Actually there are a lot of fun shout-outs here. "Men Who Stare at Goats" (although I don't remember anyone being CIA), "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", "Spies Like Us", Falk's "In-Laws" (Mike Douglas couldn't really compare), and "Black Dynamite" uncovering the little known Nixon-Malt Liquor conspiracy.
These glow-in-the-dark robots can hardly be described as intelligent. Called 'Lumibots', they move around by observing two basic rules: 'follow the light' and 'turn after a collision'. Yet, despite this simple behaviour, they manage to follow complex paths that are recorded artistically as their tail lights pass over photoluminescent paper.
The installation was devised by artist Mey Lean Kronemann as a way to demonstrate the concept of emergence: the way complicated systems can arise from simple interactions. Her work is inspired by pheromone paths that ants use to navigate. Army ants, for example, rely on two chemicals to follow a route taken by their colony mates.
A Lumibot's course isn't predictable, but it sometimes displays recognisable characteristics. For example, a robot will sometimes retrace its own trail in a visual feedback loop. Like an ant, it may also venture off to explore new areas or use shortcuts to hone in on a refined route.
According to Kronemann, the robots' inherent variability challenged her work as an artist. "The difficult thing about building in unexpected behaviour was letting go of control," she says.
The work has been well received by viewers who enjoy trying to guide the robots with a flashlight or attempting to right their course as they veer off the paper. Kronemann hopes to develop a kit that people can buy to create their own swarm experience.?
The installation will be on display at the Art of Engineering show in Gummersbach, Germany from February 7.
If you enjoyed this video, check out a robotic rover that uses its tail to land like a lizard or a body-sharing robot lets you experience another place.
More news coming out of Motorola today surrounding the RAZR. Yet another variant is on its way, only this time it's coming with an unlocked bootloader.
The Motorola RAZR Developer Edition will be available in Europe first, and is available for pre-order right now through Moto's own online store. They make a point of letting you know that phone will be sold without any warranty and will set you back €499 (about $660.)
In a statement on the official Motorola Blog, the company claims that releasing a developer edition allows them to continue to meet their carrier and regulatory obligations, but also meets the needs being expressed by their developer community. While the idea of an unlocked RAZRs isn't new -- Ausdroid scored the scoop on that way back in October -- at the time it seemed like a half-assed nod to developers and hackers, and that carriers would still have the option to (and undoubtedly would) keep the bootloaders locket up tight.
But what about you guys in the U.S.? While the Developer Edition is a Europe-only launch, plans are in place to launch an "unlockable developer device" in the State though the MOTODEV network. No time-frame is listed for this as yet though, and Motorola doesn't actually say whether it's the RAZR, or perhaps the newer RAZR MAXX with its larger battery, or maybe a different device altogether.
The addition of the RAZR Developer Edition gives Motorola two "developer" devices in its stable, the other being the Motorola XOOM tablet, the first to show off Android 3.2 Honeycomb, and now is one of the first to get an update to Ice Cream Sandwich.
Hit the links below for more info and to order in the EU.
LIVERPOOL, England - There was no crowing from Landon Donovan after he led his Everton side to victory over Clint Dempsey's Fulham in England's FA Cup.
After all, the U.S. teammates will be on the same side again soon enough.
Donovan set up both Everton goals in Friday night's 2-1 win but says Dempsey is still the American success story in this season's Premier League.
The former New England Revolution forward has scored 15 goals for Fulham since August and Donovan says "in my opinion, he's been one of the players of the season in the Premier League."
United States international Tim Howard was in goal for Everton and Donovan says the match was "a little bit of an American invasion."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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CAMBRIDGE, Md. ? President Barack Obama rallied House Democrats for an election-year fight, urging them to work with Republicans if they show some willingness to put politics aside but telling the rank and file to call them out if they stand in the way.
Addressing Democrats on the final day of their three-day annual retreat, Obama outlined the political stakes over the next few months as congressional Democrats try to push his agenda in the face of Republican opposition, the GOP choses its nominee and signs of recovery in a fragile economy go a long way to determining his re-election chances and the party's fate.
Obama said Democrats should seize the opportunity "whenever there is a possibility that the other side is putting some politics aside for just a nanosecond in order to get something done for the American people, we've got to be right there ready to meet them," the president told the sometimes raucous crowd.
However, "where they obstruct, where they're unwilling to act, where they're more interested in party than they are in country, more interested in the next election than the next generation, then we've got to call them out on it," the president said. "We've got to push. We can't wait; we can't be held back."
Coming off a three-day tour to promote his State of the Union message, Obama promised a "robust debate about whose vision is more promising" when Republicans choose their nominee.
On a day when reports showed the economy picking up late in 2011 but still considered "fragile" by the White House, Obama told Democrats wondering about their re-election prospects: "It's going to be a tough election because a lot of people are still hurting out there and a lot of people have lost faith generally about the capacity of Washington to get anything done."
