Writer's Headlines: Writing & Speaking Conferences & MoGo7000 ...

By Vonda Skelton | March 28, 2013

It?s the 4th Thursday, and that means it?s time to share conferences (some new!) and MoGo7000 with you?

1.? Carolina Christian Writers Conference: April 19-20, 2013, Spartanburg, SC

2.? Southeastern Christian Writers Conference:?? April 26-2, 2013, Cleveland, TN

3.? Colorado Christian Writers Conference: May 15-18, 2013, Estes Park, CO

4.? Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference: May 19-23, 2013, Ridgecrest, NC?I can?t wait to see you there!

5.? Write-to-Publish: June 5-8, 2013, Wheaton College, IL

6.? St. Davids Christian Writers? Conference: June 18-22, 2013, Grove City, PA

7.? Kentucky Christian Writers Conference: June 21-22, 2013, Elizabethtown, KY

8.? Writing for Life Workshop with James Scott Bell: June 28-30, 2013, Newark, CA

9.? Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival: July 12-16, 2013, Orlando, FL?I can?t wait to see you there!

10. Writers? Publishing Workshop: August 5-9, 2013, Hamilton, MA

11. Catch the Wave Writers Conference: August 22-24, 2013, Atlanta area, GA

12. Christian Communicators Conference: August 28-September 1, 2013, The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, Asheville, NC--I can?t wait to see you there! We have 7 spaces left!

13. New England Christian Writer?s Retreat: October 18-20, 2013, Plainfield, NH

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The March MoGo7000 Challenge ends Sunday night at midnight!

Yes, today is the last day to count your words for the March MoGo7000 Challenge. But don?t send your numbers yet! I?ll post the call out next Thursday for your March totals.

Didn?t meet the 7000-word goal this month? Not to worry. You can start fresh toward your April goal beginning next Monday.

Remember, each month that you write 7000 NEW words on a book project, your name can go into the virtual hat for another entry into the end-of-the-year drawing for $100!

If you?d like more information on how you can write a book this year and possibly win $100, just check out the MoGo7000 Challenge page.

Somebody?s gonna win?it might as well be YOU!

Write on, sweet friends!

Vonda

Source: http://www.vondaskelton.com/2013/03/28/writers-headlines-writing-speaking-conferences-mogo7000/

tannehill joel ward mock draft north country brian mcknight sbux nfldraft

Apple posts job listings for Maps Ground Truth managers

Apple is increasing its efforts to improve Maps around the world, having recently posted open positions for Maps Ground Truth managers in seven countries. Previously, Apple had only been hiring for these positions in Australia. Among other dutites, managers are expected to be able to do things like provide feedback for their area to enhance maps, according to Apple?s job postings.

• Testing new releases of map code and data around the U.S.
• Collecting ground truth data to allow for analysis of the impact of potential map code or data changes relative to known truth
• Utilizing local expertise to provide feedback about U.S.-specific mapping details
• Evaluating competing products in-region relative to our maps

Ground truth refers to collecting mapping data locally rather than by satellite imagery or other remote means. We heard about Apple retail employees being asked to help improve Maps back in October. This, however, points to teams of people dedicated to mapping improvements.

Apple has been steadily improving Maps since the launch of iOS 6 in September of last year. Enhancements to Flyover, 3D buildings, and turn-by-turn navigation have been made to locations around the world. There is still a long way to go, but there is no doubt that Apple is working hard to make Maps the product that everyone expected it to be and that their customers deserve.

Source: Apple

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/wNvDp7LpHGA/story01.htm

tebow trade mike the situation jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames

AP Interview: Egypt says Iranian pose no risk

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's tourism minister said Thursday that allowing Iranian tourists to visit Egypt after being banned for more than three decades would pose no threat and could help shore up the nation's struggling tourism industry.

Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazoua's remarks, in an interview on Thursday with The Associated Press, come amid controversy over allowing Iranians to visit Egypt after decades of frozen diplomatic relations and suspicion ? especially among ultraconservatives ? that Iran aspires to spread its Shiite faith to the Sunni world.

Egypt, which is predominately Sunni, has been working to normalize relations with Iran, after a long freeze that began after Egypt signed its 1979 peace treaty with Israel and Iran underwent its Islamic revolution. Relations began to improve after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down in the 2011 popular uprising.

Egypt's new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have exchanged visits, which have opened new avenues of cooperation between the former foes.

Zaazoua, who visited Tehran nearly a month ago and signed a memorandum of understanding to promote tourism, told the AP that Iranians were not going to visit Egypt to export an Islamic revolution. He said Iranian visitors, who would be restricted in their movements, would not be visiting religious sites.

"We have not received Iranians for 35 years," Zaazoua said in his office. "They are pure tourists. They are not coming to create a revolution as far as I am concerned."

"They are coming to visit tourist sites within Egypt," he said referring to the ancient cities of Luxor and Aswan. "They are coming for vacationing."

He said if problems surface, "we can stop it, as simple as that."

Egyptians have mixed feelings toward Iran. Some believe in Iranian plots aimed at destabilizing the country while others sympathize with Iran's Islamic revolution and admire Tehran's defiance of the United States.

Zaazoua's visit to Tehran sparked anger of ultraconservative Islamists like Al Nour party. The party issued a statement warning Morsi's government that opening the country up to Iranians risked plunging the country, which "enjoys a Sunni unity," into sectarian strife.

