Monday, April 29, 2013

Latin American presidents love Twitter - maybe too much

By Brian Winter

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - When a million angry Argentines flooded the streets earlier this month to protest her government, President Cristina Fernandez decided to post a message on Twitter.

And another. And then another.

"Yes, I'm a bit stubborn, and I'm also old. But in the end, it's lucky to arrive at old age, isn't it?" one tweet read. She also mused about a 19th century fresco in her "gorgeous" palace, and the merits of a state-run literacy program.

At the end of the day, Fernandez had sent 61 tweets in a nine-hour period - prolific even by the standards of Latin America, where presidents and other leading politicians have embraced social media with a zeal unmatched anywhere else.

Their love for Twitter, in particular, has given millions of voyeurs a real-time window into policymaking - and, often, their leaders' most intimate thoughts.

Yet it has also fueled debate on whether some are guilty of "oversharing" - making politics more polarized, confrontations more personal, and potentially making the leaders themselves look awkward when they post about chats with strangers in a bathroom, for example, as Fernandez also did this month.

"Everybody who uses Twitter knows that sometimes you write something and push the send button without thinking enough about it. That's dangerous in politics ... and we've seen many examples of it," said Alan Clutterbuck, head of Fundacion RAP, a group based in Buenos Aires that seeks to improve the civility of political discourse.

"We should hold our political leaders to a different standard," he said. "You see a message that says 'I'm having a sandwich,' and you think: 'Who cares?'"

With a rich tradition of florid oratory, Latin America produced Cuba's Fidel Castro and his famed five-hour-long speeches. So it's unsurprising that some of its modern-day leaders have embraced a new platform to express themselves - but also struggle to shoehorn their thoughts into a few tidy blasts of 140 characters or less.

Politicians have also been hurling around insults since before the Twitter age, such as when the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez called former U.S. President George W. Bush the "devil" at the United Nations in 2006.

Yet there is no question that the technology has made the invective fly faster than ever before.

In the aftermath of this month's bitterly contested election to succeed Chavez in Venezuela, there were moments when both candidates were simultaneously tweeting attacks on each other.

Eventual winner Nicolas Maduro referred to the opposition as "fascists," declaring: "In their crazy hatred and desperation they're capable of anything." Losing candidate Henrique Capriles used Twitter to question the results of the voting hours after polls closed, tweeting "There is an illegitimate president!"

SHOWING THEIR HUMAN SIDE

Leaders elsewhere have also taken to Twitter, though not with the same fervor. U.S. President Barack Obama has a robust feed, but his profile says he only sends some himself, signing them "-bo." As of Friday, he hadn't done so in at least a month.

In contrast, Latin America's most prolific tweeting presidents - Fernandez, Maduro, Colombia's Juan Manuel Santos and Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto - all send a large percentage of messages themselves, their aides say.

The most popular of all was Chavez, who had more than 4 million followers prior to his death in March.

Not everybody's on board: The president of the region's biggest country, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff, stopped tweeting right after she was elected in 2010. "She thinks it's a total waste of time," one aide said.

But for others, it has become part of their identity.

Since leaving office in 2010, former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has sometimes sent dozens of tweets a day criticizing Santos for being weak on security, among other alleged failings.

Uribe's critics say he has diminished his stature, and unfairly hamstrung his chosen successor, by weighing in so frequently on day-to-day affairs. But he has shown no signs of slowing down, and even hung in his home office a framed cartoon of himself hunched over his Blackberry, tweeting away.

"It allows direct communication, without intermediaries," Uribe said via e-mail. "The danger is that it tempts you to react to first impressions, so I try to avoid seeing many of the provocations that arrive."

At its best, Twitter can remind voters that their politicians are human - and even vulnerable.

The night of the march against her in Buenos Aires, Fernandez traveled to Caracas, and began to reflect on Chavez's death - words that added poignancy given the sudden passing of her own husband, former President Nestor Kirchner, in 2010.

"Why is it that those who live with so much intensity abandon us so soon?" she tweeted.

The following night, she started writing about "the human condition," before seemingly remembering that, even on Twitter, there are limits.

"Pardon me," she tweeted. "I started thinking, and since I can't speak (because my voice is gone), I'm channeling it through here."

"In the end, it's healthy and absolutely inoffensive."

(Additional reporting by Helen Murphy in Bogota; Editing by Kieran Murray and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latin-american-presidents-love-twitter-maybe-too-much-125728785.html

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TechStars Boston Alum Placester Raises $2.5 Million For Its Professional Website Builder For Realtors

04-plymouth-ipadAfter launching out of TechStars Boston back in 2011, Cambridge-based real estate marketing platform?Placester?has raised $2.5 million in seed financing in a round led by new Boston seed fund, Romulus Capital, with participation from other angel investors. Founded in 2009 by a former real estate agent, Matt Barba, the service helps realtors launch their own websites. During TechStars, the startup was originally designed to help realtors with online advertising, but that soon changed. “Helping real estate professionals promote their listings online through syndication was our initial focus,” explains Barba. “However, we quickly learned that the vast majority of real estate professionals don’t have anything to promote,” he says. “Essentially, they didn’t have a website. We learned there was a much more fundamental problem to be solved: Helping real estate professionals establish themselves online.” Barba understood first-hand the difficulties realtors faced in putting their data online, including data access fees, paperwork, technical challenges, and more, because of his own background in real estate. Realtors have to pull their data from MLS (Multiple Listing Service – the regional entity where real estate professionals enter and store homes that are available for sale or rent),?then pay for an IDX integration allowing customers to search their listings. This can be expensive because there are 900 U.S. MLSes, and the information retrieval methods for these are not standardized. “This difference is one of the main contributing factors to the cost of creating a platform that allows real estate professionals to establish an online presence,” Barba says. “Additionally, most MLS’s charge fees to help offset the cost of purchasing the MLS software from third party vendors, and to provide additional services to the MLS’s agent membership. These fee’s aren’t overly burdensome to large brokerages, but can often be in the hundreds of dollars, which can be overwhelming for individual agents who are just starting to invest online,” he adds. These challenges lead to customers finding that a lot of realtors’ websites had out-of-date listings, which is a poor experience. Meanwhile, the existing website providers often caused problems of their own: they were slow to deliver, or used out-of-date technology, for example. Built alongside co-founder Frederick Townes, formerly the CTO at Mashable.com, Placester addresses these problems by offering a platform where realtors can create their own maintenance-free websites in around five minutes. The sites are based on WordPress,?optimized for SEO, and are mobile and tablet-friendly. For individual

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8O2X6WQFSWY/

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Movement of pyrrole molecules defy 'classical' physics

Monday, April 29, 2013

New research shows that movement of the ring-like molecule pyrrole over a metal surface runs counter to the centuries-old laws of 'classical' physics that govern our everyday world.