House Republicans, who held their retreat in Baltimore last week, have repeatedly said the election will be a referendum on Obama's policies, especially his handling of the economy.
The president acknowledged that Democrats have embraced parts of his agenda when it was politically difficult and in some cases costly. The party took a drubbing in the midterm elections, losing control of the House and seeing their ranks diminished in the Senate.
And despite some past clashes with House Democrats over his willingness to compromise with Republicans, Obama was warmly received and was introduced as "our champion" by Rep. John Larson of Connecticut.
The president returned the warmth with a vote of confidence that Democrats would win back the House in November, making a nod to their leader as "soon-to-be once-again Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi."
"I believe in you guys. You guys have had my back through some very tough times," said the president, who received a small gift ? a DVD of House Democrats singing Rev. Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."
Last week, at a fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in New York, Obama stood on the stage and crooned a line from the Green classic.
Democrats were upbeat at their three-day session, energized by Obama's State of the Union address and its populist themes as well as recent polls showing more Americans say the country is on the right track and approve of Obama's handling of the economy. Divisions in the Republican ranks that were on full display last year in the fight over extending the payroll tax cut and the bitter battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination also lifted Democratic spirits.
But the relationship with the White House hasn't always been cordial. Vice President Joe Biden, who addressed the Democrats prior to Obama's speech, described some of the rough patches.
He noted that several members in the room were mad at him in December 2010 after Obama negotiated an extension of President George W. Bush's tax cuts over the objections of some House Democrats. Last year, frustrated Democrats complained the Obama gave away too much in negotiating a spending bill and an agreement to raise the government's borrowing authority.
Biden said Pelosi told him at the last conference to "get tough. Enough is enough." He said the "message was heard. The message was heard. And I think we've delivered."
Biden said Democrats would reclaim the House and he would help candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida. Those states also are critical to Obama's hopes of winning another term.
"We cannot succeed unless you all come back," Biden told House Democrats.
The vice president was more pointed in his political remarks than Obama and called out some Republicans by name. He said the American people will reject GOP unwillingness to compromise and its blatant determination to make Obama a one-term president.
Of the presidential candidates, Biden said Romney's criticism of the auto bailout and a host of positions stated by rival Newt Gingrich on government intervention will create a clear contrast for voters.
"These guys are helping us by saying what they believe," Biden said.
SEATTLE ? Starbucks Corp.'s fiscal first-quarter profit increased 10 percent as the coffee company added stores, customers and new products.
The Seattle-based company reported after the market closed Thursday that it earned $382.1 million, or 50 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Jan. 1. That's up from $346.6 million, or 45 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
Its total revenue increased 16 percent to $3.44 billion.
The results beat analyst expectation 49 cents per share on revenue of $3.29 billion, according to FactSet. Starbucks said revenue from its stores open at least a year ? an important measure because it strips away the impact of recently opened or closed stores ? increased 9 percent, as more customers visited its cafes and spent more each trip.
Starbucks delivered major gains in its consumer products business, which makes Via instant coffee, Starbucks ice cream and other items for sale in grocery stores and other retailers. Revenue from this segment increased 72 percent.
The company also benefited from the addition of 241 new stores during the quarter. Starbucks now operates 17,244 stores worldwide.
Starbucks said that the company is still facing higher costs for coffee beans and other commodities, which cut into its margins during the period. But it expects those pressures to lessen in the second half of the year.
"Starbucks is firing on all cylinders and taking full advantage of the many global opportunities that lie ahead," Schultz added," CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement.
The company plans to open 800 new stores in the coming year. Starbucks said it expects to earn $1.78 to $1.82 per share for the full year.
The full-year guidance falls just short of analyst expectations of $1.83 per share. Shares of the company fell 54 cents to $47.80 in after-hours trading.
Starbucks shares rose 57 cents to close the day at $48.34.
Oh come on! The best part about the mess that was Qwikster was the possibility of renting games from Netflix. Now they take that away from us too? That new season of Arrested Development better be amazing. More »
Panasonic Japan's quirky range of chunky Let's Note laptops has swelled by a factor of two, thanks to a pair of 12.1-inch units ousted today. The stock models come with a 1280 x 800 display (extra cash will get you a 16:9 1600 x 900 screen with a built-in 720p webcam). By default, you'll get an Intel Core i5 2450M chip, USB 3.0, WiFi (and WiMax!), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, HDMI-out and on the SX edition, an optical drive. Build-to-order options include swapping in an SSD and a battery pack that promises an unbelievable (i.e. we don't) twelve seventeen hours of life on the road. There's no mention of when they'll be available beyond "Spring," nor any indication of the cost, so instead let's think about that crazy circular track-pad, eh?
LOS ANGELES, Jan 26 (TheWrap.com) - Another day, another shakeup for Oprah Winfrey's struggling network OWN.
Lisa Erspamer, the network's executive vice president of production and development, left on Wednesday. An OWN spokesperson told TheWrap in a statement that Erspamer is leaving "by mutual agreement to pursue other opportunities."
