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Monday, March 18, 2013
An iPhone in Different Colors Looks Fantastically Fun
Hagel, Karzai seek deal on detainees within 1 week (The Arizona Republic)
Sunday, March 17, 2013
U.S. House Democrat wants lethal aid for Syria rebels
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The senior Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee is pushing President Barack Obama's administration to train and arm some Syrian rebels, in addition to providing humanitarian assistance.
Representative Eliot Engel will introduce a bill on Monday that would authorize Washington to provide assistance "including limited lethal equipment" to carefully vetted members of the Syrian opposition, aides and activists aware of Engel's plans said on Sunday.
Washington has pledged non-lethal aid to Syria's rebels, but Obama has so far refused to give them arms, arguing that it is difficult to prevent the weapons from falling into the hands of militants who could use them against Western targets.
The push by Engel, a New York Democrat, which comes days before Obama is due to visit the Middle East, could strengthen the resolve of some U.S. legislators to do more to end the bloodshed in Syria.
A handful of Republican legislators, including Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio, have been pressing for various forms of U.S. military aid to the rebels.
The European Union also has been debating what aid is appropriate for the Syrian opposition. Other EU governments rebuffed efforts by France and Britain on Friday to lift an arms embargo to help opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, although they asked foreign ministers to discuss it again this week.
Engel sent a "Dear Colleague" letter on Friday to members of the foreign affairs committee seeking support for the bill and citing the estimated 70,000 Syrians who have died, 1 million refugees and 2.5 million people internally displaced since the rebellion against Assad began two years ago.
"It is time for us to develop a comprehensive approach to stopping the carnage," Engel said in the letter.
Although he acknowledged there are risks to arming the rebels, Engel said providing military aid to Syria's opposition would bring the humanitarian disaster to an end and help ensure that the United States has a constructive relationship with Syria's new government after the end of Assad's rule.
Engel's legislation would also authorize the administration to increase humanitarian assistance to Syrians affected by the two-year-long civil war and begin planning for the country's future after Assad.
Backing the Syrian opposition is increasingly seen as the only leverage that foreign powers have in trying to support the uprising against Assad.
(Editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-house-democrat-wants-lethal-aid-syria-rebels-231126785.html
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Phoenix-bound dog ends up on flight to Ireland
PHOENIX (AP) ? An English Springer Spaniel named Hendrix ended up taking a serious detour on his way from New Jersey to Phoenix this week.
He ended up in Ireland after being put on the wrong flight.
United Airlines spokeswoman Megan McCarthy says the 6-year-old dog was traveling in cargo Thursday when the mix-up happened. When the error was realized, she says the airline took immediate steps to get Hendrix back to his owner.
Phoenix television station KNXV reports (http://bit.ly/YyMVte ) that the first word owner Meredith Grant got about the mix-up was in a phone call from the airline before Hendrix's original flight was supposed to land in Phoenix.
Grant says she felt like someone punched her in the stomach after finding out her dog had been sent overseas.
Hendrix was returned, and the airline apologized and offered a full refund.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/phoenix-bound-dog-ends-flight-ireland-191315087.html
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Saturday, March 16, 2013
Community stepping up to help hundreds of animals after pet shop ...
It?s been a chaotic 24-hours for staff at Indianapolis Animal Care and Control. Nearly 400 animals have taken over the facility after the pet shop they were living in was raided Thursday.
Bill Houston, the owner of the Fish Bowl Pet Shop, is facing 581 violations and is set to make his first court appearance next week.
?It?s kind of like what we consider a hoarder,? said Marcus Brown, Deputy Chief of Enforcement Operations for Indianapolis Animal Care and Control.
IACC employees have been working hard bringing all the animals back to health, but it?s added more work on top of their daily routine.
?It?s really put a burden on us as far as capacity,? said Brown. ?It?s put a little more stress on our employees.?
A small alligator is the new guest now living in Brown?s office. Two 12-week-old puppies are also spending the night at a staff member?s home.
Employees stayed up late Thursday night cleaning cages and aquariums of lizards, snakes, hamsters, mice and birds. One of the two cockatoos was found with untrimmed nails.
?His claws were so overgrown, they had actually curled back into his skin,? said Brown.
Petco stopped by to donate food, cages, aquariums and more supplies Friday afternoon. Brown said the facility could always use more.
?If your tanks are lying around empty, you don?t want them and you can?t sell them, bring them in to us,? said Brown.
Brown is still concerned about the health of dozens of lizards. A reptile expert is coming in next Monday to check on dozens that look underweight. Brown found one aquarium that housed nearly 60 lizards alone ? six of them were dead inside.
?I would think that someone with 45 years of being open would know better,? said Brown.
IACC will be taking care of all the animals until a judge makes a decision next week.
Source: http://fox59.com/2013/03/15/community-stepping-up-to-help-hundreds-of-animals-after-pet-shop-raid/
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Google's Schmidt to visit Myanmar, an untapped telecoms market
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) - Google Inc Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, who visited North Korea in January, will become the first high-profile tech company executive to visit Myanmar in the wake of reforms that prompted Western nations to ease sanctions following decades of military dictatorship.
The visit next week to Myanmar, where Schmidt will speak at a technology and communications park and meet with government officials, is just one stop in a multi-country Asian tour to promote Internet access, according to Google.
Since Myanmar's military stepped aside and a quasi-civilian government was installed in 2011, setting off a wave of political and economic reforms, the country has enjoyed a surge of interest from overseas businesses.
The former Burma is the last virgin territory for businesses in Asia, with untapped markets including the telecoms sector: mobile penetration in the country of 60 million is estimated to be a meager 5-10 percent.
Unlike Schmidt's controversial visit to Pyongyang, in which Google described as a "personal" trip, the visit to Myanmar falls within his mandate as executive chairman, which involves government outreach, thought leadership and building partnerships and business relationships, the company said.
But Schmidt, who was Google's chief executive from 2001 to 2011, is becoming more visible on issues involving technology and world affairs.
His book, "The New Digital Age", due to hit bookshelves in April, was co-authored with Google Ideas chief Jared Cohen, who had previously worked at the U.S. State Department.