Using uniquely sensitive experimental techniques, scientists have found that laws of quantum physics - believed primarily to influence at only sub-atomic levels ? can actually impact on a molecular level.

Researchers at Cambridge's Chemistry Department and Cavendish Laboratory say they have evidence that, in the case of pyrrole, quantum laws affecting the internal motions of the molecule change the "very nature of the energy landscape" ? making this 'quantum motion' essential to understanding the distribution of the whole molecule.

The study, a collaboration between scientists from Cambridge and Rutgers universities, appeared in the German chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie earlier this month.

A pyrrole molecule's centre consists of a "flat pentagram" of five atoms, four carbon and one nitrogen. Each of these atoms has an additional hydrogen atom attached, sticking out like spokes.

Following experiments performed by Barbara Lechner at the Cavendish Laboratory to determine the energy required for movement of pyrrole across a copper surface, the team discovered a discrepancy that led them down a 'quantum' road to an unusual discovery.

In previous work on simpler molecules, the scientists were able to accurately calculate the 'activation barrier' ? the energy required to loosen a molecule's bond to a surface, allowing movement ? using 'density functional theory', a method that treats the electrons which bind the atoms according to quantum mechanics but, crucially, deals with atomic nuclei using a 'classical' physics approach.

Surprisingly, with pyrrole the predicted 'activation barriers' were way out, with calculations "less than a third of the measured value". After much head scratching, puzzled scientists turned to a purely quantum phenomenon called 'zero-point energy'.

In classical physics, an object losing energy can continue to do so until it can be thought of as sitting perfectly still. In the quantum world, this is never the case: everything always retains some form of residual ? even undetectable ? energy, known as 'zero-point energy'.

While 'zero-point energy' is well known to be associated with motion of the atoms contained in molecules, it was previously believed that such tiny amounts of energy simply don't affect the molecule as a whole to any measurable extent, unless the molecule broke apart.

But now, the researchers have discovered that the "quantum nature" of the molecule's internal motion actually does affect the molecule as a whole as it moves across the surface, defying the 'classical' laws that it's simply too big to feel quantum effects.

'Zero-point energy' moving within a pyrrole molecule is unexpectedly sensitive to the exact site occupied by the molecule on the surface. In moving from one site to another, the 'activation energy' must include a sizeable contribution due to the change in the quantum 'zero-point energy'.

Scientists believe the effect is particularly noticeable in the case of pyrrole because the 'activation energy' needed for diffusion is particularly small, but that many other similar molecules ought to show the same kind of behavior.

"Understanding the nature of molecular diffusion on metal surfaces is of great current interest, due to efforts to manufacture two-dimensional networks of ring-like molecules for use in optical, electronic or spintronic devices," said Dr Stephen Jenkins, who heads up the Surface Science Group in Cambridge's Department of Chemistry.

"The balance between the activation energy and the energy barrier that sticks the molecules to the surface is critical in determining which networks are able to form under different conditions."

###

University of Cambridge: http://www.cam.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Cambridge for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127970/Movement_of_pyrrole_molecules_defy__classical__physics

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Moniker and SnapNames Announce Premium Spring Domain Name ...

[news release] Moniker? and SnapNames?, both KeyDrive S. A. companies and leading providers of domain name solutions, today announced their Premium Spring Auction. The online auction showcases some of the most sought after domains on the market and provides businesses, including start-ups and established companies, access to domain names for long term, strategic growth initiatives.




The premium auction event features hand-selected domains across popular business categories and will include starting bid prices ranging from Low & No Reserve to Premium price points. Past events have produced such notable sales such as Social.com, Data.com, Guns.com, QE.com, Platinum.com, Empire.com, Dating.com, Tshirts.com and many more.

Additional information including links to the auction can be found at: https://moniker.com/domainauction/events/2013-04-spring-premium/

Featured domains include: BarbecueSauce.com, CarRepairs.com, Feature.com, FixedRateLoans.com, GolfingSchool.com, Jockeys.com, Lbs.com, NachoCheese.com, Plum.com, Receive.com, Screening.com, Visitor.com, WebServer.com, WindowShades.com, YogaClasses.com and more.

?We strongly believe a premium domain name is the foundation for growth on the internet today. From e-commerce sites to brick and mortar establishments seeking an online presence, a premium domain provides tangible benefits unlike that of traditional customer acquisition methods,? said Craig Snyder, CEO of Moniker and SnapNames. ?The SnapNames auction platform and our world-class brokerage team connect established businesses and early stage start-ups with assets that drive go-to-market strategies and create launch pads for products and solutions. Making that process globally accessible has been the driving force for our success and this auction is no exception.?

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To speak directly to a domain name sales specialist regarding domains for sale and bidding options please contact us by email or phone - Email: auction[@]moniker.com; Phone: Toll free in the U.S. and Canada 866-690-6279-Option 3; Outside the U.S. and Canada 503-241-8547-Option 3.

To participate in the auction an active SnapNames account is required. To set-up a new account please go to: https://www.snapnames.com/add_acct_1.jsp.

For more details visit: https://moniker.com/domainauction/events/2013-04-spring-premium/

About Moniker and SnapNames

Moniker? and SnapNames?, both KeyDrive S.A. companies, offer registries, registrars, businesses and individuals an array of services for domain registration management, acquisition, brokerage and sales. Moniker introduced the live domain name auction concept and is a top worldwide registrar. SnapNames pioneered and operates the largest online auction of registered, expired and deleting domains, giving its customers access to the world?s best selection and most valuable names every day. For more information visit www.moniker.com and www.snapnames.com.