Erspamer was no casual employee of Winfrey's. She came aboard the network in January 2010 as a 15-year veteran of Winfrey's Harpo Productions, Inc., and had been the co-executive producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" since 2006. During her tenure at "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Erspamer oversaw key events such as Winfrey's two-part interview with Whitney Houston, and the now-infamous car giveaway.
Rita Mullin, senior vice president of content strategy for Discovery Fit & Health, will step into Erspamer's position in the interim. In addition to Discovery, Mullin has also served as vice president of development at TLC, where she developed such hits as "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and "18 Kids and Counting."
Erspamer's exit is the latest in a string of departures, voluntary and otherwise, for the fledgling network. Last May, CEO Christina Norman was replaced by Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori. (Winfrey herself assumed the title of "permanent CEO" of the network in July.) More recently, longtime Winfrey pal Gayle King left to take a seat at CBS' morning offering "Early Show," while OWN's programming boss Rod Aissa jumped ship to Oxygen Media earlier this month.
Despite the tumult, there have been signs of life for OWN lately. Its new offering "Oprah's Next Chapter" premiered on January 1 to the network's biggest numbers since its January 2011 launch, with the second installment of the interview series growing 45 percent over the premiere, with 1.6 million total viewers.
Deadline first reported the news of Erspamer's departure.
WASHINGTON ? Declaring the American dream under siege, President Barack Obama delivered a populist challenge Tuesday night to shrink the gap between rich and poor, promising to tax the wealthy more and help jobless Americans get work and hang onto their homes. Seeking re-election and needing results, the president invited Republicans to join him but warned, "I intend to fight."
In an emphatic State of the Union address, Obama said ensuring a fair shot for all Americans is "the defining issue of our time." He said the economy is finally recovering from a deep and painful recession and he will fight any effort to return to policies that brought it low.
"We've come too far to turn back now," he declared.
Obama outlined a vastly different vision for fixing the country than the one pressed by the Republicans confronting him in Congress and fighting to take his job in the November election. He pleaded for an active government that ensures economic fairness for everyone, just as his opponents demand that the government back off and let the free market rule.
Obama offered steps to help students afford college, a plan for more struggling homeowners to refinance their homes and tax cuts for manufacturers. He threw in politically appealing references to accountability, including warning universities they will lose federal aid if they don't stop tuition from soaring.
Standing in front of a divided Congress, with bleak hope this election year for much of his legislative agenda, Obama spoke with voters in mind.
"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by," Obama said. "Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules."
A rare wave of unity splashed over the House chamber at the start. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, survivor of an assassination attempt one year ago, received sustained applause from her peers and cheers of "Gabby, Gabby, Gabby." She blew a kiss to the podium. Obama embraced her.
Lawmakers leapt to their feet when Obama said near the start of his speech that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, killed by a raid authorized by the president, will no longer threaten America.
At the core of Obama's address was the improving but deeply wounded economy ? the matter still driving Americans' anxiety and the one likely to determine the next presidency.
"The state of our union is getting stronger," Obama said, calibrating his words as millions remain unemployed. Implicit in his declaration that the American dream is "within our reach" was the recognition that, after three years of an Obama presidency, the country is not there yet.
He spoke of restoring basic goals: owning a home, earning enough to raise a family, putting a little money away for retirement.
"We can do this," Obama said. "I know we can." He said Americans are convinced that "Washington is broken," but he also said it wasn't too late to cooperate on important matters.
Republicans were not impressed. They applauded infrequently, though they did cheer when the president quoted "Republican Abraham Lincoln" as saying: "That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves ? and no more."
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, offering the formal GOP response, called Obama's policies "pro-poverty" and his tactics divisive.
"No feature of the Obama presidency has been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others," Daniels said after the president's address.
In a signature swipe at the nation's growing income gap, Obama called for a new minimum tax rate of at least 30 percent on anyone making over $1 million. Many millionaires ? including one of his chief rivals, Republican Mitt Romney ? pay a rate less than that because they get most of their income from investments, which are taxed at a lower rate.
"Now you can call this class warfare all you want," Obama said, responding to a frequent criticism from the GOP presidential field. "But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense."
Obama calls this the "Buffett rule," named for billionaire Warren Buffett, who has said it's unfair that his secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does. Emphasizing the point, Buffett's secretary, Debbie Bosanek, attended the address in first lady Michelle Obama's box.
Obama underlined every proposal with the idea that hard work and responsibility still count. He was targeting independent voters who helped seal his election in 2008 and the frustrated masses in a nation pessimistic about its course.
In a flag-waving defense of American power and influence abroad, Obama said the U.S. will safeguard its own security "against those who threaten our citizens, our friends and our interests." On Iran, he said that while all options are on the table to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon ? an implied threat to use military force ? "a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible."
With Congress almost universally held in low regard, Obama went after an easy target in calling for reforms to keep legislators from engaging in insider trading and holding them to the same conflict-of-interest standards as those that apply to the executive branch.