According to an early review in The Wall Street Journal, the authors criticize China for being an enthusiastic "filterer of information" and a "prolific" hacker of foreign companies. During Schmidt's tenure as Google's chief, the company famously pulled out of China after a dispute over censorship and hacking.
"Eric (Schmidt) is visiting several countries in Asia to connect with local partners and Googlers who are working to improve the lives of many millions of people across the region by helping them get online and access the world's information for the first time in the next few years," Google said in a statement. His trip also includes India.
In November, Schmidt visited Seoul, Taipei and Beijing.
WHISTLE-STOP
The Myanmar trip will be Schmidt's second visit this year to a country off the beaten track. In January he went to North Korea, saying it was a personal trip to talk about a free and open Internet.
Schmidt is due to give a speech at the Myanmar Information and Communication Technology Park in Yangon on March 22, before making his way to the capital, Naypyitaw, to meet senior government officials, said Zaw Min Oo, secretary general of the Myanmar Computer Society.
"There will be an audience of about 400, comprising entrepreneurs, executive committee members of the computer association and young leaders," Zaw Min Oo told Reuters, referring to the speech.
Myanmar's planned modernization of telecoms infrastructure and expected boom in mobile phone usage will pave the way for the entry of companies such as Google, which could profit greatly through sales of cheap smartphones built around its Android platform.
In February the U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license for four of Myanmar's biggest banks, two of which are owned by tycoons associated with the former junta, before a visit by 50 U.S. executives that month to explore opportunities.
The delegation, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and including Cisco Systems Inc, Google, Hewlett-Packard Co, Intel Corp, and Microsoft Corp, visited Myanmar to look into projects to boost access to the Internet, strengthen transparent government and expand digital literacy, according to a USAID statement.
Many leading firms in Myanmar are still largely controlled by businessmen subject to sanctions, but Western companies are starting to move in after the implementation of a new foreign investment law.
Myanmar is offering two operating licenses for companies to build new telecoms infrastructure.
MTN Group, Africa's largest mobile phone company, which is bidding for a license, has said around 90 companies have expressed interest.
(Additional reporting by Jeremy Wagstaff in Singapore and Alexei Oreskovic in San Francisco; Writing by Paul Carsten in Bangkok; Editing by Alan Raybould, Pravin Char and Richard Chang)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/googles-schmidt-visit-myanmar-untapped-telecoms-market-125829184--finance.html
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Vote For the Best Food and Drink in Dallas Beginning Monday ...
Vote For the Best Food and Drink in Dallas Beginning Monday, March 18
Round two of this year?s Best of Big D Readers? Choice voting gets started on Monday. This time we?re asking for your favorite spots for dining and imbibing in North Texas.
As before, you?ll be able to vote once per day on your desktop, laptop, or mobile internet-connected device. Unfortunately, we no longer support ballots sent via carrier pigeon.
Votes can be cast over a two-week period, ending March 31. Yes, on Easter Sunday we?ll expect you to break away from your family?s annual picnic and egg hunt to spend a few minutes deciding who makes the best French fries in town.
We?ve added new categories this year (Food trucks! ?Fried chicken!), so there?s plenty more to make you hungry as your peruse our nominees.
Jump for a full list of the survey questions (after you set a daily reminder on your calendar to vote, of course.)
- 1. Who makes the best burger?
- 2. Who serves the best hot dog?
- 3. What is the best pizza place?
- 4. Who serves the best fried chicken?
- 5. Where is the best patio dining?
- 6. Who is the best chocolatier?
- 7. What is the best bakery for sweets?
- 8. What is the best bakery for bread?
- 9. What is the best barbecue joint?
- 10. Who makes the best breakfast?
- 11. Who makes the best brunch?
- 12. What?s the best gourmet shop?
- 13. What is the best butcher shop?
- 14. What is the best cheese shop?
- 15. Who is the best chef?
- 16. What is the best Chinese restaurant?
- 17. Who?s got the best ice cream/gelato?
- 18. Who has the best coffee?
- 19. What is the best fish market?
- 20. What is the best French restaurant?
- 21. What is the best Italian restaurant?
- 22. Who makes the best French fries?
- 23. What is the best Indian restaurant?
- 24. What is the best sandwich shop?
- 25. What is the best Tex-Mex restaurant?
- 26. What is the best restaurant for regional Mexican cuisine?
- 27. Who makes the best margarita?
- 28. What is the best taco joint?
- 29. What is the best seafood restaurant?
- 30. What is the best steakhouse?
- 31. What is the best sushi restaurant?
- 32. What is the best Vietnamese restaurant?
- 33. What is the best Thai restaurant?
- 34. What is the most family-friendly restaurant?
- 35. What is the best brewery?
- 36. What is the best wine bar?
- 37. What is the best wine shop?
- 38. What is the best dessert?
- 39. What is the best vegetarian-friendly restaurant?
- 40. What?s the best food truck?
?
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Protecting the Submarine Cables That Wire Our World
On March 11, 2011, Andy Palmer-Felgate was on his way to work in England when he first heard the news. A major earthquake and tsunami, and a subsequent nuclear meltdown, had hit Japan. As the country struggled to recover after Fukushima, he knew it was time for him to get to work on a problem that probably wasn't in the news.
When you send an email, a small collection of bits containing your message travels from a local server to a high-speed fiber-optic cable. These fibers, strands of glass that carry a waveform of light, move data at speeds up to 100 Gbps. One undersea cable might have hundreds of wavelengths per strand and several fibers. A submarine cable is about 0.75 to 2.5 inches in diameter, or about the thickness of three ordinary garden hoses. The longest cable, called the Southern Cross, runs under the Pacific, stretching 18,500 miles.
Redundancy is another reason the seafloor cable-building craze continues. On Valentine's Day, according to Internet monitoring company Renesys, a fire in Alexandria, Egypt, severed six of the submarine cables on the coast. There was a widespread Internet outage in several East African countries, including Kenya.
The real problem with undersea cables and infrastructure security is not that cables break and need to be repaired. Most of the experts said natural disasters will continue to break undersea cables and ships will drop anchor in the wrong places. Instead, Blum says, the real issue has to do with a lack of diversity on the Internet.
