paralyze valli: April 2013

Monday, April 29, 2013

Adichie focuses on Nigeria's present for new novel

In this photo taken, Saturday, April. 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, speaks to Associated press during an interview in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, left, signs autographs during a book launch of her new book 'Americanah', in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April. 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, during an interview with Associated Press, in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

In this photo taken, Saturday, April 27, 2013, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, signs autographs during a book launch of her new book 'Americanah', in Lagos, Nigeria. Modern life in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, has become almost a character itself in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." Within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous novel, a love story set during Nigeria's civil war entitled "Half of a Yellow Sun." (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? The traffic is there, grinding life to a halt as the middle class pound out messages on BlackBerry mobile phones and worry about Facebook. The heat, the sweat and the daily tragedy of unclaimed bodies lying alongside roadways, passers-by hurrying past for fear of someone else's misfortune becoming entangled in their own.

This is modern life in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, which becomes almost a character of its own in novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's new book, "Americanah." And within its pages, one catches self-acknowledged glimpses of the writer herself, who shot to fame with her previous love story set during Nigeria's civil war called "Half of a Yellow Sun."

As that book is being made into a movie, more international attention will focus on Adichie, part of a raft of new Nigerian writers finding acclaim after years of military-induced slumber in a nation with a rich literary history. Yet Adichie, like her new book's heroine, finds herself straddled between a life in the United States and one in Nigeria, where even seemingly innocuous comments on hair care and wigs can stir resentment.

"I'm writing about where I care about and I deeply, deeply care about Nigeria," Adichie told The Associated Press. "Nigeria is the country that most infuriates me and it is the country I love the most. I think when you're emotionally invested in a place as a storyteller, it becomes organic."

That sense of place runs throughout "Americanah," ? make sure to stress the fourth syllable, says the daughter of a university professor and a university registrar. It's a term people use to describe the accents carried by some of the Nigerians now returning in droves to the country after it embraced an uneasy democracy after years of military rule. While oil and gas money continues to flow and other business opportunities abound, the nation's universities now sit in shambles, graduating more unqualified students than can be offered jobs.

That intellectual dulling has been challenged by a host of new writers, many of whom like Adichie live almost double lives abroad.

"She is part of the pack of novelists who have, after what you might call the two decades of silence, who have helped to tell Nigerian stories to the whole world again," writer Tolu Ogunlesi said. "It was the dictatorships and all that's associated with them. ... The '80s and '90s were dark ages of sorts for Nigeria."

It's that period where "Americanah" finds its beginning. Though dismissing the idea of being a "dutiful daughter of literary conventions," Adichie's new novel takes root in the vagaries and murmured promises of a love story like much of her other work. It also focuses largely on the slim percentage of Nigerians able to afford diesel generators in a country largely without electricity and who look at the poor through the chilled air and tinted-glass windows of luxury SUVs.

Despite that, her writing hits a nerve with Nigerian readers who identify with the descriptions of church worship services focused on getting foreign visas and the nervous wives of rich men in a nation notorious for philandering. Adichie describes herself as looking "at the world through Nigerian eyes," but she doesn't hold back on criticizing its culture that fosters widespread government corruption. Or what she perceives as the excessive, neutered politeness of "political-correct language" in the U.S.

"Nigeria wasn't set up to succeed, but the extent of its failure is ours. It's our responsibility," she said. "This country is full of so many intelligent people, so much energy, so much potential, so why are we here?"

That kind of truth telling isn't exactly welcome, even in a democratic Nigeria. Speaking Saturday night at a book signing, Adichie drew laughter and a few nervous looks from organizers by describing President Goodluck Jonathan as "not a bad guy, he just seems like he's floundering and has no clue."

It also leads to comparisons some make between Adichie and late author Chinua Achebe, who died in March at age 82. Both come from the Igbo people of Nigeria's southeast and Achebe's own praise of Adichie graces the cover of her new novel in Nigeria. Adichie said the rise of new writers served as a testament to the power of Achebe's writings and the works of others.

"I think there's just this wonderful flowering that's happening," she said.

Even more controversial, it seems, have been Adichie's comments on natural hair in Nigeria, where many spend huge sums of money on straight-banged wigs and weaves known as Indian hair. An online commenter on Twitter asserted that Adichie, whose natural hair sits in buns atop her head, said that those wearing weaves were insecure, sparking controversy. Adichie herself ended up responding to the criticism and gave a recent audience advice on finding hair conditioners with no sulfates.

"It's only black women for whom an entire industry exists which is geared toward specifically making sure that the hair that grows on their head looks different," she said. "I want natural black hair to be an equally valid option, not something interesting, not something you do when you're a jazz musician, but something you can do when you're a lawyer in a fancy firm in New York City or if you're a politician in Abuja," Nigeria's capital.

That, however, still remains a challenge. Adichie acknowledged it herself by pausing, and then adding: "My mother doesn't like my hair like that. She is still praying."

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-29-Books-Adichie/id-358612e615464693b42890a23186fe59

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Obama taps Charlotte mayor for cabinet post

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama on Monday tapped rising Democratic politician Anthony Foxx to lead the Department of Transportation, an agency at the center of Washington's fiscal fights.

Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., is the first black nominee among the president's picks for open spots in his second term Cabinet. The president had faced questions, including from the Congressional Black Caucus, about a lack of diversity in his first round of nominations after winning re-election.

Obama said that as a mayor, Foxx knows how to use infrastructure spending to create jobs and boost economic growth. The White House cited Foxx's work on Charlotte's electric tram service, an expansion of a light rail system and the opening of a third runway at the city's airport as experience that qualifies him for the Cabinet post.

"Charlotte made one of the largest investments in transportation," Obama said during a nomination ceremony in the East Room of the White House. "All of that has not only helped create new jobs, it's helped Charlotte become more attractive to business."

