Kenyans await ruling in disputed presidential race

By Edmund Blair

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's Supreme Court rules on Saturday on a challenge to Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential election win, a judgment seen as a test of the democratic system five years after another disputed vote triggered tribal bloodshed.

The country's outgoing president called for calm ahead of the decision that will either confirm the victory of Kenya's richest man Kenyatta or force another vote.

Defeated candidate Raila Odinga says the March 4 poll was marred by technical problems and widespread rigging. Both politicians have promised to abide by the court's final word.

Many ordinary Kenyans insist they will not allow a repeat of the anarchy that killed more than 1,200 people and hammered the economy following a dispute over the last election in 2007.

"We have moved on," said Monica Njagi, 28, owner of an Internet cafe in the port city of Mombasa. "Whatever the ruling, we shall go by it ... We have enough useful lessons from our past."

Peaceful voting this time round, and the fact that the dispute is being played out by lawyers not machete-wielding gangs, has already helped repair the image of east Africa's largest economy.

Saturday's ruling will test whether Kenyans trust their reformed judiciary and whether supporters of rival candidates will accept the result quietly in a nation where tribal loyalties largely determine political allegiances.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has yet to set a time on Saturday that he and his panel of judges will issue a verdict. Comments at a brief hearing on Friday suggested it might not come till later on Saturday.

"As the country awaits the Supreme Court ruling which is due this Easter weekend, I call upon all of us to accept the ruling and maintain peace," outgoing President Mwai Kibaki said in a message to mark the Christian Easter holiday.

"ESSENTIAL CONTACTS"

Western donors are watching the fate of a trade partner and a country they see as vital to regional stability. But they also face a headache if Kenyatta wins, because he is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.

Kenyatta is accused of helping incite the violence after the 2007 vote but has denied the charges and promised to cooperate to clear his name.

Western nations have a policy of having only "essential contacts" with indictees of the court. They say that will not affect dealings with the government as a whole. But they still face a delicate balancing act to avoid driving a long-time ally of the West closer to emerging powers such as China.

Neighboring African states are also keeping a careful eye on the proceedings after they were hit by the knock-on effects when vital trade routes through Kenya were shut down five years ago.

Kenyatta comfortably beat Odinga in terms of votes won, 50.07 percent versus 43.28 percent, but only narrowly avoided a run-off after winning just 8,100 votes more than the 50 percent needed to be declared the winner outright.

In the Supreme Court's hearing on Friday, the legal teams reviewed results of recounts ordered in 22 of the 33,400 polling stations after Odinga said more votes were cast than registered voters. Both sides said the recounts supported their arguments.

Odinga's team argued that the failure of technology in tallying undermined the vote. Rival lawyers said any irregularities or technical hiccups had an insignificant impact and did not change the overall outcome.

International observers said voting itself was credible, but diplomats say observers did not watch the full five-day count.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyans-await-ruling-disputed-presidential-race-022046688.html

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Abused women more likely to have children with autism

The results are the first to suggest a trans-generational contributor to the developmental disorder.

The study, published in the? journal JAMA Psychiatry, is the first to examine the potential legacy that a mother?s experience with childhood abuse could have on the health of her own children. The findings are especially sobering given the latest statistics released from the Centers for Disease Control, which found a significantly higher rate of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ? one in 50 compared to one in 88 from a report released in 2012 ? among school-aged children than previously thought.

The authors of the JAMA Psychiatry paper studied more than 50,000 women enrolled in the Nurse?s Health Study II, who were asked about any history of abuse before they were 12. The questions delved into both physical and emotional abuse, as the women evaluated whether they had been hit hard enough to leave bruises, as well as whether adults or caregivers had insulted, screamed or yelled at them. They also filled out questionnaires about whether their own children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The scientists also had access to the nurses? health records, so they could adjust for other maternal health factors known to influence autism risk, including nine pregnancy-related conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, alcohol consumption and smoking.

(MORE: Autism: Why Some Children ?Bloom? and Overcome Their Disabilities)

Women who reported physical, emotional, or sexual abuse when they were young were more likely to have a child with autism compared to women who were not abused. The more severely the women were abused, the higher their chances of having a child with autism; compared to women who weren?t abused, those who endured the most serious mistreatment were 60% as likely to have an autistic child.

Because it?s possible that a mother?s exposure to abuse as a child could also lead her to engage in behaviors associated with harming the fetus ? such as smoking, drinking during pregnancy, using drugs, being overweight, having preterm labor or giving birth to a premature or low birth weight baby?? the scientists also calculated how much these factors contributed to the risk of ASD in the next generation. To their surprise, these conditions explained only 7% of the heightened risk among the abused women. That meant that abuse was exerting more lasting effects on the women?s bodies that were translating into an increased risk of autism in their children.

(MORE: Older Fathers Linked to Children?s Autism and Schizophrenia Risk)

How? The researchers believe that some of the lifestyle circumstances associated with abuse, such as poor nutrition, could be responsible for some of the association. It?s also possible that abuse causes biological changes in a woman?s immune system, including disruption of the stress response, that could lead to harmful effects on a developing fetus. Studies have shown that autistic children showed abnormal stress responses, and it?s possible that a mother?s altered stress reaction could be passed on to her child. ?Maternal inflammation affects the developing brain, and maternal inflammation and immune function have been hypothesized to be causes of autism,? the researchers write.

The researchers also speculate that childhood abuse can leave women in a state of chronic stress; the constant release of stress-related hormones could also increase a developing child?s chances of developing autism, since such androgens have been associated with autistic symptoms. Finally, a mother?s childhood abuse could be an indicator of a genetic risk for mental illness, which is often associated with abuse of youngsters. Studies showed that mental illness and autism may share genetic risk factors, ?therefore, the perpetration of child abuse by grandparents and experience of abuse in childhood by the mother may be indicators of genetic risk for autism in the child,? the study authors write.

(MORE: How Pets Can Help Autistic Children Learn to Share and Comfort Others)

?Childhood abuse is associated with a wide array of health problems in the person who experiences it, including both mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety, and physical health outcomes like depression and anxiety, and physical health outcomes like obesity and lung disease,??said senior study author Marc Weisskopf, an associate professor of environmental and occupational epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, in a statement. ?Our research suggests that the effects of childhood abuse may also reach across generations.?

Is that legacy enough to explain the apparent rise in ASD documented in the most recent government data? The CDC data was based on parental reports of autism; a representative sample of parents were asked whether a doctor had diagnosed their child with autism, and some experts caution that such reports are not as reliable as health records documenting the disorder. Still, the latest statistics suggest that at least awareness of ASDs is increasing, and with it, potential explanations for what might be contributing to the disorder.