When Ahmadinejad visited Egypt on Feb. 5, he too got a cold shoulder from some. He was given a harsh reception by Egypt's top Sunni cleric of Al-Azhar and the Iranian leader was attacked by shoe-throwing Syrian protesters upset about Iran's alliance with the embattled Syrian regime.

A new understanding with Iran would be a shake-up for a region that has been split between Tehran's camp ? which includes Syria and Islamic militias Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza ? and a U.S.-backed group led by Saudi Arabia and rich Gulf nations. Further complicating relations, the Islamic militant group Hamas, which rules the Palestinian enclave in the Gaza Strip, is a historical offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, the dominant force in Egyptian politics since Morsi's election.

Zaazoua said preparations were under way to allow Iranian tourists to visit, but he declined to disclose a date.

Last week, Egypt's Foreign and Civil Aviation Ministry established regulations for Iranian tourists, mainly restricting the size and movement of the tourist groups.

Ali al-Ashri, an official with Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said Iranian tourists would only be allowed to visit certain sites, such as the ancient cities of Luxor and resort areas like Sharm el-Sheikh. Cairo was not on the list of places they would be allowed to visit, mainly because it is the site of shrines of revered Shiite figures.

The size of Iranian tourist groups would be limited to 100 persons and there would only be three travel agencies given permits to coordinate the Iranian visits. Flights would carry Iranians directly from Iran to their tourist destination, the civil aviation minister said.

"We don't want to create problems to our country or any other country, including Iran itself," Zaazoua said.

The Egyptian government is looking to boost the tourism business back to pre-revolution levels when 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010. Continued unrest since the 2011 uprising have scared away tourists and investment. Last year, the number of tourists climbed to more than 10 million, but most tourists go to beach resorts along the Red Sea.

To assuage fears among some that Iranians would try to practice religious rituals in Egypt, Zaazoua emphasized that Iranian tourists would not be allowed to visit religious sites.

"I can't ignore countries like Iran," he said. "I am a technocrat. ... I am looking to just increase the share from international traffic of tourism in the world."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-egypt-says-iranian-pose-no-risk-175902740.html

miami marlins marlins marlins facebook buys instagram kevin systrom fibonacci sequence maryland lottery

Obama must support global Arms Trade Treaty

The global arms trade is out of control. In armed conflicts from Syria to Sudan, Mali to Myanmar, and Congo to Columbia, thousands of people are slaughtered by weapons of war that are transferred by governments into the hands of unscrupulous regimes, criminals, illegal militias, and terrorist groups.

The unregulated global arms trade, which increases the availability of small arms and ammunition in conflict zones, is fueling wars and human rights abuses against civilians. More than 740,000 men, women and children die each year as a result of armed violence.

The deaths caused each year are at the center of a larger tragedy. The poorly regulated arms trade makes development in war-torn countries more difficult. For example, the prevalence of AK-47?s and ammunition in the rural areas of South Sudan, a country plagued by five decades of war, is having devastating effects on peace-building and poverty-eradication efforts.

OPINION: 5 ways US must promote nuclear nonproliferation

The time for action to reduce the illicit, unregulated flow of weapons and ammunition is now.

Rather than watching this destruction from afar, the international community has an opportunity to offer a solution. Diplomats from the United States and more than 150 other countries are at the United Nations in New York for the ?final? round of negotiations (set to conclude tomorrow) for a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty. The treaty would restrict the flow of weapons across borders and close the loopholes unscrupulous traders now navigate with impunity.

Last July, the US was among a handful of states that failed to join a consensus on the treaty during the last hour of negotiations, saying "more time was needed" to complete the process. Now, the Obama administration has had that time.

President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry must now work with other countries at the United Nations to close the deal on a robust, effective Arms Trade Treaty with the highest possible standards. The Arms Trade Treaty will not, by itself, prevent all illicit and irresponsible arms trafficking, but it will help reduce the enormous toll of armed conflict around the globe.

Mr. Obama should join other leaders to finalize a treaty that outlaws arms deals where the exporter knows or should know that the weapons will be used to commit the world?s worst crimes. No country should be able to hide behind ambiguous international law to aid and abet genocide, crimes against humanity, serious war crimes, or a consistent pattern of serious human rights abuses.

The treaty should also require each country to assess the risks associated with an arms deal prior to transfer and be required to not transfer the weapons if there is a substantial risk that the arms will be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights, the laws of war, or acts of terrorism.

The implementation of an Arms Trade Treaty based on this standard would prevent, or at least make it more difficult to justify, the ongoing supply of weapons to the Assad regime in Syria, for example.

While the US has some of the strictest regulations governing the export and import of weapons, less than half of the countries in the world have any basic laws governing arms trade. That?s why the treaty must mandate that countries adopt and enforce comprehensive legal regime to regulate the import and export of all conventional weapons and ammunition. Arms dealers have no problem finding countries to base their operations and escape law enforcement. The treaty must close this lethal loophole.

The treaty must also avoid other loopholes ? like the one sought by India and opposed by the US ? that would exempt arms deals made under previous defense cooperation agreements from the treaty. And finally, the treaty should ensure that states make their reports on arms transfers available to the public to improve accountability.

THE MONITOR'S VIEW: For Obama's second term, a call to arms control

The Arms Trade Treaty is about making it harder for irresponsible states and arms dealers to put profits ahead of people. It is a vital tool to help protect civilians, aid workers, and missionaries from the violence fueled by the illicit arms trade. Its time is now.

Daryl G. Kimball is the executive director of the Arms Control Association.

Raymond C. Offenheiser is president of Oxfam America.