Foxx, 41, has served as Charlotte's mayor since 2009. He bolstered his national profile last year when his city hosted the Democratic Party's national convention.

Among those in the audience for the East Room ceremony was Foxx's grandmother, who worked in the White House during the Truman administration.

If confirmed by the Senate, Foxx will take over the Transportation Department from outgoing Secretary Ray LaHood, a rare Republican serving in a Democratic administration. In a nod to his predecessor, Foxx said, "there is no such thing as a Democratic or Republican road, bridge, port airfield or rail system. We must work together across party lines to enhance this nation's infrastructure."

The Transportation Department has been at the center of Washington's most recent fight over the so-called sequester cuts. The automatic cuts resulted in furloughs for air traffic controllers that spurred delays at many airports, angering both lawmakers and the public.

Congress reached a deal last week to provide the Transportation Department flexibility that allowed it to end the air traffic controller furloughs

Obama is also close to announcing his picks for two other Cabinet-level posts. Longtime Obama fundraiser and hotel heiress Penny Pritzker is the leading candidate to run the Commerce Department, and White House international economic adviser Michael Froman is the top choice to be the next U.S. Trade Representative.

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-taps-foxx-nc-mayor-run-transportation-192227508.html

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Pakistan Taliban bomb politicians' offices, kill 9

Pakistani police officers and volunteers visit the site of an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

People gather at the site of an explosion outside an election office of a candidate in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

An injured Pakistani girl cries while getting medical treatment at a local hospital following a bomb blast, in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Pakistani hospital staff treat a boy injured by a bomb in Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

A Pakistani police officer stands guard near an office of a local politician following a blast in Kohat, Pakistan on Sunday, April 28, 2013. Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country?s northwest on Sunday, police said, killing many people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties. (AP Photo/Abdul Basit Gilani)

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Pakistani Taliban detonated bombs at the campaign offices of two politicians in the country's northwest on Sunday, police said, killing at least nine people in an escalation of attacks on secular, left-leaning political parties.

In first attack, on the outskirts of Kohat city, a bomb ripped through the office of Syed Noor Akbar, killing six and wounding 10 people, police official Mujtaba Hussain said.

A second bomb targeted a campaign office of another candidate, Nasir Khan Afridi, in the suburbs of Peshawar city. That attack killed three people and wounded 12, police official Saifur Rehman Khan said.

Both politicians, who were not in the offices at the time of the blasts, are running as independent candidates for national assembly seats to represent constituencies in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, where scores of militant groups operate including some with links to al-Qaida. The general elections will be held on May 11.

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed responsibility for both attacks, as well as two others against secular political parties in the southern port city of Karachi.

"We are against all politicians who are going to become part of any secular, democratic government," he told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.

The Taliban previously announced a strategy to target three political parties, including the Awami National Party (ANP), the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). All three are perceived as liberal, having earned the Taliban's ire by opposing the insurgency and extremism during their time in the outgoing government.

The onslaught has forced many of the parties to change their campaign strategy and has raised questions about whether the vote can be considered valid if some mainstream parties can't properly take part.

Such attacks have killed at least 28 people in just last four days.

One of the most serious attacks occurred on April 21, when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a meeting of the ANP in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 16 people. The Taliban said the target of the attack was Haroon Ahmad Bilour, whose father, a senior party leader, was killed in a suicide bombing in Peshawar in December. He escaped unscathed, but his uncle, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, suffered minor injuries.

In the capital, Islamabad, Pakistani officials said they planned to seal the border with Afghanistan and restrict the movement of Afghan refugees on election day.

Officials at the Interior Ministry and the election commission have said that the measure is aimed at preventing terrorist attacks during the vote. However, officials did not say how they would restrict the movement of hundreds of thousands of people spread out across the country or block crossings along the porous border. Pakistan announced similar measures in the past but failed to take action.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

The Islamist and center-right political parties have been spared by the Taliban and have been holding big public rallies without fear of being attacked. They largely support peace talks with the Taliban instead of military offensives.

The leaders of the political parties under Taliban attack have said the violence amounts to election rigging. But they have, so far, decided not to boycott the vote.

____

Associated Press Writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-28-Pakistan/id-bbe57d3c035a4bba8ad445fb7e0cec6f

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NATO crash kills 4; Taliban begin spring offensive

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A NATO plane crash in southern Afghanistan killed four international troops on Saturday, the same day the Taliban announced its spring offensive and said it will target military and diplomatic sites with suicide bombers and infiltrate enemy forces to conduct deadly insider attacks.

April already has been the deadliest month so far this year across the country where Afghan security forces are increasingly taking the lead on the battlefield of the more than 11-year-old war.

The Afghan Defense Ministry said its security forces were prepared for the Taliban's new campaign, which was to start on Sunday. "The Afghan National Army is ready to neutralize the offensive," the ministry said.

Insurgents have escalated attacks to gain power and influence ahead of next year's presidential election and the planned withdrawal of most U.S. and other foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. And U.S.-backed efforts to try to reconcile the Islamic militant movement with the Afghan government are gaining little traction.

The Taliban did not immediately claim responsibility for the plane crash. NATO said initial reports indicated no enemy activity in the area where the plane went down. Coalition personnel secured the site and were investigating the cause of the crash.

The brief NATO statement did not identify the victims, or say exactly where the crash occurred in Afghanistan. However, Mohammad Jan Rasoulyar, deputy governor of the southern province of Zabul, said an aircraft belonging to foreign forces crashed Saturday afternoon in Shah Joy district.

In their announcement on Saturday, the Taliban vowed to step up violent attacks now that winter was over and warmer weather has made travel and fighting easier. The militant group said it would use every possible tactic to "detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors."

Taliban fighters, who seek to replace the elected Afghan government with one promoting a stricter interpretation of Islamic law, named their offensive after a legendary Muslim military commander, Khalid ibn al-Walid. Also known as the "Drawn Sword of God," he was a companion of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The Taliban threatened to infiltrate the Afghan security forces and conduct more attacks on Afghan policemen and soldiers as well as foreign troops.

