Family Tree Tuesday ? Lydia Field Emmet - Geni

Lydia Field Emmet

Lydia Field Emmet was best known for her work as a portraitist. Her paintings can be found hanging in the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other prestigious art galleries. In 1883, at the age of sixteen, she was commissioned to illustrate Henrietta Christian Wright?s children?s book Little Folk in Green. Emmet was an illustrator for Harper?s Bazaar?magazine and was commissioned to paint an official portrait of the First Lady, Lou Henry Hoover from President Herbert Hoover which now hangs in the White House.

She was born on January 23, 1866 in New Rochelle, New York to merchant William Jenkins Emmet and illustrator Julia Colt Pierson.?Thomas Addis Emmet was Lydia?s paternal great grandfather. He was a prominent lawyer who later served as New York State Attorney General. He was an Irish nationalist who held a pivotal position in the Dublin Society of the United Irishmen after the failure of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Emmet immigrated to the United States with his family after his younger brother, Robert Emmet, was hanged in 1803 for high treason by the British government for his attempt to implement an Irish rebellion. Robert Emmet became an heroic figure in Irish history.

Lydia?s paternal grandfather was Judge Robert Emmet who served as the captain of a cavalry regiment in the War of 1812. Her maternal grandfather was Josiah G. Pierson who was an inventor and is believed to have invented the first properly functioning nail-cutting machine, with a patent registered for the device in 1795. He was the son of Congressman Jeremiah Halsey Pierson.

Robert E. Sherwood

Jane Emmet de Glehn, Lydia?s sister, was also an artist and married Wilfrid de Glehn, a notable British impressionist painter. In 2007, Arden Galleries in Manhattan held an exhibition of paintings by five generations of women in the Emmet family which included Lydia?s great aunt Elizabeth Emmet and her great-great grandnieces Julia Townsend and Beulah Emmet.

Playwright, editor, and screenwriter Robert Emmet Sherwood was Lydia?s nephew, he was the son of her sister Rosina Emmet. Sherwood won four Pulitzer Prizes, one of them for?his book Roosevelt and Hopkins?which recounted his time working as a speechwriter for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for the film The Best Years of Our Lives.

Check out Lydia Field Emmet?s family tree and see how you may be related!

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Source: http://www.geni.com/blog/family-tree-tuesday-lydia-field-emmet-380052.html

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Engaging online crowds in the classroom could be important tool for teaching innovation

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Online crowds can be an important tool for teaching the ins and outs of innovation, educators at Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University say, even when the quality of the feedback provided by online sources doesn't always match the quantity.

In a pilot study that invited the crowd into their classrooms, Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern instructors found that input from social media and other crowdsourcing sites helped the students identify human needs for products or services, generate large quantities of ideas, and ease some aspects of testing those ideas.

Finding ways to incorporate online crowds into coursework is critical for teaching the process of innovation, said Steven Dow, assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. He and his co-investigator, Elizabeth Gerber, the Breed Junior Professor of Design at Northwestern University, will present their findings April 29 at CHI 2013, the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in Paris.

"Educating students about innovation practices can be difficult in the classroom, where students typically lack authentic interaction with the real world," Dow explained. "Social networks and other online crowds can provide input that students can't get otherwise. Even in project courses, feedback is limited to a handful of individuals, at most."

At the same time, tapping the power of online communities has itself become part of the innovation process, Gerber said, with many entrepreneurs turning to sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo to get initial support.

"The Internet affords access to online communities to which we might not ever have access," she said. "Future innovators need to know how to find and respectively engage with these communities to get the resources they need."

Dow and Gerber have received a National Science Foundation grant to study the use of crowd technologies in the classroom. They have created a website, http://crowddriveninnovation.com/, to share ideas and resources regarding the use of crowd-based resources in innovation education.

In the pilot study, they explored the use of crowds with 50 students enrolled in three innovation classes offered by Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern. Students worked in groups of 3-4 on projects.

Students found online forums, such as Reddit, were very helpful in discovering unmet needs. A group working on public transit, for instance, found lots of people talk about transit on social media, Dow said. "It also helps them figure out what questions to ask users in more traditional interviews," he added.

An attempt to generate ideas through Amazon Mechanical Turk, which pays workers small fees for performing micro-tasks, produced little of use. "Understanding context is critical for ideation and this is difficult to do in a micro-task work environment," Gerber said. What did work effectively, she said, was asking people from the user research site Mindswarms to reflect on students' storyboard concepts.

In the final class assignment, to help students learn how to pitch ideas, the teams created a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter or IndieGoGo. But that made many students uncomfortable.

"The main problem with the crowdfunding piece of the class was that few students, as far as I could tell, actually wanted to raise the money," one student explained. "Most students in the class have other plans and weren't planning to continue working on their idea."

"In a strange way, this discomfort validated our hypothesis that engaging external crowds would bring the reality of innovation practices into the classroom," Dow said. "It was almost too real."

One solution, Dow and Gerber said, may be to have students prepare a crowdfunding campaign, but not launch it.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/N2RtpZnvZVw/130429130520.htm

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How does pregnancy reduce breast cancer risk?

Monday, April 29, 2013

Being pregnant while young is known to protect a women against breast cancer. But why? Research in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research finds that Wnt/Notch signalling ratio is decreased in the breast tissue of mice which have given birth, compared to virgin mice of the same age.

Early pregnancy is protective against breast cancer in humans and in rodents. In humans having a child before the age of 20 decreases risk of breast cancer by half. Using microarray analysis researchers from Basel discovered that genes involved in the immune system and differentiation were up-regulated after pregnancy while the activity of genes coding for growth factors was reduced.

The activity of one particular gene Wnt4 was also down-regulated after pregnancy. The protein from this gene (Wnt4) is a feminising protein - absence of this protein propels a foetus towards developing as a boy. Wnt and Notch are opposing components of a system which controls cellular fate within an organism and when the team looked at Notch they found that genes regulated by notch were up-regulated, Notch-stimulating proteins up-regulated and Notch-inhibiting proteins down-regulated.

Wnt/Notch signalling ratio was permanently altered in the basal stem/progenitor cells of mammary tissue of mice by pregnancy. Mohamed Bentires-Alj from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, who led this study explained, "The down-regulation of Wnt is the opposite of that seen in many cancers, and this tightened control of Wnt/Notch after pregnancy may be preventing the runaway growth present in cancer."

###

Parity induces differentiation and reduces Wnt/Notch signaling ratio and proliferation potential of basal stem/progenitor cells isolated from mouse mammary epithelium

Fabienne Meier-Abt, Emanuela Milani, Tim Roloff, Heike Brinkhaus, Stephan Duss, Dominique S Meyer, Ina Klebba, Piotr J Balwierz, Erik van Nimwegen and Mohamed Bentires-Alj

Breast Cancer Research (in press)

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 43 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127977/How_does_pregnancy_reduce_breast_cancer_risk_

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RolePlayGateway?

(WORK IN PROGRESS/MORE RACES TO COME)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

HUMAN

Main trait: Adaptable
Life span: 70-100 years
Average Height: 5'2"-6'2"
Average Weight: 100-200 lbs

Humans in Chrome are widespread, can be found in most regions and, in general, are fierce and disagreeable, which can sometimes lead certain other races to view them with contempt. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specialization, they can excel in many areas. Regardless of their precise origins, humans have been undeniably successful. While hardly the only dominant race of Chrome, humans are one of them and the most recent to obtain dominance. In spite of this strength, or perhaps because of it, humanity is an eternally fractured and divided race, broken up into over a dozen ethnic offshoots. It is believed that this is in part because humanity, unlike most other races, did not emerge as a whole but rather in several places at once, thereby resulting in its diversity.

The average human isn't as hardy as the average dwarf or as nimble as the average halfling. The average elf has a greater knack for arcane magic, and the average orc is certainly stronger. But human adaptability and energy makes the concept of an "average" human pretty nebulous. Individually, humans are vastly different from one another. Two humans chosen at random have less in common with each other than two elves -- and if the two humans come from different cultures, they might have less in common with each other than an elf and a dwarf do.