If childhood abuse turns out to be one of these reasons for the rise in autism cases, then efforts to prevent it take on new urgency, since such interventions can benefit more than just one victim.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-women-abused-kids-more-likely-children-autism-094516623.html

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New Day for the Kurds: Will Ocalan?s Declaration Bring Peace with Turkey?

Newroz, means ?New Day? in Kurdish and traditionally it was a great celebration heralding the start of spring for the Kurdish people. Because of its centrality in that culture, the government of Turkey banned ethnic Kurds from celebrating it for decades?and so the beginning of spring was often marked by street battles and bloodshed as Kurds used the holiday to protest for their rights and to assert their identity.

But this Newroz is different. On Thursday, tens of thousands of people decked out in the bright Kurdish colors of red, yellow and green, gathered in Diyarbakir, regional capital of southeast Turkey. Something indeed felt ?New.?

The police did not intervene. There was no tear gas. People sang Kurdish songs and built the traditional Newroz bonfires. National TV channels broadcast the celebrations. To cap it all, Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed Kurdish rebel leader, called on the fighters of his Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) to withdraw from Turkey, signaling an end to a 30-year conflict that has cost some 40,000 lives and left a vast chunk of the country mired in poverty.

(MORE: Kurdish Rebel Leader Declares Cease-Fire)

?Let guns be silenced and politics dominate,? Ocalan said in a statement read out in Diyarbakir by a pro-Kurdish politician. The crowd cheered and waved banners carrying the imprisoned leader?s mustachioed portrait. ?The stage has been reached where our armed forces should withdraw beyond the borders ? It?s not the end. It?s the start of a new era.?

Ocalan?s message marks a new stage in negotiations with the Turkish state that began late December. PKK fighters are expected to withdraw to the mountains of north Iraq, where the group is based. That region is governed by an autonomous Kurdish government with good ties to Ankara?a major investor in its economy?that is keen to see the conflict end.

For his part, Turkey?s tough-talking Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has thrown his political weight behind the process. ?If guns are put down, military operations will cease,? he said in response to Ocalan?s message. No roadmap has yet been announced for how disarmament or re-integration of the PKK into Turkish society might work. The comparable situation in Northern Ireland took years.

(MORE: Kurdish Rebels Fighting Turkey Release 8 Captives)

The process is also fraught with potential obstacles. Ocalan is counting on his PKK cadres, from whom he has been isolated for a decade, to toe his line. And in Ankara, Erdogan must contend with opposition from hardliners on both left and right who accuse him of paving the way for greater Kurdish autonomy?at the expense of the Turkish state. On Tuesday, Erdogan?s AK Party offices were attacked by fringe left-wing militants in what the prime minister said was an attempt to ?derail the process?.

But there is a sense of urgency and it isn?t just related to Turkey?s internal dynamics. The map of the Middle East is rapidly changing and Turkey?s Kurds are buoyed by the emergence of an oil-rich and increasingly confident Kurdistan in north Iraq. In Syria, the Kurds are also emerging as an autonomous player. Though the Kurds are said to be the world?s largest stateless people, Kurdish leaders, including Ocalan, say they are no longer interested in a single Kurdish state, but in a loose federation that spans various national borders.

And most Turks, wearied by decades of fighting, support the process. ?The peace process that began in Diyarbakir today with Nevruz has the potential to become the most democratizing move in modern Turkish history,? wrote Asli Aydintasbas, a political commentator, in the mainstream Milliyet.? That will indeed be the test: whether Turkey can support demilitarization with greater cultural and democratic freedom for its restive Kurds.

MORE: Turkey

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/day-kurds-ocalan-declaration-bring-peace-turkey-184815688.html

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So Cute! Seraphina Affleck?s Adorable New Bob

Seraphina Affleck debuted her own lighter look: her newly shorn tresses!

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/7g5CJDo1F0M/

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'Oblivion' Featurette Shows The Creation Of The Bubbleship

Joseph Kosinski's "Oblivion" shows a new science fiction universe, and a recently released featurette for the movie highlights the creation of the movie's "Bubbleship" spaceship. "The whole philosophy for the movie was to try to shoot everything in camera, so we decided it made sense to build a full scale version of the Bubbleship," Kosinski [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/21/oblivion-featurette/

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Mosque blast kills senior Syrian imam in capital: TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion at a mosque in the Syrian capital on Thursday killed at least 15 people, including a senior pro-government Muslim cleric, state television and activists said.

Syria TV said a "terrorist suicide blast" hit the Iman Mosque in central Damascus, and Mohammed al-Buti, the imam of the ancient Ummayyad Mosque, was among the dead.

Buti, a government-appointed cleric reviled by the Syrian opposition movement, delivered the official weekly Friday mosque sermons on state television.

In one of his televised speeches, Buti described those fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad as 'scum'. He also used his position to call on Syrians to join the armed forces and help Assad defeat his rivals in the country's two-year-long rebellion.

Video released by Syria's al-Ikhbariya channel showed dozens of limp bodies lying on the bloodied carpet of the mosque, as emergency workers rushed in to give survivors first aid. Mangled limbs lay among the wreckage.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists across Syria, said around 15 people died in the blast in central Damascus.

The Observatory said it was unclear if the explosion was caused by a car bomb or a mortar shell. Dozens more were wounded in the attack it said.

The Iman mosque is also next to the offices of Assad's ruling Baath party as well as other government compounds.

Locals were panicked after the blast late on Thursday and described seeing ambulances rushing to the area while traffic came to a standstill. Residents near the mosque said the strong, acrid smell of gun powder still hung in the air.

"RECEIVING GOD'S WRATH"

Buti, 84, led the funeral prayers for Bashar al-Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad.

The imam's critics saw him as a religious mouthpiece in support of Assad. When the revolt started in March 2011, he quickly threw his support behind the Assad family, which has ruled Syria for more than four decades.

Buti was a Sunni Muslim, the sect which makes up the majority of Syria's population.

Sunnis have led the revolt against Assad, a movement that began as peaceful protests but devolved into bloody civil war that has sparked sectarian bloodshed between Sunnis and Assad's minority Alawite population.

It was unclear who was behind the Damascus blast, although Syria TV immediately accused "terrorists," a term frequently used to described rebels. If opposition fighters were responsible, it would signal the ease with which they are able to strike in the heart of the capital compared to a year ago.

Some opposition activists argued the rebels could not have been behind the attack, and called it a government plot. They said it was unlikely that rebels, many of whom are deeply religious, would target a mosque.

"The regime eliminated Buti," said Leena al-Shami, a Damascus activist speaking on Skype. "One of the last things he said is that Assad is the prince of Muslims and Syrians fight with him, as in jihad (holy war).

"I don't think Buti could have done more, his role was over. Now the regime wanted to make a martyr of him."

