Welcome New January Members | Dallas Builders Association

The Dallas Builders Association would like to welcome the new members?who were approved at the
January Board of Directors meeting. To view?complete contact information, please ?refer to the online member directory.

New Builders

Bob McDonald Company Inc.
Bob McDonald
Sponsor:?Doug Beaty,?Beach Sheet Metal

Bud Bartley Custom Homes, LLC
Jack Oppel

Cleve Adamson Custom Homes
Cleve Adamson
Sponsor: Stephen Meers,?M Christopher Custom Homes

Creekview Construction LLC
Lee Allen
Sponsor:?Jeri Letteer,?Republic Title

DeLeon Construction/Texas Vineyard Homes
Stacey DeLeon

Ian Macintosh Homes
Ian Macintosh
Sponsor:?Ben Beckelman,?Ben Beckelman

Links Homes LLC
Lee Ramsey

Nelson Home Improvement and Restoration
Robert Nelson
Sponsor: George Lewis,George Lewis Custom Homes

New Associates

All American Garage Doors
David Davis
Sponsor:?Mike Kleber,?Kleber Custom Homes
Doors/Overhead & Garage Installed

DECRA Roofing Systems, Inc.
Meredith England
Sponsor:?Rick McLaughlin,?Wholesale Roofing Supply
Roofing Products/Materials Manuf./Distr.

EZ Wall Systems, Inc.
Michael Mills
Sponsor:?Tim Jackson,?Tim Jackson Custom Homes
Stone-Cast Manuf./Distr.

First National Bank
Bill Wills
Sponsor: Clyde Anderson, Homes for Hope
Financial Services

Gulfeagle Supply
James Saunders
Sponsor:?TW Bailey,?Bailey Family Builders
Roofing Products/Materials Manuf./Distr.

Huitt-Zollars Inc.
Mark Edgren
Sponsor: Frank Murphy,?Wynne-Jackson
Engineers-Consulting

INSURICA Insurance Management Network
Kris Flores
Sponsor:?Rich Messenger,?Texas Door & Trim
Insurance

Patriot Bank
Tony Barnard
Sponsor:?Rich Messenger,?Texas Door & Trim
Financial Services

Premier Stair and Door, LLC
Scott Graesser
Sponsor:?Mark Dann,?Highland Classic Homes
Staircase Subcontractor

Shining Star Promotional Products
Tonya Bair
Sponsor:?Rich Messenger,?Texas Door & Trim
Promotional Items

Tilotta Enterprises, Inc.
Frank Tilotta
Sponsor:?Sponsor:?TW Bailey,?Bailey Family Builders
Framing Contractors

Title Resources
Amy Hinshaw
Sponsor: Donny Mack,?Mack Professionals Inc./Beaver Builders
Title Insurance

Thank you the 2013 Yearlong Membership Drive Partner

Source: http://www.dallasbuilders.com/membership/welcome-new-january-members/

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Ashley Judd & Dario Franchitti Getting Divorced!

Ashley Judd & Dario Franchitti Getting Divorced!

Ashley Judd and her husband Dario Franchitti have split after 11 years of marriage! The “Dolphin Tale” star and the Scottish race car driver have announced they are going their separate ways but “will always be family”. The couple issued a statement saying, “We have mutually decided to end our marriage. We’ll always be family ...

Ashley Judd & Dario Franchitti Getting Divorced! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/01/ashley-judd-dario-franchitti-getting-divorced/

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Vultures foraging far and wide face a poisonous future

Jan. 30, 2013 ? A first ever study of the range and habits of white-backed vultures across southern Africa shows that they often shun national parks, preferring to forage further afield on private farmland.

This behaviour and their tendency to scavenge in groups, means that vultures risk encountering dead cattle that have been administered veterinary drugs that are poisonous to them, or even poisoned carcasses intended to control other carnivores such as jackals.

The research, using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to track the movements of adolescent vultures, is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The white-backed vulture is a widespread but declining species in Africa and it is now listed as endangered. In India, several vulture species are on the verge of extinction due to accidental poisoning from cattle carcasses that contain anti-inflammatory drugs administered by farmers. These drugs are non-lethal to cattle yet fatal to vultures. There is a concern that these drugs could become more widely used in Africa.

Vultures prefer to feed in savannah grassland habitats and away from other competing carnivores, such as lions, and the new study shows that the birds will go to considerable lengths to find food, crossing multiple state boundaries, with each bird on average ranging across an area twice the size of England.

Co-lead author, Dr Stephen Willis, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, said: "We found that young vultures travel much further than we ever imagined to find food, sometimes moving more than 220 kilometres a day. Individuals moved through up to five countries over a period of 200 days, emphasising the need for conservation collaboration among countries to protect this species."

"In South Africa, the vultures avoided the national parks that have been established to conserve wildlife. As a result, these parks are unlikely to protect such a wide-ranging species against threats in the wider landscape.