Such attacks threaten the strength of the Afghan forces as they work to take over responsibility from coalition forces. The latest one occurred in March, when a member of a government-backed village defense unit shot and killed five of his colleagues in Badghis province in northwest Afghanistan.

April has already been the worst month for combat deaths so far this year. According to an Associated Press tally, 261 people ? including civilians, Afghan security forces and foreign troops ? have been killed in violence around the nation. During that time 217 insurgents have died.

Last year during the month of April, 179 civilians, foreign troops and Afghan security forces were killed and 268 insurgents.

Still, U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that the security situation had improved across the country, with Afghan forces now leading 80 percent of all conventional operations.

As the traditional fighting season begins, the insurgents will face a combined Afghan force of 350,000 soldiers and police, he said.

"The insurgency can no longer use the justification that it is fighting foreign occupiers ? that message rings hollow," Dunford said in a statement.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid disagreed with that assessment.

"The foreign forces will be our primary targets. The second target will be the government of Kabul. The third one will be the other foreign countries who are acting against our mujahedeen," or holy warriors, he said in an interview with AP Television News.

___

AP writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul contributed to this report.

___

Follow Thomas Wagner on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/tjpwagner.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-crash-kills-4-taliban-begin-spring-offensive-192037084.html

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PFT: Cardinals roll dice on Mathieu in third round

Here are the terms of trades completed on Friday, April 26, the second day of the 2013 NFL Draft. All draft picks are 2013 selections unless otherwise noted:

The Titans acquired a second-round pick from San Francisco (No. 34 overall), sending second- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 40, 216) in 2013 and a 2014 third-rounder to the 49ers. The Titans selected Tennessee wide receiver Justin Hunter at No. 34. The 49ers took Florida State defensive lineman Cornellius ?Tank? Carradine at No. 40.

The Chargers traded for the Cardinals? second-round pick (No. 38), giving up second- and fourth-round picks (Nos. 45, 110) to Arizona. The Chargers used selection No. 38 on Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te?o, while the Cardinals took LSU linebacker Kevin Minter at No. 45.

The 49ers acquired the Packers? second-round pick (No. 55). In return, San Francisco surrendered second- and sixth-round picks (Nos. 61, 173). The 49ers took Rice tight end Vance McDonald at No. 55. The Packers used the No. 61 choice on Alabama running back Eddie Lacy.

The Ravens traded for the Seahawks? second-round selection (No. 56). Baltimore sent Seattle second-, fifth- and sixth-round picks (Nos. 62, 165, 199) to complete the deal. The Ravens took Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown with pick No. 56. Six picks later, the Seahawks selected Texas A&M running back Christine Michael at No. 62.

The Saints acquired a third-round selection from Miami (No. 82). In exchange, the Dolphins received two fourth-round picks (Nos. 106, 109) from New Orleans. The Saints took Georgia nose tackle John Jenkins at No. 82. The Dolphins would trade selection No. 109 to Green Bay.

The 49ers traded for the Packers? third-round choice (No. 88), surrendering third- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 93, 216) to Green Bay. With pick No. 88, San Francisco chose Auburn defensive lineman Corey Lemonier. The Packers would deal the 93^rd selection to Miami (see next entry).

The Dolphins acquired a third-round pick from Green Bay (No. 93), giving up fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 109, 146, 224). The Dolphins selected Utah State cornerback Will Davis at No. 93.

The Dolphins traded wide receiver Davone Bess and their fourth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 111, 217) to Cleveland. In return, the Browns sent the Dolphins fourth- and fifth-round picks (Nos. 104, 164).

The Saints traded running back Chris Ivory to the Jets in exchange for New York?s fourth-round pick (No. 106). The Saints dealt No. 106 in a package for pick No. 82, which was used on Georgia nose tackle John Jenkins.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/26/cardinals-finally-give-mathieu-a-reason-to-celebrate/related/

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Monday, April 22, 2013

'Voice's' Shakira: Making cuts is 'overwhelming'

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Appearing on a reality TV show and singing your heart out is hardly a piece of cake. But don't think the coaches of "The Voice" are getting off easy just because they're sitting in big comfy chairs.?

"(Y)ou have to let one of them go and it's sad," said new coach Shakira on Monday about having to eliminate singers they've worked with closely. "Sometimes the guilt is overwhelming. Last night, for example, I couldn't sleep very well. I had one of my artists in my mind the whole night because I had to let him go. That affected me."

"Then (coach) Blake (Shelton) comes over and cracks some joke about 'You ruined their life.' And then you feel 10 times worse," said fellow coach Adam Levine. "He's a pretty bad person, Blake."

All four, including newcomers Shakira and Usher and veterans Levine and Shelton, sat down recently with TODAY's Al Roker on the set of "The Voice" for their chat. But if Shakira has restless nights about her decisions, Usher says becoming part of the fantastic four has been pleasant, thanks to an easy rapport they all have.

"It's been easy to slide in," he said. "(The other coaches) make it really a pleasure. ... Watching the show, I feel like it's organic, I feel like it's just natural. It's almost like a conversation at times."

That said, Levine noted that it's not just musical advice they're giving their protegees: It can feel like they're life coaches. "Sometimes I do feel a little bit like Tony Robbins," he chuckled. "'You can do it!' and all that kind of stuff, but it's true. ... It applies to life in a big way."

"The Voice" airs Monday and Tuesday on NBC at 8 p.m.

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/04/22/17860048-voice-coach-shakira-haunted-by-cutting-contestants-the-guilt-is-overwhelming?lite

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India protests target police, government after child rape

By Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Small groups of protesters dodged police and tried to reach the homes of India's leaders in the capital New Delhi on Sunday, in a third day of protests after the alleged rape and torture of a five-year old girl.