With the foreclosure crisis on ongoing sore spot despite a number of administration housing initiatives over the past three years, Obama proposed a new program to allow homeowners with privately held mortgages to refinance at lower interest rates. Administration officials offered few details but estimated savings at $3,000 a year for average borrowers.
Obama proposed steps to crack down on fraud in the financial sector and mortgage industry, with a Financial Crimes Unit to monitor bankers and financial service professionals, and a separate special unit of federal prosecutors and state attorneys general to expand investigations into abusive lending that led to the housing crisis.
At a time of tight federal budgets and heavy national debt, Obama found a ready source of money to finance his ideas: He proposed to devote half of the money no longer being spent on the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan to "do some nation-building right here at home," to help create more jobs and increase competitiveness. The other half, he said, would go to help pay down the national debt.
Obama also offered a defense of regulations that protect the American consumer ? regulations often criticized by Republicans as job-killing obstacles.
"Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same," Obama said. "It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts and no cop-outs. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody."
Obama will follow up Tuesday night's address with a three-day tour of five states key to his re-election bid. On Wednesday he'll visit Iowa and Arizona to promote ideas to boost American manufacturing; on Thursday in Nevada and Colorado he'll discuss energy, and in Michigan on Friday he'll talk about college affordability, education and training.
Polling shows Americans are divided about Obama's overall job performance but unsatisfied with his handling of the economy.
The speech Tuesday night comes just one week before the Florida Republican primary that could help set the trajectory for the rest of the race.
Romney, caught up in a tight contest with a resurgent Newt Gingrich, commented in advance to Obama's speech.
"Tonight will mark another chapter in the misguided policies of the last three years ? and the failed leadership of one man," Romney said from Florida.
FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 file photo, an Iranian security guard walks past a gate of the Bushehr nuclear power plant as its reactor building is seen in background, just outside the city of Bushehr 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran. The last time Iran's nuclear envoys held talks with the U.S. and other world powers, the negotiations limped along until a parting shot by the Islamic Republic: Its labs boosted the enrichment levels of uranium in reply to demands for a full-scale freeze. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 file photo, an Iranian security guard walks past a gate of the Bushehr nuclear power plant as its reactor building is seen in background, just outside the city of Bushehr 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran. The last time Iran's nuclear envoys held talks with the U.S. and other world powers, the negotiations limped along until a parting shot by the Islamic Republic: Its labs boosted the enrichment levels of uranium in reply to demands for a full-scale freeze. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday, April 3, 2007 file photo, technicians work at the reactor building of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, some 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, Iran. The last time Iran's nuclear envoys held talks with the U.S. and other world powers, the negotiations limped along until a parting shot by the Islamic Republic: Its labs boosted the enrichment levels of uranium in reply to demands for a full-scale freeze.(AP Photo/ISNA, Sot Akbar, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? The last time Iran's nuclear envoys held talks with the U.S. and other world powers, the negotiations limped along until a parting shot by the Islamic Republic: Its labs boosted the enrichment levels of uranium in reply to demands for a full-scale freeze.
Since then, the standoff has only become tenser. The European Union on Monday joined the U.S. with new sanctions targeting Iran's critical oil exports. Authorities in Tehran fired back with another threat to block tankers in the Persian Gulf ? even while offering to restart international talks after a one-year gap.
Yet one thing hasn't changed since the last round of meetings in January 2011. The chances of Iran agreeing to stop enriching uranium ? the core dispute between Tehran and its foes ? still appear slim.
Iran portrays its ability to make nuclear fuel as akin to a patriotic cause: showcasing the country's technological advances, elevating its international stature and proudly defying Western nuclear controls like other nations in the past ? including North Korea since the 1990s and China in the 1960s.
Iran strongly denies that it seeks nuclear weapons and says it only wants to enrich uranium to fuel reactors for energy and research. But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has linked control of the entire nuclear cycle to part of Iran's "national identity."
"Iran's right for uranium enrichment is nonnegotiable," said conservative Iranian lawmaker Ali Aghazadeh. "There is no reason for Iran to compromise over its rights. But Iran is open to discussions over concerns about its nuclear program."
The bloc on the other side of the negotiating table ? the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany ? has not publicly spelled out any clear strategies if talks resume in Turkey as a proposed venue. It's highly unlikely, however, that they would back off the insistence that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, which Washington and others fear could lead to weapons-grade nuclear material.
The potential dead ends are clearly marked even before any agreement to reopen dialogue.
Iranian officials hammer the point that halting uranium enrichment is off the agenda. Some in the West, meanwhile, question whether Iran's outreach is simply another tactic to buy time for its nuclear program under pressure from cyberattacks and targeted killings that Tehran has blamed on Israel and its allies.
In Paris last week, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the European Union has made specific proposals for dialogue with Iran, but "unfortunately the country has not committed in a transparent and cooperative way in this process of talks."
On Monday in Brussels, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged Tehran to offer "some concrete issues to talk about."