This news release was sourced from:
https://www.moniker.com/domainnewsresources/news/moniker_and_snapnames_announce_premium_spring_domain_name_auction

Source: http://www.domainnews.com/en/moniker-and-snapnames-announce-premium-spring-domain-name-auction.html

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Friday, April 26, 2013

RBAF Combat Net Radio System Contract Signing Ceremony ...

RBAF Combat Net Radio System Contract Signing Ceremony

The Ministry of Defence Negara Brunei Darussalam (?MINDEF?) signed Supplemental Agreement and Blanket Order Agreement for the supply of Combat Net Radio (CNR) System for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (?RBAF?) with Harris Corporation, RF Communications Division (?Harris?) from United States of America.

The Contract Signing Ceremony was held at MINDEF?s premises at Bolkiah Garrison on March 29th 2013. Signing on behalf of MINDEF was Hajah Suriyah binti Haji Umar, Permanent Secretary of Administration and Finance and Allan Callaghan, Vice President International Sales and Managing Director Asia Pacific, signing on behalf of Harris.

The CNR Supplemental Agreement is an enhancement contract to the Master Agreement signed in January 2008 in which Harris supplied tactical radios, accessories and other equipment to the RBAF. The New Supplemental Program, to be implemented in five phases over a five-year period, provides the deployment of networked communications delivering secure tactical communications to individual soldiers, and improving situational awareness and force effectiveness. In addition to the Supplemental Agreement, the Blanket Order Agreement provides enhancement to RBAF?s ability to maintain and support the CNR System throughout its expected service life.

The Supplemental Program will enhance RBAF?s C4I (Command, Control, Communication, Computing & Intelligence) Systems, enabling secure voice communication links and wideband data performance allowing for information superiority in today?s battlefield.


Naval Today Staff, April 25, 2013; Image: MINDEF

Source: http://navaltoday.com/2013/04/25/rbaf-combat-net-radio-system-contract-signing-ceremony/

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per Washington Post, health insurance provider in Maryland says it ...

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Source: http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/04/26/per-washington-post-health-insurance-provider-in-maryland-says-it-must-raise-individual-health-insurance-premiums-on-average-25/

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Planned Parenthood 'not going anywhere,' Obama says

President Barack Obama on Friday defended Planned Parenthood?the largest source of reproductive health care for women, as well as an abortion provider?against its opponents, and warned critics that the organization remains steadfast.

"Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere," Obama told the 1,000 people at the group's annual national conference in Washington. "It?s not going anywhere today. It?s not going anywhere tomorrow." He is the first president to address Planned Parenthood.

The organization has long been a target of abortion opponents, who in recent years have fought to cut off its federal funding?despite the fact that that money, by law, is not applicable toward abortions. (Abortions make up an estimated 3 percent of the organization's budget.)

The president on Friday lauded Planned Parenthood's work ?providing quality health care to women all across America."

Obama added, "We are truly grateful to you.?

He noted that 1 in 5 women in America have sought services from Planned Parenthood, which is the primary source for health care for many women. When politicians attempt to turn it into "a punching bag," Obama said, they are shutting out women who need health care and communities that may need health care services the most.

"When it comes to a women's health, no politician should get to decide what's best for you," Obama said. "The only person who should get to make decisions about your health is you."

Obama used his appearance to champion his health care law, which he said promotes many of the same principles as Planned Parenthood. Obama said his law supports health care for women by allowing young women, for example, to be covered by their parents' health care insurance plans, and by preventing women with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage.

The president did not say the word "abortion" during his remarks, but did reference a woman's "right to choose."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus recently targeted the organization with a scathing op-ed for conservative news site Red State accusing Planned Parenthood and Democrats of supporting infanticide. Priebus wrote that testimony from a Planned Parenthood lobbyist in Florida indicated the organization supports the killing of infants.

Planned Parenthood later released a statement on the lobbyist's testimony, saying, "As a trusted health care provider, Planned Parenthood strongly condemns any physician who does not follow the law or endangers a woman's or child's health. And while HB 1129 addresses a situation that is extremely unlikely and highly unusual, if the scenario presented by the legislation should happen, of course a Planned Parenthood doctor would provide appropriate care to both the woman and the infant."

The president's appearance at the conference comes at a time when infanticide has been in the national news due to the murder trial of former abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. Gosnell, of Philadelphia, is charged with murder in the death of a woman in 2009 during an abortion procedure and in the deaths of four babies.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-address-planned-parenthood-145150867.html

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Google Transparency Report shows censorship spike, details takedown requests

Google Transparency Report shows censorship spike, details takedown requests

Governments are getting nosier than ever, at least if you ask Google. The search firm has already noticed rapidly mounting censorship in recent months, but its latest half-year Transparency Report has revealed a 26 percent surge in takedown requests toward the end of 2012 -- at 2,285 total, more than twice as many as in 2009. Much of the jump can be attributed to Brazil, whose municipal election triggered a rush of anti-defamation requests from candidates, as well as a Russian blacklisting law that allows for trial-free website takedowns.

Whether or not the heat dies down in 2013, we'll have a better sense of just what happens when a YouTube request comes down the pipe. From now on, Google will say whether government-based demands to remove videos were based on YouTube's Community Guidelines or were directly linked to regional laws. Google isn't any more inclined to comply with such requests -- it argues those Brazilian clips are free speech, for example -- but we'll have a better sense of just how easy it is for the company to say no.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Google Official Blog

Source: Google Transparency Report

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/FRSwHF0SoNg/

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Police: Boston suspects planned to attack New York

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Boston Marathon bombers were headed for New York to blow up their remaining explosives in Times Square before they were intercepted by police in a blazing gunbattle, officials said Thursday.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told interrogators from his hospital bed that he and his older brother decided on the spur of the moment last Thursday night to drive to New York and launch an attack. In their stolen SUV they had five pipe bombs and a pressure-cooker explosive like the ones that blew up at the marathon, Kelly said.

The plan fell apart when the Tsarnaev brothers got into a shootout just outside Boston that left Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead, Kelly said.