Police say the child was abducted on April 15, kept in captivity and raped by a neighbor near her north Delhi home. The accused, who had fled, was brought back to the capital on Saturday.

The girl, who suffered severe injuries, was slowly recovering after surgery despite an infection, a doctor at the hospital where she was being treated told reporters.

Public fury over the attack has echoed the response to the gang rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist on a bus on December 16. She later died of her injuries.

That case ignited big protests and provoked national debate about gender violence, putting the issue on the political agenda in the nation of 1.2 billion people a year before elections.

Police briefly detained dozens of women protesters from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party who tried to reach the house of Sonia Gandhi, the head of the ruling Congress party. Another group was blocked trying to reach the prime minister's house.

Much of the protesters' anger was directed at police, after allegations officers tried to bribe the family of the victim to not file a case, and video footage showed an officer slapping a woman demonstrator on Friday.

Protesters burnt an effigy of the city's police chief outside the hospital where the girl was being treated, and demanded his resignation, television images showed. Another group shouted slogans outside police headquarters.

"Taxpayers' money is going towards their salaries, but they are doing nothing to protect us. We don't trust the police -- they are corrupt and lazy," said Surendra Kumar 35, who was protested outside the hospital.

Police invoked a law to stop protests near the heart of government in central Delhi, but hundreds of students were still on the streets near the heavily-guarded police headquarters at nightfall.

New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures.

However, most sex crimes in India go unreported, many offenders go unpunished, and justice is slow, according to social activists, who say successive governments have done little to ensure the safety of women and children.

(Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/india-protests-target-police-government-child-rape-154342745.html

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Child soldiers patrol C. African Republic capital

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? As fighters in fatigues lounge in the shade of the rebel camp in the capital of Central African Republic, a boy jumps up to greet visitors with a wide toothy grin. He says he is 14 and joined the rebels three months ago.

It is the wrong thing to say. A female commander in uniform warns him: "We'll kill you if you talk to them."

Her boss, armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, gets up from his plastic chair, stares at the boy who had been playing in the grass moments before and declares: "There are no children here."

Despite the rebel's denial, the United Nations children's agency warns that it has "clear evidence of the continuing recruitment and use of children by armed groups" in Central African Republic.

And an Associated Press reporter saw dozens of youths among the ranks of the Seleka fighters in the capital, Bangui, more than three weeks after the insurgents caused the president to flee the country.

They were riding in pickup trucks with other rebels and in some cases on foot patrol, always closely supervised by older, heavily armed fighters.

Child soldiers were even used in some of the heaviest fighting in the battle for Bangui. They directly engaged troops from South Africa in and around the capital from March 22-24, according to South African soldiers who survived the fighting that left 13 of their comrades dead.

"It was only after the firing had stopped that we saw we had killed kids. We did not come here for this . to kill kids," one paratrooper later told the Sunday Times newspaper in South Africa.

"It makes you sick. They were crying calling for help . calling for (their) moms."

South African Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the soldiers from her country had no choice but to shoot back at the children who were firing at them.

"If our soldiers were attacked by children they were correct to defend themselves," she said, according to the South African Press Association. "If a child shoots at you, are you going to ... blow kisses?"

Those who recruit children under the age of 15 to serve in combat can be indicted on war crimes charges, and the International Criminal Court already has convicted one former Congolese warlord of conscripting young fighters.

Soldiers as young as 10 have been used by rebels not only as combatants but also as sex slaves, porters and cooks, according to the U.N.

"Recruiting children is both morally unacceptable and prohibited under international law," said Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF's country representative. "We have called on the new leadership in CAR to ensure that all children associated with armed groups should be released immediately and protected from further violations. "

Even before the latest rebellion launched in December, UNICEF said more than 2,000 children in Central African Republic were with the myriad of armed groups destabilizing the country's north.

The practice is ingrained here in one of the continent's poorest countries. The new Minister of Youth and Sports in Central African Republic comes from a rebel group that has been accused of conscripting child soldiers.

In a country where life expectancy for men is a mere 49 years and many children are put to work at an early age, the rebels in Central African Republic don't view 14 as too young to carry ? and shoot ? an AK-47 automatic assault rifle.

The government's new information minister, Christophe Gazam Betty, insisted that his government believes only about 40 child soldiers are still with the Seleka fighters.

"If there are combatants who are under the age of 18, there is a system in place through the United Nations," he said. "They will be separated and picked up by UNICEF."

UNICEF says the rebel groups who make up the alliance now in power have previously disarmed child soldiers, and the U.N. children's agency is now calling for that process to start immediately.

Some child soldiers can be returned to their families or to other relatives. Others will be placed in foster homes where possible, though some will be given training on living independently, said Shannon Struthers, UNICEF senior adviser for emergencies.

Many will need counseling and help after actively taking part in combat, Struthers said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/child-soldiers-patrol-c-african-republic-capital-122526318.html

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Boston Bruins Fans Stand "Strong," Sing National Anthem

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/boston-bruins-fans-stand-strong-sing-national-anthem/

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Colorado State University - Pueblo honors outstanding faculty and staff at luncheon

Colorado State
University - Pueblo honors outstanding faculty and staff
at luncheon

PUEBLO ? Outstanding faculty and staff leaders at Colorado State University ? Pueblo were honored at a recognition luncheon held on Tuesday, April 16. ?College Assistance Migrant Program Coordinator Victoria Obregon was recognized as the 2013 Outstanding Professional Employee, while College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) Administrative Assistant Sandy Obrin was named the Outstanding Classified Employee. Dr. Sue Pettit, professor of teacher education, earned the top faculty honor for Excellence in Teaching. The Students of Concern Team earned the Outstanding Team Award.

Also honored at the luncheon were recent retirees of the University and individuals who achieved a service milestone for employment during the past academic year from five to 35 years. A moment of silence also was observed for staff members who died within the last academic year. Barbara Denny and Linda Ford were honored by the University Retirees Association of Pueblo for their work as long-time officers of the organization. ?