Some locals recalled one of Buti's more memorable sermons from early on in the revolt, in which he told President Assad he had a vision that Syria would 'receive God's wrath', but would survive.

(Reporting by Erika Solomon; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/explosion-hits-mosque-central-damascus-syrian-tv-173324186.html

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Cyprus banks to remain closed another 2 days

AAA??Mar. 20, 2013?1:40 PM ET
Cyprus banks to remain closed another 2 days
By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS and ELENA BECATOROSBy MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS and ELENA BECATOROS, Associated Press??

During a crucial top level meeting of Cypriot leaders including from left to right, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, ruling DISY party deputy leader Averof Neophytou, DIKO party boss Marios Garoyian, EVROKO party leader Demetris Syllouris, Cyprus Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades, and Central Bank Deputy Governor Spyros Stavrinakis, during a crucial meeting to find an alternative plan to raise 5.8 billion euros to finance a bailout at the Presidential palace in Nicosia Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Cypriot lawmakers have rejected a critical draft bill that would have seized part of people's bank deposits in order to qualify for a vital international bailout. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

During a crucial top level meeting of Cypriot leaders including from left to right, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, ruling DISY party deputy leader Averof Neophytou, DIKO party boss Marios Garoyian, EVROKO party leader Demetris Syllouris, Cyprus Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades, and Central Bank Deputy Governor Spyros Stavrinakis, during a crucial meeting to find an alternative plan to raise 5.8 billion euros to finance a bailout at the Presidential palace in Nicosia Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Cypriot lawmakers have rejected a critical draft bill that would have seized part of people's bank deposits in order to qualify for a vital international bailout. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Cypriot Archbishop Chrysostomos II speaks to the media outside Presidential Palace after his meeting with Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades, in Nicosia, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Following the talks with President Anastasiades, the head of Cyprus' influential Orthodox church Archbishop Chrysostomos II said on Wednesday that he will put the church's assets at the country's disposal to help pull it out of a financial crisis. Cypriot lawmakers have rejected a critical draft bill that would have seized part of people's bank deposits in order to qualify for a vital international bailout. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Delia Velculescu, head of Troika (IMF), leaves the presidential palace after meeting with Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades, not pictured, in the capital Nicosia, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Cypriot lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a critical draft bill that would have seized part of people's bank deposits in order to qualify for a vital international bailout, with not a single vote in favor. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Cyprus' banks will remain closed Thursday and Friday as officials try to find a new plan to stave off bankruptcy.

Aliki Stylianou, the central bank's spokeswoman, confirmed the additional two-day closure on Wednesday. The cash-strapped lenders have been closed since Saturday to avoid a bank run.

The Parliament this week rejected a plan to take a portion of bank deposits. That has left Cypriot officials looking for alternative ways to scrounge up some 5.8 billion euros ($7.51 billion) that the country's euro area partners and the IMF expect in order to loan another 10 billion euros.

The money is needed to shore up the ailing banks and government finances. Cypriot authorities kept banks closed in order to avoid a run on the lenders.

Associated Press
People, Places and Companies: Cyprus

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-20-Cyprus-Financial%20Crisis/id-e21bdba269ec4bf79d12eda0ed03b4ba

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Michigan woman, 75, convicted of murdering grandson

Todd Mcinturf / The Detroit News via AP

Sandra Layne is shackled after she was convicted Tuesday, March 19, in Pontiac, Mich., of second-degree murder in the shooting death of her grandson last year.

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

A 75-year-old Michigan woman was convicted of second-degree murder charges Tuesday for shooting her 17-year-old grandson to death last year.

Sandra Layne of West Bloomfield, northwest of Detroit, was held without bond pending a sentencing hearing April 18, NBC station WDIV of Detroit reported.

---

In addition to the murder charge, Layne was also convicted of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the shooting. Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper told WDIV that Layne was likely to face 12 to 20 years in prison for the murder conviction, plus two years for the firearms violation.

Jurors were given the option of deciding whether Layne committed first-degree murder, but they chose the lesser charge.

The death of Layne's grandson, Jonathan Hoffman, on May 18, 2012, made national headlines after it was disclosed that he was shot in the chest multiple times as he was calling 911.

Jurors were played audio of the 911 calls, in which Jonathan frantically told a dispatcher that he had been shot by his grandmother and was going to die. Although investigators previously said they found eight entry and exit wounds in his body, prosecutors said Monday during closing arguments?that he was actually shot 10 times.

Layne, who took the stand and admitted having shot Jonathan, said she had bought a gun to protect herself because her grandson sometimes brought strangers home late at night to the condominium unit they shared. She said she felt threatened and shot Jonathan in self-defense after he demanded her car and $2,000 so he could leave the state.

Jonathan's parents are divorced, and his father has previously said his son was living with his maternal grandparents while he finished classes at an alternative high school in nearby Farmington.

Jerome Sabota, Layne's attorney, told jurors in closing arguments Monday that Jonathan had a violent temper and that he used synthetic marijuana.

"Think about somebody that's 73 or 74 and this behavior is occurring in her presence," Sabota said. "She was in hysteria. She was afraid and reacted to his physical attack. That's why killed him. That's why she shot."

But Assistant County Prosecutor Paul Walton said in his closing arguments that Layne never complained of injuries and told police when they arrived at the home that she had killed her grandson.

"The first thing that she says to (the police officers) is, 'I murdered my grandson,'" Walton said.

Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook.

Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/19/17375952-michigan-woman-75-convicted-of-murdering-teenage-grandson?lite

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U.S. Department Of Defense Reportedly Planning To Buy 650,000 iOS Devices After Nixing BB10 To Cut Costs

The U.S. Department of Defense will order 650,000 iOS devices to replace older BlackBerry devices that are incompatible with the new BlackBerry 10 operating system after the sequester is over, reports Electronista.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/f-xJ4oa_Gx0/

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Twitter granted patent on itself

What do Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Christopher "Biz" Stone have in common with Thomas Edison? That's easy, they're all patent holders. Issued today, the USPTO's database details a messaging system where users can follow each other and display messages without a unique recipient. Last time we checked, this is how Twitter works. Officially assigned to the social network, the application was filed in July 2008, listing Dorsey and Stone as the intellectual property's inventors. Now for those of you thinking that Twitter is gearing up to slap other companies silly with mountains of infringement lawsuits, think again. Around this time last year the company announced its Innovators Patent Agreement, which detailed a contract between the social network and its employees saying that any of their work related patents will be used for defensive purposes only. While this not so angry bird doesn't seem too eager to attack, it might be a good idea for other companies (especially social networks) using similar technologies to assess their current setup just to be on the safe side.

Filed under: Internet, Software

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: USPTO

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/twitter-granted-patent-on-itself/

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Large retail projects move toward reality - North Bay Business Journal

Several large retail construction projects are reaching completion or getting started in Sonoma County this year in Petaluma, Sebastopol and Windsor.