"We don't know if we would have been able to stop the terrorists had they arrived here from Boston," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "We're just thankful that we didn't have to find out that answer."

Dzhokhar, 19, is charged with carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 260, and he could get the death penalty.

Christina DiIorio-Sterling, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in Boston, would not comment on whether authorities plan to add charges based on alleged plan to attack New York.

Investigators and lawmakers briefed by the FBI have said that the Tsarnaev brothers ? ethnic Chechens from Russia who had lived in the U.S. for about a decade ? were motivated by anger over the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Based on the younger man's interrogation and other evidence, authorities have said it appears so far that the Muslim brothers were radicalized via jihadi material on the Internet instead of by any direct contact with terrorist organizations, but they have said it is still an open question.

Dzhokhar was interrogated in his hospital room over a period of 16 hours without being read his constitutional rights. He immediately stopped talking after a magistrate judge and a representative from the U.S. Attorney's office entered the room and gave him his Miranda warning, according to a U.S. law enforcement official and others briefed on the interrogation.

Tamerlan had come under scrutiny from the FBI, the CIA and Russian intelligence well before the Boston attack. The CIA had added Tamerlan's name to a terrorist database 18 months ago, after Russian intelligence flagged him as a possible Muslim radical, said officials close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

That disclosure is certain to raise questions on Capitol Hill over whether the Obama administration missed an opportunity to thwart the Boston attack.

Kelly, citing interrogations carried out by the task force investigating the Boston Marathon attack, said that days after the bombing, the Tsarnaev brothers "planned to travel to Manhattan to detonate their remaining explosives in Times Square."

"They discussed this while driving around in a Mercedes SUV that they hijacked after they shot and killed the officer at MIT," the police commissioner said. "That plan, however, fell apart when they realized that the vehicle they hijacked was low on gas and ordered the driver to stop at a nearby gas station."

The driver escaped and called police, Kelly said. That set off the gunbattle and manhunt that ended a day later with Dzhokhar captured and 26-year-old Tamerlan dead.

A day earlier, Kelly said that Tsarnaev had talked about coming to New York "to party" after the attack and that there wasn't evidence of a plot against the city. But Kelly said a later interview with the suspect turned up the information.

"He was a lot more lucid and gave more detail in the second interrogation," Kelly said. He and the mayor were briefed on the information Wednesday night by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Kelly said there was no evidence New York was still a target. But in a show of force, police cruisers with blinking red lights were lined up in the middle of Times Square on Thursday afternoon, and uniformed officers stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Why are they standing like that? This is supposed to make me feel safer?" asked Elisabeth Bennecib, a tourist and legal consultant from Toulouse, France. "It makes me feel more anxious, like something bad is about to happen."

Above the square, an electronic news ticker announced that the Boston Marathon suspects' next target might have been Times Square.

In 2010, Times Square was targeted with a car bomb that never went off. Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad had planted a bomb in an SUV, but street vendors noticed smoke and it was disabled. Shahzad was arrested as he tried to leave the country and was sentenced to life in prison.

Meanwhile, the Tsarnaev brothers' father said Thursday that he is leaving Russia for the U.S. in the next day or two, but their mother said she was still thinking it over.

Anzor Tsarnaev has expressed a desire to go to the U.S. to find out what happened with his sons, defend his hospitalized son and, if possible, bring his older son's body back to Russia for burial.

Their mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, who was charged with shoplifting in the U.S. last summer, said she has been assured by lawyers that she would not be arrested, but was still deciding whether to go.

___

Associated Press writers Verena Dobnik and Tom Hays in New York contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-boston-suspects-planned-attack-york-182015679.html

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Ice tubes in polar seas -- 'brinicles' or 'sea stalactites' -- provide clues to origin of life

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Life on Earth may have originated not in warm tropical seas, but with weird tubes of ice -- sometimes called "sea stalactites" -- that grow downward into cold seawater near Earth's poles, scientists are reporting.

Their article on these "brinicles" appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.

Bruno Escribano and colleagues explain that scientists know surprisingly little about brinicles, which are hollow tubes of ice that can grow to several yards in length around streamers of cold seawater under pack ice. That's because brinicles are difficult to study. The scientists set out to gather more information on the topic with an analysis of the growth process of brinicles.

They are shown to be analogous to a "chemical garden," a standby demonstration in chemistry classes and children's chemistry sets, in which tubes grow upward from metal salts dropped into silicate solution. But brinicles grow downward from the bottom of the ice pack.

The analysis concluded that brinicles provide an environment that could well have fostered the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago, and could have done so on other planets. "Beyond Earth, the brinicle formation mechanism may be important in the context of planets and moons with ice-covered oceans," the report states, citing in particular two moons of Jupiter named Ganymede and Callisto.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Julyan Cartwright, Bruno Escribano, Diego L. Gonz?lez, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz, idan tuval. Brinicles as a case of inverse chemical gardens. Langmuir, 2013; : 130403173604005 DOI: 10.1021/la4009703

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/DaSQJwKHSz4/130424112316.htm

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

NM Slaughterhouse Ground Zero in Horse Debate - Habitat for Horses

ABC News, Associated Press,JERI CLAUSING, April 23

images-10

Rick De Los Santos

About five miles from this southeastern New Mexico town?s famed UFO museum, tucked between dairy farms, is a nondescript metal building that could be home to any number of small agricultural businesses.

But Valley Meat Co. is no longer just another agricultural business. It?s a former cattle slaughterhouse whose kill floor has been redesigned for horses to be led in one at a time, secured in a huge metal chute, shot in the head, then processed into meat for shipment overseas.

It?s also ground zero for an emotional, national debate over a return to domestic horse slaughter that has divided horse rescue and animal humane groups, ranchers, politicians and Indian tribes.

At issue is whether horses are livestock or pets, and whether it is more humane to slaughter them domestically than to ship tens of thousands of neglected, unwanted and wild horses thousands of miles to be slaughtered in Mexico or Canada.

Front and center of the debate is Rick De Los Santos, who along with his wife, Sarah, has for more than two decades worked this small slaughterhouse, taking in mostly cows that were too old or sick to travel with larger herds to the bigger slaughterhouses for production.

