Will Video Games Ever Be Acceptable? | Citizen Game

Most people will attest that it is difficult to spend every moment of each day being productive.? In order to stay industrious human beings are therefore hardwired to require downtime.? Throughout history, many activities have been partaken that serve purely as a means of relaxation.? In essence, their prime function is to help us, as a species, mentally unwind.? Some, such as meditation or napping, serve a higher purpose, but ultimately, it is different forms of entertainment that have become our chief way to recharge in the 21^st Century.

Over time, as our civilisation advances, new entertainment forms emerge. ?As technology continues to evolve so too do the methods that we, as a people, use to entertain ourselves.? Spending time searching the internet and the playing of video games are the two key types that have arisen slowly over the last few decades.? They are both purely dependent on technology and fail to exist without it.? These join, and fit alongside, older types that have already had a firm grasp within our society for many a year.? They sit happily amongst the well-established staples of board games, reading and sports, among many others.

One exceptionally interesting development regarding our many sources of amusement is that some past-times are seen as more valid than others.? Although watching movies or playing football is accepted in our culture by the mainstream, there is still a certain amount of stigma attached to video games, and the individuals who play them, by those who don?t.? Is reading a novel really a more worthwhile or grown up past time?

The PlayStation became the first video game console to ship 100 million units worldwide.

This has improved wildly over the years, but many still perceive video games are infantile and childish exploits, on the whole.? When first released, the original Sony PlayStation went a long way to assuage this negative view.? It was the first home console to be deemed ?cool? and was, thusly, included in many articles in men?s magazines and lifestyle publications.? Sony cleverly attempted, and to a point succeeded, in changing the perception of gaming as niche and impenetrable to one that was more, for want of a better term, conventional.? As a clever sales tactic they sought for consumers to see video gaming as something that not only anyone could do, but was hip to participate in.? Although, this did partially work, it was sadly only effective to a point.

An Average Gamer?

Moreover, the rise of mobile and casual gaming has gone some way to change this unfavourable view.? Video games are now played to a large degree on the go and by many different types of people.? They are now a huge presence on smart phones and tablet devices.? Mobile gaming and titles such as the hugely popular Angry Birds, for example, has managed to attract demographics that would, historically, steer clear of video games.? It is now not unusual to see woman and older people playing games on the move, along side the more common sight of 13 to 35 year old males.

Nintendo, with their DS and Wii consoles, also made a concerted effort to entice females and other age groups.? With titles like Wii Fit, Brain Training and Wii Sports, the Japanese Gaming Giant used more casual gaming fare to appeal to groups unaccustomed to video games as a method of recreation.? They tried to make video games seem like an activity that was easy, fun and enjoyable.? In many ways they were largely accomplished their goal as sales of Wii?s and DS went through the roof.? They, also, cannily used more conventional and established celebrities, including the likes of Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren, to make video games seem less mysterious to the uninitiated.

Even though video gaming has come on leaps and bounds in terms of its poor image, there is still a long way to travel.? Games are still the realm of a particular demographic, that of young men.? Until it considered the norm that women and the older generation play video games, and not an anomaly, gaming will be considered something strange and foreign to the general public.? Until that day, games, and those who embrace them, will be deemed by most as a little bit strange!

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Chris Spence

Tattooed, pierced, gamer, comic-collector, film buff and I love to bathe in overall geekness!

More articles by Chris Spence ?

Source: http://www.citizengame.co.uk/editorial/articles/15044/will-video-games-ever-be-acceptable

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Outgoing FSA chief to join Soros body - report

LONDON (Reuters) - The outgoing chairman of Britain's financial watchdog and one-time candidate to head the Bank of England (BoE) is expected to take up a post at a think tank founded by billionaire investor George Soros.

Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that Adair Turner, who heads the soon to be dissolved Financial Services Authority, will join the Institute for New Economic Thinking in New York.

Dubbed by British media as "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England", Soros reportedly made $1 billion by betting on the devaluation of Britain's sterling currency in 1992, helping to send it crashing out of the European Exchange Rate mechanism.

Hungarian-born Soros set up the think tank to devise new economic theories in response to deficiencies in current thinking demonstrated by the recent global financial crisis.

Board members include Nobel prize-winning economists Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen.

The Sunday Telegraph gave no details of the nature of Turner's role at the think tank. The appointment has not yet been announced and spokesmen for Soros and Turner were not immediately available for comment.

The Sunday Telegraph said the FSA had confirmed Turner's appointment and quoted an FSA source as saying Turner's aim at the think tank was to "think big thoughts" and write "more learned papers".

Turner's FSA will be scrapped from April 1 amid reforms to fix a supervisory system criticised for failing to spot the financial crisis coming, forcing Britain to bail out banks.

Two new bodies will replace it - the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas; editing by Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/outgoing-fsa-chief-join-soros-body-report-110402701--finance.html

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Argentina offers to pay debts with cash, bonds

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? Argentina proposed a creative way out of its debt showdown Friday night, describing a mix of cash and bonds that it suggested would amount to a huge profit, but not a gargantuan one, for the investors it calls "vulture funds."

The government's lawyers gave an appellate panel in New York a proposed payment plan that could take many more years to cancel $1.44 billion in defaulted bonds, interest and penalties left unpaid since the country's world-record 2001 default.

"Argentina's proposal accounts for past-due amounts to bring the debt current, provides for a fair return going forward, and also gives an upside in the form of annual payments if Argentina's economy grows," the Cleary, Gottlieb lawyers said.

The money directly at stake in this case is just a fraction of Argentina's remaining defaulted debt, which adds up to more than $11 billion in capital and interest. This plan would also enable those creditors to get paid as well, over time, providing a truly equitable solution, the lawyers argued.

And to be fair to all, they said the new bonds would also be made available to the vast majority of investors who accepted pennies on the dollar in 2005 and 2010 for their defaulted debt.

Argentina is arguing that to do otherwise would violate the principle the court aims to uphold ? the "pari passu" clause in the original bond contracts, which means the sovereign debt issuer must treat all bondholders equally.

"This proposal would provide plaintiffs with significant compensation, and ? unlike the '100 cents on the dollar immediately' formula adopted by the court below ? is consistent with the pari passu clause, longstanding principles of equity, and the Republic's capacity to pay," Argentina argued.

Just who owns these bonds and what price they were originally bought for is impossible to say. Even defaulted bonds are constantly traded, and the plaintiffs include huge hedge fund investors like billionaire Paul Singer as well as Argentine retirees who saw their much more humble life savings melt away in Argentina's economic crisis.

Under this deal, Argentina said the mom-and-pop investors would get immediate cash for the interest that has built up since 2003, plus Par bonds and GDP bonds that would eventually make them whole.

Institutional investors would be offered a different mix, mostly Discount bonds, which Argentina said would reward them handsomely.