ALSO BY DARYL KIMBALL: Time to curb the illicit global arms trade

ALSO BY RAYMOND OFFENHEISER: How to make US foreign aid work

Related stories

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-must-support-global-arms-trade-treaty-140817424--politics.html

hangout todd haley kareem abdul jabbar miramonte elementary school mark jenkins super bowl commercials 2012 mia

Pistorius bail restrictions eased

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) ? A judge in South Africa says Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, can leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions.

Judge Bert Bam says the Olympic and Paralympic athlete must provide authorities with his travel plans at least a week before he leaves the country. He must also return his passport to the court within 24 hours of returning to South Africa

Pistorius' lawyers said in the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday that he had no immediate plans to compete, but might eventually need to run at track meets again to earn money.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pistorius-bail-restrictions-eased-110834108--oly.html

jamie lee curtis spring equinox audacious pollen count mexico city mexico earthquake aziz ansari

At naturalization ceremony, Obama urges immigration overhaul (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/294394849?client_source=feed&format=rss

nfl combine 84th annual academy awards beginners 2012 oscars the shore meryl streep oscar wins sasha baron cohen oscars

KKR, Carlyle, others seek limit of Japan government funds

TOKYO (Reuters) - KKR & Co. LP , Carlyle Group LP , Bain Capital and other private equity firms urged Japan's government on Friday to shrink the role of state-backed funds, saying they could squeeze out opportunities for private capital and delay restructuring for troubled companies.

Japan's two largest state-backed funds have the capacity to raise up to $37 billion to inject money into Japanese companies.

The funds have edged out private equity in recent bailouts of chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp and Japan Airlines Co , reflecting a policy favoring softer restructuring than outside investors would pursue.

Without new controls, the government funding could allow companies to "push back problems" and retain "idle assets," the Japan Private Equity Association said in a statement.

The association called on the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to set up a monitoring system on the return on government funds and to limit both the amount they invest and the period of their investment.

"Policy-driven finance and government capital should be supplied only to attract private-sector funds, and should be invested with appropriate governance and accountability," the association said.

The statement was the first by the group representing private equity firms, including Japanese firms Unison Capital and Advantage Partners.

The move follows a failed attempt by KKR to buy troubled Japanese chipmaker Renesas last year.

Japan's taxpayer-funded Innovation Network Corporation of Japan made a counter bid against KKR and succeeded in securing a two-thirds stake with an investment of 138.4 billion yen ($1.5 billion) into Renesas. Eight clients of Renesas including Toyota Motor Corp provided an additional 12 billion yen.

The Innovation Network Corporation has the ability to provide 1.8 trillion yen ($19 billion) to Japanese companies in government-guaranteed financing, the association said.

Japan's other major government fund called the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan, known as ETIC, has the ability to secure 1.7 trillion yen ($17.96 billion) in financing.

The ETIC bailed out Japan Airlines in 2010, brushing aside an offer made by American Airlines which had teamed up with a private equity firm TPG Capital. ($1 = 94.6650 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Kevin Krolicki & Kim Coghill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kkr-carlyle-others-seek-limit-japan-government-funds-092851331--sector.html

academy awards 2012 albert nobbs a star is born oscar nominees oscar nominations 2012 kombucha tea separation of church and state

GOP chairman, lawmaker take heat on gay marriage

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? Two Illinois Republicans are finding out that for all the national talk of the GOP softening its stance on social issues, it's difficult to follow through.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady could be fired this weekend, largely because he supported ending Illinois' gay marriage ban.

The only Republican lawmaker to vote for that bill, Sen. Jason Barickman, has been chastised by his colleagues.

The fallout illustrates a nationwide tension the GOP is encountering as they try to do more to attract voters turned off by conservative views on social issues.

But Republicans who try to do so raise the ire of social conservatives.

Rep. Tom Cross, the top Republican in the Illinois House, says the party needs to be more inclusive and firing Brady would be "a big mistake."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-chairman-lawmaker-heat-gay-marriage-211613055.html

Maria Montessori clint eastwood Julian Castro Blue Moon August 2012 Eddie Murphy Dead Democratic National Convention 2012 myocardial infarction

Retro gaming with a modern twist - Crave - Games & Gear - CNET ...

About the author

Philip Wong is an A/V, PC, photography and gaming enthusiast. Besides spending countless days and late nights fiddling with his home theater system and watercooled PC, he also hits the roads frequently on his iron horse to sweat it out. Now, who says geeks don't work out?

Philip Wong, Associate Editor

Source: http://asia.cnet.com/retro-gaming-with-a-modern-twist-62220741.htm

lindsay lohan saturday night live snl lindsay lohan valley fever project x the lorax lorax fisker karma

Arkansas lawmakers approve toughest abortion limits in nation

AP Photo/Danny Johnston

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe is interviewed at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., on Monday, March 4, 2013, after vetoing legislation that would have banned abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy.

By Miranda Leitsinger, Staff Writer, NBC News

Arkansas' House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected the governor's veto of a controversial bill that would make abortions illegal after 12 weeks of pregnancy, thus setting up the most restrictive ban on the procedure nationwide.

The House vote of 56-33 followed Senate approval on Tuesday to override Gov. Mike Beebe?s veto of SB 134, or the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act, which enforces a ban on abortion earlier in pregnancy than any other state now does.

Moments before the vote, Rep. Ann V. Clemmer, who said she was pro-life, told fellow representatives they should give the right to be born to babies in Arkansas and that life was ?to be protected not only by a third party but from the mother herself.?

