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Wednesday, April 10, 2013
HopStop Live!: It's Like Waze But For Public Transportation
High salt levels in Saharan groundwater endanger oases farming
Apr. 8, 2013 ? For more than 40 years, snowmelt and runoff from Morocco's High Atlas Mountains has been dammed and redirected hundreds of kilometers to the south to irrigate oases farms in the arid, sub-Saharan Draa Basin.
But a new study by American and Moroccan scientists finds that far from alleviating water woes for the six farm oases in the basin, the inflow of imported water has exacerbated problems by dramatically increasing the natural saltiness of their groundwater.
Researchers from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, Morocco, measured dissolved salt levels as high as 12,000 milligrams per liter at some locations -- far above the 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams per liter most crops can tolerate.
Dissolved salt levels in the groundwater of the three southernmost farm oases are now so high they endanger the long-term sustainability of date palm farming there.
"The flow of imported surface water onto farm fields has caused natural salts in the desert soil and underlying rock strata to dissolve and leach into local groundwater supplies," said Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "Over time, the buildup of dissolved salt levels has become irreversible."
The team of Duke and Ibn Zohr scientists was able to know this by identifying the distinctive geochemical and isotopic signatures of different elements in the water, such as oxygen, strontium and boron. Elements in low-saline water have different stable isotope signatures, or fingerprints, than those in high-saline water.
"Once we get a water sample's fingerprint, we can compare it to the fingerprints of other samples and track the nature of the salinity source," explained Nathaniel Warner, a Ph.D. student at Duke's Nicholas School who led the study. "We can also track the source of low-saline water flowing into a system."
The practice of importing freshwater to irrigate crops is widespread throughout much of the world's arid regions, Vengosh noted. Governments have invested billions of dollars to construct reservoirs, dams, pipelines, canals and other infrastructure to bring the vital resource from areas where it is plentiful to where it is scarce.
This is a short-term solution at best, he said. Future climate change models predict significant reductions in precipitation in the Southern Mediterranean and Northern Africa regions in coming decades. Snowmelt and runoff will diminish. Local groundwater may be the best -- perhaps only -- source of water remaining for many communities.
"Protecting this vital resource, and helping governments in desert areas worldwide find new, untapped sources of it, is the wiser approach in the long run," Vengosh said. "The forensic tracing technologies we used in this study can help do that."
Warner noted that by using the isotopic fingerprinting technologies, the researchers discovered a previously overlooked low-saline water source that flows naturally into the Draa Basin from the adjacent Anti-Atlas Jabel Saghro Mountains. The natural flow of freshwater from this source dilutes the saltiness of nearby groundwater aquifers and improves prospects for the future of farming at the basin's three northernmost oases.
Dissolved salt levels in these oases' groundwater are between 450 and 4,225 milligrams per liter -- a more sustainable level, especially for growing date palms, which are the primary commercial crop in the basin and relatively salt-tolerant.
"Prior to our study, people didn't think this was a major water input into the Draa system," Vengosh said. "We now know it is -- and that it deserves to be protected as such."
Vengosh and Warner conducted the study with five Moroccan scientists and graduate students led by Lhoussaine Bouchaou of the Applied Geology and Geo-Environment Laboratory at Ibn Zohr University. They analyzed more than 100 water samples collected in 2009 and 2010 from sites above, below and at the human-made reservoir that stores and releases runoff from the High Atlas Mountains into the Draa Basin. Samples were collected from surface water, hand-dug wells, boreholes and springs.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Duke University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- N. Warner, Z. Lgourna, L. Bouchaou, S. Boutaleb, T. Tagma, M. Hsaissoune, A. Vengosh. Integration of geochemical and isotopic tracers for elucidating water sources and salinization of shallow aquifers in the sub-Saharan Dr?a Basin, Morocco. Applied Geochemistry, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.03.005
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/G_P-ZNzJCLU/130408133859.htm
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Tuesday, April 9, 2013
China confident it can control bird flu outbreak
BEIJING (Reuters) - China is confident it can control an outbreak of a new strain of bird flu, a senior Chinese health official said on Sunday as the World Health Organization (WHO) said there had now been 21 human cases of the H7N9 flu with six deaths.
China has said it is mobilizing resources nationwide to combat the new strain, monitoring hundreds of close contacts of confirmed cases and culling tens of thousands of birds where traces of the virus were found.
"We are confident we can effectively control it (H7N9)," the head of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission Li Bin told Reuters on the sidelines of a World Health Organization-backed event in Beijing.
Li did not elaborate, but she is the most senior Chinese health official yet to publicly comment on the subject.
In an update from its headquarters in Geneva, the WHO said more than 530 close contacts of the 21 people now listed as confirmed cases are being closely monitored for any signs of similar disease.
"At this time there is no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission," it said.
The bird flu outbreak has caused global concern and some Chinese internet users and newspapers have questioned why it took so long for the government to announce the new cases, especially as two of the victims fell ill in February.
The government has said it needed time to correctly identify the virus.
The WHO's representative to China, Dr. Michael O'Leary, repeated that no evidence of transmission between humans has been found and praised China for its efforts to determine the source of the virus.
"I'm very impressed with the action of the laboratories in this regard," O'Leary said at a World Health Day event in the Chinese capital.
"China is demonstrating their ability to get on top of this problem quickly," he said.