It cited as an example nearly $50 million in defaulted debt that the lead plaintiffs, NML Capital Ltd., reportedly purchased in 2008. Accepting the mix of new bonds in exchange for these bad debts would eventually provide an aggregate profit of 284 percent, but not an unfair gain of 1,380 percent, the lawyers argued.

President Cristina Fernandez personally reviewed the proposal just before it was filed, the state news agency Telam reported.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/argentina-offers-pay-debts-cash-bonds-040817493--finance.html

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Hands-on with Divekick's minimalist two-button controller (video)

Just a couple days after we got our hands on Tenya Wanya Teen's crazy 16-button arcade stick, we were treated to its polar opposite; Divekick's two-button controller. Created by Iron Galaxy Studios just to show off the game at PAX East, the controller consists of two buttons slightly larger than the palms of our hands; the yellow one denotes a jump or dive, while the blue corresponds to a kick. As a parody of the fighting genre, Divekick's gameplay avoids complicated combo moves, is incredibly simple and immensely enjoyable, if we do say so ourselves.

Unlike traditional fighting games, the health bars are essentially meaningless, as a single power hit can take down your rival. Therefore you're focused on just the most basic movements -- a common one involves jumping in the air, tapping the other button for the downward kick, and then tapping it again to fly backwards. As for moving your character about, a jump and kick combo will get you charging towards your foe. Some characters let you fly when jumping, while others reward pressing buttons simultaneously. From our few minutes mashing the controller, it seems that timing and position are more important than ever with such fundamental mechanics, and ones that we picked up pretty quickly. We especially enjoyed kicking our adversary in the head to make them dazed and vulnerable in the early seconds of the next round.

Gallery: Divekick's two-button controller

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/30/divekick-controller/

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Veterans fight changes to disability payments

In this March 24, 2013 photo, former Marine Corps Cpl. Marshall Archer, left, a veterans' liaison for the city of Portland, Maine, speaks to a man on a street in Portland. Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

In this March 24, 2013 photo, former Marine Corps Cpl. Marshall Archer, left, a veterans' liaison for the city of Portland, Maine, speaks to a man on a street in Portland. Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

In this March 24, 2013 photo, veterans' liaison Marshall Archer, a former Marine Corps corporal, poses for a photo in Portland, Maine. Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Veterans groups are rallying to fight any proposal to change disability payments as the federal government attempts to address its long-term debt problem. They say they've sacrificed already.

Government benefits are adjusted according to inflation, and President Barack Obama has endorsed using a slightly different measure of inflation to calculate Social Security benefits. Benefits would still grow but at a slower rate.

Advocates for the nation's 22 million veterans fear that the alternative inflation measure would also apply to disability payments to nearly 4 million veterans as well as pension payments for an additional 500,000 low-income veterans and surviving families.

"I think veterans have already paid their fair share to support this nation," said the American Legion's Louis Celli. "They've paid it in lower wages while serving, they've paid it through their wounds and sacrifices on the battlefield and they're paying it now as they try to recover from those wounds."

Economists generally agree that projected long-term debt increases stemming largely from the growth in federal health care programs pose a threat to the country's economic competitiveness. Addressing the threat means difficult decisions for lawmakers and pain for many constituents in the decades ahead.

But the veterans groups point out that their members bore the burden of a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past month, they've held news conferences on Capitol Hill and raised the issue in meetings with lawmakers and their staffs. They'll be closely watching the unveiling of the president's budget next month to see whether he continues to recommend the change.

Obama and others support changing the benefit calculations to a variation of the Consumer Price Index, a measure called "chained CPI." The conventional CPI measures changes in retail prices of a constant marketbasket of goods and services. Chained CPI considers changes in the quantity of goods purchased as well as the prices of those goods. If the price of steak goes up, for example, many consumers will buy more chicken, a cheaper alternative to steak, rather than buying less steak or going without meat.

Supporters argue that chained CPI is a truer indication of inflation because it measures changes in consumer behavior. It also tends to be less than the conventional CPI, which would impact how cost-of-living raises are computed.

Under the current inflation update, monthly disability and pension payments increased 1.7 percent this year. Under chained CPI, those payments would have increased 1.4 percent.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that moving to chained CPI would trim the deficit by nearly $340 billion over the next decade. About two-thirds of the deficit closing would come from less spending and the other third would come from additional revenue because of adjustments that tax brackets would undergo.

Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow in economic studies at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, said she understands why veterans, senior citizens and others have come out against the change, but she believes it's necessary.

"We are in an era where benefits are going to be reduced and revenues are going to rise. There's just no way around that. We're on an unsustainable fiscal course," Sawhill said. "Dealing with it is going to be painful, and the American public has not yet accepted that. As long as every group keeps saying, 'I need a carve-out, I need an exception,' this is not going to work."

Sawhill argued that making changes now will actually make it easier for veterans in the long run.

"The longer we wait to make these changes, the worse the hole we'll be in and the more draconian the cuts will have to be," she said.

That's not the way Sen. Bernie Sanders sees it. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs said he recently warned Obama that every veterans group he knows of has come out strongly against changing the benefit calculations for disability benefits and pensions by using chained CPI.

"I don't believe the American people want to see our budget balanced on the backs of disabled veterans. It's especially absurd for the White House, which has been quite generous in terms of funding for the VA," said Sanders, I-Vt. "Why they now want to do this, I just don't understand."

Sanders succeeded in getting the Senate to approve an amendment last week against changing how the cost-of-living increases are calculated, but the vote was largely symbolic. Lawmakers would still have a decision to make if moving to chained CPI were to be included as part of a bargain on taxes and spending.

Sanders' counterpart on the House side, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, appears at least open to the idea of going to chained CPI.

"My first priority is ensuring that America's more than 20 million veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned, but with a national debt fast approaching $17 trillion, Washington's fiscal irresponsibility may threaten the very provision of veterans' benefits," Miller said. "Achieving a balanced budget and reducing our national debt will help us keep the promises America has made to those who have worn the uniform, and I am committed to working with Democrats and Republicans to do just that."

Marshall Archer, 30, a former Marine Corps corporal who served two stints in Iraq, has a unique perspective about the impact of slowing the growth of veterans' benefits. He collects disability payments to compensate him for damaged knees and shoulders as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. He also works as a veterans' liaison for the city of Portland, Maine, helping some 200 low-income veterans find housing.

Archer notes that on a personal level, the reduction in future disability payments would also be accompanied down the road by a smaller Social Security check when he retires. That means he would take a double hit to his income.

"We all volunteered to serve, so we all volunteered to sacrifice," he said. "I don't believe that you should ever ask those who have already volunteered to sacrifice to then sacrifice again."

That said, Archer indicated he would be willing to "chip in" if he believes that everyone is required to give as well.

He said he's more worried about the veterans he's trying to help find a place to sleep. About a third of his clients rely on VA pension payments averaging just over $1,000 a month. He said their VA pension allows them to pay rent, heat their home and buy groceries, but that's about it.