From early financing challenges to local opposition to the original 300-home concept to two fires during construction, the redevelopment of the former Barlow Co. apple-processing plant at the eastern gateway to Sebastopol has faced a number of challenges. Construction on 96,000 square feet in 11 new industrial and retail oriented buildings that are part of The Barlow business park?(707-824-5600, thebarlow.net) started early last year and reached shell completion early this year.

?Tenants are in the midst of tenant improvements,? said April Karr, marketing director.

The first of the couple of dozen signed tenants set to move in to the new space was Kosta Browne Winery?s crush operation, which made it in time for the mammoth 2012 harvest. The first public-facing tenant presence is a tasting room for La Follette Wines, which was set to open in mid-March. Several more are scheduled to open in mid-April and the rest are set for tenant-improvement completion throughout this year.

The complex contains beverage production facilities such as longtime tenant Guayaki Yerba Mate plus soon-to-open Spirit Works Distillery, Wind Gap Wines, Woodfour Brewing Co., Warped Brewing Co. and Taylor Maid Farms coffee roaster and tea supplier.

Two buildings that burned down in the fire were being rebuilt last week. MacPhail Winery has a production facility going into one. In the other, newcomer Freeman Wines is set to have a tasting room in a couple thousand of the 12,000-square-foot structure.

Two new regional malls in Petaluma

Dirt is set to start moving in early May on the 36.5-acre, 315,000-square-foot Deer Creek Village (415-693-9000, deercreekproject.com) shopping and professional office project site between Highway 101 and North McDowell Boulevard and south of Rainier Avenue, according to Greg Geertsen, a partner with project owner Merlone Geier Partners of San Francsico.

That would clear the way for construction to start in June on a 130,000-square-foot Friedman?s Home Improvement store, lumber shed and garden center to anchor the $65 million project. Three smaller retail buildings along North McDowell as well as improvements to Deer Creek, which runs across the northern quarter of the site, a dog park and trail would be built at the same time as the Friedman?s store.

?We?re happy to get started there,? Mr. Geertsen said. Midstate Construction of Petaluma has been estimating costs, and bids on the site work is set to open in early April.

Six leases are currently out for signature, but the developer isn?t disclosing them publicly yet. Those include deals that would average 5,000 square feet for the smaller retail buildings.

Also in the works are 20,000- and 38,000-square-foot deals for junior anchor tenants in a three-part building to the north of Friedman?s, leaving 15,000 square feet to lease in that structure. If those deals are inked soon, construction of that building may start in July, Mr. Geertsen said.

?The challenge with leasing this project is that no one believes it until it is under construction,? he said.

Three approved buildings ? 6,000-square-foot restaurant and grocery buildings and one with 40,000 square feet for multiple tenants ? to be built north of the creek will have to wait until they attract leases or demand increases, he said.

This is in addition to the 240,000 square feet of shops reaching completion later this year at Regency Centers? Target- and Safeway-anchored East Washington Place regional mall also in Petaluma.

Windsor trailer park to be transformed

Late this year, construction could begin on the first ground-up store project for Oliver?s Market in the Bell Village housing and commercial project in Windsor, according to Komron Shahhosseini, site acquisition and development manager for Santa Rosa-based OSL Management (707-535-3200), which is guiding the $70 million-plus project.

?We?re definitely ready to welcome them to Windsor,? he said.

The Rohnert Park-based grocer, which has three locations in Santa Rosa and Cotati, signed a lease earlier this year for a 32,000-square-foot store in Bell Village. The store would anchor 83,500 square feet of commercial space to be built in the first phase, along with 80 of the approved 387 stacked flats and townhomes.

OSL is in various stages of discussions with prospective commercial tenants. A number of them are local ventures, such as a dry cleaner with two other locations and restaurants that want to expand.

?We?re not doing the traditional cattle call, because we?re looking for something special,? Mr. Shahhosseini said.

OSL Management plans to submit construction permit applications for the project in the next two to three months and anticipates about six months before permits may be issued.

Source: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/70421/large-retail-projects-move-toward-reality-in-2013/

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Northern 'Southern Gentleman' Baby Shower: The Decorations!

We are seriously blessed with the most creative and artistic family and friends when it comes to party planning. Seriously. These baby showers have not been your typical 'Let's go to a party store and pick up generic baby shower decorations.' These showers have been set with themes and executed to the smallest, most creative and special details.

I am originally from Ohio, so my three sister in-laws, my sister and a very dear and close friend of the family threw us a baby shower up north about a week ago. We liked to call this our 'Northern Baby Shower.' The theme for the baby shower was "Southern Gentleman" with a color scheme of white, navy blue and and an emerald green, with mustaches thrown in for a fun pop!

Here are the fun invitations that my sister in-law, Kim, created. She is so talented.

The main table was decorated with a blue and white table cloth with butcher paper. The butcher paper had labels, showing what all the different food was, accompanied by little mustaches. My sister in-law, Tessa, was in charge of the decorations, and she did a phenomenal job! The centerpiece was a series of glass vases filled with bluish tinted rocks and white tulips and green mums. The colors matched the color scheme perfectly. Along the windows in the back, there were little pendants and garlands that also matched the colors. ?

My sister in-law, Sarah was in charge of organizing the food. Sarah definitely has a passion and gift for food and came up with fresh and delicious menu. There was fruit salad that was served in chocolate dipped waffle cones, veggies and dip, homemade pita bread and hummus, chicken salad and croissants, and caprese salad picks. Even though my sister, Jen, could not be there, she added her touch with these little mustache toothpicks for the caprese salad bites. The food was so amazing that I went back for seconds, and maybe even thirds ;)?
For dessert, my sister, Hillary, made a very delicate, light and fresh lemon cake with blueberry filling (appropriate for a little boy!). Look at how cute it was decorated for the little Southern Gentleman! Sarah also made these amazing smore cookies that I wish I had taken a bag full home.

The drink table was decorated with a mustache garland. They served belly-ni punch in little champagne glasses and there were also mason jars tied with divine twine and green or blue and white striped party straws, with what else- mustaches!

The decorations in the living room were white frames with pictures of me and Justin, the sonogram, and other little artworks that can be used to decorate the nursery. Tessa did a fabulous job with her circuit! I LOVE how I can now hang these in the nursery and already have decor done! Perfect!