Palmer-Felgate is a Verizon project manager who engineers and directs submarine-cable repairs all over the world, on about 80 cables leased or owned by Verizon. In the midst of the damage and devastation, the submarine cables lying along the ocean floor, which carried voice and Internet communications into and out of Japan, had also been severed.
After Fukushima, Palmer-Felgate helped direct the cable companies and engineers to pinpoint the location of the breaks by sending a pulse from a landing station on the coast and measuring the distance to the fault. His team piloted undersea remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) to find the broken links; the operators then located, lifted, and rejoined the cables. Then they sent ROVs to blast jets of water to make a new trench to bury the cable. It took several weeks to restore the country's full connectivity, he says.
"The Japan earthquake caused a whole series of underwater landslides," he says. "At least seven of our cables were buried over by several kilometers of sediment."
Today there are over 200 submarine cables buried in the ocean worldwide, creating the backbone of the 21st-century world economy. In 2013 wireless carriers and dedicated cable installation companies will lay another 12 lines to connect even more countries. (For example, the small island country of Tonga is getting one this year.) The longest cables, stretching thousands of miles under the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, run at fantastic speeds: The total bandwidth stretching under the Atlantic runs at an amazing 19 terabits per second.
The burning question: What happens when they break, and what can we do about it?
Building Cables
When you send an email, a small collection of bits containing your message travels from a local server to a high-speed fiber-optic cable. These fibers, strands of glass that carry a waveform of light, move data at speeds up to 100 Gbps. One undersea cable might have hundreds of wavelengths per strand and several fibers. A submarine cable is about 0.75 to 2.5 inches in diameter, or about the thickness of three ordinary garden hoses. The longest cable, called the Southern Cross, runs under the Pacific, stretching 18,500 miles.
Most cables take several weeks to install. Surveyors must work with local fisherman, carriers, survey teams, and a number of private companies to determine the best route along the ocean floor, avoiding deep caverns and potential hazards. It takes a day to lay 80 to 90 miles of cable. In shallower waters near the shore, where there's more to go wrong, operators lay just 8 to 9 miles of cable a day.
The world's undersea cables. Via Telegeography.
Palmer-Felgate says the first step is to dig a trench near the shore, usually about 3 to 9 feet deep, using a huge plow dragged behind a 100-to-200-foot cable ship. The ship feeds the cable into the trench just behind the plow; sediment falls over the cable to protect it. ROVs then fire jets of water to blow more sediment to fill over the newly installed cable. (In much deeper waters, where there is less risk to the cable, engineers lay it directly on the seabed.)
Andrew Blum, the author of the book Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet, says that with each new installation, the world becomes more connected. African countries such as Nigeria and Cameroon are the center of a lot of current construction. With data speeds approaching 100 Gbps per fiber-optic strand (10,000 times faster than a 10-Mbps line to your home or workplace), it's no wonder there is an ongoing effort to link the world by submarine cable.
Breaks Happen
Redundancy is another reason the seafloor cable-building craze continues. On Valentine's Day, according to Internet monitoring company Renesys, a fire in Alexandria, Egypt, severed six of the submarine cables on the coast. There was a widespread Internet outage in several East African countries, including Kenya.
"That was a reminder, when the Kenyan cable went down, that you really need two or three?that one [cable] is not enough to build an economy," Blum says. "It made everyone nervous because the cables were too close together?there is a greater risk."
Breaks occur most often when a ship drops anchor near a submarine cable, snags the cable, and ruptures it. (Ships use maps that show the cable lines, but sometimes ignore them or forget.) Anchors cause about 70 percent of all breaks, Palmer-Felgate says. Another 10 percent come from fishermen who are unaware they're dragging up more than just tuna. Natural disasters can also cause major breakages, such as what happened in Japan.
What hasn't happened yet, according to the firm TeleGeography, is a terrorist attack?though given their status as crucial infrastructure, the cables would be tempting targets. Blum says the cables are designed for redundancy, especially in areas like L.A. and New York City, where there might be 10 lines running into multiple landing stations.
"Cutting submarine cables is as hard as cutting off all air traffic to New York," Blum says. "To cut off New York, you'd have to cut at least 10 cables. There is still a possibility to bring traffic in around Asia and Europe. You could isolate a place like Australia or a Pacific island. If you succeed in cutting five cables, you'd be perceived as cutting off the global economy. Unless you were fully successful, you'd have negligible impact." Palmer-Felgate says companies like Verizon install multiple submarine cables and automatically reroute web traffic when a break occurs.
Although there have not been attacks, these cables are at the center of national security disputes. For example, the proposed $300 million trans-Atlantic Hibernian Express project is delayed because of rising cybersecurity tensions between China and the U.S.
Diversify, Diversify, Diversify
The real problem with undersea cables and infrastructure security is not that cables break and need to be repaired. Most of the experts said natural disasters will continue to break undersea cables and ships will drop anchor in the wrong places. Instead, Blum says, the real issue has to do with a lack of diversity on the Internet.
"There is no doubt [that] as more and more things connect to the Internet, everything becomes the Internet," Blum says. "The best way to embrace the health and safety of the Internet is to embrace the ?inter'?to embrace this network of networks. The more networks there are, the more robust it is. The greatest risk is any single network getting too large. It is the Googles and the Verizons and the Comcasts that are the greatest risk to the Internet," he says, because having so few companies in control means you lose checks and balances.
The Internet should not be viewed as a single holistic thing. It is a place with great diversity, with many different ideas and people groups. The diversity is what ensures safety and redundancy, he says. The more a network spreads out, like a contagion that crosses geographic boundaries, the more powerful it becomes. That's ultimately the goal: more lines and more companies involved.
As for Palmer-Felgate, there is no question his team will keep repairing undersea cables. In the U.S. there might only be one fault per year, but in other countries, say, off the eastern coast of China in winter, there may be one cable break per week. In a world wrapped by 1000-mile fiber strands, breaks are a way of life.
"Engineers are constantly working to improve the armoring of cables, improve the routing of cables to avoid fault-prone areas, and bury cables more," says Alan Mauldin, a researcher at TeleGeography. "I am not sure you can ever engineer something that is 100 percent reliable, but cables are very reliable if you consider the harsh environments in which they operate."
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Monday, March 11, 2013
See Justin Timberlake's Best 'SNL' Moments!