Outstanding Professional Staff

Three finalists for the 2013 Outstanding Professional Staff Award were selected from a pool of?nominees by a campus-wide committee appointed by the President. The 2013 Outstanding Professional Staff Award was presented to Victoria Obregon, coordinator of the College Assistance Migrant Program, which provides tutoring and mentorship to students who are children of migratory or seasonal farmworkers. Obregon joined CSU-Pueblo in 2009 and serves the students of CSU-Pueblo in several areas.? She is the co-advisor for the MECha student organization, is a member of the Ballet Folklorico performance group, initiated a bilingual New Parent and Student Orientation session, and assisted in coordinating the Summer Migrant Youth Leadership conference this past summer.? She actively recruits students from all over the region to attend CSU-Pueblo under this umbrella program.

Other finalists for the Professional Employee Award were Kristyn White-Davis, undergrad academic advisor for the Hasan School of Business, and Michelle Gjerde, director of the Career Center .?

Outstanding Classified Staff

The Outstanding Classified Employees were selected from among 9 nominees by a panel of community leaders: Dave Feamster, Little Caesar?s Pizza; Phyllis Sanchez, founder & CEO, Belmont Senior Care Assisted Living Community, and Yvette Fransua assistant administrator of primary care, St. Mary Corwin Hospital.

The Outstanding Classified Employee for 2013 was presented to Sandra Obrin, ?administrative assistant in CSM, for her commitment to the betterment of CSU Pueblo over the last 16 years, as well as her ability to go beyond what is expected of her. CSM Interim Dean David Lehmpuhl specifically cited her ability to communicate effectively with students, staff, faculty, and community, her use of new problem solving techniques to promote efficiency in the work place, and her continued fulfillment of goals even after undergoing a double knee replacement. Her work studies contend that she has a caring and fun attitude, going out of her way to decorate the office, as well as nurture her student employees.? She also is an outstandingly organized event planner as evidenced by her coordination of the annual Research Symposium.?

The first and second runner-up for the Outstanding Classified Employee Award were Charlatte Cesar , program assistant II in Residence Life and Housing,, and E.J. Armijo, General Labor I, Physical Plant

Students? Choice Awards

Representatives from Associated Students? Government, announced the recipients of the Students? Choice Awards. ASG accepted nominations by students for a faculty and staff member they felt contributed the most to their experiences at CSU-Pueblo. Tanya Baird, interim executive assistant to the provost, earned the top staff honors, while Assistant Music Professor Dr. Zahari Metchkov was the students? choice as the top faculty member.

Faculty Awards

Because of her leadership in online education, the difference she has made in teaching literacy methods to future teachers, her work in reforming our clinical teaching program, and the quality of teaching she exhibits in every class, Sue Pettit, associate professor of teacher education, earned the Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching. ?Nominators described her as an outstanding classroom teacher and thus an exceptional ?teacher of teachers,? Her teaching utilizes student-centered strategies, and she integrates technology in effective and engaging ways in all her courses from the use of wikis and students? phones to interactive white boards. Among her most recent accomplishments, she completely revised the literacy program at CSU-Pueblo utilizing an advisory group of local K-6 literacy teachers and education faculty. Since assuming responsibility for the literacy program, licensure exam scores in literacy have increased and now often exceed the average scores of the national sample. She has led a reform of the way teachers are prepared at CSU-Pueblo as part of a national movement to improve the ?clinical? preparation of teachers and engagement by cooperating teaching in area districts. As a result of this honor, Pettit also will be recognized by the CSU System Board of Governors later this spring.

Two faculty members, Nancy Lucero, assistant professor, Social Work, and Neb Jaksic, professor, Engineering received Faculty Excellence Awards in Scholarship/Creative Activity. ?Jaksic has high standards for scholarship among his engineering students, but practices what he preaches. In the last three years, he was awarded one patent, worked with and inspired colleagues and students in research, and published 14 refereed journal or proceedings papers on research on manufacturing processes, robotics, and engineering education. He also promotes a culture of intellectual exchange and research with colleagues in other departments. Lucero balances her teaching, advising, and service responsibilities with the pursuit of an active research agenda on designing and evaluating the implementation of trauma-informed and culturally-responsive practice models in tribal and urban Indian Child Welfare Services. The research has yielded numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, volume chapters, and national presentations. Her primary interest is identifying the role interpersonal, community, and historical trauma plays in Native caregivers? involvement with child welfare as well as increasing the understanding of the urban American Indian experience.

The 2013 award for Faculty Excellence in Service was presented to a professor who is ?focused on trying to make things better through his actions for CSU-Pueblo and the Pueblo community. Biology Professor Moussa Diawara was honored for years of service to biology department, the College of Science and Math, and more recently, the City of Pueblo and beyond. Diawara has served as chair of the Student Academic Appeals Board for several years and this year extended his expertise in appeals by becoming the first University Grievance Officer, where he facilitated mediation training for campus personnel. He has been an active member of the Pueblo African American Concern Organization for many years, served on the board of the East Side Child Care Center, and shared presentations with a wide range of groups, from the Federal Correctional Facility in Florence to high school students.

The award for Faculty Excellence in Advising/Mentoring was presented to Michael Mincic, for his leadership as an academic advisor to the students in Civil Engineering Technology and Construction Management. Since 2006, he has advised the Associated General Contractors student club, building club status and membership by strengthening the officers? knowledge of shared governance. He advises as many as 50 CET students annually and picked up advisement of 55-60 Construction Management students in 2010. Nominator Sylvester Kalavela says Mincic understands ?a student?s occasional need to vent their frustrations to a sympathetic ear? as well as the ?importance of building confidence and pride in the students? achievements and downfalls.?

The following faculty members were honored as the top faculty member(s) in their respective colleges for the 2012-13 academic year: ?