"This policy, if it ever went into effect, would actually place those already in poverty in even more poverty," Archer said.

The changes that would occur by using the slower inflation calculation seem modest at first. For a veteran with no dependents who has a 60 percent disability rating, the use of chained CPI this year would have lowered the veteran's monthly payments by $3 a month. Instead of getting $1,026 a month, the veteran would have received $1,023.

Raymond Kelly, legislative director for Veterans of Foreign Wars, acknowledged that veterans would see little change in their income during the first few years of the change. But even a $36 hit over the course of a year is "huge" for many of the disabled veterans living on the edge, he said.

The amount lost over time becomes more substantial as the years go by. Sanders said that a veteran with a 100 percent disability rating who begins getting payments at age 30 would see their annual payments trimmed by more than $2,300 a year when they turn 55.

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Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-30-US-Budget-Battle-Veterans/id-05819c3ebd0c4cbf8ae5701f9cf62fc5

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Trailer For Long-Delayed 'You're Next' Is Undeniably Terrifying

The first trailer for Adam Wingard's home invasion horror movie "You're Next" has us feeling conflicted. On one hand, the movie won accolades when it originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. Wingrad and writer Simon Barrett in the mean time have kept themselves busy with the "V/H/S" series. The film is [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/29/youre-next-trailer/

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EPA Recognizes SCE&G with 2013 ENERGY STAR? Award of ...

EPA Recognizes SCE&G with 2013 ENERGY STAR? Award of Excellence

Mar 29, 2013

SCE&G Earns Award for Protecting the Environment through Superior Energy Efficiency

CAYCE, SC - March 28, 2013 -? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented SCE&G with the 2013 ENERGY STAR Award of Excellence for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by sponsoring significant consumer education efforts that promote superior energy-efficient products. SCE&G?s accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 26.

Specifically, SCE&G was recognized for its Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program that launched in April 2011. The program takes a ?whole house? approach to home improvement for customers and participating contractors in South Carolina to help improve the comfort, energy efficiency, safety and durability of a home. By participating in the program, customers can receive rebates up to $2,500 for making home energy improvements recommended by a Building Performance Institute certified contractor.

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Above Photo: Salim Khalil, SCE&G - Residential Program Manager, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR; Angie Webb, SCE&G - Director of Demand Side Management; Beth Craig, EPA Director of Climate Protection Partnership Division; David Lee, Department of Energy Residential Program Supervisor, Building Technologies Program with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

?We have been very pleased with customer participation in our overall portfolio of energy efficiency programs,? said Salim Khalil, program manager for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. ?Home Performance is a great option for SCE&G?s electric customers who want to implement more comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades in their home and helps offset the out-of-pocket expenses associated with these types of investments.?

Khalil added, ?One of the best features of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR includes the blower door test, an advanced diagnostic tool that helps the participating contractor to pinpoint the problem areas in a home. This test helps to ensure the recommended energy efficiency improvements offer customers maximum savings and benefits throughout their home.?

Over the last 20 years, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

?By creatively promoting ENERGY STAR products, SCE&G has led the way in helping consumers easily find energy-efficient products in the marketplace,? said Bob Perciasepe, acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ?SCE&G?s innovative programs make it easier for Americans to save money and protect the environment.?

The 2013 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award is given to a variety of organizations in recognition of their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners are selected from the nearly 20,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
To learn more about SCE&G?s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, visit www.sceg.com/homeperformance.

About SCE&G

SCE&G is a regulated utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 670,000 customers in South Carolina. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 323,000 customers throughout the state. More information about SCE&G is available at www.sceg.com.??

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. Nearly 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

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Source: http://www.midlandsbiz.com/articles/13732/

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Authorities: $600M scheme incubated in NC town

LEXINGTON, N.C. (AP) ? In the hardware store on South Main Street, the owner pulled Caron Myers aside to tell her about the best thing to happen in years to this once-thriving furniture and textile town.

Did she hear about the online company ZeekRewards? For a small investment, she could make a fortune. He had invested. So had his grandsons. And so were more and more people in Lexington, including doctors, lawyers and accountants.

Skeptical at first, Myers drove a few blocks to the company's one-story, red-brick office and spotted a line of people circling the building. She was sold, and plunked down several thousand dollars. But months later, Myers, like hundreds of thousands of others, discovered the truth: ZeekRewards was a scam.

"I was duped," Meyer said. "We trusted this man. The community is still in shock."

Authorities say owner Paul Burks was the mastermind of a $600 million Ponzi scheme ? one of the biggest in U.S. history ? that attracted 1 million investors, including nearly 50,000 in North Carolina. Many were recruited by friends and family in Lexington, a quintessential small town where neighbors look out for each other.

But what investors didn't know was that regulators had received nearly a dozen complaints about ZeekRewards and the related site Zeekler.com, but failed to take action for months, leaving the company free to recruit tens of thousands of new victims.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, which closed the operation Aug. 17, said Burks was selling securities without a license. The Ponzi scheme was using money from new investors to pay the earlier ones.

Burks has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty and cooperate with a federal court-appointed receiver trying to recover hundreds of millions of dollars.

Investigators say Burks, a former nursing home magician, siphoned millions for his personal use. But he has not been charged.

In his first public comments, Burks told The Associated Press he couldn't discuss details because of lawsuits by victims trying to recoup money.

"Everything will come out in time," said Burks, 66, standing in the doorway of his home.

Asked if he had anything to say to victims, he shook his head.

"I never told anyone to invest more money than they could afford," Burks snapped. "I didn't tell them to do that. Never."

He said if they lost money, "it's their fault. Not mine. Don't blame me."

But Cal Cunningham, a former prosecutor representing investors in a lawsuit, slammed Burks ? and regulators for taking so long to act.

"It's why we need a full hearing on what happened in a court of law ? whether that be our civil case or a criminal proceeding. A lot of people were hurt," he said.

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Burks started Zeekler in early 2010 as an online penny auction site. His business experience included nearly four decades in multilevel marketing programs ? such as Amway ? including failed attempts to launch similar businesses of his own.

In penny auctions, consumers compete to pay pennies on the dollar for name brand products such as iPads. Each bid costs as much as $1, so participating can become expensive and the sites can earn nice profits when multiple users bid against each other.

In January 2011, he incorporated aspects of multilevel marketing into the business when he launched ZeekRewards. The program offered a share of the penny auction's profits to people who invested money, promoted the company on other websites and recruited other participants. Under a complicated formula, investors were issued "profit points" that grew every day.

Investments were capped at $10,000, but people could invest on behalf of their spouses, children or other relatives. Some mortgaged homes to raise their investment.

At first, ZeekRewards complied when investors sought to cash out. And that became the best ad of all: happy investors with their checks in Facebook photos.