For his fifth time hosting Saturday Night Live, Justin Timberlake pulled out all the stops, including loads of guest stars, tuxedo-clad dancers, and a full orchestra. He even brought along his feud with Kanye West! The episode garnered SNL's biggest audience in over a year, but just in case you missed it, watch the highlights (and that Kanye diss) below!
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Is Everybody Leaving 'The View'?
On Friday, we learned that Joy Behar is leaving The View, which is a big deal, considering she's been co-hosting the show for over 16 years. Over the weekend, however, the plot has thickened -- and rumor has it that Elisabeth Hasselbeck is leaving too, possibly followed by (gasp!) Barbara Walters herself. What is going on over there?
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
Creighton beats Wichita St 68-65, wins MVC tourney
Creighton's Doug McDermott (3) drives around Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in St. Louis. McDermott, who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, scored 14 points as Creighton won 68-65.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Creighton's Doug McDermott (3) drives around Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in St. Louis. McDermott, who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, scored 14 points as Creighton won 68-65.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Doug McDermott, center, and several players from Creighton pose for a photo after beating Wichita State 68-65 for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship, in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, March 10, 2013 in St. Louis. McDermott was named tournament Most Valuable Player.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Wichita State's Nick Wiggins (15) brings the ball upcourt against Creighton in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Wichita State's Malcolm Armstead (2) shoots as Creighton's Gregory Echenique (00) defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) collides with Creighton's Grant Gibbs (10) as he elevates for the shot in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament Sunday March 10, 2013 in St. Louis.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)
ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Creighton repeated as Missouri Valley Conference tournament champion without much production from its star.
"I didn't have my best game, but my teammates stepped up and it feels great," said Valley player of the year and tournament MVP Doug McDermott, who missed six of his first seven shots in a 68-65 victory over Wichita State on Sunday. "It couldn't get much better than this."
Jahenns Manigat scored a season-best 16 points and hit a layup with 11.5 seconds to go that gave top-seeded Creighton just enough. Reserve Ethan Wragge made five 3-pointers for 15 points while McDermott, who averages 23 points, was held to 14 on 5-for-14 shooting.
"Once I knocked one down, I went for two and then kept on going," Wragge said. "This is what our team has been about all year. If they are going to take away our first or second option, then we've got a third or fourth option and we can all step up."
Manigat said his clutch layup "brings you back to the playground when you're a kid just playing for the love of the game."
Malcolm Armstead scored a season-high 28 points with nine rebounds for second-seeded Wichita State (26-8). But he missed a potential tying 3-pointer just before the buzzer while well-guarded by McDermott.
"He was dynamite," coach Gregg Marshall said of Armstead, a transfer from Oregon playing just his senior season at Wichita State. "He carried us in a lot of ways."
While the Bluejays (27-7) locked up an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, Wichita State appears to be in good shape to get an at-large berth. The Shockers entered the day with an RPI of 36, four spots behind Creighton.
"We've just got to stay positive," senior forward Carl Hall said. "It's a new season coming up in like a week and a half."
Creighton coach Greg McDermott, father of the team's All-America forward, said he "thought we were going anyway."
"But it's nice to see your name flashed across the screen all week long," Greg McDermott said. "For our team to win three games in three days with all we've been through and the expectations that have been placed upon us this year, I'm really proud of them."
Doug McDermott was still honored as the tournament MVP. He scored 41 points eight days earlier in Creighton's regular-season title clinching victory over the Shockers.
Wichita State shot just 34 percent and has dropped three of five. Cleanthony Early, who averages 14 points off the bench, was held to two.
Wichita State trailed by 13 with just over 5 minutes to go. The Shockers shaved the deficit to a point with a 10-0 run capped by Armstead's fourth 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining. Manigat's layup put the Bluejays back up by three.
"To me, it felt more like Muhammad Ali out there boxing," said reserve Ron Baker, who made a late 3-pointer to help close the gap. "We were on the ropes and we fought back, we just came up one play short."
Creighton was 11 for 24 from 3-point range without its best long-range threat making his shots. McDermott, now tied with Wragge for the team lead with 74 this season, was 0 for 3.
The Bluejays have won 12 MVC tournament championships, seven more than any other school, and won in consecutive years for the first time since 2002-03. Wichita State has not won the title since 1987.
Armstead scored 15 points in the semifinals against Illinois State after totaling 15 points his previous three games.
Creighton missed its first eight shots and Wichita State its first nine, and the teams were a combined 2 for 25 before settling down. Doug McDermott picked up two fouls in the first half that limited him to 13 minutes.
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Set clocks ahead for daylight saving time
Clocks hang on a wall in Hands of Time, a clock store and repair shop in Savage, Md., Friday, March 8, 2013. It's the weekend to spring ahead for daylight saving time. Officially, the change starts Sunday at 2 a.m., and most Americans will get an hour less sleep but will gain an hour more of evening sunlight in the coming months. Not every place makes the switch. The exceptions are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Clocks hang on a wall in Hands of Time, a clock store and repair shop in Savage, Md., Friday, March 8, 2013. It's the weekend to spring ahead for daylight saving time. Officially, the change starts Sunday at 2 a.m., and most Americans will get an hour less sleep but will gain an hour more of evening sunlight in the coming months. Not every place makes the switch. The exceptions are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Spring must be around the corner. It's time to set the clocks forward for daylight saving time.
At 2 a.m. local time Sunday, daylight saving time arrives with the promise of many months ahead with an extra hour of evening light.
You lose an hour of sleep, but make sure to turn the clock ahead ? spring forward ? before heading to bed Saturday night to avoid the panic of a late rise.
It's also a good time to put new batteries in warning devices such as smoke detectors and hazard warning radios.
Some places don't observe daylight saving time. Those include Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 3.
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OpenPool transforms billiards with a Kinect camera controlled light show
How to make a pool table an attention-grabber on a showroom floor full of highly explosive video games? Try a couple of Kinect cameras, some projectors and a sound system. OpenPool's an open-source project that's looking to bring a little multimedia action to the world of billiards. The company had some reps on the floor of SXSW's Game Expo today, showing off the system, which, at the very least, is most probably unlikely any pool game you've played.