College of Engineering, Education, and Professional Studies, George Dallam, professor,? Exercise Science, Health Promotion, and Recreation
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kristen Epps, assistant professor, History
Hasan School of Business, Brad Gilbreath, associate professor, Human Resources
College of Science and Mathematics, Helen Caprioglio, associate professor/department?chair, Biology
University Library is Beverly Allen, assistant professor, Archivist

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Outstanding Team Award

The Outstanding Team Award was presented to the Students of Concern Team -- Marjorie Villani ? Committee Chair, Jessica Boynton ? Judicial Affairs, Lt. Bill Brown ? Sheriff?s Office,

Janice De Boer- Counseling Center, Carolyn Daugherty ? Health Center, and Jack Krider ? Housing. Nominator Tamra Axworthy lauded the team for serving as a resource to all members of the CSU-Pueblo Community and an avenue for reporting behavior by students that may cause danger to a student, faculty, or staff member. The team created a convenient website that allows people to easily report issues. Once a student of concern is identified, the team formulates a plan and determines what action(s) may be necessary to assist the student then proceed to follow up with the student to get them the resources to help them. The team?s ?commitment to students, compassion, focus on safety, and availability? makes them noteworthy.?

Six individuals received special notice for the longevity of their service to the University: ?Joe Folda, Athletics, Susan Pena, Custodial Services, and Marta Wallin, Physics, for 25 years; Jim Bowman, External Affairs, and Penny Green, Sociology/Anthropology, for 30 years; and Janet Nichols, Mathematics, for 35 years.

Source: http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/Communications/Media/PressReleases/2013/Pages/4-18-2013.aspx

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

PFT: Revis' return? Bucs-Jets set for Week 1

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In the 1998 NFL draft, Colts General Manager Bill Polian had a decision to make: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? He chose right, and as a result his job in Indianapolis was safe as long Manning was there.

Now Polian is playing a different role, analyzing the draft for ESPN, and he was asked to pick the best quarterback in this year?s draft. Polian?s surprising answer? Oklahoma?s Landry Jones.

Polian said he attended the 2011 Oklahoma-Texas A&M game and watched Jones complete 18/38 passes for 255 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Polian thought Jones compared favorably to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was last year?s No. 8 overall pick and is now the Dolphins? starter.

?He was a good one, and when he had a good supporting cast around him, he was great,? Polian said of Jones. ?I was at the game in Norman where he beat Tannehill head-to-head, in a very, very fierce wind. So this guy has been a winner, he?s got stature, he?s got arm strength ? he can make all the throws. He sees the field quite well, and he?s a natural leader.?

Polian acknowledged that there are concerns about Jones, including his lack of mobility, and he said he doesn?t see a Peyton Manning in this year?s draft. But he thinks if there?s a quarterback who?s going to make an instant impact for an NFL team in 2013, it?s Jones.

?I don?t think anybody in this group is going to be able to step in right away and lead the team, but if you ask me, who?s the guy who?s most ready, and who?s the guy who?s had the most winning experience, it would be Landry Jones,? Polian said.

From all indications, Polian?s view is a minority opinion ? most people think Geno Smith of West Virginia, E.J. Manuel of Florida State, Matt Barkley of USC and Ryan Nassib of Syracuse are all better prospects than Jones.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/18/return-of-revis-bucs-at-jets-set-for-week-one/related/

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'Transformers' plans casting call on Chinese TV

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Reality television in China will help cast the next "Transformers" flick.

Backers of the fourth installment in the blockbuster franchise say four people will win roles through the "'Transformers 4' Chinese Actors Talent Search Reality Show."

The televised series will begin airing in June and will be open to professionals and amateurs. Two of the "Transformers" roles will go to professional Chinese actors and two will go to people with no acting experience.

The judges include "Transformers" producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Sid Ganis, former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president. He now heads Jiaflix Enterprises, which helped broker a production-assistance deal for the film between Paramount Pictures and China Movie Channel.

Starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Michael Bay, "Transformers 4" is due in theaters in June 2014.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/transformers-plans-casting-call-chinese-tv-143836515.html

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Dwayne Johnson Talks G.I. Joe 3

g-i-joe-3-dwayne-johnson

Though 2009?s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a sizeable success at the box office, Paramount decided to retool their approach to the franchise with this year?s sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation.? The studio?s secret weapon for the follow-up was Dwayne Johnson, who has quickly become a kind of ?human steroid injection? for film franchises in need of a punch-up (see also: Fast Five and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island).? Johnson took the lead this time around as Roadblock, and the result was an impressive $40.5 million opening weekend with a worldwide total currently sits at a little over $270 million.? Understandably, Paramount officially greenlit yet another G.I.?Joe?sequel mere days after?Retaliation opened in theaters.

Steve recently spoke with Johnson in anticipation of Michael Bay?s upcoming black comedy Pain & Gain, and the actor talked briefly about the preliminary plans for G.I. Joe 3.? Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

dwayne-johnson-g-i-joe-3-sequel During their interview, Steve asked Johnson if he?s already thinking about what he?d like to see in a G.I. Joe?sequel, and it sounds like they?ve hit the ground running with regards to the development process on G.I. Joe 3:

?What we would love to do with the sequel to G.I. Joe, which will definitely happen?we set ourselves up nicely with this past G.I. Joe because we really paid attention with respected homage to the mythology.? And now that we?ve redesigned that foundation of the mythology, there are many places to go.? There are phenomenal G.I. Joe characters who we can bring to life, we?re all talking about it now, and certainly [thinking about] using the 3D platform in even better ways for the next one, so, I?m very excited about that.?

Again, it?s very early stages on G.I. Joe 3 (a director hasn?t even been announced), but it definitely sounds like Johnson is integral to the planning process on the next film.? Look for Steve?s full interview with Johnson closer to the release of Pain & Gain, and click here if you missed what Johnson had to say about?Fast & Furious 7.

dwayne-johnson-g-i-joe-3

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927266/news/1927266/

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Self-Defense ? Stun Gun Information | Jackie's Women's Interest ...