People who didn't trust the mail traveled long distances to drop off checks at the cramped office building where security guards allowed only seven inside at a time. Employees collected money and wrote out receipts at the office cluttered with dozens of plastic mail bins stuffed with check-filled envelopes. To withdraw money, investors filed an online request ? or called ? and then had to wait for a check.

By the end of 2011, it seemed like everybody in Lexington was talking about ZeekRewards. Many saw it as a way to make extra cash to pay bills or help family.

"No one was in it to get rich," said Mary Bell, a 75-year-old seamstress from Lexington who scraped together money to invest.

Sarah Chavez wanted extra money for her daughter's frequent hospital visits for leukemia. Her husband worked in a factory, and they invested $7,000.

"It's hard to believe in something like that. But everyone told us it was a sure thing," she said.

Burks mostly kept to himself, and few locals knew anything about the quiet, balding man with thick glasses.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Shreveport, La., native toured nursing homes in the South as a magician with country singer David Houston. Burks moved to Lexington in the early 1990s because his wife was from the area.

In 2000, Burks ran for the state House as a Libertarian, but he collected only 330 votes.

Then he became a local celebrity.

Most afternoons, he ate lunch at the same downtown restaurant with an entourage of managers. Conference calls with investors were posted on YouTube. He produced glossy brochures touting the company.

"In addition to the mind-blowing savings, you can create more wealth than you have ever thought possible with ZeekRewards' geometrically progressive matric compensation plan," the brochure said.

Burks also hired some of the industry's top attorneys and analysts to promote his company.

The publicity paid off. When the Association of Network Marketing Professionals held its annual convention in March 2012, it called ZeekRewards the model of legal compliance.

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But behind the scenes, there were troubling signs, according to documents, company emails and consumer complaints reviewed by the AP.

In early June, the state of Montana gave ZeekRewards the boot. Montana requires multilevel marketing companies to register. But ZeekRewards didn't submit any paperwork ? even after warnings, said Luke Hamilton, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.

"We started getting a lot of complaints," he said.

In August, a North Carolina employees' credit union warned customers not to invest in ZeekRewards because it was a "fraudulent company."

But regulators received complaints long before then.

In a Nov. 23, 2011, complaint filed with the North Carolina Attorney General's office, Wayne Tidderington of Florida called ZeekRewards an "illegal" Ponzi scheme. He said a relative had invested $8,000 and the company guaranteed a return of 125 percent every 90 days.

The attorney general's office can ask a judge to shut down a business because of deceptive trade practices. But it forwarded Tidderington's complaint to the secretary of state's office because it looked like it might involve securities. The secretary of state's office, however, declined to take action because it didn't believe it had the jurisdiction, spokeswoman Liz Proctor said.

The complaint died.

"I put it all together," Tidderington told the AP. "I gave them the roadmap. I said, 'Here's a snake. Here's the gun. Here's the bullets. Shoot the snake.' But they ignored me."

Over the next seven months, the attorney general's office received nearly a dozen more complaints.

But it wasn't until July 6 that it issued an order giving Burks until the end of the month to turn over all Zeek-related documents. He missed that deadline.

Kevin Anderson, senior deputy attorney general for consumer protection, insisted his agency correctly handled the case, saying his office receives thousands of complaints a year.

"We have to have more concrete evidence than a couple of consumer complaints before we go to court," he said.

The SEC received similar complaints during the same period, but the agency didn't begin its investigation until the summer.

SEC spokeswoman Christine D'Amico declined to comment on the investigation, except to say the agency took action "as soon as we believed we had sufficient evidence to obtain an emergency court order to halt the fraud."

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Months later, people in Lexington are wondering what's next.

Kenneth Bell, the court-appointed receiver, said ZeekRewards may have taken in $800 million. So far, he's recovered $312 million. Hundreds of millions were paid out to investors. Just how much is missing? He doesn't know.

Myers said the community is still recovering ? but the wounds are deep. People are wondering why investigators didn't act more quickly and why no one, including Burks, has been charged.

"There are thousands and thousands of victims who might not have lost a penny had the government intervened more quickly," she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-600m-scheme-incubated-nc-town-135809168.html

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Zumba teacher could get jail in prostitution case

Alexis Wright appears with her attorney, Sarah Churchill, Friday, March 29, 2013 in Cumberland County Court, in Portland, Maine. Wright, a dance instructor accused of using her Zumba fitness studio as a front for prostitution pleaded guilty Friday to 20 counts in a scandal that captivated a quiet seaside town. (AP Photo/Portland Press Herald, John Ewing, Pool)

Alexis Wright appears with her attorney, Sarah Churchill, Friday, March 29, 2013 in Cumberland County Court, in Portland, Maine. Wright, a dance instructor accused of using her Zumba fitness studio as a front for prostitution pleaded guilty Friday to 20 counts in a scandal that captivated a quiet seaside town. (AP Photo/Portland Press Herald, John Ewing, Pool)

Alexis Wright appears with her attorney, Sarah Churchill, Friday, March 29, 2013 in Cumberland County Court, in Portland, Maine. Wright, a dance instructor accused of using her Zumba fitness studio as a front for prostitution pleaded guilty Friday to 20 counts in a scandal that captivated a quiet seaside town. (AP Photo/Portland Press Herald, John Ewing, Pool)

FILE - In this March 13, 2013 file photo, Alexis Wright, 30, leaves the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland, Maine, after a hearing in the case of the Zumba fitness instructor charged with prostitution and tax and welfare violations. The defense and prosecutors resumed a settlement conference Friday, March 29, 2013, after the first round of discussions failed to produce a plea agreement. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ? The dance instructor who used her Zumba fitness studio as a front for prostitution faces jail time after pleading guilty in a case that captivated a quiet seaside town known for its beaches and picturesque homes.

The plea agreement, which calls for a 10-month sentence, spares Alexis Wright from the prospect of a high-profile trial featuring sex videos, exhibitionism and pornography. She's scheduled to be sentenced on May 31.

Wright quietly answered "guilty" 20 times on Friday when the judge read the counts, which include engaging in prostitution, promotion of prostitution, conspiracy, tax evasion and theft by deception.

"We're very satisfied with it. It's an appropriate outcome, given the gravity of her actions," Assistant Attorney General Darcy Mitchell said after the brief court hearing.

The 30-year-old Wright was accused of conspiring with insurance agent Mark Strong Sr. to run a prostitution business in which she kept detailed records indicating she made $150,000 over an 18-month period. She was also accused of using a hidden camera to record sex acts without her clients' knowledge.

She was originally charged with 106 counts. All the counts in the agreement were misdemeanors, including three counts relating to welfare and tax fraud that were reduced from felonies.

Strong, 57, of Thomaston, was convicted this month of 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution and was sentenced to 20 days in jail. He was originally charged with 59 counts.

The scandal became a sensation following reports that Wright had at least 150 clients, leading to a guessing game of who might be named publicly in the coastal town of Kennebunk. Attorneys who have seen the client list say it included some prominent names. Those who have been charged so far include a former mayor, a high school hockey coach, a minister, a lawyer and a firefighter.