"The vultures may actively avoid parks with numerous large mammal predators due to competition for food, and find easier pickings on cattle carcasses in farmland outside these protected areas.

"We found evidence that individual birds were attracted to 'vulture restaurants' where carrion is regularly put out as an extra source of food for vultures and where tourists can see the birds up close. As a result, these individuals reduced their ranging behaviour. Such 'restaurants' could be used in future to attract vultures to areas away from sites where they are at high risk of poisoning."

The team tracked six immature African white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus): five for 200 days, and one for 101 days) across southern Africa using GPS tracking units which were carefully strapped to the birds' backs.

Co-lead author, Louis Phipps, who recently graduated from the University of Pretoria, said: "Modern farming practices mean that vultures face an increasing risk of fatal poisoning. The provision of an uncontaminated supply of food, research into veterinary practices, and education for farmers could all be part of a future solution, if vulture numbers continue to plummet."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/EPAzNgl82z4/130130184314.htm

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New semiconductor research may extend integrated circuit battery life tenfold

Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michelle Cometa
macuns@rit.edu
585-475-4954
Rochester Institute of Technology

Early results using novel materials and processes achieves milestone toward low-power tunnel transistor electronics

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology, international semiconductor consortium SEMATECH and Texas State University have demonstrated that use of new methods and materials for building integrated circuits can reduce powerextending battery life to 10 times longer for mobile applications compared to conventional transistors.

The key to the breakthrough is a tunneling field effect transistor. Transistors are switches that control the movement of electrons through material to conduct the electrical currents needed to run circuits. Unlike standard transistors, which are like driving a car over a hill, the tunneling field effect transistor is more like tunneling through a hill, says Sean Rommel, associate professor of electrical and microelectronic engineering.

"The tunneling field effect transistors have not yet demonstrated a sufficiently large drive current to make it a practical replacement for current transistor technology," Rommel says, "but this work conclusively established the largest tunneling current ever experimentally demonstrated, answering a key question about the viability of tunneling field effect transistor technology."

Rommel worked with David Pawlik, Brian Romanczyk and Paul Thomas, three graduate students in the microelectronic engineering and microsystems engineering programs at RIT. Along with colleagues from SEMATECH and Texas State University, the team presented the breakthrough findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco this past December.

In order to accurately observe and quantify these current levels, a fabrication and testing procedure was performed at RIT. Pawlik developed a process to build and test vertical Esaki tunnel diodes smaller than 120 nanometers in diameter, Rommel explains. This procedure allowed the researchers to measure hundreds of diodes per sample. Because of the nanometer-scale devices tested, the researchers were able to experimentally observe currents substantially larger than any previously reported tunneling currents.

Esaki tunnel diodes, discovered in 1957 and the first quantum devices, were used to create a map showing output tunnel currents for a given set of material systems and parameters. For the first time, researchers have a single reference to which they can compare results from the micro- to the mega-ampere range, Rommel adds.

"This work may be used by others in designing higher performance tunneling field effect transistors which may enable future low power integrated circuits for your mobile device," he says.

The team's findings in the area of developing high performance, low-power electronic devices are also detailed in the paper, "Benchmarking and Improving III-V Esaki Diode Performance with a Record 2.2 MA cm2 Current Density to Enhance Tunneling Field-Effect Transistor Drive Current." The National Science Foundation, SEMATECH and RIT's Office of the Vice President of Research sponsor the work.

"SEMATECH, RIT and Texas State have made a significant breakthrough in the basic materials for the sub 10 nm node with this work," said Paul Kirsch, director of SEMATECH's Front End Processes. "The research that was presented at the International Electron Devices Meeting on III-V Esaki tunnel diode performance resolves fundamental questions on the viability of tunneling field effect transistors and provides a practical basis for low-voltage transistor technologies."

###

---

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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.

Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michelle Cometa
macuns@rit.edu
585-475-4954
Rochester Institute of Technology

Early results using novel materials and processes achieves milestone toward low-power tunnel transistor electronics

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology, international semiconductor consortium SEMATECH and Texas State University have demonstrated that use of new methods and materials for building integrated circuits can reduce powerextending battery life to 10 times longer for mobile applications compared to conventional transistors.

The key to the breakthrough is a tunneling field effect transistor. Transistors are switches that control the movement of electrons through material to conduct the electrical currents needed to run circuits. Unlike standard transistors, which are like driving a car over a hill, the tunneling field effect transistor is more like tunneling through a hill, says Sean Rommel, associate professor of electrical and microelectronic engineering.

"The tunneling field effect transistors have not yet demonstrated a sufficiently large drive current to make it a practical replacement for current transistor technology," Rommel says, "but this work conclusively established the largest tunneling current ever experimentally demonstrated, answering a key question about the viability of tunneling field effect transistor technology."

Rommel worked with David Pawlik, Brian Romanczyk and Paul Thomas, three graduate students in the microelectronic engineering and microsystems engineering programs at RIT. Along with colleagues from SEMATECH and Texas State University, the team presented the breakthrough findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco this past December.