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Here is some valuable information that you should know about stun guns; about how they work, how effective they are, and other tidbits that are valuable to know. This information could help you decide about whether or not to buy one. Read on to learn more.

Source:Self-Defense ? Stun Gun Information

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Love at first sniff: Male moths go by first impressions

Public release date: 16-Apr-2013
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Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside

UC Riverside entomologists focus on moth pheromones to explain high proportion of hybrid moths in nature

RIVERSIDE, Calif. An international team of researchers, including an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside, has an explanation for why we see so many hybrid moths in nature. The team closely examined the behavior and the olfactory circuitry of male moths and found an answer in female-produced pheromones chemicals generally consisting of a blend of two to several derivatives of fatty acids.

Male moths use pheromones to find females. To avoid mating with the wrong moth species, the pheromone blends are specific for each moth species, with only males of the same species "understanding" these volatile messages a result shown many times during the last 40 years of research on moth pheromones. The researchers focused on the European corn borer, a moth species in which males often mate with females from a different strain.

Strains are variants, forms of the same species. While two different species cannot mate with each other, strains, being from the same species, can.

To understand the mating behavior of the European corn borer, first, the researchers followed the flights of males to female pheromones in a wind tunnel. Each strain of the European corn borer uses a blend of pheromone components in a very specific ratio. But to their surprise, the researchers found that as the male moth flies upwind along the pheromone plume, its olfactory circuitry loses the ability to measure this ratio.

"This happens because receptors in the moth brain for each pheromone component have differential rates of sensory adaptation and each type of receptor begins to fire at a different rate, causing the input into the moth's brain to change as the moth flies along the plume," explained Teun Dekker, a former UCR graduate student and now an associate professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and a coauthor on the study. "To overcome this mismatch, moths rely on the ratio they detected in their first encounter with the plume."

According to the researchers, this "mental short cut" is needed for male moths to continue their orientation along the plumes which, from a sensory input viewpoint, seem to be changing in pheromone component ratio.

"Once male moths lock onto a pheromone plume, they are much less attuned to blend quality," Dekker said. "In other words, males fly even to blends that were initially unattractive, and so can mate with females of different strains that they would not have approached otherwise, explaining why we find hybrid moths in nature."

Study results appeared online April 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Experimental details

The researchers conducted a series of behavioral experiments with overlapping pheromone plumes as well as plumes that sharply transitioned from one blend to another in a wind tunnel at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. They chose the European corn borer moth to study for its narrow tuning to a binary blend of female-produced 14-carbon-chainlength acetates, called here Z11 and E11 for simplicity. Two strains exist, the Z and E strains, which produce and prefer blends of differing ratios of the Z11 to E11 pheromone components.

The researchers installed pheromone lures of each strain in the wind tunnel, as well as an intermediate, hybrid lure. Next they exposed males to the partially overlapping pheromone plumes released by these lures, thus mimicking plumes occurring in nature when a large number of moths are present.

They found that males were initially attracted to lures releasing pheromones produced by females of their own strain. But after taking flight, the males "relax their specificity," that is, they are less particular about which lures they fly to. For example, in a choice between three partially overlapping pheromone sources in one experiment, 58 percent, 38 percent and 4 percent of Z-strain males landed on Z, H and E lures, respectively.

"What we generally recognize as a distinctive smell the scent of a flower or the aroma of coffee typically consists of a mixture of many different chemicals," said study coauthor Ring Card, a distinguished professor of entomology who holds the Alfred M. Boyce Chair in the UCR Department of Entomology. "This is the signature of a particular bouquet the presence of a blend of many chemicals often in specific ratios. Our work suggests that it could be the first impression the first whiff of odor that determines the ability of an insect to recognize that odor mixture."

Next, the researchers will examine if a response specific to odor blends is altered in other moth species and organisms such as mosquitoes after their first encounter with an odor mixture.

Zsolt Krpti at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Marco Tasin at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences also contributed to the study. Dekker worked in Card's lab, graduating from UCR with a doctoral degree in 2002.

Card, who spent three months in 2011 in Sweden to conduct the research, was supported by a grant from the Swedish Royal Academy of Natural Sciences, Medicine and Technology.

###

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.

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

Love at first sniff: Male moths go by first impressions

Public release date: 16-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside

UC Riverside entomologists focus on moth pheromones to explain high proportion of hybrid moths in nature

Strains are variants, forms of the same species. While two different species cannot mate with each other, strains, being from the same species, can.

Study results appeared online April 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Experimental details

Next, the researchers will examine if a response specific to odor blends is altered in other moth species and organisms such as mosquitoes after their first encounter with an odor mixture.

Card, who spent three months in 2011 in Sweden to conduct the research, was supported by a grant from the Swedish Royal Academy of Natural Sciences, Medicine and Technology.

###

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoc--laf041613.php

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Boston bombs said to be made from pressure cookers

A solitary runner heads down the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass., in front of the Boston skyline, at dawn the morning after explosions killed three and injured more than 140 at the Boston Marathon, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. The bombs that blew up seconds apart at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races left the streets spattered with blood and glass, and gaping questions of who chose to attack at the Boston Marathon and why. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A runner passes a police officer dressed in tactical gear, who blocks a road leading to the Boston Marathon route, the morning after explosions killed three and injured more than 140 in Boston, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. The bombs that blew up seconds apart at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races left the streets spattered with blood and glass, and gaping questions of who chose to attack at the Boston Marathon and why. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Neighbors hug outside the home of the Richard family in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Martin Richard, 8, was killed in Mondays bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Police officers react to a second explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/The Boston Globe, John Tlumacki)

A Boston police officer wheels in injured boy down Boylston Street as medical workers carry an injured runner following an explosion during the 2013 Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. Two explosions shattered the euphoria at the marathon's finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON (AP) ? The bombs that ripped through the crowd at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and wounding more than 170, were fashioned out of pressure cookers and packed with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings to inflict maximum carnage, a person briefed on the investigation said Tuesday.

