the Eagles are going to maximize trade interest and trade value, they need to do it before teams make other plans at quarterback, by signing for example a free agent.? It?s expected that the Eagles will head to the Scouting Combine with an action plan, with the hopes of getting an agreement in principle with a new team well before March 13, when trades will become finalized.

    Complicating a potential trade is that a new team would have to pay Vick $15.5 million this year or persuade him to take less.

    If the Eagles can?t trade Vick and if they can?t work out a new deal with him, that?s when things will get interesting.? If Vick shows up for the start of the offseason workout program in April and drops a dumbbell on his foot or pops an Achilles while running at the practice facility, the Eagles will owe him the full amount of his salary if/when he lands on injured reserve.

    The Eagles could be tempted to try to block Vick from the facility, like the Titans did several years ago with the late Steve McNair.? But McNair ultimately won his grievance on that issue, and the Eagles would be tiptoeing into dangerous territory if they try to freeze Vick out.

    That approach also would counter the team?s new effort to treat its players with a higher level of respect and dignity, an approach that G.M. Howie Roseman seems to be adopting in the wake of the departure of former team president Joe Banner.? (This presumes that there was a problem under Banner; some with the Eagles may be trying to sell the idea that there was.? The Mike Patterson debacle would tend to counter the idea that everything is fine and dandy now.)

    Regardless, while the Eagles aren?t worried about next week?s deadline, they?ll be operating on internal deadlines that will prevent this from lingering deep into the offseason.

    Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/29/decision-on-michael-vick-likely-not-coming-soon/related/

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    China May End Decade-Long Ban on Game Consoles - HotHardware

    Were you aware that game consoles are banned in China? Due to fears that these devices could harm the physical and mental development of children, seven Chinese ministries decided to ban the manufacture, sale, and import of game consoles a little over a decade ago. Now authorities in Beijing are starting to rethink things.

    Citing an anonymous government source, China Daily reports that China is warming to the idea of lifting the ban on game consoles, which would open up a potentially massive market for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to tap into.

    "We are reviewing the policy and have conducted some surveys and held discussions with other ministries on the possibility of opening up the game console market," a source from the Ministry of Culture told China Daily. "However, since the ban was issued by seven ministries more than a decade ago, we will need approval from all parties to lift it."


    Come console makers already have a presence in China. Sony, for example, has a branch in South China's Guangdong province where it conducts training and research and development, while Microsoft's Kinect motion controller was introduced to the mainland last year. The Kinect isn't used for playing games in China, however, but for medical treatment and educational purposes.

    Ironically enough, China is the biggest manufacturing base for Microsoft's Xbox console, even though the market is inaccessible and has a major piracy problem.

    Source: http://hothardware.com/News/China-May-End-DecadeLong-Ban-on-Game-Consoles/

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    All The President's Plans

    By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

    NOTABLES:

    OBAMA IN VEGAS: President Obama maps out his immigration plan at this afternoon in Las Vegas where, a senior administration official tells ABC's Reena Ninan, he will focus largely on what he's discussed before. The president won't put forward a bill - instead he'll support the Senate's principles outlined yesterday and explain what else needs to be done. The White House feels Las Vegas is a community symbolic of the growing Latino population in both the state and the nation and since immigration reform is a pledge the president made during the campaign, the White House says he wants to deliver.

    EL DIABLO IS IN THE DETAILS: Even the senators who wrote the immigration reform proposal outlined yesterday admitted there's lots of work still ahead. One land mine: Some Republicans want to link getting green cards to whether the border is secure. Border security still a gray issue. If the Gang of Eight's efforts fall apart the president's team will step in with its own proposal, Ninan notes.

    SECRET CONGRESSIONAL GROUP WORKING ON IMMIGRATION ALTERNATIVE: A separate bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives is on the verge of finalizing its own designs for comprehensive immigration reform, ABC's John Parkinson reports. The discussions, which top aides close to the talks discussed on the condition that they not be identified, are described as "Washington's best-kept secret." Multiple sources say those involved in the talks include Democratic Reps. Xavier Becerra (California), Luis Gutierrez (Illinois), Zoe Lofgren (California), and Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (Florida), Sam Johnson (Texas) and John Carter (Texas). The House's not-yet-finalized proposal is expected to address five general areas of immigration reform, according to aides close to the negotiations. Secure the border, implement a permanent E-verify system nationwide, reform the visa system, address the predicament of how to handle immigrants already in the country illegally in a "fair" and "legal manner" while determining how to handle those who have applied for legal immigration and are currently waiting in line, and reform the immigration system for future applicants. http://abcn.ws/WnjOfh