In order to accurately observe and quantify these current levels, a fabrication and testing procedure was performed at RIT. Pawlik developed a process to build and test vertical Esaki tunnel diodes smaller than 120 nanometers in diameter, Rommel explains. This procedure allowed the researchers to measure hundreds of diodes per sample. Because of the nanometer-scale devices tested, the researchers were able to experimentally observe currents substantially larger than any previously reported tunneling currents.

Esaki tunnel diodes, discovered in 1957 and the first quantum devices, were used to create a map showing output tunnel currents for a given set of material systems and parameters. For the first time, researchers have a single reference to which they can compare results from the micro- to the mega-ampere range, Rommel adds.

"This work may be used by others in designing higher performance tunneling field effect transistors which may enable future low power integrated circuits for your mobile device," he says.

The team's findings in the area of developing high performance, low-power electronic devices are also detailed in the paper, "Benchmarking and Improving III-V Esaki Diode Performance with a Record 2.2 MA cm2 Current Density to Enhance Tunneling Field-Effect Transistor Drive Current." The National Science Foundation, SEMATECH and RIT's Office of the Vice President of Research sponsor the work.

"SEMATECH, RIT and Texas State have made a significant breakthrough in the basic materials for the sub 10 nm node with this work," said Paul Kirsch, director of SEMATECH's Front End Processes. "The research that was presented at the International Electron Devices Meeting on III-V Esaki tunnel diode performance resolves fundamental questions on the viability of tunneling field effect transistors and provides a practical basis for low-voltage transistor technologies."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/riot-nsr013013.php

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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Recap: Dinner, Drinks & Stripper Poles

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-recap-dinner-drinks-and-str/

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Editorial: Engadget on BlackBerry 10

January 30th has been circled on our calendars for quite some time. It's the day that Research in Motion (now known as BlackBerry) officially pulled the curtains away from its next-gen BlackBerry OS -- aka BB 10 -- revealing all of its secrets to the world after no less than 15 months of development. Don't underestimate the importance of this move; this is just the beginning of BlackBerry's battle to remain relevant in the mobile industry. Now that BlackBerry 10 devices are ready to spend time in the public eye, what does our editorial staff think about the products -- as well as BlackBerry's future? Engadget sounds off about BlackBerry 10 after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, RIM

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/MMKcI3La8JE/

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FACT CHECK: The stretched case against Chuck Hagel

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - This Jan. 7, 2013 file photo shows former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, president Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama, left, shakes hands with his choice for Defense Secretary, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, after announcing Hagel's nomination in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republican-leaning groups opposing President Barack Obama's choice of Chuck Hagel to head the Defense Department have let loose a barrage of claims about the former GOP senator.

They say he endorses automatic cuts to the defense budget, that he wants to decimate the nation's nuclear arsenal, that his membership on the board of a major company that had a Pentagon contract is a conflict of interest that he's ignoring.

A look at Hagel's record suggests many of the contentions are overblown.

In statements and attack ads, the groups have sought to undermine Hagel's nomination in the weeks leading up to his confirmation hearing on Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. His opponents face a tough challenge as Democrats have begun to rally around the president's choice, and the party has the majority votes to confirm the former two-term Nebraska senator, barring surprises.

Here's a look at the validity of some of the criticism of Hagel.

___

THE CLAIM: "We live in a dangerous world. Iran, North Korea, even Russia. But Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of defense wants America to back down. An end to our nuclear program. Devastating defense cuts. A weaker country."? An ad being run by Americans for a Stronger Defense in the home states of five Democratic senators up for re-election next year ? Alaska's Mark Begich, Arkansas' Mark Pryor, Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, Colorado's Mark Udall and North Carolina's Kay Hagan.

THE FACTS: Hagel has not proposed ending the nuclear weapons program, though he has supported deep cuts.

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

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

The study said: "These steps could be taken with Russia in unison through reciprocal presidential directives, negotiated in another round of bilateral arms reduction talks or implemented unilaterally." The report was by Hagel, former ambassadors Richard Burt and Thomas Pickering, retired Gen. James Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired Gen. John J. Sheehan.

An arsenal of 900 nuclear weapons would not be an "end" to the U.S. nuclear program, but Hagel and the organization did raise the possibility of unilateral reductions. In a statement Monday, Burt and others defended Hagel and dismissed suggestions that they were "unilateralists."

The group running this anti-Hagel ad was formed recently and offers little information about itself on its website. Board member Mauricio Claver-Carone also is director of the US Cuba Democracy Advocates in Washington and favors tighter restrictions on the Castro government.

___

THE CLAIM: "Opposition is growing even more due to his support for sequestration of the military: huge budget cuts that the Joints Chiefs have already warned the Senate Armed Forces Committee would result in a 'hollow force.'" ? A Jan. 22 statement from Move America Forward, a California-based group founded by conservatives in 2004 to show support for U.S. troops.