The system uses two Kinect cameras to detect ball movement, which in turn directs the motion of the projectors -- not entirely unlike those floor shows in malls that seem to endlessly fascinate small children. The speakers play sound effects and music in sync with the movement as well, signaling noises when balls drop into the pockets. The company is really excited at the prospect of open-sourcing here, and told us that you should probably be able to set up your own system at home for around $10,000, pool table included. For those who aren't particularly tech-savvy, the Japanese company is working on building full systems for offices and bars. Having Konami as a partner will certainly help it realize that dream. Check out a video of the table in action after the, you know, break.
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/9eiSTgdJEXY/
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
UBC law school grad rejected by law society for ... - Metro News
VANCOUVER ? A recent law school grad has been rejected as a potential lawyer because he was caught cheating on a math exam and was sanctioned for plagiarism at the University of B.C.
The law society hearing panel initially decided in 2010 to allow the applicant into the articling program for new lawyers, finding the young man, who wasn?t named but identified only as Applicant 5, was now of good character and repute.
But another panel of benchers of the law society recently reviewed the initial decision and found the first panel erred in its findings.
The panel chair, after hearing the applicant?s explanations for plagiarism, said ?his evidence on this serious issue defies credulity.?
The law society heard that while the applicant was a first-year student at UBC in 1995, he was suspended from the university for one year and given a failing grade in Math 100 after he was caught trying to cheat by changing his answers on the exam paper after it had been marked and asking to have the mark changed.
He denied cheating on the exam repeatedly for more than nine years.
After changing programs, the applicant submitted a thesis in 2000 as part of the requirements for an honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, which he was granted in May that year. He was accepted into UBC?s law school in September, but was suspended two years later for plagiarism in a paper for Law 345.
When he applied as an articling student at the law society, he failed to disclose the suspension resulting from the 1995 math exam incident.
The credentials committee ordered a hearing and asked the applicant about the math exam cheating allegations. The applicant denied he had cheated and blamed the teaching assistant in the course.
The Law Society also obtained a copy of the applicant?s 2000 sociology honours thesis from UBC as part of a freedom of information request. It was 78 pages in length and contained plagiarized material. The applicant provided another, shorter version of his thesis, which contained no plagiarized material.
He said this was the version he submitted to the professor for marking. He told the panel his professor had asked him for a copy of his thesis much later and he must have delivered the wrong draft for archival purposes.
In setting aside the original decision to allow the applicant to become a lawyer, the panel concluded: ?The applicant?s elaborate explanation around Thesis B demonstrates that the applicant did not discharge the onus of proof that he is now ?of good character and repute and is fit to become a barrister and a solicitor of the Supreme Court?.?
An unsuccessful applicant cannot reapply to enrol in the articling program for two years after a decision denying a previous application.
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Slate at SXSW
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SXSW
Catch Slate writers and editors at these panels during SXSW in Austin, Texas, this week and next.
?It?s Reddit?s Web; We Just Live in It?
Friday, March 8, 5 p.m., Sheraton Austin (Capitol EFGH)
Plus:
Adrian Chen, pop culture/media blogger, Gawker
Rebecca Watson, blogger, SkepChick
David Haglund,?Slate
Alyssa Rosenberg, Slate, ThinkProgress
Noreen Malone, the New Republic, Slate
Plus:
Anna Camp, actress, Mad Men, True Blood, Pitch Perfect
Sarah Shapiro, filmmaker, Sequin Raze
Plus:
Stephanie Goodman, New York Times
Willa Paskin, Salon
Chris Rovzar, Vanity Fair
Jason Forbes, executive vice president and general manager, Zeebox
?Digital Drama: Growing Up in the Age of Facebook?
Monday, March 11, 12:30 p.m., Sheraton Austin (Capitol EFGH)
Plus:
Bill Keller, New York Times columnist and former executive editor
Danah Boyd, NYU/Microsoft/Harvard professor and researcher
Cliff Nass, Stanford University professor of communications
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=49265024d4595a28bf409732e755f61b
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PFT: Bucs want?Ronde back? |? Re-sign Blount
Getty ImagesBills RB C.J. Spiller appeared Thursday night at the 62nd Annual Rogers Conn Smythe Sports Celebrities Dinner & Auction.
The Patriots have planned well for the fact that the salary cap won?t be spiking.
The Dolphins keep moving toward securing permission for a stadium referendum that inevitably will fail.
The Jets opted not to use a second-round tender on TE Jeff Cumberland, after all.
A Steelers fan has put the ?terrible? in Terrible Towel.
Longtime Browns sideline photographer Ron Kuntz recently died at the age of 78.
The family of Bengals P Kevin Huber attends most of his games, home and away.
Former Ravens first-round WR Mark Clayton says he?s healthy and ready to play again.
The Texans? annual Youth Football Camp will be held from June 24 to June 28.
35-year-old Titans K Rob Bironas doesn?t plan to call it quits any time soon; ?Kickers go a lot longer in this sport,? Bironas said. ?I got started a little bit late, but I feel I have plenty of good years left in me.?
The Colts don?t plan to let $43 million in cap space burn a hole in their vault.
Jaguars G.M. David Caldwell says that re-signing DL Terrance Knighton remains ?a possibility.?
The Broncos intend to match any offer that restricted free-agent P Britton Colquitt receives.
The Chiefs recently won an age discrimination lawsuit brought by its former maintenance manager.
Here are six questions for Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson.? (Are you related to the Panthers tight end who spells his last name differently?? Really?? Really?? Really?? Really?? Really?)
Despite signing his one-year, $10.6 million franchise tender, Cowboys LB Anthony Spender still wants to negotiate a long-term deal.
It may be more expensive to park your car in a lot at Giants games, but it won?t be more expensive to park your caboose.
The Redskins are negotiating with OT Tony Pashos, who was out of football in 2012.
Eagles G.M. Howie Roseman is living a dream that was hatched when he was eight years old.
Lions DE Lawrence Jackson hopes to remain with the team.
Former Bears G Revie Sorey is still struggling to recover from a stroke.
Packers G.M. Ted Thompson remains mum when it comes to the future of DL Johnny Jolly.
Nothing better illustrates the demise of the newspaper industry than this wheel-spinning item regarding the current relationship between the Vikings and WR Percy Harvin.