Working together, Strong and Wright represented an unusual pairing.

Wright had attended college classes and ran dance classes for the local parks and recreation program before opening her studio in Kennebunk. But she was also engaging in paid-sex acts in the studio, in her apartment and in her office, law enforcement officials said.

Overseeing the operation and watching the sex acts live on his office computer 100 miles up the coast was Strong, a married father of two who ran a successful insurance agency in Thomaston.

It came as no surprise that Wright would seek a plea agreement because evidence presented in Strong's trial was so overwhelming. A video played for jurors showed Wright engaging in sex acts with a man who then inquired about her rate before leaving $250 cash on her massage table.

After the man left, the video showed Wright pocketing the money.

There was plenty of electronic evidence because the two kept in touch via text and email and because Wright videotaped the clients and Strong watched live via Skype. Videos showed them speaking openly of ledgers, payments and scheduling.

Under the plea agreement, prosecutors will seek restitution of $57,250 from Wright after she's released from jail.

Defense lawyer Sarah Churchill said Wright is married and employable, and she expects Wright will be able to enter into a payment plan. Churchill left the courtroom without talking to reporters.

Residents of Kennebunk were frustrated by the media coverage of the scandal.

Names of purported clients trickled out as they were charged, leading to speculation about who else might be on the list. But residents soon grew weary of the media's attention, especially after it became clear that only a few of clients were locals.

So far, 66 people have been charged as clients, York County Deputy District Attorney Justina McGettigan said. The state will continue to pursue charges against additional people identified on Wright's ledger if the evidence is strong enough to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, she said.

Things have largely returned to normal in Kennebunk. On Friday night, a free dance was being held at Wright's old Pura Vida Studio, where Zumba continues under new management and a new name, Danceworks.

Jeremiah Ouellette, manager of New Morning Natural Foods Market, across the street from the fitness studio, said residents have put the prostitution episode behind them.

"I think people have really lost interest," Ouellette said Friday evening. "People really don't care anymore."

___

Follow David Sharp at http://twitter.com/David_Sharp_AP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-30-Zumba-Prostitution/id-5ae429c0213144a7a3c1d4200fc10f59

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Taylor Swift to Guest Star on New Girl

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/taylor-swift-to-guest-star-on-new-girl/

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HTC One official 'double dip' hard shell case review

The official shell case for the HTC One aims to make it impervious to knocks and scrapes

If you pick up a phone as beautiful and well-designed as the HTC One, chances are you're going to want to keep it that way. Full protective cases -- like the official HTC offering for the HTC One -- aren't for everyone, but tough plastic covering just about everything that's not a touchscreen, it's hard to match the level of protection they offer.

We'll take a closer look at HTC's official "double dip" shell case after the break. That's also where you'll find a quick video walkthough and more photos.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/AwNWK80iDug/story01.htm

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NJ boy, 4, found with dead mom was living on sugar

UNION, N.J. (AP) ? A naked, malnourished 4-year-old boy found inside an apartment with the body of his mother, dead for days, had resorted to eating from a bag of sugar and weighed only 26 pounds, well below normal, police said Wednesday as adoption offers poured in from around the world.

The boy's first request after being examined, police said, was a grilled cheese sandwich and a juice.

His mother, identified Wednesday as Kiana Workman, 38, of New York City's Brooklyn borough, was discovered dead Tuesday on the floor of her bedroom after maintenance workers at the apartment complex in northern New Jersey reported a foul odor. Because the chain lock was on, police said, the toddler couldn't get out.

Officer Joseph Sauer said the boy was naked but coherent and not crying when he kicked in the door and his partner lifted the youngster up by the arms and pulled him out of the overheated apartment.

"The only way to describe the little boy was it was like a scene from World War II, from a concentration camp, he was that skinny. I mean, you could see all his bones," Sauer told The Associated Press.

The apartment in this city 15 miles west of New York belongs to Workman's mother, who is recuperating from surgery at a nursing center, said police, who could not track down any other relatives.

The boy, now in state custody, remained in a hospital where he was being treated for malnourishment and dehydration, police said.

"Physically, he's fine. Whether there are any mental problems later on ... I'm not a child expert," Police Director Daniel Zieser said.

The boy was not strong enough to open the refrigerator and was unable to open a can of soup. Police said he told them he had been eating from a bag of sugar.

The boy could not say how long his mother had been dead.

Police said he put lotion on his mother, leaving behind handprints, in an attempt to help her.

Officer Sylvia Dimenna, who traveled in the ambulance with the boy and stayed with him at the hospital, said he was very bright and articulate but tired.

"He said he missed his mommy," she said.

Police initially estimated she had been dead five days before the discovery was made, but Zieser said Wednesday it may have been two to three. Nobody had talked to her for about a week.

The boy weighed 26 pounds, but at the age of 4? should have weighed 40 pounds or more, Zieser said.

"It's possible he was improperly cared for before the mother's death; we just don't know yet," Zieser said.

Autopsy results that would help them better determine the time of death were pending. Police said they did not suspect foul play.

Police said they were getting calls from around the world from people offering to adopt the child or donate money or toys.

"It's overwhelming," Zieser said.

"I just hope everything works out for the child," the police director said. "We're just going to take it one step at a time and do the best that we can for the child."

Police said they were trying to find someone in the family capable of taking care of the boy, including a brother of Workman believed to live out West. But he said it would be up to the state's child welfare agency to determine where the child is placed.

Zieser described the apartment complex as a well-maintained property with few problems.

But he said everyone there "basically stays to themselves."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nj-boy-4-found-dead-mom-living-sugar-212828288.html

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Richmond CA Bankruptcy Lawyer Recognized For Helping Locals ...

If you are having financial difficulties, a Richmond CA bankruptcy lawyer is there with all kinds of help. There are many things to know about current laws concerning bankruptcies and a trained and experienced attorney keeps up with all the important changes. Here are some reasons to consult qualified legal advice when one is not sure what to do.

When the economy stumbles many people lose their jobs, and it is through no fault of their own. Once this occurs, it may be very difficult to meet certain financial obligations. Yet, one does not have to endure these kinds of difficulties when qualified help is at hand.

When major illness strikes a family it can be devastating. In fact, it can easily deplete savings. One may have to take care of a pile of medical expenses, and it does not take long for these bills to completely overwhelm most families. There may be no possible way to pay them.

If you cannot pay all your bills, you could be placed under an enormous amount of stress. Bill collectors and credit services may be calling your home at all hours of the day and evening. In fact, you may be afraid to answer your phone because of harassing calls.

There are ways to take care of creditors and services that call and harass you. Your trained attorney can help you put an immediate stop to these things. You have someone you can trust that provides important advice. This way, you know exactly what to do and are less likely to make mistakes.