THE FACTS: The group offered no evidence Hagel supports sequestration, the budget mechanism that will mean automatic, across-the-board spending cuts March 1 if Congress does not act to avert them. The White House says he opposes the mechanism, which came into play after Hagel left the Senate.

To be sure, Hagel has spoken about cutting Pentagon spending. In a 2011 interview with the Financial Times, Hagel said, "the Defense Department, I think in many ways, has been bloated" and "has gotten everything it's wanted the last 10 years and more."

The base defense budget has nearly doubled over 10 years, to about $528 billion this year. That doesn't include the billions spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama and congressional Republicans agreed in August 2011 on a deficit-cutting plan that would cut $487 billion from projected defense spending over 10 years. Democrats and Republicans also voted for automatic cuts of $55 billion this year if a special congressional panel can't come up with a sweeping deficit-cutting plan.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned against the approach of across-the-board cuts, and Hagel has given no sign that he has a different view.

___

THE CLAIM: "Now Hagel sits on the board of Chevron, which receives hundreds of millions in Pentagon contracts. ... How can Chuck Hagel run the Pentagon with so many ethical questions about his own record?" ? Ad by the American Future Fund, which is running a "Hagel No" campaign. The group describes itself as advocating conservative, free-market ideals.

THE FACTS: It's widely assumed that Hagel will be leaving the Chevron board, a move common for nominees who face the prospect of such ethical conflicts. The Senate Armed Services Committee has some of the most stringent rules for nominees for senior civilian positions in the Defense Department. The panel requires nominees to divest all financial interests in companies doing business with the department. Stepping down from any board would certainly be required.

The committee bases its decisions on the Defense Department list of companies with contracts valued at $25,000 or more. The list is 330 pages long and includes Chevron.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-28-US-Hagel-Fact-Check/id-4a96295119594ab0a65fbf671ab223d4

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Go For SugarCRM Framework And Get Maximum Benefit ...

SugarCRM is an open source customer relationship management software meant for all kinds of businesses. SugarCRM takes care of all requirements. SugarCRM has easy to user browser based interfaces that can be easily customized to meet the requirements of individual organizations. Being an open source off the shelf application, a wide variety of plug-ins and module are available, which can be integrated with the basic SugarCRM development to enhance its functionality.

They can be easily integrated with the Sugar Open Source and Professional editions enabling them to be upgraded to the Sugar Enterprise edition. Sugar Customer Relationship Management can be used across various platforms, as its operating system neutral. So be it Linux, Windows, Mac or UNIX, you will be able to run your application easily.

Integrating SugarCRM for any customer centric business is very easy. PHP web developers create easy and web-based solutions, which are intuitive in nature. You will require no prior knowledge or experience to use it for your business. Since there is a free version of it, you will incur no cost on the application. The only cost is for customization and support. The free version of this CRM is powerful and can be used by small and medium businesses.

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Also, additional Social CRM integrations can easily be built using Sugar Studio, Sugar Cloud Connectors and Module Builder.

Sales people in your organization can track and share contacts and opportunities, manage and up sell into existing accounts, forecast revenue, monitor performance through dashboards, manage quotes and contracts, work offline through Sugar mobile and collaborate through integration with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and other groupware applications.

Create, execute and track campaigns across multiple channels. Develops compelling email marketing programs and capture leads directly into your CRM system with web-to-lead forms.

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Source: http://www.articleswide.com/article/14932-Go_For_SugarCRM_Framework_And_Get_Maximum_Benefit.html

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Wisconsin sheriff's warning: Arm yourself, we might not get there in time

A sheriff in Wisconsin has made a radio ad counseling residents to have a gun and know how to use it. He says it's a necessary warning, critics say it is irresponsible.

By Mark Guarino,?Staff writer / January 28, 2013

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke talks during a budget hearing in Milwaukee in this 2011 photo. The Wisconsin sheriff released an ad calling on residents to defend themselves, because the old model of having a citizen call 911 and wait for help isn't always the best option.

Gary Porter/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/AP/File

Enlarge

A top law-enforcement official in Wisconsin is telling gun owners that, when faced with a violent criminal in their home, they should no longer just rely on dialing 911, but should take matter into their own hands.

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Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has attracted national attention by releasing a 30-second radio spot in which he tells the public they are needed ?in the game? of personal protection.

?With officers laid-off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option. You can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back; but are you prepared? Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there. You have a duty to protect yourself and your family. We?re partners now,? he says.

Wisconsin has a ?castle doctrine" law, which makes it legal for gun owners to kill or maim an intruder to their home. So Sheriff's Clarke plea has the force of law behind it. What makes his actions so unusual is the fact that he ? as a sheriff ? is essentially telling his citizens not to depend on the police.

?It?s highly irregular. Most law enforcement professionals will not encourage people to pick up their guns and engage in vigilante justice," says Randolph McLaughlin, a civil rights attorney in Manhattan and a professor at Pace University Law School. "What [Clarke] is saying is that ?we in law enforcement are unable to protect you, so do what you need to do.? It?s an extremely dangerous proposition to encourage citizens who have no law-enforcement training to use their weapons.?

