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U.S. considers sending aid to Syrian rebels: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is considering a shift in policy toward the nearly two-year-long conflict in Syria, and may send the rebels body armor and armed vehicles, and possibly provide military training, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. and European officials.

Secretary of State John Kerry was expected to discuss the proposed policy change with officials during his nine-nation tour of European and Arab capitals, the newspaper said. U.S. officials remain opposed to sending weapons to the rebels, it said.

Kerry is to meet Syrian opposition leaders at a "Friends of Syria" conference in Rome on Thursday.

On Monday in London, Kerry said President Barack Obama was evaluating more steps to "fulfill our obligation to innocent people," but did not give details or say whether Washington was reconsidering whether to arm the rebels. "We are determined that the Syrian oppositions is not going to be dangling in the wind," he said.

Kerry also said the continued violence in Syria, which the United Nations estimates has killed 70,000 people, represented further evidence that it was time for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to relinquish his post. At the same time, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague called for support for Syria's opposition to be increased significantly in order to help bring the protracted conflict to an end.

The United States has provided millions of dollars for food, medical care and clothing for Syrians and refugees, but has not sent aid directly to the rebels or the political opposition.

(Writing by Jackie Frank; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-considers-sending-aid-syrian-rebels-report-035120597.html

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John Kerry busts out his French-speaking skills

Secretary of State John Kerry busted out a bit of the language of Moli?re and G?rard Depardieu on Wednesday as he met in Paris with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius. How?d he do?

Pas mal du tout, Monsieur Kerry. Not bad at all.

The Democratic former senator from Massachusetts learned French while attending a boarding school in Switzerland starting when he was 11. And he spent many childhood summers in the Atlantic coast region of Brittany with French relatives.

Those days are long gone?but while Kerry seemed a bit rusty, his opening remarks at a joint press conference with the French foreign minister sounded pretty solid to this native speaker (he starts at 4:51 in the video above, and a transcript is at the bottom of this post). And he poured on the charm to please his audience.

?We?ve just finished one of those wonderful French lunches that have never ceased drawing Americans to Paris for centuries,? he said, seemingly reading from notes or prepared remarks. And he also joked about anti-French sentiment in the United States. ?And now I?ll speak in English because otherwise they won?t let me return home.?

Kerry?s gesture thrilled the French, who appreciate it when visiting dignitaries make an effort to speak their hosts? language. Fabius, the French foreign minister, celebrated Franco-American cooperation on a range of foreign policy struggles like the bloodbath in Syria and Iran?s nuclear program?and hailed Kerry as ?someone who is known to be a friend of France? (?quelqu?un qui est connu pour ?tre un ami de la France?).

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the newly minted secretary of state, meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, had declined a reporter?s request for ?a little bit of French, please, maybe?? (?un peu de Fran?ais, s?il vous plait, peut-etre?? she asked).

?Not today?I?ve got to refresh myself on that,? Kerry said, drawing chuckles from his audience.

The French question is a vexing one for Kerry. During the 2004 presidential campaign, The New York Times raised eyebrows by granting anonymity to a ?Bush adviser? who wanted to snipe from behind cover that the Democratic candidate ?looks French.? That cheap shot, apparently code for ?elitist,? caught fire in the media, stoked by perennial anti-French sentiment and still-fresh frustration that the government in Paris opposed the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was the era of renaming ?French fries? as ?Freedom Fries? in the congressional cafeteria (the French consider fries Belgian) and calling the ?French kiss? something more acceptable to American audiences, ?The Patriot Act.? (OK, that last one was, ahem, tongue in cheek.)

Times have changed. Somewhat. Throughout the 2012 campaign, Mitt Romney unhesitatingly spoke French to people he met on the trail (and he took crap for it?even from Democrats). Romney, who learned French when he lived in France as a Mormon missionary, does really well on his feet, has good sentence structure and, like Kerry, his mild accent doesn?t make him hard to understand.

Does any of this matter? Peut-?tre (maybe). Diplomacy is often a language of symbolism and nuances, after all.

And an old story, handed down by foreign language professors, may illustrate another usefulness.

The story goes that, in the early computer era, the CIA spent a fortune on a device that could translate intercepted messages. The chairman of the congressional committee that funded the project, on a tour, was invited to submit a phrase that would be translated from English, into French, then into German, then into Russian, then into Chinese, and then back into English. The lawmaker thought a moment, then suggested ?out of sight, out of mind.?

The machine clacked and whirred and spat out a strip of paper. On it was the result: ?Invisible. Insane.?

Kerry's remarks in French:

"Merci beaucoup, Monsieur le Ministre. Vraiment, c?est chaleureux, et je vous remercie beaucoup pour votre accueil aujourd?hui. C?est un tr?s grand plaisir pour moi d??tre en companie du ministre des affaires ?trang?res, Fabius. Nous venons de conclure un de ces merveilleux d?jeuners fran?ais qui n?ont cess? d?attirer les Am?ricains ? Paris depuis des si?cles. Bien entendu, c?est un privil?ge de pouvoir partager tout repas avec Laurent. Il est un ami de confiance, un alli? fid?le et un partenaire appr?ci?, et je veux ? je le remercie pour tout ?a. La France, comme vous savez, est vraiment ? c?est le plus ancien des alli?s des Etats-Unis. On vous remercie pour ?a aussi. Et maintenant je parle en anglais parce qu?autrement on me laisse pas rentrer chez moi."

Translation:

"Thank you very much, Mister Minister. Really, that was [a] warm [welcome], and I thank you very much for your welcome today. It?s a great pleasure for me to be here with the minister of foreign affairs, Fabius. We just finished one of those wonderful French lunches that have never ceased drawing Americans to Paris for centuries. Of course, it?s a privilege to share any meal with Laurent. He is a trusted friend, a faithful ally, and a valued partner. and I want to thank him for all of that. France, as you know, is really?it's the oldest ally of the United States, so we would like to thank you for that, too. And now I'll speak in English, because otherwise they won?t let me return home.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/john-kerry-french-pas-mauvais-not-bad-190702655--politics.html

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Life Insurance: Who Needs It? | Bankrate.com

Life insurance is a topic that makes some people uncomfortable. Few want to think about the inevitability of graduating from this world to the great beyond.

Yet life insurance is an essential tool for keeping loved ones financially secure after death.

Those with dependents are foolish if they don't at least consider purchasing life insurance, says David Marlett, chair of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

In the following interview, Marlett shares his thoughts about who should buy life insurance and who might be OK skipping it. He also offers tips for zeroing in on exactly how much coverage you might need.