Your Richmond CA bankruptcy lawyer is familiar with all the problems that you are experiencing. Once you call a legal professional you can rest assured that your financial problems will soon be a thing of the past. This is a great way to reduce a lot of stress and help you relax and sleep well at night. Your attorney is trained to guide you through a very difficult time.

Find a review of the benefits you get when you consult a Richmond CA bankruptcy lawyer and more information about a reputable attorney at http://www.dowebankruptcylaw.com now.

Source: http://bestfinance1.com/richmond-ca-bankruptcy-lawyer-recognized-for-helping-locals-during-tough-times

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Google adds info cards to Play Movies, helps you become a trivia wizard

Are you a bit rusty on your trivia? Now you can brush up on your movie knowledge more easily before you make a fool out of yourself at parties, thanks to new info cards that are now being integrated into Google Play Movies. When you pause the cinematic masterpiece you're currently watching, you'll notice some Google Now-like cards pop up on the side of the screen that are filled with information about the actors, actresses, the movie itself or even the soundtrack. To access these fancy chunks of cognitive enhancement, you'll need to live in the US, use a tablet running Android 4.0 or higher and be updated to the most recent version of the Google Play Movies & TV app. Since Google is just rolling the feature out, the cards may not be available for all of your favorite titles at first; fortunately, the company's adding them to more movies every day, so hopefully you won't need to wait too long. As for other countries and devices, Google's working on expanding its reach sometime soon.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

Source: Official Android blog

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Pw8o58BVDtw/

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Planning & Preparing For Your Big Island Family Vacation

Royal Kona Resort on Hawaii wants all its visitors to have a safe and happy time, which is why it is publishing several articles on its website for present and future visitors. The articles will offer a checklist and a number of sensible suggestions from Royal Kona management and staff about planning and enjoying a Hawaii family vacation.

The first article concerns the preparation stage, and contains a list of must-bring items that prospective tourists and vacationers will sorely miss if they forget to pack them. Vacationers are encouraged to bring plenty of beach clothes such as swimsuits, shorts and tank tops, as well as a hat to protect them from the intense tropical sun. Sunscreen is a must, lest one wakes up one sunny breezy morning with one's skin on fire and a very large down-draft to any further joy and mobility.

Counter-intuitively, it can also be useful to pack a warm coat, jacket and other well-insulated clothes - these will come in useful if you are interested in visiting Mauna Kea. The mountain tops out at almost 14,000 feet above sea level, and it can get rather chilly at even half that altitude.

Visitors are also urged to make copies of credit card information, as well as identification and other important documents. With the mainland thousands of miles away, the loss of a wallet can be a rather significant inconvenience; while local authorities are competent and friendly, having back-ups of as much paperwork as possible will ensure a much easier time for you if anything happens to your ID or payment methods.

The article also discusses when it's appropriate to rent a car for increased mobility on the Big Island. True to its name, it's a fairly sizable place, and if you'd like to go afield of Kailua-Kona and are interested in exploring some of the island's far-flung wonders, a rental vehicle will give you much more flexibility and cost far less than a taxi service. It may be a good idea to inquire about availability and make reservations in advance, rather than hoping to find a car on arrival - Hawaii is always a happening place, and you're not always guaranteed to find a vehicle.

There is a number of other suggestions in the article - on good places to find food, such as Royal Kona's famous Don the Beachcomber restaurant; places to get the signature Hawaiian drink Mai Tai, transportation to the nearest shopping district and many more.

The staff of Royal Kona is happy to help everyone plan a great Hawaii family vacation that will go off without a hitch and leave every visitor with a smile and a bevy of glowing memories.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Planning---Preparing-For-Your-Big-Island-Family-Vacation/4505789

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Which Actress Said Kissing Brad Pitt Was "Disgusting"?

Who wouldn't want to kiss Brad Pitt? Answer: Kirsten Dunst -- at least, when she was 11 years old. The actress, now 30, shared her first-ever kiss with Pitt in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire. It was "just a peck," she now recalls, but she didn't exactly enjoy it.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/kirsten-dunst-says-first-kiss-brad-pitt-was-disgusting/1-a-530978?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Akirsten-dunst-says-first-kiss-brad-pitt-was-disgusting-530978

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Hepatitis C drug goes after patients? RNA

Compound targets genetic material that virus uses for replicating

By Nathan Seppa

Web edition: March 27, 2013

No matter what medications doctors throw at hepatitis C, it continues to defy treatment in some patients. But a new compound offers an approach quite apart from the rest: It assaults a kind of RNA that is implicated in allowing the virus to gain a foothold.

In most of a small group of patients who took the experimental drug, virus levels were knocked down, sometimes below the threshold of detection. The drug does this by targeting genetic material in the liver called microRNA-122. The hepatitis virus normally attaches to this RNA, gaining the stability it needs to propagate while hiding from immune system patrols.

The new drug, called miravirsen, binds to microRNA-122, sequesters it and indirectly thwarts viral replication, says study coauthor Harry Janssen, a hepatologist and physician at the University of Toronto. Janssen and colleagues report the findings March 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The technique could have broad applicability, because microRNAs ? genetic material that regulates some gene activity ? can play roles in cancer and other ailments (SN: 8/28/2010, p. 18). The strategy is ?a whole new approach to the treatment of serious disease,? says Phillip Sharp, a molecular biologist at MIT who earned a 1993 Nobel Prize for work on RNA. ?This is an additional treatment that looks quite interesting and almost certainly will be used at some level,? he says.

For the study, researchers randomly assigned 36 people with hepatitis C to get five weekly injections spaced over a month. Nine were given placebo shots while 27 got varying doses of miravirsen. No study participant had received any hepatitis drugs beforehand. The scientists monitored the patients for 18 weeks.

While those given the placebo showed little or no improvement, most who received the drug experienced a drop in virus levels. The 18 patients at the two highest dose levels showed profound reductions in viral RNA during the study period. Five of those 18 patients had undetectable virus levels at some point after treatment.

A few patients in each subgroup also received interferon ? a standard treatment for hepatitis C ? during the trial. At the end of the study, four patients getting both drugs and one getting miravirsen alone still showed no detectable virus ? 14 weeks after the last shot.

Some experts worry that because microRNA-122 affects certain liver functions ? including cholesterol synthesis ? a drug inhibiting the microRNA might cause serious side effects. But patients in this trial showed only mild effects.

In the body, miravirsen has a half-life of roughly 30 days, Janssen says, suggesting that it might work as a monthly injection. Pairing it with another medicine might work even better, he adds. The new drug may dodge viral resistance to current drugs because it targets the host, not the virus.

MicroRNAs were discovered only 20 years ago, and research in the field is moving rapidly, Sharp says. ?This is really a revolution in science,? he says, ?and it?s now beginning to be translated into advances that control disease.?

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349237/title/Hepatitis_C_drug_goes_after_patients_RNA

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The descent of Mann's legal standing | Watts Up With That?