The Human mind is a strange amalgam of nostalgia and futurism, being enamored of past glories and wistfully remembered ?golden ages,? yet at the same time quick to discard tradition and history and strike off into new ventures. Relics of the past are kept as prized antiques and museum pieces, as humans love to collect things?not only inanimate relics but also living creatures?to display for their amusement or to serve by their side. Other races suggest this behavior is due to a deep-rooted urge to dominate and assert power in the human psyche, an urge to take, till, or tame the wild things and places of the world. Those with a more charitable view believe humans are simply collectors of experiences, and the things they take and keep, whether living, dead, or never alive, are just tokens to remind themselves of the places they have gone, the things they have seen, and the deeds they have accomplished.

Humans are fecund, and their drive and numbers often spur them into contact with other races during bouts of territorial expansion and colonization. In many cases, this tendency leads to violence and war, yet humans are also swift to forgive and forge alliances with races who do not try to match or exceed them in violence. Proud, sometimes to the point of arrogance, humans might look upon dwarves as miserly drunkards, elves as flighty fops, halflings as craven thieves, gnomes as twisted maniacs, and hybrids as embarrassments and so on?but the race's diversity among its own members also makes many humans quite adept at accepting others for what they are.

Human society throughout Chrome's history seems to be in a state of constant flux as empires fragment and new kingdoms subsume the old. In general, humans are known for their flexibility, ingenuity, and ambition. Other races sometimes envy humans their seemingly limitless adaptability, not so much biologically speaking but in their willingness to step beyond the known and press on to whatever might await them. While many or even most humans as individuals are content to stay within their comfortable routine, there is a dauntless spirit of discovery endemic to humans as a species that drives them in striving toward possibilities beyond every horizon.

At the current day there is only one major human civilization. The Republic of Ebony which is the 1st democratic nation in a thousand years and its only about three hundred years old (youngest country in Chrome). Although Humans are scattered in settlements all across the world.

RELIGION
Humans are both more religious and less religious than members of the other races. They are less religious in that many humans do not care about religion, and no deity can claim the worship of more than a fraction of humanity. Yet they are more religious in that their variety comfortably supports dozens of faiths, each with adherents more numerous than those of many nonhuman deities.

Less Religious: Humans' drive and energy sometimes get in the way of religious matters. Some humans are too practical or too busy with mundane concerns to spend time praying to a being they cannot see, have never met, and receive nothing from. Humans generally demand tangible assistance from a deity's church before they offer their fealty in return. Humans naturally juggle multiple allegiances (to family, to country, to community, and so forth), and some just don't have room in their lives for a religious relationship.

Another barrier that keeps humans from embracing religion is that humans don't have a cohesive mythology and a set pantheon. The dwarves know that Moradin fathered them, and the gnomes know they're the creation of Garl Glittergold. Humans are not so certain of their origins, and no major deity demands their exclusive allegiance. Some humans claim that Pelor is the greatest of the gods, but others worship Heironeous or Kord with equal fervor. Because humanity has so many gods, no one deity can win the allegiance of the entire race.

More Religious: Many humans are adaptable enough to work all sorts of religious practices into their daily lives. Once a bond between deity and human worshiper is established, it quickly grows strong. "The goddess Ulariis says I have to get up before dawn to pray to her," thinks the human. "But Ulariis makes sure the fields around the city grow lots of wheat, so it's definitely worth it." In exchange for a benefit, whether tangible or intangible, a human is willing to change her routine and follow the dictates of a particular religion.

Some humans do worship a deity in a profound and deep way. In fact, those humans with faith are so staunch in their convictions that their single mindedness frightens even dwarves. After all, most dwarves know the god Dumath is their ultimate father, and that he watches over them -- it's an obvious fact that no one in dwarven culture would deny. But a deeply religious human has chosen a deity from among dozens of equally powerful gods, and she maintains that religious allegiance despite being surrounded with humans who don't agree with that choice.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Carnegie Mellon neuroscientists use statistical model to draft fantasy teams of neurons

Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jocelyn Duffy
jhduffy@andrew.cmu.edu
412-268-9982
Carnegie Mellon University

PITTSBURGHThis past weekend teams from the National Football League used statistics like height, weight and speed to draft the best college players, and in a few weeks, armchair enthusiasts will use similar measures to select players for their own fantasy football teams. Neuroscientists at Carnegie Mellon University are taking a similar approach to compile "dream teams" of neurons using a statistics-based method that can evaluate the fitness of individual neurons.

After assembling the teams, a computer simulation pitted the groups of neurons against one another in a playoff-style format to find out which population was the best. Researchers analyzed the winning teams to see what types of neurons made the most successful squads.

The results were published in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of April 29.

"We wanted to know what team of neurons would be most likely to perform best in response to a variety of stimuli," said Nathan Urban, the Dr. Frederick A. Schwertz Distinguished Professor of Life Sciences and head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon.

The human brain contains more than 100 billion neurons that work together in smaller groups to complete certain tasks like processing an odor, or seeing a color. Previous work by Urban's lab found that no two neurons are exactly alike and that diverse teams of neurons were better able to determine a stimulus than teams of similar neurons.

"The next step in our work was to figure out how to assemble the best possible population of neurons in order to complete a task," said Urban, who is also a member of the joint Carnegie Mellon/University of Pittsburgh Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC).

However, using existing methods, scouting for the best team of neurons was a seemingly daunting task. It would be impossible for scientists to determine how each of the billions of neurons in the brain would individually respond to a multitude of stimuli. Urban and Shreejoy Tripathy, the article's lead author and graduate student in the CNBC's Program in Neural Computation, solved this problem using a statistical modeling approach, known as generalized linear models (GLMs), to analyze the cell-to-cell variability. Urban and Tripathy found that by applying this approach they were able to accurately reproduce the behavior of individual neurons in a computer, allowing them to gather statistics on each single cell.

Then, much like in fantasy football, the computer model used the statistics to put together thousands of teams of neurons. The teams competed against one another in a computer simulation to see which were able to most accurately recreate a stimulus delivered to the team of neurons. In the end researchers identified a small set of teams that they could study to see what characteristics made those populations successful.

They found that the winning teams of neurons were diverse but not as diverse as they would be if they were selected at random from the general population of neurons. The most successful sets contained a heterogeneous group of neurons that were flexible and able to respond well to a variety of stimuli.

"You can't have a football team made up of only linebackers. You need linebackers and tight ends, a quarterback and a kicker. But, the players can't just be random people off of the street; they all need to be good athletes. And you need to draft for positions, not just the best player available. If your best player is a quarterback you don't take another quarterback with your first pick," Urban said. "It's the same with neurons. To make the most effective grouping of neurons, you need a diverse bunch that also happens to be more robust and flexible than your average neuron."

Urban believes that GLMs can be used to further understand the importance of neuronal diversity. He plans to use the models to predict how alterations in the variability of neurons' responses, which can be caused by learning or disease, impact function.

###

Co-authors of the study also include Carnegie Mellon postdoctoral fellows Richard Gerkin and Krishnan Padmanabhan. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (F32 DC010535) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01 DC0005798).

To learn more about brain, mind and learning research at Carnegie Mellon, visit: http://www.cmu.edu/research/brain/

---

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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: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jocelyn Duffy
jhduffy@andrew.cmu.edu
412-268-9982
Carnegie Mellon University

PITTSBURGHThis past weekend teams from the National Football League used statistics like height, weight and speed to draft the best college players, and in a few weeks, armchair enthusiasts will use similar measures to select players for their own fantasy football teams. Neuroscientists at Carnegie Mellon University are taking a similar approach to compile "dream teams" of neurons using a statistics-based method that can evaluate the fitness of individual neurons.

After assembling the teams, a computer simulation pitted the groups of neurons against one another in a playoff-style format to find out which population was the best. Researchers analyzed the winning teams to see what types of neurons made the most successful squads.

The results were published in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of April 29.

"We wanted to know what team of neurons would be most likely to perform best in response to a variety of stimuli," said Nathan Urban, the Dr. Frederick A. Schwertz Distinguished Professor of Life Sciences and head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon.