Life insurance is a product that sometimes confuses and intimidates people. In a nutshell, who needs this insurance, and who does not?

Anyone with dependents should strongly consider purchasing life insurance. Dependents could include a spouse, child or even elderly parents in your care. Young, single people without children do not have a significant need for life insurance.

Life insurance basically can be divided into two types: temporary and permanent. Do you have some tips for determining which product is right for you?

For most people, temporary (commonly called "term") insurance will meet their needs. It is much less expensive than permanent life insurance. Term insurance is basically a commodity, and you can purchase (it) from a wide range of highly rated insurers. It is also simple and easy to understand.

How can people best determine the amount of coverage they need?

Typically, it is based on how much income your dependents will need if you are no longer able to support (them) with your income. You will often see rules of thumb that say you should purchase five, seven, even 10 times your annual income. This really oversimplifies the process, though, and neglects to include very important factors.

For example, how old are your dependents? Is your spouse employed? What are your debts and financial needs? There are several excellent online calculators that provide a more thorough needs analysis that can guide the consumer to the appropriate coverage amount.

Do single people need life insurance?

If they have dependents, they have a very significant need for life insurance.

Once the children have flown the nest, does it make sense to drop life insurance? What are the benefits and risks of doing so?

It could make sense to do this. However, the spouse may have a justified concern. Term insurance becomes more expensive as you get older, and you may decide to either eliminate or reduce the coverage as your needs decrease. This will save premium dollars. Your spouse, though, may still want you to keep at least a portion of the life insurance to protect him (or) her.

Ideally, your savings increase and your debts decrease as you age, so you have (a) reduced need for life insurance. However, these days, that may not be the case.

Furthermore, once kids leave the nest, that doesn't mean they are not coming back. They could easily become dependents again, and it may be difficult to purchase new life insurance after you have canceled an older policy that you applied for when you were younger and healthy.

What are some of the most exciting innovations you are seeing in terms of life insurance?

Actually, I prefer to keep it basic and simple. Bells and whistles that are added on just create clutter and add-in fees.

We would like to thank David Marlett, chair of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., for his insights.

Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/life-insurance-who-needs-it.aspx

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CatlinSpeak ? Blog Archive ? Artists Among Us: Lucinda Parker, Gil ...

Over the course of a single school week, the Catlin Gabel community hosted the visual artist Lucinda Parker, the screenwriter Gil Dennis, and the Jean Vollum Distinguished Writer Samiya Bashir.

Parker visited the school on February 4, and met with members of Ginia King?s Creative Writing class and student artists invited by Dale Rawls. In her presentation, Parker pointed out the several ways she combines text and image in her artwork. She has used her teaching experienced to take a leading role in the Word and Hand project, which is a collaboration between Wilsonville High School and Catlin Gabel. In this project, one visual artist from either school exchanges work with a student poet at the partnering school. This partnership will continue throughout the year, with each artist responding to his or her partner?s work.

Saymia Bashir leading a workshop in the journalism room (Photo: Kitty Katz)

Parker also described her personal experience as an artist. She focused on the later part of her career, including her commissioned paintings for government buildings and private businesses. She tends to create abstract landscapes that highlight the contrast between natural and manmade elements. Her paintings are often large scale with an element of technical movement on the site of the installation.

After her slideshow, Parker volunteered more of her time to take individual questions from students. In this Q&A session, she discussed how to handle the long distance and atypical relationship between the poet and the artist in the Word and Hand project.

As a piece of general advice to all artists, she noted that, ?it?s a free country ? you can do anything you want when you paint ? you can take inspiration from all parts of your life.?

On February 5, Dennis (a screenwriter for Walk The Line) visited Ginia King?s Creative Writing classes. Dennis reflected on how his personal creative process fit within the conventions of screenwriting. He related this to how he created the ?character? of June Carter-Cash and Johnny Cash. He also spoke about how he interviewed Johnny Cash as he was working on the script.

In his interviews, he focused on five questions: 1) What was the angriest someone got at you? 2) What was your most terrifying moment? 3) What was your moment of the greatest shame? 4) What is your saddest moment? 5) What is your proudest moment? These questions helped Dennis create the backstory for all of the characters in the script, both historical and fictional.

Dennis also showed some of his own work and spoke to how it fit the commercial creative process. He showed how a single script went through the revision process as executives gave him advice to make it more marketable. This sometimes called for total rewrites.

Gil Dennis after workshopping with a Creative Writing class (Photo: Kenneth Woods)

He also discussed his creation of characters based on autofiction (changing elements of one?s real life and appropriating them to a fictional scenario). Dennis wrote down moments from his own life on flashcards. Next, he assigned them to different characters to create their backstory. Dennis returned to Catlin on February 26 to help students with their individual screenwriting projects.

On February 7, Distinguished Writer Samiya Bashir visited Ginia King?s 6th Block Creative Writing class.

Upon entering, Bashir made an effort to learn the name of everyone in the classroom. Using her skills as a professor of creative writing at Reed College, she then facilitated a workshop that explored how beauty is depicted in poetry.

The class began with an exercise where the students wrote about what they thought the phrase ?she is beautiful? meant. After hearing what we had to say, she concluded, ?beauty is about opposites.?

The class then transitioned into groups and worked on a piece together. Bashir encouraged the groups to ?write as if your life depended on it ? [a poem] can change your life simply by helping you reconsider life.? Her prompts, such as writing a poem in which every line begins with the word ?yes,? challenged the students. Bashir even offered to help workshop these poems after she left the school.

Bashir gave a reading to the entire Upper School during assembly. She reflected on how each poem that she read mirrored aspects of her own life, such as learning physics from her father, or her love of Star Trek. Bashir used her ?theatrical background? to read her poems, and used Shatner-esque dramatic pauses and vocal expressiveness.

During the Q&A session she spoke about her creative process. With three minutes remaining, Valerie Ding ?15 asked about the meaning of life. Bashir first answered 42 (a reference to Douglas?s Hitchhiker?s Guide To The Galaxy), which was met with by applause and laughter from students and faculty. She concluded with the statement that one should live for themselves and be happy.

Between Parker, Dennis, and Bashir, the student body received enlightening tutoring on the creation of art as well as valuable life advice.