The Falcons? offseason plans are being complicated by the uncertain status of TE Tony Gonzalez.
CB Chris Gamble leaves the Panthers after being a starter since his rookie season yet never making it to a Pro Bowl.
Former Saints DT La?Roi Glover has been elected to the team?s Hall of Fame.
Here?s a look at the Buccaneers? options on the defensive line.
Re-signing CB Greg Toler is a priority for the Cardinals.
Rams G.M. Les Snead says that his team could ?easily fit a veteran? via free agency because the franchise ?moved the needle? from 2-14 to 7-8-1 in one year under the new regime.
San Francisco hopes to get into the Super Bowl rotation.
Some in the Seattle media think that Seahawks CB Richard Sherman needs to tone it down.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/09/bucs-want-ronde-barber-back/related/
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Friday, March 8, 2013
Marketing that brings customers year after year after year - The Eight
Inbound Marketing = contend and lead nurturing. Make this content valuable, relevant and evergreen and have a ?lead nurturing program and you will be ahead of your competition immediately.
Getting new customers is the name of the game for any business. ?Developing marketing strategies that will continue to bring customers to the door year after year is the key to driving a business forward. ?Traditional marketing strategies, such as advertising and direct mail, will bring a short burst of new customers, but the leads dry up as soon as campaigns stop. ?They are not building up assets for your company.
What a business needs is evergreen content that is going to continue to drive traffic to a website and bring in new customers day in, day out.
Blog ideas
For web content writers struggling with ideas, over a year or two, you will have built a library of resources for your keywords ? so do not waste any opportunity to leverage more customers from previously popular blogs and articles by repurposing the content.
Pull together how-to?s on similar topics in to mini guides, rewrite articles as FAQs, step-by-steps and revisit anniversaries to update and review ? like looking at a new feature or product one year on and looking back with a review of the year.
Repurposing can also mean redefining content as video, audio or infographics.
Every repurpose gives another chance of catching the attention of a customer.
Creating timeless blogs/articles is a great way of doing this.
Timeless content
Write about topics that readers will enjoy, while offering relevant information to customers looking for solutions to a problem.
Timeless writing means making clear some dates and times to readers ?
- Publication date ? That date at the top or bottom of the article clearly pegs when the article was written
- Spell out dates in the content ? If quoting a survey or writing about a future even, spell out when the event happened ? like the ?figures from the 2010 census say??
- If you have no timeline and quote from ??the latest official statistics?, readers are frustrated because they have nothing to work out when the statistics were actually published
Some content remains timeless ? like how to?s, but product articles will change every year or so as new models with extra features are released.
What the numbers say
Inbound marketing firm HubSpot publish some statistics on blogging:
- 57% of marketers picked up new customers from blogging
- 52% of companies say blogging is the cheapest way to acquire new leads
- Businesses that blog 20 times of more a month enjoy four times more traffic than those that blog four times or less a month
- Businesses with 400 or more content pages generate six times more leads than those with less than 100 pages
?
With statistics like that, it?s difficult to build an argument about evergreen web content ? putting up those repurposed pages for web visitors that builds a repository of ripe information is just what everyone is looking for ? so give them what they want.
IMPROVE YOU
If you want to learn more then join our book club today for invaluable insight from some of the best business books on the market. ??http://www.the-eight.co.uk/the-eight-book-club
?
?
About the Author
My name is Eve Whitaker, along with being a loving mother of two karate kids, doting wife, occasional (disastrous) pastry cook and a kindle obsessive?. I provide strategic advice to clients, helping them to find the right path towards successful business development, marketing, promotional and creative strategy. I will try to bring you links to resources, articles & opinions that I think you will find interesting & thought provoking. I will also share my thoughts, opinions & comments on the latest marketing theories & projects. Hope you will find it useful. Any great recommendations for books or cake tips welcomed!Source: http://www.the-eight.co.uk/blog/marketing-that-brings-customers-year-after-year-after-year/
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Borna Monty to show something special in Steve Simmons March ...
Borna Monty to show something special in Steve Simmons March Hare Trophy Final at Romford
Borna Monty is making up into a formidable opponent. The black dog is performing quite consistently these days. He moved up to the open class on February 8th, after taking an easy A1 success at the start of last month.
The J. Reynolds-trained continued his splendid work and showed his magic in this class. After that, he took the runner-up place on two consecutive events. A couple of defeats made his critics think that the first open class victory was nothing more than a stroke of luck,
The son of Flying Stanley proved his critics wrong by getting back to the winning ways in a great fashion last time. On his previous venture, the May-11 hound bagged the first prize by five and a quarter lengths.
Having returned to the right path, the maverick hound is all set for more good work. Therefore, it is not very hard to expect him to demonstrate an excellent win in the in Steve Simmons March Hare Trophy Final, scheduled to be held at Romford on Friday, March 08, 2012.
Other contenders in the big finale are: Nans Turbo, Droopys Stevie, Joe Bones, Rio Minstrel, and Alis Avenger. The 400 metres is about to begin. The officials are due to kick off the proceedings at 21:24 GMT. A handy prize of 750 pounds is reserved for the ultimate champion.
Alis Avenger continues to run well without much success. The brindle dog was runner-up on her previous two outings. The draw is a massive plus for her, but it will still be hard for her to add the winning touch.
Nans Turbo is one of the favourites on the other hand. The black dog took an outstanding victory last time, when beating Alis Avenger by five and a half lengths. According to our calculations, he is the biggest threat to Borna Monty.
Droopys Stevie would be a handful if coming away on terms. Rio Minstrel has done well at this venue before, but this is an entirely different ball game. As far as Joe Bones? prospects are concerned, nothing less than the best exit will suffice.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not reflect Bettor.com's editorial policy.
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NFL players to take part in second annual ?Business of Music Boot ...
Featured speakers include VH1 President Tom Calderone, Run-DMC?s Darrell ?DMC? McDaniels & Michael ?Blue? Williams of Family Tree Entertainment
Program for current & former players runs March 18-21 in New York
Twenty current and former NFL players will get a crash course on how to break into the music industry at the second annual Business of Music Boot Camp at New York University?s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in New York.
The program, which runs from March 18-21, 2013, is a collaboration between NFL Player Engagement and the Clive Davis Institute in NYU?s Tisch School of the Arts.