Story submitted by Rob Ricket

Mann plays the victim in article from ?The Scientist?

Opinion: Life as a Target

Attacks on my work aimed at undermining climate change science have turned me into a public figure. I have come to embrace that role.

By Michael E. Mann| March 27, 2013

As a climate scientist, I have seen my integrity perniciously attacked. Politicians have demanded I be fired from my job because of my work demonstrating the reality and threat of human-caused climate change. I?ve been subjected to congressional investigations by congressman in the pay of the fossil fuel industry and was the target of what The Washington Post referred to as a ?witch hunt? by Virginia?s reactionary Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. I have even received a number of anonymous death threats.

My plight is dramatic, but unfortunately, it is not unique; climate scientists are regularly the subject of such attacks.

This cynicism is part of a destructive public-relations campaign being waged by fossil fuel companies, front groups, and individuals aligned with them in an effort to discredit the science linking the burning of fossil fuels with potentially dangerous climate change.

My work first appeared on the world stage in the late 1990s with the publication of a series of articles estimating past temperature trends. Using information gathered from records in nature, like tree rings, corals, and ice cores, my two coauthors and I had pieced together variations in the Earth?s temperature over the past 1,000 years. What we found was that the recent warming, which coincides with the burning of fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution, is an unprecedented aberration in this period of documented temperature changes, and recent work published in the journal Science suggests that the recent warming trend has no counterpart for at least the past 11,000 years, and likely longer. In a graph featured in our manuscript, the last century sticks out like the blade of an upturned hockey stick.

Source:

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34853/title/Opinion?Life-as-a-Target/

========================================================

This header from Dr. Mann has some important legal value:

Attacks on my work aimed at undermining climate change science have turned me into a public figure. I have come to embrace that role.

A public figure has a higher burden of proof in defamation cases, such as the one where Dr. Mann is suing Dr. Tim Ball and Mark Steyn at The National Review. For example:

According to the public figure doctrine, prominent public persons must prove actual malice on the part of the news media in order to prevail in a libel lawsuit. Actual malice is the knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard of whether a statement is true or false. The public figure doctrine makes it possible for publishers to provide information on public issues to the debating public, undeterred by the threat of liability.

Source: http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/public-figure-doctrine/

Further, Dr. Mann is going to have to prove that the statements by Tim Ball and NRO weren?t parody or satire:

Whether parodies should be potentially actionable as defamation depends on whether the statement is deemed factual and thus potentially actionable, or is a matter of protected opinion and not actionable.

Although plagued by confusion and lack of consensus, under the prevailing trends of constitutional law and/or state substantive defamation law principles, four core bases have emerged for classifying a statement as protected opinion:

(a) it did ?not contain a provably false factual connotation;?

(b) it ?cannot ?reasonably [be] interpreted as stating actual facts;??

(c) it consists merely of ?rhetorical hyperbole, a vigorous epithet,? or ?imaginative expression;?

(d) it does not state or imply undisclosed, unassumed, or unknown defamatory facts.

Source: http://epubs.utah.edu/index.php/ulr/article/viewFile/74/66

I think with his public figure admission, combined with the recognized first amendment right to satire and parody of public figures,? he just took his two legal cases out back and shot them dead.

Like this:

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Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/27/the-descent-of-manns-legal-standing/

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A Hot Topic: Climate Change Coming To Classrooms

For the first time, new federal science standards recommend teaching K-12 students about climate change.

iStockphoto.com

For the first time, new federal science standards recommend teaching K-12 students about climate change.

iStockphoto.com

By the time today's K-12 students grow up, the challenges posed by climate change are expected to be severe and sweeping. Now, for the first time, new nationwide science standards due out this month will recommend that U.S. public school students learn about the climatic shift taking place.

Mark McCaffrey of the National Center for Science Education says the lessons will fill a big gap.

"Only 1 in 5 [students] feel like they've got a good handle on climate change from what they've learned in school," he says, adding that surveys show two-thirds of students say they're not learning much at all about it. "So the state of climate change education in the U.S. is abysmal."

We all learn the water cycle. But how many can draw a picture of the carbon cycle? It would include plants taking in carbon to grow, then dying, and eventually turning into fossil fuels like coal and oil, which then put carbon back into the atmosphere when burned.

Even when this is taught, McCaffrey says, climate is often sidelined. Why take Earth science, when what you need to get into college is biology and chemistry? A recent report on climate literacy recommends sweeping changes to address such issues.

Political Pressure

On top of this, there's the political battle over how climate change is taught. Last month, Colorado became the 18th state in recent years ? including seven this year ? to consider an "Academic Freedom Act."

"The bill will go toward creating an atmosphere of open inquiry," Joshua Youngkin of the Discovery Institute told state lawmakers. The institute is the same group that's long questioned evolution and the way it's taught. Now it has crafted suggested legislation that also targets global warming, although Youngkin testified that the aim is not to ban teaching about climate change.

"It just gives teachers a simple right," he told lawmakers, "to know that they can teach both sides of a controversy objectively, and in a scientific manner, in order to induce critical thinking in their student body."

But critics point out there is no controversy within science: Climate change is happening, and it's largely driven by humans. So far, only Tennessee and Louisiana have passed legislation meant to protect teachers who question this.

Still, educators say the politicization of climate change has led many teachers to avoid the topic altogether. Or, they say some do teach it as a controversy, showing Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth one day, and the British documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle the next. The end result for students? Confusion.

The new science guidelines could provoke more push back.

"To the extent that these standards do paint a picture that I think runs counter to the scientific evidence, we're going to make sure that we point that out," says James Taylor, a senior fellow with the Heartland Institute. The free-market think tank is working on its own curriculum questioning humans' role in global warming.

Raising Difficult Issues

The new science standards are voluntary, but 26 states helped develop them, and about 40 say they're likely to adopt them.

"There was never a debate about whether climate change would be in there," says Heidi Schweingruber of the National Research Council, which created the framework for the standards. "It is a fundamental part of science, and so that's what our work is based on, the scientific consensus."

Schweingruber says a lot of thought did go into how to deliver what can be crushingly depressing information, without freaking kids out. For instance, while students will learn that humans cause global warming, they'll also be taught what kinds of actions can have a positive impact in helping to reduce it.

McCaffrey, of the National Center for Science Education, says many teachers will need training themselves on climate science. He'd also like to see them prepared for the pressures that come with teaching it.

"We've heard stories of students who learn about climate change," he says. "Then they go home and tell their parents, and everybody's upset because the parents are driving their kids to the soccer game, and the kids are feeling guilty about being in the car and contributing to this global problem."

