worrying eric: April 2013

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Thunder blast Rockets 120-91 in Game 1

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, left, reacts on the bench during the first quarter of Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Thunder center Kendrick Perkins watches at right. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives the lane against the Houston Rockets in the first quarter of Game 1 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks gestures during the first quarter of Game 1 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Houston Rockets guard James Harden(13) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) in the second quarter of Game 1 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin,left, grimaces as he is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, right, in the first quarter of Game 1 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? As awkward as he felt going up against his former teammate, Kevin Durant didn't have a problem quite literally standing in James Harden's way in the NBA playoffs.

Durant scored 24 points and drew a rare offensive charging foul, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed Harden and the Houston Rockets 120-91 on Sunday night in Game 1 of their playoff series.

Durant, who's known more for his three NBA scoring titles than for stepping in the way of oncoming opponents, got in Harden's way on a transition drive in the third quarter in a standout defensive effort for the Thunder against the league's second highest-scoring offense.

"It was all about giving your all every possession," Durant said.

Hours before going head-to-head with Harden, Durant said that "we're not looking at him as a friend right now." But even right before tipoff, the situation didn't seem natural.

"It felt a little awkward just looking across there during the national anthem and seeing him with another team, but we've got to get past that. We're competing against his team, and he wants to win so bad," Durant said. "We know him personally, so we know how hard he competes and he knows how hard we compete."

After letting Houston wipe away an 11-point deficit in the first half, the Thunder regained control with a 14-1 surge just before halftime and kept pouring it on.

Just after a fan nailed a half-court shot to win $20,000 in the break after the third quarter, Durant drove for a two-handed slam while getting fouled and Oklahoma City was soon up by 30.

Harden, playing against the team that traded him away just before the season started, had 20 points but the Rockets were held 15 points below their regular-season scoring average while shooting 36 percent. Houston, which set a franchise record for 3-pointers during the regular season, finished 8 for 36 (22 percent) from behind the arc.

"We were trying to be solid on the defensive end," Durant said. "We knew they were a great scoring team. We just tried to pack the paint and get out to their shooters. We had to make the second and third efforts, and I think we did that."

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

"We really don't have an excuse anymore," said Jeremy Lin, one of three Houston starters making their first career playoff apperance. "We've gotten it out and played terrible all the way across the board ? offensively, defensively. That one's over with."

The Thunder were already up by 23 when Larry Hill connected on the half-court shot and went bounding toward Oklahoma City's huddle in celebration, getting congratulated by Thabo Sefolosha before the team's bison mascot pulled him back away.

Durant's dunk sparked a string of seven straight points for Oklahoma City, and Harden never even came off the bench in the fourth quarter. Coach Scott Brooks called timeout and pulled Durant a few moments later, and reserves finished out the game for the Thunder.

"We wanted to take care of our home court," Durant said. "We didn't do anything yet."

Russell Westbrook ended up with 19 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Serge Ibaka chipped in 17 points and Kevin Martin, Harden's replacement in the sixth man role, had nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand.

It was an impressive playoff opener for top-seeded Oklahoma City, which made it to the NBA Finals last season before losing to Miami in five games. The Thunder led by as much as 35 before Houston's reserves cut into the lead in garbage time.

Harden didn't get much help the rest of his starting lineup, which features players with a total of three career playoff starts, all by center Omer Asik. None of the other starters scored in double figures and the unit went 17 for 50 from the field, with Harden making just six of his 19 attempts.

It was Houston's first playoff game in four years.

"James, on this team, has to shoulder a ton of responsibilities for us and he's been great all year long," coach Kevin McHale said. "He's had an all-pro type of year. ... He'll play better, just like everybody.

"We ask him to do an awful lot for us ? handle the ball, score the ball, pass the ball, make plays. I think that he had it going there for a little bit, but it wasn't James. It was us in general as a team. We never really caught a flow at all tonight."