The human brain contains more than 100 billion neurons that work together in smaller groups to complete certain tasks like processing an odor, or seeing a color. Previous work by Urban's lab found that no two neurons are exactly alike and that diverse teams of neurons were better able to determine a stimulus than teams of similar neurons.

"The next step in our work was to figure out how to assemble the best possible population of neurons in order to complete a task," said Urban, who is also a member of the joint Carnegie Mellon/University of Pittsburgh Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC).

However, using existing methods, scouting for the best team of neurons was a seemingly daunting task. It would be impossible for scientists to determine how each of the billions of neurons in the brain would individually respond to a multitude of stimuli. Urban and Shreejoy Tripathy, the article's lead author and graduate student in the CNBC's Program in Neural Computation, solved this problem using a statistical modeling approach, known as generalized linear models (GLMs), to analyze the cell-to-cell variability. Urban and Tripathy found that by applying this approach they were able to accurately reproduce the behavior of individual neurons in a computer, allowing them to gather statistics on each single cell.

Then, much like in fantasy football, the computer model used the statistics to put together thousands of teams of neurons. The teams competed against one another in a computer simulation to see which were able to most accurately recreate a stimulus delivered to the team of neurons. In the end researchers identified a small set of teams that they could study to see what characteristics made those populations successful.

They found that the winning teams of neurons were diverse but not as diverse as they would be if they were selected at random from the general population of neurons. The most successful sets contained a heterogeneous group of neurons that were flexible and able to respond well to a variety of stimuli.

"You can't have a football team made up of only linebackers. You need linebackers and tight ends, a quarterback and a kicker. But, the players can't just be random people off of the street; they all need to be good athletes. And you need to draft for positions, not just the best player available. If your best player is a quarterback you don't take another quarterback with your first pick," Urban said. "It's the same with neurons. To make the most effective grouping of neurons, you need a diverse bunch that also happens to be more robust and flexible than your average neuron."

Urban believes that GLMs can be used to further understand the importance of neuronal diversity. He plans to use the models to predict how alterations in the variability of neurons' responses, which can be caused by learning or disease, impact function.

###

Co-authors of the study also include Carnegie Mellon postdoctoral fellows Richard Gerkin and Krishnan Padmanabhan. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (F32 DC010535) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01 DC0005798).

To learn more about brain, mind and learning research at Carnegie Mellon, visit: http://www.cmu.edu/research/brain/

---

[ | 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/2013-04/cmu-cmn042613.php

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Alexander Gustafsson, Daniel Cormier, Anderson Silva: Who should Jon Jones fight next?

To the surprise of few, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones held onto his championship belt with a first-round TKO of Chael Sonnen on Saturday night. Part of the reason it was no surprise is that finishing fights is what Jones does. He won four of his last five fights by stoppage. He improves with every fight. Against Sonnen, he used Sonnen's strength of wrestling to control him on the way to the TKO.

Can anyone beat this guy? Here are a few contenders.

Alexander Gustafsson: He's one of the few elite, light heavyweight fighters who hasn't faced Jones. Like Jones, he uses his height and length to keep opponents at bay. He's ready for a fight now because he was pulled from a bout with Gegard Mousasi earlier this month because of a cut. Gustafsson is also who Jones wants to face.

[Related: Jon Jones makes quick work of Chael Sonnen]

"A lot of people think I've been successful because I appear to be larger than my opponents, and with Alexander, that would be no more," Jones said at the post-UFC 159 news conference. "That's who I would like to fight next."

Gustafsson is in:

Congratz @jonnybones Champ! Heal up good now so we

? Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) April 28, 2013

Can do this ;)

? Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) April 28, 2013

Daniel Cormier: The Strikeforce grand prix heavyweight champ had a successful UFC debut against Frank Mir. As a two-time Olympic wrestler with knockout power, he has the skills to stop Jones. UFC president Dana White said Cormier would get an immediate title shot if he were to drop down. The weight drop is the biggest question. Cormier wrestled at 211 lbs., and suffered from kidney failure the last time he tried to get to that weight. It won't be an easy cut for him.

Anderson Silva: White said he received a call from the middleweight champ right after the Jones bout, asking for a superfight with either Jones or Georges St-Pierre. White wouldn't confirm who Silva was asking for, but why would he ask for a bout with GSP right after watching Jones fight? It's the superfight MMA fans want, but Silva has Chris Weidman in July first.

[Photos: Jon Jones pummels Chael Sonnen, suffers gruesome injury]

Time off: This is likely Jones' next contender. During Saturday night's fight, he broke his toe in an ugly fashion. Even with Gustafsson, Silva and Cormier waiting for a fight, Jones needs to heal.

Related UFC video on Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Secrecy helped the Buffalo Bills land QB E.J. Manuel
? Giancarlo Stanton breaks HR drought with tape-measure shot
? Tony Stewart steamed at another driver ... again
? Don Cherry: 'I don't believe women should be in the male dressing room'

What do you want Jones to do next? Speak up on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alexander-gustafsson-daniel-cormier-anderson-silva-jon-jones-150515611.html

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Egypt president, judges compromising on reform law

CAIRO (AP) ? The Egyptian president's office indicated Sunday a compromise has been reached with the judiciary to defuse an uproar over a proposed law that would have forced out thousands of the country's most senior judges.

Just three days earlier, the country's Islamist-led parliament pushed ahead with the disputed bill that would have lowered the retirement age for judges from 70 to 60. That would affect nearly a quarter of Egypt's 13,000 judges and prosecution officials.

The draft also would have barred the courts from reviewing or overturning presidential decrees issued by the president late last year, including his unilateral appointment of a new top prosecutor.

The crisis over the judiciary is a reflection of the deep polarization that has split the country over the rule of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party. Morsi has been in a power struggle with the judiciary since his June election.

In an attempt to resolve the situation, Morsi met Sunday with five top judges. A statement from the president's office after the meeting said Morsi will launch a conference this week to work out a compromise with judges regarding laws that affect the judiciary.

"The president said he will personally adopt all the conclusions of the conference for proposals of bills in order to submit them to the legislative council," the statement said.

After the meeting, opponents of the proposed law canceled protests set for Monday.

The president's allies say the courts are filled with loyalists of the deposed regime of Hosni Mubarak. The opposition accuses Morsi's backers of calling for reform of the judiciary as a cover to install their own supporters.

A protest by opponents and supporters of the bill led to street clashes in the capital nine days ago, and thousands of judges met last week to demand international organizations investigate the crisis. The dispute also prompted the resignations of top aides and advisers to the presidency.

The announcement by the president's office effectively shelves the law that was under discussion by lawmakers. A new proposal for a judicial reform law will likely first be agreed upon by Morsi and judges, and then be sent to the parliament.

Morsi is also facing divisions within the country's battered police force.

Dozens of Egyptian police officers disobeyed orders Sunday and stormed a superior's office in the capital, shut down a security directorate in the north and went on strike in the south.

It was the year's third wave of strikes by police, who demand incentives like better wages, greater firepower and more benefits.

The police force has not recovered from the days of the 2011 uprising that deposed Mubarak. His police were a symbol of the regime's unchecked powers and abuses, and they were forced from the streets in the early stages of the revolt by angry protesters.

The Interior Ministry, which oversees police in Egypt, relies on low-ranking police to protect government buildings. Hundreds of policemen have been wounded this year and several have been killed in anti-government protests.

Dozens of low-ranking officers stormed the office of the deputy interior minister in charge of health care for police. His office is inside the main police hospital in Cairo's Nileside neighborhood of Agouza. They said promises of better health care have gone unfulfilled.

In the south, police at five stations in the province of Assuit went on strike, charging that the government did not fulfill any of their demands.

In the Nile Delta province of Kafr el-Sheikh, police locked the gate to the security division with chains, according to security officials and state media reports.

Strikes also spread north of Cairo to Sharqiya and the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya.

Some are also calling for the dismissal of Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim. The minister met with some of the protesting policemen Sunday.