Now, with cattle herds shrinking amid an ongoing drought, De Los Santos says he and his wife are just trying to transform their business and make enough money to retire by slaughtering domestically some of the thousands of horses that he says travel through the state every month on their way to what are oftentimes less humane and less regulated plants south of the border.

?They are being slaughtered anyway. We thought, well, we will slaughter them here and provide jobs for the economy,? De Los Santos said.

Instead, Valley Meat has been ensnarled in a yearlong political drama that has left the plant idle and its owners the target of vandalism and death threats ? warnings that increased after humane groups found a video a now-former plant worker posted of himself cursing at animal activists, then shooting one of his own horses to eat.

?People are saying, ?We will slit your throat in your sleep. We hope you die. We hope your kids die,?? De Los Santos said. ?Sometimes it?s scary. ? And it?s all for a horse.?

Indeed, voice mails left on the company?s answering machine spew hate and wishes for violence upon the family.

?I hope you burn in hell,? said one irate woman who called repeatedly, saying, ?You better pack your (expletive) bags (expletive) and get out of there because that place is finished.?

The couple have hired security and turned over phone records to federal authorities. They are, nevertheless, surprisingly candid about their plans, offering media access to the 7,200-square-foot slaughterhouse with one kill floor and two processing rooms that De Los Santos says can process 50 to 100 horses a day.

?It?s complicated, this industry of feeding the world,? Sarah De Los Santos says matter-of-factly. The meat would be processed for human consumption and exported to countries in eastern Europe and Asia.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to inspect the facility to decide whether it can become the first plant in the country to slaughter horses in more than six years.

De Los Santos says he is not worried about passing the inspection. The plant passed one last year but then was told it couldn?t begin operations until the USDA developed an acceptable test to measure the horse meat for drug residue.

CONTINUED ? READ MORE at ABC News.com

Source: http://www.habitatforhorses.org/nm-slaughterhouse-ground-zero-in-horse-debate/

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Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts Rally at 9/11 Memorial Site to Launch New Careers Rooted in Community Service

Veterans gather in New York for service program orientation with National Nonprofit The Mission Continues.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) April 24, 2013

Ten years after the U.S. engaged in the War on Terror, more than 70 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will rally at the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan on May 4 to begin the next chapter of serving their country: leading their communities at home. The veterans are the latest recruits for The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization that has helped more than 600 post-9/11 veterans successfully transition to post-military lives by reconnecting to their communities and their sense of purpose through volunteerism.

The 9/11 Memorial event is part of The Mission Continues' national fellowship orientation in New York City ? Bravo Orientation ? for veterans from across the country, May 3-5, 2013. Following a weekend of classroom training and a service blitz to rehabilitate The League School in Brooklyn, the veterans will convene at the 9/11 Memorial site to formally pledge an oath of service to the community before returning home to spend the next six months volunteering with local nonprofit organizations.

?The events of Sept. 11, 2001 inspired an entire generation of warriors to volunteer to defend their country,? said Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL and CEO and founder of The Mission Continues. ?And veterans? desire to contribute to a mission doesn?t end at the conclusion of their overseas deployment. By reigniting a desire to improve their communities at home, veterans rediscover their sense of purpose while building new connections that help them launch meaningful post-military careers.?

Continuing to Serve at Home


As part of Bravo Orientation, the new veteran recruits and alumni will fan out across the two-block school campus of The League School to refurbish common areas with fresh paint, plant a community garden and upgrade landscaping. The site improvements will support the school in its mission to provide a safe and nurturing atmosphere for children with developmental and emotional challenges to learn, grow and ultimately, make successful transitions to mainstream education and employment. Community volunteers, including The Daily Show staff, the Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation, Goldman Sachs? employees and the team from Harry?s Grooming will work side-by-side with the veterans serving the community.

?The veterans of The Mission Continues are heroes to our kids,? said Hannah Actenberg Kinn, CEO of The League Education & Treatment Center. ?Like our students, many of these veterans struggle with and overcome emotional and health issues each day. These generous veterans are role models of what our students can achieve with the right network of support.?

Through their service experience in New York and throughout their six month fellowships at home, veterans learn to translate military abilities into civilian skills, gaining valuable work experience and pursuing a defined post-fellowship goal: full-time employment, pursuit of higher education, or a full-time position of community service.

A New York Veterans? Journey


Among the members of Bravo class is New York City native and retired U.S. Army combat veteran Emmanuel Byron. After returning from Afghanistan, Byron suffered extensive injuries during a training exercise and was honorably discharged in 2006.

As a Mission Continues fellow, Byron will volunteer 20 hours each week at Little Flower Children and Family Services, mentoring children and families in crisis as well as developmentally disabled adults across New York City and Long Island. He?ll also lead an after-school program for children in foster care, which he hopes will help him hone his skills and gain valuable experience that will translate into a career as a social worker.

?I want to be an example for the inner city youth?living proof of someone from the streets of New York City can have a meaningful, positive impact,? Byron said. ?Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a mentor to guide me. I want to show these kids that someone cares about their future and believes they can overcome any obstacles in their paths.?

Media Opportunities:


Film/Photography:


-70 veterans lined up at attention, pledging to serve the community at the 9/11 Memorial site.


-The Mission Continues Fellows and volunteers will work together to renovate The League School?s refurbish common areas with fresh paint, plant a community garden and upgrade landscaping.

Interviews:


-70The Mission Continues Fellows (representing four of the five military branches)


-Eric Greitens, founder and CEO of The Mission Continues and 2013 TIME 100 honoree


-Spencer Kympton, president of The Mission Continues


-The Mission Continues corporate sponsors and service project volunteers

About The Mission Continues


The Mission Continues is a national nonprofit organization that helps Iraq and Afghanistan veterans successfully transition to post-military careers by reconnecting to their communities and their sense of purpose through volunteerism. Founded in 2007 by former U.S. Navy SEAL and TIME 100 2013 honoree Eric Greitens, The Mission Continues has helped more than 600 post-9/11 veterans focus their talents and energy to tackle challenges facing us right here at home. Through a unique model that provides reciprocal benefit for the veteran and the local community?six-month service fellowships?veterans volunteer to help others and, through their service, build new skills that help them launch their civilian career. For more information, please visit http://www.missioncontinues.org or follow us on Twitter @missioncontinue.