"It is very important that it is not just about words; a meeting is not an excuse, a meeting is an opportunity and I hope that they will seize it," she said as the EU adopted its toughest measures yet on Iran with an oil embargo and freeze of the country's central bank assets.
Iranian lawmaker Aghazadeh snapped back: "The West is not seeking a genuine dialogue."
"It's unlikely that any new round of talks will bring any understanding," he added. "There is lack of trust on both sides. Iran won't retreat from its position."
The situation carries strong echoes the last talks in January 2011. When the main talks foundered, Brazil and Turkey tried their hand by reviving proposals to provide Iran with reactor fuel rods from 20 percent enriched uranium in exchange for suspending the enrichment work.
It fell apart when Iran pushed ahead with a pilot program to make its own 20 percent enriched uranium. That's still far below the level needed for a warhead, but it boosts Iran's stockpile of higher-grade nuclear material and was seen as a powerful snub to Western demands.
In a news conference on Saturday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, used the word "justice" to describe what Tehran hopes to achieve from any possible talks.
It covers a lot of ground in explaining Iran's views.
Tehran considers its nuclear program as fully within U.N. rules ? which permit enrichment with oversight ? although U.N. watchdogs and other question how much of Iran's work is secret. Tehran also seeks to shift the nuclear spotlight onto Israel, which is believed to have an atomic arsenal despite its policy of neither confirming nor denying its military capabilities.
But, above all, the Islamic Republic sees its nuclear advancement as an integral part of its self-declared goal of becoming the Muslim world's answer to Western military and technological dominance.
Iran has announced sweeping plans for upgrades to its armed forces, including new warships and surveillance drones similar to the unmanned CIA spy craft captured last month. Iran's state media has claimed aerospace engineers have launched objects into orbit and are working on sending an astronaut into space.
"The nuclear program is a huge part of what's shaping Iran's world view," said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an Iranian affairs expert at Syracuse University. "Khamenei sees it as part of his legacy. In a way, it's like the nationalization of the Suez Canal for Egypt. It's a defining issue and one of major national importance."
It also is one of the few patches of common ground in a country deeply divided since the clashes and crackdowns after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009. Even opposition groups that rail against the ruling theocracy often support the nuclear program as a point of pride.
"The issue is protecting national interests," said Iranian political analyst Davoud Hermidas Bavand.
Yet he believes that talks ? even if they at first appear ill-fated ? are the only option to avoid deeper tensions that could lead to a military conflict in the Gulf.
"Talks offer a window to get out of the current impasse," he said.
The question still circles back to whether it could bring some concessions from Iran on uranium enrichment.
Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born analyst based in Israel, described Khamenei as stuck between "Obama and a hard place."
Khamenei cannot easily roll back the Iranian nuclear program, but is hit with increasing blows from sanctions that have isolated and eroded Iran's economy.
"Should he ignore it, the Iranian economy, the health of which is crucial to the survival of the regime, could collapse," he wrote in a Sunday commentary.
Keeping the ruling system in place, however, could also drive Iran's nuclear advances closer toward weapons, others contend.
"They perceive the whole nuclear issue as an insurance policy of sorts," said the analyst Boroujerdi. "There are those who say, 'If we are a nuclear power then the West wouldn't dare touch us.' And this, in their mind, helps ensure the survival of the system."
___
Associated Press writer Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a head wound in the Tuscon shooting, smiles after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at a memorial service marking the anniversary of the shooting, at the University of Arizona campus January 8, 2012.
By The Associated Press
Updated at 1:10p.m. ET:
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, gravely wounded in a shooting a year ago, will resign from Congress. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.
In one of her last acts in office, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords met Monday with other survivors and supporters more than a year after gunfire interrupted a spontaneous meet-and-greet with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.
As part of a bittersweet day, Giffords finished the meeting she had started on the morning of Jan. 8, 2011, by spending time at her office with others who had been at the scene of the rampage that killed six people and injured 13 others, including Giffords.
She also planned to visit a food bank that was set up after she was shot.
Giffords announced Sunday that she intends to resign from Congress this week to concentrate on recovering from the assassination attempt that shook the country.
Gifford was upbeat in a message sent on Twitter.
"I will return & we will work together for Arizona & this great country," she wrote.
Among those who met Monday with Giffords was Pat Maisch, who was hailed as a hero for wrestling a gun magazine from the shooter.
"I thanked her for her service, wished her well, and she just looked beautiful," Maisch said.
Maisch, who was not injured herself, said it was touching that Giffords finished the meeting that had been interrupted by the attack.
"I've always said I would love for her to continue to be my congresswoman, but I want her to do what's best for her," Maisch said. "She's got to take care of herself."
The three-term Democrat's Facebook and Twitter feeds showed images of her meeting with survivors and others.
In one picture, Giffords held the hand of Suzi Hileman, who brought 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green to meet the congresswoman outside the supermarket. Green was killed in the shooting, and Hileman was shot three times.