Others are protesting alleged attempts by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood to try to control the force, a charge the Islamist group denies. For decades, Egypt's police aggressively targeted the Brotherhood, and Morsi himself was imprisoned under Mubarak.

There are concerns that a recent decision to purchase 100,000 new 9mm pistols for police could lead to an even greater use of excessive force against unarmed protesters and civilians.

Officer Mohammed Mustafa was among those who stormed the deputy minister's office in Cairo on Sunday. He told The Associated Press that the group ended its sit-in after superiors vowed to look into their demands.

Though his salary has increased by almost three-fold following the uprising, Mustafa said he still earns only $185 a month. After 15 years on the job, low-ranking officers receive just $2,000 in compensation when they retire.

"Morsi, before he was president, promised that he would solve the problems of the police force," he said. "We want action, not words."

___

AP writer Mamdouh Thabet contributed to this report from Assiut, Egypt.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-president-judges-compromising-reform-law-184118372.html

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Rehtaeh Parsons' parents speak out against Postmedia chain's ...

Yesterday, April 26, Postmedia writer Christie Blatchford published a column across the media chain hitting back at the campaign against sexual violence in Nova Scotia that has been sparked by the recent suicide of 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons. The young woman's father, Glen Canning, has published a statement replying to the columnist. The text of his statement is below.

Leah Parsons, Rehtaeh?s mother, has also responded to the column, on a Facebook page, 'Angel Rehtaeh,' dedicated to her daughter. Her response to the columnist reads, in part, ?This article clearly highlights the ?slut shaming? going on in our country and the abuse that Rehtaeh felt over and over for the past 18 months. If a grown woman can write such a biased, degrading, harassing article, think of how a 15 yr old was able to deal with the torment of those young boys. I only pray that you do not have any daughters or granddaughters.?

Postmedia's outlets are publishing articles today that report on Glen Canning's statement. The National Post version also includes information on Leah Parsons' response.

I wrote a letter today to the National Post and Vancouver Sun, text below. In it, I highlight issues of failed, institutional reaction to the original assault against Rehtaeh Parsons in 2011. I wrote about this in my original article on the subject.?

Halifax writer and an editor of The Coast weekly, Tim Bousquet, has just penned a lengthy, informed commentary on Rehtaeh Parsons' case entitled, 'The shame of slut-shaming.' The large number of comments accompanying his article are indicative of the intensity of the public debate taking place in Nova Scotia over the need to combat sexual violence. This is a positive outcome to an otherwise tragic series of events.

Addressing Christie Blatchford?s article

By Glen Canning, published on Scrib.com, April 26, 2013

This morning I woke up and read an article in the National Post about Rehtaeh?s case. I?m not upset or mad. A little disappointed maybe. The writer, Christie Blatchford, makes a few statements I would like to address.

?What they had was a complainant whose evidence was all over the map, independent evidence that supported the notion that any sex was consensual, and no evidence that Rehtaeh was so drunk that she couldn?t consent: The case was a mess.? ~ Christie Blatchford

?What they had was a complainant whose evidence was all over the map??

Rehtaeh was intoxicated at the time and she has always stated she couldn?t remember much of what happened. What she did say was all over the map and that is exactly what one should expect it to be from a 15 year old girl who remembers very little but is being swamped at school and online with slut stories about what took place.

??independent evidence that supported the notion that any sex was consensual, and no evidence that Rehtaeh was so drunk that she couldn?t consent.?

The two boys involved in taking and posing for the photograph stated Rehtaeh was throwing up when they had sex with her. That is not called consensual sex. That is called rape. They also stated they had to get her dressed when they were finished. She was passed out. That is the story they told to anyone at Rehtaeh?s school who would listen. That is their account of what happened. There are numerous people who heard that and shared that. No evidence she was so drunk that she couldn?t consent? How drunk does someone have to be? Drunk enough to get sick or drunk enough to not remember?

The photo is of a male naked from the waist down, giving a thumbs-up sign, pressing into the bare behind of another person who is leaning out a window. What the picture doesn?t reveal, however, is a recognizable face, if there even was a sexual assault going on, or if the second person was a female.?

What did the person in the photograph say? That it was him, that the female was Rehtaeh, that she was vomiting, and that he was having sex with her. He repeated that story many times to many people all while texting that photo to God knows who. Hard to believe that could be presented to the Crown and dismissed but there you go.

?But there are two sides, even to this wrenching tale.?

With that I agree. There are two sides. Rehtaeh?s side, that she was intoxicated, throwing up, and raped; and the boys' side, that she was intoxicated, throwing up, and she wanted to have sex. So in the end all we?re left with is the Criminal Code of Canada that states pretty clearly that what happened to Rehtaeh Parsons is called rape. Even if there was consensual sex before Rehtaeh passed out and got sick once she was in that state consent is no longer there. That?s not called regret, it?s called the law.

So why weren?t they charged? I honestly have no idea. Reading the statistics it?s not surprising but I have no idea in this case. The boys who raped Rehtaeh bragged about it. They photographed it. There?s more evidence in Rehtaeh?s case then there was in the Steubenville case.

?Proving the modern maxim that she who gets to social media first may set the script in stone, the post ignited a firestorm.?

That is exactly what happened to Rehtaeh. The slut story spread around her school like a firestorm via social media while she desperately tried to deal with it. Her efforts weren?t perfect but she did her best. Sorry it wasn?t the 100% perfect case that rape victims need in this country in order to get justice but she tried. And for that I am very proud of her.

I told Rehtaeh all the time that justice is a long shot and even than people will think she either asked for it, or she deserved it. I just wanted her to be prepared. She just wanted to be believed.

She mentioned last year a friend of hers was raped under similar circumstances by one of the same boys. I jumped at that because it would help support her case but Rehtaeh?s friend wasn?t interested in coming forward or talking to the police. She said she watched what had happened to our daughter and there was no way she was going to put herself through that. Who can blame her? Isn?t that why most rape victims say nothing? Because it?s never about the rapist, it?s always about the victim.

?The girlfriend of Rehtaeh?s who was at the party told police Rehtaeh was being flirtatious, ??

It?s always about the victim.

Letter to the Vancouver Sun

Vancouver BC
April 26, 2013

Christie Blatchford?s claim that an inebriated 15-year old Rehtaeh Parsons could have engaged in consensual sex on the night of the assault she suffered in 2011 is outrageous.

There are so many important parts of this story that Blatchford ignores. The disappointing, to say the least, conduct of education officials throughout the Parsons case. Why the alleged assailants would circle their wagons so firmly and then lash out, if the assault in question never occurred. And the law and order hue and cry of the prime minister of Canada and Nova Scotia government that effectively backs the 2012 decision of police and judicial investigators to not lay charges and perpetuates a myth that existing law is inadequate to protect the victims of sexual assault.

The writer is very concerned that the case of Rehtaeh Parsons has been falsely presented. But she appears entirely unconcerned about the broader societal issues of sexual assault, including the urgency of changes in our governing and judicial institutions such that victims or potential victims are better protected.

Roger Annis

Source: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/roger-annis/2013/04/rehtaeh-parsons-parents-speak-out-against-postmedia-chains-shamef

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/2b3619dc/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg21829130A0B30A0A0Eits0Etime0Ephysics0Erecognised0Ethat0Etime0Eis0Ereal0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Twitter Careers: New Jobs Posted This Week - AllTwitter - Mediabistro

This continues?our series?highlighting new positions posted at Twitter each week.?Check out past listings?here.

This week,?Twitter added 15 new jobs to its?career page.

And here they are:

Amsterdam

Account Executive

Dublin

Account Manager, Sales ? UK & Ireland markets

London

Bluefin Labs ? Jr Data Analyst

Los Angeles

Media ? Contractor

New York City

Product Manager ? Content Discovery

Paris

Director ? Media Partnerships

San Francisco

Accounting Manager

HR Business Partner ? COO Organization

IT ? Senior Client Engineer

Mobile Group Product Manager, Partner Products

Product Manager, Twitter Ads

Receptionist

Software Engineer ? International Engineering

Software Engineer ? Corporate Productivity Front End

Software Tools Engineer

And remember, ?you can always find more great?social media?jobs?on our?job?board. For real-time openings and employment news, follow?@MBJobPost.