    THE ROUNDTABLE:

    ABC's RICK KLEIN: What could possibly go wrong? The bipartisan Senate proposal is on the table, with boldfaced names like McCain, Rubio, Graham, Schumer, Durbin, and Menendez signed on. The House isn't far behind. And the president takes up the mantle himself today, as he lobbies the public to force action at last on immigration reform ? Wait, this could get interesting, after all. The White House has had mixed results with letting Congress handle the details of much of anything. But these are the kinds of details that members of Congress from both parties have spent months if not years wrestling through; witness the twin failures of immigration reform, in 2006 and 2007, under the leadership of a different president. The real question for the White House: Will heavy involvement - and pushing in directions the Gang of Eight doesn't want to go - be more harmful for helpful?

    ABC's MICHAEL FALCONE: At yesterday's bi-partisan news conference announcing the Gang of Eight's immigration reform principles, Sen. John McCain's answer about why Republicans were so eager to move on the issue was telling. "Elections, elections," the Arizona senator said. "The Republican Party is losing the support of our Hispanic citizens." He's right: Hispanic voters are becoming a larger share of the electorate and GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, won just 27 percent of the vote among the group compared to 71 percent who supported President Obama. There was also something striking about watching Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the immigration reform group, launch into Spanish during the press conference. Neither Rubio's language skills nor his familiarity with the immigration issue are breaking news, but I imagine it will give other potential 2016 Republicans pause.

    ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: Currently, the prevailing theory about Sarah Palin is that because she doesn't have the megaphone of Fox News anymore, the "Palin moment" is now officially over. It might be true, but there have been so many "Ends of Sarah Palin" that it's almost hard to keep track. She was over when she lost the 2008 campaign, she was over when she quit the Alaska governorship, she was over when she decided to do a reality show, she was over when she decided not to run for president. Now she's over because she severed her ties with Fox. But the reality is different. Even after she decided to resign as governor and to pass up a 2012 presidential bid, people who both love her and hate her still just couldn't get enough information about her. Palin still got an incredible amount of coverage and her voice was heard - loud and clear. It's yet another example of what she's able to pull off that others who came before or after just aren't: She's been written off since Day One, but she keeps coming back.

    ABC's JASON RYAN: The FBI has released new gun background check data yesterday showing that the week after the Newtown massacre (December 14, 2012) was the busiest for gun background checks ever, followed by the week President Obama announced new gun control proposals on January 16, 2013. As ABC News has reported, gun sales have been booming since Newtown. After previously denying journalists access to gun data, National Instant Check System figures show that overall in December 2012 there were more than 2.78 million background checks carried out to purchase firearms surpassing the previous record from November 2012 when more than 2 million checks were performed. The number of total sales during the first month of the new year will be released in the first few days of February.

    VIDEO OF THE DAY: MEET DEFIANT DEMOCRAT, HEIDI HEITKAMP. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., defied the odds in November when she won the closest senate race in the country, and now that she's arrived in Washington, she's defiant as ever. But now, instead of defying the pollsters, she's defying the Democratic caucus by taking divergent opinions on issues central to the President Obama's second term agenda, ranging from gun control to the environment. Heitkamp, who says growing the economy is her top priority, is concerned that the president is changing his focus to issues like climate change and gun control. "I think, you know the one thing that has gotten lost by everyone is one of the best ways that we can perform here is by getting people back to work, making sure that this economic recovery, slow as it is, gets amped up and moves forward," Heitkamp tells ABC's Jonathan Karl, host of "Politics Confidential." "It's one of the reasons why I've been such a big proponent of the Keystone Pipeline. There's a shovel ready, private sector jobs program, good paying jobs." WATCH: http://yhoo.it/TQOxTJ

    BUZZ

    IMMIGRATION REFORM PLAN INCLUDES A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP. The Senate's plan does not grant undocumented immigrants automatic "amnesty," rather it requires them to go through an arduous process that includes undergoing a background check, paying fines, back taxes and learning English and American civics over the course of a number of years, reports ABC-Univision's Jordan Fabian. The new law would grant eligible undocumented immigrants permission to live and work in the U.S. legally, but would not confer permanent legal status, or a green card, until the border is deemed to be secure. Young people brought into the U.S. illegally as minors and some agricultural workers would face an easier path to citizenship. "We will never put these people on a path to citizenship until we have secured the border," New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said yesterday. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who helped lead the last effort on a comprehensive immigration bill in 2007 said, "We have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawns, grow our food, clean our homes, and even watch our children while not affording them any of the benefits that make our country so great." http://abcn.ws/YBGY4Q