The four-day boot camp features interactive workshops focusing on all aspects of the music industry including production, artist development and management, digital music, publishing, marketing and touring. Participants will gain a better understanding of establishing a career in the music industry and how to develop business plans from their creative ideas.
Following are the current and former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Business of Music Boot Camp:?
| Player | Current team (Former teams) |
| Alex Bannister | Former (SEA, BLT) |
| Tyvon Branch | OAK |
| Joshua Bush | NYJ |
| Sammy Davis | Former (SD, SF, TB) |
| Quintin Demps | STL |
| Justin Durant | DET |
| Jermichael Finley | GB |
| Oliver Gibson | Former (PIT, CIN) |
| Eric Heitmann | Former (SF) |
| Brian Holloway | Former (NE, LAR) |
| Antonio Johnson | IND |
| Bryant McKinnie | BALT |
| William Moore | ATL |
| Joshua Norman | Former (SD) |
| Nathan Palmer | IND |
| Julian Posey | MIA |
| Michael Preston | TEN |
| Jonathan Scott | CHI |
| Stephen Spach | Former (PHI, NE, ARZ, SL, JAX) |
| Leon Williams | KC |
?We are excited to again offer our players a program with NYU?s Clive Davis Institute, which counts some of the biggest names in the music industry as faculty,? said NFL Senior Vice President of Player Engagement TROY VINCENT.
?Succeeding in the recorded music industry requires many of the same attributes found in successful athletes ? focus, commitment and passion ? so the participants in the Boot Camp are starting out ahead,? said JEFF RABHAN, Chair of the Clive Davis Institute at NYU.? ?What we provide the players with is expert coaching in a new field, and they leave with a much tighter grasp of how the industry works and how best they can compete in it.?
NYU?s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, named after its chief patron and advisor, is the first of its kind to develop a program that focuses on providing professional training for students who aspire to succeed as creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.? For more information about the Clive Davis Institute, visit http://clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu.
Player enrollment criteria include previous participation in NFL Player Engagement programs, prior music experience, essays, and NFL playing experience.
With the longer offseason, NFL Player Engagement now offers current and former players 10 training programs for post-NFL careers.
Faculty members at the Business of Music Boot Camp include:
TOM CALDERONE, president of VH1, home to such programs as ?Behind The Music,? ?VH1 Storytellers,? ?T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle? and ?Best Super Bowl Concert Ever.?? He also oversees VH1 Classic and the high-def music concert channel Palladia and serves as chairman of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.
JONATHAN DANIEL, a founder and partner at Crush Management, an artist management company that represents acts including Gym Class Heroes, Panic! At the Disco, Train, and Cobra Starship.?
DARRYL ?DMC? MC DANIELS, a music icon, innovator and philanthropist. His band Run-DMC sold 30 million records and was the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone and the first to appear on MTV.
MICHAEL ?BLUE? WILLIAMS, the CEO of Family Tree Entertainment, which recently merged with Primary Wave Music to create Family Tree Primary Wave. His client roster includes Cee Lo Green, Cody Simpson, and Eric Benet, and previous clients include OutKast, Monica and Big Sean.?
MICHAEL SOLOMON, co-founder of Musicians on Call?a non-profit organization that brings music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities?as well as the co-founder of Brick Wall Management, whose past and present roster includes artists John Mayer, Citizen Cope, and William Fitzsimmons.
###
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Is Google fueling elephant poaching?
A conservation advocacy group, said that there are some 10,000 ads on Google Japan's shopping site that promote the sale of ivory.
Ivory tusks are displayed after being confiscated by Hong Kong Customs in Hong Kong in January. A conservation group claims that Google has something in common with illicit ivory traders in China and Thailand: It says the Internet search giant is helping fuel a dramatic surge in ivory demand in Asia that is killing African elephants at record levels.
Kin Cheung/AP/File
EnlargeA conservation group claims that?Google?has something in common with illicit?ivory?traders in China and Thailand: It says the Internet search giant is helping fuel a dramatic surge in?ivory?demand in Asia that is killing African elephants at record levels.
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The Environmental Investigation Agency, a conservation advocacy group, said in a statement Tuesday that there are some 10,000 ads on?Google?Japan's shopping site that promote the sale of?ivory.
About 80 percent of the ads are for "hanko," small wooden stamps widely used in Japan to affix signature seals to official documents. The rest are carvings and other small objects.
Hanko are used for everything from renting a house to opening a bank account. The stamps are legal and typically inlaid with?ivory?lettering.
The EIA said Japan's hanko sales are a "major demand driver for elephant?ivory(and) have contributed to the wide-scale resumption of elephant poaching across Africa."
Google?said in an emailed response to The Associated Press, "Ads for products obtained from endangered or threatened species are not allowed on?Google. As soon as we detect ads that violate our advertising policies, we remove them."
The EIA said it had written a letter to?Google?CEO Larry Page on Feb. 22 urging the company to remove the ads because they violate?Google's?own policies. It said?Google?had not responded to the letter or taken down the advertisements.
"While elephants are being mass slaughtered across Africa to produce?ivorytrinkets, it is shocking to discover that?Google, with the massive resources it has at its disposal, is failing to enforce its own policies designed to help protect endangered elephants," said Allan Thorton, the U.S.-based president of the EIA.
Curbing the trade in so-called "blood?ivory" is at the top of the agenda of the 178-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, which is meeting in Bangkok this week to discuss how to protect the planet's biodiversity by regulating the legal trade of flora and fauna and clamping down on smuggling.
Around 70 years ago, up to 5 million elephants are believed to have roamed sub-Saharan Africa. Today, just several hundred thousand are left.
Over the last few years, as Asian economies have grown and demand for?ivoryhas risen, the slaughter of elephants has reached its worst level in more than two decades. Last year alone, some 32,000 elephants were killed in Africa, according to the Born Free Foundation, which says black-market?ivory?sells for around $1,300 per pound. Much of it ends up as tourist trinkets and carvings.
CITES banned the international?ivory?trade in 1989, but the move did not address domestic markets. Wildlife groups say legal?ivory?markets in China and Thailand are used to hide much larger trade in illegally poached?ivory.