In 2003, authorities initially tried to cover up an epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which emerged in China and killed about 10 percent of the 8,000 people it infected worldwide.
Other strains of bird flu, such as H5N1, have been circulating for many years and can be transmitted from bird to bird, and bird to human, but not generally from human to human.
(Reporting by Michael Martina in Beijing and Kate Kelland in London, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jason Webb)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-confident-control-bird-flu-outbreak-084931042.html
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Russian opposition leader: Putin ordered trial
MOSCOW (AP) ? One of Russia's most prominent opposition leaders claims that President Vladimir Putin has "undoubtedly" ordered an embezzlement trial against him.
Alexey Navalny, a lawyer and popular blogger, exposed official corruption and spearheaded a series of massive protests in Moscow against Putin's return to the presidency. He is to go on trial April 17 on charges of leading an organized crime group that stole timber worth about $500,000 while he worked for a provincial governor.
Navalny said in an interview on Ekho Moskvy radio Monday that "of course, he had no doubts" that Putin gave direct orders to try him.
Scores of opposition activists have faced arrests, searches and criminal probes after the anti-Putin rallies.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-opposition-leader-putin-ordered-trial-181635865.html
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Monday, April 8, 2013
04/06/2013 - Garage Sale at Grace Lutheran Church
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Source: http://www.monroetalks.com/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=48356
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Flour Sack Mama: Family-Focused Home Concerns on The Housing ...
A note from Stonyfield about Yo-Getters...
"Over the past several months, we at Stonyfield have met, worked with, and been following so many amazing parenting bloggers. We wanted to formalize those relationships and continue the dialogue on healthy eating.
Many of you wanted to know more about the food you feed your families and we wanted a way to empower you with information that you can share with your networks. As a result, the Yo-Getters ambassador group was born!
We wanted to get to know this passionate group of parents and bring them inside our world so that can get to know us better, too. Throughout this first year, we'd like to provide exciting and meaningful opportunities for you to engage with our brands and learn more about the mission that drives us - healthy, organic food that's better for us and the planet. The more we share with you, the more you can share with your networks- and the more people that get to know their food the better.
Since this is not a paid ambassador group, we also understand the importance of highlighting and promoting your blogs through our networks to increase traffic and readership. We are trying to communicate the same message: We're all invested in feeding our families in a healthy way, and in order to do so, we need to know what's in the food we're eating. "
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All content on this site is for informational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not expert or professional advice in health, medicine, science, environmentalism, construction, law, taxation, economics or any area. Flour Sack Mama makes no representations about accuracy or timeliness of content and will not be liable for any errors on the site or on sites linked to it. Not responsible for any results or damages arising from the information consumed. Individuals should seek professional medical advice from their physicians about any and all health-related issues, including, but not limited to, exercise, diet and the use of skin care products. Some individuals may have sensitivities even to natural, plant-based, organic products and should use caution. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers should consult their physician about the use of natural ingredients, just as they would for synthetic product ingredients. All content provided on an as-is basis. All text, photos, entire content of site, unless otherwise noted with specific copyright, are copyright Flour Sack Mama 2010, 2011, 2012.
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Source: http://floursackmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/family-focused-home-concerns-on-housing.html
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Thursday, April 4, 2013
Civilian hospitalized after shooting at Fort Knox
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Showcase building in Russia's Chechnya engulfed in flames
GROZNY, Russia (Reuters) - A 45-storey building in the middle of Grozny meant to showcase the regeneration of the capital of Russia's Chechnya region after years of civil war was engulfed in flames on Wednesday.
Dozens of fire crews battled for hours to extinguish the fire that spread quickly through the newly built and vacant building - the highest in the city that was once a byword for destruction and chaos during two wars in the 1990s.
"It's so sad to see this happening because this has been a symbol of peace, a symbol of the end of the war in Chechnya, the only attraction in the city, everybody was proud of it," said Temila Sagaipova in Grozny.
"I hope they will rebuild it soon so as not to let a burnt down ruin sit in the middle of the city," she added, standing in a crowd of some 600 people who gathered to watch as flames leapt up one side of the building and spread inside.
Officials said an electrical short circuit rather than a rebel arson attack was the most likely cause of the fire on the shiny steel and glass structure, part of a new business and residential development called Grozny City near the capital's main mosque and local government offices.
More than a decade after Moscow re-established control over Chechnya, violence is still an almost daily phenomenon in parts of the restive republic in the North Caucasus where insurgents say they are fighting to set up a separate Islamist state.
Rights groups say the revolt is also driven by corruption and grievances against the strong-arm tactics of Moscow-backed Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, and his forces.
Activists accuse Kadyrov's security services of carrying out kidnappings, torture and extrajudicial killings to try to quash an Islamist insurgency.
He denies the accusations and points to Grozny's new architecture as a symbol of peace and his personal success.
(Reporting by Asyet Meshiyeva; Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Jon Hemming)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/showcase-building-russias-chechnya-engulfed-flames-203037352.html
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Tuesday, April 2, 2013
This Teensy Keychain Knife Could Save Your Life One Day
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'Buckwild' star Shain Gandee dead at 21
MTV
By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor
Updated at 1:55 p.m. ET:?Shain Gandee, a star on the MTV reality program "Buckwild," has died, NBC affiliate WSAZ confirmed on Monday.
The 21-year-old and his uncle, David Gandee, were reported missing on Sunday according to the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office. The two were said to have been last seen at a Sissonville, W. Va., bar around 3 a.m., and they then planned to go four-wheeling.