    OBAMA TALKS GUN VIOLENCE WITH POLICE CHIEFS. President Obama is enlisting the help of police chiefs from communities devastated by mass shootings as he continues a public push for Congress to act on his proposals to curb gun violence, ABC's Mary Bruce notes. "No group is more important for us to listen to than our law enforcement officials," the president told reporters before a White House meeting yesterday with sheriffs and police chiefs from across the country. "They are where the rubber hits the road." The president and members of his cabinet met with the police chiefs who responded to the deadly shootings in Aurora, Colo., Oak Creek, Wis., and Newtown, Conn, along with representatives from the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association and the Major County Sheriffs' Association. "I welcome this opportunity to work with them; to hear their views in terms of what will make the biggest difference to prevent something like Newtown or Oak Creek from happening again," Obama said.

    CHICK-FIL-A CEO AND GAY ACTIVIST FIND COMMON GROUND. The leader of a national gay-rights group says he's coming out-as a friend of Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, ABC's Chris Good reports. "I've gotten to know Dan, he's gotten to know me. He's shared concerns about young people, about Chick-fil-A being used for certain purposes," Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, told ABC News. Last year, Cathy sparked a national controversy by telling a radio host that "we're inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about." Windmeyer said that Cathy called him last year, during the heat of the controversy that led national gay-rights groups to protest Chick-fil-A. Cathy reached out seeking advice and understanding, Windmeyer said. Windmeyer was a guest of Cathy's at this year's Chick-fil-A Bowl between LSU and Clemson at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The activist also says Chick-fil-A has stopped donating to anti-gay groups, according to his review of the company's 990 tax forms. http://abcn.ws/WxuchC

    GOVERNMENT WASTE IN THE SPOTLIGHT. The Government Accountability Office is due to produce its biannual report on the areas of the government that present the highest risk for squandering tax payer dollars in the next couple weeks. Though the GAO does not preview this list ahead of time, ABC's Sarah Parnass takes a look at what might be targeted: http://abcn.ws/113uncb

    WHO'S TWEETING?

    @DavidMDrucker : How central to immigration reform's success is @marcorubio?I'll predict that if he ever backs out bill is dead in House. W/ him: it passes.

    @ByronYork: Speaking of deal killers, what will Chairman Leahy do to Gangof8 plan in Sen Judiciary Committee? http://ow.ly/hdUOC

    @onetoughnerd: Speaking at @GOVERNING Magazine conference in DC today about how we're reinventing Michigan. http://ow.ly/hdUkP #govlive

    @JoshDorner: 4 years ago today, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It was opposed by all but 8 Congressional Republicans.

    @kjplotkin: RT @BobbyJindal: Let's Meet, Mr. President http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bobby-jindal-to-fix-medicaid-listen-to-governors/2013/01/28/ff5c8e5e-6711-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story_1.html ?

    Also Read

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/presidents-plans-note-142323398--abc-news-politics.html

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    IBM links CMS, analytics to Connections - Page 1 - Communications ...

    IBM is looking to sign up HR managers to a beefed up version of its enterprise social networking suite Connections which feature new content management and analytics capabilities.

    The upgrades on IBM Connections 4.5 include analytic features that enable administrators to monitor such things as collaboration trends among employees as well as customer engagement in social services like Facebook and Twitter.
    Image courtesy of ShuterStock.com

    ?


    IBM's latest version of Connections was unveiled today at the Connect 2013 Conference in Orlando brings Connections closers to stronger rivals such as Microsoft?s SharePoint. Connections 4.5 will be available in March this year.

    The new content management functions includes features that enable human resources and marketing departments push out to employees collaboration tools for micro blogging, instant messaging, document sharing, video conferencing and content rating. The new tools also manage activity streams, content rating, discussion forums and wikis.

    RELATED CONTENT

    Some recent surveys, however, suggests that ESN are failing to meet expectations in the large enterprise space.

    These surveys show that ESN implementations are weighed down by sharp drop in user interest after an initial surge of fervor. Another common hindrance mentioned is lack of executive buy in.

    Essentially, researchers are finding that in many companies there is a dearth of content creators and insufficient interest on the part of intended content consumers.

    ?