Everyone left the party with a chocolate mustache lollipop, made by the host, Victoria. Victoria opened up her new, gorgeous house for the party and I feel very honored to be the first person to have a party/shower in her house! The lollipops were tied with a blue or green ribbon and had little charms that said "It's a boy!" on them!
Thank you to everyone for your hard work for making this baby shower so special! The theme was so much fun and it was so memorable. Our little Southern Gentleman is surrounded by so much love and we are blessed :)

Source: http://sweettoothedwife.blogspot.com/2013/03/northern-southern-gentleman-baby-shower.html

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck is "Toast" at The View, Source Claims

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/elisabeth-hasselbeck-is-toast-at-the-view-source-claims/

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IRL: Clocks for Mac, Pong Research iPhone 5 case and the BlackBerry Z10

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Is saying you need to keep track of six timezones a humblebrag? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but either way, don't expect an apology from Mr. Darren Murph -- the man is positively giddy about his new $2 Clocks app. You know who else won't be issuing any apologies? Jon Fingas, our resident Canadian smartphone nerd, who says the BlackBerry Z10 isn't half bad.

Filed under: Misc, Blackberry

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/18/irl-clocks-for-mac-pong-research-iphone-5-case-blackberry-z10/

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Causing collapse: Can one affect an atom's spin just by adjusting the way it is measured?

Mar. 18, 2013 ? One of the most basic laws of quantum mechanics is that a system can be in more than one state -- it can exist in multiple realities -- at once. This phenomenon, known as the superposition principle, exists only so long as the system is not observed or measured in any way. As soon as such a system is measured, its superposition collapses into a single state. Thus, we, who are constantly observing and measuring, experience the world around us as existing in a single reality.

The principle of superposition was first demonstrated in 1922 by Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach, who observed the phenomenon in the spin of silver atoms. Spin is the intrinsic magnet in quantum particles, and when a particle's spin is in superposition, it points in more than one direction at the same time. (Instead of the north and south of magnets, these are referred to as up and down.)

Dr. Roee Ozeri and research students Yinnon Glickman, Shlomi Kotler and Nitzan Akerman, of the Physics of Complex Systems Department studied how the spin of a single atom collapsed from superposition to one state when it was observed with light. They "measured" the atom by shining laser light on it. Just as our eyes observe the world by absorbing the photons -- light particles -- scattered in our direction by objects, the researchers observed the process of spin collapse in the atoms by measuring the scattered photons. In results that appeared recently in Science, they showed that the direction that a photon takes as it leaves the atom is the direction that the spin adopts when superposition collapses.

Next, the team measured the polarization of the emitted photon and found that the observed polarization determines the effect of measurement on the spin. This suggests that an observer can influence the collapse of superposition just by adjusting the orientation of his photon-polarization measurement apparatus.

The reason for this "action-at-a-distance" is that the spins of the measured atoms and the emitted photons were entangled. That is, even after they were separated, a measurement of one of them instantaneously affected the other.

The experiment is an important step in understanding the measurement process in quantum systems.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Weizmann Institute of Science.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Y. Glickman, S. Kotler, N. Akerman, R. Ozeri. Emergence of a Measurement Basis in Atom-Photon Scattering. Science, 2013; 339 (6124): 1187 DOI: 10.1126/science.1229650

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/uO6RuWl2G8o/130318133026.htm

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Pope Francis lauded for interfaith dialogue

In this Dec. 12, 2012 picture provided by the NCI-Emanue El, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, right, lights the Janukia during Hanukkah celebrations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, At left is Rabbi Sergio Bergman, and at right is Rabbi Alejandro Avruj, of the NCI-Emanu El congregation. The Jewish community in Argentina, the largest in Latin America, is thrilled with the new pope Francis, known for his excellent relationship with the Jewish community. Experts believe that Bergoglio, who took the name Francis as pope, will be an example of inter-religious relations. (AP Photo/NCI-Emanu El)

In this Dec. 12, 2012 picture provided by the NCI-Emanue El, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, right, lights the Janukia during Hanukkah celebrations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, At left is Rabbi Sergio Bergman, and at right is Rabbi Alejandro Avruj, of the NCI-Emanu El congregation. The Jewish community in Argentina, the largest in Latin America, is thrilled with the new pope Francis, known for his excellent relationship with the Jewish community. Experts believe that Bergoglio, who took the name Francis as pope, will be an example of inter-religious relations. (AP Photo/NCI-Emanu El)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? The election of Pope Francis has thrilled Jewish leaders in Argentina, who predict that their friend will continue to foster warm relations and open dialogue between Catholicism and other faiths during his pontificate.

They've seen it firsthand as recently as December, when then-Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio lit the first candle on the menorah at Temple NCI-Emanu El during a Hanukkah ceremony.

"He's got a very deep capacity for dialogue with other religions," Rabbi Alejandro Avruj told The Associated Press on Monday, recalling the moment. "He spoke of light as renovation, of the re-inauguration of the temple of Jerusalem 2,200 years ago, and the need to carry light to the world."

As Tuesday's papal installation ceremony draws dozens of Jewish, Orthodox and other Christian leaders to the Vatican, those who knew Bergoglio in his previous role say he considered healing divisions between religions a major part of the Catholic Church's mission.

"He's the one who opened the cathedral of Buenos Aires for interfaith ceremonies, like when we prayed for peace. He's not one of those who waits for you to call them to participate in these events ? he promotes them," said Avruj, who met Bergoglio after both leaders launched projects in the same slum in a gritty area of southern Buenos Aires.

Bergoglio brought leaders of the Jewish, Muslim, evangelical and Orthodox Christian faiths into the Metropolitan Cathedral to pray for peace in the Middle East last November. "Everything is lost with war, everything is gained through peace," Bergoglio said then. "With peace wins victory and respect."

The archbishop also welcomed Jews for a joint service on the 74th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night in 1938 when nearly 200 synagogues were destroyed, Jewish shops were looted and tens of thousands of Jews were sent to be exterminated in Adolf Hitler's Germany.

And he also sponsored interfaith prayers after Pope Benedict XVI offended Muslims in 2006 by quoting a Byzantine emperor as saying some of the Prophet Muhammad's teachings were "evil and inhuman."

That time, rather than criticize Benedict directly, Bergoglio let a lower-ranking priest lead a service in which he himself did not participate. But leaders of other religions were impressed nonetheless.

This dialogue between religions "isn't just a photo op," Omar Abboud of the Islamic Center of the Argentine Republic said then. "It's a genuine and well-reasoned commitment under construction, because we know that we cannot get by without this dialogue."

Guillermo Borger, president of the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association, said Bergoglio came often to the association's headquarters, which was rebuilt on the site of Argentina's worst terrorist attack, the still-unsolved 1994 bombing that killed 85 people. "We're sure that given the sensitivity that Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, had here, I really believe that he'll continue to support us.

"We've spoken often about this idea of the power of working together, and we expect that he'll continue to do it this way as pope, this way of acknowledging the past so that finally we might achieve justice. ... We've had long talks about this and we're absolutely on the same page."