According to Kanawha County Commission President Ken Carper, the bodies of Shain and two others were found in a truck in Sissonville on Monday.
There's no word yet on the identities of the other two people.
Family members began to search for Shain and his uncle on Sunday before officially reporting them missing.
Shain, along with "Buckwild" co-star Shae Bradley, appeared on TODAY in January, to defend their then-new show from critics who feared their on-screen antics would reinforce negative stereotypes about West Virginians.
Shain's defense of the show now strikes a sad tone. "You only live once, so live it up," he said.
MTV was reportedly filming a second season of the show at the time of Shain's death.
In a statement to TODAY, MTV said, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly."
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Monday, April 1, 2013
Brew Control Turns Your iPhone into a Mobile Barista
iPhone: If you take your morning cup of coffee seriously, Brew Control is a useful iPhone app that helps keep your brewing consistent.
The app lets you choose from a variety of brewing methods, including Aeropress, espresso, and pourover, then set your preferred coffee to water ratio for each. Once you've set up your recipe, you can adjust the grams of coffee you'll be using, and Brew Control will tell you exactly how much water to add. The app even includes some customizable timers to keep your brewing times consistent.
If you're new to coffee, the developer included his own tips and instructional videos for each brewing method, and if you want to learn more, you can also check out our recent morning school series on the subject.
Brew Control ($1.99) | App Store via Shawn Blanc
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Skype for Windows 8 gains contact blocking and performance improvements
Those of you using Skype in Windows 8 will be happy to know that Microsoft's just bumped the app to version 1.6. It's been a few months since the last update, and this revision brings more features to the table, including contact blocking and a slew of performance tweaks. You're now able to block users, with an option to remove or report the offending party. Speed and reliability have been improved, especially when loading contacts, and a number of bugs have been fixed, including one where the outgoing video was not always displayed after switching cameras. The update's available in Windows Store, so what are you waiting for?
Filed under: Microsoft
Source: Skype Blogs
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/4Z5MGj82FJU/
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Police: Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat
Thomas Coex / AFP - Getty Images
French police stand guard near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on March 30, 2013. The Eiffel Tower was evacuated after an anonymous phone call announced an attack, said a police source. The perimeter of the monument was secured and about 1,400 people were evacuated shortly before 9 p.m.
By Nancy Ing and Becky Bratu, NBC News
French police say the Eiffel Tower has been completely evacuated after an anonymous individual called in a bomb threat Saturday.
The call received at 7 p.m. local time warned of a possible attack at 9:30 p.m. local time.
Investigators used sniffer dogs to search the Eiffel Tower for any suspicious devices.
About 1,400 tourists and staffers were evacuated from the tower. French police have received similar calls in the past and have always evacuated the famous tourist attraction as a precaution. The tower was evacuated at least once last year and twice in 2011, according to The Associated Press.
News website Le Parisien reported that police said the threat was called in from a telephone booth in a Paris suburb.
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Mosquito Squad Opens 100th Franchise In Southeast Georgia To ...
Company Continues Expansion of the Nation's Largest Tick & Mosquito Elimination Brand
RICHMOND, Va. - March 27, 2013 // PRNewswire // - Mosquito Squad, North America's largest and most trusted tick and mosquito control brand, has hit a milestone with the opening of its 100th franchise location, Mosquito Squad of Southeast Georgia owned by Michael and Monica Fendley of Woodbine, GA.
Mosquito Squad specializes in eliminating mosquitoes and ticks from outdoor living spaces so homeowners can enjoy their yards, outdoor events, and outdoor living and dining spaces. Now with over 120 locations slated to open this Spring, the company has been recognized as one of the country's fastest growing franchise concepts in 2012 and 2011 by INC. Magazine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5,387 cases of West Nile were reported in 2012, with 243 deaths. West Nile is spread only via the bite of an infected mosquito. Incidents of Lyme disease, spread via ticks, have increased as well, with more than 32,000 confirmed and probable cases reported in 2012, up from 22,000 in 2011.
"The mosquito and tick populations and associated diseases such as West Nile Virus and Lyme disease have grown exponentially in the U.S. over the past several years, and our growth is due in part to that," said Scott Zide , president and COO of Outdoor Living Brands, parent company of Mosquito Squad. "Our goal is to educate homeowners on how to take a proactive approach to mosquito and tick elimination so that they can enjoy outdoor living in comfort."
The Fendley's service area includes Golden Isles , Kings Bay, Cumberland National Seashore Cities, Allenhurst, Alma, Altama, Ashintilly, Baxley, Bayview, Blackshear, Bristol, Brunswick, Carnigan, Cox, Crescent, Darien, Doctortown, Donald, Elim, Eulonia, Everett, Fleming, Flemington, Folkston, Fort Stewart, Gardi, Glennville, Graham, Gum Branch, Guysie, Hickory Bluff, Hickox, Hinesville, Hoboken, Homeland, Hortense, Jekyll Island, Jesup, Jones, Jot Em Down Store, Kings Bay, Kingsland, Ludowici, Lulaton, Madray Springs , Manor, McKinnon, Mendes, Meridian, Mershon, Midway, Nahunta, Odum, Okefenokee, Patterson, Pine Grove, Piney Bluff, Raybon, Retreat, Riceboro, Richmond Hill, Ridgeville, Rockingham, Saint George, Saint Marys, Saint Simons Island, Screven, Sea Island, Sears, Shellman Bluff , South Newport, Spring Bluff , Sterling, Surrency, Thalman, Tison, Townsend, Valona, Waverly, Waycross, Waynesville, White Oak and Woodbine.