Oklahoma City scored the first six points of the game and opened a 13-2 lead as the Rockets failed to make a basket for the first 6 minutes of the game and started out just 1 for 13 from the field. Houston eventually settled in and charged back with a 13-2 push spanning the break between the first two quarters, with Chandler Parsons providing the final five points on a two-handed putback jam and a 3-pointer.

Patrick Beverley pulled the Rockets even at 38 with a transition 3-pointer from the right wing, but the Rockets couldn't pull ahead before Oklahoma City's next surge.

Sefolosha had a two-handed slam on a fast break and also assisted on Kendrick Perkins' two-handed dunk during the burst, which extended Oklahoma City's lead to 60-45 before Harden's driving layup in the final second before halftime.

All but the first basket in the Thunder's run came after Asik joined Parsons on the bench with three fouls apiece.

The Rockets never recovered.

Notes: The game ball got switched out in the second quarter after it went into the stands and a drink was spilled on it. ... Harden scored a career-high 46 points in the Rockets' only regular-season win against Oklahoma City, but said he didn't gain any secrets from that performance to carry over into the playoffs. "I'm not going to lie. I was just making shots," he said. ... The Thunder improved to 18-5 in playoff games in Oklahoma City.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-22-BKN-Rockets-Thunder/id-6ffb45524f424f6387f8d1a997a280c6

Darla Moore newsweek Tony Scott UFC 151 empire state building Hurricane prince harry

Myanmar cancels Davis Cup events over security concerns

(Reuters) - Myanmar has decided to opt out of hosting two Davis Cup events due to security concerns following last month's anti-Muslim riots, the head of the country's tennis association said on Tuesday.

Myanmar was to host the 2013 Asia/Oceania Zone Group III and IV events from April 22-May 5 in Yangon where 19 nations were set to take part.

Sectarian violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar killed 43 people last month. Thousands, mostly Muslims, were driven from their homes and businesses as bloodshed spread across the Southeast Asian country.

"The government informed us on April 13 that we will need to postpone the events due to security reasons," Aung Maw Thein, president of the Tennis Federation of Myanmar, told Reuters.

"While the sports ministry did not divulge the details, I think it was because of last month's problems."

Players from a number of Muslim countries like Malaysia, Bahrain and Iraq were scheduled to play in the event and the International Tennis Federation has not yet decided on alternative dates and a venue.

The world governing body could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Ed Osmond)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-cancels-davis-cup-events-over-security-concerns-122211562--ten.html

coolio ricky rubio day light savings time peter paul and mary edgar rice burroughs dallas clark litter

EU regulators say smart card chipmakers may have been in cartel

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German chipmaker Infineon Technologies and several of its peers could be penalized after EU regulators said the companies may have taken part in a cartel to keep prices high.

The European Commission said in a statement it had sent a statement of objections setting out its concerns to the companies involved, without identifying the firms, which face fines up to 10 percent of their global revenue if found guilty.

The EU competition authority said it sent the charge sheet to the companies after talks to settle the case, which would have included a 10 percent cut in fines, broke down.

Infineon confirmed that it had received the statement of objections. Smart card chips are used in mobile phone SIM cards, bank cards, pay TVs, passports and identity cards.

NXP Semiconductors, which previously said it was under investigation, said on Monday it had not received the statement of objections.

The case started in January 2009 with raids on companies in several EU countries.

Atmel Corp previously said it was cooperating with the investigation, while Renesas Technology - a joint venture between Hitachi Ltd and Mitsubishi Electric - and France-based STMicroelectronics have confirmed the regulatory raids.