One rabbi who is particularly close to Francis is Abraham Skorka, whose friendly debates over religion, politics and social issues with the archbishop became so enjoyable that they decided to invite a writer with a tape recorder along. Their dialogues were published in 2010 as "On Heaven and Earth." Then, the two men kept it up on a program each Friday on the Archdiocesan TV channel.

"Is it true that Argentines don't want dialogue?" Bergoglio asks in the book. "I wouldn't say so. Rather, I think we succumb as victims of attitudes that don't permit us to have dialogue: arrogance, not knowing how to listen, hostility in our speech, attacking the messenger and so many others. Dialogue is born from an attitude of respect toward the other person, from a conviction that the other has something good to say."

___

Associated Press writers Debora Rey and Michael Warren contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-18-Pope-Argentina-Jews/id-7279a91b4c874bda85036328b1a41aec

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Golf Roundup

Leonard in tie for the lead at Innisbrook

Kevin Streelman figured a good round Saturday would at least get him in the mix at the Tampa Bay Championship. It wound up giving him a share of the lead.

Streelman had a 6-under 65 and was tied for the lead with Justin Leonard (67) and George Coetzee of South Africa (68). But this tournament was wide open heading into the final day, with 16 players separated by only three shots.

Adam Scott had the lead for one hole until he fell apart, and so many others followed.

Nine players had at least a share of the lead on a warm, pleasant day on the menacing Copperhead course at Innisbrook. Jim Furyk and defending champion Luke Donald were well within range.

Ai Miyazato leads LPGA Founders Cup

Ai Miyazato pulled back in front in the LPGA Founders Cup at Phoenix, making three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine and saving par with a long putt on the par-4 finishing hole.

The diminutive Japanese star shot her second straight 5-under 67 after opening with a tournament-record 64. At 19-under 197, she had a four-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Jee Young Lee.

Lewis was penalized two strokes after the round when it was determined that caddie Travis Wilson tested the sand before Lewis played out of a bunker on the par-4 16th. That turned a 66 into a 68, making the third-ranked Texan's bid to take over the top spot in the world from Yani Tseng more difficult today.

Coming off a victory two weeks ago in Singapore, Lewis would jump to No. 1 with a victory today, as long as Tseng - tied for 63rd at 2 under after a 72 - finishes third or worse.

Source: http://www.theday.com/article/20130317/SPORT15/303179926/-1/rss08

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Boston Dynamic's Marc Raibert backstage at Expand (video)

Marc Raibert, president and chief robot lover of Boston Dynamics (of AlphaDog, BigDog and Pet-Proto fame), joined us on the Expand stage to discuss the present state and future of robotics. Raibert wound his way backstage and sat down with us to talk about the importance of biology's influences on the creation of robots and the possibility of his firm developing consumer bots. Hit the jump to catch the video interview.

Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!

Filed under: Robots

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/17/boston-dynamics-marc-raibert-backstage-expand-video/

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Obsessed fan who shot player, inspired movie, dies

FILE - In this June 18, 1949 file photo, Ruth Steinhagen, 19, held in the shooting of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus at a Chicago hotel on June 14, 1949, writes notes for her life history in Cook County Jail in Chicago. At the table she has a photograph of Waitkus taken June 17 in the hospital where he was recovering from a bullet wound. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. Her death is the final chapter in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this June 18, 1949 file photo, Ruth Steinhagen, 19, held in the shooting of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus at a Chicago hotel on June 14, 1949, writes notes for her life history in Cook County Jail in Chicago. At the table she has a photograph of Waitkus taken June 17 in the hospital where he was recovering from a bullet wound. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. Her death is the final chapter in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 1950 file photo, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus, right, shows scars resulting from an operation following his shooting in Chicago in 1949, to his roommate, outfielder Bill Nicholson, on a beach in Clearwater, Fla. Waitkus was working his way back into condition at the team's spring training camp in Clearwater. Waitkus had been shot by 19-year-old Ruth Steinhagen at a hotel in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford, a mysterious woman who lured a major league ballplayer she'd never met into a hotel room with a cryptic note and shot him. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this June 17, 1949 file photo, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus smiles from his bed in Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago as his father, Stephen, holds up his arm for an attempted wave. Waitkus was shot and seriously wounded June 14 in a Chicago hotel by 19-year-old Ruth Steinhagen. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. Her death is the final chapter in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Aug. 19, 1949 file photo, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus acknowledges the applause of fans at Shibe Park as he stands by gifts showered on him on "Eddie Waitkus Night" in Philadelphia. Waitkus was in uniform for the first time since he was shot, June 14, 1949, in a Chicago hotel by 19-year-old Ruth Steinhagen. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. Her death is the final chapter in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this June 16, 1949 file photo, Ruth Steinhagen, 19, is seen at felony court in Chicago where she appeared for her hearing on charges of assault with intent to murder in the shooting of Philadelphia Phillies ball player Eddie Waitkus at a Chicago hotel on June 14, 1949. Steinhagen died of natural causes at 83 in late December 2012. Her death is the final chapter in one of the most sensational and bizarre criminal cases in Chicago history that made headlines around the country. She was the inspiration for Bernard Malamud?s novel ?The Natural? and the 1984 movie starring Robert Redford. (AP Photo/Charles Knoblock, File)

CHICAGO (AP) ? She inspired a novel and a movie starring Robert Redford when in 1949 she lured a major league ballplayer she'd never met into a hotel room with a cryptic note and shot him, nearly killing him.

After the headlines faded, Ruth Ann Steinhagen did something else just as surprising: She disappeared into obscurity, living a quiet life unnoticed in Chicago until now, more than a half century later, when news broke that she had died three months earlier.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Friday that Steinhagen passed away of natural causes on Dec. 29, at the age of 83. First reported by the Chicago Tribune last week, her identity was a surprise even to the morgue employees who knew about the 1984 movie "The Natural," in which she was portrayed by actress Barbara Hershey.

"She chose to live in the shadows and she did a good job of it," John Theodore, an author who wrote a 2002 nonfiction book about the crime, wrote in an email Sunday.

The story, with its elements of obsession, mystery, insanity and a baseball star, made it part of both Chicago's colorful crime history and rich baseball lore.

The story began with what appeared to be just another young woman's crush on Eddie Waitkus, the Chicago Cubs' handsome first baseman. So complete was this crush that the teenager set a place for Waitkus, whom she'd never met, at the family dinner table. She turned her bedroom into a shrine to him, and put his photo under her pillow.

After the 1948 season, Waitkus was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies ? a fateful turn. "When he went to the Phillies, that's when she decided to kill him," Theodore said in an interview.

Steinhagen had her chance the next season, when the Phillies came to Chicago to play the Cubs at Wrigley Field. She checked into a room at the Edgewater Beach Hotel where he was staying and invited him to her room.