Source: http://speak.catlin.edu/2013/02/artists-among-us-lucinda-parker-gil-dennis-and-samiya-bashirs-visit-catlin-gabel/

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Oil falls on economic jitters, Italy election

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 2. Matt Kuchar $1,987,000 3. Hunter Mahan $1,412,965 4. John Merrick $1,296,014 5. Phil Mickelson $1,232,760 6. Dustin Johnson $1,200,125 7. Tiger Woods $1,144,000 8. Russell Henley $1,129,080 9. Brian Gay $1,089,181 10. Charles Howell III $1,087,944 11. Jason Day $1,009,164 12. Chris Kirk $990,013 13. Steve Stricker $940,000 14. Josh Teater $870,934 15. Bill Haas $816,300 16. Jimmy Walker $812,620 17. Scott Piercy $789,592 18. Charlie Beljan $785,800 19. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-falls-economic-jitters-italy-election-080856541--finance.html

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Voters head to polls in ex-Rep. Jackson's district

FILE - In the Dec. 15, 2012, Illinois Democratic U.S. Congressional hopeful Debbie Halvorson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Candidates for former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s 2nd congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday Feb. 25, 2013, ahead of tomorrow's high-stakes primary. Turnout is expected to be paltry despite the lurid headlines surrounding the disgraced Chicago Democrat and millions in outside super PAC money driven largely by the guns debate. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)

FILE - In the Dec. 15, 2012, Illinois Democratic U.S. Congressional hopeful Debbie Halvorson speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District slating meeting in South Holland, Ill. Candidates for former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s 2nd congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday Feb. 25, 2013, ahead of tomorrow's high-stakes primary. Turnout is expected to be paltry despite the lurid headlines surrounding the disgraced Chicago Democrat and millions in outside super PAC money driven largely by the guns debate. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012 file photo, Illinois Democratic U.S. Congressional hopeful Robin Kelly speaks during a candidate presentation at the 2nd Congressional District Slating Meeting in South Holland, Ill. Candidates for former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s 2nd congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday Feb. 25, 2013, ahead of tomorrow's high-stakes primary. Turnout is expected to be paltry despite the lurid headlines surrounding the disgraced Chicago Democrat and millions in outside super PAC money driven largely by the guns debate. (AP Photo/John Smierciak, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2013 file photo, Illinois Democratic U.S. Congressional hopeful Anthony Beale, speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Candidates for former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s 2nd congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday Feb. 25, 2013, ahead of tomorrow's high-stakes primary. Turnout is expected to be paltry despite the lurid headlines surrounding the disgraced Chicago Democrat and millions in outside super PAC money driven largely by the guns debate. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)

CHICAGO (AP) ? The primary contest to replace disgraced former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson was in the hands of Chicago-area voters Tuesday, just three months after his resignation and an intense period of campaigning by more than a dozen candidates.

The front-runners ? former state Rep. Robin Kelly, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale ? planned Election Day stops at train stations and restaurants in the district that spans Chicago's South Side, south suburbs and some rural areas. They were among 14 Democrats and four Republicans in the special primary, but the Democratic winner was expected to sail through the April 9 general election because of the heavily-Democratic region.

Beale planned to vote at a school in Chicago, Halvorson was set to cast a ballot at a suburban community center and Kelly voted early.

Voters haven't seen an open primary since 1995, when Jackson first won office.

Turnout at the polls was expected to be low, and candidates and election officials braced for a possible winter storm that could dump up to six inches of snow on the region and complicate Tuesday's logistics. Election officials said they were in communication with streets and sanitation workers about making sure pathways to polls were kept clear.

In Chicago, fewer than 2,800 voters, or roughly 2 percent or registered voters in the district, cast early ballots. In suburban Cook County ? the bulk of the district's voting population ? it was nearly 2 percent. The last time the Chicago area had a special primary election for Congress was 2009 after Rahm Emanuel left his seat to take a job as White House chief of staff. Roughly 18 percent of registered voters in the district spanning North Side neighborhoods voted. In suburban Cook County, the percentage was far lower.

Guns and ethics were on the minds of voters, and both were main issues on the campaign trail, particularly as Jackson's legal saga played out in federal court. He pleaded guilty to illegally spending $750,000 in campaign money on personal items and faces prison time. The son of the civil rights leader is the third consecutive congressman from the district to leave office under an ethical or legal cloud.

Still, gun control became the top issue on the campaign trail, including at candidate forums and television ads.

Independence USA, the super PAC of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, poured more than $2 million into the race for anti-gun ads in support of Kelly and against Halvorson, a former state lawmaker and one-term congresswoman. Kelly supports a ban, but Halvorson does not.

"Gun control, we need it," said retiree Angela Craig, an undecided Chicago voter. She had supported Jackson in the past but didn't feel like she got enough time to weigh the candidates.

Jackson resigned in November after a months-long medical leave. He pleaded guilty early this month to charges that he misspent $750,000 in campaign money on lavish personal items, including a Rolex watch and furs. His departure created a rare opening in the district.

__

Sophia Tareen can be reached at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-26-House-Jackson%20Seat/id-6604acf8d2ee4c339376a329912eae90

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HP finally parts with webOS in LG Electronics deal

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, file photo, South Korean models pose with a CINEMA 3D Smart TV during a press conference to introduce the LG Electronics' television and the company's marketing strategy for 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. Hewlett-Packard said Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, it is selling its webOS operating system technology to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Hewlett Packard Co. and LG said on Monday that LG will use webOS to support its "smart TV" technology. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Hewlett-Packard is selling its webOS software to South Korean electronics company LG Electronics, securing a new home for a technological orphan.

The deal announced Monday rids HP of the centerpiece of its ill-fated, $1.8 billion purchase of Palm Inc. three years ago.

HP used webOS as its springboard into the smartphone and tablet computer market in 2011, but quickly scrapped the mobile devices running on the software amid disappointing sales. With that retreat, Hewlett-Packard Co. stopped developing webOS for its own products and gave away the underlying technology as open-source software for programmers elsewhere to modify for their own needs.

LG Electronics has grander plans for webOS. Initially, the software will be melded into a new line of Internet-connected televisions from LG Electronics Inc. If those are successful, LG Electronics is considering selling household appliances and other devices that run on webOS in an attempt to create a so-called "smart" home. That's a concept that could appeal to a generation of consumers who wouldn't consider leaving their homes without their smartphones.

In a sign of its commitment to webOS, LG Electronics also acquiring the team of engineers who had been working on the software for HP. Those employees will be able to keep working in their current California offices in Sunnyvale and San Francisco. The precise number of HP workers moving to LG Electronics wasn't disclosed.