(Bird?image from Shutterstock)

Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-careers-13-2_b40973

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Honeymoon Tour - Enjoy Your Luxury Time With Your Partner

Amazing India Journey offers the best of the beautiful tourist destinations for the most romantic options in the exciting land of India for your honeymoon. Our all inclusive romantic honeymoon packages including splendid mountain ranges of Kashmir, snow valleys of Patnitop & Gulmarg, backwaters of Kerala, glistening beaches of Goa, picturesque locales of Shimla & Manali and mystical grandeur of Rajasthan etc. has made India a premier honeymoon destination. You will love & enjoy your honeymoon at any place of these destinations, which will in turn be a lifetime memory for you.

A Honeymoon is the first holiday, which a newly-wed couple spend together to celebrate their marriage with plenty of surprises, moments of intimacy, privacy & full of romance. Its great opportunity for two sole mates to get away from the stress of the wedding & spend some quality time in an exotic & romantic honeymoon destination. This is something that bridal couples remember these golden memories for lifetime.

In fact, Honeymoon is not limited to newly married couples. Even couples married years back, celebrating marriage anniversary or romantic vacations followed by a honeymoon, as married life needs some added spice every now and then to keep healthy and continuously growing relationship.

The perfect couple deserves the perfect places of image for the days of gold of their life together which is the honeymoon skies. Us with the offer of best India of the beautiful contexts amazing for the most romantic options in the poisoning ground of India for your honeymoon Tour. That it is the romantic royal Honeymoon Tour Package in Rajasthan or the combination of the sun, sand and the sea on the beaches of Goa or probably the ponds of the proper country of God that the beauty of your liked will are added to the happiness of your honeymoon Tour india to the destination of your choice.

To be ready to test the most exotic holidays of your life-your Honeymoon Tour. Amazing India Journey to make known your revues destination other that indicated for we and honeymoon Tour Package will take all arrangements to divinement provide you that placing divinement where the love is in the sky. You are right where your heart wishes being with that whom it beats for after all its your honeymoon us makes sure that each moment that you pass on honeymoon will whisper of the wishes of marriage during long and beautiful life with your honey. To take your selection to appreciate the spirit of your honeymoon Packages Tour.

Our Honeymoon Tour Packages we will take you through some of the unique and spectacular landscape. The place where you stay during your honeymoon means a lot. As a result, in our romantic tour packages, we also offer best accommodation facilities in all over India. We conduct online booking at some of the best hotels, Guest houses and resorts, so you can be assured that your room reservation is done properly in advance. Our best honeymoon tour package to India is sure to make you fall in love with each other and the country as well.

About the Author:
Sajal Agarwal is a traveler who likes to share his experience. All the articles published by him will help you understand India better and answer all your holiday queries regarding, Honeymoon Tour Packages, Honeymoon in Goa, Honeymoon in Kashmir. Find tourist info on travel packages, travel destination, and much more.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Honeymoon-Tour---Enjoy-Your-Luxury-Time-With-Your-Partner/4571108

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CA-NEWS Summary

Anger on streets as Bangladesh building toll passes 300

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh textile workers vented their anger on Friday, burning cars and clashing with police, as the death toll passed 300 following the collapse of a building housing factories that made low-cost garments for Western brands. Miraculously rescuers were still pulling people alive from the rubble - 72 since daybreak following 41 found in the same room overnight - two days after the eight-storey building collapsed on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka.

Obama talks tough, shows no rush to act on Syria chemical arms evidence

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned Syria on Friday that its use of chemical weapons would be a "game changer" for the United States but made clear he was in no rush to intervene in the Syrian civil war on the basis of evidence he said was still preliminary. Speaking a day after the disclosure of U.S. intelligence that Syria had likely used chemical weapons against its own people, Obama mixed talked tough while calling for patience as he sought to fend off pressure for a swift response against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Fire kills dozens in Russian psychiatric hospital

RAMENSKY, Russia (Reuters) - Thirty-eight people were killed, most of them in their beds, in a fire that raged through a psychiatric hospital near Moscow on Friday, raising questions about the care of mentally ill patients in Russia. The fire, which broke out at around 2 a.m. (6 p.m. ET on Thursday), swept through a single-storey building at the hospital, a collection of wood and brick huts with bars on some windows that was home to people sent there on grounds of mental illness by Russian courts.

Boston bombing suspect in prison, brother's body unclaimed

BOSTON (Reuters) - The surviving suspect in last week's Boston Marathon bombing was moved to a prison medical center outside Boston on Friday, while the body of his older brother who died in a shootout with police remained unclaimed, officials said. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a 19-year-old ethnic Chechen charged with the bombing that killed three people and wounded 264, was moved from the hospital where he was kept under guard since he was arrested, badly wounded, a week ago, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

Italian government could be settled on Saturday: sources

ROME (Reuters) - Italian prime minister-designate Enrico Letta could announce a new government on Saturday and spell out its programme early next week, political sources said on Friday, while outgoing premier Mario Monti said he did not expect to be a minister. Letta, deputy leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, has been in discussions to iron out remaining differences with Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party following an initial round of talks on Thursday.

Iceland government heads for defeat as center right revives

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Icelanders fed up with austerity are set to oust the ruling Social Democrats in elections on Saturday after being wooed with promises of tax cuts and debt relief from the center right that presided over the nation's financial meltdown five years ago. With promises of a quick recovery fading, voters are angered by mounting mortgage debt, rapid inflation and crippling capital controls that keep investment at a record low.

Sudan police break up protest against land sale to Arab investors

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese police used tear gas and batons to break up a protest of more than 250 people on Friday demanding that the government revoke the sale of farming land to Gulf Arab investors, witnesses said. Protesters blocked the main road of Um Dum outside the capital Khartoum to urge the government to give them land in the area instead of to investors planning an agricultural project there, the witnesses said.

"Evidence" of Syria chemical weapons use not up to U.N. standard

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Assertions of chemical weapon use in Syria by Western and Israeli officials citing photos, sporadic shelling and traces of toxins do not meet the standard of proof needed for a U.N. team of experts waiting to gather their own field evidence. Weapons inspectors will only determine whether banned chemical agents were used in the two-year-old conflict if they are able to access sites and take soil, blood, urine or tissue samples and examine them in certified laboratories, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which works with the United Nations on inspections.

Islamist says Egypt should press on with judge reforms

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament must move quickly to adopt judicial reforms that have sparked a revolt by judges, the deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm argued on Friday. The proposed reforms, which would get rid of more than 3,000 judges by lowering the retirement age, have widened the rift between President Mohamed Mursi's government and a judiciary seen by its critics as a last bastion of the old regime that was toppled in the 2011 revolution.

Top British publicist charged with 11 sex assaults

LONDON (Reuters) - Celebrity publicist Max Clifford on Friday became the first high profile figure to be charged in a wide-ranging investigation into a sex scandal that has grabbed front page headlines in Britain in recent months. Clifford, 70, was charged with 11 counts of indecent assault, prosecutors said, including on two underage girls, after being arrested in December as part of an investigation into sex crime allegations against the late Jimmy Savile.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-023356509.html

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Judge denies Motorola?s demand for billions in patent fees from Microsoft

MADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Playmaker Andres Iniesta has dismissed the idea Barcelona are at the end of an era following their 4-0 Champions League mauling by Bayern Munich. Barca, who lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011, were the favourites to win the competition ahead of Tuesday's semi-final first leg but they were so outclassed by the Germans that many pundits believe their recent spell of dominance is over. "I think it is unfair to talk of a cyclical change," the Spanish World Cup winner told a news conference on Thursday. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-denies-motorola-demand-billions-patent-fees-microsoft-135504281.html

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Entire galaxies feel the heat from newborn stars: Bursts of star birth can curtail future galaxy growth

Apr. 25, 2013 ? When galaxies form new stars, they sometimes do so in frantic episodes of activity known as starbursts. These events were commonplace in the early Universe, but are rarer in nearby galaxies.