For more information, contact Michael and Monica Fendley at (912) 576 - 4300 or via email: southeastgeorgia@mosquitosquad.com.
About Mosquito Squad
With more than 100 franchise locations nationwide, Mosquito Squad specializes in eliminating mosquitoes and ticks from outdoor living spaces, allowing Americans to enjoy their yards, outdoor living spaces, special events and green spaces. Mosquito Squad, an Outdoor Living Brands company, was certified as a World Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute in 2012, 2011, and 2010 and was rated one of the Top 50 Franchises by Franchise Business Review, receiving their 2012, 2011 and 2010 Franchisee Satisfaction Award. For more information, visit www.MosquitoSquad.com, www.MosquitoSquadFranchise.com and www.OutdoorLivingBrands.com.
SOURCE Mosquito Squad
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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130327_mosquito_squad_opens_100th_franchise_in_southeast_.html
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Digg.com Disappears From Google, Old Digg Links May Be To Blame [UPDATE: Google Admits Mistake]
Digg.com and other links from its website have disappeared from Google's search result pages, following a recent update to Google's algorithms. It's unclear at this time exactly what caused the site to be de-listed, though the current speculation is that it has to do with Digg pointing to bad or spammy links. [UPDATE: See below, Google says it will fix the problem].Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GU8ip8RpTyw/
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Police and Family Services Raid NJ Man's Home Over Photo of Son ...
10:00 am ET March 20, 2013
New Jersey dad Shawn Moore got quite a shock when police and representatives from the Department of Child Services showed up at his home after he posted a picture of his son to Facebook. In the photo, 10-year-old Josh can be seen proudly holding the .22 caliber rifle he got for his birthday.
Shawn and Josh Moore joined Fox and Friends this morning to tell their story. According to Shawn, when authorities showed up at their home, they said they wanted to look through the house to make sure that guns weren?t available to his children. They also wanted to access his safe in order to run the serial numbers on his weapons to confirm that they were all registered to him. They did not have a warrant.
Moore said the request immediately raised red flags. ?I think it?s totally illegal cause in New Jersey, you don?t have to register your firearms. I didn?t commit any crime, I wasn?t charged with anything,? he said.
WATCH: What Does Judge Napolitano Think of This!?
He was able to quickly get his lawyer on the phone, who advised him not to open the safe. At that point, the representatives from the Department of Child Services threatened to take his children away if he didn?t open it. Moore stood his ground and after about an hour of discussion, they left and never returned with a warrant.
WATCH: Obama Caught Whispering About Congress Upon Arrival in Israel
PHOTOS: Racy Pics Get Houston Police Sergeant Demoted
RAID VIDEO: Dramatic Footage Captures Police Raid of Murder Plot Suspect?s Room on UCF Campus
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Pure Fitness Rx opens in west Wichita | Have You Heard? | Wichita ...
WICHITA ? Pete Rohleder has been working out at Fit Physique Fitness Center since he was 12 and working there since he was 16. After spending half his life there, he says he was ready to have his own place.
This week, he?s having a soft opening for his Pure Fitness Rx at 3460 N. Ridge Road.
?Fit Physique is a wonderful place ? but I needed to grow professionally,? Rohleder says.
He got his master?s degree in exercise science last year and says, ?I wanted to be able to offer more services.?
Rohleder calls himself an exercise physiologist.
?It allows me to be a little bit more in-depth and a little more comprehensive with my approach to health and fitness.?
He says he can incorporate more physiological tools for better results.
?I can help develop programs that are much more efficient.?
Rohleder says he trains all kinds of people, from elite and professional athletes to people struggling with diseases.
?It?s an exclusive setting,? he says. ?They?re the only ones in the studio.?
That includes one-on-one training and private, specialized yoga.
Cristi Howell of J.P. Weigand & Sons and Dan Unruh of InSite Real Estate Group handled the deal for the 1,500-square-foot space.
Rohleder says in addition to the training, he?s adding a number of smaller touches, such as infused flavored water, aromatherapy, towel service and personalized music and temperature settings.
?The entire experience from the second you walk in to the second you walk out is important,? he says. ?It?s whatever the client wants.?
Source: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2013/03/20/pure-fitness-rx-opens-in-west-wichita/
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The Insane One-Man Computer Station It Takes to Cover Every Single March Madness Game
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Assault weapons ban won't be in Dems' gun bill
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The sponsor of a proposed assault weapons ban says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has told her that the ban will not be part of the initial gun control measure the Senate will debate next month.
California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein says that instead of being included in the measure, the ban will be offered as an amendment.
The decision, which was expected, means that the ban seems to stand little chance of surviving because of expected solid opposition from Republicans and likely defections from some moderate Democrats.
The ban was one of four gun control measures approved this month by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The others would expand required federal background checks for firearms buyers, increase federal penalties for illegal gun trafficking and boost school safety money.
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Power partially restored at nuclear plant in Japan
TOKYO (AP) ? Power has been restored to two fuel storage pools at Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, but two others have been without fresh cooling water for more than a day, raising concerns about the fragility of a facility that still runs on makeshift equipment.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that pool temperatures at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant were well within safe levels, and that pools would remain safe for at least four days without fresh cooling water. The utility said the reactors were unaffected and no other abnormalities were found.