In another picture, Giffords, wearing an olive green jacket and bright teal scarf, embraced her former intern, Daniel Hernandez, who helped save her life by trying to stop her bleeding until first responders arrived at the shooting scene.
"I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice," she said on a video announcing her decision to resign.
The video showed a close-up of Giffords gazing directly at the camera and speaking in a voice that is both firm and halting.
"I have more work to do on my recovery," the congresswoman said at the end of the two-minute-long "A Message from Gabby," appearing to strain to communicate. "So to do what's best for Arizona, I will step down this week."
Giffords was shot in the head as she was meeting with constituents. Her progress had seemed remarkable, to the point that she was able to walk into the House chamber last August to cast a vote.
Giffords' resignation set up a free-for-all in a competitive district.
She could have stayed in office for another year even without seeking re-election, but her decision to resign scrambles the political landscape. Arizona must hold a special primary and general election to find someone to finish out her term, as well as hold the regular primary and general election later this year.
Giffords would have been heavily favored to win re-election, since she gained immense public support as she recovered from the shooting. She was elected to her third term just two months before she was shot, winning by only about 1 percent over a tea party Republican.
Several Republicans and Democrats have been mentioned as possible candidates for her seat, with some in the GOP already forming official exploratory committees. Republicans who have expressed interest include state Sen. Frank Antenori and sports broadcaster Dave Sitton, among others.
Democratic state lawmakers have been mentioned as possible candidates, as has the name of Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, although he has publically quashed such speculation.
"That's the great 'mentioner' out there, and there are going to be a lot of people mentioned," said Arizona Democratic Party chairman Andrei Cherny. "I think the best rule in situations like this is, 'The folks who are talking don't know, and the folks who know aren't talking.'"
Gov. Jan Brewer will likely call the special primary election for the 8th Congressional District in April, followed by a general election in June. Before the cycle begins for the regular election, the district will be remapped and renumbered as the 2nd Congressional District.
The regular primary for the new district, which will cover most of the current district's territory, was scheduled for August.
The Republican governor acknowledged that the twin election cycles were going to create a mess, especially for potential candidates.
"I think that it's putting a lot of pressure on a lot of people awfully quick, given the fact that they're going to be filling that continuing seat that expires this year, and then we have elections coming (along) new congressional lines," Brewer said.
Giffords planned to attend President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday in Washington. And her political career may not be over, said a state Democratic party official who was among a group that met with her Sunday.
Jim Woodbrey, a senior vice chairman of the state party, said at the meeting, Giffords strongly implied she would run again for office someday. He said the decision to resign came after much thought.
"It was Gabby's individual decision, and she was not in any condition to make that decision five months ago," he said. "So I think waiting so that she could make an informed decision on her own was the right thing to do."?
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Scientific plagiarism: A growing problem in an era of shrinking research fundingPublic release date: 24-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Aleta Todd Delaplane aleta9@vbi.vt.edu 540-231-6966 Virginia Tech
As scientific researchers become evermore competitive for scarce funding, scientific journals are increasing efforts to identify submissions that plagiarize the work of others. Still, it may take years to identify and retract the plagiarized papers and give credit to the actual researchers.
"We need a better system," said Harold Garner, executive director of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech. Garner discussed the problem and solution in a Comment in the January 4, 2012 issue of Nature and in a January 19, 2012 radio interview with NPR's Leonard Lopate.
Garner, creator of eTBLAST plagiarism detection software, identified numerous instances of wholesale plagiarism among citations in MEDLINE. "When my colleagues and I introduced an automated process to spot similar citations in MEDLINE, we uncovered more than 150 suspected cases of plagiarism in March, 2009.
"Subsequent ethics investigations resulted in 56 retractions within a few months. However, as of November 2011, 12 (20 percent) of those "retracted" papers are still not so tagged in PubMed. Another two were labeled with errata that point to a website warning the papers are "duplicate" -- but more than 95 percent of the text was identical, with no similar co-authors."
But even when plagiarism is uncovered, it does not guarantee that the plagiarized articles will be retracted. In Garner's study, as noted in his Nature commentary, "Three of the 56 retracted papers are cited in books, including one citation after the retraction. Another eight were cited in other PubMed Central archived articles before retraction, and seven were cited after retraction."
Some researchers say plagiarism has become a pandemic in many large institutions and schools, and that there is an entire industry built on the business of copying the work of others for the purpose of developing theses content and technical papers.
Quelling the proliferation of scientific plagiarism by identifying and retracting plagiarized articles is not the only issue. Publication editors and researchers must agree on the definition of plagiarism as noted in Nature.
Said Garner, "Ultimately, plagiarism comes down to human judgment, similar to other questionable practices -- you know it when you see it."
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The Comment in Nature appears here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v481/n7379/full/481021a.html#/harold-garner-flag-plagiarized-studies
Watch Garner here: http://youtu.be/cuAjUqNF-R8
Garner also was featured in an interview with NPR's Leonard Lopate of WNYC, January 19, 2012. Lopate investigated with Garner the prevalence and problems presented by plagiarism of scientific and medical literature, and discussed ways that new detection software can help to identify plagiarized materials and encourage publication editors to retract these articles.