The state already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S. after the Republican-led Legislature last week overrode Beebe's veto of a similar bill that set the legal abortion threshold at 20 weeks' gestation ? two to four weeks earlier than most states.

That law took effect immediately but the new measure won't until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns in mid-May.

Under the new measure, a medical professional would be banned from performing an abortion on a woman who is 12 weeks or more pregnant and where a fetal heartbeat has been detected (women seeking an abortion would have to undergo an exam of the fetus to see if there is a detectible heartbeat). Cases of rape, incest or where the mother?s life is endangered, are among those exempt from the law.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the law imposed the most severe ban in the country and the strictest limit on the procedure since the U.S. territory of Guam tried to halt all abortions in 1990. The group ?will challenge this dangerous and unconstitutional law in court,??the group?s executive director, Anthony D. Romero, said in a statement.

Talcott Camp, deputy director of the ACLU?s Reproductive Freedom Project, said before the vote that it was an ?unconstitutional and grotesque invasion? into private medical decisions.

?It?s a power grab by politicians. They are just looking to intrude on and take away a decision that is really for a woman and her family and her doctor, and that is true as a constitutional matter. It?s also true as a moral matter and as a matter of public health and just what?s right,? she said. ?This is not a decision for politicians to make.?

The Supreme Court has said viability of a fetus has to be left up to doctors, Camp said, adding that it was unconstitutional for state legislatures to set a number of weeks for when abortion could be banned.

Beebe, a Democrat, said in his veto letter on Monday that the ?adoption of blatantly unconstitutional laws can be very costly to the taxpayers of our state,? and that Arkansas? ?interest in protecting fetal life is simply not strong enough at such point to trump the constitutional rights of the mother.?

Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Beebe, said Wednesday after the vote: "The governor made his case very plainly in his veto letter, laid out the reasons why we feel the bill?s unconstitutional, and now it looks like it will be up to the courts to make the final decision.?

Women who want to end a pregnancy face a growing number of roadblocks in many parts of the country 40 years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many state restrictions on abortion with Roe v. Wade.

Last year, 19 states enacted a total of 43 provisions limiting access to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit that aims to advance reproductive health and abortion rights. While that was half the number that went into effect the previous year, it was the second-highest number since 1985.

Related:
Arkansas governor vetoes ban on abortions after 12 weeks
40 years after Roe v. Wade, more states restricting abortion

NBC News? Tracy Connor contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/06/17212230-arkansas-lawmakers-approve-toughest-abortion-limits-in-nation?lite

politico Tammy Baldwin house of representatives paul ryan michele bachmann donald trump Election 2012 map

In Louisiana, a conservative backlash against gun control (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/289589487?client_source=feed&format=rss

maryland lottery grand jury ozzie guillen fidel castro darvish george zimmerman website edmund fitzgerald uss enterprise

Genius Ultimate Gaming Combo Introduced ? Coolest Gadgets

by Edwin - on March 5th, 2013

Gamers take their gaming sessions very seriously, and there are different kinds of gaming companies that offer various hardware configurations to cater for the vast diversity among humankind. After all, one man?s meat has been known to be another man?s poison, and this time around, we have Genius announcing what they call the Ultimate Gaming Combo, delivering the complete suite of gear required (at least, in Genius? eyes) for smooth h PC gaming in a single package, and it comprises of the Genius GX Gaming Series Mouse, Keyboard and Headset.

This ?ideal toolset?, so to speak, is now available in the US and Canada. The 3 in 1 GX Gaming Series combo will merge together what Genius has classified as the elite products of the GX Gaming Series, where among them include the Maurus Black gaming mouse, Imperator gaming keyboard and Lychas gaming headset.

First of all, the Maurus Black Gaming Mouse will come with a bunch of customizable features, which has been touted to deliver a personalized experience. The Scorpion UI (User Interface) will enable you to save up to 21 macros, delivering a competitive edge even in the midst of a battle, while Maurus? buttons, complete with default settings of left, right, middle with scroll, next page, and last page, can be programmed to offer gamers an even greater degree of customizable control. Apart from that, you can over-clock the SG Core engine, so that you can adjust the dpi to four different levels (450/900/1800/3500) directly from the mouse.

As for the Imperator Gaming Keyboard, it sports half a dozen programmable keys under 3 game profiles, letting you assign up to 18 macros. As for the included UI, it is a snap to manage and customize your macros. The Lychas Gaming Headset is perfect for LAN parties and competitions, thanks to its individual ear cup volume control. The asking price for this ?combo?? $129.99 a pop, which is pretty decent actually.

Press Release (PDF Link)

Source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20130305/genius-ultimate-gaming-combo-introduced/

p zynga Tropical Storm Sandy W S B H

Ferrari outs 949HP LaFerrari hybrid, gives FF drivers iPad minis and Siri (video)

The LaFerrari unveiled at Geneva

Maranello, 5th March 2013 ? The wraps are finally off the LaFerrari. The Prancing Horse's eagerly-anticipated limited-series special, of which just 499 will be built, made its world debut today at the Geneva International Motor Show.

"We chose to call this model LaFerrari," declared Ferrari's President, Luca di Montezemolo, "because it is the maximum expression of what defines our company ? excellence. Excellence in terms of technological innovation, performance, visionary styling and the sheer thrill of driving. Aimed at our collectors, this is a truly extraordinary car which encompasses advanced solutions that, in the future, will find their way onto the rest of the range, and it represents the benchmark for the entire automotive industry. LaFerrari is the finest expression of our company's unique, unparalleled engineering and design know-how, including that acquired in Formula 1."