The cooling system was restored at two of the four pools by Tuesday evening, and the systems for the two other pools were to resume by Wednesday morning as workers complete repairs and try to determine the cause of the problem, TEPCO spokesman Masayuki Ono told reporters.
"We now have better prospects for cooling to resume," he said.
About 50 workers in hazmat suits and full-face masks were mobilized to fix cabling that involved the last of the three switchboards that they suspect as a possible cause of the problem. The utility was also preparing a backup system in case the repairs didn't fix the issue and "the worse comes to worst," Ono said.
Japan's March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant's power and cooling systems, causing three reactor cores to melt and fuel storage pools to overheat. Massive radiation leaks from the plant have contaminated air, water and soil around the plant, causing some 160,000 residents to evacuate.
The current power outage is a test for TEPCO to show if it has learned anything from the disaster. TEPCO, which has repeatedly faced cover-up scandals, was slammed by local media Tuesday for waiting hours to disclose the blackout.
Ono acknowledged the plant was vulnerable.
"Fukushima Dai-ichi still runs on makeshift equipment, and we are trying to switch to something more permanent and dependable, which is more desirable," he said. "Considering the equipment situation, we may be pushing a little too hard."
Ono said the utility did not immediately try to switch to a backup cooling system because doing so without finding and fixing the cause could lead to a repeat of the problem but prioritized power restoration after all.
There is a backup cooling system but no backup outside power. TEPCO has backup cooling systems with separate power sources for reactor cooling, but fuel storage pools only have emergency diesel generators as a backup. TEPCO said it will consider installing backup outside power for the pools.
Units 3 and 4 reactors shared a makeshift switchboard that sits on the back of a truck but an upgrade for permanent, safer location was being planned later this month. Reactor cooling water pumps also sit on the back of a truck, with hoses traveling several kilometers (miles) to reach the reactors.
"We have a ton of problems that still needs to be taken care of to overcome the challenges that we have never experienced," Ono said. But he denied the power outage would affect the plant's long-term cleanup plans.
Regulators have raised concerns about the makeshift equipment and urged the plant to switch them to a more permanent arrangement. The operator still has to remove melted, fatally radioactive fuel from the reactors before fully decommissioning the plant, which officials say could take 40 years.
Yoshihide Suga, the chief government spokesman, sought to allay concerns.
"In a sense, we have put in place measures that leave no room for worry," Suga told reporters in a regular briefing.
The command center at the plant suffered a brief power outage before 7 p.m. Monday. Electricity was quickly restored to the command center but not to equipment pumping water into the fuel pools.
The temperature in the four pools had risen slightly, but was well below the utility's target control temperature of 65 degrees Celsius, TEPCO said.
"We don't believe the Fukushima disaster is under control," said Yuko Endo, chief of Kawauchi village, part of which remains restricted due to radiation contamination, keeping hundreds of residents away from home. Officials are struggling to make the area livable again, but people cannot return home unless they feel confident about the plant's stability, he said.
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Associated Press writer Malcolm Foster contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/power-partially-restored-nuclear-plant-japan-100728203.html
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AP: Costs of US wars linger for over 100 years
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.
An Associated Press analysis of federal payment records found that the government is still making monthly payments to relatives of Civil War veterans ? 148 years after the conflict ended.
At the 10 year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, more than $40 billion a year are going to compensate veterans and survivors from the Spanish-American War from 1898, World War I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the two Iraq campaigns and the Afghanistan conflict. And those costs are rising rapidly.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said such expenses should remind the nation about war's long-lasting financial toll.
"When we decide to go to war, we have to consciously be also thinking about the cost," said Murray, D-Wash., adding that her WWII-veteran father's disability benefits helped feed their family.
Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator and veteran who co-chaired President Barack Obama's deficit committee in 2010, said government leaders working to limit the national debt should make sure that survivors of veterans need the money they are receiving.
"Without question, I would affluence-test all of those people," Simpson said.
With greater numbers of troops surviving combat injuries because of improvements in battlefield medicine and technology, the costs of disability payments are set to rise much higher.
The AP identified the disability and survivor benefits during an analysis of millions of federal payment records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
To gauge the post-war costs of each conflict, AP looked at four compensation programs that identify recipients by war: disabled veterans; survivors of those who died on active duty or from a service-related disability; low-income wartime vets over age 65 or disabled; and low-income survivors of wartime veterans or their disabled children.
?The Iraq wars and Afghanistan
So far, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the first Persian Gulf conflict in the early 1990s are costing about $12 billion a year to compensate those who have left military service or family members of those who have died.
Those post-service compensation costs have totaled more than $50 billion since 2003, not including expenses of medical care and other benefits provided to veterans, and are poised to grow for many years to come.
The new veterans are filing for disabilities at historic rates, with about 45 percent of those from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking compensation for injuries. Many are seeking compensation for a variety of ailments at once.
Experts see a variety of factors driving that surge, including a bad economy that's led more jobless veterans to seek the financial benefits they've earned, troops who survive wounds of war and more awareness about head trauma and mental health.
?Vietnam War
It's been 40 years since the U.S. ended its involvement in the Vietnam War, and yet payments for the conflict are still rising.