The comments have resonance beyond Wisconsin. In all, 48 states have either a castle doctrine law or its variant ? a "stand your ground" law that allows the use of deadly force outside one?s private property if a person feels threatened and cannot retreat ? according to a 2012 study by Texas A&M University. Moreover, in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Clarke's comments play into the national conversation about how involved a community should be in arming and protecting itself.

Clarke first agreed to talk to the Monitor for this story Monday but subsequently declined, citing a busy schedule.

Clarke defended the spot Monday morning, telling Fox News that ?personal safety is a personal responsibility.? The police are not omnipresent. We can't be there all the time and sometimes we can't be there as fast as we'd like.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fGrTMLnB2k8/Wisconsin-sheriff-s-warning-Arm-yourself-we-might-not-get-there-in-time

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Iran launches monkey into space: Report

DUBAI - Iran said on Monday it had launched a live monkey into space, seeking to show off missile systems that have alarmed the West because the technology could potentially be used to deliver a nuclear warhead.

The Defense Ministry announced the launch as world powers sought to agree a date and venue with Iran for resuming talks to resolve a standoff with the West over Tehran's contested nuclear program before it degenerates into a new Middle East war.

Efforts to nail down a new meeting have failed repeatedly and the powers fear Iran is exploiting the diplomatic vacuum to hone the means to produce nuclear weapons.

The Islamic Republic denies seeking weapons capability and says it seeks only electricity from its uranium enrichment so it can export more of its considerable oil wealth.

The powers have proposed new talks in February, a spokesman for the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Monday, hours after Russia urged all concerned to "stop behaving like children" and commit to a meeting.

Iran earlier in the day denied media reports of a major explosion at one of its most sensitive, underground enrichment plants, describing them as Western propaganda designed to influence the nuclear talks.

The Defense Ministry said the space launch of the monkey coincided "with the days of" the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, which was last week, but gave no date, according to a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.

The launch was "another giant step" in space technology and biological research "which is the monopoly of a few countries", the statement said.

The small grey monkey was pictured strapped into a padded seat and being loaded into the Kavoshgar rocket dubbed "Pishgam" (Pioneer) which state media said reached a height of more than 120 km (75 miles).

"This shipment returned safely to Earth with the anticipated speed along with the live organism," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the semi-official Fars news agency. "The launch of Kavoshgar and its retrieval is the first step towards sending humans into space in the next phase."

There was no independent confirmation of the launch.

Significant feat
The West worries that long-range ballistic technology used to propel Iranian satellites into orbit could be put to use dispatching nuclear warheads to a target.

Bruno Gruselle of France's Foundation for Strategic Research said that if the monkey launch report were true it would suggest a "quite significant" engineering feat by Iran.

"If you can show that you are able to protect a vehicle of this sort from re-entry, then you can probably protect a military warhead and make it survive the high temperatures and high pressures of re-entering," Gruselle said.

The monkey launch would be similar to sending up a satellite weighing some 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds), he said. Success would suggest a capacity to deploy a surface-to-surface missile with a range of a few thousand kilometers (miles).

Michael Elleman, a missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank, said Iran had demonstrated "no new military or strategic capability" with the launch.

"Nonetheless, Iran has an ambitious space exploration program that includes the goal of placing a human in space in the next five or so years and a human-inhabited orbital capsule by the end of the decade," Elleman said. "Today's achievement is one step toward the goal, albeit a small one."

The Islamic Republic announced plans in 2011 to send a monkey into space, but that attempt was reported to have failed.

Nuclear-weapons capability requires three components - enough fissile material such as highly enriched uranium, a reliable weapons device miniaturized to fit into a missile cone, and an effective delivery system, such as a ballistic missile that can grow out of a space launch program.

Iran's efforts to develop and test ballistic missiles and build a space launch capability have contributed to Israeli calls for pre-emptive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and billions of dollars of U.S. ballistic missile Defense spending.

Maneuvering over next talks
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the powers had offered a February meeting to Iran, after a proposal to meet at the end of January was refused.

"Iran did not accept our offer to go to Istanbul on Jan. 28 and 29 and so we have offered new dates in February. We have continued to offer dates since December. We are disappointed the Iranians have not yet agreed," Michael Mann reporters.

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He said Iranian negotiators had imposed new conditions for resuming talks and that EU powers were concerned this might be a stalling tactic. The last in a sporadic series of fruitless talks was held last June.

Iranian officials deny blame for the delays and say Western countries squandered opportunities for meetings by waiting until after the U.S. presidential election in November.

"We have always said that we are ready to negotiate until a result is reached and we have never broken off discussions," IRNA quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi as saying.

Salehi has suggested holding the next round in Cairo but said the powers wanted another venue. He also said that Sweden, Kazakhstan and Switzerland had offered to host the talks.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference: "We are ready to meet at any location as soon as possible. We believe the essence of our talks is far more important (than the site), and we hope that common sense will prevail and we will stop behaving like little children."