###

Laura L'Esperance
The Mission Continues
(212) 430-6549
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/veterans-iraq-afghanistan-conflicts-rally-9-11-memorial-170820015.html

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Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaur

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

University of Alberta led research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur was a complete hunter, able to swoop down and pickup fish as well as its previously known prey of birds and tree dwelling mammals.

U of A paleontology graduate student Scott Persons says new evidence of Microrpator's hunting ability came from fossilized remains in China. "We were very fortunate that this Microraptor was found in volcanic ash and its stomach content of fish was easily identified."

Prior to this, paleontologists believed microraptors which were about the size of a modern day hawk, lived in trees where they preyed exclusively on small birds and mammals about the size of squirrels.

"Now we know that Microraptor operated in varied terrain and had a varied diet," said Persons. "It took advantage of a variety of prey in the wet, forested environment that was China during the early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago."

Further analysis of the fossil revealed that its teeth were adapted to catching slippery, wiggling prey like fish. Dinosaur researchers have established that most meat eaters had teeth with serrations on both sides which like a steak knife helped the predator saw through meat.

But the Microraptor's teeth are serrated on just one side and its teeth are angled forwards.

"Microraptor seems adapted to impale fish on its teeth. With reduced serrations the prey wouldn't tear itself apart while it struggled," said Persons. "Microraptor could simply raise its head back, the fish would slip off the teeth and be swallowed whole, no fuss no muss."

Persons likens the Microraptor's wing configuration to a bi-plane. "It had long feathers on its forearms, hind legs and tail," said Persons. "It was capable of short, controlled flights."

This is the first evidence of a flying raptor, a member of the Dromaeosaur family of dinosaurs to successfully prey on fish.

###

University of Alberta: http://www.ualberta.ca

Thanks to University of Alberta 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.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127861/Fish_was_on_the_menu_for_early_flying_dinosaur

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MetroPCS shareholders vote to approve T-Mobile merger

It hit a few snags along the way, but T-Mobile's merger with MetroPCS now appears to be all but a done deal. Bloomberg is reporting that MetroPCS shareholders voted to approve the deal this morning, following a recommendation from two previously opposed shareholder advisory firms that the merger be approved last week -- and approval from the board before that. According to Bloomberg, the final terms of the deal give T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom a 74 percent stake in the new company, with MetroPCS shareholders receiving a $1.5 billion cash payment. Most notably for T-Mobile, the deal brings nine million new prepaid customers into the fold, as well as the all-important wireless spectrum that MetroPCS currently owns.

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Source: Bloomberg

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/metropcs-shareholders-approve-t-mobile-merger/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Volkswagen announces iBeetle, a car with deep iPhone integration

Volkswagen announces iBeetle, a car with deep iPhone integration

There have been previous rumors about Apple building an iCar, but it now seems that instead of building the vehicle themselves, they have partnered with Volkswagen to help create the iBeetle. The car, which Volkswagen says was designed in coordination with Apple, boasts integration with the iPhone through Volkswagens iBeetle app, which provides access to entertainment and diagnostic functions.

When the app is launched, it can either connect the iPhone to the Beetle (?docked?), or not (?undocked?) ? the driver or front passenger decides that. As soon as the iPhone connects to the data network of the Beetle via the app and the docking station (?docked?), it all begins.

The app provides access to Spotify, oil and coolant temperature gauges, compares a comprehensive set of data for different routes to a particular destination, and a photo function. While other manufacturers allow you to connect your iPhone to the car through Bluetooth or connecting cable, Volkswagen plans to provide the first truly integrated experience between iPhone and vehicle. Volkswagen also claims that this car was designed with the iPhone 5 in mind, though it seems likely that the iPhone 5S will have been released by the time the iBeelte ships to customers in early 2014.

Source: Volkswagen, Image credit: Volkswagen

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/dxFjfw-t8bQ/story01.htm

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Japanese Ministers War Shrine Visit Upsets Neighbors (Voice Of America)

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Monday, April 22, 2013

At Shanghai show, Japan automakers woo lost sales - seattlepi.com

SHANGHAI (AP) ? Japanese automakers promised special Chinese designs and green technology in addition to the usual flashy fanfare at this year's Shanghai Auto Show, trying to woo back sales that crumpled during a territorial dispute over East China Sea islands late last year.

China is the world's biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold and crucial to the growth plans of global automakers. Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota lost market share to U.S., South Korean and German rivals as their sales plummeted and now, even as tensions between Japan and China abate, they continue to languish.

The dispute over control of the Japanese-administered islands, called Diayo in China and Senkaku in Japan, set off riots in China and a boycott of Japanese cars. Sales of cars from Japanese manufacturers plunged at one point to half of what they were the previous year. Latest figures show sales of Japanese brands are still declining while other automakers push deeper into a market that analysts predict will have annual sales of 32 million vehicles by 2020 ? the equivalent of the United States and Europe combined.

Japanese automakers suffered a 17.8 percent sales decline in March overall, while total vehicle sales in China surged 13.3 percent, according to Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "Until the territorial dispute is resolved, it appears as though Japanese automakers will continue to face challenges in the still growing Chinese market," he said.

Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito said the automaker had gone through anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S. during "Japan-bashing" in the late 1980s, but Honda had earned its place in the U.S. by bringing Americans on board as developers and assembly line workers.

"It's not that all Chinese people dislike our cars," he told reporters at the show's media preview on Saturday.

"There is no mistake that we want to contribute to Chinese society," he said. "We just have to keep at it."

The show, in a sprawling exhibition center, opened to the public Sunday and runs until April 29.

Nissan Motor Co., whose March sales were down nearly 17 percent from last year, has been wooing buyers back with a warranty on cars that get smashed by rioters. It fixed or replaced for free the dozens of cars that got damaged in riots last year. Since then, it has not had to exercise the warranty.

Nissan, which also makes Infiniti luxury models, says it is serious about building its presence in China, and has invested in developing the Venucia lineup of cars aimed at the tastes and budgets of cost-conscious buyers. It also stressed Chinese participation in development of the brand, a priority for Beijing which wants its own automakers to grow into global names.