"We're not acquainted, but I have something of importance to speak to you about," she wrote in a note to him after a game at Wrigley on June 14, 1949.

It worked. Waitkus arrived at her room. After he sat down, Steinhagen walked to a closet, said, "I have a surprise for you," then turned with the rifle she had hidden there and shot him in the chest. Theodore wrote that she then knelt by his side and held his hand on her lap. She told a psychiatrist afterward about how she had dreamed of killing him and found it strange that she was now "holding him in my arms."

Newspapers devoured and trumpeted the lurid story of a 19-year-old baseball groupie, known in the parlance of the day as a "Baseball Annie." Among the sensational and probably staged photos was one showing Steinhagen writing in her journal at a table in her jail cell with a framed photograph of Waitkus propped nearby.

A judge determined she was insane and committed her to a mental hospital. She was released three years later, after doctors determined she had regained her sanity.

Details about the rest of her life are sketchy. She lived with her sister in a house just a few miles from the hotel where she shot Waitkus. A neighbor told Theodore that Steinhagen said she worked in an office for 35 years but never revealed her employer. And she made an effort to conceal her privacy, often refusing to answer the phone or come to the door when Theodore knocked.

Chris Gentner, a neighbor who used to help the Steinhagen sisters with chores, said he only found out who she was 15 years after they began living nearby.

"I found out through my ex-wife ? I'm not sure how she found out ? and I looked (Steinhagen) up online. And as soon as I saw (her photograph) online I said, 'That's her,'" Gentner said.

The 1984 movie was based on a novel by Bernard Malamud that was inspired by the story. Theodore's 2002 book was entitled "Baseball's Natural: The story of Eddie Waitkus."

Waitkus, who played the season after he was shot, helping the Phillies win the National League pennant, decided not to press charges in 1952 when Steinhagen was deemed sane. The trial would have likely made banner headlines ? particularly since Malamud's novel was released in 1952 ? so Watikus' decision almost certainly assisted Steinhagen's disappearance into obscurity.

He died in 1972, 12 years before Redford portrayed Roy Hobbs, the character inspired by Waitkus.

"He hardly ever talked to his family about Ruth," Theodore said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-17-Obit-Baseball%20Stalker/id-0a93f60e817545c281078d6e578255b7

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Two Ackman investors want more details on JC Penney

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Katya Wachtel

BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two institutional investors with William Ackman's $12 billion hedge fund plan to reach out to the manager to get more information about the firm's big bet on ailing retailer JC Penney , whose stock has dropped 21 percent this year.

Officials with two state pension funds that, combined, oversee assets of more than $120 billion told Reuters they want Ackman to give them more information about Pershing Square Capital Management's portfolio and to say more about the long-range plan for turning around JC Penney's fashion lines.

The pension officials did not want to be identified because they had not yet set up their meetings with Ackman. The manager, whose fund is sitting on a roughly $500 million paper loss in JC Penney stock, declined to comment.

It's not uncommon for pension managers and institutional investors to seek a private meeting with hedge fund managers, especially when a big bet or a portfolio is underperforming.

The move by two of Ackman's investors is an indication that some investors are growing uneasy with Pershing Square's stake of 39 million shares in JC Penney, which the hedge fund began amassing in 2010.

"People are reading a lot about Bill Ackman these days and have questions, and while these kind of hedge funds can't speak to everyone, keeping their very largest clients informed will have benefits," said Don Steinbrugge, managing partner at investment consulting firm Agecroft Partners LLC, in Richmond, Virginia.

Pershing Square is up 3.6 percent for the year through February, compared with a 2.8 percent gain for the broader $2.6 trillion hedge fund industry.

The pension plan officials said they are also concerned about Ackman's other very large and public bet -an estimated $1 billion short position in shares of nutritional supplement company Herbalife . Ackman is betting that Herbalife will be exposed as an unsustainable pyramid scheme and the stock will collapse. He currently has a $200 million gain on that bet.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has taken a large stake in Herbalife and has engaged in a very public war of words with Ackman over the company.

Meanwhile, at least one prominent hedge fund manager is beginning to line up against Ackman on the short side on JC Penney. Reuters reported last week that York Capital and Morgan Stanley are shorting the debt of JC Penney, where Ackman sits on the board.

Earlier this week, market speculation that Ackman's handpicked CEO Ron Johnson might be leaving briefly pushed JC Penney shares up 5 percent on Tuesday.

But not all investors are pushing for Ackman to talk more about JC Penney. Given the fund's strong track record over the years and current gains, several investors said they are very happy with Ackman and his team.

To be sure, Ackman often says he can't say too much about JC Penney because he is on the board. But in private with his own investors, Ackman would face fewer restrictions to be candid with investors about what should come next at the retailer.

"JCP entered into a 'Letter Agreement' with Pershing Square in which Ackman agreed to maintain the confidentiality of company information while he is on the board," said Damien Park, managing partner at consulting firm Hedge Fund Solutions, in Philadelphia. "This, however, does not restrict him from saying anything negative about the company, its management or board."

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Katya Wachtel; Editing by Matthew Goldstein and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-ackman-investors-want-more-details-jc-penney-200940489--sector.html

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The Weird, The Bad, And The Samsung

A few years ago, T-Mobile hired a very excitable PR team to hold "parties" for their big launches. They would trot out celebrities, rent out whole downtown clubs, and try to make each launch - remember the Sidekick? - into a major event. Then T-Mobile basically imploded and all that rigmarole thankfully stopped. But that strange impetus to turn the launch of a CE device that, arguably, millions of people will buy, into a circus is a horrible one. Something just happened (I blame the economy) that is making this unproductive, ridiculous displays of absolute insanity happen more and more and it helps no one, least of all we, the consumers.

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

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Survey Says: Online Video Viewers Tune In During Primetime, Too

As more viewing moves to mobile, tablet, and connected TV devices, the amount of viewing that happens online during the prime time hours continues to increase. And according to video ad startup TubeMogul, brands who serve advertisements during that time are seeing greater awareness and brand favorability for their products.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/3Zo3_nINC5g/

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Smallest vibration sensor in the quantum world

Mar. 15, 2013 ? Carbon nanotubes and magnetic molecules are considered building blocks of future nanoelectronic systems. Their electric and mechanical properties play an important role. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and French colleagues from Grenoble and Strasbourg have now found a way to combine both components on the atomic level and to build a quantum mechanical system with novel properties.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

In their experiment the researchers used a carbon nanotube that was mounted between two metal electrodes, spanned a distance of about 1 ?m, and could vibrate mechanically. Then, they applied an organic molecule with a magnetic spin due to an incorporated metal atom. This spin was oriented in an external magnetic field.