    Source: http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/ibm-links-cms-analytics-to-connections/146662

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    10 Ways to Write Good Copy | Copyblogger

    Image of Copyblogger Copywriting 101 Logo

    Writing effective copy is both an art and a science.

    It?s an art because it requires creativity, a sense of beauty and style ? a certain aptitude, mastery and special knowledge. Artistic advertising allows you to create content marketing that?s not just practical and persuasive, but awe-inspiring and breathtaking.

    Writing effective copy is also a science, because it exists in the world of tests, trial and failure, improvement, breakthroughs, education and predictability. Scientific advertising allows you to develop an idea, and then test that idea. It?s how you know if your content marketing is working.

    In bad copy, one (or both) of these elements are missing. In good copy, they are both abundant.

    Read on, in the next few minutes we?ll explore ten examples of good copy living (and selling) out in the wild ?

    1. Plain copy

    The most basic approach to writing effective copy is to simply introduce the product without gimmick or style. It?s a simple presentation of the facts and benefits.

    There is no story. There is no conversation. There is no ?sizzle? and no superlative claims.

    Think Google Analytics.

    That copy isn?t going to win any literary awards, but it will get the job done. It will give a prospect the information she needs to make an informed decision about the product.

    2. Storytelling copy

    Everyone loves a good story.

    We like hearing about people ? especially interesting people. People who?ve suffered challenges we can relate to, and can tell us how they overcame those challenges.

    And the moral of the story, coincidentally, is that your product was the catalyst to overcoming those odds.

    You might find this storytelling technique in an email series, a landing page, or a short video. Whatever the format, you?ll get four basic traits in the story:

    1. Opening: Introduce the pain. Show how the character of the story had a normal life, then how that life was shattered by a change of events.
    2. Conflict: How is the life of the main character threatened if he or she does not respond to the problem? What does her journey look like as she tackles this challenge?
    3. Dialogue: People are drawn to conversations in a story. It?s human interest at its root: two people talking to each other. We are also drawn to dialogue because it?s easy to read. ?Our eyes flow over dialogue like butter on the hood of a hot car,? says novelist Chuck Wendig.
    4. Solution: Finally, your product is introduced as the cure for your character?s problem. You increase the credibility of your product by sharing specific results (347% increase in conversion, for example).

    Your story doesn?t have to be dramatic. It just has to be interesting to your target audience. And this is where good research comes in.

    3. Conversational copy

    John Caples calls conversational copy ?You and Me.?

    In this style of copy, you write as if there is a conversation between two people: the copywriter and the prospect.

    The language here would be no different than a salesman sitting down for lunch with a customer and talking through a sales presentation. It?s a straightforward approach that tries to identify with the reader:

    I know how you feel. I felt the same way. That all changed when I found x, y and z.

    Keep in mind that you don?t have to be a polished copywriter to create effective conversational copy. Often the sheer passion for what you?re trying to promote breathes off the page.

    In fact, you can record a conversation about the product, transcribe that conversation, and use it as a rough draft.

    4. John Lennon copy

    When John Lennon asked us to imagine there was no heaven or hell, no countries, religion or war, he was using an effective tool of persuasion: imaginative copy.

    As an advertiser, you can ask your target audience to imagine a painless way to lose weight, or what it would feel like to be a successful travel writer.

    Imaginative copy typically begins with words like ?imagine,? ?close your eyes,? ?pretend for a moment,? ?discover,? or ?picture this? in the first paragraph of the text.

    This is the concept behind AWAI?s Barefoot Writer presentation.

    In this example, you are asked to imagine your life in a certain way ? to pretend what it would be like to live your dream, whatever that dream might be.

    Then the copywriter paints a picture of achieving that ideal life through your product.

    5. Long copy

    The fundamental premise behind long copy is ?The more you tell, the more you sell.? Ads that are long on facts and benefits will convert well.

    Why?

    Unlike a face-to-face conversation with a salesperson, a written ad has only one chance to convert a reader. If you get in front of the reader, you?ve got to lay it all out on the table.

    Take the Google Analytics example above.

    Page after page of facts and benefits are presented because the proposition isn?t simple ? typical prospects are going to be asking a lot of questions. Better to anticipate those questions, and answer them in the copy.

    But when you?re following the basic rules of content marketing that works, remember that you don?t have to present all the facts and benefits up front.

    You can leak the presentation over a period of weeks through an email autoresponder (like our Internet Marketing for Smart People course), or a registration-based content library (like the Scribe Content Marketing library).

    In this way, you?re turning long copy into short, easily-digestible snippets.