Now above $22 billion annually, Vietnam compensation costs are roughly twice the size of the FBI's annual budget. And while many disabled Vietnam vets have been compensated for post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss or general wounds, other ailments are positioning the war to have large costs even after veterans die.
Based on an uncertain link to the defoliant Agent Orange that was used in Vietnam, federal officials approved diabetes a decade ago as an ailment that qualifies for cash compensation ? and it is now the most compensated ailment for Vietnam vets.
The VA also recently included heart disease among the Vietnam medical issues that qualify, and the agency is seeing thousands of new claims for that issue. Simpson said he has a lot of concerns about the government agreeing to automatically compensate for those diseases.
"That has been terribly abused," Simpson said.
Since heart disease is common among older Americans and is the nation's leading cause of death, the future deaths of thousands of Vietnam veterans could be linked to their service and their benefits passed along to survivors.
A congressional analysis estimated the cost of fighting the war was $738 billion in 2011 dollars, and the post-war benefits for veterans and families have separately cost some $270 billion since 1970, according to AP calculations.
?World War I, World War II and the Korean War
World War I, which ended 94 years ago, continues to cost taxpayers about $20 million every year. World War II? $5 billion.
Compensation for WWII veterans and families didn't peak until 1991 ? 46 years after the war ended ? and annual costs since then have only declined by about 25 percent. Korean War costs appear to be leveling off at about $2.8 billion per year.
Of the 2,289 survivors drawing cash linked to WWI, about one-third are spouses and dozens of them are over 100 years in age.
Some of the other recipients are curious: Forty-seven of the spouses are under the age of 80, meaning they weren't born until years after the war ended. Many of those women were in their 20s and 30s when their aging spouses died in the 1960s and 1970s, and they've been drawing the monthly payments since.
?Civil War and Spanish-American War
There are 10 living recipients of benefits tied to the 1898 Spanish-American War at a total cost of about $50,000 per year. The Civil War payments are going to two children of veterans ? one in North Carolina and one in Tennessee? each for $876 per year.
Surviving spouses can qualify for lifetime benefits when troops from current wars have a service-linked death. Children under the age of 18 can also qualify, and those benefits are extended for a lifetime if the person is permanently incapable of self-support due to a disability before the age of 18.
Citing privacy, officials did not disclose the names of the two children getting the Civil War benefits.
Their ages suggest the one in Tennessee was born around 1920 and the North Carolina survivor was born around 1930. A veteran who was young during the Civil War would likely have been roughly 70 or 80 years old when the two people were born.
That's not unheard of. At age 86, Juanita Tudor Lowrey is the daughter of a Civil War veteran. Her father, Hugh Tudor, fought in the Union army. After his first wife died, Tudor was 73 when he remarried her 33-year-old mother in 1920. Lowrey was born in 1926.
Lowrey, who lives in Kearney, Mo., suspects the marriage might have been one of convenience, with her father looking for a housekeeper and her mother looking for some security. He died a couple years after she was born, and Lowrey received pension benefits until she was 18.
Now, Lowrey said, she usually gets skepticism from people after she tells them she's a daughter of a Civil War veteran.
"We're few and far between," Lowrey said.
___
AP Writer Mike Baker can be reached on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/HiPpEV
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-costs-us-wars-linger-150854910.html
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Monday, March 18, 2013
Kids In Tune, Kalamazoo Music Program, Changes Lives One Note At A Time
This article originally appeared in Southwest Michigan Second Wave.
A kid who would give up recess to make time for another lesson? Never happen.
At Woods Lake Elementary at 3215 Oakland Drive, in the Kids in Tune program, however, that is precisely what did happen. And not just one child made such a choice, but 79 children voted to extend their music lessons rather than go outside to play.
For them, Kids in Tune is play. These children play musical instruments for two-and-a-half hours, four days of the week, as part of the Kids in Tune program, a collaboration of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS), Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and Communities in Schools (CIS) of Kalamazoo. An after-school program launched in the fall of 2011, Kids in Tune is built on the Venezuelan philosophy known as El Sistema, founded by Dr. Jos? Abreu.
"I saw a YouTube video of an orchestra of young people from all walks of life playing instruments, and I started to think about how to reach people in our community," says Elizabeth, or Liz, Youker, education director at Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and founder of Kids in Tune. "Music changes lives."
Youker found the partners she needed in Woods Lake Elementary, a Magnet Center for the Arts, where she worked with Rachel Boomsma, senior site director for Communities in Schools, to put the music program together.
"It's an extraordinary meld with CIS," says Youker. "The wonderful thing about working with CIS is that we can surround the kids with a web of support, helping them develop social and academic skills along with musical skills. There's a lot of interest now in the concept of resilience, how that's needed in life, and it's fairly inherent in music."
"Resilience is built into music study," echoes Boomsma, who is a thesis shy of her master's degree in music therapy. "Music is fun, but it's also hard work. You have to keep doing it, practice and push through, even when you are good at it."
Children pop in and out of the classroom at Woods Lake Elementary, and they ask Youker and Boomsma about their instruments, about practice sessions, about the recital coming up the next day, when they will perform for their families and other community members. The flow of activity is bustling and constant.
Five hundred children attend Woods Lake Elementary, and the capacity for the Kids in Tune program is 100 with plans to expand. "In terms of demographics," says Boomsma, "about 84 percent are eligible for free or reduced cost lunches. We identify the kids with a strategic need for this program, those who are least likely to have access to music but need it the most."