For Ferrari the development of a limited-series special like the LaFerrari represents an opportunity to experiment with all the technological solutions that will later filter down onto the production cars. Of particular significance in this context is the introduction of the hybrid system which, making full use of the Scuderia Ferrari's F1 KERS know-how, has resulted in a solution that exalts Ferrari's fundamental values ? performance and driving thrills. The hybrid technology used, known as HY-KERS, represents the perfect combination of maximum performance and lower emissions. LaFerrari in fact emits just 330 g/km of CO2 but without resorting to electric-only drive which would not fit the mission of this model. The HY-KERS system is, however, designed so that in future applications a car can be driven using exclusively electric power for a few kilometres and, during development testing, a full-electric version of LaFerrari achieved just 220 g/km of C02 emissions on the combined cycle.

The LaFerrari is equipped with dynamic controls that are integrated for the first time ever on a Ferrari road car with active aerodynamics and the HY-KERS system. Thanks to Ferrari's proprietary logic which govern all the systems, the car can achieve absolute levels of performance, aerodynamic efficiency and handling without any form of compromise in any area. A very advanced and uncompromising approach was also taken with the interior design which features an HMI inspired by F1 single-seaters.

Architecture

The LaFerrari's architecture posed the first challenge for the Prancing Horse team at the planning stage of the design. The aim was to achieve ideal weight distribution (59% at the rear) and a compact wheelbase despite the extra bulk of the hybrid system. The result is that all of the masses are situated between the car's two axles and as close as possible to the floor to lower its centre of gravity (by 35 millimetres) and thereby guarantee dynamic handling and compact dimensions.

The layout of the cabin made a significant contribution in this regard. The seat is fixed and tailored to the driver while both the pedal box and steering wheel are adjustable. The driving position is similar to that of a single-seater and was designed after consultation with the Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who played an active role throughout the entire development process.

The LaFerrari's chassis features no less than four different types of carbon-fibre, all hand-laminated and autoclave-cured in the racing department using the same design and production methods as the Formula 1 car. This helped optimise the design: various functions were integrated (e.g. seats and battery compartment) into the chassis to improve torsional rigidity (+27%) and beam stiffness (+22%) whilst cutting weight.

Powertrain

The LaFerrari is the first car in Ferrari history to be powered by the HY-KERS system. The ICE represents the pinnacle of engine development and research, with a 6262 cc V12 that punches out 800 CV and revs to a maximum of 9,250 rpm, a record for an engine of this displacement. It also features a very high 13.5:1 compression ratio and a high specific output equal to 128 CV per litre. The engine is coupled with a 120 Kw (163 CV) electric motor, giving it a combined power output of 963 CV.

The high torque levels available at low revs from the electric motor allowed the engineers to optimise the internal combustion engine's performance at higher revs, thus providing a constant supply of exceptional power throughout the rev range. Total torque generated is in excess of 900 Nm. The hybrid system is composed of two electric motors developed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli ? one powering the driven wheels and the second the ancillaries ? and a battery pack attached to the floor of the chassis consisting of cells that are assembled in the Scuderia Ferrari department where the KERS for the F138 is also made. The Scuderia's expertise allowed considerable savings in weight and size of the individual components and the batteries weigh just 60 kg while providing the highest energy density possible for this kind of application.

The batteries are charged in different ways: under braking (even hard braking with the ABS active) and every time the V12 produces more torque than required, such as in cornering. In the latter instance, rather than the being sent to the wheels, the excess torque is converted to energy and stored in the batteries.

The electric motor is coupled with the F1 dual-clutch gearbox to the benefit of optimal weight distribution, but also to boosting energy efficiency as torque is instantly available to the wheels and, vice versa, from the wheels to the electric motor in recharging.

Aerodynamics

Active aerodynamics play an essential role, as they allow a complete adjustability of the car's configuration to attain LaFerrari's exceptional performance.

The engineers' aim was to deliver the highest degree of aerodynamic efficiency ever achieved with any road car, with a coefficient of nearly 3, thanks to technical solutions honed with CFD analysis and fine-tuned in the F1 Wind Tunnel.

To boost efficiency, the LaFerrari sports active aerodynamic devices front (diffusers and guide vane on the underbody) and rear (diffusers and rear spoiler) which generate downforce when needed without compromising the car's overall drag coefficient. These devices deploy automatically on the basis of a number of different performance parameters which are monitored in real time by the car's dynamic vehicle controls, thus guaranteeing the ideal configuration on the basis of the driving conditions.

Control systems

One further innovative aspect of the LaFerrari is the integration of its active aerodynamics and hybrid system with the other dynamic control systems aboard. This means the car responds intelligently to driver inputs, making for a seamless blend of unprecedented performance and unparalleled driving emotions.

Proprietary Ferrari algorithms deliver optimal integration of the electric motor and V12 for instantaneous response. In cornering, for instance, the HY-KERS keeps the V12's revs high to guarantee better acceleration on exit.

The LaFerrari's Brembo braking system is also integrated with the hybrid system, and incorporates several new features, including new lightweight callipers designed to guarantee correct cooling and carbon-ceramic material (CCM) discs featuring a new composition.
The car's extreme performance potential called for a different tyre set-up, with 265/30 R 19 Pirelli P-Zeros on the front and 345/30 R 20s on the rear.