The opportunity to pick up a pool of talented software programmers and gain control over the core of webOS were the main reasons LG Electronics wanted to do the deal instead of simply relying on the free open-source project, LG Electronics spokesman John Taylor said.

Financial terms of the webOS sale weren't disclosed. It's unlikely that LG Electronics had to pay much, given that HP had already absorbed $1.6 billion in charges to account for the diminished value of Palm and other costs caused by its decision to stop making webOS devices.

HP, which is based in Palo Alto, is in the process of eliminating 29,000 jobs in an effort to cut costs amid a slump that has seen its revenue falling for the past 18 months. Through January, HP had jettisoned more than 15,000 of the jobs targeted in its streamlining.

HP is still holding on to some vestiges of its Palm acquisition. Among other things, HP retains ownership of other computing coding outside webOS, along with Palm's hardware and Palm's customer contracts. HP will also continue to employ former Palm employees who weren't involved in webOS and will continue to handle customer support for people who still use Palm products made in the past.

Besides getting webOS' source code and other key parts of the technology, LG Electronics will take over stewardship of the open-software project.

HP is jettisoning webOS just as the company is gearing up to introduce a new tablet that features a 7-inch screen and will sell for just $169. The upcoming device, called Slate 7, will run on the popular Android software made by Google Inc. It will supplement a more sophisticated and expensive tablet computer designed primarily for business users. That tablet runs on Windows 8, a recently released makeover of Microsoft's ubiquitous operating system.

HP's stock fell 13 cents to close Monday at $19.07.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-25-Hewlett-Packard-WebOS/id-7961dd2d15584872b896c4101ee1e757

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Obama to meet with leading Republicans on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will meet leading Senate Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham on Tuesday to discuss immigration reform efforts and could also delve into across-the-board spending cuts set to take effect on Friday.

Obama's meeting with the two U.S. senators, part of a bipartisan "Gang of Eight" working to craft immigration legislation, was described by a White House official on Monday as focused on that issue.

But a McCain aide said the White House encounter likely would go beyond immigration and could include the looming $85 billion in government spending reductions that will hit domestic programs and the Pentagon unless a last-minute deal is reached.

The White House escalated a campaign on Monday to convince Americans dire consequences await if the so-called "sequester" cuts go ahead on March 1, warning of a slowdown in global trade, a stalled fight against cancer and compromised border security.

But there was no word that Obama was ready to start negotiations. Graham is a member of Senate committees on appropriations and the federal budget. He and McCain both sit on the armed services panel. The McCain aide said the U.S. troop drawdown from Afghanistan could also be discussed on Tuesday.

The planned meeting marks Obama's latest outreach to some of the Republicans involved in negotiating an overhaul of the U.S. immigration system.

Facing criticism for not getting more involved in the delicate process on Capitol Hill, Obama phoned McCain, Graham and Senator Marco Rubio last week. It was not immediately known why Rubio, a rising Cuban-American star in his party and considered crucial to winning conservative backing for any reform deal, was not scheduled to participate on Tuesday.

Obama backs the Senate reform effort but he and the Republicans differ over some key details.

Obama emphasized in his recent State of the Union address the importance of creating a clear path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally.

Many Republicans stress that there must first be measurable progress in securing U.S. borders, a condition hard for the president to accept if it drags out the legalization process.

The White House, however, is counting on Republicans feeling pressure to move swiftly on immigration reform after they were chastened by Latino voters' rejection in the November election.

(The story corrects million to billion in paragraph 3)

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-meet-leading-republicans-mccain-graham-tuesday-005836042.html

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Sports ? Fans hurt as crash mars NASCAR race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla ?

A frightening, fiery crash sent Kyle Larson?s car airborne and debris spinning into the stands injured dozens of race fans Saturday at the NASCAR stock car Nationwide Series season-opener.

Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, said 14 injured fans had been transported from the circuit for treatment at local hospitals and 14 more were treated at the track?s medical facility.

He said he could not confirm reports that at least two people were seriously hurt and that one was taken immediately for surgery.

?It?s not appropriate for me to comment on that,? Chitwood said in a press conference held at the circuit some three hours after the wreck.

Various media reports put the number of injured at more than 30, with ESPN reporting that one adult had life-threatening head trauma and a 14-year-old was in critical but not life-threatening condition in hospital.

The wreck, which occurred almost as Tony Stewart was taking the checkered flag for victory, began when race leader Regan Smith turned sideways and a dozen cars bunched behind him.

?My fault,? admitted Smith. ?I threw a block.?

Larson, a Japanese-American driver who was making his first start in NASCAR?s second-tier series, was launched into the catch-fencing.

?I was getting pushed from behind, and by the time my spotter said, ?Lift,? it was too late,? said Larson, who was able to climb out of what remained of his vehicle.

?I had some flames come in the cockpit. I was alright and could get out of the car quickly. It was definitely a big hit.?

Larson?s car tore a hole in the fence separating the track from the stands. His engine sheared off with at least one tire and other debris flying into the grandstand.

?I looked in the mirror and that?s the worst image I?ve ever seen in a race in my life,? Stewart said.

A fan who identified himself only as ?Tyler? sent amateur video to ESPN and spoke with the sports network about the scary scene.

?I saw a tire about 10 feet from me, just a row above me with a man under it and people yelling for help,? he said in a telephone interview.

?Our prayers and thoughts are with everybody they are working on,? NASCAR President Mike Helton said of those being treated by medical personnel.

None of the drivers involved in the crash was injured, but driver Michael Annett was hospitalized with chest bruising after hitting a safety barrier in an earlier crash in the race.

?We?ve always known since racing started this is a dangerous sport,? a subdued Stewart said. ?As much as we want to celebrate, I?m more concerned about the fans and the drivers right now.?

Chitwood said speedway and NASCAR officials responded appropriately and according to their safety protocols, with emergency personnel in place and able to begin work promptly.

Steve O?Donnell, NASCAR?s senior vice president for racing operations, said the entire incident would be reviewed to see what, if any, changes could be made to improve safety.

Until then, he declined to speculate on what went wrong or right.

?We need to take the time to really study it and see what we can improve on,? O?Donnell said.

The race came on the eve of the season-opening event in NASCAR?s top-flight Sprint Cup series, the Daytona 500.

Both O?Donnell and Chitwood said they expected Sunday?s race to start on schedule.

?We expect to go racing tomorrow with no changes,? Chitwood said.

Danica Patrick will start the Daytona 500 from pole position after becoming the first woman to top qualifying for a NASCAR race.