(Additional reporting by Harro Ten Wolde in Frankfurt; Editing by Rex Merrifield and David Holmes)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-regulators-smart-cart-chipmakers-may-cartel-095027355.html

mia amar e stoudemire m.i.a. adrianne curry hoekstra best superbowl commercials 2012 best super bowl ads

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Microalgae produce more oil faster for energy, food or products

Public release date: 7-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6042

Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6293

American Chemical Society

NEW ORLEANS, April 7, 2013 Scientists today described technology that accelerates microalgae's ability to produce many different types of renewable oils for fuels, chemicals, foods and personal-care products within days using standard industrial fermentation. The presentation was part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, with 12,000 presentations on advances in science and other topics, continues here through Thursday.

Walter Rakitsky, Ph.D, explained that microalgae are the original oil producers on earth, and that all of the oil-producing machinery present in higher plants resides within these single-cell organisms. Solazyme's breakthrough biotechnology platform unlocks the power of microalgae, achieving over 80 percent oil within each individual cell at commercial scale while changing the triglyceride oil paradigm by their ability to tailor the oil profiles by carbon chain and saturation. The ability to produce multiple oils in a matter of days out of one plant location using standard industrial fermentation is a game-changer. Solazyme's patented microalgae strains have become the workhorses of a growing industry focused on producing commercial quantities of microalgal oil for energy and food applications. Rakitsky is with Solazyme, Inc., of South San Francisco, Calif., one of the largest and most successful of those companies, which in 2011 supplied 100 percent microalgal-derived advanced biofuel for the first U.S. passenger jetliner flight powered by advanced biofuel.

In a keynote talk at the ACS meeting, Rakitsky described Solazyme's technology platform that enables the company to produce multiple oils from heart-healthy high-oleic oils for food to oils that are tailored to have specific performance and functionality benefits in industry, such as safer dielectric fluids and oils that are the highest-value cuts of the barrel for advanced fuels. The benefits of these oils far surpass those of other oils that are currently available today.

"For the first time in history, we have unlocked the ability to completely design and tailor oils," he said. "This breakthrough allows us to create oils optimized for everything from high-performance jet and diesel fuel to renewable chemicals to skin-care products and heart-healthy food oils. These oils could replace or enhance the properties of oils derived from the world's three dominant sources: petroleum, plants and animals."

Producing custom-tailored oils starts with optimizing the algae to produce the right kind of oil, and from there, the flexibility of the fermentation platform really comes into play. Solazyme is able to produce all of these oils in one location simply by switching out the strain of microalgae they use, Rakitsky explained. Unlike other algal oil production processes, in which algae grow in open ponds, Solazyme grows microalgae in total darkness in the same kind of fermentation vats used to produce vinegar, medicines and scores of other products. Instead of sunlight, energy for the microalgae's growth comes from low-cost, plant-based sugars. This gives the company a completely consistent, repeatable industrial process to produce tailored oil at scale.

Sugar from traditional sources such as sugarcane and corn has advantages for growing microalgae, especially their abundance and relatively low cost, Rakitsky said. The company's first fit-for-purpose commercial-scale production plant is under construction with their partner Bunge next to a sugarcane mill in Brazil. Initial production capacity will be 110,000 tons of microalgal oil annually, expanding up to 330,700 tons. In addition, the company has a production agreement with ADM in Clinton, Iowa, for 22,000 tons of oil, expandable to 110,000 tons. Ultimately, cellulosic sources of sugars from non-food plants or plant waste materials, like grasses or corn stover, may take over as those technologies reach the right scale and cost structures.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

Abstract

Solazyme, Inc. is a renewable oil and bioproducts company that transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value tailored triglyceride oils. Headquartered in South San Francisco, Solazyme's renewable products can replace or enhance the properties of oils derived from the world's three dominant sources: petroleum, plants, and animals.

Harnessing the oil-producing capabilities of microalgae, Solazyme's biotechnology platform utilizes standard industrial fermentation equipment to efficiently scale and accelerate natural oil development cycle time from years to merely a few days. By feeding simple plant sugars to proprietary strains of microalgae in industrial fermentation vessels, Solazyme takes advantage of "indirect photosynthesis", in contrast to the traditional open-pond approaches most often associated with microalgae.