All in all the car guarantees maximum driving thrills in every situation and performance levels are top level: 0-100 km/h in less than 3 seconds and 0-200 km/h in under 7 seconds, a lap time at Fiorano of under 1'20" ? 5 seconds faster than the Enzo and over 3 seconds faster than the F12berlinetta. LaFerrari is thus the fastest road car in Maranello's long history.

Styling The Ferrari design team led by Flavio Manzoni developed the LaFerrari's styling working in close synergy with the engineers to emphasise the exacting link between form and function. The result is an extreme, innovative design which retains close links to the marque's tradition. This is most evident in its side profile: the car has a sharp, downward-sloping nose and a very low bonnet which emphasises its muscular wheelarches, a clear nod to the gloriously exuberant forms of late-1960s Ferrari sports prototypes.

The LaFerrari's body has been given a sculptural treatment heavily influenced by its clearly F1-inspired aerodynamics and a tail section that exudes uncompromising sportiness.
Inside there's a newly-designed steering wheel sporting all the major commands, and the gear-shift paddles are now longer and more ergonomic. The signature bridge on which the F1 gearbox functions are clustered has taken on a sleek, suspended wing-like shape. The whole interior, in fact, has a fiercely track-inspired, pared-back allure.

The Ferrari range

Aside from the new limited-series special, the Ferrari stand also features the complete range which is the most wide-ranging and critically acclaimed in its entire history. The five models all share the same Ferrari DNA in terms of performance, driving pleasure and technology, yet each one has its own strongly unique identity, in line with the company's philosophy of "different Ferraris for different Ferraristi".

Ferrari's 12-cylinder GT sports car prowess is represented at Geneva by the FF, the very first four-seater and four-wheel drive in Prancing Horse history. It will be sporting a Grigio Ingrid livery with an elegant glass roof and Iroko interior. The FF is also now seamlessly integrated with Apple technologies, thanks to direct access to the infotainment system via SIRI voice commands and the adoption of two iPad Minis as the entertainment system of choice for the rear seat passengers.

Blistering performance and sublime driving pleasure even at low speeds are assured behind the wheel of the multi-award-winning F12berlinetta, which is powered by a mid-front V12. Unique handling characteristics, extreme aerodynamics and an innovative yet classic design are its signatures. The car on show at Geneva has a Grigio Silverstone livery and a Sella di Cavallo interior.

Moving on to the 8-cylinders, the California 30, in sophisticated Nero Stellato with a Crema interior, is a convertible GT that uncompromisingly marries sportiness and versatility. The California's already-massive popularity with both press and public alike grew still further after its V8's output was upped by 30 hp to 490 hp, and 30 kg was slashed off its overall weight.

The blistering 458 Italia is a sublime, thoroughbred sports car. It and its drop-top sibling, the 458 Spider, are equipped with the same extraordinary mid-rear-mounted V8 engine which was named International Engine of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. These two models continue Ferrari's glorious tradition with this particular layout. The coup? seen at Geneva sports an aggressive Bianco Avus livery and sleek black interior with carbon-fibre trim, while the Spider, which dominates the Tailor-Made extreme personalisation area, takes its inspiration from the legendary 1957 250 Testa Rossa that sold for a record 16 million dollars at auction at Pebble Beach in 2011. It has the same red and blue livery and a host of competition car details in its cabin, not least of which are suede-upholstered seats and Alutex trim.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/05/ferrari-shows-949hp-laferrari-hybrid-gives-ff-drivers-ipad-mini/

jared sullinger jaleel white levi johnston 2013 srt viper scott walker recall fisker atlantic social darwinism

Prospect of new Italy vote heightens as Grillo faces ultimatum

ROME (Reuters) - Italy appeared to be inching toward another round of elections on Monday after centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani issued an ultimatum to 5-Star Movement leader Beppe Grillo to support a temporary government or "we'll all go home".

Appearing on RAI state television late on Sunday, Bersani ruled out another technocrat government like the last one, led by Mario Monti. Last week's vote left no one with a working majority in parliament, making an alliance with a rival the only solution to forming a government.

"Now (Grillo) must say what he wants, otherwise we all go home, including him," Bersani said.

Financial markets are watching Italy closely and the spread between Italian 10-year benchmark bonds and German bunds - a measure of investor confidence - widened on Monday to an almost three-month high as the country entered its second week of gridlock.

Grillo last week called Bersani a "dead man talking" when the centre-left leader made first overtures to Grillo's populist movement, which became Italy's single biggest party in its first national test.

On Monday and Tuesday, Grillo will meet with the 163 new 5-Star lawmakers, who have never before been in parliament, to talk about their strategy ahead of parliament's first session on March 15, and subsequent formal consultations with President Giorgio Napolitano on the formation of a government.

Napolitano, who has the power to dissolve parliament and select prime ministers, has said he wants to avoid an immediate round of new elections.

(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/prospect-italy-vote-heightens-grillo-faces-ultimatum-091130173--business.html

fabrice muamba collapse prometheus trailer patrice oneal shamrock slainte the quiet man yellow cab

Scientists Report First Cure of HIV In A Child, Say It's A Game-Changer

Daily medications for young children with HIV include both tablets and liquid drugs in syringes.

Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Corbis

Daily medications for young children with HIV include both tablets and liquid drugs in syringes.

Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Corbis

Scientists believe a little girl born with HIV has been cured of the infection.

She's the first child and only the second person in the world known to have been cured since the virus touched off a global pandemic nearly 32 years ago.