Patrick had also picked up a ride for Saturday?s race, driving for Turner Scott Motorsports. She suffered engine failure early on and wasn?t involved in the late-race chaos.

? 2013 AFP

Source: http://www.japantoday.com/category/sports/view/fans-hurt-as-crash-mars-nascar-race

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Hands-on with the HP Slate 7

How can a tablet that feels so good be so ... not good

What do you do if you've long since past being a laughingstock in the mobile business? You failed at Windows Mobile. You bought Palm and put webOS out to pasture. And now, if you're HP, your first real foray into Android is a tablet that's nice from afar, but far from nice.

Such is the HP Slate 7.

Let's be perfectly clear about one thing: Pick up the Slate 7, and you're holding a tablet that feels like it could easily go toe to toe with the Nexus 7 or any of Samsung's 7-inch-ish tablets. It's nicely built. It's less than half a millimeter thicker than the Nexus 7. Priced at $169, it could sell. Hell, it probably will sell. Stick it in every brick-and-mortar store next to a Nexus 7, and chances are most normal consumers won't notice a difference, save for the price tag.

read more

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

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Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 7 gaming headset hands-on

Mad Catz announced the F.R.E.Q. 7 gaming headset last week, and the company has the $200 cans on hand here at Mobile World Congress. As you may recall, the marquee spec is Dolby Pro Logic IIx processing, which expands 5.1-channel audio to 7.1 channels for a richer aural experience. Another cool feature: these over-ears come bundled with both a standard stereo connector and a cord with USB for connecting directly to your computer (both have mini-USB on one end). The F.R.E.Q. 7 wasn't plugged in so we can't speak to sound quality, but they feel lightweight, and the red color really pops in real life. (There's also a matte black option.) The devices are currently available for pre-order, but you can get a hands-on look now in our gallery.

Gallery: Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 7 gaming headset hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/K_q8ZHkoFjg/

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Ford putting the 'stock' back in stock car racing

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau ? ? ? 33 min.

What is today one of the most popular sporting events in America has some humble roots, NASCAR tracing back to the days when moonshiners would tune up their cars to outrun the ?revenuers? and then give each a challenge to see who was fastest.

But the days when the familiar sporting event could claim to field ?stock cars? is long past. When NASCAR organizers began ordering the switch to the so-called ?Car of the Future,? a few years back, the design may have been safer and better on track, but about the only thing it had in common with the cars of today were decals designed to make it look, sort of, like the Fords, Chevrolets and Toyotas you?d find in a showroom.

That triggered a backlash from fans, something that was measurable in both race attendance and TV viewership, and it has forced NASCAR and its teams to do a little soul-searching ? as Ford is demonstrating with its latest stock car entry which actual shares at least a few body panels with an actual Fusion sedan.

The Detroit Bureau: Spy Shots: Prepping the Next Ford Mustang

?This is a day so many of us at Ford and Ford fans have been waiting for,? said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. ?When we first unveiled the 2013 NASCAR Fusion in Charlotte in January 2012, we said we wanted to help return the ?stock car back to NASCAR.? Without question, with this car, we have.?

The high-dollar motorsports league isn?t totally returning to its roots. You won?t see bootleggers out on the track, and under the skin the new cars are still what NASCAR refers to as the ?Gen 6? race car. But manufacturers now can customize 13 individual exterior surfaces to bring the look and shape of their entries a bit closer to their production models ? without having to resort to lame tricks like decaled headlamps.

Ford experimented with the idea of going back to stock car design in the secondary Nationwide racing series several years ago and ?saw the exciting reaction from the fans, and even from people who didn?t follow NASCAR,? said Allison, adding that it showed the maker that ?We were on the right track,? quite literally.

The Detroit Bureau: 200 mph, $200,000 Bentley Flying Spur

Ford has spent about two years developing the new NASCAR Fusion, revealing it to NASCAR and its team members in June 2011 and then giving the new design a public preview in January 2012 at the Detroit Auto Show. It has continued tinkering with the car, focusing especially on aerodynamics as that can make or break the chances of a race car moving at 200 mph.

The Fusion will make a high-profile racing debut at this coming weekend?s opening NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway. It will face a tough challenge from Chevrolet, notably from the GoDaddy.com team led by Danica Patrick who has become the first woman ever to land the pole position in the historic race.

But Ford is confident it won?t be embarrassed, the new NASCAR Fusion being used by such prestige tames as Roush Fenway Racing, Penske Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Germain Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

The Detroit Bureau: Chinese May Take Over Plug-in Hybrid Maker Fisker

Ford cars have taken the checkered flag at three of the last four Daytona races.

The decision to go with the new design isn?t altruistic. While Ford officials may appreciate NASCAR heritage they also want to maintain the popularity of the sport ? and hope that this spills over to their brand. In recent years, it?s become less clear that the old adage, ?Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,? still holds true.

Nonetheless, ?We know nearly 40 percent of new car intenders are race fans, and of those, almost 84 percent follow NASCAR,? said Allison. ?Racing helps drive our business. We know Ford race fans consider, shop and buy more Fords than the general public. So bringing back this kind of relevancy to NASCAR is the X factor.?

Incidentally, while cars like the Gen 6 Fusion may look more like street models then they have in some years, don?t expect to find one at the showroom. Under the skin they use an entirely different sort of construction ? as you?d expect of vehicles that often tangle with one another at well into triple-digit speeds. Even the engines are unique. NASCAR only last year began using a version of fuel injection, for example, a technology that the last U.S. street vehicle abandoned in the early 1990s. But the Sprint Cup cars still feature live rear axles and four-speed gearboxes, technologies generally considered way out of date.

Copyright ? 2009-2012, The Detroit Bureau

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/ford-putting-stock-back-stock-car-racing-1C8452388

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Canadian miner Eldorado profit rises on higher gold sales

(Reuters) - Canadian miner Eldorado Gold Corp on Friday reported a boost in fourth-quarter profit as an increase in bullion sales outweighed higher operating costs.

Net earnings rose to $115 million, or 16 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, ended Dec 31. That compared with $88.8 million, or 16 cents, a year earlier.

Lower income tax expenses due to an investment tax credit in Turkey helped the result.

Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of 14 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Gold production increased 13 percent to 190,530 ounces, while total cash costs climbed 17 percent to $566 an ounce, the company said. The realized gold price rose slightly to $1,69 from $1,686.

Vancouver-based Eldorado plans to produce some 705,000 to 760,000 ounces in 2013, up from 656,324 ounces in 2012.