    6. Killer poet copy

    Here at Copyblogger we love Ernest Hemingway and David Sedaris. But we aren?t so enamored by their writing abilities that we try to imitate their styles at the expense of teaching and selling.

    Our goal isn?t to convince our audience that we?re smart ? it?s educating and selling with our copy.

    As David Ogilvy once said, ?We sell, or else.? But we try to sell with style. We try to balance the killer with the poet.

    Killer poet copy sees writing as a means to an end (making a sale), and the ad as an end in itself (beautiful design and moving story).

    In other words, the killer poet combines style with selling. Creativity with marketing. Story with solution.

    7. Direct-from-CEO copy

    It?s a known fact ? third-party endorsements can help you sell products.

    But it?s equally effective to position your selling argument as a direct communication between the company founder and his or her customer.

    This down-to-earth approach levels the playing field. It telegraphs to the customer, ?See, the CEO isn?t some cold and remote figurehead interested in profit only. He?s approachable and friendly. He cares about us.?

    Jeff Bezos of Amazon is a superb example:

    Notice this letter is conversational as well as plain: it?s a simple statement of the facts and benefits between two people: Jeff and you.

    8. Frank copy

    Some copy will explain the ugly truth about product.

    This approach doesn?t start with the jewels of your goods ? it?s going to start with the warts.

    When selling a car, you might point out the endless repairs that need to be done ? thin brake pads, leaky transmission, busted sway bar, and inoperable dashboard ? before you introduce the leather seats, Monsoon stereo system, sun roof, brand-new tires and supercharged engine.

    What you?re saying is this car will need a lot of TLC. You might even go as far as to say, ?Make no mistake here ? there?s much work to be done here.?

    And here?s a curious thing: when you are honest and transparent about product weaknesses, the customer trusts you.

    When the reader trusts you, they will be considerably more likely to believe you when you point out the good qualities of your product.

    9. Superlative copy

    There are also times when you can make outlandish claims.

    Claims like (these are actual ads):

    • ?A revolutionary material from this Nevada mine could make investors a fortune in 2013?
    • ?Stores across U.S. selling out of what some call a new ?miracle? diet fighter?
    • ?Obey this one weird loophole to get car insurance as low as $9?

    But you can make only make extraordinary claims when you have the proof to back it up. The evidence can be in statistics, testimonials, or research ? or preferably all three.

    The problem with superlative copy is that it?s often hard to make outlandish claims and not sound like you are hyping it up ? so use this type of copy sparingly.

    Generally, it?s good to follow the ?Remove All Hype? policy.

    10. Rejection copy

    Rejection copy turns conventional wisdom on its head. and tries to discourage people from being interested in your product.

    This type of copy is a direct challenge to the reader that leverages the velvet rope approach ? the idea that only an exclusive set of people are invited to use a product.

    The American Express Black Card is a good example here ? this card is reserved for the world?s wealthiest and most elite. The only way you can get your hands on one is if you are invited.

    Similarly, consider the dating site Beautiful People. If you want to be part of this exclusive dating club made up of ?beautiful? people, then you have to be voted in by existing members:

    Potential rejection startles readers ? they don?t expect to be turned down, especially not from an advertiser.

    This approach also keys into our sense of wanting to belong. It generates that curiosity itch and activates our pride. We think, ?How dare they say I might not be good enough to get into their club? I?ll show them.?

    Over to you ?

    In the end, great copy often combines several of these techniques into one ad.

    The CEO of a company writes a conversational sales letter built around a story about his passion for his product (whether it is peaches or water pumps).

    A copywriter writes a long rejection ad that explains why certain people are excluded from receiving an invitation to dine at an exclusive restaurant.

    Or a Savile Row tailor writes a plain but elegant sales letter about his suits, which have been worn by kings and presidents.

    This is the art and science of copywriting.

    Can you share any examples of good copy you?ve secently out there in the wild?

    Want more? Click here to learn how to write copy that converts.

    About the Author: Demian Farnworth is Chief Copywriter for Copyblogger Media. Follow him on Twitter or Google+.

    Tweet

    Source: http://www.copyblogger.com/good-copywriting/

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    One-step test for mitochondrial diseases

    Jan. 28, 2013 ? More powerful gene-sequencing tools have increasingly been uncovering disease secrets in DNA within the cell nucleus. Now a research team is expanding those rapid next-generation sequencing tests to analyze a separate source of DNA -- within the genes inside mitochondria, cellular power plants that, when abnormal, contribute to complex, multisystem diseases.