Listen to the interview: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2012/jan/
About the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute
The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech is a premier bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology research facility that uses transdisciplinary approaches to science, combining information technology, biology, and medicine. These approaches are used to interpret and apply vast amounts of biological data generated from basic research to some of today's key challenges in the biomedical, environmental, and agricultural sciences.
With more than 320 highly trained multidisciplinary, international personnel, research at the institute involves collaboration in diverse disciplines such as mathematics, computer science, biology, plant pathology, biochemistry, systems biology, statistics, economics, synthetic biology, and medicine. The large amounts of data generated by this approach are analyzed and interpreted to create new knowledge that is disseminated to the world's scientific, governmental, and wider communities.
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Scientific plagiarism: A growing problem in an era of shrinking research fundingPublic release date: 24-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Aleta Todd Delaplane aleta9@vbi.vt.edu 540-231-6966 Virginia Tech
As scientific researchers become evermore competitive for scarce funding, scientific journals are increasing efforts to identify submissions that plagiarize the work of others. Still, it may take years to identify and retract the plagiarized papers and give credit to the actual researchers.
"We need a better system," said Harold Garner, executive director of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech. Garner discussed the problem and solution in a Comment in the January 4, 2012 issue of Nature and in a January 19, 2012 radio interview with NPR's Leonard Lopate.
Garner, creator of eTBLAST plagiarism detection software, identified numerous instances of wholesale plagiarism among citations in MEDLINE. "When my colleagues and I introduced an automated process to spot similar citations in MEDLINE, we uncovered more than 150 suspected cases of plagiarism in March, 2009.
"Subsequent ethics investigations resulted in 56 retractions within a few months. However, as of November 2011, 12 (20 percent) of those "retracted" papers are still not so tagged in PubMed. Another two were labeled with errata that point to a website warning the papers are "duplicate" -- but more than 95 percent of the text was identical, with no similar co-authors."
But even when plagiarism is uncovered, it does not guarantee that the plagiarized articles will be retracted. In Garner's study, as noted in his Nature commentary, "Three of the 56 retracted papers are cited in books, including one citation after the retraction. Another eight were cited in other PubMed Central archived articles before retraction, and seven were cited after retraction."
Some researchers say plagiarism has become a pandemic in many large institutions and schools, and that there is an entire industry built on the business of copying the work of others for the purpose of developing theses content and technical papers.
Quelling the proliferation of scientific plagiarism by identifying and retracting plagiarized articles is not the only issue. Publication editors and researchers must agree on the definition of plagiarism as noted in Nature.
Said Garner, "Ultimately, plagiarism comes down to human judgment, similar to other questionable practices -- you know it when you see it."
###
The Comment in Nature appears here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v481/n7379/full/481021a.html#/harold-garner-flag-plagiarized-studies
Watch Garner here: http://youtu.be/cuAjUqNF-R8
Garner also was featured in an interview with NPR's Leonard Lopate of WNYC, January 19, 2012. Lopate investigated with Garner the prevalence and problems presented by plagiarism of scientific and medical literature, and discussed ways that new detection software can help to identify plagiarized materials and encourage publication editors to retract these articles.
Listen to the interview: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2012/jan/
About the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute
The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech is a premier bioinformatics, computational biology, and systems biology research facility that uses transdisciplinary approaches to science, combining information technology, biology, and medicine. These approaches are used to interpret and apply vast amounts of biological data generated from basic research to some of today's key challenges in the biomedical, environmental, and agricultural sciences.
With more than 320 highly trained multidisciplinary, international personnel, research at the institute involves collaboration in diverse disciplines such as mathematics, computer science, biology, plant pathology, biochemistry, systems biology, statistics, economics, synthetic biology, and medicine. The large amounts of data generated by this approach are analyzed and interpreted to create new knowledge that is disseminated to the world's scientific, governmental, and wider communities.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
When attempting to lose weight most nutritional guidelines limit the amount of calories consumed in one day. To help cut down on snacking and build self control consider challenging yourself to maintain a state of mild hunger until it is time for your next meal.
Personal finance blogger Mr. Money Mustache points out how to trick yourself into turning mild hunger into a tool:
it's an unusual feeling for a rich-world person, but once you get used to it, having a slight craving in your tummy can make you feel invigorated and warriorlike. When you are really hungry, eat a good meal. But if you're just slightly hungry, imagine that your body has moved its suction tube from the usual "stomach" setting, over to "stored fat reserves". It is now a positive challenge to maintain this mild hunger as long as possible, because you want to keep that suction going for many hours each day.
Keep in mind that this technique should not be confused with anorexia, but if you have a visible beer belly a little mild hunger won't hurt you. Also consider that many eating plans revolve around several small meals instead of the traditional breakfast-lunch-dinner paradigm, and this technique won't be the best for that. If you do want to try it out you can always supplement with very low calorie snacks such as celery, cucumbers, or carrots. These add nutrition and can dull the sharpness of a hunger pang without disarming it completely.