Capital expenditures for the year are expected to be about $410 million, with some $200 million pegged for the expansion project at the Kisladag mine in Turkey, the company said.

Eldorado, which is developing mines around the world, owns gold projects in Turkey and China, along with a base metal mine in Greece and an iron ore project in Brazil.

(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Toronto; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canadian-miner-eldorado-profit-rises-higher-gold-sales-135853169--finance.html

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Insulin levels wax and wane daily

Modern life may clash with hormone?s natural cycle

By Tina Hesman Saey

Web edition: February 22, 2013

Like the sun, insulin levels rise and fall in a daily rhythm. Disrupting that cycle may contribute to obesity and diabetes, a new study suggests.

Many body systems follow a daily clock known as a circadian rhythm. Body temperature, blood pressure and the release of many hormones are on circadian timers. But until now, no one had shown that insulin ? a hormone that helps control how the body uses sugars for energy ? also has a daily cycle. Working with mice, researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville have found that rodents are more sensitive to insulin?s effects at certain times of day. Disrupting the animals? circadian timers interferes with the hormone?s daily rise and fall and makes mice prone to obesity.

If the findings hold up in humans, they could help explain why people who work night shifts tend to be overweight and suffer health problems. The discovery may also tie the obesity epidemic in part to staying up late and eating at the wrong time.

Many people had thought that it was best for the body to maintain insulin at a relatively constant level, says Carl Johnson, a circadian biologist who led the new study. ?But that?s not how organisms have adapted,? he says. Since the environment cycles through light and dark, body processes often coordinate with that rhythm.

To uncover insulin?s natural rhythm, Johnson and his colleagues performed an ?insulin clamp? procedure on mice. The clamp infuses glucose or insulin around the clock into mice that are moving freely in their cages. Measuring how much insulin or glucose the mice need to maintain constant blood sugar levels tells the researchers how responsive the animals are to the hormone at any given time of day.

Mice are naturally less sensitive to insulin during the day, when the nocturnal animals normally sleep, the team found.

Mice with a genetic flaw that breaks their circadian clock don?t follow the regular insulin cycle. Neither do mice whose circadian clocks have been disrupted by living in constant light. Both groups of animals are more resistant to insulin than normal mice are, the researchers discovered. Insulin resistance is one hallmark of diabetes.

Mice with broken clocks also became obese despite eating the same amount as other mice. The team then found that feeding normal mice a high-fat diet could throw off their circadian rhythms.

The findings suggest that timing meals to coincide with insulin sensitivity could help protect against diabetes, says Satchidananda Panda, a geneticist and biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. Chronically mistimed clocks could contribute to insulin resistance and eventually lead to diabetes, he says.

People who hope to bend their biological clocks to fit modern lifestyles are probably out of luck, says neuroscientist Randy Nelson of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. After billions of years of adapting to the world?s natural rhythms, he says, ?We?re stuck with these clock genes and these metabolic processes. Electric lights, that?s what?s strange.? Besides avoiding after-dinner snacks, people might protect their body clocks by using dim red lights at night. Red light doesn?t confuse the circadian clock the way bright white or blue lights do.

But Johnson warns that it is early to apply his findings directly to humans. He says eating the main meal at lunch time and not eating overnight are probably healthful practices, but people shouldn?t expect to lose a lot of weight by just shifting when they eat. Poor diet and lack of physical activity are the main drivers of obesity, he says.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348560/title/Insulin_levels_wax_and_wane_daily

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Military eyes lasers to guard against IEDs

OTTAWA ? Could lasers be the answer to roadside bombs?

That?s what the Canadian Forces wants to know.

The military is looking at mounting high-powered lasers on armoured vehicles to protect soldiers from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

The Canadian Forces would put lasers on its fleet of Cougar armoured vehicles to blast apart bombs from a safe distance.

Improvised explosive devices proved a deadly threat when Canadian troops were stationed in southern Afghanistan.

Dozens of soldiers died in IED blasts during the combat mission, which ended in 2011.

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Source: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2013/02/22/military-eyes-lasers-to-guard-against-ieds/

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Google announces Chromebook Pixel, goes gunning for MacBook

Google has just entered the laptop market with the Chromebook Pixel, a first-party flagship for their non-Android, more cloud-based operating system. Here's what Google had to say:

Today we?re excited to announce our newest laptop?the Chromebook Pixel?which brings together the best in hardware, software and design to inspire the next generation of Chromebooks. With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud. The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the ?chrome? of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience.

It comes with some interesting specs, including a nearly 13-inch screen with a Retina-like 2560x1700 display, but made out of Gorilla Glass and sporting multitouch like an iPad or Android tablet. It's only got 32GB of on-board storage, but you get a whopping 1TB of cloud-storage for 3 years. An Intel dual-core Core i5 with HD Graphics 400 lies at its heart, along with 4GB of RAM and a battery that lasts up to 5 hours. And the price?

$1300 for Wi-Fi, $1450 for LTE.

Which is interesting.

Google subsidizes their mobile devices to keep the price down, but the Chromebook Pixel is premium priced. It costs more than Adobe CS6, and it can't even run Adobe CS6. It's got a Google store product page up that looks as though it were cut and pasted from Apple.com, and while it has features that don't exist on MacBooks, like multitouch, its cost puts it right between the, in some ways much more capable, MacBook Air and the Retina MacBook Pro.

Personally, the Pixel is a non-starter for me. I've tried using an iPad and a MacBook Air locked to Safari as an experiment, and I couldn't last more than an hour or so without needing (not wanting) real, native apps. Sure, Google Chrome OS has more hooks, but not enough. I still carry a MacBook Pro with me everywhere I go for a reason.

Would a Chromebook be a better choice than an iPad for my mom, and other empowered users? Maybe some. I don't think the cloud, even Google's, is sufficient yet, but we'll see how the early Chromebook adopters do.

If you want 1TB of Google Drive, the Pixel is definitely the cheapest, smartest way to go. Though I question how many people really have the bandwidth to exploit that much cloud storage. I know, with my monthly cost and data cap, I couldn't.

Right now, Pixel looks to be a computer for people who love Google more than their wallets or common sense.

And when exactly did Apple lose that market?

Source: Google via Android Central

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/pnFtmDau8jE/story01.htm

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Govs to hear Oregon health care plan

SALEM, Ore. (AP) ? Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will brief other state leaders this weekend on his plan to lower Medicaid costs, touting an overhaul that President Barack Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address for its potential to lower the deficit even as health care expenses climb.