During these bursts, hundreds of millions of stars are born, and their combined effect can drive a powerful wind that travels out of the galaxy. These winds were known to affect their host galaxy -- but this new research now shows that they have a significantly greater effect than previously thought.

An international team of astronomers observed 20 nearby galaxies, some of which were known to be undergoing a starburst. They found that the winds accompanying these star formation processes were capable of ionising [1] gas up to 650 000 light-years from the galactic centre -- around twenty times further out than the visible size of the galaxy. This is the first direct observational evidence of local starbursts impacting the bulk of the gas around their host galaxy, and has important consequences for how that galaxy continues to evolve and form stars.

"The extended material around galaxies is hard to study, as it's so faint," says team member Vivienne Wild of the University of St. Andrews. "But it's important -- these envelopes of cool gas hold vital clues about how galaxies grow, process mass and energy, and finally die. We're exploring a new frontier in galaxy evolution!"

The team used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) instrument [2] on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to analyse light from a mixed sample of starburst and control galaxies. They were able to probe these faint envelopes by exploiting even more distant objects -- quasars, the intensely luminous centres of distant galaxies powered by huge black holes. By analysing the light from these quasars after it passed through the foreground galaxies, the team could probe the galaxies themselves.

"Hubble is the only observatory that can carry out the observations necessary for a study like this," says lead author Sanchayeeta Borthakur, of Johns Hopkins University. "We needed a space-based telescope to probe the hot gas, and the only instrument capable of measuring the extended envelopes of galaxies is COS."

The starburst galaxies within the sample were seen to have large amounts of highly ionised gas in their halos -- but the galaxies that were not undergoing a starburst did not. The team found that this ionisation was caused by the energetic winds created alongside newly forming stars.

This has consequences for the future of the galaxies hosting the starbursts. Galaxies grow by accreting gas from the space surrounding them, and converting this gas into stars. As these winds ionise the future fuel reservoir of gas in the galaxy's envelope, the availability of cool gas falls -- regulating any future star formation.

"Starbursts are important phenomena -- they not only dictate the future evolution of a single galaxy, but also influence the cycle of matter and energy in the Universe as a whole," says team member Timothy Heckman, of Johns Hopkins University. "The envelopes of galaxies are the interface between galaxies and the rest of the Universe -- and we're just beginning to fully explore the processes at work within them."

The team's results will appear in the 1 May 2013 issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

Notes

[1] A gas is said to be ionised when its atoms have lost one or more electrons -- in this case by energetic winds exciting galactic gas and knocking electrons out of the atoms within.

[2] Spectrographs are instruments that break light into its constituent colours and measure the intensity of each colour, revealing information about the object emitting the light -- such as its chemical composition, temperature, density, or velocity.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ESA/Hubble Information Centre.

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. Sanchayeeta Borthakur, Timothy Heckman, David Strickland, Vivienne Wild, David Schiminovich. THE IMPACT OF STARBURSTS ON THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM. The Astrophysical Journal, 2013; 768 (1): 18 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/18

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/space_time/astronomy/~3/3ypRbNu_Qzk/130425103312.htm

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Novelist Banks "stunned" by fan support over terminal cancer

By Li-mei Hoang

LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish author Iain Banks, who announced this month he was suffering from terminal cancer, said he was "stunned" by the messages of support he has received from his fans.

The "Wasp Factory" author said he was deeply flattered and touched by all the responses left on the website Banksophilia, which was set up by his friend Martin Belk.

"Good grief! - what an outpouring of love, affection and respect. I honestly had no idea," he wrote.

"Discovering the sheer extent and depth of the feelings people have expressed on the message board over the past two weeks has been truly astounding," he added.

Banks, 59, said his problems came to light after a visit to his doctor about a sore back. Tests revealed he was not only suffering from jaundice but also cancer in his gall bladder.

He announced his illness on his website on April 3, before he canceled all future public engagements.

The author, who also writes science fiction under the name of Iain M Banks, said that as a late-stage gall bladder cancer patient he is only expected to live for a few months.

Banks has returned to Britain after a short honeymoon with his wife Adele in Paris and Venice to continue working on his new book "The Quarry."

Born in Fife, Banks studied at Stirling University before publishing "The Wasp Factory", his first novel, in 1984.

In 2008, he was named one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945 in a list compiled by the Times newspaper.

Banks said he would be looking "seriously" at the medical advice and suggestions made by his fans and would continue to post the occasional update for as long as he is able.

"I feel treasured, I feel loved ... and I can't deny I've been made to feel very special indeed," he added.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/novelist-banks-stunned-fan-support-over-terminal-cancer-114755776.html

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Obama asks Supreme Court to review appointments ruling

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Setting the stage for a constitutional showdown, the Obama administration on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to rule that presidents have broad authority to make certain appointments without Senate approval.

If the nine justices agree to hear the dispute over appointments President Barack Obama made to the National Labor Relations Board last year, it will be one of the biggest issues before the court in its next term, which will begin in October and end in June 2014.

In January the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that three appointments to the panel, which normally has five members, were invalid.

The appeals court agreed with Noel Canning, the bottling company that challenged Obama's move, in finding that the president did not have the authority to make the NLRB appointments because the Senate was not technically in recess at the time.

The U.S. Constitution allows the president to make appointments when the Senate is in recess. Such appointments expire at the end of the congressional session.

Backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Noel Canning argued that an NLRB ruling against it was invalid because of the appointments, which meant the board lacked a quorum.

Obama made his NLRB appointments on January 4, 2012, when the Senate was in session but not conducting business. The congressional session began on January 3, according to the Senate website.

In the brief filed on Thursday, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli defended the recess appointment powers of the president, disputing the court's conclusion that it can only be used in the period between formal sessions of the Senate.

Presidents from both parties have used their recess appointment authority to make appointments when the Senate is not conducting business.

If the appeals court ruling was left to stand, it would "dramatically curtail" the president's authority, Verrilli said.

In addition to limiting presidential power, the ruling meant that the NLRB did not have the required quorum to make decisions, casting doubt on all its actions and rulings since Obama made the appointments.

The ruling "threatens a significant disruption of the federal government's operations," Verrilli wrote.

The high court will decide whether to hear the case after lawyers for Noel Canning file a response, which is due within 30 days.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Amanda Becker; Editing by Howard Goller and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-asks-supreme-court-review-appointments-ruling-201856903.html

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Living in 'Stroke Belt' as Teen May Raise Future Risk - Health News ...

WEDNESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) ? People who live in the so-called ?stroke belt? during their teen years are at increased risk for stroke later in life, according to a new study.

The stroke belt is an area in the southeastern United States with higher rates of stroke and stroke death than anywhere else in the country. Only part of that increased risk can be explained by traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the researchers said.

Previous studies have found that adults who were born in the stroke belt but no longer live there have a higher risk of stroke, as well as people who were not born in the stroke belt but lived there as adults.

This new study included more than 24,000 people with an average age of 65 and no previous history of stroke. About 57 percent of them lived in the stroke belt and 43 percent in other parts of the country. The study authors looked at where the participants had lived during their lives.

The people were followed for an average of nearly six years after enrolling in the study. During the follow-up, more than 600 of them had a first stroke.

After adjusting for various stroke risk factors, the researchers concluded that living in the stroke belt only as a teen was associated with a higher risk of stroke. Study participants who lived in the stroke belt when they were teens were 17 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those who did not spend their teen years in the stroke belt.

In all age groups, living in the stroke belt increased the risk of stroke among blacks about twice as much as among whites, according to the study, which was published online April 24 in the journal Neurology.

The findings suggest that efforts to prevent stroke need to start early in life, said study author Virginia Howard, with the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

?Many social and behavioral risk factors, such as smoking, are set in place during the teenage years, and teens are more exposed to external influences and gain the knowledge to challenge or reaffirm their childhood habits and lifestyle,? Howard said in a journal news release.