Today, Solazyme's biotechnology platform is pioneering the expanded the use of renewable, resources by producing oils that are tailored to meet specific industry demands, impacting end-use applications ranging from fuels to chemicals to foods. These unique oil profiles have performance and functionality benefits that far surpass what's currently available.

Throughout this presentation, Solazyme will highlight the versatility of the technology platform by discussing the properties and applications of a new source of renewable oils derived from microalgae.

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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

Microalgae produce more oil faster for energy, food or products Public release date: 7-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6042

Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society

NEW ORLEANS, April 7, 2013 Scientists today described technology that accelerates microalgae's ability to produce many different types of renewable oils for fuels, chemicals, foods and personal-care products within days using standard industrial fermentation. The presentation was part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, with 12,000 presentations on advances in science and other topics, continues here through Thursday.

Walter Rakitsky, Ph.D, explained that microalgae are the original oil producers on earth, and that all of the oil-producing machinery present in higher plants resides within these single-cell organisms. Solazyme's breakthrough biotechnology platform unlocks the power of microalgae, achieving over 80 percent oil within each individual cell at commercial scale while changing the triglyceride oil paradigm by their ability to tailor the oil profiles by carbon chain and saturation. The ability to produce multiple oils in a matter of days out of one plant location using standard industrial fermentation is a game-changer. Solazyme's patented microalgae strains have become the workhorses of a growing industry focused on producing commercial quantities of microalgal oil for energy and food applications. Rakitsky is with Solazyme, Inc., of South San Francisco, Calif., one of the largest and most successful of those companies, which in 2011 supplied 100 percent microalgal-derived advanced biofuel for the first U.S. passenger jetliner flight powered by advanced biofuel.

In a keynote talk at the ACS meeting, Rakitsky described Solazyme's technology platform that enables the company to produce multiple oils from heart-healthy high-oleic oils for food to oils that are tailored to have specific performance and functionality benefits in industry, such as safer dielectric fluids and oils that are the highest-value cuts of the barrel for advanced fuels. The benefits of these oils far surpass those of other oils that are currently available today.

"For the first time in history, we have unlocked the ability to completely design and tailor oils," he said. "This breakthrough allows us to create oils optimized for everything from high-performance jet and diesel fuel to renewable chemicals to skin-care products and heart-healthy food oils. These oils could replace or enhance the properties of oils derived from the world's three dominant sources: petroleum, plants and animals."

Producing custom-tailored oils starts with optimizing the algae to produce the right kind of oil, and from there, the flexibility of the fermentation platform really comes into play. Solazyme is able to produce all of these oils in one location simply by switching out the strain of microalgae they use, Rakitsky explained. Unlike other algal oil production processes, in which algae grow in open ponds, Solazyme grows microalgae in total darkness in the same kind of fermentation vats used to produce vinegar, medicines and scores of other products. Instead of sunlight, energy for the microalgae's growth comes from low-cost, plant-based sugars. This gives the company a completely consistent, repeatable industrial process to produce tailored oil at scale.

Sugar from traditional sources such as sugarcane and corn has advantages for growing microalgae, especially their abundance and relatively low cost, Rakitsky said. The company's first fit-for-purpose commercial-scale production plant is under construction with their partner Bunge next to a sugarcane mill in Brazil. Initial production capacity will be 110,000 tons of microalgal oil annually, expanding up to 330,700 tons. In addition, the company has a production agreement with ADM in Clinton, Iowa, for 22,000 tons of oil, expandable to 110,000 tons. Ultimately, cellulosic sources of sugars from non-food plants or plant waste materials, like grasses or corn stover, may take over as those technologies reach the right scale and cost structures.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Follow us: Twitter | Facebook

Abstract

Solazyme, Inc. is a renewable oil and bioproducts company that transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value tailored triglyceride oils. Headquartered in South San Francisco, Solazyme's renewable products can replace or enhance the properties of oils derived from the world's three dominant sources: petroleum, plants, and animals.