The Oregon Democrat leaves for Washington, D.C., on Friday to pitch his plan that changes the way doctors and hospitals are paid and improves health care coordination for low income residents so that treatable medical problems don't grow in severity or expense.

Kitzhaber says his goal is to win over a handful of other governors from each party.

"I think the politics have been dialed down a couple of notches, and now people are willing to sit down and talk about how we can solve the problem" of rising health care costs, Kitzhaber told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Kitzhaber introduced the plan in 2011 in the face of a severe state budget deficit, and he's been talking for two years about expanding the initiative beyond his state. Now, it seems he's found people ready to listen.

Hospital executives from Alabama visited Oregon last month to learn about the effort. And the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it's giving Oregon a $45 million grant to help spread the changes beyond the Medicaid population and share information with other states, making it one of only six states to earn a State Innovation Model grant.

Kitzhaber will address his counterparts at a meeting of the National Governors Association. His talk isn't scheduled on the official agenda, but a spokeswoman confirmed that Kitzhaber is expected to present.

"The governors love what they call stealing from one another ? taking the good ideas and the successes of their colleagues and trying to figure out how to apply that in their home state," said Matt Salo, director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

There's been "huge interest" among other states in Oregon's health overhaul, Salo said, not because the concepts are brand new, but because the state managed to avoid pitfalls that often block health system changes.

Kitzhaber persuaded state lawmakers to redesign the system of delivering and paying for health care under Medicaid, creating incentives for providers to coordinate patient care and prevent avoidable emergency room visits. He has long complained that the current financial incentives encourage volume over quality, driving costs up without making people healthier.

Obama, in his State of the Union address this month, suggested that changes such as Oregon's could be part of a long-term strategy to lower the federal debt by reigning in the growing cost of federally funded health care.

"We'll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, because our medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital ? they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive," Obama said.

The Obama administration has invested in the program, putting up $1.9 billion to keep Oregon's Medicaid program afloat over the next five years while providers make the transition to new business models and incorporate new staff and technology.

In exchange, though, the state has agreed to lower per-capita health care cost inflation by 2 percentage points without affecting quality.

The Medicaid system is unique in each state, and Kitzhaber isn't suggesting that other states should adopt Oregon's specific approach, said Mike Bonetto, Kitzhaber's health care policy adviser. Rather, he wants governors to buy into the broad concept that the delivery system and payment models need to change.

That's not a new theory. But Oregon has shown that under the right circumstances massive changes to deeply entrenched business models can gain wide support.

What Oregon can't yet show is proof the idea is working ? that it's lowering costs without squeezing on the quality or availability of care. The state is just finishing compiling baseline data that will be used as a basis of comparison.

One factor driving the Obama administration's interest in Oregon's success is the president's health care overhaul. Under the Affordable Care Act, millions more Americans will join the Medicaid rolls after Jan. 1, and the health care system will have to be able to absorb the influx of patients in a logistically and financially sustainable way.

The federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs for those additional patients in the first three years before scaling back to 90 percent in 2020 and beyond.

"There are a lot of governors who are facing the same challenges we're facing in Oregon," Kitzhaber said. "They recognize that the cost of health care is something they're going to have to get their arms around."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/govs-hear-oregon-health-care-plan-090108249--politics.html

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What the church needs now: Synod gives clues to cardinals' priorities

CARDINALS-ISSUES Feb-20-2013 (800 words) Analysis. xxxi

What the church needs now: Synod gives clues to cardinals' priorities

Cardinals and bishops leave a meeting of the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization at the Vatican Oct. 9. Before cardinals choose the next pope, they will hold meetings in the same Vatican synod hall to discuss the current needs of the church, so they won't be starting from scratch. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- One task facing the College of Cardinals already has been completed: A job description for the Catholic Church's chief evangelizer already is written.

He must be humble, but firmly grounded in church teaching; joyful and enthusiastic; willing to listen to and dialogue with others; and courageous in defending human rights, including the right to freedom of religion.

Before the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel to begin voting for a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, they will hold meetings in the Vatican synod hall to discuss the current needs of the church.

Many of them sat in the same room for three weeks in October discussing the same thing, so they won't be starting from scratch.

Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and 52 of the 117 cardinals who are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote for a new pope participated in the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization.

While emphases may change when the cardinals meet after Feb. 28, it is unlikely they will try to reinvent the wheel and almost impossible that they will come up with a new topic for discussion.

The synod discussions covered the most crucial issues facing the church around the world: proclaiming the Gospel; catechesis; the meaning and role of the family; parish life; the role of new movements; liturgy and the sacraments; the clerical sexual abuse crisis; relations with other Christians; dialogue with other religions; challenges to religious freedom; the message of the Second Vatican Council; the challenges and opportunities raised by science and technology; and dialogue with nonbelievers.

The topics were seen as key elements in living the Catholic faith today.

And while no one gave a speech dedicated specifically to the administrative working of the Vatican bureaucracy and consternation caused by the "VatiLeaks" scandal that led to the arrest and conviction of Pope Benedict's butler, synod members did discuss the values that must inspire the way the church works in the world.

The new pope will have to be the Catholic Church's chief evangelist and, discussing the qualities an evangelist must have, synod members focused on humility, prayerfulness and a willingness to listen.

Of course, they added other qualities as well, including a thorough knowledge of Scripture and theology and an ability to communicate, whether through languages or the new media -- qualities that also are on most people's check list for a new pope.

Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, Philippines, told the synod that evangelizers must imitate the humility of Jesus -- who was willing to become human, to suffer and to die for humanity -- and the love of Jesus, particularly for "those neglected and despised by the world."

Being humble also means recognizing when the church does not have all the answers, and therefore being willing to remain silent, he said, adding that "a church at home with silence will make the voiceless believe they are not alone."

Polish Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, told the synod that the greatest obstacle a priest or theologian faces in becoming an effective evangelizer "is without a doubt pride, along with its natural ally, selfishness. The obsession with becoming great, original (and) important reduces more than a few to being 'pastors who shepherd themselves and not their flocks,'" as St. Augustine once said.

Synod members also called for church leaders who radiate joy and enthusiasm and who are not afraid to use new media and new structures "to move from a pastoral strategy of maintenance to a pastoral position that is truly missionary."

As Australian Cardinal George Pell told reporters during the synod, church meetings can be well-planned and faith-filled, "but we need fire, energy -- that's what the new evangelization is all about."

"We're in the midst of an enormous struggle between good and evil, faith and fear on a supernatural as well as a natural level," he said. "We could do with a bit more bite."