The details on the apparently crude but deadly explosives emerged as investigators appealed to the public for amateur video and photos that might yield clues. The chief FBI agent in Boston vowed "we will go to the ends of the Earth" to find those responsible.

A person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still going on said the explosives were put in 6-liter kitchen pressure cookers, hidden in black duffel bags and left on the ground. They were packed with shrapnel, the person said.

The person said law enforcement officials have some of the bomb components but do not yet know what was used to set off the explosives.

A doctor treating the wounded appeared to corroborate the person's account, saying one of the victims was maimed by what looked like ball bearings or BBs. Doctors also said they removed a host of sharp objects from the victims, including nails that were sticking out of one little girl's body.

At the White House, meanwhile, President Barack Obama said that the bombings were an act of terrorism but that investigators do not know if they were carried out by an international organization, a domestic group or a "malevolent individual."

He added: "The American people refuse to be terrorized."

Across the U.S., from Washington to Los Angeles, police stepped up security, monitoring landmarks, government buildings, transit hubs and sporting events. Security was especially tight in Boston, with bomb-sniffing dogs checking Amtrak passengers' luggage at South Station and transit police patrolling with rifles.

"They can give me a cavity search right now and I'd be perfectly happy," said Daniel Wood, a video producer from New York City who was waiting for a train.

Similar pressure-cooker explosives have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a July 2010 intelligence report by the FBI and Homeland Security. Also, one of the three devices used in the May 2010 Times Square attempted bombing was a pressure cooker, the report said.

"Placed carefully, such devices provide little or no indication of an impending attack," the report said.

The Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the 2010 attempt in Times Square, has denied any role in the Boston Marathon attack.

The two bombs blew up about 10 seconds and around 100 yards apart Monday near the finish line of the 26.2-mile race, tearing off limbs, knocking people off their feet and leaving the streets stained with blood and strewn with broken glass. The dead included an 8-year-old boy.

"We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated," said Roupen Bastajian, a state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., who had just finished the race when he heard the explosions.

Federal investigators said no one had claimed responsibility for the bombings, which took place at the world's best-known distance race, held every year on one of Boston's biggest holidays, Patriots' Day.

"We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime, and we will do everything we can to bring them to justice," said Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston.

He said investigators had received "voluminous tips" and were interviewing witnesses and analyzing the crime scene.

Gov. Deval Patrick said that contrary to earlier reports, no unexploded bombs were found.

FBI agents searched an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere overnight, and investigators were seen leaving with brown paper bags, plastic trash bags and a duffel bag. But it was unclear whether the tenant had anything to do with the attack.

A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details of the investigation said the man had been tackled by a bystander, then police, as he ran from the scene of the explosions.

But the official said it is possible the man was simply running away to protect himself from the blast, as many others did.

At a news conference, police and federal agents repeatedly appealed for any video, audio and photos taken by marathon spectators, even images that people might not think are significant.

"There has to be hundreds, if not thousands, of photos and videos" that might help investigators, state police Col. Timothy Alben said.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said investigators also gathered a large number of surveillance tapes from businesses in the area and intend to go through the videos frame by frame.

"This is probably one of the most photographed areas in the country yesterday," he said.

At least 17 people were critically injured, police said. At least eight children were being treated at hospitals. In addition to losing limbs, victims suffered broken bones, shrapnel wounds and ruptured eardrums.

Dr. Stephen Epstein of the emergency medicine department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said he saw an X-ray of one victim's leg that had "what appears to be small, uniform, round objects throughout it ? similar in the appearance to BBs."

Eight-year-old Martin Richard was among the dead, said U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a family friend. The boy's mother, Denise, and 6-year-old sister, Jane, were badly injured. His brother and father were also watching the race but were not hurt.

A candle burned on the stoop of the family's single-family home in the city's Dorchester section Tuesday, and the word "Peace" was written in chalk on the front walk.

Neighbor Betty Delorey said Martin loved to climb neighborhood trees and hop the fence outside his home.

About 23,000 runners participated in this year's Boston Marathon. Nearly two-thirds of them had crossed the finish line by the time the bombs exploded, but thousands more were still completing the course.

The attack may have been timed for maximum bloodshed: The four-hour mark is typically a crowded time near the finish line because of the slow-but-steady recreational runners completing the race and because of all the friends and relatives clustered around to cheer them on.

Davis, the police commissioner, said authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen" at the race. On Tuesday, he said that two security sweeps of the route had been conducted beforehand.

Patriots' Day commemorates the opening shots of the American Revolution, at Concord and Lexington in 1775.

Richard Barrett, the former U.N. coordinator for an al-Qaida and Taliban monitoring team who has also worked for British intelligence, said the relatively small size of the devices in Boston and the timing of the blasts suggest a domestic attack rather than an al-Qaida-inspired one.

"This happened on Patriots' Day ? it is also the day Americans are supposed to have their taxes in ? and Boston is quite a symbolic city," said Barrett, now senior director at the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies.

___

Eileen Sullivan contributed to this story from Washington. Associated Press writers Jay Lindsay, Denise Lavoie, Steve LeBlanc, Bridget Murphy, Rodrique Ngowi and Meghan Barr in Boston; Julie Pace and Lara Jakes in Washington; Paisley Dodds in London and Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee also contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-16-Boston%20Marathon-Explosions/id-03be76c71e1a489685ab46cf5b4ea957

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

UC Riverside entomologists focus on moth pheromones to explain high proportion of hybrid moths in nature

UC Riverside entomologists focus on moth pheromones to explain high proportion of hybrid moths in nature