While some makers have slapped together a brand customized for China, Nissan said it had taken great care and is touting Venucia as the most successful of a slew of new models introduced by automakers to target the economy market.

Nissan design chief and senior vice president Shiro Nakamura acknowledged China sales should be growing, not just returning to the previous year's levels. He stressed that Nissan can't afford to lose in China.

In contrast to developed countries, China's potential remains vast even if the growth of overall sales has slowed from 2009 when it reached a heady 45 percent. For every 1,000 people, car ownership is at 800 people in the U.S. and 600 in Europe and Japan, but a mere 50 in China.

Big business is expected in what are called second and third-tier cities, less developed than Beijing or Shanghai, and where people are just starting to think about owning cars as incomes rise.

Winning in the Chinese market is likely to depend on other factors as well, such as the strength of dealerships, the appeal of model lineups and the management of recalls, analysts say. The Japanese must overcome their current sales difficulties and also deal with tough competition from European and U.S. rivals.

Volkswagen AG of Germany, the biggest selling automaker in China, is investing 9.8 billion euros ($12.7 billion) through 2015 in its China business, mostly for fuel-efficient vehicles, and had pianist Lang Lang and Hollywood star Keanu Reeves at a gala event Friday evening to woo Chinese buyers.

Namrita Chow, senior analyst at IHS Automotive in Shanghai, said U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea were best able to take advantage of Japanese sales woes and increased market share in China.

Toyota Motor Corp., whose March sales in China were down 12 percent from a year earlier, is hoping to win over China with its gas-electric hybrids, a technology it pioneered with the Prius.

China is increasingly concerned about energy efficiency and pollution, and Toyota is hopeful that hybrids will catch on with Chinese buyers. Rapid growth in car sales has left Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities choked on traffic and smog.

By the end of 2015, or early 2016, Toyota is planning to start selling two hybrid models in China, developed by a special team for the Chinese market, in which the core part of the hybrid system will be totally made in China.

Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co. President, acknowledged the company was taking a risk with pushing hybrids in China where such vehicles are currently a tiny proportion of sales. But he believes the technology is well suited for the country as long as it is affordable. Toyota did not give sales prices or production numbers for the planned models.

"The era of hybrids is almost certain to come. It has taken off in the rest of the world," he said. "Besides, it will be good for China."

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/At-Shanghai-show-Japan-automakers-woo-lost-sales-4450974.php

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Boston Suspect in Custody (Balloon Juice)

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Writers and Authors: Speak Your Book into Being

Writers are known for their way with words and through the years we have all seen them depicted hunched over typewriters in dusty rooms as their minds spun tales translated by their nimble fingers tapping onto the keys.

I?ve often wondered how the process of creativity overlaps the necessary concentration needed to write. Is anything lost in the process of needing to slow down or pause to type out what we are thinking, seeing or feeling.

Mih?ly Cs?kszentmih?lyi tells us "Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does." But if we are truly ?fully absorbed? then how can we write?

Am I to assume then that writers are channeling their information? Or do they concentrate and simultaneously create, deliberately scheming to make the story more engaging, more frightening, more of any feeling they are trying to have their reader experience? Does writing come from that place of creativity that can be seen as a gift or is it manipulated and constructed from the imagination? As as for the readers, are we having our own experience relating to the story or are we being taken on a journey by ath author, a journey of their making?

In my own process of writing, I can feel states of flow coming on but I could never capture what comes to me at the speed of light with my fingers. My chosen genre is non-fiction and I feel moments of clarity and inspiration to share different parts of my journey. I experience a need to share in order to help others on a similar journey avoid the same pitfalls and mistakes and gain benefit from shortcuts I?ve discovered or research that helped me move along faster.

So I ?cheat? at writing and I record myself. Technology is a wonderful thing. I then take the recordings and have them transcribed. But is it cheating? Over the last 5 years I have had the pleasure to meet and interview hundreds of authors and the majority of them shared that they have the same challenge. When they sit down to write their information, time becomes an issue as does the ?flow? of content. They pause to choose better words or edit their explanations. What happens then is that they lose the essence of their message and either stop or throw away what they have created.

These authors confessed that they too record themselves as they drive, do the dishes or pick up their children from school. They lead busy lives and they want to share their information, but time is a barrier. I began to see a pattern in most non-fiction writers of recording their content, having it transcribed and then editing their own material, adding in whatever they feel needs to be added or taken away. They use this as a framework to build upon and it makes writing their books feel almost effortless. As a result they move on to creating full lines of training products and even more books.

They ask me not to share their ?little secret? and I never know if it is because they are ashamed of not truly ?writing? or if they just like living with the illusion that they too spend years and years hunched over their typewriters or keyboards.

I suppose people would judge if they knew. Or not. Perhaps they would be inspired to speak their own books into being and share what they know. My question to you, the reader is this? Are you assigned the title of an author or a writer because you actually write or for the content you create? How does content come to you and when it does come, are you able to fully capture it in its purest essence when writing or does something get lost in the process? Or do your write to allow your imagination to take others on a specific journey?

A good exercise would be to try to do it differently and see if there is an improvement. If you write, why not try to speak your next chapter into being? Imagine the time you will save if you are planning a multi-book series or have been stuck without the necessary time to write. I know recording works for me, and I have done both, recording and writing. But I must confess, when I record myself, my message is much more clear and authentic. Because my genre is non-fiction, my speaking resonates with my readers and my style translates exactly through the book as it does when I meet my readers live. This is a bonus in my business and makes life much easier.

Kytka Hilmar-Jezek is the author of Book Power: A Platform for Writing, Branding, Positioning & Publishing, where she teaches authors the power of gamifying your book and how it can grow your business. She believes that everyone has a book in them and should be inspired to write. ?You can connect with her at?www.BeMoreThanYouAre.com

Source: http://writersandauthors.blogspot.com/2013/04/speak-your-book-into-being.html

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Gov. Patrick: 'Keep the doors locked'

[Updated at 2:36 p.m. ET]

BOSTON?Thousands of law enforcement officers are entering the 15th hour of a massive, door-to-door manhunt for a suspect in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings that wounded more than 170 people and left three dead.