Harnessing the oil-producing capabilities of microalgae, Solazyme's biotechnology platform utilizes standard industrial fermentation equipment to efficiently scale and accelerate natural oil development cycle time from years to merely a few days. By feeding simple plant sugars to proprietary strains of microalgae in industrial fermentation vessels, Solazyme takes advantage of "indirect photosynthesis", in contrast to the traditional open-pond approaches most often associated with microalgae.

Today, Solazyme's biotechnology platform is pioneering the expanded the use of renewable, resources by producing oils that are tailored to meet specific industry demands, impacting end-use applications ranging from fuels to chemicals to foods. These unique oil profiles have performance and functionality benefits that far surpass what's currently available.

Throughout this presentation, Solazyme will highlight the versatility of the technology platform by discussing the properties and applications of a new source of renewable oils derived from microalgae.

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/acs-mpm032213.php
mirror mirror google maps 8 bit texas relays meniscus robyn the colony ncaa final four 2012

AP Interview: Dempsey on Afghan security handoff

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, pins a Combat Infantrymen Badge on an unidentified soldier at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Afghanistan's Paktika province during his visit to the base Sunday, April 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Robert Burns)

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) ? The top U.S. military officer said Sunday he believes parts of Afghanistan will be contested by the Taliban after international forces complete their planned withdrawal by the end of 2014, and that could be the case for years to come.

U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey also told The Associated Press in an interview that Afghans will take the security lead throughout the country before summer, as agreed in January by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama.

Wrapping up a visit to Afghanistan, Dempsey said that he was cautious about the final stage of handing off security responsibility to Afghan forces and optimistic about the chances it ultimately will prove successful.

Afghan forces have been increasingly taking the lead in combat operations as international forces move to complete their withdrawal by the end of 2014.

There are about 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan now, including 66,000 from the United States. The U.S. troop total is scheduled to drop to about 32,000 by early next year, with the bulk of the decline occurring during the winter months.

While there has been no final decision on the size of the post-2014 force, U.S. and NATO leaders say they are considering a range of between 8,000 and 12,000 ? most of them trainers and advisers.

Asked if he believes that some parts of Afghanistan will be contested by the Taliban in 2015, Dempsey said, "Yes, of course there will be. And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the history of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas."

Dempsey, who held talks with U.S. commanders and Afghan security officials, said he was not bothered by the prospect of the U.S. and NATO relinquishing the lead combat role this year while the Taliban continues to hold sway in some less populated areas.

The war is now in its 12th year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-07-US-Afghanistan/id-f6605558c70145f1accd6b13307a0fc4

julianne hough brandy michael pineda charles taylor bruins boston bruins carl crawford

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Daring, Dangerous DIY: Pants With Benefits?

They are pants. Or maybe we should call them Pants with Benefits. Some of you ? especially parents of young teens ? will find them totally inappropriate. The folks at Instructables.com find them totally silly, which is why they invented them.

Randy Sarafan (author of 62 Projects to Make With A Dead Computer) and his gang at Instructables.com run one of the world's premier do-it-yourself sites; inventors from all over the world submit ideas, documentation, instructions ? at this point they've gathered tens of thousands of ideas, and browsing through, you'll find solar-powered driveway lights, aquarium coffee tables, all kinds of ingenious devices, documented for free, all buildable, if you can follow instructions and have all the parts, which in this case includes:

A Romantic partner.
Ordinary trousers (with zipper)
A 7805 voltage regulator
An M-type power plug
8" x 6" x 3" project enclosure
12" x 18" x 1/8" acrylic sheet
6-32 x 1" nuts and bolts
Lamp power cord
SmartFan AC-VX Fan Controller
9V battery holder
10uF capacitator
5V reed relays
1/8" mono panel-mount jacks
And more stuff that I'm not listing here

Put 'em all together and you will have yourself a pair of "Romance Pants." That's what they're calling them. And here's what they do:

In the event that someone (presumably not the wearer) begins to pull the pants zipper downward, lights in the surrounding room will dim, the stereo will turn on, and upon unbuttoning the waist button, strategically placed candles will suddenly, electronically ignite, creating a glow so romantic and so pleasing, the sensual effect, says Randy, "is sure to shock and awe any prospective partner into ecstatic submission."