    The study team, headed by a specialist in mitochondrial medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), adapted next-generation sequencing to simultaneously analyze the whole exome (all the protein-coding DNA) of nuclear genes and the mitochondrial genome. "A first step in developing treatments for a disease is to understand its precise cause," said Marni J. Falk, M.D., the director and attending physician in the Mitochondrial-Genetic Disease Clinic at Children's Hospital. "We have developed a one-step, off-the-shelf tool that analyzes both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to help evaluate the genetic cause of suspected mitochondrial disease."

    Falk and colleagues describe their customized, comprehensive test, which they call the "1:1000 Mito-Plus Whole-Exome" kit, in the journal Discovery Medicine, published Dec. 26, 2012. Her co-corresponding author, biostatistician Xiaowu Gai, Ph.D., now of the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, collaborated on developing the test while at Children's Hospital.

    While each mitochondrial disease is very rare in the population, hundreds of causes of mitochondrial diseases are known. Some originate in mutations in DNA specific to the mitochondria, tiny structures located outside the cell nucleus, while many other mitochondrial diseases are based in nuclear DNA genes that affect mitochondrial function. The role of mitochondria in human disease has been recognized only since the 1980s, based on pioneering research by Douglas C. Wallace, Ph.D., now at Children's Hospital, and a co-author of the current study.

    Many mitochondrial diseases remain poorly understood. One complicating factor is heteroplasmy -- a mixture of mutated and normal mitochondrial genomes within the same cells or tissues. In contrast to conventional gene sequencing, which can detect only heteroplasmic mutations that reach levels of at least 30 to 50 percent, the customized kit has the sensitivity to detect mitochondrial genome mutations present at levels as low as 8 percent. To achieve their results, the study team adapted an existing whole-exome sequencing kit from Agilent Technologies, expanding it to encompass the mitochondrial genome.

    The availability of the new kit, said Falk, if used for either clinical or research purposes, may shorten the "diagnostic odyssey" experienced by many patients and families seeking the cause of debilitating and puzzling symptoms. "Many families travel from one specialist to another for years, searching for the cause of their rare disease," she says. Specific treatments are not always available, but identifying their disease cause may be the first step toward discovering treatments.

    A second recent study by Falk and colleagues reviews progress in diagnosing mitochondrial disease, through their experience at a single center over a rapidly changing three-year period before whole-exome sequencing was generally available. The retrospective review in Neurotherapeutics, published Dec. 27, 2012, covers 152 child and adult patients evaluated at CHOP's Mitochondrial-Genetics Diagnostic Clinic from 2008 to 2011.

    "Before 2005, very few individuals could receive definitive molecular diagnoses for mitochondrial diseases, because of limitations in both knowledge and technology," said Falk. "Since that time, the clinical ability to sequence whole mitochondrial DNA genomes has significantly improved the diagnosis of many mitochondrial disorders."

    During the study period covered in the review article, the clinic at CHOP confirmed definite mitochondrial disease in 16 percent of patients and excluded primary mitochondrial disease in 9 percent. While many diagnostic challenges clearly remain, Falk says the advent of massively parallel nuclear exome sequencing is revealing increasingly more of the genes in nuclear DNA that affect mitochondrial function, and the precise genetic disorder in a given patient, even if it is novel or uncommon. She added that molecular genetics is yielding a more nuanced understanding of the cellular pathways underlying symptoms in many mitochondrial disorders. "Those pathways offer potential new targets for treating these disorders," said Falk.

    Funding for both studies came from the National Institutes of Health, grant DK082446. The Discovery Medicine study also was funded through a Foerderer Award for Excellence from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. Co-authors of the Discovery Medicine study included Eric A. Pierce, M.D., Ph.D., and Mark Consugar, M.S., of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; research and development staff from Agilent under the guidance of Emily LeProust, Ph.D.; and other collaborators from CHOP.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, via Newswise.

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


    Journal References:

    1. Elizabeth McCormick, Emily Place, Marni J. Falk. Molecular Genetic Testing for Mitochondrial Disease: From One Generation to the Next. Neurotherapeutics, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s13311-012-0174-1
    2. Marni J Falk et al. Mitochondrial Disease Genetic Diagnostics: Optimized Whole-Exome Analysis for All MitoCarta Nuclear Genes and the Mitochondrial Genome. Discovery Medicine, 2013

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

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/1fk6Vf99Vs4/130128163336.htm

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