Doctors aren't releasing the child's name, but we know she was born in Mississippi and is now 2 ? years old ? and healthy. Scientists presented details of the case on Sunday at a scientific conference in Atlanta.

The case has big implications. While fewer than 130 such children are born each year in the U.S., an estimated 330,000 children around the world get infected with HIV at or around birth every year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

And while many countries are striving to prevent these mother-to-child infections, many thousands of children will certainly get infected in coming years.

Until now, such children have been considered permanently infected. Specialists thought they needed lifelong antiviral drugs to prevent HIV from destroying their immune system and killing them of AIDS.

The Mississippi child's surprising cure came about from happenstance ? and the quick thinking of a University of Mississippi pediatric infectious disease specialist named Hannah Gay.

"The child came to our attention as a high-risk exposure to maternal HIV," Gay tells Shots. Her mother hadn't had any prenatal care, she says, so didn't get antiviral drugs during pregnancy.

The fact that the newborn tested positive for HIV within 30 hours of birth is a sign she was probably infected in utero, HIV specialists say.

Gay decided to begin treating the child immediately, with the first dose of antivirals given within 31 hours of birth. That's faster than most infants born with HIV get treated, and specialists think it's one important factor in the child's cure.

In addition, Gay gave higher-than-usual, "therapeutic" doses of three powerful HIV drugs rather than the "prophylactic" doses usually given in these circumstances.

Over the months, the baby thrived and standard tests could detect no virus in her blood, which is the normal result from antiviral treatment.

HIV particles, yellow, infect an immune cell, blue.

NIAID_Flickr

HIV particles, yellow, infect an immune cell, blue.

NIAID_Flickr

Then, her mother stopped bringing the child in for checkups.

"The baby's mom was having some life changes, that's about all I can say," Gay reports. "I saw her at 18 months, and then after that did not see her for several months. And we were unable to locate her for a while."

Gay enlisted the help of Mississippi state health authorities to track down the child. When they found her, the mother said she'd stopped giving antiviral drugs six or seven months earlier.

At that point, Gay expected to find that the child's blood was teeming with HIV. But to her astonishment, tests couldn't find any virus.

"My first thought was, 'Oh my goodness, I've been treating a child who's not actually infected,' " Gay says. But a look at the earlier blood work confirmed the child had been infected with HIV at birth. So Gay then thought the lab must have made a mistake with the new blood samples. So she ran those tests again.

"When all those came back negative, I knew something odd was afoot," Gay says. She contacted an old friend, Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga at the University of Massachusetts, who has been studying pediatric HIV/AIDS for two decades.

That was last August. Since then, Luzuriaga's lab and those in San Diego, Baltimore and Bethesda, Md., have run ultra-sensitive tests on the baby's blood.

A couple of tests have intermittently found pieces of HIV DNA and RNA, but no evidence that the virus is actively replicating in the child's cells.

Luzuriaga tells Shots this amounts to what's called a "functional cure."

She says that "means control of viral replication and lack of rebound once they come off anti-retroviral medications."

The only other such case known to AIDS researchers is the so-called Berlin patient ? a San Francisco man named Timothy Brown. But his treatment involved a bone marrow transplant in Germany ? essentially, he was given the immune system of a donor who's genetically resistant to HIV. That's not something that can be easily duplicated.

By contrast, the Mississippi child's cure involved readily available medications.

Luzuriaga says researchers believe they have ruled out other possible reasons for the unexpected cure. For instance, the mother did not have a less virulent strain of HIV. And the child does not have known mutations in her immunity genes that confer protection against HIV.

"We think it was that very early and aggressive treatment," she says, "that curtailed the formation of viral reservoirs" ? that is, hideouts for the virus within the child's immune cells.

Previous research indicates that once these hideouts are established, it can take 70 years or more of steady, three-drug antiviral treatment to eliminate them.

Luzuriaga says the toddler's cure has electrified researchers searching for an HIV cure.

"It's exciting to us," she says. "Because if we were able to replicate this, I think it would be very good news."

Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University Medical School, who presented the case at the Congress on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, calls the Mississippi cure "definitely a game-changer."

"This case is sort of the inspiration and provides the rationale to really move forward," Persaud tells Shots.

Plans are under way to mount studies to see if early, aggressive treatment can cure other children of HIV. But Persaud says it will be a while before researchers can figure out when it might be safe to stop antiviral drugs deliberately.

This research will undboubtedly be high-priority, given the birth of nearly 1,000 HIV-infected newborns a day in the developing world.

AIDS researchers foresee a day when the same treatment could give many of these children a lifetime free of toxic and costly antiviral drugs.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/03/173258954/scientists-report-first-cure-of-hiv-in-a-child-say-its-a-game-changer?ft=1&f=1007

ronnie montrose melissa gilbert dancing with the stars dandelion wine cough matt groening brandon phillips summerfest

Internal Affairs: Rocha is barely on sitting terms with S.J. council colleagues (San Jose Mercury News)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/288677882?client_source=feed&format=rss

chrysler super bowl commercial madonna half time show fiat 500 abarth madonna halftime m i a mia super bowl tom coughlin

GI's WikiLeaks admission energizes his supporters

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, back center, is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Friday, March 1, 2013, before a pretrial military hearing. Manning, who is charged with causing hundreds of thousands of classified documents to be published on the secret-sharing website WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty Thursday to 10 charges that could carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Prosecutors plan to pursue 12 more charges against him at a court martial, including a charge of aiding the enemy that carries a potential life sentence. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, back center, is escorted into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Friday, March 1, 2013, before a pretrial military hearing. Manning, who is charged with causing hundreds of thousands of classified documents to be published on the secret-sharing website WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty Thursday to 10 charges that could carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Prosecutors plan to pursue 12 more charges against him at a court martial, including a charge of aiding the enemy that carries a potential life sentence. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? While it may be a curious legal strategy, an Army private's decision to admit in court that he sent hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks has energized his supporters around the world.