In support of which, the gang at Instructables have made a video. (Parents: Don't worry. No one gets undressed. Too many wires would suddenly be unhidden.) (Serious people: Don't watch this. It's silly ? though it gets better; the last half shows people sewing and soldering.)

You may have noticed the prominently displayed Red Bull logo (on the "belt"). That's because these pants were submitted to a Red Bull-sponsored design competition.

Here's a more technical account of what they did from Goli Mohammadi, blogging for Make:

Competing teams were sent the custom Bullduino, Red Bull-branded Arduino microcontroller. Team Instructables used the Bullduino as the belt buckle, hooked up to a modded wireless shield, then fashioned a zipper potentiometer and a waist button switch. ... Combine that with some hacked electric ignition candles (that use a combination of nichrome wire and shaved match head dust to rapidly ignite when hooked up to power), a stereo remote hack, a custom six-outlet main controller, and some sexy programming, and magic happens.

There is, of course, one obvious problem. Most of the time, zippers are lowered for a very different purpose. So these pants should probably come with a warning: Avoid Drinking While Wearing. And keep a fire extinguisher near the sofa.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/04/03/176121174/daring-dangerous-diy-pants-with-benefits?ft=1&f=1007

Restaurants Open on Christmas Day jessica simpson santa tracker happy holidays Stores Open On Christmas Day Santa Claus Feliz Navidad

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

NRA study suggests trained, armed school staffers

National School Shield Task Force Director, former Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson gestures during a news conference at National Press Club in Washington, Tuesday, April 2, 2013, to discuss his groups's school-guns study. The National Rifle Association's study recommends schools across the nation each train and arm at least one staff member. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Mark Mattioli the father of a child killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, gestures during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, Tuesday, April 2, 2013, where he talked about the National School Shield Task Force program. The National School Shield program is a frame work to arm security guards in any school system who want to be part of the program. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

National School Shield Task Force Director, former Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson, holds a copy of group's study during a news conference at National Press Club in Washington, Tuesday, April 2, 2013. The National Rifle Association's study recommends schools across the nation each train and arm at least one staff member. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

National School Shield Task Force Director, former Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson speaks with reporters after a news conference at National Press Club in Washington, on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. The National School Shield program is a frame work to arm security guards in any school system who want to be part of the program. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate gun control debate on the near horizon, a National Rifle Association-sponsored report on Tuesday proposed a program for schools to train selected staffers as armed security officers. The former Republican congressman who headed the study suggested at least one protector with firearms for every school, saying it would speed responses to attacks.

The report's release served as the gun-rights group's answer to improving school safety after the gruesome December slayings of 20 first-graders and six adults at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. And it showed the organization giving little ground in its fight with President Barack Obama over curbing firearms.

Obama's chief proposals include broader background checks for gun buyers and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines ? both of which the NRA opposes.

The study ? unveiled at a news conference watched over by several burly, NRA-provided guards ? made eight recommendations, including easing state laws that might bar a trained school staff member from carrying firearms and improving school coordination with law enforcement agencies. But drawing the most attention was its suggested 40- to 60-hour training for school employees who pass background checks to also provide armed protection while at work.

"The presence of an armed security personnel in a school adds a layer of security and diminishes the response time that is beneficial to the overall security," said Asa Hutchinson, a GOP former congressman from Arkansas who directed the study.

Asked whether every school would be better off with an armed security officer, Hutchinson replied, "Yes," but acknowledged the decision would be made locally.