"The instruments are for the most part made available through grant funding," says Youker. "Some instruments come from KPS, and we will always accept donations."
The walls of the room are lined with instruments. Junior-sized cellos, violins, flutes and clarinets, percussion instruments lined up neatly, waiting to be taken up in the next child's hands. The children, kindergarten through fifth graders, take their chosen instrument and head down the hall to another room for rehearsal. Kids in Tune has started with strings, but the plan is eventually to include all the instruments that comprise an orchestra--even harps, Youker says a little dreamily.
Kids in Tune is music and far more than music. The program includes hot meals and transportation, academic tutoring, group lessons and one-on-one sessions, choir, dance, and the occasional field trip to hear the professionals perform.
"Money can be an obstacle to the arts, of course," says Youker, "but kids can be dealing with all kinds of obstacles, like getting a ride, or just finding the space at home to practice."
"Parents love this opportunity, much more than any other program we've offered," adds Boomsma. "We've actually met some of the parents in the music events for the first time. We were seeing about 20 percent attendance at events from parents. Now, we see as much as 94 percent, and extended family, too, come to the events."
Parents are called in for meet-and-greet meetings, instructed on instrument care, and how to help their children practice at home, says Boomsma. For the most part, however, practice happens at school, after hours. She and Youker are looking into allowing the children to take their instruments home for the weekend.
Helping Youker and Boomsma with the program is a growing cadre of volunteers. Eric Barth, a mathematics professor at Kalamazoo College by day, shows up at the end of his work day to become the young orchestra's conductor. He is the music curriculum director here, writing arrangements suitable for young beginners.
"I caught the magic," says Barth. "I love sharing this experience with the kids. All the challenges we all face--music builds those skills that we need to face life's challenges."
A moment later, Barth is in front of the kid's orchestra, coaxing, praising, cheering, and successfully inspiring enthusiasm in the young musicians. Seated among them are several Kalamazoo College music students, part of a college service learning program, playing with the kids. That, too, is part of the program, with those who are just beginning to learn practicing side-by-side with those who have already achieved expertise.
Deb Faling, director of social-emotional health initiatives at CIS, wanders through the gathering crowd, talking to parents, talking to kids. "Oh, I'm very charged up about this program," she says. "It's amazing, to see the changes in these children as they take up their instruments. Every kid here feels like they have an advocate in this program. Our staff is always trying to find a way to personalize the experience and to connect with the child."
Faling tells a story of a boy who loved wrestling, and so a staff member wrote a music arrangement based on the WWF theme song for the young cellist's favorite wrestler. A new and dedicated musician was born.
"Every kid thinks it's normal to play music," Faling says. "They identify with it."
"We focus on the whole student," Youker adds. "Music isn't just about learning to play the scales. This is wholly affirmative, passion over precision. Once they have the passion, they will be motivated to pursue precision. We want them to fall in love with music."
This is the El Sistema philosophy: through passion and support, nurturing and joy, given a chance to know music intimately and personally, a child will learn life skills through the learning of music skills. As the orchestra of tiny musicians soars into another go at Beethoven, however squeaky it might be at moments, it appears that change is well under way at Woods Lake Elementary.
Standing at the back of the room, lips pressed into a smile, cheeks flushed, Youker listens. "It's working even better than I expected," she whispers.
Read more growth and innovation news, plus inspiring stories of life in Southwest Michigan, at Southwest Michigan Second Wave.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/16/kids-in-tune-kalamazoo-music-program_n_2884378.html
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Gov. Dalrymple defends North Dakota University System
BISMARCK ? Relentless scrutiny of North Dakota?s higher education system is nothing new, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said Friday.
But the fractured relationship between some legislators and embattled Chancellor Hamid Shirvani may be stirring the pot even more.
?Higher education has always been a big topic of attention as long as I?ve been around, and that just seems to continue,? the governor and former state representative said. ?It would be nice if it could settle down and be a little bit quieter for a period of time, but I can?t honestly think of a time when we didn?t have somewhat of a rocking boat.?
Dalrymple said one ?source of irritation? is the constitutional division of authority in place here since 1938, when voters approved the creation of the State Board of Higher Education. While the board is tasked with hiring the chancellor and overseeing the 11 public campuses, the Legislature has few options to weigh in, other than setting the budget.
Still, he said the North Dakota University System is generally ranked among the top one-third of American higher education systems, and he said the state now has 11 institutions doing a good job of meeting the education and workforce training demands of a changing state.
Dalrymple said the state has made strides in improving its system in recent decades, both through the work of the board and the Legislature. But those positive steps may be overlooked as reporters, pundits and critics focus on the conflict with Shirvani, including an amendment passed by the Senate that would give the board enough money to buy out the remainder of his three-year contract.
?It?s a little discouraging at times that we do spend so much time on a personnel issue or something else that really is a small, small piece of the big picture,? he said.
Dalrymple said the system faces challenges, including overzealous steps since Shirvani began his job July 1 to implement the kinds of higher education reforms that have been discussed here for decades.
?I don?t think it?s any secret that this chancellor is off to a bit of a rocky start, and there are clearly a number of people who feel that he?s been too aggressive and people don?t appreciate that,? Dalrymple said.