McCaffrey says this raises all kinds of psychological and social issues that are difficult to grapple with, yet essential for this generation of students to take on.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/27/174141194/a-hot-topic-climate-change-coming-to-classrooms?ft=1&f=1007

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Helen Mirren up for best actress at Olivier awards

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/helen-mirren-best-actress-olivier-awards-123053057.html

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The Best Ways to Be Sure You're Legally Using Online Photos

For generations, a picture was worth a thousand words. Now, in the social network age, a picture is worth a few hundred likes, some +1's, a handful of retweets, stumbles, tumbles, pins, and shares of all sorts. Oh, and those original thousand words.

Using images in our online work is crucial. It's a visual medium and how better to tell your story or draw in your audience than with a compelling photo? But while some may be flattered you're using a photo they took or image they created, most are not. Besides all the SEO and search-engine ranking reasons, using someone else's work without their permission is not only wrong but also may be illegal.

US Copyright laws may be years behind the fast-paced world of social media and blogs, but they still control how a copyrighted work can be used. And while there are aspects of Copyright law that have "gone digital," the Digital Millennium Copyright Act doesn't provide anything new when it comes to explaining how to properly use another person's photos or images online. And because most people won't read the law and even those who do may not understand exactly what it means, I offer you these to help you:

Did You Take the Photo or Create the Graphic?

If you took the photo or created the graphic and are not subject to a Work For Hire agreement, then you likely own the copyright and can do whatever you wish. There may be other exceptions, but the general rule is if you make it, you own it.

Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement Are Not the Same

While it is difficult to detect visual plagiarism, when it does occur it's not a legal problem. Plagiarism is an ethical concern that may have other elements of intellectual property theft tied with it. Copyright infringement, on the other hand, is illegal and carries with it potentially significant consequences. Plagiarism can be avoided by providing attribution and giving credit, copyright infringement can not. (Image via Shutterstock.)

Attribution Does Not Make it Right

Taking another person's image or graphic and giving them a "shout out," linkback, or any other type of attribution does not negate copyright infringement. Common sense may say that an artist wants exposure for their work, but we're talking about the law here and common sense doesn't always parallel. Copyright law gives the copyright holder the right to decide where their work is published and maybe they don't want their work on your site, in your book, included in your newsletter or distributed to your social media network. It's not for us to question why they wouldn't want "exposure."

Ask and You May Receive

That same person who decides to send a DMCA Takedown Notice may have said yes if asked. Most people are rational and will agree to let their image or graphic be used. But they want the decision to be theirs and they want to allow it on their terms. Not everyone will say yes and we all have our reasons why we wouldn't, but most will. And if they say no, that's OK too because then you just move on and won't have to worry about your site going down because of a DMCA takedown.

Avoid All Problems and Use Public Domain Images

Sounds simple, but most people don't even realize that there are tens of millions of high-quality graphics and photos available for the taking. I know you're thinking I'm making this up, but I'm here to tell you that not all free images are low-quality, random pictures of wildebeests or clowns. There are many websites that curate images that are in the public domain and allow users to upload images they're willing to put into the public domain. With public domain images you're free to use them in any way and in most cases you don't have to provide attribution. Check the terms of the site to determine if attribution is required and, if so, follow the requested format.

Understand the Creative Commons License You Use

There are several photo-sharing sites where users can allow others to download and use images under one of the several Creative Commons licenses, all of which require attribution. Many people are happy to share their photos. But again, they get to decide the rules. Also realize that the owner may change the license after you use the image and may that trigger a request for removal. It is important to know that a Creative Commons license is non-revocable, although explaining that to someone who didn't read the license they assigned to their image could be a waste of time.

Different Uses Come With Different Obligations

It may be acceptable to use an image, as is, on your blog, but you may not have the right to use that same image in a paid newsletter, book, video or other type of work. Unless the image is in the public domain or you are the copyright holder, you have to consider the use(s) granted by the copyright holder or license. A copyright holder may be agreeable to certain uses but not to others.

Fair Use Likely Doesn't Mean What You Think it Means

Fair Use is a doctrine in Copyright law that basically says you're allowed to infringe someone's copyright and they can't demand anything from you. It may sound simple, but it's one of the most complex parts of Copyright law. So complex that there are very few cases to look to for guidance. Copyright Fair Use for online images does exist, just not in the way most people believe it does.

Assume Every Image You Find Online is Copyrighted

The excuse that the image didn't have a watermark or a "?" to show it was copyrighted doesn't work. Most works first published after March 1, 1989 do not require a copyright notice, which is great given the speed we can upload photos at today. At the same time, this lack of copyright notice has some people believing that there are no restrictions to its use. Indeed, every one of those selfies with duck lips on Instagram is subject to copyright, as is that photo of a flower (or cloudscape, animal, cocktail, etc.) that would go great on your blog. Copyright laws are often blurred with the sharing mechanisms on many of the social networking sites. However, as soon as an image is taken from one platform and used on another, there may be problems. And while search engines are doing their best to provide copyright notice information if it applies, please don't assume that if it's not there in your search that there is none. (Image via Shutterstock.)

Your Website, Your Liability

One of the most common explanations I hear when someone gets a "cease and desist" or a DMCA takedown for an image used in their website design is that they didn't choose that image. "It's the designer's fault!" is not a defense to copyright infringement. Not all web designers understand copyright laws, but that won't relieve you from liability if a copyrighted image is used without permission or license. Few design agreements address this issue, which leaves the site owner legally responsible for copyright violations. While a designer may not be willing to modify their contract, it's worth asking (1) if they will, (2) where do they source images, and (3) if the image they use is found to violate a copyright and you're required to pay, will they indemnify you.

Making Changes to a Copyrighted Image Doesn't Make it Yours

If you don't have the copyright in an image, changing it so it looks different doesn't relieve you from potential liability. You can't create a new work and call it yours if you don't own the underlying copyright. Adding a favorite quote or other text to an image doesn't negate the underlying copyright. Using one of the many photo editing software products to change the image to something that suits your particular use will not create a new copyright for you. We see this a lot, especially on the many social networks we belong to.

Just Because Other People Do it Doesn't Make it Right

Unfortunately, Copyright law doesn't care if "big name person" appears to be getting away with copyright infringement while "the little guy" isn't. Because copyright is very personal, a great deal of enforcement rests with the copyright holder. As we all know, there are some people online who just don't care that laws exist or somehow believe the laws don't apply to them. It's unfortunate and unfair, but the reality is that copyright law is not equally applied across the Internet. Having the ability to do something doesn't mean it should be done.
Copyright law is very complex but you don't have to be a lawyer to understand the basics. When it comes to using images online, trust your instinct. If there's any tinge of uneasiness then reconsider or do some research. In many ways, copyright follows the golden rule.

12 Most Picture Perfect Ways to Ensure You're Legally Using Online Photos?12 Most

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Sara Hawkins is the creator of a Blog Law series to help other bloggers, entrepreneurs, and online professionals gain legal confidence. Her goal is to make the law understandable and approachable without being overwhelming. On her blog, she also writes about ways to save on everything items so you can stop waiting for "someday."

Top image remixed from Pixabay and psdGraphics.

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