Before the conclave, the cardinals obviously will discuss the serious problems and challenges facing the church today. But if they follow the synod's prescription, they will look for a leader who chooses optimism over gloom.

The synod's final message said, "We are not intimidated by the circumstances of the times in which we live. Our world is full of contradictions and challenges, but it remains God's creation. The world is wounded by evil, but God loves it still. It is his field in which the sowing of the Word can be renewed so that it would bear fruit once more."

They added, "There is no room for pessimism in the minds and hearts of those who know that their Lord has conquered death and that his Spirit works with might in history."

END

---

Copyright (c) 2013 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS ? 3211 Fourth St NE ? Washington DC 20017 ? 202.541.3250

Source: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300752.htm

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Daily iPhone App: QuestLord is a retro RPG trip back in time

A lot of apps these days show that developers are always thinking about what they can do in a new way: How can we change up controls for a touchscreen device, or use the power of the iPhone to create a new experience? QuestLord, however, is very decidedly old school. It's an RPG from the first-person perspective, similar to the old Elder Scrolls games, and while it obviously runs on the latest and greatest iOS devices, the interface is almost stubbornly retro. You just press a few different on screen buttons to move around, talk, or fight, and the game just sticks to the standard RPG conventions: Do quests, level up, and so on.

Rather than come off as boring or simple, however, QuestLord feels familiar, like the scent of an old book. Yes, it's nice to see innovation, and yes, it's always fun to see developers try something new, but once in a while, it's great to see someone just stick with the old, and do it really well. That's what QuestLord is -- if you like these old 2D RPGs, you'll feel right at home here.

If you didn't play those games back in the day, you might think QuestLord is a little too low-fi, and that's fine -- its pixelated graphics are no match for more modern games. But I really like QuestLord, and I'm happy to pay the $1.99 to experience a new title that seems like it was made quite a while ago.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2013/02/20/daily-iphone-app-questlord-is-a-retro-rpg-trip-back-in-time/

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H&R Block for iPad

In the tax preparation world, there's no better-known name than H&R Block. It offers more tax solutions than any competitor, both face-to-face and digital. The company moved into the desktop tax preparation business many years ago when it purchased a popular application called TaxCut, and it's been competing head-to-head with TurboTax since then.

TurboTax almost always wins our Editor's Choice award, but not by much. H&R Block knows taxes, and its desktop and online tax preparation solutions reflect the decades of experience that the company has helping taxpayers around the globe. It ranks slightly behind TurboTax only because of the depth, volume and accessibility of its guidance features. Intuit also allows free email, chat and phone assistance, unlimited (within reason) contact with tax professionals. Getting personalized tax help from H&R Block can be an expensive proposition.

Like Intuit, H&R Block had its iPad version ready for the first time last year, though you couldn't complete a review using the Premium version of H&R Block At Home. This year, you can. Neither it nor Intuit allowed you to access the same return on both the iPad and a desktop or laptop computer. TurboTax still doesn't have that capability, but H&R Block for iPad does.

TurboTax still has a superior stable of help offerings, considering both the guidance within the app itself and the free phone support, and H&R Block still doesn't handle error-checking as gracefully and easily as TurboTax does. So while I prefer TurboTax for the iPad, H&R Block has improved its offering more over the last year.?

Almost Twins
H&R Block At Home Deluxe Online has a very simple, unadorned user interface. This translates well to the iPad, and the two versions are as similar as Intuit's versions of TurboTax. H&R Block for the iPad, as you might expect, supports a wide variety of tax issues, both common and not-so-common. It lets you prepare a return comprised of dozens of forms and schedules.

It does so by using a wizard-like process to get the information needed. Like its competitors, and like its online counterpart, H&R Block for the iPad lets you actually complete this process without paying; you only pay when it's time to file. The app starts by collecting information about you ? not just your name and address and Social Security number and your dependents (though it does ask for that early), but what life events have shaped your finances over the last year, so it knows where to concentrate its information-gathering efforts.

The app's wizard walks you through a kind of interview, similar to what might occur if you went into an H&R Block office. As you advance through the app's myriad screens, you're asked questions about your tax-related finances?your income and expenses?and your answers get dropped into the right fields on the right forms and schedules in the background after any necessary calculations are automatically done. You don't see your 1040 and so on until you're ready to file. You see simple questions, and you're provided with a variety of ways to answer them.

Simple Mechanics
Tax preparation software makers didn't invent wizards, but they use them as skillfully as anyone. Your journey through your tax return takes little effort on your part?just a lot of answers. Each screen asks you one or more questions, and you answer them by typing in a numeric value or some text (like the name of a bank), choosing from a list (like your dependent's relationship to you) or checking a box next to the correct response. When you're finished with one screen, you click the Next button to move on or the Back button to revisit the previous screen. None of H&R Block's tax preparation solutions let you jump ahead of the current screen until it's filled out.

There are other navigational alternatives. A vertical pane on the left of the screen displays the app's main sections. When you click on one, it opens a tree-like outline of all of the subtopics under that topic, like Adjustments and Deductions/IRA Conversions. Click on the "i" on the bottom of the screen, and a menu opens containing links to some site utilities and "Find a Form." When you select this, you can type a form or schedule number or letter, or a search phrase, and the app will display any options for that particular issue and let you go there (assuming you've already completed your return up to that point).

H&R Block's iPad app doesn't have the depth or volume of help tools that TurboTax for the iPad does. At various points in the interview process, a "Learn more" link opens a small window with clarifying information. If you want more than that, you can type your search phrase into the small Search box at the bottom of the screen. This opens the Help Center, which consists of dozens or hundreds of hits. So it's best to be as specific as possible when you enter your word or phrase, or you'll do a lot of scrolling.

A Weak Finish
When you've completed your return, the app checks your return for errors and omissions. If you click on "Fix Errors," you're not taken to a screen where you can actually make a change, and no field appears for your new answer like it does in TurboTax. H&R Block's review process on the iPad and online is its weakest link.

It's for this reason, plus the fact that TurboTax for the iPad's help system is better within the app (and personal questions via phone or chat are free) that I prefer Intuit's iPad-optimized version to H&R Block's. Kudos to H&R Block for allowing users to access their returns on both the iPad and a desktop or laptop, but that's not enough to propel it past TurboTax for the iPad for the 2012 tax year.

More Accounting and Tax Software Reviews:
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??? H&R Block for iPad
??? TaxACT Deluxe Tablet App (for iPad)
??? TurboTax SnapTax (for iPhone)
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