Ashton is overseeing diplomatic contacts on behalf of the powers hoping to persuade Tehran to stop higher-grade uranium enrichment and accept stricter U.N. inspections in return for civilian nuclear cooperation and relief from U.N. sanctions.

Iran denies Fordow blast
Reuters has been unable to verify reports since Friday of an explosion early last week at the underground Fordow bunker that some Israeli and Western media said wrought heavy damage.

"The false news of an explosion at Fordow is Western propaganda ahead of nuclear negotiations to influence their process and outcome," IRNA quoted deputy Iranian nuclear energy agency chief Saeed Shamseddin Bar Broudi as saying.

In late 2011 the plant at Fordow began producing uranium enriched to 20 percent fissile purity, well above the 3.5 percent level normally needed for nuclear power stations.

While such higher-grade enrichment remains nominally far below the 90 percent level required for an atomic bomb, nuclear proliferation experts say the 20 percent threshold represents the bulk of the time and effort involved in yielding weapons-grade material - if that were Iran's goal.

Tehran says its enhanced enrichment is to make fuel for a research reactor that produces isotopes for medical care.

Diplomats in Vienna, where the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency is based, said on Monday they had no knowledge of any incident at Fordow but were looking into the reports.

"I have heard and seen various reports but am unable to authenticate them," a senior diplomat in Vienna told Reuters.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which regularly inspects declared Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, had no immediate comment on the issue.

Iran has accused Israel and the United States of trying to sabotage its nuclear program with cyber attacks and assassinations of its nuclear scientists. Washington has denied any role in the killings while Israel has declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by William Maclean and Marcus George in Dubai, Justyna Pawlak in Brussels, Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Jon Hemming)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50614548/ns/technology_and_science-space/

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How Conservative Columnist George Will Lies With Statistics (Little green footballs)

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Leading Senate liberal Harkin of Iowa to retire

DES MOINES (Reuters) - Senator Tom Harkin, a veteran Iowa Democrat and one of the most liberal senators, said on Saturday he will not seek re-election in 2014, putting at risk what was considered a safe Democratic seat.

Harkin, 73, who has focused much of his nearly 40-year congressional career on farm policy, education and expanding rights for people with disabilities, is the third senator facing re-election next year who has announced his retirement, following Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.

"I don't by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this Congress," Harkin said in a statement. "But I am going to make way for someone new in this Senate seat. I think that is right not just for me, but for Iowa, as well."

Iowa, the site of the early presidential caucuses, is considered a political swing state. Republican Charles Grassley is Iowa's other U.S. senator.

At hastily arranged remarks to the Iowa Democratic Party central committee after his announcement, Harkin said he would stay active.

"I'm not quitting today. This is not a time for legacy talks or anything like this," said Harkin, who has served in Congress since 1974. Several committee members had tears running down their cheeks as he spoke.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, in a statement described Harkin as "a passionate progressive, whose deeply-held principles have provided a guiding light to Democrats for decades."

Party officials said Harkin's announcement, coming early in the current two-year election cycle, provides ample time to recruit a strong Democratic candidate.

Of the Democrats, U.S. Representative Bruce Braley is widely seen as a front-runner, while U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, and his wife, Christine Vilsack, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year, are also viewed as potential candidates.

Among Republicans, U.S. Representatives Tom Latham, a moderate, and Steve King, a conservative, were mentioned as possible candidates, which could produce a divisive Republican primary.

Democratic President Barack Obama won Iowa in the November election but the state has a Republican governor, and a divided legislature and congressional delegation.

Harkin's retirement "just reinforces our belief that a grassroots Republican comeback can take place in 2014. Let's have it start in Iowa," Iowa Republican Party Chairman A.J. Spiker said in an email appeal to state Republicans.

Republicans need to pick up six seats in the mid-term elections next year to take a majority in the 100-member Senate.

One of the last of the Senate's old guard liberals, Harkin angrily opposed the White House over the recent fiscal cliff compromise that Vice President Joe Biden negotiated with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Harkin said the deal that raised taxes only on the very rich helps the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

Harkin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1974 and the Senate in 1984.

"When the current Congress is over, I will have served in the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for a total of 40 years. After 40 years, I just feel it's somebody else's turn," he said.

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, David Morgan, Charles Abbott and Vicki Allen in Washington; Editing by Greg McCune and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democratic-senator-tom-harkin-not-seek-election-aide-161442576.html

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Diet for hiatal with the right diet:Health and Fitness

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'No budget, no pay' advances despite reservations (The Arizona Republic)

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J.J. Abrams, Will You Be My 'Star Wars' Director?