?In this setup, we demonstrated that the vibrations of the tube are influenced directly when the spin flips parallel or antiparallel to the magnetic field,? explains Mario Ruben, head of the working group at KIT. When the spin changes, the resulting recoil is transferred to the carbon nanotube and the latter starts to vibrate. Vibration changes the atomic distances of the tube and, hence, its conductance that is used as a measure of motion.

The strong interaction between a magnetic spin and mechanical vibration opens up interesting applications apart from determining the states of motion of the carbon nanotube. It is proposed to determine the masses of individual molecules and to measure magnetic forces within the nano-regime. Use as a quantum bit in a quantum computer might also be feasible.?

According to the supplementary information published in the same issue of nature nanotechnology such interactions are of high importance in the quantum world, i.e. in the range of discrete energies and tunnel effects, for the future use of nanoscopic effects in macroscopic applications. Combination of spin, vibration, and rotation on the nanoscale in particular may result in entirely new applications and technologies.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

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Journal Reference:

1. Marc Ganzhorn, Svetlana Klyatskaya, Mario Ruben, Wolfgang Wernsdorfer. Strong spin?phonon coupling between a single-molecule magnet and a carbon nanotube nanoelectromechanical system. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; 8 (3): 165 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.258

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/physics/~3/u9hITJ-ld-0/130315095919.htm

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Ford's Jim Buczkowski cruises through the Engadget Questionnaire

Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.

In this edition of our weekly question and answer, Ford's director of electrical and electronics systems Jim Buczkowski chats about increasingly tiny tech and his 007-style dream car. To take a gander at the full rundown of responses, head on past the break.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/15/fords-jim-buczkowski-engadget-questionnaire/

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'Killer dolphins' escape? Not so fast.

'Killer dolphins' escape: A story of highly-trained killer dolphins escaping from a Ukrainian military facility has turned out to be a hoax. But there is such a thing as a military dolphin.

By Mai Ng?c Ch?u,?Contributor / March 13, 2013

Sergeant Andrew Garrett watches as K-Dog, a bottle nose dolphin attached to Commander Task Unit 55.4.3 leaps out of the water while training near the USS Gunston Hall in the Persian Gulf in 2003.

Brien Aho/US Navy/AP/File

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Three "killer dolphins" trained by the Ukrainian navy to kill combat swimmers, possibly armed with guns or knives attached to their heads, have escaped and are now roaming the Black Sea in search of a mate.

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At least that's what a?Ukrainian?and Russian news outlets are claiming, and it's almost certainly not true.?

The state-owned RIA Novosti repeated stories Thursday from Ukrainian media outlets that said that, following a training exercise in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, only?two of five military-trained dolphins returned to their handler. From there, the story was picked up by many English-language news outlets.

But?Ukraine's Defense Ministry has denied the reports, and has refused to confirm that its navy even has a dolphin program.

The Atlantic, which originally accepted the report as more or less factual, followed up with the news that the story is a hoax, apparently started by a museum director.?

But is it plausible? Does the Ukrainian military train dolphins for warfare??

Apparently, it does, just like the US Navy does. Beginning in 1973, the Soviet Navy in?Sebastopol?trained dolphins to detect military equipment such as mines on the seabed, to attack divers, and even to carry explosives on their heads to plant on enemy ships.

After the USSR broke up and the Black Sea Fleet divided into Ukrainian and Russian fleets, the Ukrainian Navy took over the dolphin training section, which then were used for civilian goals such as working with disabled children. In 2000, the BBC reported that many of the trained dolphins, along with several sea lions, walruses, and a beluga whale, were sold to the Iranian government.?

Dolphins are believed to be the world's second smartest animals, at least by human standards, with a large capacity for social cognition. ?US Navy officials said dolphins have exceptional sonar and deep diving capabilities that outperform anything human divers or the latest technology developments can provide. The US Navy has relied on specially trained dolphins and sea lions to find sea mines, that, if not found, could sink ships, destroy landing crafts and kill or injure people, according to the American Forces Press Service.

US military dolphins programs date back to in the early 1960s, when the military first started to study the aqua-dynamics of the mammals to help them design ships and submarines. The Navy quickly realized the animals could be used for more complex assistance tasks.

In addition to dolphins, the US Navy has also trained whales, grey seals, and sea lions for military purposes. Such marine mammals are so important that there is an entire program dedicated to studying, training, and deploying them, called the Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP).

The dolphins, according to NMMP officials, usually receive two or three years of specialty training before working on underwater security projects. Recently, NMMP, which is based in?San Diego, Cal.,?used its militarized dolphins to train Montenegrin Navy divers to locate and clear underwater mines and explosives dating back to World War I.

Last year, the Navy announced that it would be laying off some of its mine-seeking dolphins, replacing them with robots.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/E08-C3dtaII/Killer-dolphins-escape-Not-so-fast

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This weekend: Keep running, start paddling | GetGoing NC!

Spring race season is in full swing across North Carolina while the paddling season is just getting underway. Weatherwise, we?re looking at pretty good weather for both.

Coast

Fini!

Distance runners, sprinters, fun runners ? Saturday?s 4th Annual Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon has ?em all covered: full and half marathons, marathon relay, 5K, 1-mile fun run for kids. Racing starts on Wrightsville Beach, then, depending how far you?re going, heads into the nearby The Landfall Community (perhaps you?ve seen the walls and gates surrounding it on the drive to Wrightsville Beach).

Logistics: Saturday, March 16. Fees range from $35 to $55, more information here.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 73.

Piedmont

Jordan Lake

What could be more aptly named as warm weather and waters return than Saturday?s Welcome Back Spring Paddle at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area? Saturday?s adventure finds Ranger Steve McMurray leading a two-hour paddle of the Beaver Creek area, putting in at the Ebenezer Boat Ramp.

Logistics: Saturday, March 16, 1-3 p.m. Equipment provided (feel free to bring your own if you have it). Free, but reservations required: 919.362.0586, ext 219 or steve.mcmurray@ncparks.gov

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 69.

Mountains

Love getting in on an inaugural race? Especially one sponsored by a brewery? Then check out Sunday?s Oskar Blues 4-mile Road Race in Brevard. Your host: Oskar Blues Brewery. And there?s a fun run for the kids.

Logistics: Sunday, March 19, 9 a.m., in Brevard. $25, $30 race day (includes T-shirt). More info here.

Sunday forecast: 66, ?a few showers likely.?

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Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina?s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on ?Outdoors,? then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on ?Calendars,? then Main Events.

Todd?s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state?s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on ?Education,? then ?Fun & Free Programs at Parks.?

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state?s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

U.S. National Wildlife Refuges
Rundown, by month, of regular activities at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges in North Carolina.

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Source: http://getgoingnc.com/2013/03/this-weekend-keep-running-start-paddling/

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