Japan imported stockpiles of?ivory?before it began complying with the CITES rules.
Google's?advertising policies state that?Google?"doesn't allow the promotion of products obtained from endangered or threatened species," including elephant tusks, rhino horns and products made from whales, sharks and dolphins.
Thorton said the policies were laudable "but sadly these are not being enforced and that's devastating."
Concerned Internet shoppers have alleged that?ivory?is being sold on other sites as well, including eBay. Some objects now offered for more than $1,000 apiece are marketed as "ox-bone" or "faux?ivory."
At least one wildlife group, the United Kingdom-based International Fund for Animal Welfare, has said it has worked with eBay to help them enforce anti-ivory trading policies by showing them how their rules are being flouted and improving efforts to flag suspicious items.
In 2007, IFAW alleged that eBay was "one of the main channels through which trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products are conducted online," but it has said the shopping site clamped down after IFAW shared research with them concerning illegal trading.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/Doq6GAsSpBw/Is-Google-fueling-elephant-poaching
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Thursday, March 7, 2013
News Corp?s Education Tablet May Be The Bureaucratic Fit Schools Need To Adopt Tech
Public school systems are cheerfully decorated dictatorships: discipline, standards, and testing are the driving concepts of modern k-12 education. The very reason why districts purchase bundles of the same textbooks is so they can keep classrooms in lockstep alignment as teachers meticulous meet timely instructional goals. Amplify, NewsCorp's new education division, finally revealed its long-awaited flagship product, launching a sophisticated tablet designed specifically for schools, which many finally be the perfect bureaucratic blend of classroom management, assessment, and monitoring that schools need to adopt technology en mass.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/m9LOwd68uaM/
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TSA to allow small knives, bats, clubs on planes
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Airline passengers will be able to carry small knives, souvenir baseball bats, golf clubs and other sports equipment onto planes beginning next month under a policy change announced Tuesday by the head of the Transportation Security Administration.
The new policy conforms U.S. security standards to international standards, and allows TSA to concentrate its energies on more serious safety threats, the agency said in a statement.
The announcement, made by TSA Administrator John Pistole at an airline industry gathering in New York, drew an immediate outcry from unions representing flight attendants and other airline workers, who said the items are still dangerous in the hands of the wrong passengers.
Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents over 10,000 flight attendants at Southwest Airlines, called the new policy "dangerous" and "shortsighted," saying it was designed to make "the lives of TSA staff easier, but not make flights safer."
"While we agree that a passenger wielding a small knife or swinging a golf club or hockey stick poses less of a threat to the pilot locked in the cockpit, these are real threats to passengers and flight attendants in the passenger cabin," the union said in a statement.
The policy change was based on a recommendation from an internal TSA working group, which decided the items represented no real danger, said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the agency.
The presence on flights of gun-carrying pilots traveling as passengers, federal air marshals and airline crew members trained in self-defense provide additional layers of security to protect against misuse of the items, he said. However, not all flights have federal air marshals or armed pilots onboard.
The new policy permits folding knives with blades that are 2.36 inches or less in length and are less than 1/2-inch wide. The policy is aimed at allowing passengers to carry pen knives, corkscrews with small blades and other knives.
Passengers also will be allowed to bring onboard as part of their carry-on luggage novelty-sized baseball bats less than 24 inches long, toy plastic bats, billiard cues, ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and two golf clubs, the agency said. The policy goes into effect on April 25.
Security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, already call for passengers to be able to carry those items. Those standards are non-binding, but many countries follow them.
Box cutters, razor blades and knives that don't fold or that have molded grip handles will still be prohibited, the TSA said.
Reaction to the changes was mostly positive among travelers interviewed Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport.
"I figure small knives are appropriate and fine," said Becca Wong of Los Angeles. "People carry pocket knives on them daily on the street so I'm just as at risk there versus on an airplane. So I'm not really too concerned about it."
"Just a little small pocketknife that most people have isn't going to do a whole lot of damage to anybody," agreed Matt Shaw of Los Angeles. "I don't think it's that big a deal."
"I carry a pocket knife as well," said Tunde Akinyele of Los Angeles. "But I know when I travel I leave it at home. They were taking those small knives that you use to clean your fingernails ? those, no. But a pocket knife, I would say, yes, that is a weapon. It can be used to harm somebody on the flight. So I would say still we shouldn't allow that yet."
The policy change got a thumbs up from Dean Rhymer, a Junior Los Angeles Kings hockey player who strode into the terminal carrying a hockey stick. "I think it'll be helpful. It's easier to carry it on to bring it places."
The items that will be permitted under the new policy don't present any greater danger than other everyday items that passengers can turn into weapons, aviation security consultant John L. Sullivan said. A pen or a toothbrush can be sharpened into a knife like the "shivs" inmates sometimes make in prisons, he said. Some airlines have returned to using real glassware and silverware in first class, rather than plastic or paper, he noted. Glasses can be broken and used as weapons, he added.
"There are a lot of things you can use on an airplane if you are intent on hurting someone," said Sullivan, co-founder of the Welsh-Sullivan Group in Dallas. "Security is never 100 percent."
But speaking as a passenger, he said, the "last thing I need is someone getting on a plane taking up valuable space with their pool cues and hockey sticks."
Douglas Laird, a former security director at Northwest Airlines and now a security consultant, said the change was long overdue. He said security should focus more on profiling passengers and less on what they're carrying.
"After 9/11, TSA did a lot of things pretty fast without thinking it through. They have better things to do than look for a guy who's got a 2-inch knife," he said.
There has been a gradual easing of some of the security measures applied to airline passengers after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In 2005, the TSA changed its policies to allow passengers to carry on airplanes small scissors, knitting needles, tweezers, nail clippers and up to four books of matches. The move came as the agency turned its focus toward keeping explosives off planes, because intelligence officials believed that was the greatest threat to commercial aviation.
And in September 2011, the TSA no longer required children 12 years old and under to remove their shoes at airport checkpoints. The agency recently issued new guidelines for travelers 75 years old and older so they can avoid removing shoes and light jackets when they go through airport security checkpoints.
___
Associated Press writers Eileen Sullivan in Washington, David Koenig in Dallas and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
___
Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-allow-small-knives-bats-clubs-planes-211601545.html
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