These "Star Wars" engagement rings are the perfect away to tell your betrothed that you're a badass. Also, learn about the biggest social issues in Middle-earth with some helpful PSAs in today's Dailies! » Great films as seen by Google Street View [Gawker] » PSAs from Middle-earth [Reddit]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/01/25/star-wars-engagement-dailies/

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Record numbers of tourists come to Hawaii in 2012

HONOLULU (AP) ? A recovering global economy, strong yen, stable oil prices, more flights and marketing campaigns helped bring a record number of tourists to Hawaii last year, the Hawaii Tourism Authority said Thursday.

Nearly 8 million travelers ? 7,998,815, to be exact ? visited the islands in 2012. That's an increase of nearly 10 percent over the previous year. It also breaks the previous record of 7.6 million visitors marked in 2006, before the financial crisis and recession encouraged travelers to stay home.

Mike McCartney, CEO of the tourism agency, said his organization focuses on encouraging airlines to launch new nonstop routes to the islands. Hawaiian Airlines started direct flights from Honolulu to New York City and the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Sapporo in 2012. United Airlines launched a nonstop flight to Dulles airport outside Washington, D.C.

The tourism authority ? a state agency funded by a tax on hotel rooms and other short-term accommodations ? worked hard to tell travel agents about what Hawaii has to offer and prepared customized marketing programs for different cities and regions, McCartney said.

"The foundation of it all is to make sure that we support our competitive advantage ? which is our people, our place and our culture ? as a destination providing a unique experience to our guests," McCartney said in an interview Wednesday.

Travelers spent a record $14.3 billion in Hawaii last year. This is nearly 19 percent more than they spent in 2011 and it beats the annual spending record of $12.8 billion marked in 2007.

The agency expects continued growth this year, with the visitors expected to exceed 8 million in 2013 and spending forecast to top $14.8 billion.

McCartney said the agency would aim to continue growing Japanese markets, increase the frequency of flights from South Korea and China and build on growth in travel from the U.S. East Coast region. Taiwan is another promising market: Hawaiian Airlines plans to fly nonstop between Taipei and Honolulu starting in July.

More than 80 percent of Oahu hotel rooms were full during the year on average. Even higher percentages were occupied during peak travel periods. Yet McCartney said Hawaii has room to welcome more visitors.

He said there's opportunity for growth during the off-peak months around April and May and October and November.

There's also potential on neighbor islands, where occupancy hovered above 70 percent on Maui and Kauai and above 60 percent on the Big Island, he said.

"There is capacity, and strategically going forward, we're going to try to improve those numbers," McCartney said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/record-numbers-tourists-come-hawaii-2012-152041436.html

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Gay rights groups seek order on employer bias

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Gay rights advocates are renewing their push for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against gay employees.

The drive comes as Obama included an unexpected declaration of support for gay rights in his inaugural address Monday, saying, "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

Gay supporters hope his comments will lead to action on their agenda on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Obama had frustrated many of his supporters last year when he declined to issue an executive order that would protect workers at companies with government contracts from bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

At the time, activists believed the administration was making a political decision based on the looming election. White House officials said Obama was waiting for Congress to pass broader legislation that would prohibit all employers from discriminating against gay workers.

"Getting past an election always uncomplicates things," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay rights advocacy group. "We intend to pick up the issue once again and ask the president to do this."

Current federal law bans discrimination on the basis of sex, race and national origin, but it doesn't stop an employer from firing or refusing to hire a worker based on sexual orientation.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye said this week that the Obama administration is not ready "at this time" to issue an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against gays.

The push for Obama to act comes as legal recognition of gay rights has gradually expanded: Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Nine states and D.C. have legalized same-sex marriage.

Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases that could further expand gay marriage rights. Gay rights groups are hoping the administration files briefs in the case to argue that gay marriage is protected by the Constitution. Obama has so far insisted gay marriage is a state issue, and White House spokesman Jay Carney reaffirmed that stance Tuesday in response to questions about the president's inaugural speech.

Gay supporters have been a loyal constituency for Obama, helping him raise millions for his re-election campaign. And they have been grateful for the president's first-term decisions to back same-sex marriage and repeal the military's "don't ask don't tell" policy, allowing gay soldiers to serve openly for the first time.

But job discrimination remains one of the last barriers for gay workers, and activists say it's unrealistic to expect Congress ? with a Republican-controlled House ? to revise discrimination laws anytime soon. Those efforts have failed to make headway in Congress for more than a decade.

In the meantime, an executive order banning discrimination by federal contractors would affect more than 20 percent of the workforce ? about 16 million workers. And some advocates believe an executive order could provide the spark that gets Congress to act.

"There's clear research that shows LGBT people face high rates of discrimination in the workplace, and we need to pursue every possible policy solution to that problem," said Jeff Krehely, vice president of LGBT research at the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress.

Randel Johnson, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for labor issues, said business owners might have some concerns with an executive order, depending on how it was drafted, with new paperwork and enforcement requirements.

"Executive orders are often enforced through the severe sanction of debarment from federal contracts, so they must be carefully and narrowly structured," Johnson said.