He said part of the problem has been the quick pace Shirvani has worked at to enact sweeping changes, including the Pathways to Student Success plan that will raise admission standards in an attempt to improve graduation rates and other outcomes. But he said the issue often has been the way these changes are being made, not the actual changes.
Higher education has remained a top issue during the current legislative session, with lawmakers mulling five proposals that would abolish the board, create a new elected commissioner of higher education or lead to other sweeping reforms.
Dalrymple believes current board members understand they need to ?settle things down one way or the other? and move past the current disruptions to do their job.
?I would have to say that of all the options that there are out there, I do not see a better system of governance than we have today,? he said. ?I?m not saying it?s perfect, I?m not saying it?s ideal, but when you start talking about alternatives, they have their drawbacks, too.
?The concept of an independent board of policymakers for higher education is not a bad concept,? Dalrymple said. ?But, of course, you have to hope that it?s being well-executed.?
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Friday, March 15, 2013
Boeing: Commercial 787 flights to restart in weeks
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, Friday, March 15, 2013. Boeing executives said commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets will resume "within weeks, not months" with a third of safety tests already completed. They said Friday they had not pinpointed the causes of the two battery problems that resulted in the global grounding of the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, Friday, March 15, 2013. Boeing executives said commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets will resume "within weeks, not months" with a third of safety tests already completed. They said Friday they had not pinpointed the causes of the two battery problems that resulted in the global grounding of the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President and Chief Project Engineer Mike Sinnett poses with a model of newly designed 787's battery during a news conference in Tokyo, Friday, March 15, 2013. Boeing executives said commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets will resume "within weeks, not months" with a third of safety tests already completed. They said Friday they had not pinpointed the causes of the two battery problems that resulted in the global grounding of the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President and Chief Project Engineer Mike Sinnett poses with a model of newly designed 787's battery for photographers during a news conference in Tokyo, Friday, March 15, 2013. Boeing executives said commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets will resume "within weeks, not months" with a third of safety tests already completed. They said Friday they had not pinpointed the causes of the two battery problems that resulted in the global grounding of the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
TOKYO (AP) ? Boeing said Friday it sees commercial flights of its grounded 787 jets resuming "within weeks" even though it has not pinpointed the cause of battery overheating.
Boeing Co. Chief Project Engineer Michael Sinnett outlined a fix centered on a new design for the lithium-ion battery system that has many layers of safeguards to prevent overheating. It also has measures to contain any problems if malfunctions do occur.
"We could be back up and going in weeks and not months," Sinnett told reporters at a Tokyo hotel. A third of safety tests have already been completed. A Japanese official said it was possible flights could resume next month.
The 787 fleet was grounded worldwide by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, its counterparts in Japan and other nations in January, following a battery fire in a Dreamliner parked in Boston and an overheated battery that led to an emergency landing of another 787 in Japan.
All Nippon Airways, a major Japanese carrier, was the launch customer for the technologically advanced Dreamliner planes. With Japan Airlines another customer, about half the 787 jets in use are with Japanese carriers.
The Boeing executives sought to allay flier fears about the 787 by repeatedly stressing their commitment to safety.
They said it would take too long to figure out what had specifically caused the problems in Boston and southwestern Japan but the new design would ensure 787s are safe.
Boeing came up with 80 possible causes for the battery failures, categorized them into four groups, and came up with design adjustments such as better insulation between each battery cell so any malfunctions won't spread. That was to allow the 787 to be back in the air more promptly, they said.
There were also changes to wiring for the battery, aimed at preventing overheating, and a new enclosure for the battery that would eliminate fire risk.
The enclosure has a direct vent to carry battery vapors outside the airplane, and small holes at the bottom of the battery case will allow moisture to drain from the battery, according to Boeing. The battery charger is also being adapted to beef up safety, it said.
While executives acknowledged that final approval would have to come from the FAA, and didn't rule out further delays to ensure safety, they said they were in close contact with the FAA and didn't foresee any long delays.
"It's a safe airplane. We have no concerns at all about that," Sinnett said.
Boeing Executive Vice President Ray Conner offered his apologies to Japan for the problems.
"We do apologize for this situation," Conner said. He said he was in Japan to meet with aviation authorities and airlines, and the company had picked Japan as the place to outline the battery fix.
About a third of the plane is made by Japanese manufacturers, including GS Yuasa, which supplies the lithium-ion batteries.
Despite assurances from Boeing, it is unclear if travelers will have enough confidence in the 787 to book flights on them.
Both ANA and JAL have announced cancellations of hundreds of 787 flights through the end of May.
Still, once the FAA clears the jet, approval from Japanese aviation regulators is likely to be instant.
Transport Ministry official Yasuo Ishii said Japanese officials were part of the tests and certification in the U.S., and planned to go along with and be part of the FAA decision.
He said it was even possible commercial flights could resume as early as next month.
JAL spokesman Jian Yang said in a statement the airline sees the 787 tests going "to a new stage," and was ready to cooperate with others in the effort.
ANA also welcomed Boeing's plan.
"As the launch customer for the 787, ANA hopes for a resumption of flights as soon as possible, while putting safety as a top priority," it said.
Boeing executives played down fire risks, stressing that there was no fire in the Japan failure and that there was no major damage to the aircraft.
They said they would not hesitate to fly on the 787 or have their families fly on them.
They declined comment on questions about monetary compensations for the carriers, which are suffering losses because of flight cancellations.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at twitter.com/yurikageyama
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