Although the study tied living in the stroke belt as a teen to higher risk of future stroke, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about stroke risk factors and prevention.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/04/24/living-in-stroke-belt-as-teen-may-raise-future-risk/

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Ke$ha's 'My Crazy Beautiful Life' Debuts: Sex, Sweat ... And Some Stalking

In the first episode of her new MTV series, Ke$ha takes fans behind the scenes of her 'Crazy Beautiful Life.'
By James Montgomery

A scene from Ke$ha's "My Crazy Beautiful Life" premiere
Photo: MTV

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706233/kesha-crazy-beautiful-life-premiere-recap.jhtml

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E! Slate Includes WWE Women, Josh Schwartz-Stephanie Savage Drama

By Tim Molloy

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - E! unveiled six new shows Monday, including a reality series about the WWE, and announced that its new series in development include the drama "Laurel Canyon," from "Gossip Girl" co-creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

Besides including the WWE-focused "Total Divas," the network's new shows include "Hello Ross" (a working title) about "super fan" Ross Matthews and "The Trend," about fashion, beauty and design. It announced them ahead of its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York.

The development slate also includes shows from "Walking Dead" producer Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Warren, and Kevin Spacey, who also had a series in development for E! last year.

"Songbyrd," from "Grey's Anatomy" writer Krista Vernoff, is about a songwriter who's inspiration turns out to be a lie. It features songs from Grammy winner Diane Warren and draws on her experiences. She also executive produces along with "Smash" and "Chicago" producers Craig Zadan & Neil Meron.

"Dirty/Pretty," which Hurd is executive producing, is about a blue-collar guy from South Boston who is scouted to be a Miami model. His friends take advantage of his new life to expand their criminal activities.

The Spacey project, "Fortunate Son" is about a formerly hard-partying golden boy who becomes a criminal informant forced to work in the slums. Last year, E's development slate included "Upstarts," a Spacey-produced project about Silicon Valley's boom in the late 1990s.

The network's slate also includes a previously announced reality series about pop group "The Wanted," which will be accompanied by a Ryan Seacrest special about the group.

"With its tremendous reach and influence, E! delivers original programming that achieves our network's mission to inspire and entertain the pop culture fan in all of us," said E! president Suzanne Kolb. "We are continuing to build on the success of our signature programming with new projects featuring a diverse mix of genres, formats and points of view that are centered in pop culture and are sure to excite our fans."

Here are E!'s upcoming projects, as described by the network:

NEW SERIES

"The Wanted Life" - Sunday, June 2 at 10:30pmET/PT (moves to regular timeslot starting Sunday, June 9 at 10:00pmET/PT)

This new half-hour series will chronicle the personal and professional lives of the edgy pop music powerhouse, The Wanted, who has already taken the world by storm. Viewers will see an unfiltered look inside the world of the chart-topping UK pop band as they head to sunny California to record their third album, gear up for their new US & Europe tour later in 2013 and solidify their top ranking on American pop music charts, along with their surprising dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, Scooter Braun Projects and Global Talent TV.

"Total Divas" - Sunday, July 28 at 10:00pm ET/PT

Revealing the real women behind the WWE Divas for the first time, this new one-hour series proves that the drama is even bigger when the sexy superstars step outside the ring. "Total Divas" goes inside the personal lives of these glitzy, glamorous celebrities who entertain sold-out crowds in arenas around the world and are adored by millions of fans. "Total Divas" is produced by WWE and Bunim-Murray Productions. Jon Murray, Gil Goldshein, Jeff Jenkins and Russell Jay are Executive Producers for Bunim-Murray Productions.

"Pop Innovators" - July 2013

This new series showcases the most influential names in pop culture in their own words. We love them for what they bring to our world, and how they have helped define pop culture and captured the collective zeitgeist. These are the people who, as leaders in their respective fields, have taken their fame and gone in new directions to become influencers across a wide range of topics, and who inspire others to do the same. The first episode of "Pop Innovators" will offer an in-depth look at the life and career of Will.i.am from his point of view and will also feature interviews with other celebrities that he's influenced most.

"Love and Other Contact Sports: Eric and Jessie" - Late summer 2013

From Khlo? & Lamar to Kendra & Hank, E! has followed the romantic celebrity relationships of popular athletes and their gorgeous companions for years. The new "Love and Other Contact Sports" franchise will take viewers inside the confines of even more celebrity/athlete romances starting with country/pop singer Jessie James and her fianc?, Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker whose wedding is quickly approaching. The series will chronicle the sexy young couple's road to the altar as they juggle careers, relationships, family and more. Currently residing in their Denver dream home, they share an ambition to succeed, a charmingly fun and unfiltered outlook on life, and most of all, a red hot attraction for each other. Produced by Shed Media U.S.

"Hello Ross" (working title) - Fall 2013

As the ultimate pop culture fan forum, this new interactive talk show is hosted by the super fan himself, Ross Mathews. Fans will have the unique opportunity to share their opinion on all the latest in pop culture, debate the most buzzworthy topics and come face to face with their favorite celebrities. From Borderline Amazing Productions.

"The Trend" - Fall 2013

This news series will feature a team of experts and celebrity contributors discussing all things fashion, beauty and design.

NEW SPECIALS

"Blinging Up Baby" - Thursday, May 2 at 10:00pmET/PT

There is nothing more buzzworthy in Hollywood these days than celeb parents and their star tots who fill the pages of weekly magazines. In this one-hour special hosted by Melissa Rycroft, E! explores how the stars are heralding stork visits, from preparing luxurious nurseries, to exotic and ultra-pricey "babymoons," to dazzling "push presents," outrageous celebrity baby and toddler gifts, and more. If it is hot in the world of celebrity mommyhood, you'll find out about it here. From Comcast Entertainment Studios.

"Nick Cannon's Big Surprise" - Thursday, May 9 at 10:00pmET/PT

Sexy actor, singer and TV personality Nick Cannon has a big surprise. Grateful to his grandparents who helped raise him, Cannon shows his appreciation with a surprise home makeover. Through the process, the star will share childhood memories, photos and videos as the audience gets an intimate look back at his life. But will his highly opinionated grandmother, actually like what he does with her place? There's only one way to find out. Produced by Entertainment One.

"Holly Has A Baby" - May 12 at 9:00pmET/PT

Holly Madison just took on the biggest role of her life when she became a mommy to a baby girl she named Rainbow Aurora Rotella. In this one-hour Mother's Day special, viewers will follow Holly to the hospital for the big event, and share in all she did to prepare for her new arrival with boyfriend Pasquale Rotella. Then, we're invited home with the trio as they share with us exactly what the future holds for Holly and her new family, including the possibility of wedding bells. From Comcast Entertainment Studios.

"The Untold Story: Jason Derulo" - Tuesday, May 14 at 10:00pmET/PT

Simon Cowell said he would be huge, Lady Gaga said he's "a freakin' superstar," and Jordin Sparks calls him, boyfriend. He was well on his way to the top when an injury sidelined his career, and could have nearly ended his life. This half-hour special is a turbulent ride with Derulo as he battles his way back from injury. With never-before-seen footage and exclusive behind-the-scenes access, we'll uncover the real man behind the persona of music royalty's newest member. From Comcast Entertainment Studios.

"Ryan Seacrest with The Wanted: An E! Special" - Monday, May 27 at 10:30pmET/PT

Days before the premiere of their highly anticipated new E! series, Seacrest is sitting down with the bad boys of pop, and no topic is off limits. Discussing their music, rock star lifestyles and their much-buzzed-about personal lives, The Wanted open up to Seacrest in this new one-hour special.

"Bigger, Badder Celebrity Feuds" - Tuesday, May 28 at 10:00pm

The Hatfields and McCoys had nothing on some of Hollywood's biggest and most explosive feuds, and this one-hour special pulls out all the stops to reveal the gritty details of what went down between Chris Brown and Frank Ocean, Halle Berry's ex and her current squeeze, Kelsey and Camille, and many, many more. From Comcast Entertainment Studios.