Otherwise, the Chamber has taken no official position on congressional efforts to pass broader legislation prohibiting discrimination against gay workers.

Many Fortune 500 companies already include bans on discrimination based on sexual orientation in their workplace, and many others include gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, welcomed Obama's inaugural remarks, calling him "the most pro-LGBT president in American history." But she said it's also time for the president "to finish the job of ensuring that every American gets a fair shake."

Her group's agenda includes an executive order covering anti-gay discrimination by federal contractors, passage of broader federal legislation covering all employers and repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

___

Follow Sam Hananel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SamHananelAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gay-rights-groups-seek-order-employer-bias-080350983--finance.html

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Prostate Cancer Risk Has 'Trebled,' 1 In 7 Boys Expected To ...

The risk of prostate cancer has increased so much that projections suggest one in seven boys will develop the disease in their lifetime, experts say.

In 1990, the risk of cancer was one in 20, and experts say the rise can partly be attributed to the fact that men are living longer, meaning more are developing the disease at some point. Another factor is the increased use of the Prostate Specific Antigen test?(PSA), which detects life-threatening and non-aggressive types of prostate cancer. However, the PSA does not distinguish between the two forms, which can cause unnecessary anxiety for men.

Doctors are now looking for a more effective way to detect prostate cancer, such as through blood and urine tests and medical scans.

According to Cancer Research UK, the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer will rise from five percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2015. On the positive side, however, the cancer death rate has decreased by 20 percent in the last 20 years.

Dr. Sarah Cant of Prostate Cancer UK said, ?Although it is heartening that prostate cancer death rates appear to have reduced over recent years, these stats reinforce our concerns that the number of men being diagnosed with the disease is rising at an alarming rate.?

Currently, there is a debate as to whether all men should get a PSA test. Because the test does not distinguish between aggressive and non-aggresive cancers, some of the men diagnosed may be undergoing treatments they don?t need, which can have serious side effects.

Harpal Jumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said, ?Targeting the tests at men who have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer might be a better approach than screening all men.?

The strongest risk factor for prostate cancer is age. Typically, men over 50 are more at risk than those under 50. Family history is also another strong risk factor, and men with a first-degree relative are two to three times more likely to develop prostate cancer. Unfortunately, modifiable risk factors have yet to be found, making it difficult to establish a prevention strategy.

Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/493489/prostate-cancer-risk-has-trebled-1-in-7-boys-expected-to-develop-disease/

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Excellent Advice For Making Improvements To Your Home. | OK ...

TIP! Use high-quality insulation around your plumbing system to prevent your water from freezing during this coming winter. It?s easy to find weatherizing tape or foam insulation to use on on your pipes.

Home improvement offers a chance for anyone to participate. Home improvement projects can benefit you much further than providing you with a nicer home to live in. A project that?s well executed can significantly raise your home?s market value. This article should give you some ideas on how to do some great home improvement projects.

TIP! Have a knowledgeable professional look at the floors you already have in your home before you install new hardwood floors. You may have some great, natural hardwood beneath your linoleum or carpet that just needs refinished.

Make sure you include everything in your budget. Unexpected expenses quickly start adding up, and your mistakes can cost you by throwing your budget off track. This can be avoided through proper planning. What can go wrong? What if the materials you want are not available? When you ask these questions, you will be better prepared.

TIP! To get the most out of your home improvement projects, make sure you are using the best tools for the job. This will help make sure the job is done right.

If you can afford it, purchase natural materials for use with indoor projects. Wood, ceramic, stone and other real materials are usually superior to synthetic substitutes. They look better and last longer. The most costly natural materials may be less expensive over time because the synthetics will likely need replacing often.

TIP! Protect floors and other surfaces when you are painting, replacing cabinets or demolishing walls. You can prevent further work by covering areas of your workspace up.

If you wish to do an easy home improvement project, get to a store and purchase some paint. Adding some new paint to a home can give it a new appearance, which doesn?t really cost you a whole lot of money or time. If you want to sell your home, then adding new paint to your home can improve your home?s appearance to potential buyers.

TIP! Whilst undertaking home renovations in your kitchen or bathroom, it is a good idea to install new water-resistant wall board in place of the existing ordinary wall board. Water-resistant wall board is called ?green board? by the construction industry and will stand up to moisture much better than standard wall board.

It?s much cheaper to live in your home whenever performing home renovation. Therefore, you should attempt to only renovate a single room at once. This will allow you to live in your home more easily, unless you?re working on your only bathroom! If you need to ask a family member to spend a few nights at their home.

TIP! A new floor is a smart way to modernize any room. You can install laminate flooring on your own and it is nearly indestructible.

The information you?ve learned in this article is just a small taste of the wealth of home improvement knowledge that is available. Keep learning and acquiring knowledge to enjoy what home improvement has to offer. Well thought out plans and research can be what makes or breaks your home improvement project. Before you tackle your next project, learn all you can.

Source: http://okheyday.com/excellent-advice-for-making-improvements-to-your-home/

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