The housing market ended the year on a positive note with strong sales in December, but a glut of unsold homes will likely push prices lower through much of this year, forecasters said Friday.
Sales of existing homes hit an 11-month high last month and the number of properties on the market fell to the lowest level in nearly seven years, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Unseasonably warm weather may have helped boost sales, but analysts said a strengthening job market and record low mortgage rates should buoy housing in coming months. Still, they were troubled by the high level of "distressed homes" for sale, including short sales of underwater properties or sales of foreclosed properties. Nearly one-third of existing-home sales were distressed last month, according to the Realtors.
In addition, one-third of Realtors said home sales fell through last month because of declined mortgage applications or appraisals that fell short of the required values.
"These strong negative undercurrents in the housing market and absence of support from strong labor market conditions will continue to trim home sales in the near term," said Asha Bangalore, economist at Northern Trust Co.
The median sale price for an existing home in December was $162,500, down 2.5 percent from December 2010. For the full year, the median price for existing homes fell nearly 4 percent.
"Home sales will gradually improve in 2012. ... However, prices will continue to decline in the near term, despite the better sales," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist of PNC. He pointed out that many home foreclosures are stuck in the pipeline due to paperwork issues and will pressure home prices in the year to come.
"The market for single-family homes picked up in the second half of 2011, after being stuck near the bottom for nearly three years," said economist Patrick Newport of IHS Global Insight. "This pickup is real, but the road to recovery will be a slow one."
While the home sales pace was a touch below economists' expectations, December marked the third straight month of gains, adding to hopes that a tentative recovery was taking shape.
But a glut of unsold properties that is weighing down on prices and stringent lending practices by banks is likely to make progress painfully slow.
There were 2.38 million unsold homes on the market last month, the fewest since March 2005. That represented a 6.2 months' supply at December's sales pace, the lowest since April 2006 and down from a 7.2 months' supply in November.
The Realtors group noted, however, that the inventory of unsold homes tends to decline in winter.
Data earlier this week showed single-family home starts rose for a third straight month in December and optimism among builders this month was the highest in four-and-a-half years.
"It is very encouraging that the current phase of the recovery is being driven by economic fundamentals as opposed to being fostered by temporary stimulus," said Millan Mulraine, a senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York.
Reuters contributed to this report.
What are home prices doing in your area?
Existing home sales increased 5 percent last month, the highest pace in nearly a year. So, which investments may be the best bets as housing shows signs of life? CNBC's Diana Olick has the details.
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, putting the S&P on track for its third straight advance after earnings from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley lifted financials and strong demand at European bond auctions eased concerns over Europe.
Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) climbed 4.6 percent to $7.11 and was the top boost to both the benchmark S&P and the Dow Industrials. The bank swung to a fourth-quarter profit, helped by one-time items and lower expenses for bad loans. Morgan Stanley (MS.N) reported a quarterly loss that was narrower than expected, sending shares up 4.5 percent to $18.13.
With Wednesday's forecast-topping earnings from Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), results from the three big financials lessened some concerns about the sector's exposure in debt-strained Europe.
Some analysts would not be surprised by a pullback in the S&P 500 from highs not seen since last July, especially after recent weak results from JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N).
"No question we've seen some encouraging news with earnings and Europe, but the question is whether we're getting ahead of fundamentals," said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Clearly things have improved, but it remains to be seen if there really has been a turn, or if this is just a January thaw ahead of more winter storms," McCain said. "There are still a lot of parts of the world with significant problems and concerning trends."
The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was up 15.89 points, or 0.13 percent, at 12,594.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) added 4.99 points, or 0.38 percent, at 1,313.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) gained 20.39 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,790.10.
Financial shares have rallied since the start of the year. The S&P financial index (.GSPF) is up 8 percent for 2012, helping to push the S&P 500 up more than 4 percent. The financial index was up 0.7 percent for the session.
In a sign of optimism about Europe, Spain and France both drew strong demand at government debt auctions.
The Nasdaq got a boost from eBay Inc (EBAY.O), which reported better-than-expected results after the close on Wednesday. The stock was up 4.2 percent to $31.63.
After the close, quarterly reports are due from technology bellwethers Google Inc (GOOG.O), International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N), Intel Corp (INTC.O) as well as Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).
Transportation stocks moved higher after Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) reported higher quarterly profit and revenue that beat estimates. Union Pacific was up 3 percent to $113.05, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average (.DJT) gained 1.8 percent.
The number of Americans filing for new jobless benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic expanded, suggesting the economy maintained its momentum early in the year.
However, housing starts dipped, indicating the sector was still a ways from strengthening.
(Reporting By Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
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When attempting to lose weight most nutritional guidelines limit the amount of calories consumed in one day. To help cut down on snacking and build self control consider challenging yourself to maintain a state of mild hunger until it is time for your next meal.