A late-night police chase and shootout left one marathon bombing suspect?26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev?dead and the other, his younger brother, on the run, police here said. One police officer was killed and another seriously wounded during the violent spree. The city of Boston and its surrounding areas have ground to a standstill as the manhunt continues in a 20-block radius of Watertown, with local leaders warning residents to stay indoors. Police also announced there will be a "controlled explosion" in a building in Cambridge Friday afternoon.

"It is important that folks remain indoors, keep the doors locked and not open the door unless there is a uniformed law enforcement officer on the other side of it," Gov Deval Patrick said at a 12:30 p.m. press conference.

The suspect on the lam is Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., a registered student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He and his brother's family is originally from Chechnya, a volatile and once war-torn southern Russian republic. The family fled to Kyrgyzstan and eventually immigrated to the United States as refugees about 10 years ago.

His older brother studied engineering at a local community college and was a Golden Gloves boxer. Tamerlan Tsarnaev also reportedly had a wife and young child. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was remembered by former classmates as bright and personable, posted links to pro-Chechnyan independence sites on his social media page, and listed his worldview as "Islam." Tsarnaev appeared to be posting to his Twitter account even after the attacks, writing in his last post on Wednesday, "I'm a stress free kind of guy."

The suspects' uncle told the local CBS News station that the pair had lived in the country since 2002. The uncle, when told that one of his nephews was killed, replied that he deserved it. ?He deserved his. He absolutely deserved his,? Ruslan Tsarni said. ?They do not deserve to live

Marathon bombing suspect Tsarnaev (FBI)on this earth.?

In an emotional press conference, Tsarni said his nephews had brought shame upon his family, and called them "losers." He said they were not "able to settle themselves" and were "angry at everyone who was able to." He said he did not believe they were motivated by the radical politics in Chechnya or their Muslim religion.

"Dzhokhar, If you're alive, turn yourself in and ask for forgiveness from the victims [and] the injured," he said. "He put a shame on our family. He put a shame on the entire Chechnyan ethnicity. Turn yourself in."

He added that he hadn't been in touch with the family for several years, but would not say why.

"I'm ready to kneel in front of them and ask their forgiveness," Tsarni said of the victims of his nephews' crime. "I respect this country; I love this country ... this country that gives everybody chance to be treated like human being."

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said that one or both of the brothers traveled back to the Caucasus region of Russia for a year or more before returning to America again.

Tsarnaev's father, reached by the AP in Russia by phone, said his son was a "true angel" and wonderful student. He later told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he wanted his son to surrender peacefully.

The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth announced shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Friday that they were evacuating the entire campus after learning Tsarnaev is a registered student there.

Earlier, at sunrise, Gov. Patrick ordered a shutdown of all public transit and for residents in the city of Boston and on its edges to stay indoors as a massive manhunt for the second suspect was underway. The Boston Globe reported that police are focusing on a 20-block area of Watertown, and fear the suspect may be wearing explosives. Amtrak has also shut down all trains between Boston and New York.

?This situation is grave and we are trying to protect the public safety,? said Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben, who ordered a lockdown of Watertown, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, Newton, Allston and Brighton. Brookline was later ordered to be on lockdown as well. A no fly zone has been declared over Watertown. The city of Boston was eerily quiet during Friday's rush hour, the city's busy intersections totally abandoned.

The mayhem began at approximately 10:20 p.m. Thursday when police said the bombing suspects robbed a 7-Eleven store in Cambridge. Minutes later, police said, the men shot and killed an MIT campus officer, Sean Collier, 26, responding to the robbery call. The terror suspects then carjacked a Mercedes-Benz SUV with the driver inside and fled, eventually letting the driver go.

(Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, MIT issued a statement on its website saying that the suspect "in this evening's shooting is no longer on campus. It is now safe to resume normal activities. Please remain vigilant in the coming hours." MIT, Harvard, Boston University and other local colleges have cancelled classes.)

The suspects were then spotted in Watertown, where Federal agents swarmed in. At approximately 3:30 a.m., Massachusetts State Police issued a plea on Twitter for residents of Watertown to lock their doors and not open them for anyone as dozens of police officers, many of them off-duty, searched backyards and exteriors of houses there, and a police perimeter of several blocks was established.

Worried residents were also told to turn off their cell phones out of fear that they could trigger improvised explosive devices.

K9 units and SWAT teams searched homes on Spruce Street as officers with a police robot searched an SUV that the suspects had abandoned. Multiple devices were left in the road and two handguns were recovered, according to police scanners.

Slain MIT police officer Sean Collier. (Middlesex DA)

The suspects exchanged dozens of rounds of gunfire with patrol officers. According to the Washington Post, they also lobbed IEDs at officers.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot by police and brought to Beth Israel Medical Center. He arrived at the hospital under cardiac arrest with multiple gunshot wounds and blast-like injuries to his chest. The second suspect fled on foot, leading to the tense manhunt that is still underway at this hour.

A transit officer, Richard H. Donohue, was seriously wounded during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.

"We believe this to be a terrorist," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis of Tsarnaev. "We believe this to be a man who has come here to kill people. We need to get him into custody."

[Related: FBI releases photos of suspects in Boston Marathon bombings]

In a radio alert sent issued to fellow officers, the suspect was described as a "white male with dark complexion ... with thick curly hair wearing a charcoal gray hooded sweatshirt ... possibly with an assault rifle and explosives."

Police in Watertown, Newton, Brighton and Cambridge were put on high alert. "Units use caution," an officer said. "He might have an explosive object on his person."

"Suspect 2" seen in 7-Eleven surveillance footage; police in Watertown (BPD/Getty)

President Barack Obama, who attended an interfaith service for the bombing victims in Boston on Thursday, was briefed on the overnight developments, the White House said early Friday. He received an updated briefing later in the day.

Police were able to track down images of the suspects after a victim of the attacks, Jeff Bauman, came to them with a description, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Bauman's legs were torn apart by the bomb.

--Yahoo News reporter Dylan Stableford contributed to this report from Connecticut. Liz Goodwin is reporting from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/boston-mit-shooting-explosion-suspect-watertown-064355149.html

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