"E! Special: Brooke Burke" - June 2013

Giuliana Rancic is sitting down with the sexy actress and TV personality who has helped make Dancing With the Stars one of today's biggest television sensations. Opening up about her career, family and personal life, Burke shares her ups, downs and everything in between with Giuliana from her home in Los Angeles.

"Secret Societies of Hollywood" - Late Summer 2013

Beyond the red carpet and behind the security gates lies a forbidden Hollywood that only the rich and famous know about ...until now. "Secret Societies of Hollywood" is a two-hour documentary that will expose the cults, cabals and underground clubs that exist in today's entertainment industry. From Prometheus Entertainment.

"50 Hours with 50 Cent" - Fall 2013

What is it like to be 50 Cent? One lucky super fan gets to find out. This special captures 50 hours with 50 Cent as one of his biggest fans gets to spend exactly that amount of time with him. Viewers will experience over two full days with this iconic rapper, entrepreneur and businessman as he enters global promotional mode leading up to the release of his newest album.

"Inner Circle" - Fall 2013

A new experiment in storytelling from Executive Producer Ashley Tisdale, these specials will feature celebrities picking a member of their inner circle (a trusted friend, family member or close confidant) to tell their real story and to ask the questions. More conversation than interview, it's an emotionally charged journey where the celebrities let their guards down, open up and have fun with someone from their "inner circle." From Blondie Girl Productions and Relativity Television.

NEW UNSCRIPTED PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT (working titles):

"Young Sonoma"

This series chronicles the personal and professional lives of premier families at the top of their game in world renowned wine country, Sonoma Valley. Featuring Envolve Winery's Ben Flajnik ("The Bachelor"), Mike and Kate Benziger, Danny and Collette Fay, and B.R. Cohn Winery's Vallerie and Tasha Cohn, the series goes inside the day-to-day drama that comes from living in a small town, working with friends and family, as well as being local and national celebrities. From Mandt Bros Productions.

"Queens Are Wild"

Docu-soap that goes inside the high-stakes world of gambling and follows four of the top female poker players as they live together, travel the world and compete to win millions. From Tollin Productions, Inc.

"Palazzo Riggi"

Through the eyes of the outrageous family who lives there and the staff that run it, this new docusoap takes viewers inside a unique, luxurious world filled with eccentric personalities and gives viewers a glimpse into a jaw dropping, elaborate 24,000-square-foot family estate in upstate New York that boasts an authentic English pub, Balinese wellness spa and perfectly heated lawn that is designed to keep the paws of the family's 35 dogs warm year-round. From AEP Media and Machete.

"Flash"

This self-contained competition elimination series pits up-and-coming photographers against one another. In each episode, the photographers are given a real world challenge with real clients from the world of pop culture, who expect an amazing photo to sell their brand, talent or idea. Each week the winning photographer will get the exposure that could help launch their career. From Super Delicious.

"Sex & Real Estate"

Set in Miami, this new docusoap follows the personal and professional lives of a group of hot, successful real estate agents at the top of their game as they juggle a world where business always mixes with pleasure. From FremantleMedia North America and Purveyors of Pop.

"The Soup Investigates"

"The Soup Investigates" is a new spin-off series of E!'s popular comedy franchise "The Soup" that will answer all the questions that pop culture fans never thought to ask, and then some. How DOES that rose get from the grower's field to The Bachelor's hand just in time for the all important rose ceremony? What is life like inside the fascinating world of the "Mother Duckers," the families who make their living creating duck callers who WEREN'T cast in "Duck Dynasty"? Host Joel McHale and our investigative reporters will be working around the clock to get to the truth, or at least a very plausible facsimile thereof.

NEW TOPICAL / COMEDY PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT (working titles):

"James Davis Show"

Sketch comedy show parodying a wide range of pop culture subjects and personalities starring actor/comic/writer, James Davis. From Funny or Die Media, Inc.

"White People Can't Dance"

From Executive Producer Jack Osbourne and Vin Di Bona, this tongue-and-cheek format show features a team of experts who analyze some of the more outrageous stereotypes perpetuated by pop culture. Each episode our team will put multiple stereotypes to the test to determine which are fact and which are fiction. From FishBowl Worldwide Media and Schweet Entertainment.

"Secrets & Lies"

Secrets & Lies is the game show, based on the classic parlor game three truths and a lie, that tests pop culture fans' knowledge of their favorite celebrities while revealing shocking secrets about the stars we THINK we know and love. From Shine America's format label Ardaban.

NEW SCRIPTED PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT (working titles):

"Laurel Canyon"

In this drama from executive producers Josh Schwartz (The O.C., Gossip Girl, Chuck) and Stephanie Savage (The O.C., Gossip Girl, Carrie Diaries) and executive producer/writer Karen Croner (Admission, One True Thing), a young woman returns to her dysfunctional, extended family in Laurel Canyon with her son after hearing her rock-star legend father has passed away. Based on Croner's experience of growing up in the Hollywood Hills, the project is from Schwartz and Savage's Fake Empire in association with Warner Horizon Television. Fake Empire head of television Len Goldstein (The Carrie Diaries) also serves as executive producer.

"The Stand-In"

A darkly psychological re-telling of "The Prince & the Pauper" set behind the scenes of one of Hollywood's most famous actresses, who, tired of the spotlight, runs away in search of a normal life. Desperate, her family secretly hires a look-a-like to step into the star's glamorous world and high profile career - only to have the doppelganger slowly lose herself in the process of becoming someone else. From Executive Producers Ryan Seacrest, Nina Wass and Adam Sher, Ryan Seacrest Productions, Universal Cable Productions and writer Craig Chester.

"Songbyrd"

From writer Krista Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Shameless), a young, prolific songwriter of some of the best love songs struggles to find love in her personal life after her inspiration is revealed to be a lie. Featuring the songs and experiences of Grammy winner Diane Warren, who Executive Produces with Craig Zadan & Neil Meron (The 2013 Academy Awards, Chicago, Smash) and Vernoff. From Universal Television and Universal Cable Productions.

"Expectations"

From writer Ron Bass (Oscar winning writer of Rain Man, Sleeping with the Enemy), inspired by the classic Dickens work, a soap about a morally corrupt family in the diamond business set in New York City. Executive produced by Oscar winner Dan Jinks (American Beauty, Milk). From CBS Television Studios.

"The Shoreline"

The golden child of a small coastal town in South Carolina returns home to see that a major Hollywood prime time soap, The Shore Line Yacht Club, is the biggest employer in town. An enormous class divide separates the cast and producers from the townspeople, yet their lives are now continuously and irrevocably intertwined - for better or for worse. From writer Carolyn Ingber and executive produced by Becky Hartman Edwards (Switched at Birth, Parenthood). From Fox Television Studios.

"Dirty/Pretty"

From Keith Eisner (The Good Wife, Law & Order), Jason Markarian and John Mirabella, a dark comedy centering on a blue collar guy from south Boston who gets scouted to be a model in Miami. Life gets turned upside down when his two best friends join him and see his new life as a way to expand their criminal activities. Gale Anne Hurd/Valhalla Entertainment will act as Executive Producer. From Universal Cable Productions.

"Fortunate Son"

Framed for a drug deal by a friend from his hard-partying days, society golden boy Michael Baron becomes a criminal informant and is at the mercy of the police. He bounces between his privileged west side of Los Angeles existence and the case he is forced to work in the slums. But his dark past gives Michael some leverage over his fate, and he makes a dangerous deal that could clear his name. Or get him killed. From writer and Co-Executive Producer Joey Falco and Executive Producers Kevin Spacey, Michael DeLuca and Dana Brunetti. From Universal Cable Productions.

"The Royals"

Part fairy tale, part cautionary tale, this contemporary family ensemble is steeped in all of the regal opulence of the British Monarchy and framed by Shakespeare's Hamlet. It's a tale of men and women corrupted by power, wealth and desire while looking at the nature of celebrity from a Royals' point of view. Executive produced and written by Mark Schwahn (One Tree Hill) and executive produced by Brian Robbins and Joe Davola (One Tree Hill, Smallville). From Lionsgate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/e-slate-includes-wwe-women-josh-schwartz-stephanie-104931646.html

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