It is unusual for guards to provide security at events that lack a major public figure at the National Press Club, which houses offices for many news organizations. NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said he did not know whether the guards were armed, and several guards declined to say if they were.

Hutchinson said school security could be provided by trained staff members or school resource officers ? police officers assigned to schools that some districts already have.

Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said while a trained law enforcement officer with a gun would be valuable, his group opposes arming "a teacher or an employee who simply has taken a course and now has the ability to carry a weapon."

The Brady Campaign, a leading gun-control group, accused the NRA of "missing the point" by ignoring the need for expanded background checks and other measures the Senate is considering. It said people want "a comprehensive solution that not only addresses tragic school shootings, but also helps prevent the thousands of senseless gun deaths each year."

Also denouncing the recommendations was Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 1.5 million teachers and other workers. She called it a "cruel hoax that will fail to keep our children and schools safe" while helping only gun manufacturers.

The NRA released its report as congressional momentum seems to have stalled for any sweeping steps to curb firearms violence.

Top Senate Democrats have little hope for a proposed ban on assault weapons, and the prospects for barring large-capacity magazines also seem difficult. Key senators remain short of a bipartisan compromise on requiring gun transactions between private individuals to undergo federal background checks, which currently apply only to sales handled by licensed gun dealers. The Senate plans to begin debating gun legislation next week.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said administration officials were seeking middle ground and emphasized background checks, widely seen by gun control advocates as the most effective step available.

"We are working with lawmakers of both parties, and trying to achieve a compromise that can make this happen. Especially when it comes to the background checks," Carney told reporters.

The spokesman commented as a White House official revealed that the president plans a trip next week to Connecticut, scene of the horrific elementary school shootings that spurred the new push for gun control legislation. Obama wants to use the trip to build pressure on Congress to pass legislation.

Obama also plans to focus on firearms curbs in a trip Wednesday to Denver, not far from last summer's mass shooting in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

The 225-page study cost the NRA more than $1 million, Hutchinson said. The task force included several former top officials of federal law enforcement and security agencies, including the Secret Service and Homeland Security Department.

Hutchinson acknowledged that the study omitted an earlier NRA recommendation that retired police officers and other volunteers be armed to provide school safety. He said the idea encountered "great reluctance" from school superintendents.

Hutchinson said the NRA did not interfere with his task force's work. In a written statement, the NRA said the report "will go a long way to making America's schools safer."

Hutchinson also called "totally inadequate" a gun control measure working through the Connecticut legislature that includes a tightening of the state's assault weapons ban. The measure wouldn't prevent an attacker with a handgun or other firearms from attacking a school, he said.

Debbie Leidlein, chairwoman of the Newtown Board of Education, said having trained staff members carry weapons "can become a dangerous situation to have any individuals outside of those who have police training to be carrying weapons around children."

But the proposal won support from Mark Mattioli, whose 6-year-old son James was killed at Newtown and who attended the NRA news conference.

"These are recommendations for solutions, real solutions that will make our kids safer," Mattioli said.

___

Associated Press writers John Christoffersen in New Haven, Conn., and Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-02-US-Gun-Control/id-028622350f4b4622a09044f70dba21c4

eric johnson big east tournament ashley olsen new apple tv sun flare love hewitt new ipad

As interest in kosher food surges, chefs take it gourmet

The market for kosher products is surging ? driven by growing interest among non-Jews ? and with it interest in making kosher cooking more upscale.?

By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / March 25, 2013

Chef Yochanan Lambiase, who in 2004 established the world's first kosher culinary institute, explains what to look for in a fish at a shop in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market.

Christa Case Bryant / The Christian Science Monitor

Enlarge

The press of humanity at Jerusalem?s Machane Yehuda market just might cause the uninitiated visitor to do a face-plant in a heap of eggplants.

Skip to next paragraph Christa Case Bryant

Jerusalem bureau chief

Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Recent posts