Pfc. Bradley Manning, 25, has been called by some a whistleblowing hero, a political prisoner and a symbol of the misplaced priorities of the U.S. military and the Obama administration. Others, particularly in the United States, view him as a traitor. Regardless of his motives, he appears likely to spend many years in a military prison.

At the very least, Manning likely ended speculation that he leaked the largest trove of classified material in U.S. history wantonly or unknowingly.

At a court hearing Thursday, Manning read a 35-page statement describing his internal deliberations about whether to send the first batch of hundreds of thousands of battlefield reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. He said he was trying to expose the American military's disregard for human life and provoke a public debate about U.S. military and foreign policy.

"I felt this sense of relief by them having it," Manning said Thursday of WikiLeaks. "I felt I had accomplished something that allowed me to have a clear conscience."

Jeff Paterson of the Bradley Manning Support Network, which has raised more than $900,000 for Manning's legal defense, said the statement confirmed what supporters have long thought of him.

"We've been defending this person as a heroic whistleblower for 2 1/2 years now, and it was inspiring and it was motivating to finally hear in his own words why he made this life-changing and possibly history-changing decision," Paterson said.

Besides the battlefield reports, he sent WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of State Department diplomatic cables, detainee records from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and other classified records. He also released a 2007 combat video of a U.S. helicopter assault that killed 11 men, including a Reuters news photographer.

Manning said he didn't think the material would harm the United States, although the diplomatic cables would be embarrassing. The Obama administration has said it threatened valuable military and diplomatic sources and strained relations with other governments.

Gabriel Schoenfeld, a fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute and the author of "Necessary Secrets," said Manning made a brash decision to release the State Department cables and should be punished for it.

"He said nothing he put out, he thought was damaging to the United States. I would beg to differ with that," Schoenfeld said. "He wasn't in a position to evaluate the damage."

But Schoenfeld doesn't think Manning was guilty of his most serious charge, aiding the enemy. "I don't think that was his intention," he said.

Manning's supporters say the documents exposed war crimes. They also credit a State Department cable indicating that the U.S. would not back former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali with helping spark the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings in 2010.

"I think he really deserves great credit for his courage and for doing the right thing," said Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers revealing that the U.S. had deceived the public about the Vietnam War. "I hope people will see these quotes and realize how well-motivated he was."

Military justice experts say it's unclear whether Manning will derive any benefit from pleading guilty to offenses that carry a maximum 20-year sentence. He admitted guilt without the benefit of a deal with prosecutors ? known in military parlance as a "naked plea."

After the judge accepted the plea, prosecutors announced that they would go forward with the remaining charges. Aiding the enemy, an offense that has not been brought to trial in decades, carries a maximum life sentence. Manning is also charged with violating federal espionage laws and theft counts that carry decades in prison.

Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale and has followed the Manning case, said Manning gained little by pleading guilty without a deal.

"The only thing that might have been a nice outcome for him would have been if the government had said they don't want to pursue these other charges," Fidell said. "The only thing he has gained is some brownie points from the judge."

But Michael Navarre, a former Navy judge advocate and military justice analyst, said there might be some advantage, because the remaining charges would be more difficult to prove.

"He's laying the groundwork for a more lenient sentence and laying the groundwork for a potential defense to the aiding the enemy and the espionage charges," Navarre said. "You end up with a more reasonable starting position ? 'I admit I did it, but I didn't think it was going to harm anyone.'"

Internationally, Manning tends to be seen far more favorably than in the United States ? particularly in countries such as Britain where many opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and see his prosecution as an attempt by the Pentagon to punish a soldier who dared challenge the war.

Manning's picture was on the front page of Britain's left-leaning Guardian and The Independent newspapers Friday.

Supporters held an early-evening vigil in Manning's honor Friday in front of the U.S. Embassy in London. Ben Griffin, a former British soldier who resigned to protest the tactics of his American colleagues in Iraq, said Manning was trying to gain control over a trial that has been weighted against him.

"He is defining ? before the prosecution and anyone else can try to define for him ? why he did this," Griffin said. "It's been put out into the public domain now."

Jude Fleming, a 50-year-old Canadian teacher, said Manning's statement of principles had raised his moral stature in the eyes of the world.

"I think it elevates him," she said. "It takes the word 'alleged' out. Instead of saying 'alleged whistleblower,' all of a sudden he becomes the hero: He is the whistleblower. He's proud to say that he's the whistleblower."

Jesselyn Radack, an attorney with the Government Accountability Project, said her clients accused of leaking classified material are treated like "rock stars" abroad. But she doesn't envision a groundswell of support for Manning in the U.S.

"We continue to move on this very draconian path in terms of whistleblowers," Radack said. "I think historically, people will be vindicated, but that may not be for decades or even in my lifetime."

___

Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-01-US-Manning-WikiLeaks/id-faf1d6e4c8ea4dd38f0164e37488c5c8

nigel barker 420 secret service fenway park philadelphia flyers 4/20 student loan forgiveness